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What Does it Mean?
To create a good relationship of trust, mutual respect, and support, it is necessary to initiate communication and establish a commitment between the parties (engagement.) Engagement should start at the early stages, be it the pre-feasibility studies stage or the preliminary prospecting. This shows the stakeholders that both their opinion, as well as their best interests are priority issues and important to the company. This two entry article will cover contact with communities, clarity, transparency, benefits of good communication and tools to communicate clearer and more transparent information.
Companies have tried to delay dialogue on several occasions, as they did not want to create expectations in the communities, or out of fear of generating uncertainty by not having all the answers. Seeing different activities and people working in their environment usually already creates expectations in the communities. A clear dialogue explaining that there are several uncertainties is better not only for the stakeholders, but also for the company. This situation may be an opportunity to establish a rapport and mutually helpful relationships, to identify potential negative impacts, and to jointly propose ideas and solutions in the design of the project.
First Contact and Technical Language
Companies sometimes communicate incomprehensible messages to communities. Using overly technical terms, not communicating in the native language of the communities, or even not using appropriate didactic means are just a few examples. The community relations staff rarely makes the first contact with communities. Rather, it is the technical and engineering staff, and they tend to use technical concepts to communicate. Technical language may be confusing or not explanatory enough to answer questions that the stakeholders might have. This leads to an implicit degree of "risk," as confusing information may involve some negative implications.
Companies must try to be clear in the message they want to convey and transparent about the information they present. Uncertainties for the company and changes in the communications means or tools can occur and should be mentioned.
Being transparent and clear applies to companies communicating to stakeholders, and also to all the interested parties. When governments develop a clear legal framework, for instance, this helps clarify the rights and obligations of all parties involved. Expectations and the potential for conflict are reduced, thus contributing to the project's success.
What Is Clarity?
Being clear means encoding the message in a language that is simple. Adapted to the group of stakeholders to which the message is to be conveyed, it should be easy to understand. Information provided should allow the actors to understand the activities and how they could be affected in the future. It should allow the actors to build an opinion based on concrete facts.
Clarity is the crucial element of understanding. The message should be carefully generated in a simple, easy to understand manner. Also, the different ways in which it could be interpreted should also be evaluated.
The communities should attend meetings knowing the topics that will be addressed. The company is responsible for providing timely information and for delivering it in a way that is understandable to the community.
Being transparent means making information continuously known/accessible, whenever possible. The communities and all the actors should be kept informed about the future plans or prospects of the companies.
Transparency is intended to generate an atmosphere of trust, empathy, safety and openness between the company and the stakeholders, so that they are informed and know from the start the potential direct and indirect impacts, their rights and their obligations.
Open dialogue is necessary, especially on issues that are sensitive to the community, such as access to water, potential contamination and different mitigation options, job opportunities and anything else that creates uncertainty and expectations.
It's worth mentioning that the dialogue should be a two-way communication process. That is, the process should not be limited to simply informing communities, but rather listening, discussing the various issues that affect them, and taking their comments into account.
In the next entry, benefits and tools for clear and transparent communications will be discussed.


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A Japanese man has been turning heads in Tokyo after taking his pet giant African tortoise for walks around the city's streets.
62-year-old owner Hisao Mitani says he has been taking his pet Bon-chan on daily walks for years, but the pair have only recently become famous after photographs of them when viral on the internet. Bon-chan is named after the festival of Obon, during which his wife brought the pet home from a store. The 70kg reptile is kept in a wooden enclosure designed by Mr Mitani, and lives off a diet of fruit and vegetables.
Monday, July 11, 2016
Man Walk With His Pet Giant Tortoise
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subset: commoncrawl


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You may or may not have heard of Vera Nazarian. She is the founder of Norilana books, a little publishing house that has given many new writers a hand up. It would be worth helping Vera if the only thing we wanted to do was keep Norilana books afloat. However, there is a lot more to the story.
That links takes you to a detailed retelling of all she has been through, and all she has accomplished despite those obstacles. Here's the basic summary from that site:
"Vera Nazarian of Norilana books is facing foreclosure due to a series of truly unfortunate events (a fradulent lawsuit, mother's illness, father's death and sub-prime mortgage.) We hope to raise $11,229.72 to help Vera save her house."
Now, you can just send a couple bucks straight there and that would help. But there are other easy ways to help, too.
Go to Norilana Books http://www.norilana.com/ and do some Christmas shopping. Or Winter shopping or any other holiday you celebrate. Just buy one for yourself! You deseve a good book, don't you?
But if nothing there seems quite right for the preschool child on your list, use the Amazon portal there to do your Amazon shopping. Most of you probably know that Amazon's gives a small fee back to the websites that serve as entry portals. Costs you nothing, but helps Vera a bit.
Many hands make light work. Help save a home, please.
Robin Hobb


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iGlow iPhone 6 Case - Pale Pink
This funky protective phone case combines unique style with premium protection. The iGlow iPhone case covers the back and corners of your phone and is impact resistant, flexible, and provides access to all ports and buttons. When you charge the case under light your phone case will glow in the dark allowing you can see it almost anywhere.
They also have a handy ring that pops out so you can hold your phone without gripping and dubling as a stand. How many features can a iPhone Case have!!
To Suit: iPhone 6.


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Gov. Brown's twin tunnel plan has raised ire since its inception, but the battle has grown more heated with the publication of its latest economic report. Melinda Terry, manager of the North Delta Water Agency, called the document outright fraud, while state water contractors praised it with a fact sheet pointing out its strong points (primarily, its page length). Continue reading
Of the 38 million people affected by the Bay-Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), at least 60 phoned in to get an update last week. The public meeting held in Sacramento was chaotic, with sounds of dogs barking, neighborhood chit-chat and the double-toilet-flush from the call-in listeners who forgot to mute their lines.
Despite the bizarre atmosphere, serious clarifications were made regarding the big-picture plan to build two giant tunnels through or around the Delta—the largest estuary on the West Coast.
Gov. Brown's tunnel conveyance plan continues to dance around the science, although the project's leaders have publicly claimed to embrace it.
The latest news? The current plan being pushed ahead is an operations proposal known as Alternative 4. That alternative intends to raise the limit on exports for south of delta contractors from an average of 4.9 million acre-feet to 5.3 million acre-feet.
And that may be a problem—4.9 isn't an arbitrary number. It's a vetted biological opinion put in place to keep key species, such as delta smelt, chinook salmon and steelhead from perishing forever. Among other things, water diversions and pumping have severely impacted the beleaguered estuary. Giant pumps sit in the south Delta and send water uphill to drier parts of the state, including Los Angeles, the Central Valley and Santa Clara. When the pumps operate, rivers flow in the reverse direction and entrap fish trying to spawn. On average, 95 percent of juvenile San Joaquin River salmon and 60 percent of Sacramento River salmon don't survive migration through the Delta. The biological opinion limits the damage.
"It was widely recognized that the alternatives analyzed in the February effects analysis would lead to further fishery declines and the likely extinction of several salmon runs," said Kate Poole, Senior Attorney for the Natural Resources Defense Council. "The state has promised that BDCP would be a science-driven process and would recover the ecosystem and imperiled salmon and other fisheries." Choosing Alternative 4 means that the process is not being driven by science, Poole added.
What's driving the process seems to be the state and federal contractors who are funding the BDCP, and their interest lies in increasing water exports.
Regardless, fish and other wildlife need fresh water flowing through the system, and a lot more than they're getting. The public trust recommendations for flow, as set forth by the State Water Resources Control Board, would limit exports to 3.7 to 3.9 million acre-feet. That's more than a million-acre feet less than the current proposal.
But there is a caveat. The current plan suggests that by increasing land habitat more water can be exported—although it is unclear whether scientific studies will validate that.
"They keep saying trust us; we will build it now and figure out the science later," said Bill Jennings,the Executive Director of California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA). "We no longer trust those who guided these species to the brink of extinction to do the right thing. The science and assurances must come first."
State and federal wildlife agencies are responsible for permitting the BDCP, and they are trying to ensure that science does come first, but they're still working out the numbers. Remediating habitat is an important part of that process as well. The Delta has only five percent of its original wetlands intact.
The costs are another matter. It's an expensive project and who will pay for it appears to be in flux.
"At least they are being honest that they expect more water," said Dr. Jeffrey-Michael, Director of the Business Forecasting Center at the Eberhardt School of Business. "But from a benefit-cost perspective for the state, 5.3 million acre-feet is still not enough to justify the costs of the project. It is not a good project for the state. The fact that they won't do an official analysis shows the truth to that. If they could prove its value, believe me, they would do it."
The project cost hovers around $23 billion, with an additional $1.1 billion in debt servicing for 35 years. The debt costs nearly double the price. Currently, contractors are set to pay 75 percent of the costs, and taxpayers the other 25 percent. But those percentages will be adjusted in the future, as noted at the meeting.
Funds from state bonds provided 78 percent of the financing for the construction of the original State Water Project.
Other details were not discussed, in particular, the total capacity of the system to export water. The topic makes local delta farmers nervous. They rely on fresh water from the Sacramento River to irrigate their crops, and the tunnels may affect that. At the meeting, one commenter verbalized his concern that the project would "bleed the river dry."
The current alternative decreases the intake size of the proposed tunnels and limits tunnel exports to 6.5 million acre-feet a year. But that's an incomplete picture of the system. The pumps in the southern end of the Delta will still be there, and they also have a similar export capacity.
Thus, the only physically limiting factor is the size of the California Aqueduct. The system would have the capacity to export nearly 10 million acre-feet a year.
Mike Taugher, Communications Director for the California Department of Fish and Game, carefully noted that the state pumps have always had the capacity to export more water, but they've always been limited by operational regulations.
What next? More meetings and a forthcoming Environmental Impact Report.
Water lazily rolls by, acres of pear trees blanket the horizon, and tiny communities dot the landscape. Walnut Grove is a Delta town with 1,500 residents, just one ice cream shop and a mom-and-pop grocery store. It feels sleepy, humid and slow—like the Sacramento River. Brett Baker, a sixth-generation pear farmer who lives nearby, on Sutter Island, describes the area nostalgically:
"I enjoy the peace and quiet, the landscape and scenery," he said. "I have a personal relationship with almost everyone in my town. I have known them all my life, played sports with them, was coached by them growing up. Out here, there is a real sense of community. When tragedy strikes, your neighbors pick you up and help support you."
Tragedy might be striking. Just 10 minutes away is the roar of Interstate 5, one of California's major freeways. Twenty minutes farther is Sacramento and the buzzing State Capitol, where the fate of this farming community, the Delta, the state's river system, and the largest estuary on the West Coast will be determined.
The Delta is the heart of the state's water resources. Most rivers flow into it, the ocean meets it, key species migrate in and out of it, 25 million people draw water from it, and a large portion of agriculture relies on it to irrigate crops. And now, Gov. Jerry Brown wants to forge ahead with a $23 billion plan to build two massive tunnels underneath or around the Delta.
The stakes are enormous.
The governor's proposed Bay-Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP), also known as the tunnel conveyance system or peripheral canal, would carry part of the Sacramento River underneath the Delta in two 35-mile long tunnels to the California Aqueduct. There, the water would be pumped uphill to cities and farms in more parched regions of the state, including the southern Central Valley, Los Angeles and Santa Clara.
The canal plan has been kicking around for decades. Brown's original peripheral canal project was voted down in a referendum in 1982, but he is back in the saddle again. "We're going to take into account the opposition," Brown vowed, "but we're not going to sit here and twiddle our thumbs and stare at our navel. We're going to make decisions and get it done."
But it's unclear what Brown is trying to get done. The project would continue to move water from one part of the state to another, with questionable benefits for citizens, farmers, fish, fishermen and even state and federal water contractors, who have funded the project thus far. The differing perspectives of a Delta farmer, a seasoned environmentalist and a Republican supervisor show the complexities and contentiousness of what lies ahead.
"The Delta is the largest contiguous acreage of prime farmland in California," said Baker. "It has a naturally reliable supply of high quality water and sufficient drainage. Basically, you are taking water from land that has proven to be sustainably productive for over 150 years and moving it to lands with toxic drainage impairments."
Acre to acre, Delta land is one the most productive farm areas in the state.
The toxic land that Baker refers to is on the west side of San Joaquin River in the Central Valley. The area has long had problems with salinity and selenium, and it's also a primary importer of Delta water. Salinity on the west side can be flushed out with water, provided there is drainage. But there isn't excess water or drainage, and there may never be. The taxpayer cost of fixing the drainage problem is $2.6 to $7 billion. Only $346 million in funds are currently allocated.
Selenium presents a more significant problem for the west side. It cannot be safely dispersed into the environment. It bio-accumulates and in large quantities is toxic to wildlife, livestock and humans. In the 1980s, Kesterson Reservoir had to be closed, because of the mass bird and livestock deformities that were discovered there due to selenium build-up. The area has since been cleaned up, but pollutants are still flowing into the San Joaquin River, and more water will not fix the problem.
So why construct a canal or tunnel conveyance system and route water there?
A portion of that water flows elsewhere, to the Metropolitan Water District and the Kern County Water Agency, for example. The giant pumps that sit in the southern part of the estuary entrap and kill thousands of fish annually. The pumps also alter the habitat of the estuary by creating a north to south flow across a tidal ecosystem, which would naturally flow east to west. The proposed tunnels would move the intake upstream to locations that might be less harmful to smelt, salmon and other endangered species. They also might avoid delivery disruptions associated with salt water intrusion and climate change.
But under the microscopes of science and regulation, even those benefits begin to look dubious. And that's because moving intakes upstream will affect water quality for fish and farmers downstream. "If we allow the canal to be built it will ultimately result in the salting up and ruination of one of our state's most valuable assets," Baker said. "Research has continued to reveal that shunting more water from the system stands to condemn the canary in the coal mine."
And Baker is right. The birds are in trouble too. Although endangered fish species get more attention because of their effect on water exports, the Delta is a primary habitat and migratory stop for millions of birds, like tundra swans and sandhill cranes. Nearly 50 percent of the Pacific Flyway's migrating or wintering waterfowl depend on it.
Altogether, the Delta is home to more than 750 species of plants and animals, 33 of which are endangered, and likely to go extinct within the next 25 to 50 years, if not sooner. Those species includes chinook salmon, smelt, steelhead, splittail, sturgeon and river lamprey, all of which are supposed to be protected by state and federal agencies.
And California hasn't left much breathing room for its once abundant wildlife, particularly in the Central Valley and the Delta, where most of the land is privately held and about 95 percent of natural wetlands are gone. And water, the other primary habitat, has been over-allocated to such a high degree that little is left for plants and animals. All total, water rights exist for 531 million acre-feet, which is nearly 10 times as much as is annually available (63 million acre-feet).
Leo Winternitz, associate director of Delta Restoration and Policy for the Nature Conservancy, has been living amidst these water wars for the past 30 years. He has worked for CALFED, the Sacramento Water Forum, the Department of Water Resources, and the State Water Resources Control Board—all major players in water management.
As to how things are going – he says simply, "The situation is more acute. The environment is really suffering from the overuse. We need to think in terms of migratory corridors," he continues. "If you acquire any piece of property, without a strategic plan then you have postage stamp approach and that doesn't work. You need to have a corridor of different habitats interconnected."
But putting that into action is no easy task. The Delta region has more than 500,000 acres of agricultural land, most of which was formerly wetland habitat. About five percent of the original environment is left.
To restore a portion, the Nature Conservancy acquired a 9200-acre tract in the Delta, called Staten Island. The area provides prime habitat for sandhill cranes and other migratory waterfowl. But the $35 million land purchase has been criticized. Half of the money for the acquisition came from the state funds for flood protection, and today, it's managed primarily as a farmland and wetland—not as a flood plain. The island is below sea level, and it isn't ideally located for tidal marsh restoration. Still, 15 percent of the Sacramento Valley sandhill crane population and thousands of birds use the area as a winter habitat.
The BDCP, at least, has a cohesive plan for restoration. It may include 80,000 acres of tidal marsh habitat and up to 45,000 acres of agricultural and grasslands habitat. But that makes Delta farmers nervous, as does changing the position of the water intake system and increasing exports, which was originally part of the plan.
And that's where the project starts to hit serious trouble.
The BDCP sets off a series of agency interactions between the Department of Water Resources (DWR), the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), the California Department State Fish and Game (DFG), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC). Each agency is tasked with a particular aspect of protecting and managing the state's natural resources. And there is a lot to protect:—California is one of the most bio-diverse places in the world.
Among these water agencies, there is a confusing array of regulations and interactions. But there are clear guidelines. "It is now state policy that we have co-equal goals of ecosystem restoration and water reliability," Winternitz said, regarding the Delta Reform Act of 2009. "Any solution has to include environmental consideration. That is a big positive. We just have to communicate better about what this means and how to implement it."
But what's being communicated is tough medicine for everyone.
The public trust recommendations for the Delta are the hub of public policy, and the agencies are circling around it. To resuscitate the system, scientific research indicates the need to increase river flows and decrease Delta water consumption by nearly 50 percent, or 13.7 to 14.6 million-acre feet. Those recommendations are supposed to play a primary role in water planning and policy—and to some extent they have.
In July, when Brown made his public announcement, he endorsed a 55-page joint set of agency recommendations for the BDCP. The latest version includes a smaller intake system and no guaranteed export amount; instead, continued scientific studies over the 15-year construction period will determine whether exports are higher or lower than they are today. But notably, the joint recommendations also state: "Only a small percentage of research in the Bay Delta is controversial."
Right now, what keeps the Delta ecosystem intact are court-ordered flow criteria. The current rulings limit south of Delta exports to an average of 4.9 million acre-feet. If you applied the public trust recommendations exports would drop to 3.7 to 3.9 million acre-feet, about 25 percent. That also means that the rest of the state, including cities, irrigation districts and farms, would have to reduce use and put water back into the system.
What would we gain?
Winternitz explains, "The species we are concerned about evolved in the habitats we need to restore. Those ecosystem processes, which provide for water quality and other important benefits, are the same ones that we humans need. And that's why there is this whole effort to get these species turned around. If we can repair their world, we can repair our world. We'll have better air, better places to swim and play, better places to live. It's really our own system that we are trying to clean up."
But can California clean up? The quick and easy answer is yes. With water recycling, conservation, efficient technology and better water management, California can meet the needs of the environment, agriculture and a growing population. There is a mountain of data, coming from nearly every water agency, suggesting that improvements can be made. Conservation is the cheapest and easiest way to create to a new supply. There is more new potential water from these investments than California regularly exports from the Delta, and they come without the damage to fish or farmers.
But the long hard truth is that change is difficult.
Stanislaus County Supervisor Jim DeMartini knows first-hand just how difficult. In his office in Modesto, just south of the Delta, pictures of George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger hang from the walls. DeMartini is a Republican farmer pushing to preserve prime farmland from sprawling development.
"There is no other place in the world like this; we can grow 200 types of crops here," he said. "We have good access to water, and right now, there is no permanent protection of agriculture."
California agriculture produces half of U.S. grown nuts, fruits and vegetables. It is also home to nine of nation's most productive counties, and Stanislaus County is one of them.
DeMartini owns 1200 acres between Ceres and Patterson and grows a mixture of almonds, walnuts, peaches and grapes on the east side of the Central Valley. Three miles of his land borders the Tuolumne River, a primary tributary to the San Joaquin River, which flows into the Bay-Delta. He has voluntarily remediated about 120 acres and turned it back into wetlands. "Wilderness and agriculture can co-exist; there is no reason we can't work it out," he said, "We have 43 species of birds out there, and I want to keep it that way. It's beautiful."
Stanislaus County has adopted a land use plan for agriculture, but the cities within the county haven't come up with their own plans and agreed to control sprawl. "They just want to keep growing out," DeMartini said. "You can't keep eroding the farmland and stay self-sufficient. The building association doesn't want any policy adopted at all. They don't want any restrictions."
DeMartini planned a workshop with the Mayor's Association to create a land use policy for each of the nine cities. "Everyone had a scheduling problem, and I never did hear from them again," he said. "It's been more than a year now." It's surprising, since sprawl has never worked for the region. Stanislaus County has double-digit unemployment and high foreclosures—all remnants of the housing crisis.
Still, the area is on the forefront of innovation. The Oakdale Irrigation District is improving its water delivery system, and the Patterson Irrigation District is building a cross-valley channel, which could transport water east to west without going through the Delta. More recently, Modesto farmer Bill Lyons sold 1,603 acres along the Tuolumne River, to be used for wildlife and wetland restoration.
In general, what DeMartini is advocating has little to do with the peripheral canal or the tunnels. But his plans aren't far from what's likely to become state law. His proposals mirror the legally-mandated policies set forth by the state's overarching water plan. California's 88-year Delta Plan focuses on wetland preservation, habitat restoration, farmland protection and reduced reliance on Delta water. The agency putting the plan together, the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC), has an appellate role regarding the canal and conveyance system. If the BDCP is approved, it will automatically be folded into the Delta Plan without review, unless someone makes an appeal.
Regarding the peripheral canal, DeMartini remains skeptical. "I don't think the plan is going to make it past environmental review," he added. "I don't know how they will pay for it either. It seems like it's come out of nowhere."
The question remains: Where will it go?
Note: This South of Delta Exports chart was updated on August 30, 2012 for clarity. The tunnel intake capacity is 6.5 million acre-feet. The total physical capacity to export water is 11 million acre-feet. A detailed explanation will follow in a forthcoming article.


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Reis Magos – A Must visit fort in GoaCategories Travel
You open Instagram, and see almost everyone visiting Goa thrice a year!!! Apart from fort Aguada, Reis Magos is your perfect find to check out.
Beaches, Beer and … hahaha, lets not get there.
Next time when you plan Goa trip, have fort Reis Magos in your To-Do list. A nice drive from Candolim beach – via Nerul-Panji road, takes you to the fort. It will be awesome treat for your camera and eyes too.
Offbeat places in Goa – Why not? Reis Magos is one such place!
The fort was restored and is well maintained. Please spare enough time for this visit, rushing through the fort will make you miss it heavily. The ride to the fort is fun too, especially in the early monsoon, the roads are green and the sea next to the fort adds to the scenic beauty. I am sure you will fall in love with the place…
Lets visit Reis Magos – with following pictures
Recommend this place to friends who are visiting goa, recently Mangesh, my friend visited and was amazed. Same way as this recommendation came in from Amrita | Do visit her site TRAVELING IDES OF MARCH
@Amrita_Dass this is superb. Thanks for sharing it…
— Soham (@sohamsabnis) August 19, 2015
I would love to hear your stories and experiences about how you explored Goa.
For more information : Here is Fort Reis Magos site – http://www.reismagosfort.com/contact.html
Here is the google map:


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This is part 2 of our interview with Takuma Fukuzawa and Asako Koyama, the designers of "JUMP," the D-BROS animal calendar for 2017. In part 1, they talked about behind-the-scenes stories about their work on "JUMP." In this post, we asked about the differences between their usual work in advertising and monozukuri (making things) with D-BROS, and their thoughts about working.
>>Click here for "We Asked the Designers of the 2017 D-BROS Calendar "JUMP" About Their Thoughts on the Production Process (Part 1)"
–How many years has it been since you've started working with D-BROS for its monozukuri projects?
Fukuzawa: This is my fourth year in making the calendar.
Koyama: Last year was my first time working with D-BROS when I made New Year cards, but this is my first time working on the calendar.
– Now that you've worked on D-BROS projects, what is it actually like?
Fukuzawa: I'm just simply happy that I can make things. I joined this project because I thought it would be great if we could sell more (of these calendars).
Koyama: Even with the New Year cards, I am always happy when my ideas and designs materialize. With ads, it's difficult to create tangible things. But this was really fun because you can actually hold what you've created in your hand, and it lasts. But it was harder than I expected (laughs). There wasn't enough time, I was surprised at how much time we didn't have.
Fukuzawa: That's true. It takes a lot of time when you're doing various things together.
– There were lots of product meetings, and it takes about half a year from planning to the final product. It was indeed a long time. During the product meetings, Mr. Miyata and the two designers from KIGI also joined the meetings. Was there anything about them in the meetings that left an impression on you?
Fukuzawa: With each meeting, I felt that our ideas gained more and more depth. They gave us "hints," and it was interesting to see that a "thing" (product) could come out of catalysts like hints.
Koyama: We were able to ask them to look at our ideas, but their opinions varied so we couldn't proceed, which I thought was good.
Fukuzawa: Because they were able to advise us from different points of view, our ideas crystallized even further.
– Your line of work is mainly in advertising, so are there any differences in ad work and your work with D-BROS?
Fukuzawa: They're basically the same, but I think that we are more independent with our work with D-BROS. Since it's our own project, we've learned lots of things.
Koyama: Unlike advertising, there's no concept of a "client," so we were free in the way we thought about things and how we proceeded – this was new to us.
– Has there ever been a time when the things that you've experienced with your work with D-BROS were useful in your ad work?
Koyama: With D-BROS, I learned about being really particular about the details. Of course I'm also particular in my ad work, but with products, every single thing really matters.
Fukuzawa: With advertising, we have to think about marketing, target consumers, and promotional materials. But with D-BROS, I realized that there's also the school of thought that we can just make a good product and it will simply sell. You'll never learn about this school of thought until you actually make a product, so this also affects my work in advertising.
– I see. So you've seen things from the client's position or point of view.
Fukuzawa: Yes. There aren't many chances for me to do things this intuitively and freely, so I think it's a good experience. And it was fun too.
Koyama. That's right. It was challenging, but it was fun.
–That's right – we could really tell from the calendar that both of you had a fun time making it (laughs). It would be great if this year's calendar will also really sell, and it would be nice if you can make the next one too.
Fukuzawa: Yes, I'd be really happy if a lot of people would buy it.
Koyama: I'd like to make next year's calendar too!
▼You can buy "JUMP," the 2017 calendar that they designed here:
▼Back issues about Takuma Fukuzawa
Presenting the "BEEH" Calendar of Adorable Animals: The 2nd Installment of D-BROS's calendars for 2016!
▼Back issues about Asako Koyama
Precisely Because It's Something That I Use Every Day
The Life of a Designer, Vol. 2: Ms. Asako Koyama Tells us About Her Everyday Life
▼New content everyday at D-BROS's official social media accounts!
Facebook:D-BROS International


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A quick post today to share with you a card
I created inspired by the Sketch #109 challenge
It is my first time participating in a LCOM challenge, and I am sure it will not be my last.
Because I was short for time this month due to many DT requirements,
I decided to only play along with the card sketch, but take a look at the LO sketch
designed by Shirley Mascarina that is also fabulous.
Here i the card sketch which inspired my card below:
I used some vintage My Mind's Eye on my card
and several flowers from Prima and Petaloo.
Remember to join in on my January Blog Giveaway!
You have until February 12th (tomorrow), midnight EST.
I will be announcing the lucky winner on February 13th,
followed by the reveal of my February giveaway!


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Enjoy your morning smoothie in this fashionable update of a vintage mason jar. With a rust-free cap, it's sweat-proof, dishwasher safe, and perfect for either the office or a day...


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Tim Kaine: A New Model for Democrats?
Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine's selection to deliver the Democratic response to President Bush's State of the Union address comes as no surprise to Cornell Belcher -- the lead pollster at the Democratic National Committee.
During a conversation last week for The Fix's "Insider Interview," Belcher cast Kaine's victorious 2005 campaign as an example of where Democrats as a party need to go message-wise. Belcher said that Kaine was able to frame his issue positions on controversial matters like abortion and the death penalty as a question of values. Kaine talked repeatedly about his Roman Catholic faith and work as a missionary in Honduras in the early 1980s. That message ran against GOP candidate Jerry Kilgore's effort to paint Kaine as outside of the mainstream for his unwavering opposition to the death penalty.
"The brilliance of the Virginia campaign was when you stand up for what you believe in and talk about it from your values center it can inoculate you from Republican attacks," said Belcher. "When you talk about your policies from a values standpoint it becomes a different kind of conversation."
So is Kaine a trend-setter or just an anomaly in the Democratic Party? Time will tell, although having a Kaine advocate like Belcher at the DNC seems to indicate we'll be hearing more values talk from Democrats in the coming campaign.
Click the screen below to watch Kaine's Democratic response:
Chris Cillizza
January 31, 2006; 10:50 PM ET
Categories: Democratic Party , Governors
Save & Share: Previous: Pre-Spinning the State of the Union
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Category Archives: Belly Dance Workshops
Zeina Belly Dance
Learn Zeina Belly Dance Choreography Learn this full belly dance choreography with Debbie dancing to a classic piece called Zeina. You can watch it on the BambaDebbie Youtube channel on the link below. Please subscribe and feel free to share … Continue reading
Posted in Belly Dance Classes, Belly Dance Workshops, Erdington Belly Dancing, Free Online Belly Dancing classes, Hen Party, Sutton Coldfield Belly dance Tagged Belly dance classes Birmingham, belly dance classes sutton coldfield, Belly dance teachers in birmingham, Belly Dancing classes, Birmingham bellydancing Hen Parties, Egyptian, Sutton Coldfield belly dance Hen parties, Turkish Leave a comment
Shakira Belly Dance Choreography
Shakira Belly Dance Choreography by Birmingham Bellydance Ever fancied shaking it like Shakira? Do you remember when you first saw Shakira belly dancing in the video to her hit record "Whatever Whenever?" Would you like to have a go at … Continue reading
Posted in Belly Dance Classes, Belly Dance Workshops, Erdington Belly Dancing, Free Online Belly Dancing classes, Sutton Coldfield Belly dance Tagged Beginners belly dance class, Belly dance moves, Birmingham belly dance, Boldmere, Erdington, Kingstanding New Oscott belly dance, Shakira's choreography, Sutton Coldfield Leave a comment
Birmingham belly dancing: day of workshops
Birmingham belly dance event for your diary LE PETIT SOUK 20th May 2012 Belly dance WORKSHOPS 10-11.30am 1) ALL THINGS ATS® EGYPTIAN with Claire Buxton-Challand General level An introduction to the beautiful art of ATS® giving you a taste of … Continue reading
Posted in BAMBA, Belly Dance Classes, Belly Dance Workshops, Birmingham and Midland Hafla's, Midland based Workshops, Upcoming Events Tagged Belly Dance, Belly dancing Birmingham dance arabic workshops, Belly Dancing classes, Belly dancing lessons, Birmingham and west midlands belly dance, Birmingham belly dancing, Egyptian Leave a comment
Birmingham Bellydancing Classes 2012
Birmingham Bellydancing Classes 2012 Birmingham Bellydancing classes 2012; Many Belly dance teachers have taken a break from belly dance over the Christmas holidays , but a new year beckons as well as a brand new term which is an ideal … Continue reading
Oriental Bellydance Workshop with Fereshteh in Birmingham
FERESHTEH is HERE…..Oriental Bellydance Workshop with Fereshteh in Birmingham Teaching Egyptian Belly Dance on Thursday 21st July 2011 Venue: Fellowship Hall Time: 5.30pm to 7pm Location: Sutton Coldfield Cost: £15 per person Topic: Oriental Belly Dance Workshop CD's and DVD's … Continue reading
Birmingham Belly Dance Festival is Here 23rd July
http://www.bamba.org.uk/news_festivals.htm Birmingham Bellydance Festival Is Here This Saturday 23rd July Still a few places left on some belly dance workshops and our bellydancing 'Gala' performance. Get your last minute ticket now and for times, details ect ect of this fantastic … Continue reading
Belly Dancers Book Now Birmingham's Bellydance Festival 23rd July Fereshteh is Back to Teach
Fereshteh is back to teach Belly dance in Birmingham for the Festival watch her here http://youtu.be/CAGrSkbL8WM with lots more workshops and show to choose from http://bamba.org.uk/2011_festival.htm at Birminghams 2nd Belly Dance Festival
Birmingham Belly Dancers Preparing For Festival
Birmingham belly dancer Debbie Williams practising her drum solo. Visit website for Festival details http://bamba.org.uk/2011_festival.htm
Ashima Tribal : American Tribal Style- Bellydance (Level 1, Intensive Class 04/06/11) A Review
4th June 2011 at the Rialto Dance Academy, Acocks Green, Birmingham: level 1 ATS, with Ashima Tribal, taught by Claire Challand. This was by far, an excellent, well-paced and thought out ATS intensive. At level 1, it was an introduction … Continue reading
Posted in Belly Dance Workshops Tagged Ashima tribal, ATS workshops/classes, review 1 Comment
Birmingham Belly Dance Festival
Birmingham's 2nd Belly dance Festival 23rd July 2011 held at the DanceXchange Thorp street Birmingham city centre. BellyDancing Workshops, Souk, Open Stage and so much more, email us from www.bamba.org to go on mailing list Here is the link; http://www.bamba.org.uk/news_festivals.htm


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From the Arcata Police Department:
On June 17th at 3:05 AM the Arcata Police Department received a report of a burglary in progress at the Chevron gas station on Giuntoli Lane. Officers quickly arrived in the area and located a subject fleeing the business. The subject, later identified as Stephen James Hansen, age 27, was taken into custody after a short foot pursuit. Hansen was found to be in possession of property that had been stolen from the business and was placed under arrest for the burglary.
Officers were able to view surveillance footage from the business that showed Hansen breaking the glass front door with a rock and entering the business and removing the merchandise from the store.
Based upon the same method of entry used at a previous burglary at the Chevron which had occurred on May 31st. Video surveillance footage was viewed from the prior burglary and Hansen was identified as the suspect in that incident as well.
Hansen was transported to the Humboldt County Correctional Facility where he was booked and lodged for burglary.


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Using The FORS™ -15 Insole To Improve Offloading Of Plantar Ulcers
"It's not what you put on a wound, it's what you take off1"
When a surgical shoe or CAM boot based system is the most appropriate offloading approach, you may want to consider dispensing a FORS™ -15 Insole as your offloading interface. FORS™ Insoles provide consistent and durable offloading and cushioning in the shoe-based devices that your patients prefer to wear.
- What makes the FORS insole different from other offloading insoles?
- Novel Plug design creates highly stable offloading zones. Plugs that are not removed remain stable and solidly in place without shifting or falling out.
- Fabric mid-layer disperses force along offloading zones to eliminate edge effects
- Sheer resistant top cover minimizes slippage and absorbs moisture
- Insoles can easily be trimmed and completely disinfected as needed.
See what users of the products are saying!
"The FORS insole is very cost effective and provides superior plantar offloading as compared with other available shoe-based systems. Unlike the TCC which requires significant training and expertise before it can be applied and a significant time commitment for our clinicians, the FORS insole can easily be modified for our patients by any of the clinic personnel with only minimal training and takes only minutes to apply. In an independent study in our clinic the FORS insole was demonstrated to remove significant pressure from areas of ulceration. Coupled with a non-removable dressing technique such as the Rader Football or the Felted Foam Dressing the FORS insole in a rocker soled cam boot or surgical shoe can be used as a cost effective, proven first-line therapy for many of the plantar wounds we encounter. A single FORS insole will typically last long enough to be used through wound closure to the transition to a patient's final footwear. The FORS insole reduces the need for clinicians to replace it with other offloading devices. Considering the fact that in the Philadelphia area the reimbursement for applying and removing many of the commercially available TCCs only allow for approximately $25 in net revenue, the single expense FORS insole may allow clinicians to significantly reduce expenses, and still achieve similar wound healing outcomes." James McGuire, DPM, PT, L.Ped (Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine)
"The FORS insole has provided a valuable tool in expediting positive patient outcomes. The product has superior offloading characteristics, is easy to use, and our patients have found it to be comfortable. In our facility, its use has resulted in improved patient compliance and faster healing rates, which reduces the likelihood of infection and other complications." Harry Penny, DPM (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Altoona, PA)
"As a podiatrist working in a busy hospital-based wound care center, I have recently incorporated the use of the FORS-15 insole as a pressure reduction option in treating my patients with plantar foot wounds. This newly available insole, which is made of durable high-quality lightweight materials, is easily customizable and can be used inside a rocker-bottom surgical shoe or a rigid walking boot. When used in conjunction with utilization of a "team approach" and use of modern wound care techniques, I have found it to be a highly cost-effective option for plantar pressure reduction. It has shown to dramatically reduce the severity of wounds, decrease healing times, and reduce amputation rates." Payam Rafat, DPM, AACFAS, C.Ped., COF (Montefiore Medical Center, Mount Vernon, NY)
Other Links:
1. Poster from Montefiore Hospital, Mt. Vernon, NY, Presented SAWC, November 2016
2. ACPME Prentation by James McGuire, DPM, PT, CPed, FAPWHc, January 2017
3. Poster from Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine, APMA National Meeting, July 2017
Scientific posters regarding the FORS-15 insoles have been presented at the SAWC (Society for Advanced Wound Care), Desert Foot, and Academy of Physicians in Wound Healing in Nov 2016. Additional data will be presented at the APMA National Meeting in July 2017.
1. https://presentdiabetes.com/ezines/index.php?action=viewPublication&id=207


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Happy Sunday! As always, Links We Love brings you our favorite health and fitness inspiration from around the web. This week, we have a useful article on some serious dangers of blacking out, and an amazing feature on a marathoner (who's 101 years old!). We want to show some love and share kick-ass content in the wellness world, so here are our picks:
Photo: Collin Orcutt
Aerobic Exercise, Try It On For Size — Breaking Muscle
Can cardio workouts actually help build muscle? According to a recent study, aerobic exercise could be the ticket to improving lean mass gains.
Science Says, 'Don't Like Fruits and Vegetables? Blame Mom' — Foodbeast
Brussel sprouts may just not be your thing. Turns out our aversion to certain fruits and veggies could be in our genes.
The One Minute Retreat — Intent Blog
Need to chill out? All it takes is one minute to get reconnect, listen, and breathe.
Blog Spotlight
Blacking Out — Why It's More Dangerous Than You Think — HerCampus
Dude, put down that drink — the dangers of blacking out run the gamut. Learn how to avoid this risky drinking behavior and what to do if a friend blacks out.
Grab Bag
The Runner — ESPN The Magazine
Fauja Singh ran his first marathon at age 89. And now at 101, he just ran his last in Hong Kong. Read more about Singh's truly remarkable story and what inspires him to hit the roads.
What are some of your favorite reads from around the web? Share in the comments below or tweet @greatist.
[Note: The stories collected here are from outside sources which don't always follow Greatist's strict (and awesome) research standards.]


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Just a quick update for now. Artem, Charlie and I are leaving in about an hour to go down to New York City for the rest of the week. Parkour Generations is coming down, and they're holding an informal workshop/training session in Central Park on Thursday at 11AM.
It's going to be cold, wet, and awesome. Detailed update when we get back.
In other news, I have made meeting appointments with several more people in regards to the RIT Parkour club becoming official. Those will be occuring in the next two weeks - I'll update and let everyone know how those went after htey occur. Here's to hoping, though.
But now, it's time to pack (Read: cram a bunch of crap into a bag).
On February 14th, Dan Edwardes, Stephane Vigroux, Chris Keighley, and Julie Angel came down to Central Park for a day-long workshop. Artem, Charlie and I showed up at Heckscher Park (an area in Central Park) around 10AM, and there were already a good 20 or 30 people there. We warmed up, did some small balance and precision drills for a while, until around 11. A group of four people walked up to us, and one spoke in a British accent "So.. are you guys Traceurs?"
After a (long) series of introductions, we hung around Heckscher for a bit longer, waiting for more people to show up, and then the day began.
We began with some light joint work: neck, shoulder, elbow, knee and ankle stretching. We then went for a short jog forwards, backwards, and to both sides. We slowed to a stop then Dan dropped to his hands and feet, and began to QM around the area we had just jogged. At about the halfway point, we continued QMing backwards.
Then we ran into our first problem. The Park Police decided that what we were doing 'could endanger the kids (of which there weren't any around...)' and 'adults weren't allowed to play in the park.' So we asked them nicely where we could train, and they directed us towards a baseball field. So we moved there.
After doing some (read: a lot) of squat work, we went back to some more QM. This time, we were doing a couple different levels of sideways QM. We started by just moving left and right in the QM position. We later incorporated leg lifts, both holding it still and moving the leg up and down, into the workout. About this time we ran into problem number 2. The Park Police came by and decided that we were "risking the children" again (keep in mind, this was a fenced in field, and there were no kids in sight, let alone on this side of the fence.)
Wow, a lot has happened since I last updated. Sorry for the long break. I'm planning on updating much more frequently, hopefully once a day - even if it's just with a picture or a video.
Speaking of videos, last week I went back home to Severna Park, MD with my roommate Charlie, and filmed a video for Brian "Doc Akh" Belida's "Mid-Atlantic Monthly Member Movie" project. Found below!
Link to youtube version of Zac "Happydud" Cohn's PK Vision
A bit of history on the name: The phrase "PK Vision" is what some people call your shift in how you observe your environment once you've been training for a while. You start to see possibilities everywhere, whereas before you just saw a table, or a wall.
My titles really are lame sometimes...
So I am recently returned to Rochester from RIT's Spring Break. I went back home to Maryland with my roommate Charlie. Our break was incredibly fun and exciting, and anything but relaxing.
We got back on Wednesday and were treated to some of my sister's fine cooking, and Thursday we woke up nice and early and headed to Primal Fitness, the Parkour gym in Washington DC, for the day!
Primal was, as always, awesome. We arrived around 11am and spent a few hour hanging out with Mark. We talked about Parkour and future plans, I accidentally interrupted a video capture that had been taking hours to complete, and we helped out around the gym a little bit. Lunch time rolled around and we grabbed some Chinese food, ate Mark's, and played with his dogs (SO ADORABLE). By the time we got back to the gym, it was time for the evening workouts and Parkour classes. During the Crossfit Workout, we met up with Steven Low and fooled around a bit, and eventually ended up doing weighted pull-ups. We started light (bodyweight + 40lbs), and kept increasing to our max. I died at about 80lbs, Steve managed to knock out an incredible 115lbs - which is practically as much as he weighs!
The Crossfitter's started to clear out, and then it was time for the Parkour class. While I was helping some beginners with their kongs, Charlie and the rest of the class was working on more advanced Kong techniques, primarily double kong's and kong to cats. I popped by and gave it a few tries. It appears I have an issue misjudging the distance I travel when doing a kong, because I had some fairly epic bails while trying to cat. I think I'm going to work on my kong to precisions more to fix this.
I don't have a lot of time to update today, classes and such, but I just want to point everyone towards what I think is a very important post by Eliot, an Australian tracuer. The link is here, and the text of the article is copied below:
Parkour: To be helpful, to be capable, to be useful.
We as traceurs train ourselves to be useful, we train ourselves for reach and escape situations so that we can help others when they are in need. Whether it be helping people out of a burning building, or escaping from a pack of guys that would rather see you dead. But should our training go further? Should we limit ourselves to using physical applications of our training?Most traceurs would already acknowledge that through parkour one develops a new mind set that can, perhaps, make us more inclined to help people in trouble, or to be confident. But I'm talking about taking it a step further, actually going out of our way, in to the community to help people, not just waiting for someone in trouble to present themselves.
Here in Australia we have people from many walks of life, many from wealthy backgrounds, many from poor backgrounds, we have European, Asian, African, American, Latin, Indigenous etc. etc. With such a wide array of backgrounds we are bound to have a wide array of problems, and we do. We face racial problems, moral problems, health issues, physical disabilities, financial difficulties, and many others, for many of our citizens. These people all need help, and guidance. We, as traceurs have the ability to provide this help.
We train hard to become strong, to become fast, fit and fluid, but there are not many that actually train to help those who are disadvantaged. Not many that go out of their way to improve others lives. This should be a key part in our training, this should be as big a part as training physically. This philosophy of helping others and being a valuable member of the community is what sets us apart from other street sports and 'fads'.Many youths today face terrible problems such as homelessness, depression, and domestic violence, however there are organisations, such as Youth off the Streets who try and help these people. Our discipline has the ability to appeal to the youth of today and give them a step up, and I believe that we have the moral obligation to further our training to help these people, help them have a new start, help them to become strong individuals mentally, and get back on their feet.
For the longest time, I've always wanted to wander. Every few months I'd come up with an idea. Last year I spent about a week trying to figure out how long it would take to walk across the country, from the Atlantic to the Pacific (ending in San Fransisco, because it's the best city that side of New York City).
For the few past month or so, I've been planning a Cross-country Parkour tour for this summer. Within the past month, it's really taken off. I'm going to be crashing on traceurs' couches, chairs, beds, and floors. I'm going to be hitting up as many of the national jams as possible, and visiting as many local communities as I can. I'm also planning on buying a camcorder (read: already bought it, waiting for it to be shipped!) and making a documentary about the whole trip. Kind of a "This is how America trains!" sort of thing.
These are the cities I'm planning on going to, most likely in this order:
DCPittsburghPhillyNYCClevelandDetroitAnn Arbor/UofMChicagoMinneapolisMadisonSeattleSan FransiscoLAPhoenixDenverOklahoma CitySan AntonioAustinMiamiWest Palm BeachJacksonvilleAthens, GACharlotteChapel HillDC
I'm currently aiming for it taking about 7-8 weeks. I'll be starting in DC with (B)East Coast at the end of May, but then I'm hanging around the area until the Philly jam on June 6-7th. From there I'm headed back to NJ/NYC with Jesse/Hardcoretracuer, and I'm using his house as a base of operations until PKNY. So lucky NYC, I'll be around for two and a half, three weeks!
Just a quick update on some plans:
We've started regular, outdoor Parkour training again. Sundays at 1PM outside of Margaret's house.
This weekend is the RIT Juggle-in. It's three days of juggling, fun, and juggling! I also heard along the grape vine that a juggler from Edinburgh named Meghan Pike is coming. Google confirms that she was ALSO in Jump Britain... so maybe we'll be hanging out with a British traceuse! Should be cool.
We're still looking a faculty adviser for the club. If anyone has any ideas, we're open to them...
I think that's all for now. Bigger update coming soon.
I'm sure we've all heard about people who train barefoot. A lot of us have looked at them like they're crazy. Shoes give added support, cushioning, and protection to the foot, right?
Well, is it right? First lets look at some anecdotal evidence:
Shoes are a fairly recent invention, being only several thousands of years old. The Hominini tribe, the earliest ancestors of Homo-sapiens genus, divulged from their Pan genus brethren 6.3 million years ago. The human foot, and all the body's supporting mechanisms for the foot, evolved over millions of years to be fairly good at what it does. We could probably trace the evolution of the human foot even farther back, but lets go from there. Human feet were designed to be walked on. Shoes stop you from walking on them.
You are probably wearing shoes right now. Take them off, and put one on your desk. Look at it. Do you see how the toe is curved upward? This is done so it is even possible to walk in shoes.
When you walk barefoot, you strike with the middle of the heel, rolling forward onto the balls of the feet, and then there is a powerful push-off from the balls of the feet. When running, they were designed to strike in the midfoot, not the heel. Shoes alter your gait - when you walk in shoes, the back of your heel strikes first, and your foot rolls forward, and then you push off your toes which creates a rocking motion. When you run with shoes, it feels "natural" to run heel-to-toe, which causes a jarring shock to your ankles and knees. High heels exacerbate problems caused by an unnatural position of the foot. They cause different and unnatural stresses on the bones of the foot, the ankle, the knee, up to the pelvis and even through the shoulders. It raises the heel, which is the foot's natural supporter of weight, by an inch, two inches, sometimes even four or five inches! The entire weight of the body is transferred to the ball of the foot, while the pelvis and the shoulders tilt to compensate for the difference in weight distribution.
So it's been a little while since the last update. Whoops. I just wanted to fill everyone in a little on some more details about this summer:
I have a couple of goals for my trip.First, obviously I want to meet traceurs and traceuses from all over the country. I want to share training techniques and stories with people who are more, and less, experienced than I. I've trained with a lot of different people, and I think that I can share quite a bit of knowledge with the people I visit. That being said, I hope to learn just as much from all of the traceurs and traceuses that I meet on my trip.
Second, one of my larger goals. I am going to record this entire trip on video. I am going to edit it all together into a documentary, sort of a "This is how America Trains" kind of thing. I'll be taking a lot of footage, and I'll be releasing smaller "jam coverage" media peices throughout my trip through American Parkour, but look for a longer documentary at the end of August or beginning of September.
The current itinerary of major jams follows. Note, I may be arriving the night before, the morning of, or sometime during the day of these dates, depending on bus schedules:
*Saturday, June 7th - Philly Jam II*Friday, June 13th through Sunday June 15th - PKFR International Pittsburgh Jam*Friday, June 20th through Sunday June 22nd - PKNY (New Jersey and NYC)Monday, June 23rd through Tuesday, June 24th - Columbus, OhioWednesday, June 25th through Friday, June 27th - Ann Arbor, Michigan*Saturday, June 28th through Sunday, June 29th - Chicago JamMonday, June 30th through Wednesday, July 2nd - Madison, WisconsinThursday, July 3rd through Friday, July 4th - Minneapolis, MinnesotaSaturday, July 5th through Wednesday, July 9th - Seattle, WashingtonThursday, July 10th through Tuesday, July 15th - San Fransisco, CaliforniaWednesday, July 16th through Thursday, July 17th - Phoenix, ArizonaFriday, July 18th through Tuesday, July 22nd - Denver, Colorado*Wednesday, July 23rd through Tuesday, July 29th - San Antonio, TexasTuesday, July 29th through Wednesday, July 30th - Tampa, FloridaThursday, July 31st through Friday, August 1st - Miami, FloridaSaturday, August 2nd - Athens, GeorgiaSunday, August 3rd through Tuesday, August 5th - Charlotte, North CarolinaWednesday, August 6th through Friday, August 8th - Chapel Hill, North CarolinaSaturday, August 9th - back home to Severna Park, Maryland!
(B)East Coast, represent! (Click on the image)


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Welcome to SIUConversations! In our speaker series we invite renowned experts from various fields of industry and academia, who will share insides into their personal career trajectories. Our aim is to inform students and early researchers (PhD, PostDocs) of diverse career possibilities through the examples of our speakers. After each talk, the audience will have the chance to get to know the speakers and organizers in an informal wine and cheese setting.
Our speaker for this event will be Dr. Henning Beck.
Henning Beck started his doctorate at the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research in Tübingen in 2008 and finished it at the Institute of Physiological Chemistry at the University of Ulm eventually receiving his PhD from the Graduate School of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience in Tübingen. Not long after finishing his doctorate, Dr. Beck also completed his international Diploma in Project Management at the University of California Berkeley.
Since 2011, he has been traveling Germany as a "Science Slammer" eventually going on to win the German Nationals for his lecture on "Speed up your mind". Dr. Beck continues to give lectures, workshops, and performances in which he breaks down the complicated issues of neuroscience in an understandable and entertaining manner to audiences around Germany. Dr. Beck is a regular contributor to GEO-Magazine and Wirtschaftswoche where he comments on the newest trends in brain science.
Additionally, he has authored multiple books in which he explains complicated issues in an understandable and engaging way. In his latest book, published earlier this year, "Irren ist nützlich. Warum die Schwächen des Gehirns unsere Stärken sind", he discusses why we are so often distracted, find it difficult to concentrate, or easily forget things. More importantly, he tells us why these supposed deficiencies may not be such a problem at all. Dr. Beck has been able to artfully explain complicated science to a wider audience in his TEDxTalk, contributions to Wired-magazine or SWR-television.
To find out more about Dr. Beck's latest book, as well as what is like to transition from the world of academia to a successful speaker and author join us at the SIU seminar series.


text: Which of the Seven Steves are you? (1) Are you the kooky Radio? Playful Escape? Or maybe even tough-guy Frontie? Let us find out, shall we? Kosmo published on January 18, 20147 responses 0 Questions in vertical order What's your favorite pastime? Hang with my pets or watch a little television. To do a 1000 piece jigsaw puzzle! Complain about everything and everyone. To pick up a good book, and get lost in the world of reading. Eating! Taking walks. Fresh air is good for you! INTERNET! Look for a good movie to watch. Pick up my cassette player, play my favorite songs and tune out the world. Learning about my family history. What's your favorite color? Basic question! Yellow Orange Teals and Greens Blue Neon colors! Red Purple You see a beautiful, rich chocolate cake on the kitchen counter. You sneeaaak a slice...Delicious! But wait- you stop and think: What if someone were to ask what happened to the slice? What do you do? Honestly say you cut the slice, and tell how yummy it was! Never speak of it again. Before anyone sees, stuff a paper towel with icing on it in the space where you cut it from. Nobody will notice! Start blushing embarrassedly because you got caught. What's your favorite season? Winter. Hot chocolate, cookie, and cuddle weather! Summer. The best time to play outside! Spring. April showers bring May flowers! Oh, how I love flowers! Fall. The changing leaves are so beautiful! Who cares!Next question! What kind of movies do you like? Action packed adventure movies! Romance movies... Animated movies! True stories. Horror. Science Fiction Comedy! If you were an animal, what would you be? A dragon. A dog. A cat. A mouse. A lion. A fox. A horse. An aquatic creature. A kind of pretty fish or maybe a moray eel! Favorite food? I love ALL food! Mmm mm! Cookies of course! Salads and Fruits! COFFEEEE Potato knishes. Burgers n' Fries! Exotic foods. Favorite type of music? Classic Rock...80's tunes! Film score. I like all kinds of music! Rap music, yo. Hard rock! Classical music like Beethoven, Vivaldi, Bach... Gospel music. 70's soul music! You're most likely to be: Parental and capable. Unpredictable and kooky. Playful and popular. Joyous and optimistic. Romantic and shy. Relaxed and observant. Hard-headed but compassionate. Bonus question!If you were to actually meet the Seven Steves, what would you do? NOPE Group hug! Offer each one a handshake and ask how their day was! Take them out for ice cream! Just stare.


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Music to Life Song of the Week: The Hanging Tree by James Newton Howard
I first heard this song sung by Jennifer Lawrence from the movie, "The Hunger Games: Mockingjay," and almost instantly I knew what my next concept was going to be for my Music to Life Conceptual Photography series. It's not a literal interpretation of the song, but powerful nonetheless. I envisioned a girl imprisoned in tree roots, and although it looks bleak for her, her life force is giving strengthening all the plant life around her.
How I Shot It
This was shot in San Diego, California at Sunset Cliffs. There's an area there where the tree roots are exposed and it was the perfect location to shoot my concept. Shannon, the model, wasn't actually entwined in the roots, however. She sat up against the dirt and positioned herself in front of the roots, and later on in photoshop, I placed the roots on top of her. The roots were already there, I just need to erase parts of her body to make it look like she was trapped underneath them.
Play "The Hanging Tree"
If you're interested in shooting a Music to Life series image, message me at firstname.lastname@example.com and don't forget to visit my website and follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Thank you so much!
The Hanging Tree by James Howard
Katelyn Shannon
Canon 5D Mark III
Sigma 35mm f1.4 Art
1/200 sec; f/5.6; iso 100
Jimmy Bui
Latest posts by Jimmy Bui (see all)
- Prisoner – Conceptual Photography by Jimmy Bui - August 31, 2015
- Can't Feel My Face – Double Exposure Photography - August 27, 2015
- Unthought Known – Conceptual Photography - August 21, 2015
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Our Heavenly Creator for all the blessings He has given us.
Pastor Larry Hinkle and Pastor Brian Grubbs for their leadership of the Rock the Park Team.
The Constitution Festival Team for allowing Rock The Park to be part of their Festival weekend.
Christ United Methodist Church
Miller & Co. Portable Toilet Service Inc.
Mount Tabor United Methodis Church
Murphy Construction
St. Louis Catholic Church
Kountze Lutheran Memorial Church
Fairhope UMC Louisville
Shepherds Hill Church of the Nazarene
Goris Meadows Insurance Agency
George & Becky Kiko
RiverTree Christian Church
Peace United Methodist Church
Beacon of Hope Community Church
Beech Mennonite Church Inc.
Lisa Ann Lingenhoel - Cutler Real Estate
George Kiko
Magnolia United Methodist Church
Nathan and Lindsay Sheen
St. Joseph's Federal Credit Union
Louisville Ventures LLC
Brian Grubbs


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All of my papers/documents in file folders start with most current and then go backwards in time!
Usually if you need to reference an item, it's usually the most recent you need to look for. Also keeping the files in that reverse order makes it easier to search through and when its time to throw out old files, you start from the back. Easier to find!


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Apple is being sued for $1m by an 83-year-old woman who was injured after walking into a glass door at an Apple Store.
Evelyn Paswell suffered a broken nose after walking into the door at the Manhasset Apple Store in Long Island, New York.
CBS reports that Paswell didn't see the glass door. Paswell's lawyer claims that Apple was negligent for "allowing a clear, see-through glass wall and/or door to exist without proper warning".
Derek T. Smith, representing Paswell, said that Apple had failed to "appreciate the danger that high-tech modern architecture poses to some people" in its attempt to appear cool and modern.
After the incident, the Manhasset Apple Store reportedly had warning strips posted on its glass doors. Apple has made no official comment on the case.


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Boca Fire Rescue warns residents gathered at ocean during storm: 'You're basically on your own'
BOCA RATON — With Hurricane Matthew just off the coast of Florida, Boca Raton Fire Rescue is warning residents who are gathered near the ocean: Stay away from the water.
"There's nobody there if you have an issue," said Assistant Chief Michael LaSalle in a Facebook Live video published on Boca Raton Police's page. "There's nobody there to come out and help. You're basically on your own."
Certain Boca Raton beaches are usually staffed with Ocean Rescue lifeguards, however not today, LaSalle said.
Just before 2 p.m., a Palm Beach Post reporter captured a handful of residents gathered at the pavilion at South Beach Park, at Palmetto Park Road and Ocean Boulevard, looking out at the ocean.
Here's the Facebook Live video:


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You might think editoonist Jimmy Margulies went a little too far in his deployment of symbolic imagery in the cartoon below, but even if you agree with the Anti-Defamation LeagueÔÇÖs Abraham Foxman that the cartoon trivializes the Holocaust, I think you must admit that giving Adolph HitlerÔÇÖs famous moustache the shape of the state of Arizona makes a powerful statement about the potentially fascist effect of the stateÔÇÖs new immigration law.
With that law, as Michael Cavna observed at his Comic Riffs blog, "Arizona puts the AZ in nAZi." ThatÔÇÖs a pretty symbolic typographical maneuver itself.
What Margulies did in his cartoon makes telling use of the mediumÔÇÖs capacity for conveying a message succinctly, and therefore dramatically with impact, by means of a visual metaphor. Nicely done.
Foxman has another point of view, expressed in a press release from ADL: "We are seeing these offensive and inappropriate Nazi and Holocaust comparisons come to the fore in the public debate once again. We saw it in the health care debate, and now we are seeing it with Arizona. It is disturbing that in speaking out against the bill a number of individuals have taken to using Nazi comparisons, in describing the legislation as being reminiscent of Nazi policies that required Jews and others to carry identity cards, or in comparing the governor and other Arizona officials as being like Hitler."
Foxman said it might be "politically expedient" to invoke such symbols, but "no matter how odious, bigoted, biased and unconstitutional Arizona's new law may be, let's be clear that there is no comparison between the situation facing immigrants, legal or illegal, in Arizona and what happened in the Holocaust." Then he referred specifically to MarguliesÔÇÖ cartoon.
ItÔÇÖs FoxmanÔÇÖs job as director of the ADL to keep our feet to the fire on matters that pertain to irrational discrimination and groundless stereotyping and mindless racism, but I doubt the Holocaust can be trivialized, as he seems to fear. It can be denied by fabulists and other specialists in alternative realities, but it cannot be trivialized.
Cavna interviewed Margulies on April 29, and Margulies explainedÔÇö"and reinforced"ÔÇöthe Nazi analogy, "stating that it was appropriate to tap not only its potency, but also its literal memory":
"As a Jew of Eastern European descent," Margulies said, " I am well aware of the unique horror of the Nazi era. It is all the more important that I, and others of good conscience who are able to reach an audience, do so in the face of abhorrent laws such as Arizona's. I do not think it diminishes the memory of the Holocaust to point out that the law in Arizona is uncomfortably reminiscent of Germany's in targeting one or more minorities. Before the concentration camps, there were smaller measures enacted which set the stage for greater acts. The Arizona law gives police too much power by casting as suspects anyone who looks to be Latino or foreign-born."
One thing leads to another.
Some objectors to the Arizona law see it as specifically empowering police to ask for citizenship papers from anyone they think looks suspicious. While the law doesnÔÇÖt do that (cops can ask for papers only of those who seem to have committed some infraction of a law), it opens the door to such practices: it seems the thin edge of a wedge that could conceivably lead to practices much more invasiveÔÇömuch more fascistic. One thing leads to another.
Hitler became chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933, and he moved at once to begin consolidating his power. The concentration camp at Dachau opened on March 20, and by the end of the year, 49 other such camps were operating throughout German. Communists and Socialists, those in the political parties opposed to HitlerÔÇÖs National Socialists (Nazis), were among the first occupants of these camps. Jews, gypsies, the handicapped, homosexuals, JehovahÔÇÖs Witnesses and other political and religious dissidents soon joined the Communists and Socialists. By July all political parties other than HitlerÔÇÖs were outlawed.
On May 10ÔÇöjust 100 days after Hitler assumed powerÔÇöhundreds of thousands of books were burned all over Germany as libraries and bookstores were "purged" of "un-German" writings. The bonfires were accompanied by torchlight parades and speeches that proclaimed the death of "Jewish intellectualism" and the consequent "purification" of German culture. The works of such Jewish intellectuals as Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud fueled the fires, as did the books of Heinrich Heine, a German poet of Jewish origin. A century earlier, Heine had written: "Where books are burned, in the end people will be burned."
One thing leads to another.
And one of the beginnings was the appointment of Hitler as chancellor by the aged President Paul von Hindeburg, who thought Hitler, as the leader of GermanyÔÇÖs largest political party, could restore order in the country ridden by social unrest, economic dislocation, and bitter resentment over the terms of GermanyÔÇÖs surrender in World War I. Hitler did restore orderÔÇöthe order of dictatorship, absolute and unyielding.
"Family Guy" creator Seth MacFarlane has also compared Arizona's actions to Hitler's Germany, according to Reuters, cited by Cavna a couple days ago. During a Reuters tv interview, MacFarlane said the Arizona law was more shocking than his own irreverent, hot-button tv shows, "American Dad" and "The Cleveland Show"(not to overlook the equally outrageous "Family Guy").
"ItÔÇÖs too much," MacFarlane said. "ItÔÇÖs kind of a slap in the face; it's not the way to handle it [i.e., illegal immigration]. Nobody but the Nazis ever asked anybody for their papers."
MacFarlane then perpetuated the erroneous interpretation of the law: "Walking down the street, a cop can come up to you and say, 'May I see your papers?'"
But MacFarlane gave it a twist that gave his misconception a satiric bite: "I think they should be required to ask that question in German if the law sticks around."
Name calling, however apt, and symbol mongering, however imaginative, are scarcely useful substitutes for rational political discourse and reasoned debate. But MarguliesÔÇÖ cartoon is nonetheless a model of its medium, a remarkably effective example of the best uses of the resources of the cartoonistÔÇÖs art.


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Is West Michigan's Area Code (616) Actually the 'Number of the Beast'?
We've long been taught through church, movies, and elderly family members that the number "666" is the "number of the beast" - the number of Satan (or Nero, depending on who you ask). But, it turns out, that Grand Rapids' very own area code "616" may actually be the evil number.
How is this possible? Well, the original Biblical writings are old and numerous, and have different translations.
The number of the beast is described in Revelation 13:15–18. There is only actually one mention of the number itself, which comes in verse 18 - "This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666." (from the NIV translation).
Seems like that's that - the number of the beast is "666". And, well, that was the widely accepted belief until 2005.
Wikipedia tells us (and yes, I know that Wiki isn't always the most reliable source) that back in 2005, a piece of Papyrus 115 came to light. That papyrus contains the earliest known version of the Book of Revelation in which the number of the beast is discussed. That version has the number of the beast as 616, which some believe was the original number.
Now, that doesn't mean that 616 is the number either, since the number 665 was also found on that same piece of papyrus.
Theologians, and other people who are way more versed in this type of stuff (like this guy from Endtime Ministries, and this guy who makes a living answering people's hard Bible questions) have studied all of this a lot more, and probably can explain things a LOT better than I can, but the basic fact remains - the number of the beast could, in fact, be "616". But it could also still be "666".
Are we West Michiganders living in the "area code of the beast"?!? The world may never know...


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Posh is telling me how she knows someone who knows someone with "a farm in mid-state," where if you give the woman empty egg cartons, she'll fill them with fresh eggs for free.
"Wonder if you gave her an empty bacon package?" I ask.
"Yeah, Mom, would she fill it with smoked bacon?"
This amuses the inmates no end, though Posh is less than thrilled that the kids and I are not taking her seriously. First, I am skeptical of this free-egg enterprise, for I have never heard of any region of California referred to as "mid-state." Indiana may have a mid-state. Not us. In a sense, we are like a state without a belly button.
Plus, conversation has always been a little strained between Posh and me, because of my heavy Cockney accent, which makes me impossible to understand when drunk or excited.
I also -- routinely, almost like religion -- refuse to take anything anyone says around here very seriously. I suspect, for Posh, it's a little like living with John Lennon.
"Hey Dad!"
"Want to practice our dialects?"
I am terrible at dialects, a skill I am sharing with the children. The hope is that one day the kids can be terrible at dialects too. As I am explaining all the time, nobody likes a person who is great at everything.
So, in an effort to stay humble, we practice bad dialects. We butcher Boston accents, then finally move on to French, the little guy traipsing around the house going "
Oui, oui, monsieur.
I have to go
oui, oui.
I don't know how the French squeeze the "we" sound out of "oui." But considering the things they can do with goose liver, we should never underestimate our little Gallic buddies.
Anyway, we're headed to the heartland, with our dialects well rehearsed. It's a good time to be heading back to Middle America. As you may have heard, the Chicago Bears have acquired a quarterback for the first time in their history -- the estimable Jay Cutler. He's a bit of a diva, but I can tolerate any diva who can throw bullets on third and 30.
Then there is Easter itself. Evidently, Grandma will be hosting some sort of meal.
While there, we'll be checking out colleges for the little girl, who just turned 18 the other day, despite all my best efforts. Where does the time go? More important, where does my money go?
We'll soon be blowing most of her dowry on some college of dubious merits. Let me tell you this if you're considering college: Other than the degree, and the drinking games, I never thought higher learning was a particularly good value.
I mean, think of how much you pay to learn John Milton's views on free will, or that the Protestant Reformation marked the end of the Middle Ages. Sure, it's nice to know everything, but stuff like that never got me a raise, or even a second date. In fact, I'm pretty sure several dates ended abruptly when I started talking about how Mark Twain used irony like a feather under the chin.
Good thing, I say, for a certain lack of success got me to where I am today, heading to LAX with Yoko Ono and the kids, praying-praying-praying that the four-level through downtown isn't a scrum and that the 110 breezes along like it often -- but not always -- does.
Honestly, in L.A. we seem to spend about half our waking hours trying to figure out when to leave for things -- crosstown dentist appointments, or dinner on what Posh calls "the Best Side." Such timing is a calculus of time, day of the week and how much caffeine I've ingested.
By the way, isn't LAX the most romantic place you've ever been? I mean, it's filled with strangers passing in the night, an exotic blend of anxiety, desperation and body odor. I consider any time spent at LAX to be worthwhile. For, if I wind up in hell, I will be prepared for its horrors thanks to the time I've spent sitting on my carry-on at the terminal. In fact, after LAX, hell might seem like Cancún.
The airlines, of course, recommend that you get to LAX three days before your flight, to allow for congestion and cavity searches, but we get there four days early just to be safe. The only tickets we can afford are the low-budget, nonrefundable kind. Under the terms of the agreement we have with American Airlines, if we miss our flight, we would then have to walk to Chicago.
To tell the truth, that's something I've always wanted to do -- walk the nation -- but I haven't approached Posh about it quite yet. She's always wearing those strappy leather sandals -- even in winter -- and I don't see how she'd ever keep up with me through the Rockies.
So for the time being, at least, we'll fly back to Grandma's house, where the eggs are always free, you don't even need to provide an empty container.
What more could you ask of an Easter? Free eggs and higher learning. Grandma's corn pudding and apple blossoms on the back lawn.
Hello, heartland? We're back.


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A cold front will pass through central Indiana overnight. Ahead of the front, temperatures soared in to the 70°s on strong southwesterly winds.
Interestingly, this makes the fourth time in eight years that Indianapolis has reached 70° or more on this date.
Once the cold front passes, winds will shift around to the northwest and should diminish in intensity. The front will also bring in cooler air for Monday – 10° to 15° cooler.
The month of October continues to stay much above normal. Through Saturday, October 22, Indianapolis is 6° above normal per day. This is now the 2nd warmest start to October in the previous 42 years and 16th warmest in the previous 145 years of records.
Normal high temperature for October 24… High: 62° Low: 42°
Right now, it looks like near normal and above normal temperatures will be the rule through the end of the month. Cooler air is projected to arrive Thursday afternoon and again Sunday afternoon. However, high temperatures those days will likely occur early in the morning – and will be near normal.