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In the immortal words of my friend the Nutritionista;
"Oh, for geez!"
After spending three full hours attempting to organize my office/art-studio I stand defeated. There's just no freakin' way. The room is too small and there is far too much stuff that needs to live in it. I'm drowing in a sea of "things I might make something with someday" and I have only myself to blame. I am faced with but two options:
1) Get a bigger apartment
2) Get rid of some stuff
Sigh. While I would love to have a sprawling loft with floor to ceiling shelves with which to store every craft supply, ball of yarn and kitchy nik-nak I own - moving seems a little drastic. Help me out and buy my junk! I have a few balls of yarn for y'all to peruse here. It's mostly stuff I have thrifted over the past year, plus a couple of odds and ends, so I'll let if go for cheapies. Make me an offer!
In the meantime, I gotta get through some of the remaining stash. Progress is slow but steady. The pink thing:
Coming along nicely. By the time my retinas are sufficiently burned, it should be complete and I'll be ready to return to the sea of grey:
One back, one sleeve and a smidge does not a jacket make. I blame second sleeve syndrome!


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Following a creditable 13th place finish at the British Open Brass Band Championships held in the Birmingham Symphony Hall early in September, Wingates Band are now taking a break from competitions and spending the next few months concentrating on a busy concert season in a bid to raise much needed funds.
Over the weekend the band performed to a full house at Christ Church, Padgate, in Warrington. This is only the 3rd visit to Warrington by the band in over 50 years. The crowd played its part in making the evening a memorable one, waving flags and singing along to the Last Night of the Proms inspired programme. The concert was such a success the band have been invited to return to Warrington again next year.
A Last Night of the Proms theme is always a popular one with our audiences and will be the Finale at the band's next concert 'Best of British' at St. Bartholomew's Church, Westhoughton, BL5 2BG, this Saturday, 21st October. The concert will also feature pieces from the movie 'Brassed Off' as well as other popular classics. Tickets can be reserved by contacting Band Manager, Sue MacDonald on firstname.lastname@example.com or in the evenings on 07966 364530 / 01925 837737 or alternatively pay on the door, £8 each, 2 for £15 and under 16s free (when accompanied by an adult).
As well as our busy concert schedule, the members of the band are still fighting hard to save this historic band by focusing their efforts on increasing membership to their new Supporters Club, which at only £20 per year includes a free ticket to our annual christmas concert (this year to be held at the The Victoria Hall, Bolton on the 9th December with the Warrington Male Voice Choir).
The band would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been in touch so far to offer help and support and to join the Supporters Club or take up a Business Package. This follows the shock announcement last month that we are in desperate need of financial support to ensure our long term future.
We are looking forward to performing in our local town this Saturday in such a wonderful venue as St.Bartholomew's Church, and we hope people will come along for what is promised to be a really enjoyable evening's entertainment"
Between now and Christmas the band has a series of performances in Westhoughton and Bolton, plus plenty of carolling in and around the community, and we are looking forward to bringing the festive cheer to as many members of the public as possible.
For further details on any of the ways in which you can support the band, please visit our fundraising section or contact Melanie McFarland on firstname.lastname@example.com or 07770 587227 to discuss the various options available.

subset: commoncrawl


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Today a new duty requiring big employers to publish data on their gender pay gaps will come into effect. Employers in Great Britain with over 250 staff will have to publish four figures annually on their own and a government website. These figures are;
- gender pay gap (mean and median)
- gender bonus gap (mean and median)
- proportion of men and women receiving a bonus
- proportion of men & women in each quartile of the pay structure.
The Women's Business Council understands the benefits of helping women to unlock their talents – bridging the gender gap in work could add £150 billion to the UK's annual GDP by 2025[1]. Over the last four years, the WBC has advocated the importance of maximising women's contribution to future economic growth. To achieve this the WBC has helped to drive more women to choose STEM subjects at school and university, highlighted businesses which are pioneering fantastic returner schemes and promoted initiatives that unblock the talent pipeline.
We know there is more to do to level the playing field and unlock the untapped growth potential that women offer to the economy. The legislative changes launched today will only help in achieving this.
Emer Timmons, Chief Marketing Officer and President of Strategic Sales for Brightstar and member of the Women's Business Council said:
"As a member of the Women's Business Council (WBC) and co-chair of the Men as Agents for change committee, I wholeheartedly embrace the Gender Pay Gap Information regulations. This is exactly the kind of regulation that will shake up the industry, and I truly believe it will be a positive force for change.
Gender pay inequality isn't just a societal issue – equality benefits us all, especially a company's bottom line. WBC estimates that equalizing women's productivity and employment to that of men could lead to a 35 percent increase in the UK's GDP – that's almost £600bn. By recognizing that women should not, and will not, be discriminated against through their paychecks is an important and crucial step on the path towards a fairer UK.
I'm also proud to sit on the executive committee for Brightstar, the world's leading mobile services company for managing devices and accessories across the wireless ecosystem, which as a company is actively engaged in this movement. We have made significant progress in decreasing the gender pay gap and continue to strive towards completely eliminating it. Helping the current and next generation of women in business is something that we all have a responsibility to do, and we all need to be agents in driving this change."
Lynne Atkin, HR Director for Barclays UK and member of the Women's Business Council said:
"Barclays is committed to ensuring women have the opportunity to play a full role in the economic life of the nation, and to increase the talent pipeline. Our Bolder apprenticeships programme offers apprenticeships to those over 24 years old, while our Welcome Back programmes encourages women to return to the workplace after a career break. It is essential we support women not only at the start of their careers, but throughout, to help women fulfil their potential and encourage the diversity we both want and expect at all levels in business today.'
Full guidance for reporting has been produced by the Government Equality Office in collaboration with ACAS and is available on ACAS's website
[1] McKinsey Global Institute, The power of parity: Advancing women's equality in the United Kingdom, 2016


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Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs caused by fungi, bacteria, or viruses. General symptoms include chest pain, fever, cough, difficulty in breathing. It is an inflammatory condition of the lung affecting primarily the small air sacs known as alveoli.
Disclaimer: The products, procedures and suggestions contained on this website are not intended as a substitute for consulting with your physician. All matters regarding your health require medical supervision. Dismiss


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One of the wealthiest men in Ankara, Osman Kozan is a strict businessman who cares a lot about discipline and causes his wife Zühre and his children to be unhappy.
The backbone of the family and the head of the company, his oldest son Cüneyt falls in love with Feride, a distant relative of his mother but Osman doesn't approve of the relationship. Refusing to cause problems between father and son, Feride pushes Cüneyt away so Cüneyt meets Eylül, an attractive, ambitious, and rich woman – a perfect candidate for Cüneyt. But Eylül has only one aim: to get revenge from Osman and destroy his family. Cooperating with cousin Tunç, she starts to destroy the Kozan family from within.
The most independent member of the family, Mehmet Kemal has always stood up to his father. After studying in Europe, he comes back home, expected to marry Handan, his childhood friend and long-term fiancée. But he coincidentally meets Bahar only to madly fall in love with her. From another world, she doesn't know Mehmet Kemal is from the Kozan family. One day, Osman follows his son and tells her the whole truth. But what he doesn't know is that the heart wants what it wants.
|Nusret Senay
|Ulviye Karaca
|Gaye Turgut
|Mert Altinisik


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The new and wonderful Swallow Daily magazine just published a lengthy interview with yours truly...
After the success of the Mission Street Food book, McSweeney's has decided to publish another cookbook, this time with Carolyn Phillips (aka Madame Huang). She plans for the book to be no less than an in-depth look at all the culinary styles of China. Here we speak to her about her life and the experiences that brought her to the enviable position she's in today. This being Swallow, we also talk about Sonny Chiba, Hello Kitty and Chinese beer.
"My earliest memory of Chinatown was a trip I took to San Francisco with my mom and grandmother. I remember my grandmother rushing me past what she said were opium dens, and being a very curious five-year-old, all I wanted to do then was to wander in there and find out what opium was."
– Carolyn Phillips
Where did you grow up? What is your heritage?
I grew up in the heart of Silicon Valley back before the tech boom. It was a quiet and lazy sort of neighborhood surrounded by orchards and distinguished mainly by the smell of prunes. On the surface it was an almost Steven Spielberg version of suburbia, but there was also this strange, dark David-Lynch-meets-Peyton-Place undercurrent.
I'm descended from a Puritan mix on one side of the family and a lot of rednecks on the other. This might help explain why my parents got divorced before long.
Did Chinese food and culture play a large part in your childhood?
My mother played mahjong with the Jewish ladies in the neighborhood when she was pregnant with me, and I'm pretty sure something got transmitted to me in utero. This all has to do with the Chinese belief in taijiao, or education of the fetus: the incessant sound of ivory tiles clacking away while I floated around in amniotic fluid must have been imprinted on my tiny brain. I therefore was never entirely comfortable until I found my way to Taiwan, where every alley was filled with the echoes of clattering tiles.
That aside, my earliest memory of Chinatown was a trip I took to San Francisco with my mom and grandmother. I remember my grandmother rushing me past what she said were opium dens, and being a very curious five-year-old, all I wanted to do then was to wander in there and find out what opium was.
How did you come to be so interested in it later on?
I was first interested in Japanese language and culture while still in high school, and being slightly mad, I took courses in both languages at the same time at the University of Hawaii, which really pushed me over the edge. Then, after college, I wanted to actually be able to speak one or the other, and so I applied to language courses in Tokyo and Taipei.
Tokyo was full, Taipei said yes, and my life's course suddenly changed track.
What was the first authentic Chinese dish that really blew your mind?
Wow, that would have to be a pressed duck dish I had all to myself one evening when my dad told me I could order whatever I wanted at a local Cantonese restaurant. It had crushed almonds and a plum sauce, and I think it was coated in water chestnut flour before being fried. I couldn't have been more than nine or ten at the time, but I remember being transported by the vivid flavors and textures, by how wonderful it was to be able to slowly savor something like that with no more than a bowl of steamed rice and an endless pot of hot tea, and by the fact it tasted of something glorious that I never ever had eaten before: duck.
Welcome to my Proustian moment.
You live near San Francisco; what are some of your favourite Chinese restaurants there?
One thing that really distresses me is that there are so many Chinese people in the Bay Area, but there are no great Chinese restaurants here. Some are passably good, like a small Shanghai joint in Oakland, a Sichuan place on Geary in San Francisco, and a dumpy dim sum hall in the city's Chinatown, but nothing to really recommend. Monterey Park in the Los Angeles area, on the other hand, has much better variety and quality.
As a result, we almost always eat at home.
Do you cook mostly Asian dishes at home? What are some favourites?
Yes, I cook almost exclusively Chinese, both because my husband and I love it and because I'm researching my upcoming cookbook for McSweeney's, where I am going to be introducing cuisines from every part of China. I'm lucky in that my husband, J. H. Huang, is a passionate and finicky eater, so he never lets me slide.
My favorites change with whatever region I'm working on, but I love anything involved with Sichuan-style chili oil, juicy chicken, sublimely tender meat, super fresh fish, or fresh noodles. Strike that... I'll eat just about anything that has its roots in China and is authentic.
Last supper menu would have to include mung bean jelly shreds and dry-fried flounder, for sure. But then again, I've just started delving once more into the cuisines of Jiangsu and Zhejiang at the mouth of the Yangtze River, and everything there is so divine that I would probably have to apply for a lengthy delay in my sentence as I loosened my belt and then ate through their vast repertoires. And then I'd ask for a reprieve as I worked my way around the rest of China.
If I kept that up, I could live forever.
How did you get published by McSweeney's? Who do you know? How did you get your manuscript to stand out from the millions of others submitted by starving hipsters everywhere?
You know, I am still trying to figure that one out.
I didn't really know anyone there personally. It was just the luck of the draw, I guess. I'd been turned down by absolutely every other publisher and had gone through three or four agents and had pretty much given up when McSweeney's suddenly said yes. To say I'm incredibly lucky is both a gross understatement and also a boring cliché, but it's also very, very true. I just hope I don't wake up and find this has all been a dream.
How does one put together a winning manuscript? Well, I can only speak for myself here, but I think that you have to a) be very passionate about whatever it is you want to write about, and b) you have to have something new to say. These two seem simple enough on the surface, but what they require is both comprehensive knowledge about a subject and also an innovative way to express your ideas. It doesn't hurt to be able to write well and fast, and also to love to do nothing better than sit down and write all day even when the sun is shining and everyone wants to go out and play.
As for myself, I am completely and truly happy for the first time in my life. This is what I think everything in my little world has been building up to since, well, forever. I have had an endless list of jobs since I was 13, and some of them eventually were pretty sweet, like working as the chief translator at Taipei's National Museum of History and National Central Library for five years.
But as wonderful as those positions were, they weren't careers, and as much as they taught me, they were merely stepping stones, no more than temporary way stations in life, just like everything else. I then worked in the federal and state courts here in California as a professional Mandarin interpreter for over a decade; again, I learned a whole lot and it was interesting, but I didn't exactly bound out of bed in the morning, ready to start work with a smile on my face.
No, for that, I had to become a food writer.
Is it a dream come true to be published in Lucky Peach or are you all la di da, all in a day's work about it?
It's a dream, no question about it. When I picked up the first issue of Lucky Peach at a Whole Foods store over a year ago, I was totally blown away. I mean, everything in there was so incredibly on point and fun and informative and provocative and intelligent.
I thought at the time, wouldn't it be nice one day if… and here it is a year later, and I'm in the fifth issue. It's unreal.
What is your advice to aspiring food writers who want to get published?
First, be nice to people, since you never know who might end up helping you along the way.
Second, learn all you can every hour of every day, because everything is useful at some time or another. Turn off the TV and Internet, pick up a book that interests you, and see what the author can teach you. Really: read, read, read.
Third, really get to know your stuff, and by that I mean that if you are going to write a book about, say, the cooking traditions of the Hebrides Islands, you had better know everything there is to learn about the cooking traditions of the Hebrides Islands. Not only that, but you should be able to speak and write Gaelic fluently, and you should be spending at least part of your life in the English Channel so that you understand both the people and their culture inside out.
Fourth, learn to write a great proposal. Spend lots of time writing it and figuring out what it is you are planning to do, and be sure and read books on how to write a proposal. Write draft after draft after draft of your proposal; this takes time and patience while you hammer out what it is you want to tell the world.
Once you've written that proposal and are satisfied, ask some writer friends to edit your words mercilessly. Once you've done that, polish your proposal some more until it shines, and then start to look for a publisher or an agent. Whatever happens, don't give up, no matter how many people say no, because you only need one person to say yes.
And finally, write like your life depended on it. Write every day. Make it a habit. Learn to make the words work for you. Develop your voice on paper.
If you don't love this whole process, then find something else to do with your life. Writing is hard, lonely work. But if it is what you love and it is a genuine compulsion, then you're one of the lucky ones and you'll do it no matter what obstacles are thrown in your way.
What writers do you enjoy (food, fiction, any genre)?
For cooking, oh boy, the list is enormous. I am a real fangirl of a great triumvirate of Chinese-American women writers from the late sixties and early seventies, back when comprehensive Chinese cookbooks were a true rarity: I'm talking about Irene Kuo, Grace Zia Chu, and the wonderful Florence Lin. The books by these ladies are still as readable and useful today as they were decades ago. I'm especially fortunate that Mrs. Lin is still very much alive and well, and we have become friends. How great is it to know a legend, to meet one of your heroes?
Nothing makes me sink into my reading chair faster than a great novel. I love Salinger, Dumas père, Neal Stephenson, Dave Eggers, Anthony Burgess, Collette, Henry James, Austen, George Eliot... they all are on my eternal reread list.
One genre I adore is old travelogues by proper British ladies in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, especially if they wander around on a camel or mule with no more than a local guide in China, the Middle East, or some godforsaken desert somewhere. Those courageous and curious women never fail to astonish.
Martial arts - Sonny Chiba or Bruce Lee?
There is nothing better than a movie with Bruce Lee; he made kung fu look effortless, like a ballet, and he was, I think, the first true Chinese movie star in the West.
That being said, Sonny Chiba has been a hero of mine since the Street Fighter series back in the seventies. (Favorite one in that series: Sister Street Fighter.) My husband and I used to buy braised duck tongues and chicken feet outside this cruddy old theater in downtown Taipei, sneak in some beer, and watch double martial arts features during our early years together. And that's when I fell head over heels with Jackie Chan, too.
Steamed buns or jiaozi?
Jiaozi, jiaozi, jiaozi.
Celebrity chef: David Chang or Masaharu Morimoto?
Ooh, tough one. I truly admire Chef Morimoto's allegiance to traditional Japanese cuisine. But Chef Chang's versatility with key components of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese dishes has allowed him to form a fusion cuisine that is very exciting and intelligent. I admire them both immensely. It's a draw.
Favourite brand of soy sauce?
Sad to say, but none, really. Japanese shoyu and tamari don't taste like Chinese soy sauce – too light and salty. But the Chinese ones are really dicey, as there's no control on food products on the Mainland; I don't even buy their vinegar.
Some of the organic Taiwanese ones are pretty good, like Wan Ja Shan's. However, I have been working on brewing some homemade soy sauce in my kitchen, and so far, so good. (I have so many crocks and jars with pickles and wines and brews in here smelling up the place that it is more like a mad doctor's lair than a kitchen.)
Favourite Chinese beer?
For sentimental reasons, Taiwan Beer.
I know it's Japanese, but Hello Kitty or Badtz Maru?
Hello Kitty definitely, and let me tell you why. I used to find her insipid to the nth degree, but this all changed in the Chinese Wild West town of Jiayuguan in Gansu.
Jiayuguan is on the ancient Silk Road and was therefore one of the few land gateways into China, but it was also the place where people were banished from the empire for all time. Well, we went there on a visit, and I was really anticipating this stop since it has such a romantic, fearsome reputation. It's in the middle of a desert mountain pass, very isolated and barren. But we landed there on the one day of the year when it rains buckets.
It poured so hard we could barely see more than a few feet, and of course we hadn't brought rain gear, so I was delighted when an enterprising young woman sold me an umbrella. Upon opening it, I found Hello Kitty emblazoned on the mauve fabric, and she's been my good luck totem ever since. I even have a Chinese Hello Kitty calendar in the kitchen every year, with the cat dressed up as the different zodiac animals; it's a hallowed tradition that she always stand guard over the place where I work… in her Chinese incarnation, of course.


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Undiagnosed Hypertension
Hypertension is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. Millions of people with hypertension are seen by providers each year, but many remain undiagnosed—essentially "hiding in plain sight" within clinical settings.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects millions of Americans, and some have hypertension that is undiagnosed and untreated—they are "hiding in plain sight." Because hypertension rarely has symptoms, it's not often a topic patients discuss with their health care providers. Even while following best practices and providing the highest level of care, providers can have patients who are at risk for hypertension or who remain undiagnosed.
Million Hearts®, a national effort to prevent 1 million heart attacks and strokes by 2017, has made blood pressure control a priority. Million Hearts® encourages health care providers to take steps to identify patients with potentially undiagnosed hypertension.
The Facts about Hypertension
- Uncontrolled hypertension is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke.1 It also raises the risk for kidney and heart failure.
- One in three U.S. adults—about 70 million people—has hypertension.2 Almost half of these people don't have their blood pressure under control.3
- About 13 million U.S. adults with hypertension aren't even aware they have it and are not being treated.2
- Most people with uncontrolled blood pressure have health insurance and see their providers at least twice a year,3 but remain undiagnosed.
What Providers Can Do
Video: Finding Undiagnosed Hypertensive Patients
Watch this video to learn how to find patients in your practice who may be "hiding in plain sight" with undiagnosed hypertension.
Make hypertension control a priority for your practice. Follow these four critical steps to help you identify patients with potentially undiagnosed hypertension who are hiding in plain sight:
- Establish clinical criteria for potential undiagnosed hypertension using current evidence-based guidance. Work with your health care team to determine the number of elevated blood pressure readings and the degree of elevation that should trigger a red flag for a patient.
- Search electronic health record (EHR) data for patients who meet your established clinical criteria. For example, some providers have searched EHR registries using algorithms to extract relevant information.4 Pick the approach that works best for your practice based on your available resources.
Implement a plan to communicate with these patients and to treat those with hypertension.
The plan could include 24-hour ambulatory or home blood pressure monitoring, automated office blood pressure readings, or repeated in-office measurement. For patients with confirmed hypertension, follow standardized treatment protocols and provide feedback to your care team about how best to support patients in achieving and maintaining blood pressure control.
- Calculate the hypertension prevalence in your practice and compare your data against local, state, or national prevalence data. Comparing the prevalence of hypertension among your patients to national or local values could add much-needed context to blood pressure control rates and may help identify more patients who might benefit from additional clinical action.
Start with the steps that make the most sense for your practice. What's important is that you begin the process. Bringing those patients who are hiding in plain sight into clear view and spreading the word about how other health care professionals can find them will help protect millions from unnecessary and preventable events.
Hypertension Prevalence Estimator Tool
The interactive Million Hearts® Hypertension Prevalence Estimator Tool generates an expected percentage of patients with hypertension based on the specific characteristics of your health system's or practice's patient population. Compare the expected prevalence to the calculated prevalence—if the values are significantly different, you may have patients "hiding in plain sight" with undiagnosed hypertension. Use the tool.
Resources to Help Find Patients with Undiagnosed Hypertension
The following resources can help you diagnose, treat, and manage hypertension in your practice.
- Undiagnosed Hypertension Change Package — This guide can help clinicians map and identify enhancements to clinical workflows that improve detection and diagnosis of hypertension.
- Hypertension Control: Change Package for Clinicians [679 KB]—This guide is a quality improvement tool for ambulatory clinical settings to improve hypertension control. It provides health care providers with an evidence base of process improvements to more efficiently and effectively care for hypertensive patients.
- Hypertension Control: Action Steps for Clinicians [312 KB]—This guide offers proven strategies to help clinicians work with their patients to control hypertension, including creative ways to deliver care, improve medication adherence, and optimize patient reminders and supports.
- High Blood Pressure —This site provides fact sheets, data and statistics, and other helpful resources for patients and practitioners.
- Nwankwo T, Yoon SS, Burt V, Gu Q. Hypertension among adults in the US: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2011-2012 [777 KB] NCHS Data Brief, No. 133. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept of Health and Human Services, 2013.
- D Mozaffarian et al (2016). Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2016 Update. Circulation; 133: e38-e360. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000350.
- Yoon S, Fryar C, Carroll M. Hypertension Prevalence and Control Among Adults: United States, 2011–2014. NCHS Data Brief, No. 220. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, US Dept of Health and Human Services, 2015.
- D Banerjee et al (2012). Underdiagnosis of hypertension using electronic health records . Am J Hypertens ; 25(1):97-102.
More Information
- Page last reviewed: April 6, 2016
- Page last updated: April 6, 2016
- Content source:
- National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
- Page maintained by: Office of the Associate Director for Communication, Digital Media Branch, Division of Public Affairs


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From the couple:
Matt and I met playing college soccer together. From the moment we met, we were immediately drawn to one another energy. It was magnetic, intoxicating. At the time we were both in relationships and stayed away from each other. It was like we had a whole understanding without even saying a word aloud. It was one of those, "I'm going to let you handle this one, Universe." A couple years went by and I saw Matt posting pictures of Berlin, Norway, New Zealand and SE Asia. I was very much wanderlust at the time in my life, so without hesitation I messaged Matt. He called me the day he landed and we haven't been apart since. Four years later and we've been to 8 countries and lived in Korea for a year, he taught me how to snowboard and we currently live in Breckenridge, CO where we snowboard everyday! It's magical. There have been days where Matt and I will look at each other, both with that crazy gleam in our eye. We will drink coffee, talk about where we desire to travel most and buy a ticket. The details left for another day.
Marriage is something we've talked about but neither of us want. Marriage is a tradition I have yet to fully comprehend. I could understand how it would be important if you wanted children, but that is another thing we do not want. Until Matt and I are fully aware of what marriage would do for us, we are happy being unmarried. It doesn't mean we love each other any less than any other married couple. It doesn't make us scared, and it definitely doesn't make us less committed to one another (3 of the many things we often hear). Anyone that knows us, understands now, that we are not your average couple. We believe life should be savored, experienced and not bogged down by what society tells us to do. We are smart enough to know, we could change our minds. We very much try to live in the present, the now. And in this moment, Matt and I are very content.
Photography: Julie Cate| Makeup: Weemala Hair and Makeup | Venue: Mt Princeton Hot Springs, CO | Dress: Free People | Lab: Richard Photo Lab
Comments (3)
So good! Julie has a knack for getting the subtleties of love. Again, so good!
Beautiful! As someone that fully supports committed couples in any way shape or form, I think the difference withbeing married is: 1- having the law recognize your relationship and everything that comes with it. This is not something people tend to think about when everyone is young and healthy, but it sure does make a difference when circumstances change. Also 2 – there is truly something special about pledging your commitment to each other in front of the people who love and care for you.
This is a stunning shoot, it is so intimate and you can feel their love through the pictures.
Featured 50 Ideas for a Culture-Infused Wedding
We love multicultural weddings for the vibrancy they manifest and the unity they represent. Here are some of our favorite weddings that are rich in culture and joy.


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Every time I've walked past this cottage I've taken one or two photos, and for some reason have never been able to get a decent picture of it...which is a bit weird! Anyway, these are the best ones I've got so far and I've decided to go with them for now, although I reserve the right to change them if I ever manage to photograph it properly. ;)
As the name suggests, this was once a Toll House. I haven't found much information about it, but this particular stretch was part of the Axminster Turnpike Road, enabled by an Act of Parliament in 1792. This small road, running between the villages of Musbury and Whitford, was a later addition to the Axminster section connecting to the Honiton Turnpike, which in turn was part of the London to Exeter Highway.
Interestingly, it was at Honiton that the collection point for the East Devon lace making industry was situated. Now known as Honiton Lace, most of the produce came from the village of Beer, on the coast near Seaton, and was much sought after by people in London. Also, it was from Beer that another product was prized; the local limestone called Beer Stone, which was used in several famous buildings including Westminster Abbey.
Oddly enough, the cottage doesn't appear to be a Listed Building. Like most toll houses, there are windows either side of the door, facing so as to give a view of both sides of the road. As the act enabled toll of the road was passed in 1792, this cottage would have been built shortly afterwards in the Regency era. We can see the emergence of Regency Gothick in the delightful arched door windows, along with the larger and more sedate Georgian style windows. Hipped roofs were popular in this period due to the availability of Welsh slate.
And finally, another view of the front taken one winter.
I only have these four photos at the moment, which can also be seen in the Photo Gallery album, but I'll add some (hopefully better ones) when I'm next around that way.


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Mobile Monday Detroit to Live-stream it's 11/14 Exploration of CyberSecurity Careers Via Facebook Live
Statewide High Demand Causes MTAM's Mobile Monday Michigan Detroit Chapter to Take Advantage of Facebook LIVE-Streaming Technology to Make It's Event Available Throughout Michigan DETROIT, MI – Due to a high volume of requests from throughout the State of Michigan, … Continue reading
Posted in education, Mobile Monday Michigan, The Mobile Industry, Training Tagged Authen2cate, Barbara Ciaramitaro, Blackbourne Worldwide, Colleen Riccinto, Cyber Talent Search, Cybersecurity, Facebook Live, Godfrey Nolan, Hector Acosta, Henry Ford Health Systems, Jane Harper, Ken Morse, Lou LaBrecque, Mobile Monday Detroit, Mobile Monday Michigan, Natalie Blackbourne, RIIS, Walsh College, Workforce Intelligence Network (WIN) Leave a comment
CyberSecurity Panel at MI Broadband Conference; 10/20
Michigan Broadband Conference October 20, 2015 To register, visit http://www.connectmi.org/broadband-summit


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Article Summary:
Original Article Text Fromvia Google Translate :
President Colom is dismissed with Almost Total Condemnation
The president of Guatemala, Alvaro Colom, who on January 14 will transfer the charge to his successor, retired Gen. Otto Perez, will leave the presidency with an almost total condemnation, according to a survey released today by the influential newspaper "Prensa Libre".
"The 95.83% Colom management fails," the newspaper front-page headline in its Monday edition, based on a telephone survey conducted by his method of "free vote", and which involved 17,320 calls, of 16,598 which qualified as "bad" the government of current President.
The newspaper also devoted three inside pages, the first of its national news section, to analyze, based on analysts interpreting the results of the survey "free vote" which, he explained, was held for four days through Sure telecommunications company, whose system received 22,847 calls.
Political analysts consulted by Prensa Libre said the first factor of the low popularity of Colombia are the unfulfilled promises on the issue of public safety, the high rates of crime and criminality that, far from diminishing, are increasing in Guatemala.
Other analysts also attributed a poor performance in social and economic aspects. The academic and former member of the Monetary Board Manuel Perez said that "public investment was very poor, poor, and increased operating expenditures and debt."
"Discourages production maquilas and other firms left the country" as well as that "nothing was done" with the micro, small and medium enterprises, sentencvió Perez.
Colom took office after winning the 2007 elections, defeating General Perez elected president in 2011 elections.
In 2007 Perez was about to reverse the full advantage of Colombia, who was running for a third time as a candidate for president of Guatemala, by offering "strong hand" against crime. At the last minute managed to hold slightly Colom your favorite condition to obtain the electoral victory based on a speech proclaiming that "crime is fought with intelligence."


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- This event has passed.
Green Line Lunch – Big Daddy's
May 14@12:00 pm-1:00 pm
Event Navigation
The RCBA Diversity Committee is offering a series of Green Line Lunches at restaurants along University Avenue. It's a great opportunity to network and try out a new lunch spot.
No reservation necessary. Participants order off the regular lunch menu and pay for their own lunch.
Big Daddy's (BBQ)
625 University Ave W. (Dale St Station)
St. Paul


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The Newtown Sessions is a new bi-weekly in-studio series, brought to Noisey by our friends over at Newtown Radio, the Brooklyn-based online radio station.
We discovered Wampire, the Portland-based indie/goth/horror outfit, earlier this year when they rolled out a remarkable seven-inch entitled, The Hearse, on Polyvinyl, which included a colorful re-working of Kraftwerk's "Das Model" as a b-side. It was a giant leap for a relatively obscure band. Following the release of that seven-inch, Wampire is getting set to drop a nine song LP called Curiosity. That'll hit racks on May 14 via Polyvinyl.
We were lucky to have Wampire play a set of new songs from Curiosity in Brooklyn, just as they were wrapping a US tour with Foxygen and Unknown Mortal Orchestra. Watch as Wampire performs, "Can't See Why," and "Giants."
Listen to the full session recording, here, and check their upcoming tour dates w/STRFKR:
June 4th Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
June 5th Phoenix, AZ @ Crescent Ballroom
June 6th Albuquerque, NM @ Launchpad
June 10th Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
June 11th Reno, NV @ Knitting Factory
June 12th Fresno, CA @ Fulton 55
June 13th Las Vegas, NV @ Beauty Bar


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Welcome to the LAST Win it Wednesday of 2010!
Can you believe the year is almost over? I hope that everyone had a wonderful Holiday with family and friends. I took a little time off here to reconnect with all my loved ones and its made a big difference... now I come back to you all rested and ready to bring you more great giveaways and reviews of the best products on the market! Here are some of our current giveaways you can enter while you are visiting and linking up your own!!
Current Giveaways


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This topic contains 2 replies, has 2 voices, and was last updated by Shirls 4 years, 9 months ago.
Hi all,
I am in need of a home for my 100's of caterpillars… our swan plants have been over-run with aphids; and the only solution is to spray. But as my plants are very happy and productive (even in winter) they are covered in caterpillars and eggs.
I have tried moving them from one plant to another, spraying and then washing the plant a day later, spraying again and another wash, but the aphids keep coming back!
So my plan is to re-home as many of the caterpillars as I can; spray and spray and spray, get new plants and start again.
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>I have written the first three chapters of The Cosy Knave, but I am still struggling with some of the names.
One character is called Jesmona Rowntree. I quite like her name, but as I have twins called Jeremy and Jemima, I fear I will just end up confusing my readers (more than necessary).
As you may have guessed, I plan to use a number of product names so if you know a good (preferably British) brand name, e.g. chocolate, biscuit, toffee, please leave a comment with your suggestions. The more the merrier (names AND comments) Or perhaps you can suggest new names for the monster twins?


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[A] path, described by the author Alfred Wainwright as a classic ascent route in the Lake District, is to be repaired with money raised by The Wainwright Society.
The Wainwright Society has chosen Fix the Fells, the body that repairs upland paths in the Lake District as the main beneficiary of its fundraising during 2017.
The money will be used to repair Long Stile, the final ascent on to the summit of High Street in the Far Eastern Fells, between Ullswater and Haweswater. Alfred Wainwright, who wrote seven Pictorial Guides to the Lake District fells, considered this ascent from Mardale to be the finest way to the summit.
He wrote: 'The ridge of Rough Crag and the rocky stairway of Long Stile together form the connoisseur's route up High Street, the only route that discloses the finer characteristics of the fell. The ascent is a classic, leading directly along the crest of a long, straight ridge that permits of no variation from the valley to the summit. The views are excellent throughout.' High Street p.6 The Far Eastern Fells
The scree ascent of Long Stile has suffered much erosion in recent years and is now in need of a stone-pitched path to stop it getting worse. The land on either side of the path also needs to be repaired and protected from further damage. This will require stone to be brought in by helicopter, which will add to the cost of the repair. The work is scheduled to be undertaken during 2018.
Fix the Fells undertakes the repair of eroded and damaged footpaths in the Lake District. The work is undertaken by National Trust fell rangers and Lake District National Park Authority volunteers. In the last ten years it has repaired more than 200 sections of fell paths using a variety of traditional techniques.
Joanne Backshall, Fix the Fells Programme Manager, said: 'We are delighted that The Wainwright Society is being so generous and supporting our vital work to protect some of the most beautiful parts of the Lake District. It will allow us to repair a popular route that was loved by Alfred Wainwright and mean that generations to come can enjoy it as well."
It costs £150 to repair just one metre of path. At the moment Fix the Fells needs to raise £350,000 per year to carry out all of its work. Fix the Fells is a partnership between the National Trust, The Lake District National Park Authority, Friends of the Lake District, Nurture Lakeland, Natural England, Cumbria County Council and volunteers.
The Wainwright Society was founded in 2002 to keep alive the ideas which the author promoted in his guidebooks. Over the years it has raised thousands of pounds for causes it believes he would have appreciated and supported. Money will be raised from donations by Society members taking part in its annual charity 'Challenge' together with sales of its Society calendar. The 'Challenge', based in the Far Eastern Fells, celebrates sixty years since Alfred Wainwright's guidebook to this area was published in 1957. It hopes to raise most of the money needed to fund the expensive repair to this classic Lakeland route.


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Scrutineering Software
The DanceScore Application is the centre piece of the DanceScore system, all other modules rely on it's functionality.
There are many words used in Dance Competitions that have multiple meanings, take the word 'Event' for example … a competition can be referred to as an event, so to can a sub category such as the Amateur Latin and of course the Amateur Latin can be broken down into Rounds which may also be referred to as events.
To ensure everyone is talking about the same subjects, here are some definitions used throughout the documentation.
Competition (or Championship) This is collection of Events. Take Blackpool as an example, the whole competition is the 'Blackpool Dance Festival', a collection of Events that span 8 days.
Event This is the actual competition that the competitor will compete in. At Blackpool a competitors Event may be the Professional Standard.
Item The Item is what we are Scrutineering. The Professional Latin Event will consist of several Items, 1st Round, 2nd Round, Semi and Final. The individual items are Scrutineered to give a result for that Event. In DanceScore terms any thing that appears on the Running Order Database is an Item, this may include such things as Presentations and Intermissions.
Recall Item Depending on where you are in the world you may call this function a Round, Semi Final or Recall but it is all the same. In a recall situation adjudicators simply vote for the couples they wish to see in the next Item for that Event. In DanceScore a Recall Item is triggered by the amount of Back Numbers to be recalled, a recall of 0 (zero) denotes a Final.
Random Heats A selection method for the next Round that is purely random. Random Heats may also be applied to each dance in the Round.
Points The Adjudicator's markings when the Skating System is used.
Scores The Adjudicator's markings when the Absolute Judging System (AJS) is used.
Ranking The positioning of competitors so that a complete list of achievement can be established from Final through to the First Round.
The DanceScore version number is divided into 3 sections like this: 7-X-XX
The first digit is the major version number, this changes when there is a functional change of the program, such as structural changes to the Data Base.
The middle digit shows the revision of the current version. To ensure all modules work correctly system operators should ensure that this revision number is the same for all modules and the Server Core if Adjudicator Tablets are in use.
The last 2 digits are used for minor updates. In these case it is recommended that the latest version of the main module is used but it is not nessersary to update all componets of the system.
When the DanceScore application is run it will open to the 'Main Menu'.
While this menu is used to access DanceScore's functionality it also shows a summary of the information contained in its databases as well as some of the applications configuration.
The icons on the left hand side access each of the applications main functions.
Live this icon opens the Live Control Panel where all Scrutineering will be processed.
Data this icon accesses the databases where Competitors, Adjudicators, Panels, etc. are edited
Results after results have ben processed use this icon to re-open and print those results.
Web This icon is for creating files that are intended for upload to the internet.
At a glance you can see how many Competitor records are contained in the Competitor Database. The amount of Adjudicator records is also displayed along with the Adjudicator Panel records. Similarly the amount of Items contained in the Running Order Database is shown on the Running Order icon.
Clicking on the icons for either Competitors, Adjudicators or Running Order will take you directly to those databases.


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Moving Forward & Digging Deeper; third in a series
September 5, 2008
Part I; Part II; Lisa Harney's response/continuance, and ! a wonderful example of what we were talking about.
So, finally, it went differently. We were all very tempted to take the bait, but we didn't (well, Lisa, you kinda did). I *would have taken the bait* if I hadn't seen other people not do it, despite having just called out the dynamic, because it is so deeply ingrained into my head that my place in feminism, in 'woman,' and in fact in humanity, is precarious and must be defended at all times.
And we broke that. We kept having our own conversation. We talked about m Andrea, not with her. We said, no, not this time. no, not here.
So, while this is partially falling prey to this very same trap, I'm interested in analyzing the dynamic further.
1)m Andrea comments at QT, not here. That is, she comments not at the source of the criticism, but at the place people congregate, the place where there would likely be a conversation otherwise, the place where she can disrupt. She doesn't want to start a conversation, she wants to prevent one, disrupt one.
2)Her comment is practically boilerplate. No, seriously:
i Hi Lisa!
ii Lots of declarative statements in your post, without any supporting reasons.
iii I'm particularly interested in the assumption that the only options are inclusion into women-only spaces or death.
iv Every oppressed group has had to justify themselves — why does transgenderism get to be the lone exception? Women are used to having our every right to equality questioned, and the requirement that we prove our assertions is taken as a given after thousands of years of constant criticism; so it appears quite peculiar to many of us that transgender people claim a special exemption.
i)pretext, since she has no intention of actually engaging with Lisa, but it makes her comment look a bit more like it's about this post, which it isn't.
ii)Really? Really? Like what? If you had *any intention of engaging in discussion*, would you maybe bring up a specific point you thought was unsupported?
Translation: "You're stupid and you can't form real arguments. You are an incompetent feminist, you are making shit up, you are fake."
–This has nothing to do with the actual post. She could have put that *anywhere*.
iii)Where does Lisa say this? Where has she [edit: m Andrea] proposed any other option? If she and those like her are responsible for spaces that turn away folks who are desperately marginalized, aren't they responsible for coming up with that answer?
Translation: "You are incompetent and incapable of analysis/rational thought. You are the one failing trans women because you're so stupid you can't come up with a way to help them, which is your responsibility".
–Again, nothing to do with the actual post. This reads as if it was copy and pasted from some other comment she made in another blog where she thought we wouldn't be reading.
iv)Is she arguing for hazing, or is she seriously arguing in favor of the oppression of women? I suppose she could be pretending that everything we say is just whining about how it's not fair as opposed to demanding change, but does she really believe that?
But again, this is a classic conflation of dominance and support, accountability and subordination. It's totally obvious that not having to justify oneself is support/having to do it is subordination, but she claims that our not liking it is dominance.
Translation: "You are ignorant and stupid. You don't have a clue about feminism or oppression, and you need to accept the basic facts of life. You believe you deserve a basic need because you're unaware of the basic facts of life; you believe you deserve a basic need because you're privileged, which makes you morally abhorrent. The fact that I am oppressed in this way justifies me oppressing you this way. "
–While this engages with the post, 1)it only does so in a totally superficial way and 2)it could easily have been written having only read the first paragraph, and mentions *nothing* after the opening quote. She didn't even scroll down.
I don't think she read the rest of the post. I don't think she cared. She went to the absolute minimum effort. She commented *for no other reason than to make the space unsafe, to prevent meaningful conversation from happening, and to waste our time*.
She's a troll, plain and simple. She wants to hurt us, shut us up, and get rid of us, nothing more.
Think about the *extremely patronizing* language in her "logic" post "proving" we weren't legit. She is saying: you're stupid, you don't know feminism, anyone who argrees with you can't form an argument or think their way out of a paper bag, etc etc.
This is what they do. This is why what they say is damaging *even if their points are refuted*. Because they say, over and over again, that we are stupid, incompetent, and worthless–and all that kind of abuse needs to function is repetition. All it needs to sneak into your heart is to be taken seriously.
Who's being shouted down and unable to speak, again?
PS m Andrea, don't even bother trying to comment here.
27 Responses to "Moving Forward & Digging Deeper; third in a series"
September 5, 2008 at 11:34 am
Well, at the risk of boring everyone to tears, I once again ask:
What are transwomyn doing that mAndrea, Heart, Lucky, Satsuma, that whole crowd, DO NOT DO???
IDing as one gender or the other? Wearing mascara? Cooking? Cuddling kittens? What? What exactly is the boogie(wo)man here?
Just existing, as far as I can see.
And you know, if you think a group should not exist, theoretically, that DOES lead to death. What else does it lead to?
They need to be called on their language and their theory, which makes it OKAY to kill the people who transgress their laws. Yes IT DOES. If not, what exactly do they propose to do (after their mythical feminist revolution) with the gender-transgressors who won't do as they dictate? Re-education camps? What, then? (As Renegade Evolution likes to say, what's the plan?)
Call them on their hatred at every turn. They ARE of the same piece as the people who murder transwomyn, just as Sarah Palin is of the same piece as people who claim the war in Iraq is some CHRISTIAN CRUSADE. Ideas have consequences, and their rhetoric surely exacerbates an already- volatile situation.
They ALL need to be held accountable for their despicable language and what that language LOGICALLY LEADS TO.
September 5, 2008 at 12:40 pm
"She commented *for no other reason than to make the space unsafe, to prevent meaningful conversation from happening, and to waste our time*."
Thank you. It's so refreshing to read that. And that "Hi Lisa" really annoyed me! As though they are best friends, or she's really pleased to see her, or something – so false, so patronising.
September 5, 2008 at 3:02 pm
"This reads as if it was copy and pasted from some other comment she made in another blog where she thought we wouldn't be reading."
I think she basically did; same [lack of] idea behind it. In Polerin's LJ I linked Helen's "What If?" post and it was really obvious that mAndrea only read the two line summary I gave Polerin.
"Another question would be, what would Helen do if transgenderism was just a fetish? She's assuming that a mental disorder equals death — not very rational." Which makes no sense if you read the post; there is no "mental disorder equals death" in Helen's post. The suicide part was in reference to what cis* folk might have us do if we were proven wrong.
She seems to love to come over and destroy any chance of meaningful conversation. Well, keeping us on the defensive and not able to discuss real issues/solutions is a great way of keeping us oppressed.
September 5, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Well, as I said over on UPW where the very same troll pulled similar shit, one way one could interpret the phenomenon is this: the Universal Asshole/Troll card (didn't you say something about the "I'm Not A Troll BUT" Bingo card on the other thread? i.e. this is an excellent starting point.
so, okay, one square could be, say:
see, this is where "institutionalized privilege" really meets the more personal or rather interpersonal level of "just plain assholery." a rather splendid little example, really. it's not clear at what point the infantile "PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO MEMEME" ends and the "UH OH PEOPLE BELONGING TO THE GROUPS I REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE AS ACTUAL PEOPLE ARE HAVING CONVERSATIONS AMONGST THEMSELVES, MAKING FRIENDS AND INFLUENCING PEOPLE DESPITE MY DISAPPROVAL, THIS MUST BE STOPPED."
I mean, the distinction is less important when the privilege-enforcer in question, as in this case, has -generally- the brainpower and social skills of a particularly maladjusted slime mold; clearly other cases are more complex.
wrt the specific comment she left at Lisa's, I don't know that the actual content is as important as the process you're outlining here; but if for whatever reason one -did- want to consider the content for a moment, I was sort of struck by the underlying message in this, because I think it's the same one that fuels the "No Special Rights For Gays" business (and this one has actually used the term "special rights' for trans people with no irony or self awareness whatsoever. no, I have no idea if she ID's as lesbian, but "some of her best commenters" at the very least), anyway;
I mean, she frames it as this "women are used to being…questioned…[for] thousands of years" setup, which is disingenuous for several reasons, but what it ultimately boils down to is:
"Why should you get something I don't have, huh, huh, huh?"
What it actually is she thinks she doesn't have that trans folk are demanding is, well, at minimum, not what she thinks it is. Again, it's related to the "No Special Rights" for gay people business: it's rarely clear to me if the people who buy this shit really believe that the proposed law or whatnot is going to give the despised Other genuine advantages over themselves, but it's definitely the case that they feel they're losing -something.-
I guess what I'm getting at here, and believe me, this is -not- an expression of sympathy for the loathsome mAndrea, because I'm not that spiritual, but it does interest me:
Happy people don't go all economy-of-scarcity when it comes to things like basic respect and decency and human rights and shit.
maybe it seems like a truism, eh. I had more, but I'm suddenly having a total brain fart. it seemed more profound earlier in the mental composition, o well…
September 5, 2008 at 7:34 pm
…ah, right, I know, it was related to–this was another discussion offblog, but anyway reposting my own words:
"you know, I think besides the cissexual priv there, I get the strong impression that she and a lot of these people are so out of touch with
their own bodies, so uncomfortable in their own skin, that subtle concepts like "this is the way -I- feel, it isn't about external directives" simply don't compute because -they- don't get it.
not unlike the way I think really hardcore homophobic people often just have no idea of their own sexuality at all, of what real -desire- is, which is why they can't empathize with people trying to live in a way that's true to themselves. What's that mean? Isn't it all either about conforming or resisting conforming? They don't know who they are or what they want, and of course the idea that someone else wants to live in a way that makes them -happy- without any -material-
evidence of their "difference" sends them around the bend. They're fundamentalists because they don't understand the subjective, because
they -have- no "I" really; they have little to no contact with their own interior life.
put it together with a philosophy like "personal is political," which is of course -only- about the subjective, or for that matter anything related to spirituality, which in theory would be intensely subjective and interior, and, well, you get the trainwreck that this is, don't
September 6, 2008 at 6:30 am
[…] September 6, 2008 So, I've been pontificating enough here, I want to shift gears a bit and go into facilitator mode. there are times when I've responded to trolls for my own sanity, knowing they won't listen. But that's because I felt cornered, unsupported, etc, and in order to prevent damage within my head I have to argue/fight back–which is the real problem, right? The problem is that our 'allies' leave us out to dry when the shit hits the fan. (an entirely different context, and to mix metaphors, but still). The problem is that we don't have the confidence to not do that–for good reason. [link] […]
September 6, 2008 at 8:52 pm
"put it together with a philosophy like "personal is political," which is of course -only- about the subjective, or for that matter anything related to spirituality, which in theory would be intensely subjective and interior, and, well, you get the trainwreck that this is, don't
I think you lost me here.>>
Just my roundabout way of noting that it's particularly weird for something that's supposedly -all about- the subjective, i.e. most feminisms that aren't the Maoist International Movement (google them sometime, it'll be a laugh)–to start talking as though there were some sort of objective scientific…something to the half-baked theories they're putting forth.
September 6, 2008 at 8:56 pm
but actually as I type that I realize, yeah, you can justify "personal is political" without being particularly invested in peoples' deep inner life; in fact it's probably more correct not to than to take it the way I usually take it. still, though.
just something about the half-baked-ness of the way certain people talk; there's this kind of pseudo-sciencey tone…but that's the nature of fundamentalism, I suppose. on the one hand, there's an appeal to a sort of mystical deeply felt Universal Truth; on the other hand, feelings aren't relevant, these are OBJECTIVE truths observable by EVERYONE…except, they aren't, empirically speaking…
I'm just getting more confusing, aren't I.
anyway. more later if I find myself more coherent.
September 6, 2008 at 9:00 pm
"So, I totally agree with you about said analysis of the content. BUT, said analysis has been given to them how many times before?"
There is that.
or, anyway–it's a different discussion, I think. in a context where you're specifically talking about, look, tired of trying to see it from their POV, whatever it is and however interpreted…yeah, fuck 'em, maybe best now just focus on the techniques and how to deal with it strategically.
September 6, 2008 at 9:02 pm
and, no, I'd like to read it, lemme get my shit together and I'll donate.
September 6, 2008 at 10:41 pm
"And, more than just being called out, cis allies need to tell them that they are not welcome in the space and then BAN THEM (whether from an online or a physical space), so that there's real consequences and the trolls become increasingly isolated."
Well, here you do also get into the less important but still persistent separate issue of "to ban or not to ban, ever" in leftie/political blogs.
Personally, I have no problem deleting or banning if I think someone's a pointless troll; oddly, I've rarely had to exercise it at my own space. I mean -really- rarely. And technically I don't know as I -can- ban, blogger doesn't block IP's, for instance.
As for real life spaces…well, again, personally, even more so, I think: yeah, sometimes, to make a space a "safe space" you need to bring down the banhamma; the thing is, in political spaces, people often really don't seem to get what does and doesn't make a space…well, let's not say "safe," because it isn't therapy; but, at minimum, "not a total bear pit," and "not a place where a particular already vulnerable group of people regularly gets savaged."
…and I can hear the outraged screams as I type this of "hypocrisy!" because certain people think I and others do exactly that for/to "radfems."
Except for: it ain't about ideology or demographic, at least as far as I'm concerned: it's about -behavior-, and this is another long rant which I won't bore you with here.
Back on topic then:
What I think is more basic is that feminists take "hey, this shit is transphobic, i.e. rank bigotry, and/or we're going back to 101 again" complaints more seriously. There are a number of ways in which to deal with this, but first of all, it needs to be communicated that -yes, I agree, this shit isn't on,- which right now, I think, is not happening nearly enough.
I think what happened with the feminist Carnival wherein mAndrea's spewings were included was a perfect case in point. Not just the fact that it was included in the first place, but the way Natalie Bennett responded as host. (and to be fair, that particular incident was a gross enough example of hate speech that quite a lot of the peanut gallery, cis too, were outraged and pointed it out).
I don't actually think Natalie banning mAndrea outright from her blog when she showed up in the comments was necessary, although again I personally wouldn't have had a problem with it; what I really had a problem with was the dismissive way in which she responded to the many people who expressed their distress, not to mention an ignorant comment that led me to believe she actually saw -something- in that tripe to begin with, and didn't seem terribly interested in engaging people who pointed -that- out, asked for clarification, and so on.
and what I keep going back to in that example is: on a -feminist- carnival, would, say, someone posting something about how she "questions homosexuality" have been included? Or would people have recognized it right away for the hate speech it is? And if so, why? It doesn't happen automatically, that process. What it means is that mainstream gay and lesbians have made enough inroads into the mainstream discourse that at least purported liberals/progressives know better than to entertain -that- level of hateful crap, which is not to say there is no homophobia, of course.
but if you go to, I don't know, certain other pockets of society, you'd find similar "debates" over whether gay people get to, like, exist.
and I am sure if you go back enough years, you will find exactly that in supposed "leftist" and yep! even feminist circles as well: hi, Lavender Menace, anyone? ironically enough the impetus for a lot of the radical feminists in the damn first place.
…maybe it'd be worth taking a look at that, actually, Betty Friedan and NOW and Rita Mae Brown and all the rest of it. same shit, different day, slightly different model. and yet, change DID happen, certainly wrt how (cis) lesbians are incorporated into mainstream feminism (which is not to say all is perfect, laws no, just, you know, a baseline of "yes, obviously we have a right to be there"), so…I don't know, though, does it translate to here and now and this situation? I'd think so, but I'm obviously biased, here…
January 30, 2009 at 2:40 am
[…] If I need to back that up I'll need another post–it just gets kinda convoluted. The short version is that she acknowledges that a certain group is suffering distress, but is only interested in making sure they *don't* get a certain kind of resource, rather than making sure that they do get other resources. Furthermore, her paranoia about even a single children's book that "pushes drugs and self-mutilation" on kids is demonstrative that she isn't really worried about how many kids it might cause to transition–because individuals' cissexuality is much more robust than that, but society's isn't. Society's myth of universal cissexuality *is* incredibly fragile, and has to be protected at all times–but what has to be done is not to create a stronger foundation (which they never ever do) but to disrupt any other conversation that's happening. (see my Radical Feminist Troll series, especially parts two and three) […]


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Harrogate's new-look rail station has added its latest feature with the first futuristic Smart Wall in the UK.
The new Smart Wall senses when a customer is approaching and automatically moves the interactive ticket touchscreens to be level with the customer's eye.
It also includes large video screens on either side to give customers information on trains, social media updates, news, weather and information about the local area.
The other side will be used for advertising local events and companies.
The wall marks the centrepiece of the new-look Harrogate station, currently undergoing the £1.2m improvement programme, that was announced in November, 2014.
Richard Allan, Commercial Director, for Northern Rail, said: "The Smart Wall is a fantastic innovation for our customers to make it quicker and easier to buy their travel.
"This is just one part of our drive to modernise the way we sell travel. The Smart Wall is the centrepiece of the new-look Harrogate station and will be a great focal point for commuters and visitors arriving in the town."
The wall was switched on for customers in Harrogate for the first time yesterday (Wednesday, November 25) as part of Northern's ongoing plans to modernise the way it sells travel.
Owen Griffith, Managing Director of Parkeon Transit, said: "We are delighted to see the results of the close collaboration between Northern Rail and Parkeon. It has been great working with such a forward-looking team and we hope that all those using the station will find this innovative technology really beneficial."
An official launch for the Smart Wall will take place before Christmas.


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The Upside to Social Network
The network really needs support from the greatest regions of the business. It can also be used to determine the social capital of individual actors. Classification There are lots of different sorts of social networks now, so let's have a peek at a number of them. Now if you're knowledgeable about social network and you're a member of any other communities online. Aside from the social networks online forums are also a fantastic method to create friends online too. In fact, among the very first social networks to truly take off, was named Sixdegrees.com. If you're planning to create your very own social network now, it is simple to elect for SocialBiz and get people connected.
Ok, I Think I Understand Social Network, Now Tell Me About Social Network!
Social network promotion is popularly called as Internet advertising. It is essentially attraction marketing with an internet twist. It consists of building relationships with people all over the world.
The Debate Over Social Network
Social networks help people keep connected with their buddies and family and are an effortless means to get what everyone is all up to each day in your social circle. They work well at communicating the company's core values and helping employees see the connection between their work and the overall work of the company. The majority of the social networks celebrities online are public, allowing everyone to join.
Definitions of Social Network
Every network was made for a purpose and a few of the networks weren't made public. Social network and hiring operate hand-in-hand in many ailments. Social networks may also differ with regard to size and scale. They can also be organized around business connections, as in the case of LinkedIn. Most social networks encompass a huge go segment of the majority of people. Social network alongside hiring will certainly produce soon, along with the social networks increase their distinct usefullness much more.
Social Network - the Story
There are several reasons to employ social networking as a promotion tactic. You're never too old to become involved in social media, and there are lots of popular social networks to pick from, including niche social networks that are dedicated to a particular theme or style of posting. Social media is something which a tremendous quantity of individuals use on a daily basis. It is really a revolution in how people communicate in and relate to each other. Taking a look at the current scenario it can be mentioned that online social networking in a wide small business sense is decidedly one of the finest and most effective forum that can provide you accessibility to a huge base of audience.
But What About Social Network?
To develop your digital strategy, decide what sorts of media you wish to produce and utilize social networking to develop your following so that you can brand yourself as an author. Not too certain why so many folks appear to think social networking is so challenging to do. Social media is just one of the most typical uses on the Internet, with web sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter dominating popular website lists. Building an Online community Social networking is about relationships, and it's a good way for your small business to cultivate an online community.


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Apply Now Schedule a Visit Request Information
Hey there, future Choctaws! It's Andrew here hoping to break down some walls of mystery that surround the curious document known as the FAFSA. My tenth grade English teacher always encouraged us to "eschew obfuscation" or avoid confusion in our writing. This blog will offer insight into the FAFSA's purpose.
Just kidding... It's not that bad
What is the FAFSA?
FAFSA stands for "Free Application for Federal Student Aid." This is the Federal Government's method of assessing what kind of Federal Aid you qualify for. To fill out a FAFSA, parents need to complete their tax return and apply for a PIN for themselves and their students.
The money you can receive from filling out the FAFSA comes from the government, not the school. It is broken into three categories:
- Loans
- Grants
- Work Study
Everybody qualifies for loans, and some families will qualify for grants or work study. This is based on your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), which is determined by the FAFSA. You have to pay back loans, but not grants or work study.
The MC Grant
The MC Grant is an additional scholarship from Mississippi College that is based on your EFC. About 90% of families qualify for this need-based scholarship. So even though you may not expect to receive anything from filing the FAFSA, we encourage students to fill it out in hopes of them possibly receiving an MC Grant.
MC has a toned down, unofficial version of the FAFSA on our website called the Net Price Calculator. Filling out the NPC is beneficial for several reasons. First, it gives you a good estimate of how much it will cost for you to attend MC. Secondly, it will give you a good indication of what other aid will be available for you if you file the FAFSA. Once you fill out the NPC, our Admissions Counselors can walk you through your scholarships and awards.
For more information on scholarships, visit our website.
Keep your eyes peeled for opportunities and don't fear the FAFSA!
-Andrew, Choctaw, Arsenal Fan, Baller


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I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Centered Design & Engineering at the University of Washington. My research sits at the intersection of computer science and social science and falls within the fields of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). One major focus of my work examines the use of social media during crisis events, specifically looking at how the converging audience (aka, the "crowd") can contribute—and is already contributing—to crisis response efforts.
Using a combination of empirical methods, including qualitative, computational and network analysis, I examine both small group and large scale interaction online within the context of disasters and other mass disruption events, studying how digital volunteers and other members of the crowd work to filter and shape the information space.
In my lab—the Emerging Capacities of Mass Participation (emCOMP) lab—students are working on several projects in this domain: examining information flow after disaster events with a focus on the role of journalists and crisis communicators; examining how the crowd questions or challenges rumors spreading after crisis events; and developing a collaborative tool digital volunteers to support them in curating social media feeds.
At a higher level, we are examining how digital volunteerism during crisis events informs what we know about crowdwork and collective intelligence.
Please read my recent blogpost if you're looking for more information about my work on disinformation and political propaganda.
I received my PhD in Technology, Media and Society in 2012 from the ATLAS Institute at the University of Colorado, where I worked with Leysia Palen and Project EPIC. I received an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship for my PhD work.
In 1997, I graduated with a B.S. in Computer Science from Stanford, where I was also on the women's basketball team. My first career, as a professional basketball player, spanned 12 seasons (in 9 years), 10 teams, 5 countries and 3 continents. I played my last season on the island of Ibiza in Spain. I sometimes wonder why I quit, but then my sore back reminds me.
Email: kstarbi at uw dot edu
Twitter: @katestarbird


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I've hesitated on how/if to write this post. However, after numerous emails from people who are mainly put out with friends and family who seem to promote tardiness and flaunt disrespect, I've decided it's time to go ahead and lay it all out there.
Today's world seems to glorify mediocrity.
You've seen the memes that say, "I respect parents who have it all together. But parents who stumble in to drop their kids off at school, looking like they just got attacked by a flock of angry birds? Those are my people." This post is not intended to shame anyone who is doing their best in the season they're in. I've been there. I'll soon be there again after baby #3's arrival. (Side note….we need to pick a name…) There are seasons, sometimes ones that last for years, where we have to give ourselves lots and lots of grace. Perfection isn't attainable all of the time. Nor is it wrong to show our realness and our flaws. But by promoting that it's not only acceptable but desirable to be someone who isn't considerate of other people's time by being late consistently – where does this come from? Why do we accept the status quo and try play up the "cuteness" factor of not having it all together?
After truly thinking and praying on this subject, I think at the core, the real issue is that we have a culture who glorifies busyness. If you seem like you have it all together, you must not be doing enough. You must not be a parent who lets their kids be involved or you would be late to everything. You must be a subpar employee or you wouldn't be able to leave to make your kid's soccer practice on time. It's almost as if someone decided that if they can't be perfect all of the time, they're going to do a 180 and be imperfect all of the time. We incorrectly associate busyness as progress. It is not.
If you bring Brookshire's chicken to a potluck at church instead of fixing homemade, that is wonderful. If you deliberately show up 20 minutes late with wet hair and nothing in hand, I do think it may be time to step back and reexamine your priorities. We cannot do it all; why, though, are we allowing this to keep us from doing anything?
I've said it over and over, but it bears saying again. Etiquette is about respect of others and respect for ourselves. We should each respect our self enough to choose to be our best self – it will be unique for each person. We know, though, deep down, if we're doing enough to just get by or if we're choosing to prioritize ourselves and others. It is a subtle difference, but it's enough to get recognized by others. Trust me when I say that people are drawn in by and attracted to this trait. It's 100% okay to not be the best. Why, though, would you not want to be your best you?


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Crown Bingo have a special treat in store for their members this month with two big money games as part of their special Easter promotion.
On Sunday 4th April, Crown Bingo will have a massive £22,000 jackpot up for grabs in the big game which kicks off at 10.30pm. Tickets cost just 50p so treat yourself to a few of them instead of an egg!
If you're lucky enough to get a Full House you'll take away £12,000, £6000 for two lines and £4000 for a one line win. Don't worry if you know you'll be busy this Easter Sunday and might forget about the game, you can pre-buy your tickets to make sure you don't miss out!
And there's more! If you love your chat games take part in the special Easter chat games in Room 2 which run between 11am and Midday and 8pm and 9pm and you could win some fantastic goodies!
There are mouth watering Hotel Chocolat treats such as their Easter egg sandwiches, chocolate bunnies and yummy dark chocolate eggs bursting with sticky toffee! For those of you who love Lush bath treats there's Happy Easter gift sets, Happy Chick, Honey Bun and Fluffy Egg ballistics up for grabs! Crown Bingo has plenty of fab prizes to give away with ten prizes available every day over the Easter weekend. The CM on duty will draw each prize from the virtual hat once there's a winner for each Easter chat game.
If you like the sound of some tempting chocolate or an indulgent bath treat all you need to do is play bingo and chat away with your fellow roomies, easy!
Crown Bingo give all new members £5 free bingo no deposit required when you register for an account so if you're not a member join today and take advantage of this offer and you'll also get 100% cash match on your first deposit up to a huge £250!
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Can Microsoft Azure beat Google's Cloud offerings?
Desktop-as-a-Service Designed for Any Cloud ? Nutanix Frame
Microsoft's new product launch counters what many tech commentators thought the preeminent software company would never do. "A lot of people say we will see pigs fly before we see Microsoft Office running in the cloud," said Tim O'Brien, Microsoft's senior director of platform strategy. "We are betting big on the cloud with our most successful product, and we are investing heavily both in the product engineering side and the physical infrastructure side."
"The history of our industry has shown that it is quite fashionable for disruptors to write off the existing market players while the existing market players have an opportunity to reinvent themselves as a business."
"There are millions and millions of existing customers of Microsoft who have familiarity and affinity for their products," said Sheri McLeish, an analyst with Boston-based Forrester Research. "Microsoft is, if nothing else, pervasive."
More than 2 million businesses run Google Apps with more than 3,000 signing up each day, according to the company. Norton says one of the biggest challenges for Microsoft is whether it innovate rapidly in the ever-changing environment of the Web, pointing out that Google had an "optimized" version of Gmail available for the iPad almost immediately after Apple released the device last month. The search giant is also continuing to release new features on Google Labs, its site used to demonstrate and test new products, he said.
Where Microsoft stands to loose the most ground is not with the consumers of today but with younger generations using iPads instead of laptops and writing notes via social networking sites instead of Word documents.
Microsoft Azure made a major leap skywards this week with the release of a cloud-based version of its Office software to businesses called Office Web Apps


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Landscape Park Noordrand is a park-like area, sandwiched between the A15 and residential area Carnisseland-Portland, with recreational opportunities for the neighbourhood and for residents of Rotterdam.
In the park you can stroll in the flowery grassland, play in nature and relax on the new beach.
Landscape Park Noordrand came about at the request of the Ontwikkelingsmaatschappij Midden-IJsselmonde and in collaboration with the DG Groep. Want to know more about the project, click here.
The project is included in the NVTL publication 'De Spelende Mens' and can still be seen until January 15, 2016 in the resulting exhibition 'Homo Ludens' at the Faculty of Architecture of the TU Delft.


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The success of any kind of social epidemic is heavily dependent on the involvement of people with a particular and rare set of social skills.
—Malcolm Gladwell, The Tipping Point
Reaching the Tipping Point
This is article one in the SAFe® Implementation Roadmap series. Click here to view the entire roadmap.
Changing the way of working—both the habits and culture of a large development organization—is hard. Many enterprises report that implementing SAFe was one of the toughest, and at the same time, the most rewarding change initiative that they had ever done.
People naturally resist change, and you will often hear phrases like, "that's the way we've always done it around here," or "that won't work here." Accepting change means accepting the possibility that you are not currently doing things the best way, or even worse, it may challenge a person's long held beliefs or values.
It's easy for people to keep their old behavior—unless there is an exceptionally good reason to make such a change. A reason so compelling that the status quo becomes simply unacceptable. A reason so strong that change becomes the only reasonable way forward to success.
In other words, the enterprise must reach its 'tipping point'—the point at which the overriding organizational imperative is to achieve the change, rather than resist it [1].
The Need for Change
We've observed two primary reasons that cause an organization to tip to SAFe:
- A burning platform – Sometimes the need to change a product or service is obvious. The company is failing to compete, and the existing way of doing business is obviously inadequate to achieve a new solution within a survivable time frame. Jobs are at stake. This is the easier case for change. While there will always be those who are resistant, they are likely to be overcome by the wave of energy that drives mandatory change through the organization.
- Proactive leadership – In the absence of a burning platform, leadership must drive change proactively by taking a stand for a better future state. Lean-Agile Leaders must exhibit what Toyota [2] would call "a constant sense of danger"—a never-ending sense of potential crisis that fuels continuous improvement. This is often the less obvious reason to drive change, as the people in the trenches may not see or feel the urgency to do the hard work that comes with change. After all, they are successful now, why should they assume they won't continue to be successful in the future? Isn't change risky? In this case, senior leadership must constantly impress the need for change on all, making it clear that maintaining the status quo is simply unacceptable.
Establish the Vision for Change
In any case, there must be a compelling reason for the change and a vision to go along with it. Kotter notes that establishing a "vision for change" is a primary responsibility of leadership [3]. The vision for change provides three key benefits:
- Purpose – It clarifies the purpose and direction for the change and sets the mission for all to follow. It avoids the confusing potential details and focuses everyone on the why, not the how, of the change.
- Motivation – It starts to move people in the right direction. After all, change is hard, and pain is inevitable, especially in the early going. People's jobs will change. The vision helps motivate people by giving them a compelling reason to make the change. Perhaps most importantly, it underlines the fact there is really no job security in the status quo.
- Alignment – It helps start the coordinated action necessary to assure that hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of people work together toward a new—and more personally rewarding—goal. With clarity of vision, people are empowered to take the actions necessary to achieve the vision, without the constant need for management supervision or check in.
Take an Economic View
Whether reactive or proactive, the primary reason to drive change in an organization is to realize the business and personal benefits that it's intended to deliver. SAFe Principle #1 reminds us to always "Take an economic view." In this context, leaders should articulate the goal of the change in terms everyone can understand. Dozens of case studies show that enterprises can expect to see benefits in four major areas, as Figure 1 illustrates.
Change leaders should communicate these intended benefits as part of the vision for the change. In addition, leaders should describe any other specific, tangible objectives they hope to accomplish. Measurable improvement on these key performance indicators will provide the fuel necessary to escape the inertia of the status quo.
Moving Forward
The next critical move is to Train Lean-Agile Change Agents.Next
Learn More[1] Gladwell, Malcolm. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference. Little, Brown and Company, Kindle Edition. [2] Cho, Fujio. Chairman of Toyota, 2006 – 2013. [3] Kotter, John P. Leading Change. Harvard Business Review Press, Kindle Edition.
Additional Resources
SAFe Executive Workshop Toolkit
Last update: 20 April, 2018