text:
Pop Culture
Hollywood Now: Chris Pine, Rachel Weisz & Ari Graynor, Plus So Many Babies!By Gerri Miller
New flicks with celebs in interfaith relationships and from interfaith backgrounds, plus their baby news!Go To Pop Culture
Tag Archives: growing up in an interfaith family
Our Gay, Interfaith Family's Surprising Synagogue-Shopping Experience
By Liat Katz
"A Y A M," She writes.
"Um, Maya, I think you wrote your name backwards," I respond.
"Nope, it's just in Hebrew," the 6-year-old says.
Maya is learning to read and write in English, while also learning Hebrew at our synagogue's Sunday school. That makes it confusing. And she's left-handed too, which makes this backwards-forwards thing even harder.
The whole figuring-out-the-Jewish thing in our modern world has been complicated. Finding a Jewish community that is both warm and accepts our two-mom interfaith family was also difficult, but I think we are starting to find a rhythm.
My wife, Lisa, is not Jewish (she is a recovering Baptist), but is completely on board with raising our kids Jewish. She took time to learn some Hebrew, she helps the kids get to Hebrew school, light candles, says prayers on Shabbat, and seems to be more knowledgeable about Judaism than I am at this point. She also makes the best latkes I have ever tasted.
For our oldest girl's naming ceremony, we hired a Rabbi who was a humanist, gay, social worker, anarchist, vegan to do the ceremony in our home. I'm not kidding. Of course he had no problem with the fact that were gay and interfaith. And the ceremony was beautiful. But beyond candle lighting and the occasional high holiday service, we did not have much of a Jewish household after that ceremony.
That was, until a couple of years ago, when we heard that kids absolutely have to start by third grade in Hebrew School to be on the bat mitzvah track. Aviva, our older child, was almost in third grade. And being a child of a Holocaust survivor, I felt compelled to partake in this Jewish tradition for all those that could not. Besides, though I am not very religious, I wanted to have our kids have a sense of belonging to a larger Jewish community.
When I lived in Israel, I could be a part of the Jewish community—and feel Jewish by virtue of living in a Jewish land, speaking the language, interacting with the people. But here, in the U.S., going to temple seems to be where we need to connect to the Jewish community.
So we started shopping for synagogues to join. We started with the obvious ones for our family—Reconstructionist. We went to a few services and kids' services at a relatively local Reconstructionist synagogue. I looked around: Lots of gay families, check. Interfaith families, check. Even racial diversity (pretty unusual at most synagogues), check. Interesting services with lots of opportunities for activities, check. The only thing missing was, well, warmth. Being Gay-friendly did not make them friendly-friendly. Nobody really spoke to us, looked at us or acknowledged us, or each other, either. Not the place for us.
We checked out Reform synagogues. The communities were nice, but huge. And somehow it wasn't what I wanted. Why didn't I like it? The people seemed nice, there were a few other gay families, a bit of diversity…but I realized it wasn't like the services I grew up in. The tunes to the songs were different, and the prayers were mostly in English.
So it turned out that this non-traditional family that had babies in a non-traditional way, wanted a synagogue that was more…traditional.
Looking online for a Jewish community, I stumbled upon Kehilat Shalom, a small Conservative synagogue that was about 15 miles away from our house. The Rabbi looked nice. And the midweek Hebrew class was held online, which meant we wouldn't have to drive anywhere after school every week.
I contacted the Rabbi and got a lovely response. We went to a service. No gay people, but the people were warm, asked us genuine questions, and invited us to various groups.
The services were mostly in Hebrew, and the tunes were as I remembered them. The sanctuary was beautiful, and bathed in natural light. I closed my eyes and exhaled. We enrolled our older daughter in Hebrew School—and the mid-week Hebrew school class with a special Skype-type program was so helpful and you know, just like the ancient Israelites had planned.
And as I dropped her off for Sunday classes, I went in to Rabbi Arian's office to chat. Yes, he is knowledgeable about all things Rabbinic and Halachic, but he is also surprisingly, human. I got to know him and his great wife, Keleigh. And they got to know our family. They invited our family to their house, and we invited them to ours.
Of course, I did panic when we invited the Rabbi over. What do we cook? What plates do we use? We made pizza. Vegetarian pizza. My kids started to play a pretend restaurant game and offered the Rabbi a ham and cheese sandwich—he took it in stride.
And one Fall afternoon, there came a surprising new edition to the litany of endless childhood questions that often makes this mommy feel inadequate. In addition to my daughters' questions like: Why don't we have a…Christmas tree?…a daddy?…a beach house? they now, also ask me:"Why don't we have a Sukkah?
As I got to talk with the Rabbi more, I began to understand conceptions of God and faith in a more relatable and fulfilling way. I discovered that maybe I want more than just Jewish culture in my life. And as the Rabbi got to know us and others in our community, he became more interested in LGBTQ issues.
In fact, he recently did a talk entitled, "Reflections on Ten Years of LGBT Inclusion in Conservative Judaism" at synagogue. And after he took a tour of civil rights sites (and the Names Project) in Atlanta, he wrote in a weekly Shabbat email and blog post: "The unspoken but very real question: what if anything is the connection between antisemitism, racism, and prejudice against the LGBT community? What is the role of religion in both creating and fighting prejudice?"
Maya is slowly learning to spell both in Hebrew and English. Aviva continues to connect via computer to her teacher and to class, and now she also connects to Judaism through an overnight camp. And as I connect to a Rabbi, a God, and a community that are both thoughtful and inclusive, I realize that our life is even more diverse and warmly Jewish than I ever expected it could be.
This article was reprinted with permission from Kveller.com, a fast-growing, award-winning website for parents raising Jewish and interfaith kids. Follow Kveller on Facebook and sign up for their newsletters here.
Liat Katz, a clinical social worker, is a graduate of New Directions, a writing program offered by the Washington Center for Psychoanalysis. Her work has been published in Lilith, The Washington Post, Washingtonian, and the narrative medicine websites Pulse and KevinMD. Of herself, she says, "I write to make sense of the world I see through the lens of a mom, a clinician, a patient, a wife, and a person just muddling through life." Liat lives in Rockville, Maryland with her wife, two daughters, four cats, and a bunny.
Why We Say Yes to the Easter Invite
The phone rang and I heard my dad's apprehensive voice. "Hi Sarah. I have a bit of a strange question for you. We are thinking ahead about Easter and we would like to have everyone over for brunch and an Easter egg hunt. We would of course love to have you there, but we know you're raising Shira Jewish and we don't want to offend you by extending the invitation."
I cut him off before he could even muster up the right words for the question that would follow. I was ready for this moment and said, "We will be there. I'm glad you brought this up, since we haven't had a conversation about it yet. Yes, we are raising her Jewish, but we want her to understand that her grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins celebrate other holidays. We won't observe them in any religious capacity, but whenever invited, we want her to participate in those holidays to appreciate what her loved ones celebrate."
He and I both seemed relieved that the conversation, albeit brief, finally took place. My daughter is 2 years old and we're now on our third round of celebrating Easter. We just got through her third Christmas as well. I found the timing of the conversation to be funny because we made it this far without having a need for it.
Then I remembered that earlier in the day, my dad had been over at our house and Shira was sharing leftover challah with him. I told him that making and eating the challah is her favorite part of our weekly Shabbat routine. He could see the challah cover, kiddush cup and Shabbat candlesticks proudly standing on our kitchen table. I understand now that up until that moment, he didn't realize that we practiced Jewish traditions together as a family on such a regular basis. He knew we had done the Simchat Bat ceremony and we observe Passover and Hanukkah, but other than the celebrations and holidays we've included him in, our Jewishness is mostly kept rather quiet and simple within our own home.
It must have struck him that we were indeed raising her Jewish in the everyday, not just on the seemingly big holidays. He may have been surprised to come to that realization because it was in stark contrast to how I was raised.
Like my daughter, I was born into an interfaith family. My mother, now deceased, was Jewish, and my father is Protestant. Growing up, we celebrated Hanukkah and Christmas, Passover and Easter, but that was the extent of the religiously affiliated holidays we celebrated as a family. None of our holiday observances felt religious in nature. Our celebrations were much more about culture and family traditions. As a young child, I didn't feel any strong religious identity.
After my mom passed, my dad remarried someone who was Catholic. With this change in our household religious dynamic, any element of Judaism that I once had some connection to had to continue on my own will. My dad and stepmom were both supportive of me lighting the Hanukkah menorah, going to Friday night Shabbat services with friends and joining a local Jewish youth group to explore my roots. They always joined in and happily participated whenever my mom's family invited us to a Passover seder.
At the same time, I joined them in their celebrations of Christmas and Easter. I had celebrated them when my mom was around, so it felt normal to continue celebrating those occasions with my family. For this reason, I couldn't see raising my own family without Christmas and Easter. These holidays have always been a part of my upbringing. While my husband and I are raising our family Jewishly, in a more religious and observant way than how I was raised, we both grew up celebrating these Christian holidays and we want our daughter as well as any future children to understand that these holidays are an important piece of our family fabric.
We hadn't been intentionally avoiding the subject with our families, but we knew that with Shira being so young, her understanding of differing religions, rituals and celebrations is still very limited. My husband and I knew we would need to address it with her, and our respective families, once she reached an age of more awareness. We were preparing for the topic to come up eventually, and this challah-snacking Shabbat day just happened to present the perfect opportunity.
The Conversations We Should be Having
…with Grandparents with Grandchildren of Interfaith Marriages
By Rabbi Richard Address, D. Min.
In my travels to congregations and Jewish organizations for Jewish Sacred Aging, many issues seem to emerge organically in discussions of family dynamics. More often than not, concerns about caregiving and end-of-life issues are quickly raised. Not unusually, as situations get unpacked, another issue emerges: that of how to grandparent our grandchildren who are products of interfaith marriages.
This issue is no longer representative of a small cohort of families. Indeed, as baby boomers age and become grandparents, we are beginning to see the impact of the gradual rise in interfaith marriages among our own children. How many of our friends have confronted their children when it comes to the question of "How will you be raising your children?" Those children—those names of those children—are part of our claim on immortality. Is it our name, our legacy that is at stake? Or is it something else – a sense of time passing, a loss of control and a sadness that the world we expected will not be ours?
Every clergy person who does weddings has walked this walk with families. Indeed, some of those very same clergy have dealt with this in their own families. The time has come for our community to begin a serious dialogue on this issue. Opportunities for discussions and support for grandparents who are dealing with this issue need to take place and include those grandparents who already are having the conversation and adults whose children are engaged and about to be married.
There are an increasing number of clergy who are now performing interfaith ceremonies. Often during premarital counseling, the issue of how one will raise children comes up. Rarely, in my experience, however, are there opportunities for a conversation with the potential grandparents on their feelings and concerns. We all wish our children to be "happy." We take pride in the fact that we have raised independent adults, responsible for their own choices. We also are observing that our adult children are more and more choosing marital partners from diverse cultural backgrounds.
How is this growing cultural and religious pluralism given voice within the framework of the larger family system? Could greater opportunities for dialogue and honest sharing of emotions lead to greater harmony and understanding? Hiding those feelings surely can and does create barriers and in the end, don't we all wish to nurture and savor these very primal family relationships? Aren't these relationships ever more meaningful as we age?
I recently sat down with a grandparents whose children married partners who are not Jewish. Not atypical, this couple was in a second marriage and so we add the issues of "blended" relationships and the boundaries that come with this reality. We discussed some of the issues that these grandparents, both active and involved within their Jewish community, faced when dealing with their married children and their grandchildren. I asked them if they could suggest a brief checklist of issues that would be good to keep in mind. Some of the issues they raised were:
These questions and concerns are being discussed and considered by an increasing number of grandparents now. It's time for our community to create meaningful and non-judgmental opportunities for these issues to be raised. Our most important social connection remains family. How can we have an open conversation and honest dialogue? To repress emotions leads only to anger and discomfort and in an age which is so fraught with uncertainty, let's open these doors to a pathway to "shalom bayit."
Hanukkah and Christmas: Getting It "Right"
By Elizabeth Vocke
My husband jokes that I only married him so I could finally celebrate Christmas. And I admit that I do love Christmas. I love the anticipation and excitement, the coziness of the season, the decorations. I also love Hanukkah, but I think it's more difficult to create that same sense of excitement, though for the sake of our 8-year-old daughter, we do try.
It's taken all 11 years of marriage to figure out how to celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah, and we still don't have it all figured out. This year will be even more difficult because Hanukkah starts on Christmas Eve. I like to make a big deal out of the first and last nights of Hanukkah, but this year I don't see that happening.
I vividly remember the first year I decorated our house for Christmas. I enjoyed creating a snow scene using white and blue ornaments in a crystal bowl, plus a beautiful white garland. It didn't feel religious, just festive, but was definitely meant for Christmas.
My husband walked in and said, "Oh, look, you decorated for Hanukkah!" Well, no, actually. I decorated for your Christmas holiday, dude!
In fact, decorating for Hanukkah was not something I thought Jewish people even did, and it's only been bit by bit over the years that I've started adding Hanukkah items to our holiday decorations.
Fast forward to today and we have a house loaded with Christmas decorations, plus menorahs and dreidels, and I've made peace with it all. But we still don't have all the answers.
We do have annual traditions.
We have a big Hanukkah celebration with my family that is fun and festive and raucous. We host a latkes and hot dogs party for the neighborhood kids (most are not Jewish), and every year I go into my daughter's class and teach the students about Hanukkah and how to play dreidel. I love these things.
Every year we also drive around looking at decorations on Christmas Eve, watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas and enjoy a big Christmas celebration with my husband's family. I love these things, too.
Yes, our holidays are filled and busy—but fun! And so by now we should have it all figured out, right? Well, no.
Every year we discuss (debate?) if we're going to church for Christmas Eve with my mother-in-law. My husband is actually the one who doesn't want to go. Ironic, right? Some years we go, and some we don't.
Christmas Eve, a night I really love, is often rushed and stressed trying to cram everything in (see above). Hanukkah still sometimes feels anti-climactic, and we've been known to forget to light candles a night or two. Hanukkah presents are also often less exciting. Let's face it—one present just doesn't compare to a pile. In fact, our daughter tells us that she asks Santa for the big, expensive presents because she figures he'll bring them to her, and for Hanukkah she's open to whatever we want to give her. Little does she know.
So, like most things in life, in marriage—and especially an interfaith marriage—we'll keep trying and tweaking until we get it right. And by that time our daughter may be married with kids of her own!
The Hanukkah Fairy
By Kelly Banker
I am 8 years old. My siblings and I are huddled in my parents' bedroom, awaiting the precious sound of the Hanukkah bell. We have just come from an evening of lighting the menorah, dancing and singing in a circle and haplessly spinning a dreidel. Now here we are, eyes closed and ears open for the sound of that beautiful bell. My dad looks at us and slowly raises his hand, cupping the bell gently. He shakes the bell three times and the magic settles upon us. We giggle nervously as my mother slips out of the room to see if the Hanukkah Fairy has visited our house.
We wait for what seems like an hour, but is more likely about 10 minutes. Each minute crawls by as we stare intently at my father's face, trying desperately to see if he is giving us a clue about where we should look, about what to expect. Finally, the long-awaited knock comes and my mother is at the door, beckoning us out into the hallway to search for the presents that the Hanukkah Fairy has left for us. We tear through the house, searching every nook and cranny to find the impeccably wrapped gifts, signed with a sweet note from the Hanukkah Fairy herself.
As each of us find our present, we sit in a circle on the green rug in the living room, running the fringe through our fingertips, waiting. When everyone has found their gift, we sit together in a circle and open our presents all at once. Together we exclaim, "Thank you, Hanukkah Fairy!" And "Happy Hanukkah!" The angelic-looking doll, who we understand as a stand-in for the real Hanukkah Fairy, rests on a table nearby. With her tightly curled blonde hair and blue eyes, she watches us as we thank her for bringing us such sweet gifts.
Fast forward to 16 years old. The Hanukkah traditions of my earlier childhood have worn away slowly, and at this point have dwindled to lighting the candles for one or two nights, perhaps with some singing that reminds us all of our younger days. The magic of lighting the candles remains, though. No matter how few or how many nights bring us together for the lighting of the menorah, I am always left with a sense of wonder that I cannot explain. I am awestruck by the beauty of the blessing, the solemnity of it, the gathering of voices and the soft glow of the menorah lighting up the dark night.
I was at least 18 years old when I learned that, in fact, the Hanukkah Fairy is not a staple of Jewish practice, but rather a very creative concept devised by my intermarried parents. You can imagine my shock and laughter when I found out from more observant Jewish friends that they had never heard of the Hanukkah Fairy, and that in fact she sounded like a blend of the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Hanukkah and Christmas. I remember that moment of learning; I remember feeling an immediate surge of pride for my parents' ingenuity. They created a ritual that became meaningful for our family that in many ways merged their two traditions.
My father was raised Catholic, but no longer identifies with any religion. My mother is Jewish and identifies as such, but more in an ancestral sense than in a practicing sense. As such, my childhood was typical in many ways of interfaith families: We celebrated Christmas, Easter, Hanukkah and sometimes Passover, and for many years we attended a local Unitarian Universalist church. We were raised to have a deep respect for all religious traditions yet without a true grounding in any particular one. The open approach to religiosity in my childhood, far from being a limitation or barrier, has in fact been transformative for me as an adult.
For the past several years, I have slowly begun to delve deeper into spiritual practice, first through an exploration of Goddess traditions, and then through a connection with earth-based Jewish practice, primarily in Renewal Jewish communities. I love every moment of this choice. Had I been raised with a more dogmatic approach to one or both traditions, I feel that my relationship to God and Jewish practice would be different; more difficult, perhaps, to return to. Now when I light Shabbat candles, or sing the Shema or make Havdalah, I feel intimately connected to the tradition because I enter it from a place of consent, agency and pure joy. Every time I engage in Jewish practice, I feel that I am returning to myself, to God and to my ancestors.
As someone who is now engaged in rich and informed Jewish practice, I look back at the Hanukkah Fairy fondly. I feel proud of my family's invented tradition with such a lovely blend of Jewish and Christian practice. I feel so much gratitude that my parents decided to invent this blended ritual for my siblings and me, and that they chose throughout my upbringing to give us the agency to make our own decisions about whether and how we wanted to participate in spirituality. That precious, sweet sound of the Hanukkah Fairy's bell rings for me now and always as a reminder of that profound familial tradition and the blessing of coming from an interfaith family committed to action, choice and knowledge.
Kelly recently earned her BA from Carleton College in Religion and Women's Studies. She currently works as a resident organizer at Moishe Kavod House and as an intern at Mayyim Hayyim. She also teaches Hebrew school and yoga at local synagogues. Kelly has also worked as an advocate for survivors of sexual violence and as a doula. She loves movement, running in the woods, poetry and the moon.
The Mikveh Is Better Together
By Kelly Banker
As a young Jew raised in a secular home, I never imagined that being in a committed relationship with someone who was of a different faith tradition (or none at all) would feel especially impactful to me. In fact, labeling my relationship "interfaith" has been a fairly new paradigm in my life. However, in the past few years I have increasingly identified with my Jewish identity and have spent time living and working in various Jewish intentional communities.
I am in a committed relationship with a man who identifies with his Presbyterian roots, just as I identify with my Jewish ancestry. As we grow closer as a couple, we also spend more time navigating our diversity in religious beliefs and practices. These conversations and experiences have been and continue to be a blessing. The depth of our spiritual and intellectual engagement with one another and with our respective traditions serves as a profound model for the two of us in how to approach differences with love, respect and connection.
A few weeks ago, I was in deep need of a ritual space. I was yearning for a way to mark a rite of passage, a moment in time, with my partner, and yet finding something that would be meaningful for the both of us was feeling increasingly difficult. I felt drawn toward marking the day with Jewish ritual, which I knew might be a challenge as an interfaith couple. I can't quite name what the calling to Jewish ritual is, but it feels visceral, ancestral—written into my body.
When I asked my partner if he would be willing to mark this moment by visiting Mayyim Hayyim (a Jewish spirituality center in the Boston area) together, he was receptive but also distanced from it. He said that he would definitely go with me, but that it would be for me, and not for him. Since he is Christian, and the mikva'ot (ritual baths) at Mayyim Hayyim are for Jews and those converting to Judaism, immersing in the baths is neither an option for him nor a strong point of identification. A mikveh is designed for enacting a Jewish ritual that includes dunking under water (and involves much more that goes along with that act), typically to honor a lifecycle event, rite of passage or other life event. My partner is wonderful and knows how important the mikveh is to me, so he went along with me.
I had spoken to the staff at Mayyim Hayyim in advance of my visit to think through how to best make my partner feel welcomed and involved, despite his not being able to immerse. We talked through several options, including a hand-washing ritual and his being present in the space to witness my immersion. I was inspired by their attention to ensuring that Mayyim Hayyim was welcoming for an other-than-Jewish person who was understandably apprehensive about visiting a mikveh.
When my partner and I stepped across Mayyim Hayyim's threshold, we felt a subtle shift. The warmth and kindness of our mikveh guide made us both feel at ease and since she had been informed of our interfaith status, she focused her tour on providing information so that my partner would feel comfortable, able to ask questions and connected to the place and to the ritual itself. Prior to arriving, he and I had decided that he would witness my immersion. Yet there was a feeling that came over us as we were exploring the space with our guide, a sort of holiness that neither of us could quite pinpoint. As I began preparing, I felt my nerves begin to spark. Was it strange to have my partner witness me? Was it too non-traditional for the both of us? Would the immersion hold meaning for me if he was there, and vice versa?
I stepped into the mikveh room wrapped in my sheet, and there he was, waiting for me. As the mikveh guide had taught him, he held up the sheet to obscure his view and I walked the seven steps into the sacred water. As I immersed, he lowered the sheet just beneath his eyes to witness my transformation. I prayed, sang and felt held by the water-womb and by his modest, unassuming gaze. I not only felt the renewal that I had been seeking, but an increased connection to my own self and to my partner. In that moment, I felt the sacredness not only of the water and of the space, but of my body and of our love for one another. I climbed the seven steps out of the water and he wrapped me back in the sheet. I had never felt such warmth.
As we thanked our guide and stepped out into the brisk air, I felt a newness on my skin, the blooming of new beginnings and the bittersweet sting of endings. We held hands and I asked him what he thought. He breathed deeply and paused. "It's a holy place."
His words underscored what many of us who immerse here regularly know, but it was a feeling I never thought would be accessible to us as a couple. We walked on, hand in hand, the air chilly against our faces, still basking in the afterglow of Mayyim Hayyim's quiet holiness.
A version of this piece was originally published by Mayyim Hayyim
Kelly Banker works as a Jewish educator and as an intern at Mayyim Hayyim. She is also a resident organizer at Moishe Kavod House. Kelly recently earned her BA from Carleton College in Religion and Women's Studies and has worked as an advocate for survivors of sexual violence. Kelly is a doula, a farmer and a certified yoga teacher. She loves feminist theory, ritual, movement, exploring the woods, poetry and the moon.
A Little Christmas Can Be Enriching
By Jacob Weis
Anybody who has had even the most menial part in celebrating Christmas can probably acknowledge the beauty in it. Whether Jewish-Jewish or interfaith, families sometimes run in to the question of what they are "going to do about Christmas." Part of the reason for this question is that people assume that celebrating Christmas may dilute their Judaism or go against their practices. Participating in Christmas may be seen as one step deeper into assimilation. Christmas may feel like what Jews "don't do" and so there are taboos and judgement around a Jew being part of Christmas from a tree in the house to allowing children to receive Christmas presents.
I propose a different view on what it would mean for a Jew or someone in an interfaith family to celebrate Christmas. I propose that celebrating Christmas not only will be an amazing time for you and your family, but can also bridge the gap between those who celebrate Christmas and those who don't in the celebration of a worthy figure. I propose that it's good for Jewish children and those in interfaith homes to be able to talk about Jesus and to learn the lessons Jesus is known for. This will help make children literate, world citizens but will also give the holiday season more context and enrich their own Jewish faith. Being able to learn about Jesus as a historic figure and to learn the parables that maybe one parent or cousins have grown up with will not steer them away from Judaism but will bridge some gaps, create more understanding and allow love to connect the family rather than fear of the other or fear of becoming something else.
Any excuse to gather around with friends and family and eat good food should be taken. For me this is not an opinion, this is fact. Maybe you won't be diving into the Christmas ham, but the feeling of community is wonderful nonetheless. I take every opportunity to gather with my extended family. However, the question undoubtedly will remain, especially for the parent or grandparents who are Jewish, about what role a Jewish child can comfortably have during Christmas.
Some Jews feel awkward talking about Jesus. Jesus was a historical figure, and whether or not you feel he was the messiah, a prophet or anything more than a good person, is up to you. There has been so much bitter history of those accusing Jews of killing Jesus, blood-shed and anti-Semitism. I understand why some Jews may feel unsure about participating in Christmas. Some Jewish leaders suggest that if Jewish children mark Christmas with family who aren't Jewish in purely cultural ways then it is "fine." The idea is that this kind of hallmark marking of the holiday won't confuse children and they will understand it's about family, memories, giving, beauty and lights. But, how much richer and deeper for a Jewish child to actually learn about what Jews believe about Jesus and not be afraid to ask questions. Religions preach acceptance, and what better way to show your own family members of a different religion that Judaism promotes this tenant then to just be present in the celebration?
Acceptance, love, building bridges, sharing and learning will enrich children this holiday season. So, instead of being leery of Jewish children participating in Christmas because it will take away from their own identity, encourage an understanding of what the holiday symbols mean and explain the biblical narrative. Those who participate in this way will find shared messages and come away with a sense of family unity and peace.
The Message I Wish I Heard in Hebrew School
By Emily Waife
I'm Emily, the summer intern at InterfaithFamily/Boston! I thought I would kick off my internship by sharing a story about my family.
I grew up in a Conservative synagogue. Every Saturday morning, my mom, sister and I would attend Shabbat services. I learned the prayers and the meanings behind them at the youth services led by a beloved Hebrew school teacher. Twice a week I attended Hebrew after-school where we learned about the Jewish holidays, learned basic Hebrew and studied the Torah stories in creative ways. After I became a bat mitzvah, I chose to continue my Jewish learning at an after-school Hebrew high school program. I continued studying there until graduation my junior year, and became a teacher's aid my senior year of high school. I have always felt a strong connection to my Jewish heritage and Judaism continues to be an important part of my daily life.
Throughout my Jewish education, I have been told that if nothing else sticks from my education, the one thing I must do, as a Jew, is marry a Jew.
It's been like a broken record throughout all of my youth: "Marry a Jew! Marry a Jew!"
To be honest, I never thought much of it. I'm sure when I was told this countless times as a third-grader in Hebrew school, it was in some round-about way. Or maybe the love that I have always felt for Judaism shielded me from realizing that this message was not a benign suggestion, but was being pushed down my throat. It was something I listened to, almost without thinking—never truly questioning what I was being told.
I remember just four years ago, on one of the last days of Hebrew high school the director came and spoke to my class. All seniors, all about to graduate high school and leave the comfortable, sheltered bubble of our Jewish community. The one thing I remember the director telling us that day was that we had to promise her that we would marry Jews. She did not specify that just raising our children Jewish passed the test, she specifically told us that we had to marry Jews and expressed concern about interfaith relationships. We all nodded and listened to her explain the reasons for marrying a Jew.
It did not dawn on me until later that if my parents had followed this same message, I wouldn't be here today.
I am part of an interfaith family. My dad grew up in a Reform household in a Midwestern suburb where there were not a lot of Jews at the time. My mom grew up with a Jewish father and a Unitarian mother and was raised in a Unitarian church in New England. My mom converted to Judaism in her adult life and committed to teaching my sister and me about Judaism. I have always known that no matter what, I am Jewish. For my whole life we have shared Christmas dinner with my cousins, Rosh Hashanah at my synagogue and large Passover seders made up of people from a variety of religious backgrounds.
Being a part of an interfaith family has taught me that there are many different ways to celebrate Jewish holidays, as well as secular holidays. I have been taught to invite people of all faiths to our home for holiday meals, treat people with respect and learn from one another. My family has taught me to open my heart and my door to those in need, which come from our Jewish values and being a kind person in general.
It is my hope that in Hebrew schools in the future, even at a young age, students are taught the same things I was taught about Jewish holidays, traditions and the Hebrew language. But there must be a way for us as Jews to impart our values and traditions on to the next generation while accepting and embracing those in our community who are in interfaith relationships. Interfaith relationships and families are a very important part of the Jewish community and create more opportunities for learning about and exploring the Jewish faith.
I am first-hand proof of how interfaith families are positive assets to the Jewish community. That is what the new message should be.


text:
I just say THANKS LOADS for your site - its added a whole new dimension to my life and some completely awesome experiences. I'm in Vienna Austria now on a long sit and life is wonderful.
From San Francisco but normally live in England. Have done sits now via housecarers in France, the USA and here in Vienna, and plan to keep doing them again and again - I started doing it to de-stress from hard work but now I've gotten a bit hooked on it and plan to continue with it, interspersed with spells of work to pay for it! It's a great way to see more of the world - great to actually stay somewhere interesting for weeks or months at a time. I've told so many people about it and they are always amazed that you can actually live this way if you want to. It's just great - I can't praise it enough! Sarah BView Sarah's House Sitter Profile

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Tuesday, 29 November 2016
Christmas Bells
28 comments:
Beautiful Linda, your colouring is fab, love the richness of the colours. Hugs xReplyDelete
She is lovely. Beautiful card Linda.ReplyDelete
Hugs Flo x
She is beautiful Linda. So bright and festive.ReplyDelete
it's a beautiful card with stunning lace LindaReplyDelete
Gr Karin
Beautiful Christmas card. Thanks for sharing with us at Color it Create it Show it off. ~DT DanaReplyDelete
Absolutely stunning image and colouring and gorgeous card design. Hugs Jennifer xxReplyDelete
A beautiful card. A lovely colour choice. Thanks for joining AYLI challenge. ElaineReplyDelete
Such a lovely image and card.ReplyDelete
Gorgeous card Linda, love the image and your colouring is beautiful. Love the lace trim.ReplyDelete
Hugs, Kaz x
Love this image, gorgeous cardReplyDelete
Hi Linda what a great card and I love your design.ReplyDelete
Debs xxx
{Debs Cards}
Hi Linda this is a stunning card. The image is beautiful and so is the lace. Take care. Hugs JackieReplyDelete
Lovely image and brilliant colouring, great design too.ReplyDelete
Thank you for joining our 'Anything Christmas' challenge this week at Allsorts.
A lovely card Linda, a sweet image and your colouring is beautiful.ReplyDelete
Hugs Jennifer xx.
Beautiful card Linda, love this image and colours.ReplyDelete
Pam x
a lovely make Linda - hugs rachel xReplyDelete
Cool creative card, loving the image and colours...xx {aNNie}ReplyDelete
A wonderful card Linda. The image is fabulous and I love the beautiful lace. Hugs xxxReplyDelete
Linda gorgeous card and coloring! Thanks for playing with us at Come and Get It!ReplyDelete
Carolyn DT
Lovely wintery card! Thanks for joining us at Craft Rocket, Claire DT xReplyDelete
Lovely coloring and gorgeous laceReplyDelete
Oh I just LOVE this image Linda!! So beautifully colored and such a stunning layout design too! HUGS :)ReplyDelete
very pretty card!ReplyDelete
Lovely card, prety lace too! Thanks for joining in with our challenge at As You Like It,ReplyDelete
hugs Samantha :0)
Beautiful Christmas card Linda, love the pretty lace at the bottom. Thank you for playing along with our Challenge at Elisabeth Bell's World. We would love to see you again ... Anet DTxReplyDelete
Thanks for entering your lovely crafting for CHNC challenge 309 - hope to see you again soon xReplyDelete
very nice! Thanks for joining us at Craft Rocket Challenges. Good luck.ReplyDelete
Bye,Groetjes van Ine (DT)
Thanks for joining us at Craft Rocket Challenge DT LisaReplyDelete
Thank you very much for your comments. I really do appreciate them all and I do read them. I hope you have enjoyed your visit and come back again soon. Linda xxxx


text:
Lately Open-E's QA Team was testing and certifying new storage servers by our Partners. Open-E JovianDSS Certified Storage Servers that are tested, benchmarked and certified by Open-E ensure robust storage ...Read More
Do you want to start with Open-E software at no cost? Try the Open-E DSS V7 SOHO (Small Office Home Office), a free version of the well-known and appreciated Open-E ...Read More
Ransomware is a type of malicious software that blocks access to the victim's data or threatens to publish or delete it until a ransom is paid. Any action is possible ...Read More
Achieve continuous data availability for your mission-critical data and applications with the new Open-E JovianDSS Advanced Metro HA Cluster Feature Pack. In this article we would like to provide you ...Read More
Open-E JovianDSS provides unlimited options to architect HA storage environments with SMB/CIFS, NFS and iSCSI protocols, and is the answer to almost any storage requirement, either as a single node, a ...Read More
Open-E released a major update for its software-defined storage application, and the Open-E JovianDSS update 19 is now available on our website! The main feature of this update is the ...Read More
Android users have already been provided with step-by-step instructions on how to install aNag, an Android application for Nagios – now it's time for iOS users. As you may already know, ...Read More
Here comes a Christmas gift from Open-E's engineers to all JovianDSS users – a new software update! Make yourself a present and download it right now to manage and protect your ...Read More
Did you know that you can monitor your Open-E JovianDSS status from your mobile device? Of course you can! Thanks to applications for Nagios you can check your system status ...Read More
Off-site Data Protection is a hot topic not only for Open-E. This strategy is being implemented in various applications more and more often, so as to keep company data safe ...Read More


text:
Dragon Power Plus
Natural Herbs dragon power plus
The use of Virility Max Male Enhancement Supplement will ...
Natural Herbs dragon power plus
The use of Virility Max Male Enhancement Supplement will yield the following results.
* Increased Libidio & Sex Drive: Our proprietary formula has been completely tested and will end in a marked increase in libido.
* Increased Sexual Sensitivity: When using this product you'll find that it is far easier to get aroused, and stay aroused.
* Increased Bloodflow to the Penis: Use of this formula ends in firmer, longer-lasting erections.
* More Intense, More Satisfying Orgasms: The combination of ingredients produces a more powerful orgasm, regularly after the very first dose.
Specification and package: 300mg/capsule, 3 capsules per box.
Dosage: One capsule per time, with lasting efficacy more than 72 hours.
Product forms: Raw material, Loose capsule, semi-finished products, foiled capsules, blister capsules, box package, bottle package, etc.
Services: OEM/private labelling/private package/customized formula development are available


text:
LeEco | Letv Mobile Service Center in Chandrapur
LeEco (formerly Letv) – LeMall Mobile Service Center in Chandrapur, Maharashtra – Address, Contact Number are listed below. If you have any problem with your LeEco – LeMall mobile, kindly contact the service centers officials. There is 1 LeEco authorized mobile service centers in Chandrapur
List of LeEco (formerly Letv) Mobile Service Centers in Chandrapur:
LeEco's LeMall mobile service center in Chandrapur
Name: Raj Cyber World
Address: Main Road, Gandhi Chowk, Chandrapur
City: Chandrapur
State: Maharashtra
Pincode: 442402
Contact Number 1: 9860023352
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Working Hours: 10:00 AM to 6:30 PM
Working Days: Monday to Saturday [Sunday Holiday]
* Call the Service Center before visiting to ensure that the LeEco service center is open and address is correct.
** Please comment below if you find the information incorrect, we will fix it and keep the site data updated.


text:
Bill Belichick impressed by Panthers' body of work
FOXBOROUGH — Five straight wins have pushed the Carolina Panthers into the NFL playoff mix and added an extra layer of hype to Monday's visit by the Patriots. But to hear Bill Belichick tell it, the Panthers are even better than their 6-3 record.
"They lost the Buffalo game on the last play and could have easily won that one, and they're ahead of Seattle 7-6 until midway in the fourth quarter — that's a pretty good football team — they get beat on a long pass play, then they drive the ball all the way down the field and they fumble the ball at the 5-yard-line going in to win. Those two games they could have very easily won," Belichick said on Friday, before the Patriots took the practice field. "They could easily have eight wins, nine wins here."
Carolina opened 0-2, losing the opener to Seattle at home, 12-7, then falling at Buffalo, 24-23. Against the Seahawks, Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams fumbled at the Seattle 8-yard-line with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Buffalo scored the game-winning touchdown with 2 seconds left.
Since then, the Panthers have won six of seven games, a 22-6 loss at Arizona the exception. During their five-game win streak, they've done much of it with defense. Carolina has held their last five opponents to 10, 15, 13, 10, and 9 points.
The offense has been pretty strong during the streak, too, with Sunday's 10-9 win at San Francisco snapping four straight games in which the Panthers scored at least 30 points. Quarterback Cam Newton is the face of the Carolina offense, and simulating him in practice this week is proving to be difficult.
"I don't know if there's any other team in the league that can simulate Cam Newton," Belichick said. "He's big, he's fast, very athletic guy. I think our quarterbacks can throw, but they can't run like Cam can."


text:
Big Story
Separate names with a comma.
Discussion in 'Simpsons Board' started by Wurm11, Sep 20, 2003.
Is this game any good i want to buy it but i don't know if i should. is it worth it?
I'm doing a rental that should be enough unless you're a die hard Simpsons fan


text:
The Bobson Synthetics Group is a company that specializes in various types of power sources ranging from industrial to military applications.
- Stun gun darts
- HD3 High density discharge darts for the Buzzkill TND
- Zenith Darts for the Zenith ZAP
- Energy weapon ammunition
- Portable Power Generator
- According to blueprints of the Hyron Project, Bobson Synthetics Group collaborated with Tai Yong Medical to create certain components of the computer. These include the drone suit rig, coolant system, and drone pod.


text:
November 24, 2004
The United States is unusual in that it is a highly religious nation in a mostly secular group of industrial democracies, says the New York Times' Eduardo Porter.
Contrary to popular perception, religiosity is not based on economic development, but rather the supply of religious services. Based on sociological studies, he argues that:
- Americans are religious due to the active competition among churches and different denominations -- the more there are people working to expand their congregation the more people will go to church.
- In Latin Europe, after the Catholic monopoly was weakened, there has been an explosion of religion and new Christian churches.
- Conversely, secular Europe suffers from an uncompetitive market with lazy, quasi-monopolistic churches protected by the state.
Therefore, says Porter, in order for religion to thrive it must remain clearly separate from the state -- assuaging fears of those concerned about too much religion in government.
However, he notes that Islamic states strongly support churches and retain high levels of religious participation. Also, the most religious states in the United States are those most dominated by a single denomination, not those where there is more competition.
Source: Eduardo Porter, "Give Them Some of That Free-Market Religion," New York Times, November 21, 2004.
For NYT text (subscription required) http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/21/weekinreview/21port.html
Browse more articles on Government Issues


text:
General Details
ABRSM Piano Grade 8, ABRSM Flute Grade 8, ABRSM Music Theory Grade 8
As the former President of the Polytechnic University Orchestra, I would like to spread the enthusiasm of classical music to the young generation. There was a well-said quotation, that is "Music is the Decoration of Time." I sincerely aim at passing not only skills and knowledge to my students, but also the passion of music to them. As a result, after my graduation in University, I have been a full-time instructor to young kids for two years.
In my lessons, students can learn in an interactive way. Little games could be available for enhancing their interest to music. Lesson time could be flexible according to parents' and students' needs.
Both Chinese and English are available as the medium of instruction.
These details were last updated on August 14, 2015


text:
When It Comes To UX, It's All About Accessibility
Recently, I attended STLXCon, a conference for user experience and service design professionals. Still being… Read more
Recently, I attended STLXCon, a conference for user experience and service design professionals. Still being… Read more
This is the second post in a two-part series on our work with Washington University in… Read more
When a client comes along that's both passionate and open to our team guiding their… Read more
Recently, Almanac was selected by Washington University in St. Louis (or WashU, as it is… Read more
Recently, I presented at the NCMPR (National Council for Marketing & Public Relations) national conference, which… Read more
It's pretty incredible how time flies. Just over a year ago Nate wrote a post about his… Read more
For all of us at Almanac, it has been nothing short of an adventure working… Read more
For the past year, we've been guiding the 47-year old architecture firm Mackey Mitchell Architects… Read more
I still remember the day—February 15th. It was a bright spot near the end of… Read more
Communication Arts featured our 2013 Donor Impact Report for St. Louis Children's Hospital as their Webpick of the… Read more
After many years of collaboration with Almanac, photographer Jay Fram approached us to develop a new… Read more
AIGA St. Louis approached Almanac and asked us to design the identity and materials for… Read more
Almanac recently completed a new website for Crown Center, an affordable housing facility in University… Read more
Some marketing and communications issues have nice, neat solutions. Others take time, research, patience and… Read more
Would you be surprised to learn that the St. Louis County Library System is the… Read more
Almanac is thrilled to announce It's why we share, a website we designed and developed for… Read more
We're excited to share the launch of a recent project, the 2012 Barnes-Jewish Hospital Report… Read more
At Almanac, we understand that for non-profits, an annual report is more than a summary… Read more
Recently, the St. Louis Art Museum approached us with an interesting opportunity: help the Museum… Read more
When we met Nicole Benoist for the first time last spring and heard about her… Read more
Almost 6-months ago we began an adventure working with a new Washington DC based startup… Read more
Hi there, Thanks for stopping by—we're happy you've taken a minute to check out our… Read more


text:
This article will explore your insurance needs, helping you to save money and get the coverage you need. It is likely that you're paying too much money for your current coverage, or you aren't being covered as much as you need to be. You can discover if you have obtained the right coverage by reading the information below.
Save on the cost of insurance by getting fresh quotes before purchasing or renewing a policy. Insurance companies use various criteria for coming up with policy premiums, and each is different. This signifies that among different insurance companies, there is a big difference in how much policies cost. Do your research on a number of insurance companies; obtain at least three insurance quotes before you select a company.
You can bundle your insurance policies if you want to save money on your insurance. Among the various discounts that insurance companies offer, one that will require little effort or sacrifice by you is if you get both your auto and home insurance through the same company. As you compare your options, inquire about discounts and reduced rates for policy holders who take out both auto insurance and homeowners insurance.
When you're looking for new insurance policies, check if your state gives out information regarding insurance companies about their rates. The state insurance department can give you a general overview of insurance rates. You can then use that information, and a general idea of what your unique demographics are, to find the best price available.
Having good credit will also mean getting lower insurance premiums. The premiums set by insurance companies take credit history into account. If you're high risk, you will need to pay a higher premium.
The Internet is a great place to find insurance quotes. You'll be in an excellent position to know the type of prices you'll see when trying to make a choice. Online quotes, however, are generally only indicative and a policy will not be issued until a medical exam is done and an application is completed.
Cancel the towing part of your policy, especially if you unlikely to need it. Towing usually costs you about one hundred dollars. You'll pay a lot more than that if you have towing insurance for a few years. Other aspects of your policy are likely to include provisions for towing if there is an accident, so extra charges for towing are really unnecessary.
Before choosing to work with an insurance company, take the time to look into their records. Some states offer comparisons of their insurance premiums based on location, which you could use to make a good and solid decision.
You should search for the best deals on insurance, in order to save the most money. There are numerous websites out there that allow you to choose the insurance options you are looking for, and then to compare prices between companies.
Call and ask your insurer the amount of money that you could possibly save by combining your home, health, life and auto insurance. Most insurance companies offer better rates for bundled insurance packages.
With any type of insurance, when you pay a higher deductible, it will reduce your premiums. Another sound reason for keeping your deductible high is that it will likely prevent you from making unnecessary claims that tend to increase premiums. When you know you will have to pay a high deductible, you are far less willing to file claims.
Most insurance companies offer bundled packages where you can combine more than one type of policy together so as to receive a discounted premium amount. Not only will the person only have one company to work with but they will usually save money.
Insurance is something you should not neglect, even if it is frustrating. Use the tips laid out here to find affordable prices that give you the coverage you require. If you need to, create a checklist. Compare this thoroughly to polices you currently have or ones you're thinking about getting prior to choosing.


text:
- Please select a date to see the proper prices!
Description of the accommodation:
Rooms, services Hotel Apolo Sao Paulo is offering 72 tasfefully furnished, nice rooms for those looking for a place to stay at in São Paulo. In the safe you may secure your valuables. The exact equipment and the exact list of available services of Hotel Apolo Sao Paulo can be read on the information sheet below.
Payment Credit card guarantee or advance bank card payment may be necessary for finalizing your reservation, depending on the exact room, date and price.
Arrival, opening hours The earliest time to check in at the hotel is 14:00, the latest time to check out is 12:00. The personnel speaks Portuguese - Portugal and English.
Hotel Apolo Sao Paulo rooms Rooms
- Please select a date to see the proper prices!
Accommodation services
Elevator, Safe deposit box
Hairdryer, Fridge, Desk in the room


text: I think this is my fault, so I need to change it back but forgot how. Yesterday I went into my Gmail account and changed a setting, I think under the accounts/forwarding tab, and now every time I receive an Email in my Hotmail account, which is my primary one, I get duplicates. Two of every Email come in. This is rather annoying and clutters up everything, so I'm trying to figure out what setting dumbass me changed and how do I change it back. Any suggestions?


text:
How We Help
Hunter Life Education is a community-based, independent organisation working in partnership with schools, community organisations and the Hunter business community to raise funds to ensure Life Education programs are delivered to children of the Hunter region. Each year we deliver the Life Education message to over 30,000 children in Newcastle and the Hunter Region.
Research shows that education is the best first line of defence.
With the help of Healthy Harold and our Life Education educators we build resilience in young people by challenging their values and attitudes, expanding their knowledge and developing their skills. We motivate, encourage and empower them to exercise real choice – and make informed healthy lifestyle decisions.
More specifically, Life Education programs assist children and young people to achieve the following outcomes:
- Help children build AWARENESS of topics and issues related to healthy lifestyles and wellbeing (e.g. alcohol, illicit drugs, prescription drugs, diet and exercise, cyber safety etc…)
- Encourage REFLECTION on how these issues affect children
- Provide children with the information and KNOWLEDGE that they need to understand and respond to issues of concern
- Help children to identify and develop STRATEGIES to respond to issues and
- Help children to develop the SKILLS and confidence they need to apply these strategies.
We see young people as active agents in, rather than passive recipients of, Life Education. We want young people to be able to draw from their own strengths – their capability – in making reasoned, well informed decisions about themselves and their own wellbeing.
Hunter Life Education has a reputation for innovation, striving for standards of excellence, and developing in children self-esteem, effective communication skills and decision making abilities that will now and in the future enable them to make healthy life choices. The effectiveness of positive health messages is enhanced when the message is reinforced over time, across curriculum and within the home and community. Our vision is to ensure every child in the Hunter has the skills and knowledge to make healthy lifestyle choices.
Life Education sessions are designed to be age specific and sequential, delivered year on year.
Preschool Program
The Life Education early childhood program focuses on the health and wellbeing of pre-school age children.
The program comprises a 45 to 60 minute interactive session in a pre-school environment.
Primary School Program
Life Education has been successfully supporting primary school drug and health education since 1979.
Life Education's comprehensive programs have been specifically designed to assist schools achieve the outcomes of their state and territory curriculum.
High School Program
'Face the Facts' is a secondary school drug education program which uses a harm minimisation approach to assist schools in implementing their drug education policy and initiatives which promote student well-being and connectedness.
To book Life Education for your primary school contact Joan Cassar from Life Education NSW:
Phone: 02 9673 3222
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
Investigation of the decline in reported smoking-caused wildfires in the USA from 2000 to 2011David T. Butry A C , Jeffrey P. Prestemon B and Douglas S. Thomas C
A Applied Economics Office, Engineering Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mailstop 8603, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8603, USA.
B Forest Economics and Policy Research, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Science, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, PO Box 12254, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709, USA.
C Applied Economics Office, Engineering Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, 100 Bureau Drive, Mailstop 8603, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-8603, USA.
D Corresponding author. Email: email@example.com
International Journal of Wildland Fire 23(6) 790-798 https://doi.org/10.1071/WF13146
Submitted: 3 September 2013 Accepted: 5 May 2014 Published: 21 July 2014
The number of smoking-caused wildfires has been falling nationwide. In national forests in 2011, smoking-caused wildfires represented only 10% of their 1980 level. No other cause of wildfire has experienced this level of decline. For 12 states, we evaluate the rate of smoking-caused wildfires and find it is a function of weather, other ignitions, the number of adult smokers, the presence of improved wildfire cause-determination methods, and whether a state required the sale of less fire-prone cigarettes. We find the decline in adult smoking rates has led to a reduction of smoking-caused fires by 9%. The finding that less fire-prone cigarettes appear successful at limiting wildfire starts – by 23% – is a likely unintended benefit of a technology aimed at reducing fire fatalities in residences. We also find that the improvements in wildfire cause determination have resulted in a reduction in smoking-classified fires by 48%. Although improved wildfire cause-determination methods do not necessarily reduce the number of wildfires, they ensure that the causes of wildfire are accurately tracked. Accurate wildfire cause determination can, however, result in targeting wildfire-prevention programs to specific fire-cause categories, which can lead to a reduction in the overall number of wildfires.
Additional keywords: economics, fire-safe cigarettes, fire standard compliant, prevention, wildfire investigation, wildland–urban interface.
ReferencesCenter for Disease Control (2013) Trends in current cigarette smoking among high school students and adults, United States, 1965–2011. Available at http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics/tables/trends/cig_smoking/index.htm [Verified 8 August 2013]
Federal Register (2001) Urban wildland interface communities within the vicinity of federal lands that area at high risk from wildfire. Federal Register Notes 66, 751–777.
Grala K, Cooke WH (2010) Spatial and temporal characteristics of wildfires in Mississippi, USA. International Journal of Wildland Fire 19, 14–28.
| Spatial and temporal characteristics of wildfires in Mississippi, USA.CrossRef |
Hall JR Jr (2012) The smoking-material fire problem. National Fire Protection Association, Fire Analysis and Research Division, NFPA number USS10. (Quincy, MA) Available at http://www.nfpa.org/~/media/Files/Research/NFPA%20reports/Major%20Causes/ossmoking.pdf [Verified 23 May 2014]
Hobbs F, Stoops N (2002) Demographic trends in the 20th Century: Census 200 special reports. CENSR-4. Available at http://www.census.gov/prod/2002pubs/censr-4.pdf [Verified 20 May 2013]
Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (2009) National visible litter survey and litter cost study. Available at http://www.kab.org/site/DocServer/Final_KAB_Report_9-18-09.pdf [Verified 20 May 2013]
Keep America Beautiful, Inc. (2010) Litter in America: results from the nation's largest litter study. Available at http://www.kab.org/site/DocServer/LitterFactSheet_CIGARETTE.pdf?docID=5182 [Verified 20 May 2013]
Miranda BR, Sturtevant BR, Stewart SI, Hammer RB (2012) Spatial and temporal drivers of wildfire occurrence in the context of rural development in northern Wisconsin, USA. International Journal of Wildland Fire 21, 141–154.
| Spatial and temporal drivers of wildfire occurrence in the context of rural development in northern Wisconsin, USA.CrossRef |
National Atlas (2013) Forest resources of the United States. Available at http://www.nationalatlas.gov/articles/biology/a_forest.html [Verified 20 May 2013]
National Fire Protection Association (2013) Less fire-prone cigarettes: history. Available at http://www.nfpa.org/itemDetail.asp?categoryID=2265&itemID=52978 [Verified 20 May 2013]
National Wildfire Coordinating Group (2005) Wildfire origin & cause determination. National Interagency Fire Center, NWCG Handbook 1, PMS 412-1. (Boise, ID) Available at http://www.nwcg.gov/pms/pubs/nfes1874/nfes1874.pdf [Verified 23 May 2014]
Prestemon JP, Butry DT, Abt KL, Sutphen R (2010) Net benefits of wildfire prevention education efforts. Forest Science 56, 181–192.
Satoh K, Zhong YL, Yang KT (2003) Study of forest fire initiation due to lighted cigarette: measurement and observation of flaming probability of dried leaves. In 'Proceedings of the 6th ASME-JSME Thermal Engineering Joint Conference', 16–20 March 2003, Hawaii, HI. Paper TED-AJ03-551. (The Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers: Tokyo, Japan)
StataCorp (2011) Stata Statistical Software: Release 12. (StataCorp LP: College Station, TX)
Sun C, Tolver B (2012) Assessing the distribution patterns of wildfire sizes in Mississippi, USA. International Journal of Wildland Fire 21, 510–520.
| Assessing the distribution patterns of wildfire sizes in Mississippi, USA.CrossRef |
Syphard AD, Radeloff VC, Keeley JE, Hawbaker TJ, Clayton MK, Stewart SI, Hammer RB (2007) Human influence on California fire regimes. Ecological Applications 17, 1388–1402.
| Human influence on California fire regimes.CrossRef | 17708216PubMed |
Theobald DM, Romme WH (2007) Expansion of the US wildland–urban interface. Landscape and Urban Planning 83, 340–354.
| Expansion of the US wildland–urban interface.CrossRef |
USDA Forest Service (2008) Visitor use information 1924–1996. Available at http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/facts/ [Verified 20 May 2013]
USDA Forest Service (2013) Land areas report (LAR). <http://www.fs.fed.us/land/staff/lar/LAR2012/lar2012index.html [Verified 20 May 2013]
USA Today (2009) States push for less fire-prone cigarettes. Available at http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-01-02-cigarettes_N.htm [Verified 21 May 2013]
Vuong Q (1989) Likelihood ratio tests for model selection and non-nested hypotheses. Econometrica 57, 307–333.
| Likelihood ratio tests for model selection and non-nested hypotheses.CrossRef |
Xanthopoulos G, Ghosn D, Kazakis G (2006) Investigation of the wind speed threshold above which discarded cigarettes are likely to be moved by wind. International Journal of Wildland Fire 15, 567–576.
| Investigation of the wind speed threshold above which discarded cigarettes are likely to be moved by wind.CrossRef |


text:
Spring weather can be cold, wet and windy. But it can also be sunny with mild temps. Because the weather can be such a roller coaster, it's important to dress for any circumstance.
The Active Gear Scout is a monthly review highlighting new endurance and fitness products. This month features spring running vests and jackets to keep you dry and cool during your spring trainings.
Find more running gear on GearUp.
Nike Sphere Bomber JacketPrice: $90 1 of 10
Feel warm without the added weight in this wind-resistant, water-repellent jacket. The lightweight fabric features a Nike Sphere and Dri-FIT mesh lining to keep runners dry and at their optimal temperature. This jacket is a perfect layering piece, stylish and slim-fitting. Not to mention, the Sphere Bomber Jacket is made with an average of 14 recycled plastic bottles. It's available in men's and women's and comes in a variety of colors.
lululemon the Transparent-See JacketPrice: $108 2 of 10
Showcasing creativity and detail, this springtime jacket is excellent for comfort and breathability. The technology prevents the jacket from sticking to the skin and provides wind- and water-resistant coverage. Roll it up and pack the jacket into itself or use the back pocket as storage. This is a staple for your spring running wardrobe.
ASICS Men's 2-N-1? JacketPrice: $100 3 of 10
This clean, modern jacket utilizes Storm Shelter? fabrics to keep you dry if you happen to get caught running in spring showers. If things start to heat up a few miles into your run, unzip the magnetic sleeves and store them in the back pocket. It's lightweight, reflective, water resistant and mp3-friendly.
Brooks Men's LSD Lite Jacket IIIPrice: $85 4 of 10
Who says men can't be stylish on their runs? From water-resistant to pack-in-pocket features, this jacket makes for the perfect running companion. The adjustable hood prevents it from slipping off when running into the wind. Plus, there are compartments to store your ID, keys and change.
Brooks Women's Essential Run Vest IIPrice: $75 5 of 10
Every runner needs a light vest to keep them just right when temps are not too cold, but not quite warm. It's perfect for morning or evening runs. The slim fit cut is very flattering and comfy.
Zensah Seamless Power Running JacketPrice: $74.99 6 of 10
Whether you're hitting the pavement or running errands, this form-fitting jacket is great for women. It's very light and offers great ventilation. Plus, there are thumbholes to prevent sleeves from riding up. Stash keys, gels or your phone in the pockets without weighing down your jacket. Choose from six different color combinations.
lululemon Run: Rise And Shine JacketPrice: $148 7 of 10
It's certainly hard to get up for a morning run when your bed is just so cozy and warm. But with a jacket as bright and bold as this, who wouldn't want to throw this on and hit the ground running? This jacket is super cute, warm, wind and water-resistant. Not to mention it has an interior compartment for you to stow your tunes (with a cord exit for you to stay connected). If you want to make a statement on your runs, this is the piece for you.
The North Face Better Than Naked JacketPrice: $130 8 of 10
Spring morning runs can be windy, rainy and cold. Blast through your springtime runs no matter the weather condition with this water- and wind-resistant jacket. This incredibly lightweight jacket, which feels like you're wearing nothing—hence the name, features the new FlashDry? technology to accelerate drying time and regulate body temperature. There is an angled Napoleon chest pocket to fit small personal items and a MP3 cord hole to tuck the cord to your headphones for a low profile.
More Gear Items for Runners9 of 10
Check out Active GearUp for discounts on high-performance gear from your favorite brands.


text:
Messaging, Positioning & Value Propositions
Whether you market software to engineers or medical devices to patients and physicians, the foundation of a solid marketing strategy is clear, concise, and compelling messaging and positioning. We help companies craft, refine or recreate their brand messaging quickly and without a tremendous strain on internal resources. Our proven Vision, Mission, Means™ messaging process ensures everyone in your company is on the same page when it comes to your value propositions, target markets, and competitive differentiation.
Our Vision, Mission, Means™ Messaging Process
1) RESEARCH – To familiarize ourselves with your company, we will review your existing website and collateral. We will then facilitate a 2-4 hour on-site meeting and working session to clarify company objectives. The working session is a scripted process, which has been honed over 5 years.
2) SURVEY – As the voice of the customer is the most important factor in determining your success, we will survey and/or interview 3-5 customers, lost customers or prospects you provide.
3) MARKET SEGMENTATION – We will define in detail your target industries, economic buyers and influencers in order to create customized messaging for each segment.
4) COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS – We will research branding and messaging of your direct & indirect competitors.
5) SEO KEYPHRASE ANALYSIS – If you're interested in optimizing your website for organic search, we will create a seed list of possible ranking terms and perform in-depth competitive analysis. We then use several metrics such as average search volume, ranking difficulty, and search intent to provide a final list of 15-20 keyphrase recommendations for which your website will be optimized. These keyphrases will be included in your messaging framework.
6) MESSAGING FRAMEWORK – We will craft a positioning and messaging framework detailing messages for online and offline marketing materials, business plans and public relations. Messaging elements will include tag lines, value propositions, messages by segment, a press release boilerplate, and website copy suggestions. We will review the document with your team and make final edits to the document based on your feedback.
Who Needs Messaging & Positioning Services?
If your company struggles with how to communicate the benefits of your offering to your prospects, partners or the media, we can help. We're experienced at messaging even the most complex tech and medical products. Call us today at 877-887-7611 or request a call.


text: Check out the article from Gizmodo on a secretive display in AT&T stores. The font used on "innovation comes to life" is Museo, the font that Dell has been using for months now in it's marketing and website headlines. The question: Is it the Streak or the Aero... or both?


text:
Pedestal Guard MountTeak Four Drinkholder with Removable Table - Whitecap
The iBoats Experience
Boats for SaleBrowse thousands of constantly-updated listings and search by location, brand, and boat type See more...
AdviceConnect with our expansive community and tap into the knowledge base of the most dedicated boaters around. See more...
Shop ProductsBrowse and search for hundreds of thousands of boat parts, accessories, and supplies to suit your every need.
This item is found in the following Product Families
Four Drinkholder w. Removable Cockpit Table. Fits all 7/8" or 1" diameter tubing pedestal steering guards. Easily removed.
Table Top Dimensions: 16" x 24"
Table Top Dimensions: 16" x 24"
Drinkholder holds four glasses-can be used w/o table
Does this table come with the hardware to mount it or do I need to buy that separately?
It installs onto 7/8" or 1" diameter tubing pedestal steering guards and it does include the clamp to install.
This product ships in 1 business day.
Add to Cart and enter your Postal Code to determine the shipping charges.
Most products and orders leave our warehouse in 1 business day. However, select items may take more processing time. Alaska and Hawaii orders please add 1 additional warehouse processing day.
Standard Shipping Policies


text:
This email was created by [MemberName] <[MemberEmail]> who thought you would be interested in the following Article:
"A Much Easier to Use ListView" .NET ListView maxed out on caffeine, guarana and steroids.
CodeProject also contains hundreds of articles, free source code samples and applications to help in your day to day programming. Why not give it a try!


text:
Honda VTR1000
Road Bike - 998.00 ccm
8 reviews from the community
Review of "Honda VTR1000"
"Found my perfect bike at last"
I purchased one of these second hand in March this year and have been delighted with my choice of this super all-rounder ever since.
It's comfy to ride, it sounds great (although aftermarket cans make it sound better), handling is good, and can pull away well in higher gears.
I spent most of the last few years blasting around on a Fireblade. And short blasts they were too. Anytime longer than an hour on a Blade is painful for your backside. The Firestorm is perfect for me. It's an excellent compromise for anyone into bikes that doesn't quite have the necessary funds to splash out on a Ducati but still craves for the throb of a twin....and throb it does!
Don't get me wrong; it's not a poor man's bike by any means. The usual Honda high build quality shines through as always.
With that said, it does have it's quirks. As other owners have mentioned, fuel consumption is abysmal. 100 miles/tank if you are lucky.
The new model does have a bigger tank now, well...2 litres bigger anyway.
It also has a tendancy to 'Pop' every now and then as well, but this a normal feature of long stroke bore engines. Engine cut-outs can happen too.
Handling as said earlier is good, but can be improved by raising the rear suspension slightly. Whilst on the subject of suspension, it's hands up at this point. This is one feature of the bike that for me is a black mark. Honda could have done a better job with the standard Showa mono-shock it has to be said. You certainly feel every bump that the road throws up at you.
Apart from that, make sure you fit a rear hugger to keep things nice and clean and you're away.
Don't let the down points put you off....every bike has some.
It really is a great twin for the money conscious rider.
I still want a 916....but this will keep me happy till such times come along.
Community evaluation
Your evaluation of this review
Comments on this review
cashman44 published 11/06/2004Ilike the big Hondas my self, some interesting information in your review, used to own a VF 1000 F a few years back.
wiggglypufff published 11/09/2001Good first op, which I have finally been able to rate. I look forward to reading more from you, thanks, Karen
GraingerN published 08/09/2001Hi and welcome to Ciao, if you leave me a quick note in my guestbook I will happily come and rate your op when the ratings system is running again. Thanks, Nichola
Did you find this review interesting? Do you have any questions? Sign into your Ciao account to leave the author a comment. Log in
Most popular similar products
Product Information : Honda VTR1000
Manufacturer's product descriptionRoad Bike - 998.00 ccm
Product Details
Long Name: VTR1000
Bike Type: Road Bike
Type: Motorbike
Manufacturer: Honda
Displacement (ccm): 998.00
Stroke: 4
Listed on Ciao since: 30/07/2000


text:
All reviews seem negative
Please refer to our YouTube Channel PCPLUSSSS for evidence.
Cons: NOISE & FUMES from Helicopters, Unlicensed Broker, Criminal
From family friendly trips with kid friendly activities to local plumbers lawyers, spas, and contractors. Judy's Book has millions of listings and reviews for the best and not so great. Whether you're looking for a specific business or just trying to discover great places we make it easy. We're a family oriented site focusing on bringing trusted reviews and recommendations to moms and others. Green and Sustainable places are becoming more relevant to Judy's Book users, have a favorite place? Write a review and tell users why it's Green!


text:
|Pug about 1885
|Portrait of Princess Ekaterina Dmitrievna Golitsyna
with a Pug puppy, 1759, Pushkin Museum
Painter and engraver William Hogarth was a Pug enthusiast. His 1745 self portrait features his Pug, Trump. Trump looks like he weighed about 25 to 30 pounds. Tate Gallery, London.
|Queen Victoria with one of her many Pugs.
Long-legged varieties were all the rage until the end of the 19th century. This photo was taken about 1890.
|About 1910
To find out which breeds are related to Pugs, check out this genetics website.
More pug photos
|Guess who loves this Pug the most.
|Pug Pups
|Queen Victoria's Pug
|Duke of York with Pug


text:
Under Article 5 of the initial NATO agreement, member countries must help those other nations that require military aid.
While not an official response to Trump's comments, White House spokesman Josh Earnest has said that the USA's dedication to the full NATO agreement is "ironclad" and that "the president renewed that commitment just two weeks ago today when he travelled to Warsaw, Poland, to attend the NATO summit."
While no other USA official has ever suggested reneging on the NATO-deal, Trump said that he would prefer to help the USA's allies but not if those allies are not taking advantage of the USA. "We are spending a fortune on military in order to lose $800 billion. That doesn't sound very smart to me." Trump said.
Trump is set to give his Republican nominee acceptance speech in Cleveland, Ohio tonight at the final day of the Republican National Convention.
drop - to stop doing something or stop having something
co- - a prefix meaning that groups work together (co- = together, with)
nominee (noun) - a party's or group's candidate selection during an election
aid (noun) - help; assistance
initial - first
spokesman - someone who speaks for someone else (here, Josh Earnest speaks for Barak Obama)
ironclad - very strong and secure
to renege - to fail to keep a promise or commitment
ally - a partner / friend when opposing / fighting another group
a fortune - too much money
to take advantage of someone - to use someone only for your own benefit or gain
is set - is ready


text:
Nidalee Build Guide by nassor
Not Updated For Current Season
This guide has not yet been updated for the current season. Please keep this in mind while reading. You can see the most recently updated guides on the browse guides page.
Thank You!
Your votes and comments encourage our guide authors to continue
creating helpful guides for the League of Legends community.
Nidalee Build
Ability Sequence
Not Updated For Current Season
The masteries shown here are not yet updated for the current season, the guide author needs to set up the new masteries. As such, they will be different than the masteries you see in-game.
Maybe this is not the best nidalee guide for you, but this is what i see is better if you are spear spamer like me, let me show you how its work for me with Pros / Cons :
Pros / Cons
- high dmg spears, you may take some gnoms with allmust one shot.
- good farm in cat form 6+.
- great anti-farm / lvling agints the enimy team
- work good for solo and mid lane
- good mana control
- cool heals mid / late game
- you proply do the top dmg in the target by your spear but u dont get it even as assist sometime, " like u shot u hit 50% from his health after short time out of combat someone take the rest of his health.
- not good for to be in the front in team fight due the dmg u take is high, stay behand spam ur spear / heal, unleas u have good chance to not be targetble so u cat form.
- some ppl dont like this style in ther team " they think u are usless - trust me your spear the hightest dmg in ur team".


text:
St. Saviours Rd
Bath, Bath and North East Somerset BA1
Merriman Productions present
Music and Lyrics by Lisa Lambert & Greg Morrison
Book by Bob Martin & Don McKellar
Merriman Productions return to the Rondo Theatre after the sell-out success of Acorn Antiques with this hilarious musical comedy – The Drowsy Chaperone, the Tony Award-winning affectionate parody of the great American musicals of the 1920s.
When a die-hard theatre fan plays his favorite cast album, the characters literally come to life in his bedsit. The stage is set for hilarious musical farce, with two lovers on the eve of their wedding, a bumbling best man, a desperate theatre producer, a not so bright hostess, two gangsters posing as pastry chefs, a misguided Don Juan and an intoxicated chaperone, all the ingredients for an evening of madcap delight.
Please note that a theatre restoration levy of £1 per ticket applies to all transactions, whether made in person at our Box Office, by post or by phone, for all payment types. Telephone bookings incur an additional £1.50 booking fee per transaction.


text:
By Geoff Choo
A couple of days ago, I had lunch with my project manager friend Tom, and we ended up talking about a famous quote by George Santayana in The Life of Reason: "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it." Learn from your mistakes, we agreed in unison.
"Seems like common sense, doesn't it?" Tom said. "I mean, if we had to reinvent the wheel every time we wanted to drive somewhere, we wouldn't go very far, would we?"
For the past three months, Tom had been leading a large consumer-portal project that didn't end well.
"I guess we committed a fatal sin of trying to achieve too much with emerging and untested technology," he said, "and we didn't sufficiently plan for the eventuality that our dot-com clients would run out of money, forcing the clients to eventually call off the project."
"What happened?" I asked.
"Well, to put it in a nutshell, we underestimated the time and effort it would have taken to work with the particular technology we used. We missed most of the delivery milestones, delivering the project about a month late. That delay was enough to make our clients miss the window for further funding.
"Without the vital infusion of cash, they ran out of money and closed the project down. But I'm also proud of the fact that when the project ended, we didn't just go away to wallow in our tears. We made the effort to have a postmortem meeting to learn from our experiences and to use that knowledge to build a foundation for future successes," Tom remembered with a smile.
A lot of things went wrong on Tom's project, but a lot of other things went well. When the project goes sour, it's natural to have bruised egos, self-doubt, and low levels of self-confidence. It's easy to want to put the bad experience behind you and move on. But it's important to insist on having postmortem meetings so your team members can discuss their experiences candidly and objectively, to review what went wrong and what went right, and to apply the lessons learned to future projects. If you do your postmortem meeting after every single project, you will have more knowledge of your projects—and gain more value out of it.
Here is a guide to getting the most out of postmortem meetings.
What review process do you use at the end of a project?
Do you have a specific method that all departments use or do you let project managers devise their own postmortems? When does senior management get involved? Share your postmortem tips with us.
Do it right after the project has ended
Most project managers recommend having postmortem meetings anywhere from three days to three weeks after the project. In my experience, the right time is just after the project is over. Especially with Internet projects, your teams usually won't have the benefit of taking a break before starting on a new project. This means that you have to get hold of them before they rush off to another project or leave on a well-earned vacation. On large and long projects, you might even consider conducting minipostmortems after each milestone, so you can put into practice what you've learned as soon as possible.
Don't look for scapegoats
Keep the meetings positive and constructive. You're looking to learn from your experiences, not to find someone to blame for project failures. Although you will have to objectively confront the low points of your project, remember that postmortems are meant to be a learning experience to help you do a better job in the future, not an opportunity to trash your colleagues (no matter how tempting it might be).
Compare what you wanted to achieve to what actually happened
Begin the review meetings by refreshing everyone on what you initially envisioned the project to be and how you thought things would turn out. It would be helpful to include your schedule, milestones, budget, and effort estimates. Then compare that with what actually happened on your project. Think of your project in playback mode. When and what were the major highlights?
"The functional requirements were a moving target," Tom continued. "Both the clients and our team had a clear vision of what we wanted to achieve. But we didn't have a clear idea of what we had to build, what functionalities we had to provide, and how we would do it. The clients could only decide what functionality they wanted after having seen our prototypes. And prototyping put an additional strain on the schedule because we were still playing with prototypes when we should have already started working on developing a production version of the application.
"We delivered our deliverables late, and the closer we got to the deadline, the more features we kept leaving out. We ended up with a product that worked but only provided about 40 percent of functionality. The VCs didn't like it, and the rest is history."
Where did it go wrong?
What difficulties were encountered? What assumptions proved incorrect? Where were targets missed? Tom's team focused on things that turned out worse than expected, especially unexpected problems that crept up. Mistakes always seem clearer in hindsight.
They committed three fundamental mistakes:
- Not demanding clearer specifications before beginning work
- Giving work to developers before specifications were written in stone, hoping to wing it and build things as the project progressed
- Selling a great concept without the skills and experience to build it
"I'll make sure we won't commit these errors on the next project," Tom said.
Where did it go right?
It's also important to review the aspects of your project that went well.
"In my project, we had a very smooth communications plan," Tom said. "I knew that my role wasn't to make people work but to enable them to work. This meant asking my people all the right questions and giving them all the right answers and tools to allow them to finish their tasks.
"As a result, I spent a great deal of time communicating the hell out of my e-mail program, making sure that everyone understood what they had to do. But I believed that extra time was well spent, as I'm sure we would have wasted more time if I had kept quiet and hoped that people would gloss over problematic questions or try to wing it.
"We also discovered that ICQ turned out to be a great business collaboration tool—and not just a toy for lonely hearts—for those simple one-liner questions or to collaborate with our external freelancers."
Review your risk plans
Did you take big risks or did you play it safe? Did any unpredicted risks come into the picture? How did you resolve them? Evaluate your risk management experience and pay particular attention to how you would change your approach for the next project.
Tom's team didn't handle the risk so well in the project.
"We took a big chance on cutting-edge technology, and while the concept was good, we made too many assumptions and were overly optimistic about our chances of delivering a finished product on time."
Risk is a two-sided dilemma: You have to show optimism to your clients—that you can do the job better than anyone else—but you also have to be truthfully pessimistic to yourself and recognize that there are sometimes limits to what you can achieve.
Did you manage for change?
Did any unanticipated changes occur during the project? How did you respond to them? Did your project suffer from excessive feature creep?
"We had to draw a very fine line between giving our clients what they wanted and preventing feature creep," Tom said. "Our clients only knew what features they wanted after they had seen it. So existing features mutated often into totally new features because customer focus groups dictated so. It was hard to freeze the feature set, and correspondingly, to manage change requests effectively because we kept arguing over what constituted a change request and what did not."
Review performance of team members
Human resources might object to this, but I believe that mini performance reviews right after a project are the way to go, instead of the usual annual reviews. I recommend keeping these reviews on a private, one-on-one basis. When you have the opportunity to assess and improve performance on a minicyclical basis, you have a better chance of making change where it is most effective, right after the project is over, when successes and mistakes are still fresh in the mind. Reviews have to go both ways, however, so be sure to look critically at how you performed. As a project manager, did you give sufficient information and resources? Did the team members perform as requested?
Act on your conclusions
Don't let all the effort of getting people together and documenting experiences go to waste by archiving the document at the bottom of a dusty drawer (or 10 layers deep in a cryptically named folder on your hard drive) and then forgetting about it. Turn your newfound knowledge into an action plan to feed back into your project processes and methodologies.
Put the results of your postmortems up on your intranet where everybody can get access to them, or stick them up on the wall next to the coffee machine and in your team areas. You want maximum visibility here, and your aim is to drive the message deep into the minds of your team.
Postmortems are actually a very gratifying way to close a project, as you can discuss and document all the personal and professional growth you've experienced on the project. And best of all, you'll help yourself from being condemned to repeat the past.
Geoff is a digital content strategist based in Italy. With more than five years of experience in e-business consulting, project management, and Web development, Geoff helps clients navigate the maze of digital content development by defining, articulating, managing, and implementing content and editorial strategies. He has previously worked as a project manager and Web developer for IconMedialab and Collective Wisdom.
This article was originally published on gantthead on July 23, 2001.
More on gantthead
Related gantthead downloads: "Project Post-Mortem" "Project Post-Mortem Survey" "Project Completion Report" "Project End Report" "Project Evaluation Checklist for Managing IT Projects" "Post-Project Review" Related gantthead articles: "Destroy Your Project Early, Then Conduct a Pre-Mortem!," by Joe Wynne "The Art of Leadership," by Geoff Choo Items in bold are available only to gantthead premium members.


text:
While other states have quietly passed new crowdfunding investment laws, Oregon is intent on starting off big.
Under the Oregon crowdfunding law, Oregon businesses can raise as much as $250,000 through state crowdfunding, by raising money from a large number of state resident investors. They can invest up to $2,500 in a company. Similar to GoFundMe, but when you put your money into a business, you actually own equity shares.
New rules allow Oregon-based companies to raise up to $250,000 from Oregon investors to start new businesses or fund existing operations. Like the renewable energy exemption, this rule allows the sale of these investments without registration or licensing a salesperson.
To use the Oregon crowdfunding exemption, the company must meet requirements such as:
The company must be registered and doing business in Oregon and the securities can be offered only to Oregon residents.
The company can provide limited advertising to Oregonians on the investment, and if an Oregon investor wants to learn more, the company must provide formal disclosures.
An investor must receive and review the disclosure documents before an investment decision becomes final.
No single investor can invest more than $2,500 in any one investment.
Oregon-based cooperative corporations can use a new Oregon crowdfunding exemption to raise funds for renewable energy projects in Oregon.
New rules effective Oct. 6, 2014, allow cooperative corporations set up to develop and operate renewable energy sources to raise funds without going through a full-blown registration process or using a licensed securities salesperson. To use this exemption, the co-op must meet requirements such as:
Investors must be part of a community affiliated with the co-op or its project.
No more than $1.5 million in funds can be raised by selling to members of "non-accredited" status (i.e., individuals with a net worth of less than $1 million).
Although co-ops may promote their mission and goals, the promotion must be limited in nature and each person interested in investing must receive specific disclosures about the risks of the investment.


text:
We recommend upgrading to the latest Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, or Firefox.
If you are using IE 9 or later, make sure you turn off "Compatibility View".
Handpicked brands for you
Wednesday night was an all-time moment in the #biggestlittlecity when @theglitchmob brought down the house / @knitreno with force, positive energy, and non-stop brilliance!!! Having inspired many tens of thousands of my push strokes on our 2012...


text:
Great African-American Men in America's History is a snapshot of some of the accomplishments of these great men. African American men have excelled in sphere of America's society. These men have excelled in education, the military, science, relegion, sports, and every other area of American society. This book is a simple tribute to these men of excellence.
©2012 Henry Epps (P)2012 Henry Epps
"Great African American Men"
Yes, the narration brings the book to life.
Listening to the great accomplishments of these great African American men.
Yes, a very distinguish voice with rich tone and clarity. Mr. Clarkson's voice brings rich life to the this book.
Great Americans of color, Volume II
Report Inappropriate Content
If you find this review inappropriate and think it should be removed from our site, let us know. This report will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.


text:
I am a firm believer that diet, exercise and generally being kind to the body are key to overall health and wellbeing, but I know that it can also be hard to stick to a super healthy lifestyle when schedules are hectic or after a period of travelling a lot. Sometimes you might feel the need to take time out to re-set the body and re-boot things – and VIVAMAYR specialise in exactly these sorts of programmes, each one tailored for their client's individual requirements.
The leading luxury medical detox centre
VIVAMAYR describe themselves as the "leading luxury medical detox centre". They offer consultations to begin with to work out what you need, and they then use their famous Mayr medicine techniques to cleanse the body from the inside, to detox and heal it. Mayr medicine is a natural method that combines medical procedures, personalised diets and holistic treatments.
VIVAMAYR Harley Street in London, is the first clinic for the brand outside of it's native Austria and will offer heath transformation day clinics led by the senior medical team from Austria, who will each take up residency on a week-long rotation basis throughout the year.
Especially exciting to me with my love of cooking and food, is that the London clinic will be hosting cooking classes run by the top chefs from the Austria clinics who will demonstrate how to keep up the tailored diet at home, using delicious but nutritionally balanced organic, meals made from locally sourced, seasonal produce.