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Spray Roses, The Ultimate Handbook Part II Download here
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This piece originally appeared on www.just-football.com.
The worst thing about Arsenal's 3-1 defeat at home to Aston Villa – and the list is quite long – was that it was not even a surprise. It was like sitting through a film you watched countless times as a child but have not seen in years and cannot remember exactly. One by one, familiar events play out and long before the credits roll you're back in the swing of things and reciting the characters' lines before they do.
Arsenal's latest capitulation had every trope for which the club is now renowned: an early goal, giving jittery fans false hope; promising build-up play but no cutting edge; a dramatic and hapless concession, throwing all previous good work out the window; a controversial refereeing blunder, destroying the players' concentration, leads to further errors, a red card and total embarrassment; finally, the game ends to a chorus of boos from 60,000 halloumi-munching Guardianistas.
It is easy to blame Arsène Wenger's lack of activity in the transfer market for this latest in the ever-growing list of catastrophes – and for that reason most of the mainstream media will do exactly that – but the problem at Arsenal is clearly more fundamental. Sadly, it could well be unsolvable.
In a nutshell: everyone there is always miserable. From the fans and players to Wenger and his backroom staff, all of their ingrained habits and thought processes are rooted in reflexive fear and loathing. All of their expended energy is entirely negative.
They all arrive on a match day expecting everything to go spectacularly wrong and for the crowd to turn and that is what happens. The club's basic collective identity is one of misery and fury in the stands coupled with disaster on the pitch. The Emirates' atmosphere is so toxic that if Jesus Christ had to give a sermon there, he'd end up renouncing God and volunteering for crucifixion.
Dipping into their vast financial reserves cannot solve this problem. It did not change anything when they splurged big bucks on José Reyes, Andrey Arshavin, Theo Walcott, Thomas Vermaelen, Laurent Koscielny, Gervinho, Per Mertesacker, Mikel Arteta, Lukas Podolski or Olivier Giroud, so there is no reason to expect blowing megabucks would make a difference now.
Each of Arsenal's apparent saviours has arrived to much fanfare but, gradually, the depression around the club overwhelmed them. It is virtually impossible to join Arsenal and not become deadwood within two or three years. Simply making the sums being spent bigger and the players arriving more famous will not prevent their inevitable decline.
It is clearly not just the fans that are sick of spending their Saturdays stuck in this vicious circle of defeat and pain. Players like Emmanuel Eboué and Marouane Chamakh were broken by the hate of the baying crowd and their teammates were visibly upset on their behalf. Stars like Mathieu Flamini, Kolo Touré, Emmanuel Adebayor, Samir Nasri, Cesc Fàbregas, Alex Song and Robin Van Persie walked away from a place they considered home not for money but simply to enjoy football again.
It is no coincidence that when he scored against the Gunners for Manchester City, Adebayor sprinted the length of the pitch to celebrate in front of fans who actively made his professional life miserable. A sizeable portion of Arsenal's squad must yearn for the freedom to give the fans the kind of abuse they and their colleagues have received.
While most of Arsenal's less controversial former players insist that they retain a genuine love for the club, none of them has been willing to consummate that bond by enduring the hell that comes with staying there. Van Persie, in particular, has repeatedly spoken of his newfound joie de vivre at Manchester United, saying that he "goes into work every day whistling."
Sometimes in life it is best to just shut up shop and move on. In the red half of North London, it has reached that point. No financial outlay, tactical reshuffle or change of manager can end this self-fulfilling cycle of sadness. Like a cancer, the melancholy at Arsenal started off small and spread slowly over time, eventually creating terminal decline.
It Arsenal were a patient in a hospital bed, their doctors would give them the bad news and allow them to die. Football clubs do not work that way, but at times like this one almost wishes they did. How sweet and merciful it would be to let the miserable wreck Arsenal have become simply disappear into the ether.

subset: commoncrawl


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Red Hat Bugzilla – Bug 63202
KDE desktop no longer has icons for removable storage
Last modified: 2007-04-18 12:41:52 EDT
From Bugzilla Helper:
User-Agent: Mozilla/5.0 (X11; U; Linux i586; en-US; rv:0.9.9) Gecko/20020401
Description of problem:
In both skipjack betas (1 and 2) the default KDE desktop no longer has icons for
the system's removable storage devices. Previous versions of RHL (i.e 7.2) had
default icons on the desktop that represented the removable storage devices such
as the floppy and optical drives. Where'd they go?
Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
How reproducible:
Steps to Reproduce:
1.Install skipjack with KDE as the default windowing system
2.Launch KDE, choosing the defaults for each selection in the wizard.
Actual Results: Icons for trash, control panel, home, www.redhat.com appear but
no icons for floppy or cdrom.
Expected Results: Icons for the removable storage devices appear.
Additional info:
When this bug is fixed, is there a way of optionally removing these devices from
my users desktops with a global config option?
I agree they are missing and having them on the desktop can be useful.
This bug is reported against old release of Red Hat Linux or Fedora Core
that is no longer supported. Chances are that it has been already fixed in
newer Fedora Core release. If you still experience the problem with
current release of Fedora Core, please update the Version field (you may
need to switch Product to Fedora Core first) in the bug report and put it
back to NEW state.
This issue is no longer relevent in current version of Fedora.


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CINCINNATI ENQUIRER / SEARCH: 0 Co Rd 300 S Dillsboro, IN 47018
- $60,000 price
- 1574479 mls id
- Lot Size: 10 acres
- Neighborhood: Milan
- Days on Market: 163
- Status: Active
Private wooded 10 acres situated on the corner of Friendship Rd & CR 300 S. Two creeks run through property. Abundant wildlife. Electric has been run on property. Gravel drive. Camper stays with property, sleeps 6. DO NOT access property without owners permission.
- Area Ripley-I04
- Directions US 50W To L On Friendship Rd To 300S. Gravel Drive Is On Friendship Rd On Left Side.
- School District Milan Community Sch
- View Woods
Courtesy of: Sibcy Cline, Inc.
Office Phone: 656004259
Listing Agent: Susan Miller
Updated: 20th September, 2018 9:16 AM.
0 Co Rd 300 S Dillsboro, IN
Real Estate | Cincinnati Enquirer Powered by Placester


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The forecast for the next 5 days
Catch up on TV bulletins
Delivered daily to your inbox
In recent days, calming seas in the Mediterranean have seen a huge rise in the number of people attempting the perilous crossing from north Africa to Europe. Aid agencies have rescued thousands of the migrants and refugees who have been crammed on to often barely seaworthy boats run by smugglers and criminal gangs.
For the last few days, our team have been on a German rescue vessel on that central route, just off the Libyan coast. A warning: this report contains images that you may find distressing.


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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's National Union of Mineworkers is giving diamond producer De Beers, a unit of Anglo American, a 48-hour strike notice after mediation failed to resolve a wage dispute, NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni told Reuters on Wednesday.
Baleni said the "strike will likely commence on Sunday or Monday but we are open for negotiations to avoid the strike." De Beers said in a statement it could also lock out union members.
Labor unrest and wildcat strikes have rocked the platinum and gold sectors periodically over the past 18 months in Africa's largest economy, with the violence rooted in a turf war between NUM, which was once unrivalled, and the upstart Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU).
But NUM's dispute with De Beers is following legal channels and so is unlikely to unnerve jittery investors who are more focused on upcoming wage talks in the gold, platinum and coal sectors which are seen as among the toughest ever.
AMCU refused to sign a government-brokered stability pact on Wednesday aimed at defusing tensions in the mining industry ahead of those talks.
In the case of NUM and De Beers, the talks went to mediation after the union dropped its wage hike demand to 13 percent from 17 percent while the company stuck to a 6 percent offer.
De Beers said there had been agreement on "the broader issues in the wage negotiation" but no deal could be reached on other, unspecified demands.
De Beers produced 4 million carats of diamonds in South Africa last year, out of the total of 27.9 million carats it produced worldwide.
(Reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by David Evans and Jim Marshall)


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Drive-in Saturday
30 July 2011 // 21:39
By GP2 Series - 3 comments
Some days, you feel like you got up from the wrong side of the bed. Today felt just like that. It started with me leaving my room without my phone. "It's not like you need it in your job!" joked Technical Director Didier Perrin. Very true! The morning continued to prove to be a bumpy one with me tripping over my own crutch as I tried to sit at my table in the hospitality. After that, I decided I just had to concentrate mainly on surviving the day.
While I was fighting back the tears from the pain and the embarrassment, I watched with high interest the GP3 Series qualifying session hoping that whoever finished on the top 3 would be boys whose name I can pronounce during the press conference. And I got lucky with Valtteri Bottas, James Calado and Mitch Evans because I'm pretty comfortable saying their names. "You'll see. Valtteri gives pretty short answers usually" Amanda told me as I was making my way to the press conference room. Turns out, it was not true this time. The young Finn was pretty chatty, as were both of his rivals. Piece of cake!
Next on the day's agenda was a teammate interview at iSport. The story behind choosing this pair was that following Monaco's infamous incident between Marcus and Sam, together with David we thought there was no way we could do the teammate interview with them. But last week in Germany, Marcus stopped us:
"When is it going to be our turn?"
"Oh we thought you might not get along too well with Sam"
"No I do. We want to do the interview!"
As we are ones to please, I put it on the agenda. I dragged Alastair over to the iSport garage at 11am. When we entered the truck, we found Paul Jackson and Sam Bird sat on what I can only describe as camping chairs, big ones, and very comfy. I saw a small TV screen behind Sam.
"What are you watching?"
"It's a fishing programme"
How very fitting. They immediately offered for me to sit down with them while Sam's manager James Olivier proposed to fetch me a cup of coffee. They know how to spoil a girl!
"Where is Marcus?"
"He is not there yet. You're early. You said the interview was at 11:30"
Just waiting for the day to end...
Marcus eventually arrived before 11:30, as Paul, Sam and I chatted ("I don't want to talk too much to you because you will put it in the blog." Yes, Sam, I will). Alastair took them outside for their quick photo shoot while I found a very dodgy picture of the Swede.
I will not disclose what has been said during the interview and will let you discover it all when I eventually publish it on the blog, but I can promise you, it will be worth reading. All I can reveal for now is that both of them have tremendous respect for each other.
By the time we had to go to the pitlane for the race, I had managed to stay out of trouble. I sat at Force India pitwall with Ocean Racing Technology and watched everyone make their way to the grid while I was firing up the computer to be ready to type in Live Comments to bring you the action. It all went down smoothly as was the start of the race bar for Johnny Cecotto and Fairuz Fauzy who collided at Turn 2. But since today was clearly an off day, of course my 3G key started acting out and completely stopped just as most of the cars were coming back to the pits for fresh rubbers. Typical! However, I was not the most frustrated person in the pitlane. Although Ericsson had brilliantly stolen the lead from Razia at the start, an unsafe release in the pits meant that the talented Swede was handed a drive through. Romain Grosjean was free to pocket a fifth win this season ahead of Charles Pic and Luiz Razia. The lift back to the paddock on iSport's trolley was a very quiet one to say the least. I saw Marcus later, still managing to smile.
"I am so very sorry"
"I am very sorry too" he replied quietly.
I barely had the time to finish writing the report while the GP3 race was going on and I had to rush to the press conference. I got there a bit out of breath to find a broadly smiling Romain and Luiz sporting some very funky shorts.
"Aren't you cold?"
"No. I pretend that I'm already on holiday at the beach. You like?"
When Charles turned up, it was time to start the conference.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to GP2 Series qualifying press conference"
Cue the laughing… Some days are definitely harder than most!
Nice blogging Alexa. Hope the leg's getting better!
Great blogging Alexa! Did you ever find out who customized the autograph card... :) "Sam, let me see your fingers... They're black!". Looking forward to the team mate interview. See you at Monza or if things work out well even at Spa.
/Bowe Bevonius
I like too when Alexa tellling :-)


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Ok so this weeks been pretty crazy!! these has been like the yearly town festival thing and things have been pretty crazy but everyone survived hahaha. im surprised that im able to send emails today because everything is closed today and the internet cafe im in is about to shut pretty soon too.
But we wre teaching an awesome family at the moment, the wife is really progressing well and even asked when she could be baptised before we asked her!! haha so thats awesome.
One of our other investigatore, Clarise, is going kinda good and kinda bad, she was doing really well but recently has been hit with two magor family problems. First was that her cousin got attacked buy a guy with a machete and it all sliced up, was over 20 cuts i think, and second was that her little nepher passed away. so were really trying to be there for here at the moment.
havent really done anything new this week, today we were gonna go to the center of the city but seeing as everything is closed were gonna wait untill next week.
at the moment im studying Ether and about the brother of jared, awesome dude with like a freakin ton of faith.
and yeah we are still getting fed every single day, if a member is rostered to give us lunch but cant they give us a bit of cash to buy lunch!! and every pday we have lunch in a members restaurant, and she specialises in cooking sheep!! haha its aweosme and we dont even have to pay.
this week i was reading in Nephi when they leave jerusalem and come to the river and Lehi was like ` laman and lemuel yous should be like these rivers and valleys, firm and steadfast. really thaught that that applies to everybody because we too should be firm and steadfast, letting our example show through living the gospel because miracles really happen because of our example that we show.
but yeah hope everything is going great back home
!! love yous heaps!!!!
Love Elder greener


text:
Weather News
Southern heat here to stayBen Domensino, Thursday November 9, 2017 - 14:52 EDT
South Australia will experience a prolonged spell of early season heat during the next six days.
Persistent northerly winds driven by a slow moving high pressure system will cause the spell of warm and dry weather.
Temperatures are forecast to reach 8 to 12 degrees above average across the state between now and next Tuesday, with some areas tipped to reach 37 degrees between Saturday and Tuesday.
Adelaide could reach or exceed 30 degrees for the next six days, which would be the city's longest spell above 30 degrees this early in the season for eight years.
Adelaide's warmest days will occur between Sunday and Tuesday as the mercury climbs into the mid-thirties.
Fire danger ratings are expected to rise across the state as warm northerly winds start to strengthen from the weekend and early next week, ahead of an approaching trough.
Looking ahead, the trough will sweep over the state during the middle of next week, replacing the hot and dry weather with clouds, showers and possibly severe thunderstorms.
Adelaide's longest spell of days over 30 degrees on record was 17 during February 2004.
- Weatherzone
© Weatherzone 2017
More breaking news
Sydney Morning Herald
ABC News
National Nine News
News Limited
Weather News
Spring temperature contrast
Temperatures varied by 50 degrees across Australia on Monday.
Typhoon Trami's uncertain future broadens its threat
It's another active week in the western Pacific Ocean, with Typhoon Trami threatening to bring severe weather to parts of East Asia in a matter of days.
Gardening Australia's Costa Georgiadis offers advice on how to drought-proof your garden
While the drought continues to hurt farmers across large swathes of eastern Australia, the big dry is also taking its toll on our gardens.


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She has an itching, crawling sensation-"like ants on her skin". Could her medicines be causing this, or an interaction of medicines and foods? Her meds are: metformin, benicar, carvedilol, clonidine, and pravastatin. I hope this information helps.
My mother takes a combination of medicines. Could this be causing a skin reaction?
- Asked
- 30 Nov 2012 by cshells
- Updated
- 1 December 2012
Responses (6)
It is not the interaction of the medications nor food causing what your mother is feeling.
Interaction (click on all the links , interaction and side effects):
1.Metformin Side Effects:
2.Benicar Side Effects
3.Carvedilol Side Effects
4.Clonidine Side Effects
5.Pravastatin Side Effects
I could not find the side effect your mother is experiencing, you can check for yourself, just click on the links.
I suggest you inform her Dr. asap.
All the best,
If your mother is taking metforim for diabetes, it could be a form of neuropathy that she is experiencing. It is very typical in diabetics. It is very important that you let her doctor in on this. It may be they will have to add another medication for this, but it also may be very necessary...
I agree with what Mary said. It is propbably peripheral neuropathy secondary to diabetes. It is very common and the feelings are described in many ways. It is actually nerve damage from constant high blood glucose levels and for many, just a part of the disease. Some people complain of burning pain like a sunburn and some complain of itchy crawly feelings and some feel cold or numbness. It usually occurs in the legs and arms. If she is seeing an endocrinologist, she should talk to him about the problem. If her diabetes is managed by her PCP, then it may be time to see a specialist (endocrinologist). Best thing she can do to prevent further damage is to keep her blood glucose levels under control. There are medications that help with the symptoms she has now.
Diabetes can cause that itch. There are a few medications for itch that may or may not help. She should keep her skin moisturized for one thing. Oatmeal baths can soothe itches. A good body lotion always helps. I suffer from itching like that too. I carry my back scratcher around with me, lol... I was told by my doc that it was a symptom of my fibromyalgia. I tend to take very hot baths because of the muscle aches, and this is bad for the skin, so it could be.
There is one other possibility to consider. Before my mom had a major stroke she complained of this symptom for about a week. Definitely get your mom checked out right away. Although the other side effects mentioned are more probable, would be sad if this was something else and not looked at.
This could be an allergic reacion to one of her medications or a combination of her medications, the best thing to do is to take her back to her doctor and describe the symptoms that she is having to him or her and they may be able to help find out what is going on. Hope your mom feels better soon. good Luck! :)
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Dental Reviews
Sincerely, Dr. Espinosa, and team
5 Stars from Roxsie R. "My child and I have been coming to this office for a couple of years. I am very pleased with the staff for being very accommodating and professional. The staff is very friendly. I have recommended several friends who all agree that the services received are great. The office manager takes the time to set any matters straight regarding insurance billing and prices . Happy to recommend."
5 Stars from Lisa M. "The Dentists and all the staff at BONITA DEL REY, are wonderful. For someone like myself who has anxiety, and is usually shaking in my boots when going to the dentist the staff takes the time to talk with me while in the chair and that has been a huge help. I think today was my fifth time and today I wasn't scared. Because the work they did was amazing."
5 Stars from William R. "I have been to a lot of dental offices and this is the best, friendliest and most caring they are the Cheers to Dental offices, where everyone knows your name. All patients have different needs and they figure how to work with that to make your visit a better experience."
5 Stars from Alan E. "I had been looking for a new dentist and hadn't seen one in about four years after a bad experience. My girlfriend went to Bonita Del Rey Dental and told me I should go there. Wow, was she ever right! All the staff there are friendly and professional. They really made me feel at ease and they know what they're doing. I have had numerous crowns made or replaced by Dr. Espinoza in the past three years without any problems whatsoever. He uses the newest technology imaging to produce a perfect fitting crown in just over an hour! This is light years ahead of the old method; a much more comfortable procedure with better results. Surprisingly, the cost for this superior dental care is very comparable. I couldn't be happier with this dental office."


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Bad Habit, Good Trip
Brian Evans docked Mike Keatings Spirit of Adventure at H&M Landing November 10 after a ten-day trip to the southern banks. There were 11 cow tuna aboard, and two gentlemen in their 80s accounted for three of those, on the annual Bad Habit charter. Chartermaster Bob Trask said the water was calm and 76 degrees. The best big tuna bite was around 4 p.m., and the best wahoo bite was on The Ridge.
Photo here...
Ray Salvador of San Bernadino won first place for a 226-pound tuna. He said he bagged the fish on a sardine and an Eagle Claw 9/0 hook. He fished with 130-pound Soft Steel line, 130-pound Line One Spectra, an Accurate 30 reel and a Calstar 765M rod.
Chuck Woodman of Lawndale was second, for a 222-pounder.
I had a ball, said Woodman. He fished with a sardine on a 6/0 Mustad hook, 100-pound Izorline and 130-pound Spectra backing on a Penn 50 SW reel and a Boomer Jr. rod.
Ed Tyler, 84, of Studio City, got his first cow. In fact, he got two cows, and the best one, a 220-pounder, won third place. The other fish weighed 216 pounds.
Photo here...
Skipper Evans said, Eddie was our inspiration and our hero.
Ed fished mackerel on 7/0 Super Mutu hooks, with 80-pound line and 130-pound Spectra backing on an Accurate 30 reel and a Calstar 765M rod.
Bob Holcomb of San Bernadino, 83, got a 231.8-pounder. His non-eligible fish bit on a mackerel, he said, and an 8/0 Mustad hook. He said he fished with 130-pound line, 130-pound Spectra backing on a Penn 50W reel and a Seeker 665H rod.
Dave Miller of San Diego only needed 20 minutes to whip a 215.9-pound tuna, after it bit on a sardine and a 6/0 Super Mutu hook. He said he fished with 100-pound maxima line and 130-pound Spectra backing, with a Tiagra 50W reel and a 760H rod. He also got a 202.8-pound yellowfin.
Photo here...
Chartermaster Bob Trask took an hour and a half to land his 210-pounder. He said he fooled it with a sardine on a 6/0 super Mutu hook. He used 130-pound fluorocarbon leader, 100-pound Big Game line and 130-pound Spectra backing on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Calstar 760H rod.
Bob Gott of San Diego took a 210-pound tuna with a sardine on an 11/0 Super Mutu hook. He fished 100-pound Ande pink line on 130-pound Spectra backing, with an Avet 50 reel and a home-built Sabre 665H rod.
Jeff Keep of Las Vegas took a 209 and a 204.9-pound tuna. He tossed a sardine out on an 8/0 Eagle Claw hook, and fought the fish on 100-pound Big Game line, 130-pound Spectra backing on a Tiagra 50 reel and a Seeker 665H rod. The bigger fish came aboard in only 450 minutes, he said.


text:
Originally Published on Salty Popcorn - You Can Find Several Other Reviews By Jack Dignan Here As Well
Picking up mere moments after the last film, our three scumbag heroes, David (Xavier Samuel), Tom (Kris Marshall) and Graham (Kevin Bishop), are in search of their friend Luke after having fallen off a cliff in the first film's closing minutes. As expected, Luke is dead. Very dead, as a matter of fact. Upon hearing the news, Luke's brother Henry (Ryan Corr), a man with a short temper and even shorter patience, is, unsurprisingly, enraged. He demands they bring Luke's body back home to England immediately, or else they'll be joining their recently deceased best friend in the afterlife.
The simple fact of the matter is that A FEW LESS MEN just really isn't funny. There's a few small chuckles here and there, mostly due to the sheer stupidity of the situations and unexpected un-comfortableness frequently found throughout, but not one of the jokes is memorable. I'm trying my hardest to delve deep into my memory and recall what some of the jokes I laughed at were, but none are coming to mind. As a matter of fact, not even any of the bad ones are coming to mind either. This is a film so poor and so uninteresting that it's been but a week and I'm already struggling to remember it.
As chaos ensures, and an overabundance of boner jokes are made, it won't take long before you sit in your seat and ask yourself 'is all this really happening?' Australia may have a strange, often distasteful sense of humour, but was it ever this bad? A FEW LESS MEN was 92mins of agonizing pain for my eyes, ears and soul. It digs deep into the worst sort of humour possible, yet it seems sort of proud of that. It's proud to be sexist and it's proud to cross the line, seemingly without any regard for its audience's wellbeing. The only time this film works is when it takes it back a notch, pleasing not necessarily a PC crowd, but at least one with a respectful sense of humour.
As for the newcomers, Aussie favourite Ryan Corr is the most recognisable face. But despite that recognition, this film feels below him. He's starred in countless Australian films before, ranging from moving War drama THE WATER DIVINER to hit horror sequel WOLF CREEK 2, yet his performance in A FEW LESS MEN, while clearly a bit of fun to perform, is over the top and irritable. He's just really not good, yelling and screaming his way to the closing credits. Shane Jacobson is even worse as Mungus, a scene best left unmentioned, and as for everyone else…. I don't even know what to say. 95% of the female cast, as little of them as there are, are played out as sex objects with one goal in mind: sleeping with the main characters. It's a waste of the entire cast's time and obvious talent.
Twitter: @jackdignanfilms
LinkedIn: jack-dignan-1a1b2811b
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DirectorsCutMovies/
You May Also Like:


text:
Everyone knows that there are tons of terrible drivers out there- it's just a fact of nature when it comes to driving, as much an accepted part of the road as stop signs and roundabouts (or rotaries, as they're called some places). It only seems to be getting worse too, what with road rage becoming more dangerous and people becoming more impatient. I mean, who hasn't been honked at in an intersection recently for not being fast enough at the light change? And please don't get me started on all of the texting, app playing and other phone-related stuff people are doing nowadays while they drive- haven't these people ever heard of voice-to-text? Maybe this is why car makers are trying to create safer and safer cars- because they know we are all just a bunch of idiots!
But I digress. Yes, bad drivers are an epidemic. Bad traffic is even worse- who actually enjoys sitting in gridlock in big cities like Chicago or L.A.? No one, that's for sure. So how do you think the average person feels when they have to sit in gridlock in East Podunk, Tennessee? Not good at all, my friends, not good at all. Because why the hell should anyone ever have to sit in traffic in the middle of nowhere? They shouldn't but unfortunately the world we live in has too many cars and too many people to ever escape traffic jams again.
All of this, the bad driving and worse traffic, would be maybe barely manageable if our traffic laws and rules of the road always made sense. Unfortunately for all of us, that's not always the case. There are some really strange, unusual and just downright terrible rules of the road out there. Here are the 15 worst of them.
15 Clean Your Car In Russia...Or Else
Everybody hates a dirty car, inside or out. Well, I suppose there are some who don't really care. My own wife, for one, likes to accumulate dozens of Dunkin Donuts empties before ever bothering to clean out her car. And farmers probably don't mind letting their F350s accumulate a little dust and mud. But most of us like to keep our cars relatively clean. Even during a Chicago winter, I like to go through the car wash every few weeks. But can you imagine being legally required to keep your car clean? That's a rule of the road in Russia, where the cops can pull you over and fine you 2,000 rubles for driving around in a dirty car. That's about 50 bucks gone for no good reasons. Russia is known for some pretty rough weather so I wonder how often people have to pay to get their car clean and legal. I can't imagine everyone in Siberia, for one, stands around in their driveways washing their cars on their own. Brrr!
14 Bring Your Own Breathalyzer...In France
So this one is more weird than awful, I suppose. I mean, I think we can all agree, all kidding aside, that drunk driving is a terrible thing and we shouldn't have to rely upon the cops to hunt down every single drunk driver- that would basically be an impossible task. But in France, everyone is required to carry their own personal breathalyzer in their car. First of all, I know figures of authority in France can be lazy sometimes (a few World Wars showed that) but c'mon Gendarmes! Are you seriously expecting people to police themselves? Like that always works- people would be pulling out their breathalyzers at parties and having fun with them, then forgetting them on the bar top when they drive off home. Second, a quick and dirty Amazon search shows the cheapest, somewhat reliable personal breathalyzers to be well over $100. And if you're anything like me, you will lose yours, just like you've lost your wallet, keys and phone.
13 Saudi Women Are Prohibited From Driving
Why did it come as no surprise to me to find out about this terrible rule of the road in Saudi Arabia; that place has a serious problem with its rules and regulations regarding women- in all areas of life. So it should come as no shock to you either that the Saudis don't allow women to drive. That's right; if you are a lady in Saudi Arabia, don't even think about getting behind the wheel. Apart from the sexist and antiquated culture this awful driving law reveals, it also makes me wonder about practicality and efficiency. How do the ladies get around? Wouldn't it be easier if they just let everybody drive, not just the men? I don't know what the punishment for this horrible crime is if a woman actually tried to drive.
12 Keep Your Lights On In Sweden
The Swedes are a tidy race- they like to have everything just exactly perfect. They make some pretty nice cars over there too; both Volvo and Saab are based in Sweden and you can't get much nicer (or pricier) than some high-end Volvo models. The Swedes are also sticklers for safety, as evinced by their weird and somewhat unnecessary law that you must keep your headlights on at all times. Not just running lights- headlights. I say this strange law is somewhat unnecessary because the Swedes do indeed live in the land of the "Midnight Sun." There are certain months during wintertime over there that you never see the sun. So I sort of get the whole headlight thing. But the flip side of living with that climate is that in June it never gets dark at all over there- never. So what's the point of enforcing such a silly law?
11 No Blindfolds In Alabama...Duh
Alright, so this stupid law is in here not because it's a bad idea- it's definitely not the worst idea anyone's ever had to require people to, you know, be able to see when they're driving. Because in case you hadn't heard, driving with a blindfold on is a very bad idea indeed. It would be like wielding the world's biggest, most terrible baseball bat and treating everything around you- other cars, buildings, trees, statues, people- like they were all your personal piñata. The fact that the rule actually exists in Alabama is what floors me. Who the hell did what the hell when to make this odd rule of the road spring into being? It's a bad law in that sense because I, for one, can't even imagine what happened to make it real. I don't think I even want to try…
10 Have A Beer! But Not In Costa Rica
Everyone knows that it's perfectly acceptable to drink and drive, right? I mean, c'mon, nobody's ever suffered from drunk drivers… There haven't ever been any campaigns against drinking and driving by students, or moms, or the government, have there? Not a one, not ever, am I right? Well, it's a good thing we don't all live in Costa Rica (I'm assuming you don't all, anyway- I know I don't) because one of the rules of the road there is that it's perfectly to have a steering wheel in your left hand and a cold Budweiser, or whatever they drink in Costa Rica, in your right hand. Just in case you're screaming right now that that is an awful law, don't worry- you're still not allowed to be drunk and drive in Costa Rica, you can only have that beer in your cup holder if you're sober. Yeah, I'm sure that works out great for everybody involved. I guarantee that the cops stop every single person they see with a beer in the car and check them out. And there have never been any problems with this law, I'm sure of it.
9 You Can't Hold Anything In Your Hands While Driving
OK, so you're sick of nursing your beer all day long while you drive around the beautiful Caribbean beaches of Costa Rica. You need a change of driving scenery. So you head on over to Cyprus so that you can drive around the beautiful Mediterranean beaches of that country. But guess what? Not only can you not have your beer while you cruise around- you can't have anything. And I mean nothing, not even a bottle of water. Because why? Well, I don't know, you'll have to ask a friendly Cypriot, but that's the law over there; no food or drinks in the car. I've been known to eat a pint of Cherry Garcia, guzzle a liter of Mountain Dew, and smoke a pack of Camels all at the same time while driving. On a stick shift, no less. I guess Cyprus isn't the place for me.
8 Drunk Passengers In Macedonia
So, as we've already said and everybody knows, drinking and driving is a deadly combination which should be avoided at all times. But what about drinking and passengering? That's right; in some places the driving laws for drunkenness include the passengers! Take Macedonia, for example. In that mountainous little country in southeastern Europe, it is illegal to be a drunken passenger and ride in the front seat. How ridiculous. I mean, half the fun of being drunk in a car is being able to control the radio, am I right? And what if you call a cab because your gang of friends are all drunk but there's only room in the front seat for one of you? Are you gonna be thrown in jail for being responsible? Maybe the Macedonians authorities are worried that those drunk passengers in the shotgun seat are gonna wrest the wheel away from the driver. Or maybe they're just no fun.
7 Fill'er Up In Germany...Or Else
We all like to make fun of the Germans for being so organized, controlling, so precise, and so darned efficient. And why not? They do (or did) after all, have a propensity for being so thorough that they end up starting land wars in Europe. On the other hand, the Germans do have a wild side. That side might best be exemplified by the Autobahn, the awesome "interstate" highway that cuts across the country and allows all those stolid Germans to blaze down the road at 100mph in their Audis, Mercedes. BMWs and Volkswagens. But those Germans can't escape their pesky efficient side completely. If you find yourself speeding down the Autobahn and having to pull over because you forgot to fill up your gas tank, guess what? You Hav Broken Ze Law! You're going to get fined hard because, to the German way of thinking, you caused an "unnecessary" issue by being too dumb to remember to fill up.
6 No Potty Mouths In Maryland
I dare any one of you (well, all of you, actually) to state without lying that you have never cursed at another driver while driving. You know you have- some of us, like myself, have made an unfortunate art of it, scaring small children and spouses more than the other driver we're waving our fists at and giving the finger to. I mean, c'mon, even Mother Teresa or Gandhi would probably start swearing if they found themselves stuck in traffic in, say, Boston or Istanbul. Whatever you do though, don't swear in your car in Rockville, Maryland. Cars are considered a public space there and there is a law against swearing in public. Ita Est. That's Latin for "It is what it is," you nuts. And you'd better believe it is because you can actually go to jail for 90 days for this road rage offense.
5 If It's A Monday, You're Not Driving In Manila
OK, so if you've ever lived in a big city or a climate with a lot of snow, you know there are plenty of rules about which side of the road you can park on, or when you can park somewhere and even what days you can park on certain streets. But the capital city of the Philippines, Manila, has taken it one step further. In a truly nutty attempt to control traffic (at least I assume that's what they're doing) any car with a license plate that ends in the numbers 1 or 2 is banned from being used on Mondays. You heard me right- you are not allowed to drive your car at all on Mondays if it has the wrong number designation. How messed up is that? Especially since it doesn't appear that peoples with 3s and 4s can't drive on Tuesdays or 5s and 6s can't drive on Wednesdays. It seems to be a really terrible rule of the road as far as I'm concerned.
4 Keep Your Undies To Yourself In San Francisco
This is another one of those insane traffic laws that makes me wonder not only why such a thing ever had to be formalized into law but also who the heck is expected to enforce it and how- when you read what it is I'm sure the first thing you're going to think "I'm glad the cops are taking care of this." I'm talking, of course, about that well-known San Francisco road rule that you can never (not ever!) wash your car with your dirty underwear. Or anyone else's, I imagine. Why, dear Lord, why? This is seriously weird. I mean, who would be washing their car with their underwear? Does this mean that you can wash your car with your clean underwear? These are all questions that will keep me up at night. That and the most burning question of all- can you wash your car in your dirty underwear?
3 You Can Go The Wrong Way In Alabama
Remember that scene in Planes, Trains and Automobiles when Steve Martin and John Candy are driving on the wrong side of the freeway. That's not a problem in Alabama. In fact, Alabama is definitely in the running for the craziest driving laws. Here's my case in point. We already talked about how you are not allowed to drive blindfolded in the Heart of Dixie. Well, apparently you are allowed to drive the wrong way down a one-way street. I'm not sh*tting you. All that you have to do is hang a lantern on the front of your car and you're good to go- the wrong way. I really can't figure out why this law exists. Maybe it's to make writers like myself question their sanity when they're researching odd articles. But the truth of the matter is, just hang a Coleman lantern on your front fender and go to town- literally. There's no word on whether hurricane lamps are allowed.
2 Black Cars Forbidden In Denver On Sundays
So pretty much every single one of these rules of the road we've touched upon has been, at best, silly and, at worst, dangerous or seriously misguided. But some just take the cake when it comes to ridiculousness. How about this one, from Denver, Colorado, for example? It seems that the good folk of Denver have a problem with dressing up on Sundays. At least in black anyway. You see it's illegal to drive a black car within the city limits on the Sabbath. I'm not joking and I really don't want to know the reason for this one. I mean does the governor sit around trying to think of increasingly weird and unmanageable laws as a way to keep everybody on their toes? Did the populace of Denver once consider black cars to be Satan's spawn or something? This one is just out of left field, if you ask me.
1 Even Bicycles Have Weird Rules
Last but not least we come to a whacked-out law for bikes on the road. And you thought you were going to be safe to ride your Schwinn when and how you wanted to. Well, sorry to burst your bubble but not in Connecticut. You see, it's not legal for you to speed on your Huffy in that state. In fact, if you go over 65mph, you're going to be thrown in jail. It's crazy, isn't it? I actually would love to see someone going 65mph on a bike- I don't think your average denizen of Connecticut could pull that off. Not without some serious Lance Armstrong style "help" anyway. What a terrible rule of the road to finish off our list. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go to the store pronto and pick up some things. Because before you know it, it will be Sunday and I have a black car.
Source: huffingtonpost


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And, as any kind friend would do (...once they've safely secured their own stash...) I made sure to tell all the girls in my class that this would be my newest obsession, and that as long as they happened to be in the store, that they might as well save the gas for a return trip, and simply pick up the Girls Paperie collections then. *giggle*
I also gave the girls a heads up that they'd soon be seeing the newest a la Modes from My Favorite Things, and hooray, today's the day! Today I've got the super cute Candy Cane Kisses to share with you - isn't she adorable?
A set of Baby Braddies from My Favorite Things adorn each of the stitched corners on the main panel. And since I was having fun dicing up all the papers, I finished up the inside of the card adding extra scraps, stitching and the sentiment inside.
You'll remember that the a la Modes are My Favorite Things cling mounted stamps. You'll see the first four stamps in the collection here - I'm sure you'll love the adorable illustrations, and the clean, crisp impression from the cling mounted rubber.
Be sure to stop by Kim's blog today after 11 am EST for a full list of designers participating in previews today. I can't wait to see all the new cute samples!


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Medieval Peasant Dress
Medieval Peasant Dress consisted of a few basic garments, tunics and/or shirts, leggings or pants, dresses and cloaks. Clothing in medieval times was closely linked to that of your station and as such was closely linked to the pyramidal hierarchy of the day.
Therefore, clothing would be primarily functional in nature with little regard to fashion. It would consist of little, if any embellishment. The garments would also be made of the lowest and most common of materials. The material most likely used would be that of a low grade of wool or linen that generally was rough and scratchy in nature and would be of a natural or un-dyed color.
Peasant Dress would not normally consist of such luxuries as shoes or hats. Headdresses during this time in history were worn primary by those in the upper classes or clergy, distinguishing ones station in life. That being said most medieval peasant clothing ensembles did not consist hat. However, if on the rare occasion the peasant did don a headdress it would most likely be a basic cap for the sole purpose of keeping warm during the winter months. The cap would be made of the lowest of grade of material, such as the aforementioned rough and scratchy wool or linen. It would also be of a natural color as such things as dyes were costly and therefore not available to the medieval peasant. The design of the cap would be that of the most basic as well, like most medieval Peasant Dress.


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HSE Supervisor in Lagos, Nigeria
Job Vacancy at WTS Energy
- Industry
- Oil & Gas / Mining
- Specialization
- Oil & Energy
- Minimum Qualification
- Bachelor's Degree
- Required Experience
- 1 - 3 years
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Gender
- Male or Female
Job Description
SERVICE DIMENSIONS The HSE Supervisor will report on permanent basis to Egina HSE Superintendent. The role will also have a functional reporting line to the Construction Leader. The SERVICE holder will have the responsibility to monitor the implementation of Company HSE Contractual requirements (Exhibit L and General Specifications) at specified yards by all involved. The SERVICE holder is directly responsible to: ? To monitor the implementation of the approved Contractor and sub-contractor project HSE plan and referenced procedures including bridging documents . Participate in Risk Assessment and SERVICE Safety Analysis studies dedicated to construction operations in hands and ensure they comply with related General Specifications and Guide manuals. Monitoring and reporting the Health, Safety and Environmental performance of the Contractor and its sub-contractors on site. Undertake site HSE audits & inspections, and ensure corrective action recommendations are conclusively closed-out. Ensure Hazard identification/reporting, accident reporting and investigation are continuously undertaken Participate in the site emergency preparedness and follow-up the improvement measures undertaken after the regular exercise. Take part in the preparation and attend the meetings of the site HSE committees. To focus on the early identification of potential problems and to propose appropriate solutions to HSE Superintendent. To attend regular meetings with contractors? HSE representatives to discuss and agree on HSE concerns and potential hazards. To be proactive in promoting HSE awareness at all levels within the project team and contractor personnel. To monitor the implementation of control measures identified during risk analyses while carry out the construction activity. To assist in the investigation of accidents and incidents to determine their underlying causes, report anomalies and check corrective actions. To monitor the implementation of actions arising from incident, accident, audit and inspection analyses To check first aid materials and equipment are available on the sites To carry out any other duties or tasks that may be assigned by his hierarchical superiors. HSE To fully comply with office security, health and safety instructions. To stay vigilant and maintain continuous awareness of hazards and surroundings. To also take care of colleagues safety and behavior without hesitating to intervene as much as necessary. To give his own input and making sure the workplace is safe (obviously clean and tidy). When in doubt, ask questions to gain clarification.


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With L.O.V.E. - Letting Others Value Empathy
George Guffey Elementary has partnered with the Division of Social Services for the service learning project titled With L.O.V.E. - Letting Others Value Empathy. There are many children in the local community that enter the foster care system and the students wanted to do something to brighten their day during a traumatic time. The students at Guffey studied empathy. The focus was on the thinking, feeling, and behavior. The students realized that there are children who go through traumatic times, and through the study of empathy they discussed how it might feel to be a child entering the foster care system, and then they decided to act and do something for these children. Each classroom decided how they were going to tie the curriculum to their project. Students made books, bookmarks, flashcards, coloring books and many other items for the With L.O.V.E. bags. Students in the Guffey Character Council decorated the canvas bags and filled the bags with the items from each classroom. The With L.O.V.E. -Letting Others Value Empathy practice will take place three to four times a year.
Ms. Jennifer Fritz
Assistant Principal


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After spending many years as a monk in Australia, Lama Tony travelled to the USA where he stayed for twelve years taking teachings from Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, eventually becoming one of his senior students. After Rinpoche passed away, Lama Tony moved to Nepal where he worked as Tsoknyi Rinpoche's personal translator for nearly ten years, translating mainly Dzogchen and Mahamudra teachings. He also worked as an oral translator for many other great Kagyu and Nyingma lamas during that time. From that time until now he has focussed on producing written translations of the essential texts needed by practitioners and has amassed a major selection of excellent translations of key texts needed in the Sutra and Mahamudra and Dzogchen traditions. Lama Tony has been to Tibet several times where he has received the highest Dzogchen teachings and practised them in retreat, and received permission to pass on these teachings on to Western students.
Lama Tony is well-known for his exceptional breadth of knowledge of the Buddhist teachings from high to low, and an unusual ability to impart them with clear and very practical explanations that go to the hearts of the audience.
The teaching schedule for 2015 has not been finalised. There is plenty of room for teachings in other places than the ones shown below. Contact us soon if you are interested in having Lama Tony come and teach.
2015 Retreats
European Tour Details: June and possibly late in Autumn
June 14th to 21st
Hungary, Tar Retreat Centre—"Ultimate Non-Dual Buddha Nature"
The non-dual buddha nature teachings are similar to Mahamudra and Dzogchen. The teachings are essential for all Tibetan Buddhist practitioners and especially important for Kagyu and Nyingma followers. Practitioners from other European countries are warmly invited to come and receive these teachings. This is a full retreat with teachings starting in the morning and going all the way through to 8pm with breaks for meals, and personal time after lunch. The days are full with extensive teaching, practice sessions, protector prayers, and so Meals with be done in Oryoki style as taught by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
For registration and further information,contact:
name: Beatrix Nagy
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
phone: +36-20-6655-622
Hungary, City Retreat in Budapest—Study and Commentary on the Three and Nine Vehicles
For registration and further information,contact:
name: Beatrix Nagy
e-mail: email@example.com
phone: +36-20-6655-622
- Monday to Friday teachings and practice will go from 6pm and go until 9pm.
- Saturday and Sunday teachings and practice will go from 10am until 12am, 2pm until 4pm respectively. The main practice will be sitting meditation with Sending and Taking meditation for the development of bodhichitta.
June 29th to July 5th
Romania, Oradia Kagyu Centre—Explanation of Samantabhadra's Prayer
The teaching will be given in English and Hungarian. The prayer will be available in English and Hungarian. These teachings will not be given in Hungary so students from Hungary are warmly invited.
For registration and further information,contact:
name: Ujvarosi Monika
e-mail: email@example.com
USA Tour Details: July through September
Teachings and sitting in Ely, Minnesota, and surrounding areas
Lama Tony has specifically been asked to stay in residence for an extended period so that multiple retreats could happen with him and so that an ongoing program of teachings could be presented. A detailed program is being developed; several teachings and retreats have already been scheduled. There will be at least three retreats during the period and at least ongoing beginners and advanced classes meeting regularly during weekdays and weekends. Teaching will, backed by newly translated texts of Longchenpa, focus on the path back to our enlightened condition. Lama Tony is known for his ability to show the traditional Buddhist teachings in a way that does not lose the tradition but makes it accessible to modern mind. The teachings will be especially suitable for Kagyu and Nyingma practitioners.
Lama Tony did not teach during 2014 but stayed at home in order to translate and publish many needed texts.
2014 Retreats
USA Tour Details: April through early May
2013 Teachings and Retreats
- April 11 to 14 - Teachings and sitting in Ely, Minnesota.
Teaching on knowing the mind, covering the most basic point of all Buddhist teaching which is that mind is king over all. This will be at the level of general Buddhist teaching.
- May 1 to 3 - Teachings at the Institute for Consciousness Studies, Santa Barbara, California. Teaching will be on the Sutra of the Recollection of the Noble Three Jewels. There will also be a meeting with the graduate students.
European Tour Details: July through September
July 14
Hungary, Tar Retreat Centre—Open day at the centre to celebrate the birthday of the Dalai Lama with public talk by Lama Tony
Each year hundreds of people come to this festival. This year Lama Tony will give a public address for the assembly.
For registration and further information,contact:
name: Beatrix Nagy
e-mail: email@example.com
phone: +36-20-6655-622
July 15 to 21
Hungary, Tar Retreat Centre—Karmapa III Rangjung Dorje's Prayer of Mahamudra
Rangjung Dorje's prayer is one of the most famous prayers in the Kagyu tradition and a complete and profound exposition of Mahamudra. Lama Tony received the entire teaching on the prayer from Beru Khyentse Rinpoche. The prayer has been translated into English a number of times and a Hungarian version is also available. The teaching will be according to the themes requested by Lama Chophel for his students: the general preliminaries, shamatha, vipashyana, and devotion to the lineage masters. This text is rarely taught by a Western teacher. It will be a wonderful opportunity for students to receive this profound teaching from a Western teacher who has the lineage and will teach directly in English.
Tar Retreat center is an excellent place for practising and taking teachings. Having the blessings of a complete lineage and many dedicated practitioners, it is located in beautiful countryside.
This is a full retreat with teachings starting in the morning and going all the way through to 8pm with breaks for meals, and personal time after lunch. The days are full with extensive teaching, practice sessions, protector prayers, and so on.
July 22 to 28
City Retreat in Budapest, Hungary—Study and Commentary on Maitreya's Prayer
For registration and further information,contact:
name: Beatrix Nagy
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
phone: +36-20-6655-622
Lama Tony will be returning to Karmapa House in Budapest to give a commentary on a very important prayer recited daily by Mahayana followers the world over. Here is some more information about the prayer:
The Prayer of Maitreya, found in the forty-first chapter of the Ratnakuta Great Vehicle Sutra, is one of the five great prayers of the Great Vehicle tradition and, after Samantabhadra's Prayer, one of the most popular prayers for all followers of that tradition. Many think that the prayer was made by Maitreya, the great bodhisattva disciple of Shakyamuni Buddha. However, it was not—it was made by a former incarnation of Maitreya many aeons before Maitreya himself appeared. The Buddha recalled the prayer with his omniscience in order to show the difference between his own approach to enlightenment and the approach taken by Maitreya.
This retreat will be in the style of what we have coined "a city retreat": Monday to Friday teachings and practice will go from 6pm and go until 9pm.
Saturday and Sunday teachings and practice will go from 10am until 12am, 2pm until 4pm respectively.
The main practice will be Sending and Taking meditation for the development of maitri, meaning loving kindness.
Jul 29 to Aug 11
Dharma Gate College, Budapest, A Short Hinayana and Mahayana Seminary
For registration and further information,contact:
College Web-site
name: Laura
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
phone: +36 20 425 4107
Chogyam Trungpa
The value of this cannot overemphasized. This style of teaching gives a complete theoretical and practical basis for correctly treading the Buddhist path. It will be of special value to those many people who have heard a little Buddhist teaching, perhaps from a visiting Tibetan teacher, but who have not gained a proper basis in the teaching and are now confused about the way to proceed. This seminary, because of the special way that it is presented, has the power to fill in the gaps of knowledge both theoretical and practical that many Western Buddhists have been burdened with.
The seminary will be held at the Dharma Gate Buddhist college in Budapest. Dharma Gate is the one of the few Buddhist Universities in the world that is fully accredited up to the Ph.D. level. Students currently studying at a Western university will be able to get academic credit for the course.
August 13th
Beru Khyentse Rinpoche's Centre, Budapest—One evening of dharma teaching
For registration and further information,contact:
name: Arniko Gyoriei
phone: +36 20 425 4107
Everyone is welcome. Lama Tony will give a practical talk on the Buddhist way in the style of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.
August 22nd
Public Talk in Vienna, Introductory talk for the weekend of teachings following on the theme of "What is the Buddha's actual teaching?"
August 23rd to August 26th inclusive
Retreat at Gutenstein retreat centre, near Vienna
For registration and further information,contact:
name: Sylvester
e-mail: email@example.com
The retreat will begin with three days of teaching on essence Mahamudra, based on Gampopa's teachings given to his main disciples, Dusum Khyenpa, Phagmo Drupa, and others. A book with complete translations of the teachings is available through Padma Karpo Translation Committee under the title "Gampopa Teaches Essence Mahamudra.
The fourth day, Monday, will be spent exploring the question of what the teaching of Dzogchen actually is and is not. This retreat will be a most unusual opportunity. In it, Lama Tony will teach a synthesis of all the non-dual teachings of the Buddha starting with the sutra teachings of the second and third wheel, and moving on through Mahamudra and Dzogchen. The retreat will emphasize practice as the container for receiving these teachings. Lama Tony is one of the few Westerners who has such a significant amount of instruction that he is able to show all of the levels of non-dual practice, showing their similarities and differences.
2012 RetreatsJune 16 to 24
Retreat, called "Taking a Safe Direction"
This retreat was based on the Sutra of the Recollection of the Noble Three Jewels with a theme of setting a dependable basis for all levels of practice including Dzogpachenpo. The sutra focusses on the good qualities of the Three Jewels and these will be taught in relation to the Buddhist journey at all stages, including at the level of Dzogpachenpo. The text will be taught as Lama Tony heard it taught in person by the incomparable Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. This will be a practice retreat with meditation instruction and assistance provided.
This retreat has now completed. In the words of the organizer Dan Noltensmeier,
"Lama Tony has a unique ability to present the Buddhist teaching. His integrity, commitment to the students, devotion to the teaching and his teachers, and years of practice combined with deep knowledge of the profound aspects of the teaching are clearly evident"
Month of July, 2012
Lama Tony will be in Halifax, Canada, teaching Dzogchen to selected senior students of the vidyadhara Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and receiving teachings himself.
Month of August, 2012
August 1st and 2nd
Budapest and Tar, Hungary,Karma Ratna Dargye Ling
Heart Sutra, 1st of August 10 am-12 pm (break-lunch) and 2-4 pm in Budapest, at Karmapa House. Sutra of the Three Heaps, 2nd August, 10 am-12 pm (break-lunch) and 2-4 pm in Tar at Tara Temple.
August 3rd
Budapest, Hungary at Beru Khyentse Rinpoche's Centre
One day of dharma teaching.
Month of September, 2012
September 4th to 10th
Buddhist College of Budapest, "The Buddhist Journey and the Sutra of the Recollection of the Noble Three Jewels".
This will be a practical course featuring meditation and meditation instruction combined with teachings on the Sutra of the Recollection of the Noble Three Jewels. Lama Tony will pass on teachings on the sutra that he personally heard from the incomparable Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche who taught it to his students as a basis for the Buddhist journey.
The aim of the course is to create an atmosphere of meditation in which the extraordinary good qualities of Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha can be understood as good qualities that can permeate one's own life. One of the automatic effects of hearing of these amazing good qualities is the appearance of faith and this effortlessly leads to a very personal connection with the Buddha, his teachings, and the global community of people who follow them.
The text of the sutra with three commentaries is available in a book called Unending Auspiciousness recently published by Lama Tony. Participants should purchase it if they speak English. It can be obtained at a discount through this link.
Contact: use the contact link on the menu to request information. We will write back immediately.
Month of October, 2012
Lama Tony will be the senior Western translator at a one month course for translators at KIBI in Delhi, India. He will be translating the first week's teachings ("Sanskrit to Tibetan translation methods") from Tibetan into English then teaching the second week's section called "Tibetan to English translation methods". He will be available privately during the earlier part of the course. The course will accomodate up to one hundred translators; see the KIBI web-site for details.


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Ethiopian photographer Aida Muluneh's The Departure serves as an arresting cover for UNESCO's 2018 report Re|Shaping Cultural Policies. Muleneh created the image as part of her 2016 series 'The World in 9'—about which she wrote (here)
In this world, we are idealists seeking perfection but living in a reality which does not afford us that balance. Life is unpredictable and imperfect – we must conquer these challenges with strength and endurance because the world within us and the world knocking on our door, bears the unknown future.—Aida Muluneh
The gateway to Muluneh's site opens with the tagline "Photographer / Artist / Cultural entrepreneur" (here). While the idea of the "cultural entrepreneur" is increasingly familiar to those who work as and with artists, the idea deserves far more awareness, especially among those who consume cultural production—which is to say "everyone" in today's digital world. Indeed, this gets to the heart of UNESCO's new report.
First, a brief history lesson. In 2005 UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) created the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions. Think of it as in international treaty on the importance of diversity in human culture. The document starts with the establishment of 21 guiding principles, the first four of which are:
- Affirming that cultural diversity is a defining characteristic of humanity,
- Conscious that cultural diversity forms a common heritage of humanity and should be cherished and preserved for the benefit of all,
- Being aware that cultural diversity creates a rich and varied world, which increases the range of choices and nurtures human capacities and values, and therefore is a mainspring for sustainable development for communities, peoples and nations,
- Recalling that cultural diversity, flourishing within a framework of democracy, tolerance, social justice and mutual respect between peoples and cultures, is indispensable for peace and security at the local, national and international levels…
The text of the convention (which you can read in full via this PDF) continues to establish an international protocol for the recognition and protection of cultural producers.
The four goals of the convention are:
- Support sustainable systems of governance for culture
- Achieve a balanced flow of cultural goods and services and increase the mobility of artists and cultural professionals
- Integrate culture in sustainable development frameworks
- Promote human rights and fundamental freedoms
Between 2005 and 2017, over 140 sovereign jurisdictions signed on to the convention, including a few that signed with conditions (source). While one can understand that the culturally myopic former and current Republican administrations would not join the international community of signatories, it should be noted that the United States did not ratify the convention during the Obama administration either. To be clear, I remain disappointed that my homeland remains one of the few non-signatories to this international effort. (For an alphabetical list of signatories, click here.)
Jumping to the present, UNESCO's 2018 global report is a detailed consideration of progress made and challenges faced in the achievement of the objectives cited in the 2005 convention. Given the breadth and depth of important issues related to cultural diversity, the full report is more than 250 pages long. Fortunately it is punctuated with beautiful illustrations and helpful infographics. You can download a summary PDF of the report or a full PDF of the report. [The reports are also available in French here.]
As a taste, I present the key findings for each of the ten chapters below. Among the findings that I find most interesting are:
- The cultural value chain is rapidly being transformed from a pipeline-like configuration to a network model – and few countries have a strategy in place to deal with these changes. (Chapter 3)
- While the global North provides the main market destinations for artists and cultural practitioners from the global South, access to these destinations is becoming increasingly difficult in the current global security climate. (Chapter 5)
- Across the board, the environmental impact of cultural production and artistic practice is not yet sufficiently taken into account. (Chapter 8)
- The number of cities providing safe havens for artists at risk has continued to grow, reaching over 80 across the world. (Chapter 10)
Continue reading »
The latest edition of my Resources for Student Photographers includes over 190 online resources. As shown below, it is a curated list of hyperlinks organized into 21 categories:
- Analog (Non-Digital) Info & Groups
- Analog (Non-Digital) Supplies
- Camera Gear & Supplies
- Camera Gear Rental
- Color Management
- Copyright
- Festivals & Events
- Magazines & Journals (Print)
- Magazines (Online) / Showcases For Photography
- Miscellaneous
- Online Learning / Courses (Paid)
- Online Learning / General Topics (Free)
- Organizations (Art-oriented)
- Organizations & Events (Commercial & Editorial)
- Photo Book Publishers
- Photo Printing (Fine Art)
- Photo Printing (including Books, Cards, Calendars…)
- Portfolio Reviews
- Web Photo Sharing & Storage Services
- Web Portfolio Hosting Services
- Workshops
You can download the PDF here > Photo Student Resources List by Syl Arena rev 171011
Getting Floppy…The State of Digital Photography, Circa 1997
^ Do you remember the days when digital cameras used…floppy disks?
Twenty years ago, the most popular digital cameras had almost half-a-megabyte of resolution and used floppy disks for image storage. Truly. Watch this fun video from 'The 8-Bit Guy' on YouTube. He presents a great history lesson in the state of digital photography circa 1997.
Looking forward, I can't imagine how archaic our current DSLRs and iPhones will look to photographers in 2037. Will they even call it digital photography then?
Students of photography can read iconic works from the earliest years of photography on Archive.org. This is a huge resource for anyone looking for old formulas or to research the arc of approaches to photography over time. As an example, I've posted the Table of Contents from Robert Hunt's 1854 edition of A Manual to Photography just below (which I found here on Archive.org). When you consider that this book (it's fourth edition!) was published just 15 years after the first practical discoveries of photographic processes, I think you will agree that this approach provides historic insights that cannot be gleaned from second- and third-generation histories of photography.
Archive.org is an amazing resource provides free access to millions of titles and other types of media from collections around the world. Older books, those either out of copyright or published before the era of copyright, are available for download as a PDF (see below) and in formats specific to many eReaders. More recent titles, especially those from the mid-20th century on, can be "checked out" via download for 14 days without charge.
Continue reading »
I remain confident that most people want to do right in any given moment. Sometimes however, in the absence of enough information, we must call upon intent as our guiding star.
During a recent walk along the uncrowded beach near my home, I came upon a 6-inch turtle at the surf's edge. I've walked hundreds of miles on this beach and have never heard of anyone coming upon a turtle. Yet, there it was in the beautiful golden hour light. Another passerby stated that it must be a baby sea turtle. I'm always open to witnessing a miracle, so I stayed to see a bit of nature unfold.
The little turtle seemed very focused on swimming out to sea. Yet, again and again the wind-blown waves pushed the creature back onto the sand. Occasionally the surf beached the turtle on its back—which required the luck of another few waves to flip it right side up.
Thinking that I was being a good turtle Samaritan, I eventually waded out into the 54º water and gently tossed the turtle beyond the near-shore breakers. Much to my dismay, it washed back ashore several minutes later—still determined to get off the beach and into the ocean.
Something was clearly wrong here. So I phoned a nearby friend who teaches high school biology. No answer. As the turtle kept heading out into the waves and washing back onto the sand, I searched my phone for info on turtles on the central coast of California.
There was an article on a leatherback that spent some time in the area a few years ago. But the kayaker's photo of the sea turtle showed that it had long, curved fins. My turtle had webbed legs with claws. Slowly an idea emerged…that this was a freshwater turtle and not a baby sea turtle.
The web eventually pointed me to local chapter of the California Turtle and Tortoise Club (yes, there are clubs for everything!). I proposed my quandary to the fellow who answered the rescue line. After a few texted photos, I was advised that indeed this struggling turtle was a southwestern pond turtle that likely had washed to sea from a local creek. Pond turtles, while not yet endangered, are considered a threatened species in coastal California.
Following the rescue line's instructions, I carried the turtle up the coastline to the mouth of the creek and then inland a quarter-mile or so from the surf. In contrast to its vigor on the beach, the turtle stayed hidden within its shell after I set in on a gravel bar next to the water. Then, after five quiet minutes, the turtle slowly stuck out its neck. After another long minute, it extended its legs and walked into creek. With the vigor that I had witnessed on the beach, it swam to the bottom of the deep pool and stayed there.
I continue to think about how we respond to subtle clues. In hindsight, the facts that this turtle had claws and was so buoyant in saltwater that it could not dive under waves, seem like obvious telltales that it did not belong in the ocean. Yet, the context of the moment and the rarity of seeing a turtle on the beach provided plenty of distraction.
The passage of April into May is exciting for many reasons. Among the foremost is that the summer photo workshop season will soon be upon us.
For the fourth summer in a row, I will be teaching an introductory class on flash photography at the Rocky Mountain School of Photography in Missoula, Montana. I love heading to Missoula and completely understand why they say that "Montana is Big Sky Country."
If you've been frustrated trying to learn flash techniques on your own, consider joining us. The week-long workshop starts with the fundamentals and then gently moves on to a variety of creative techniques. We use models as our primary subjects, but the techniques apply equally well to other types of photography (nature, food, product, etc.) As you can see in the photos below, we shoot every day on a range of locations — both indoors and outside.
This is the only flash workshop that I'll be teaching this summer. Beyond the workshop, Missoula is a treasure-trove of great restaurants and a center for outdoor activities like whitewater rafting, fly fishing, horseback riding, mountain biking, etc. Glacier National Park is a couple of hours to the north. If you're on the east coast, don't worry about getting to Missoula. There are several major airlines (including Alaska, Delta, and United) that fly in.
Have a question about the workshop? Just ask via the comment form.
I've taken the past six months off from social media—no Tweeting, blogging, etc. (although I did occasionally post a noteworthy #Crocs&sox photo on Instagram). There is so much noise on the web (the electoral noise may be over, but the consumerist noise will continue to rise). I'm thinking about how not to contribute to the din of it all.
I recently celebrated the one-year anniversary of my brain aneurysm. Of course, it's not the aneurysm that I celebrated, but my 1-in-10 survival. Today is the day that I came home from Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, still in need of tremendous healing, but able to join my family around the Thanksgiving table. A year later, I'm doing fine. There seem to be no long term disabilities.
Understandably, I think a lot about the spaces in my mind. The following are several self-metaphorical photographs that I created in my studio this fall. They are part of the work that I've been doing for my MFA (which I'll write about soon). Contrary to the suspicion that everything is digitally manipulated these days, they are straight photographs created with a 4×5 camera and a vintage BetterLight scanning back. They represent where I've headed with my trichroic lighting since I first wrote about it here.
I am very proud to announce that my Color Ribbon 9775 will be exhibited this summer in New York as part of the Aperture Foundation's "Summer Open 2016." CR 9775 is part of my trichroic series in which I use separate red, green, and blue light sources to illuminate common materials. For a behind-the-scenes look at my early trichroic work, check out this post from February, 2015. For peek at recent trichroic work, click on the photo below to hop to an online gallery.
Charlotte Cotton served as curator for the show. Charlotte is the Curator In Residence at the International Center for Photography in New York. The theme the Aperture show, "Photography Is Magic," ties in with the title of Charlotte's recent book by the same name. The exhibition includes the work of 50 photographers. It opens on July 14 and runs to August 11, 2016 at Aperture's gallery in Chelsea. For details, click here.
My Artist Statement for the Aperture Summer Open
Visual ambiguity creates the magic in my 'Color Ribbon' series. These images play with the viewer's perception of spatial organization. Questions of what is truly in front and what is behind reveal themselves slowly in these images.
In photographs, we interpret depth largely through clues provided by perspective and shadow. My slight-of-hand in this series is that I use three separate light sources in pure red, green, and blue. The merger of these three primary colors creates the secondary colors (yellow, cyan, and magenta). The separation of the sources and the resulting mergers of colored light cast multiple shadows that are often visually disconnected from the illuminated surface.
To create just a bit more visual magic, I use small, irregularly shaped mirrors to reflect light back onto the cut paper. For instance, redirecting red light coming from behind onto a green surface facing the lens creates a patch of yellow that distracts the viewer, thereby enhancing the illusion of the photograph's spatial organization.
Of course there are small tells in each image—small clues that reward the viewer's attention to detail. Bumps along the cut edges of the paper, in places, reveal that I have indeed photographed a sheet of paper that I cut into strips and rearranged as a jumbled bow. There are also spots where the paper's texture becomes apparent through a highlight. Rather than hide these tells through digital manipulation, I leave them in plain sight to honor the sense of magic that is photography.
Canon Updates Its Flagship Speedlite: What's New In The 600EX II-RT
Canon recently announced an upgrade to its flagship Speedlite: the 600EX II-RT replaces the original 600EX-RT. My initial impression is that the new model is well-suited for power shooters who need faster recycle times. While the 600EX II-RT maintains the external layout of the 600EX-RT, the internal heat resistance has been improved to allow for longer runs of continuous shooting. For the fastest recycle times, you'll want to pair the 600EX II-RT with the new CP-E4N battery pack.
Rapid-fire shooters also will be glad to know that the "Quick Flash" feature (which fires the flash when only partially recharged) can now be used when the camera is set to Continuous drive. Also, when the 600EX II-RT is used as a radio master, off-camera Speedlites that are recycled will fire when others are not yet fully recycled. Previously, the system would not fire any off-camera Speedlites until all had checked in as ready-to-go.
Continue reading »
Google's Cultural Institute is providing their Art Camera to museums around the globe. The camera brings the gigapixel zoomability of the Google Earth experience to paintings and drawings. The detail of brushstrokes is amazing…better than sticking your nose up close and having a guard tap you on the shoulder. Plus, you can hop from museum to museum with just a few clicks.
Check the Art Camera out here on Mashable.
Click here to see the collection of Art Camera pix on the Google Cultural Institute site.
Above: an example of the brushwork that can be seen in Cezanne's painting Quarry at Bibémus.
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- Two articles that contemplate the future of photojournalism: https://t.co/JvoQ5Zdi3s and https://t.co/WJLQW8y2qY, Apr 5
- Aida Muluneh's "The Departure" Graces Cover of UNESCO Global Report 2018: Re|Shaping… https://t.co/gJI8tS1Skq https://t.co/FnMg0BaTG4, Dec 24
- Getting Floppy…The State of Digital Photography, Circa 1997 https://t.co/gPz4f7asAT https://t.co/HTSbtX8Xzv, Sep 15
- Check out the worldwide selection of winners from the 2017 Moscow Foto Awards > https://t.co/zaxb7FbGRR, Sep 9
- PhotoFairs Shanghai starts next week. Check it out online > https://t.co/Pqn6EiTsPv, Sep 1
Lighting for Digital Photography
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text:
Sun Devils Stay Undefeated On The Season
Nov. 15, 2006
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP) - Kirsten Thompson scored 14 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to lead No. 11 Arizona State over Nicholls State 91-46 Wednesday night.
Aubree Johnson added 16 points and seven rebounds and reserve Dymond Simon had 15 points for the Sun Devils (4-0), who stretched their homecourt winning streak to 26 games.
Jamie Octave finished with 16 points and Dominique Washington had 14 points and seven rebounds for the Colonels (0-2).
Danielle Orsillo and Thompson each made a pair of baskets in an 8-0 run to get Arizona State out to an early 12-4 lead.
The Sun Devils then ran off nine- and 12-point spurts en route to a 48-18 lead at halftime.
Arizona State went on a 10-2 run to start the second half and the Colonels never got closer than 30 from there.
TODAY | 8:00pm PTLive
Airing on:
- Pac-12 Network
- Pac-12 Arizona
- Pac-12 Bay Area
Pac-12 PlaylistTODAY | 10:00pm PTLive
Football: The PregameTOMORROW | 12:00pm PTLive
Airing on:
- Pac-12 Network
- Pac-12 Mountain
- Pac-12 Arizona
- Pac-12 Bay Area
- Pac-12 Oregon


text:
Welcome to
Ancient Kinfolk
Celebrating over 8 years of family genealogy and research services!
id you know referring to someone as an "old person" is considered very impolite? Listed below are the proper terms for someone between the ages of 70-100.
What do you call a person who is 100 years old or older?
A person who is 100 years old or older is a
. Below you will find some quotes from news stories about centenarians, to show how this word is used. Meanwhile, here are some other words for people who are not quite as old as centenarians:
a person who is between 70 and 79 years old is a
a person who is between 80 and 89 years old is an
a person who is between 90 and 99 years old is a
These words are for specific age groups, and they are used primarily in formal contexts. In casual conversation and informal writing, the polite word for an old person is
senior citizen
, as in this example:
senior citizens
) qualify for a discount at most movie theaters.
Again remember to be polite when referring to someone as an "old person" because someday you just might be a senior citizen yourself!
Quotes about centenarians
"…the majority of active centenarians say they do not feel their chronological age; on average, they report feeling 20 years younger." – Lynn Peters Adler, J.D.,
Next Avenue,
Forbes.com, Aug. 20, 2013
"Bernice Gordon turned 100 last Saturday. This puzzle makes her the first known centenarian ever to have a crossword in The Times." - Laura Magruder,
New York Times, J
anuary 14, 2014
"One large long-term study of people over 100 years old shows centenarians share many traits, tendencies and traditions, even when living oceans apart." – Alanna Glassman,
Sept. 11, 2014
Ancient Kinfolk
hopes you'll join us in prayer so that we can find peace in the difficult times we live in. We
encourage you to spend more time
getting to know your relatives on both sides of your family and with your neighbors too. Our founder recently stated, "that it was truly a treasure to spend time with several cousins on both sides of her family last year. We hope you will take advantage of these opportunities in 2018. Life is so dear and precious!
The next family project is to report on the DNA tests on several relatives! It was truly a fun and rewarding experience to see the footprints of our ancestral legacy. The results were worth the long anticipated wait. In addition, be sure to make time for fellowship and visit with your loved ones, especially those folks who are shut-in or elderly.
inally, did you know that it's been eight years since
Ancient Kinfolk
first opened our virtual doors? Yes, time moves quickly and waits for no one. As a result of our genealogy research, w
connected with folks all across the country. From Kentucky, Michigan, New York, South Carolina, Ohio, Indiana, Alabama to Arkansas and beyond, our founder has connected with many relatives. Due to our success in locating and bringing folks together, w
e will continue to offer
affordable family genealogy and research
services that will fit almost any budget. We hope you'll
continue to journey along with us,
as we continue to grow in 2017. Drop us a line at our email address below...Thanks for all of your support!
Best wishes for abundant blessings,
President and Founder
Copyright (C) 2010-2017 Ancient Kinfolk, Inc. All rights reserved.
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text: The top things to do during Christmas & New Year's in London Jon November 21, 2017 Travel Diaries No Comments For those who want to spend the holidays traveling, big cities such as London tend to be a solid bet. With enough locals & visitors around, there are always plenty of activities to do, and nothing ever shuts down completely. I spent last Christmas & New Year's in London, hanging out with friends & experiencing […] Read More


text:
Ellie Goulding
Sparkling electro-folk-pop
Genres: contemporary electronicdj college
About Ellie Goulding:
Having already conquered her native Britain with the biggest and fastest selling debut album of 2010, Lights—premiering at No. 1 on the U.K. album chart, four hit singles she co-wrote, and a BRIT award—singer-songwriter Ellie Goulding is ready to make a similar splash in America with her sparkling electro-folk-pop sound. Lights is, as the New York Times put it, "a happy car crash of signifiers: part electro-pop, part soul, part blues, part indie rock, part folk" that mixes heartfelt emotion with other-worldly atmospherics.
Anchoring her songs with acoustic guitar, Goulding and her producer, Starsmith, spin cool electronica into dreamy warmth on "Starry Eyed," "Guns and Horses," "The Writer," and "Under the Sheets." "I'm not afraid of pop or electronic music," Goulding says of the euphoric, dance-tillyou-drop vibe of Lights, "but I also wanted the album to embrace my love for folk music, not just by my playing guitar on it, but by writing about things that have truly affected me. I wear my heart on my sleeve and am aware of how I'm feeling all the time, so it's impossible for me to write words that are contrived or meaningless."
Goulding's lyrics are refreshingly direct as she chronicles the highs and lows of love in her airy, gossamer voice. "Under The Sheets" addresses sleeping around, while "Animal" revels in the feverish state of falling in love. "The Writer" cops to her being paralyzed with obsession over a lover. "I've gotten so many messages from girls who can relate to 'The Writer,'" Goulding says. "I think anyone can get to the point where they love someone so much that they just start doing ridiculous things, like smoking or drinking, or dressing differently, I know I've done it." "Guns and Horses" is about falling in love with someone who doesn't really know how to love and wanting to take their pain away. The album takes its title from the song "Lights," which is about Goulding's fear of the dark.
"Having a light on always makes me feel safe," she says. "It gives me strength, which is why I named the album after that song." Then there's the first U.S. single "Starry Eyed," which Goulding describes as "one of those rare songs that isn't melancholy and is actually a bit happier. I kind of throw everything to the wind and say, 'Who cares about emotions? Let's just have fun,'" she says with a laugh. "I love sad songs, but I also appreciate feel-good songs." A self-taught singer and guitarist, Ellie was raised with her three siblings in Hereford, a cathedral city about 16 miles east of the Welsh border. After her parents divorced when she was five, Goulding moved to the tiny rural village of Lyonshall with her mother and her mother's new boyfriend, a lorry driver.
"I basically went from living in the city to suddenly living in the countryside," she says. "At first I hated it, but I slowly grew to love it and became completely fascinated by being surrounded by all this wide open space – it still colors everything I do to this day. "Money was scarce, so Ellie shared a bedroom with her two sisters. "It wasn't easy, plus there was the added stress of my dad leaving, but I got along okay," she says. Her first memory of becoming interested in music is wanting to sing the loudest in her school's assemblies. "I was pretty quiet, but I really loved to sing and would use my voice at any opportunity," she says. "We couldn't afford lessons, so I learned by copying other singers, like Lauryn Hill, Beyonce, and Celine Dion; I loved singers whose voices were really powerful." Being a performer, however, didn't seem like a real possibility. "It didn't feel like something that could ever really happen, coming from my background," she says.
At 15, obsessed with bands like Deftones, Pearl Jam, and Rage Against the Machine, Goulding taught herself to play guitar. "The minute I could master actually strumming and singing at the same time was when I started writing proper songs," she says. In her teens, Goulding sang one of her own compositions for a family friend, who encouraged her to listen to folk music. She soon became inspired by such artists as Alison Krauss, Fleet Foxes, Joni Mitchell, and Sufjan Stevens.
It was while studying Politics, English, and Drama at the University Kent in Canterbury, where Goulding first found the confidence to perform onstage after winning a university talent competition. Gigs in London followed and soon Goulding was looking for a producer to help her flesh out her songwriting ideas. She discovered Vincent Frank, a British electro-pop musician and producer who goes by the name Frankmusik, and got in touch with him via MySpace. "He listened to my demos and really loved them, so we started working together and writing more songs," she says. "I began getting more gigs and that's when I realized I wanted to drop out of university to focus on music."
Goulding moved to London and locked herself in her room with a guitar. Songs like "The Writer," "Starry Eyed," "Salt Skin," "This Love," and "Your Biggest Mistake," came pouring out. After a friend sent a link to a MySpace page for Fin Dow-Smith, a remixer, composer, and musician who works under the moniker Starsmith, Goulding sent him a demo she'd done, which resulted in a fruitful working relationship that continues to this day.
"Fin understood that it was pop, but a bit more emotional," Goulding says of Starsmith, who's known for his remixes of tracks by Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Passion Pit, among others. "I liked that he was this really cool DJ with really fresh sounds, but wasn't afraid of pop music. Working with him was when I started to have faith in my writing and thinking something could actually come of giving music a go."
The two began making tracks for the album in the summer of 2009, demos of which caught the attention of the major labels in the U.K. Goulding signed with Polydor Records and released her first single "Under the Sheets," which she later performed, along with "Guns and Horses," on Later…With Jools Holland, a star-making appearance that won her the attention of both critics and fans. In early 2010, it was announced the Goulding had topped the "BBC Sound of 2010" poll, which surveys critics and broadcasters for their top choices for rising stars in the coming year. She also won the Critics' Choice Award at the 2010 BRIT Awards (previously won by Adele and Florence & the Machine). In February, "Starry Eyed" was released as a single (climbing to No. 4 on the U.K. Singles chart), followed by the March release of Lights, which shot straight
to the top of the U.K. Albums chart. "I found out that the album was No. 1 while driving through the countryside on my way home from a gig up north," she says. "I was very emotional and, quietly, very proud. I felt like this was just the beginning." And it was.
More hit singles followed, "The Writer" and a cover of Elton John's "Your Song," which climbed to No. 2 after being featured in a Christmas commercial for British retailer John Lewis. Goulding hit the road and sold out three headlining tours in the U.K., and performed at numerous music festivals, including Glastonbury, V Festival, and T in the Park, earning rave reviews for her joyful, no-holds barred live shows. Nominated for two 2011 BRIT Awards (for "British Female Solo Artist" and "British Breakthrough Act"), Goulding is gearing up for the Stateside release of Lights. "I'm really excited to come to America and visit new places and see new countryside," she says. "I feel ready to introduce my music and see what people think of it there. I'm hoping they'll like it and be inspired, the way I was when I first heard certain artists. I want to create that excitement you get when you've discovered something special and feel happy to have ever come across it in the first place."
Since 1988, Prime Source Productions, Inc. has served as an agency for buyers in corporate entertainment booking, meeting planning and private entertainment as well as an entertainment booking agent and producer of talent, negotiating on your behalf for your private and corporate event, fairs and festivals. We provide corporate entertainers, speakers, sports celebrities and comedians to make your event successful and memorable.
Prime Source Productions, Inc. is a full service talent booking and production company that is recognized industry wide as a premier resource for talent booking, complete turn-key live concerts, contract and artist rider negotiations and management, live event production including sound, lighting, backline, etc. and onsite event management for business meetings, event productions, corporate event entertainers, conventions and private events, fairs and festivals. Our relationships with national talent agencies along with Artists and their management companies offer our clients the most current information regarding any artist of interest, including pricing and availabilities.
Unless you are an experienced entertainment buyer, most people don't know how to book or hire entertainment. Prime Source Productions, Inc. stays current on artist tours, their future tour plans, and most of all if they make logistical and financial sense for your event.
As an entertainment producer, entertainment consultant and event organizer for special events of all sizes, we do not serve as the exclusive agent, representative or management of any artist. We work for our clients as their representative to contract the Artists, procure production and fulfill the Artist's rider requirements and help our clients produce or oversee their event resulting in saving our clients money!
If you would like information on how to book or hire Ellie Goulding for your next corporate/private event, fair, festival or concert, click on the Request Booking Information tab below and one of our booking agents will be glad to help.
"Every Time You Go"
"Your Song"