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Look up hospital ratings for cardiac surgery in your state, through the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS). Many hospitals voluntarily report their results, which are posted here for adult coronary artery bypass graft (CABG), valve replacement, congenital heart surgery and lobectomy for lung cancer. Most results cover the time period through June 2018. Most hospitals get two stars for "as expected" performance. Outstanding hospitals get 3 stars; under-performing hospitals get 1 star. Search by state or name of hospital to find the best. Excellent website. The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is a not-for-profit organization representing more than 7,600 surgeons and others dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other surgical chest procedures.
How good are the lists of "best cardiovascular hospitals"? Research published in JAMA Cardiology (Journal of the American Medical Association, Cardiology) studied US News & World Report best hospitals list and 2018-2019 rankings for Cardiology and Heart Surgery. For cardiovascular care, the physician researchers indeed found lower 30-day mortality rates (better survival) and higher patient satisfaction at the top cardiac hospitals when compared with nonranked hospitals. Results applied to heart attack (AMI-acute myocardial infarction), heart failure and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG or heart bypass). Researchers did not find lower readmission rates at the top-ranked hospitals. Published December 2018.
Find Heart Bypass Surgery hospital ratings and surgeon outcomes in California. Compare hospital survival rates and cardiac surgeon outcomes for cardiac bypass – coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) done in 2017. Nearly all hospitals performed as expected. Six (6) California hospitals were shown to be significantly worse than CA state average for selected CABG survival rates; 2 were worse on post-op stroke measure or too low use of internal mammary artery (IMA). Doctor ratings found 12 of 276 CABG surgeons had worse outcomes for 2015-2016; 3 were statistically better. Updated by Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development (OSHPD), October 2019.
Heart bypass surgery survival rate information by hospital and by physician; 30-day mortality rate for cardiac bypass surgery (CABG) was 1.57% in 2013 (9.27% if you got an infection). Individual surgeon risk-adjusted performance over 2 years, and general information about NJ hospital infections in CABG surgery also shown. Published by New Jersey Dept. of Health November 2016. Numbers of cardiac procedures including cardiac cath performed at each hospital in 2018 (published April 2019) are also available at this site
Find New York heart survival rates in this adult cardiac surgery performance ratings report. Compare in-hospital/30 day mortality rates by hospital name and surgeon name. Number of cardiac surgery cases and deaths shown for adult heart bypass (CABG) and aortic or mitral valve surgery patients. Risk-adjusted mortality data, observed rates versus expected death rates, 2014 to 2016. Isolated CABG observed mortality was 1.67% in 2016. Overall valve surgery mortality averaged 3.12% (2014-2016). Readmission rates are shown by hospital as well. The New York State report also describes outcomes for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (TAVR, also sometimes called Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation or TAVI). Detailed report published by NY state Department of Health, April 2019
New York hospital ratings for pediatric cardiac surgery. Compare survival rates among 10 NY hospitals during a 4-year period, 2010-2013. Includes mortality rate info at each hospital. Columbia Presbyterian-NYP was noted as best performer (lowest risk adjusted mortality). Montefiore-Moses was the worst performer. Other hospitals performed as expected for Pediatric Congenital Cardiac Surgery. 20-page report released September 2016 (no updates as of Oct. 2019)
Compare New York hospital and physician-specific ratings for PCI, also known as PTCA (angioplasty) or coronary stenting. Hospital survival rates (risk-adjusted mortality rate – RAMR) show which hospitals and which cardiologists are significantly better or worse than the state average. In-hospital/30 day observed rate was 0.84% for non-emergency cases 2016. When emergency cases are added in, the 2016 mortality rate goes up to 1.24%. Consumers can also find volume and survival information by cardiologist's name (2014-2016), which New York has been reporting for years. NY State Department of Health report is 77 pages; published April 2019.
Compare hospitals or cardiac surgeons (by name) side-by-side for Cardiac (heart) Bypass surgery (CABG) and heart valve cases for 27 months 2014-2016. Risk-adjusted Mortality (survival) rate and readmissions, open heart surgery volume, length of stay in hospital, and average charges (price). Case volume and performance ratings by surgeon's name are shown in separate reports. Survival rates for CABG without valve were high (1.5% mortality) in 2015. In 2014, Medicare paid an average of $44,246 for a valve procedure, about the same they paid in 2011. Average charge for a valve procedure was $221,000. Report by PHC4, the PA Health Care Cost Containment Council, Jan. 2017
Find Texas hospitals with better survival rates for heart bypass (CABG). Scroll to CABG at this State of Texas site, to find the 2016 report. Observed mortality rate was 2.84% for Coronary Artery Bypass Graft. The average charge for CABG was about $234,000. The largest volume hospital for CABG surgeries (over 650 cases) was CHI St Lukes Health Baylor College of Medicine Medical Center in Houston, which had a 4.12% death rate. The highest observed mortality rate (8.08%) for CABG was at Northwest Texas Hospital in Amarillo; it had about 100 cases in 2016. Reports are part of the section called Indicators of Inpatient Care in Texas Hospitals Present on Admission (POA) at dshs.texas.gov.
Find Texas hospitals with better survival rates for PCI Angioplasty in 2016. Scroll to Percutaneous Coronary Intervention (PCI). The overall PCI mortality rate was 3% for 2016. Texas Health Harris Methodist in Fort Worth had a 2.95% mortality rate. Death rates were highest at Hopkins County Memorial Hospital in Sulphur Springs (8.57%) with only 35 cases, and at University Medical Center Brackenridge (8.47%,) with only 59 cases. Average charge per case in TX was about $127,000. Better hospitals sometimes cost less. Harris Methodist average charge was about $96,000. Report by the State of Texas Health Care Information Collection (THCIC)
Compare complications and survival rates for pediatric heart surgery at Texas hospitals. The 2016 report shows complications (but not mortality). View the 2014 report for survival rates. Hospitals typically report mortality rate rather than survival rates. Average risk-adjusted mortality rate for the state was 3.35%. Texas Childrens was at 1.67%. Of the eight Texas children's hospitals listed in 2014, one hospital (Texas Childrens at Houston) had both the highest volume for pediatric heart surgery, and the lowest risk adjusted mortality rate. On the other hand, Cook Childrens showed significantly higher mortality (worse survival) at 6.56%. Volumes (number of cases) are also shown for each hospital. State of Texas Health Care Information Collection, 2016 data and older reports
Cardiac Care Comparisons at Virginia hospitals, mortality (deaths) and readmissions for 2017. Provides side by side VA hospital comparisons for volume, whether the hospital performed better or worse than expected for patient survival ratings. Cardiac cases are grouped by type: Medical cardiology including heart attack, heart failure, Invasive cardiology. including cardiac cath, pacemaker, angioplasty PCI, and Open Heart surgery, valves and CABG (heart bypass). Sort by Mortality rating to see top performers on the top of the list. This report shows 3 hearts are better than one. Click on the hospital name to see full reports where outpatient charges are shown for some procedures (2016 prices along with number of cases), efficiency, 2017 financial results, charity care, 2017 hospital service line numbers, and patient satisfaction levels (2017-2018) are shown. Prepared by Virginia Health Information (VHI). One of the best state hospital comparison sites, so we gave it Editor's Pick. Updated Feb. 2019
Washington hospital ratings for cardiac surgery in 2018. Compare over 30 hospitals in WA on PCI – percutaneous coronary interventions (reopening clogged arteries), and cardiovascular surgery outcomes. Shows volume of PCI, CABG and Valve surgeries, and how hospitals did on the patient survival measures (mortality). Other than learning the number of cases, the site is difficult for consumers to easily understand. Best if you raise your questions to your medical professionals. Site by COAP – Clinical Outcomes Assessment Program, from the non-profit Foundation for Healthcare Quality, 2019
Two-page Cardiac Data Registry table shows the number of open heart surgeries at each New Jersey hospital in 2018 and 2019. Scroll to Data Charts. Open heart surgery, diagnostic cardiac catheterization cases, PCI, total volume was nearly 106,000 cases in 2018. Morristown Memorial Hospital had the largest number of cardiac cases (over 10,000) in the state in 2018. NJ Dept. of Health
Find various reports on heart disease in New York. Additional cardiovascular reports on outcomes by the NY state Department of Health can be accessed here


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The free Camping World catalog is the place to turn for RV parts, supplies and accessories. Camping World provides thousands of RV accessories through their online parts catalog including awnings and canopies, appliances for RV's, generators and grills. So if you are looking to upgrade your RV or just want to add a new accessory, make Camping World the first choice for all of your RVing needs.
Sports & Outdoor Equipment Catalogs
Baseball Express Catalog
The free Baseball Express catalog is dedicated to bringing baseball players the best and the latest baseball equipment available. We are your one stop shop for baseball bats, baseball gloves, baseball cleats, and much much more! Free baseball and sporting goods catalog.
Basketball Express Catalog
The Basketball Express catalog is dedicated to bringing basketball players the best and the latest basketball equipment available. Basketball Express is your one-stop shop for basketball shoes, basketball clothing, basketball equipment, basketball gear, and much more!
Bass Pro Shops Catalog
If you are into fishing, you'll want the Bass Pro Shops catalog right away. Bass Pro Shops has added thousands of items for all types of anglers including the newest gear from the best brands on the market. Inside the catalog, you will find the latest tournament lures, rods, and reels plus the largest selection of top-quality gear for camping, boating, or whatever your favorite activities are. This catalog is for folks who love to fish!
Cabela's Catalog
Get the Cabela's hunting and fishing catalog and gear up for the great outdoors! Inside you'll see Cabela's most extensive line of merchandise including the latest innovations in camouflage clothing, footwear, camping, optics, accessories and more. Find everything you dream of for hunting, fishing, camping, and outdoor recreational needs.
Direct Sports Catalog
The Direct Sports catalog is all about baseball and softball. Direct Sports offers gear for every position on the field and they cater to players, with an excellent selection of bats, balls, gloves, and mitts. For coaches, Direct Sports has a great selection of training aids including pitching machines, team uniforms, footwear, and accessories.

subset: commoncrawl


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MisCon 23 Hospitality Photo Album
Feeding the attendees, staff, freaks, minions, and other interesting persons and things at MisCon.
Showing Photos 1 through 5 of 5
The Wheel
Viewed 15 times.
Taking Inventory
Viewed 14 times.
Choice of Snacks
Viewed 16 times.
Games in Hospitality
Viewed 14 times.
Take a Break
Viewed 15 times.
If you have a picture from MisCon or a MisCon event, you can submit it for review to be added to the site!


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Two universities in the U.K. have developed a prototype smart card fitted with mass memory stick containing an individual's medical records. The MyCare Card prototype was developed by City University London and Coventry University, with funding from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
The MyCare Card, pictured left, stores personal medical data, such as information on existing medical conditions, allergies, and medications being taken. The data are stored on a device like a common memory stick that fits inside the card area, and plugs into a computer's USB port, allowing the data to be quickly accessed.
Information stored on the card/stick includes personal data entered by the holder, such as next-of-kin and emergency contacts. Hospitals, clinics, physicians, and pharmacies can add data about the individual's medical conditions, history, and medications. The data also include a log of accesses to the information.
Separate browser software enables the card holder or medical professionals, once authenticated, to log-in and read the data. The data can help hospital emergency room staff or paramedics avoid life-threatening situations from patient allergies or hidden medical conditions. It can be particularly useful where the patient is not able to communicate with care givers.
The MyCare Card has been tested on small samples and is considered ready for a full-scale pilot. The three-year project is funded by an EPSRC grant of £260,000 ($US425,700).
Read more: Hospital-Community Partnership Cuts Heart Disease 24%
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Sunday, June 21, 2015
Try This, Cellar That - BC Meritage
Try This...
TIME Estate Winery 2012 Meritage Red - $30
The Time Estate Meriatge is a Right Bank inspired blend of 60% Merlot, 29% Cabernet Sauvignon and 11% Cabernet Franc with intense, blue-fruit purée aromas supported by dry herbs, mocha and warm oak notes. Still an early-to-mid-range drinker to enjoy while your other blends incubate. Drink now-2018.
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Cellar That...
Black Hills Estate Winery 2012 Nota Bene - $55
Nota Bene has been a Cabernet Sauvignon-leading blend for the past 11 vintages, but, for 2012, the winery has switched back to a Merlot-driven Meritage blend, similar to the inaugural release of 1999. The latest edition sees a whopping 57% Merlot mixed with 35% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc and despite the changes, the 2012 offers good typicity for the iconic brand suggesting the vineyard site is the most dominant influence over the finished wine and not the finite percentages of the main components. Drink 2017-2022
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- Liam Carrier ©copyright 2015 IconWines.ca
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Microsoft settles out of court with Dubai 'pirate' retailer
Illegal copies of software seized by authorities in recent Bur Dubai raid
Microsoft Gulf has reached an out-of-court settlement with a Dubai retailer caught selling pirated copies of its software.
Illegal copies of Microsoft Windows and Office were seized by authorities in a recent raid on a store in the Al Khaleej Centre in Bur Dubai, Microsoft said in a statement.
The out-of-court agreement, which also included an undisclosed sum for damages, stipulates that the reseller will refrain from distributing any pirated Microsoft software in the future.
"We are heavily investing our resources and time into winning the battle against software piracy in the Gulf", said Jawad Al Redha, IPR Manager at Microsoft Gulf.
"By intensifying our collaboration with government and law enforcement agencies we aim to ensure that resellers selling pirated software are brought to justice."


text: Concert pianist Orli Shaham guest hosts this week's From the Top from Brunswick, Maine! We'll hear her talk shop with a superb teenage pianist who performs the music of Brahms, meet a violinist from Maine who happens to do serious biomedical research when he's not in the practice room, and a very young, very fun brother-sister guitar duo plays contemporary music from Brazil. *PERFORMERS* 16-year-old cellist Jiaxun "Caroline" Yao from Flushing, NY performing: I. Prologue: Lent, sostenuto e molto risoluto from the Sonata for Cello and Piano by Claude Debussy with Orli Shaham, piano || Davisson Guitar Duo: Elle Davisson, 10, and Jack Davisson,13, from Palo Alto, CA performing: "Jongo" by Paulo Bellinati || 17-year-old bassoonist Aaron Brown from Shapleigh, ME performing: I. Vivace from the Sonata for Bassoon and Piano by William Hurlstone, with Orli Shaham, piano. || 17-year-old pianist Avery Gagliano from Philadelphia, PA performing: I. Intermezzo in A minor and III. Ballade in G minor from 6 Klavierstücke, Op.118 by Johannes Brahms || 17-year-old violinist Brandon Aponte from Blue Hill, ME performing: "Méditation" from Thaïs by Jules Massenet, with Orli Shaham, piano || Finale: All performers with Orli Shaham perform VI. Le Pas Espagnol from Dolly Suite, Op.56 by Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924), arr. by Simon Frisch


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Embodied Selves in Transition: Disabled Young Bodies
- Project Dates: From March 2011 to February 2013
- Project Leader: Dr. Janice McLaughlin – Geography, Politics and Sociology
- Staff: Prof. Allan Colver (Institute of Health & Society), Prof. Patrick Olivier (CIs), Gavin Wood, Dan Jackson, Dr. Cass Ladha, Dr. Jayne Wallace, Dr. Edmund Coleman-Fountain, Dr. Abigail Durrant – Geography, Politics and Sociology.
- Sponsors: ESRC
The project will explore the embodied selves of disabled young people. Its focus will be on how they create meaning from and via their bodies; how the body plays a role in their engagement with the social and material world; and how embodiment is influenced by their social transition into adolescence. A particular aspect of the work will consider how they define, understand and manage pain.
The project will involve a variety of methods which will bring together digital and textual data and modes of analysis. The approach of the research will be influenced by a research panel of disabled young people who will help develop the methodology and analysis.


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Faculty 360 | Eric Walker, 12/18/2016
Forage Research
UT researchers are looking for the best forage for cattle to produce high quality beef. The goal is to grow hay for cattle in the hot, dry months of summer when fields are usually barren.
Contribution of Agriculture to Robertson County, W622.
Hughes, D. W., H. E. Wright, S. Upendram, R. J. Menard, A. Smith, B. C. English, and K. L. Jensen. 2018.
University of Tennessee, Dept of Ag. & Resource Economics.


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We have one of those doorbells you can see out of. You know what I mean. With a TV camera in it? You can talk to people through your doorbell.
We were early adopters. When we first got our two-way doorbell, they were still fairly uncommon. We could still get a nice little jump out of the delivery guy by barking at him through the doorbell.
"What? [He's looking all around.] What?"
Now everybody's got them. I say, "Thank you very much," into my cell phone, and the delivery guy just half-waves behind his back at the doorbell, like, "Get a life, buddy."
I forget why we got it. I think it was because being able to see people through our doorbell just seemed really cool. But as soon as we had one, we decided that all the gifts Santa was sending people were being thieved off front porches by a great army of front-porch grinches, and it was our duty and even our sacred mission in life to catch them with our two-way doorbell.
We have joined at least a couple of networks devoted to catching package thieves, and we get reports from far and wide, very far and very wide. I think some of these reports may even be coming in from other states. It's absolutely astounding how many people are out there, not exactly stealing the packages maybe but walking right past the front porches where the packages are and looking sideways at them. We've got video.
Having a two-way doorbell does strange things to you sometimes. I had a very strange encounter with a guy one day through my doorbell. He was pretty obviously a homeless person. I wasn't at home, but that's the other cool thing: You can lie and say you're at home when you're not. So I did.
We wound up chatting for quite a while. None of it made much sense. Somehow we got off into philosophy. Finally I noticed that, unlike most people you talk to through your doorbell, he wasn't stooping and trying to speak back to the doorbell.
And then it struck me. He didn't care where I was. I could have been in a tree. Or not there at all. Fine with him.
The whole thing takes getting used to. If someone pushes the doorbell, it rings on my cell phone wherever I am. But the doorbell also has a motion detector, so anything that moves around much right in front of the doorbell makes a little chiming sound on my phone.
When I first had it, I thought I wanted to see anything that was moving around on my porch, in case it was a grinch. But nine times out of 10 it was the feral cat my wife feeds on the front porch, and I swear he was staring right at the doorbell, kind of standing there like Puss 'N Boots in his boots jabbing one paw toward the bowl and mouthing, "M.T.!!!!"
There's a sharp hissing sound I can make through the doorbell that makes the cat jump. Maybe that's how he learned where I was.
I finally readjusted some of the settings. I was at work in a story meeting one day, and I realized I had sort of lost the thread because I was staring at the feral cat on my porch at home. I knew that was not a good thing, so I re-did the settings to block him. But he's started showing up again lately. He must have figured something out.
Speaking of which, our adult son, the magician, comes back to town during the holidays for a work gig and stays with us. He has a key. He thought he was funny at first, letting himself into the house in front of the doorbell with a plastic garbage bag over his head, but that was too disturbing. Now he has figured out some way to walk right past the doorbell without being seen. Way more disturbing.
In fact, I think the whole two-way doorbell thing has a deeper effect on people psychologically than we may suspect at first. I was fishing with some guys on Lake Texoma, and the motion detector ting-a-ling'd on my phone, so I looked at it. It was my wife leaving the house. I said to the phone, "Where are you going?"
A strangely disembodied voice replied: "None of your business." So I put the phone away.
They were all staring at me. I said, "It was my wife. I could see her through my doorbell. She was going somewhere. So I asked her where she was going. She told me it was none of my business."
They were still all staring at me. One of them started shaking his head. "Oh, Jim," he said. "I just … I don't know if that's a good thing."
"Not good at all," another one said.
"Seems like it would change the whole institution of marriage," another said.
Oh, fine. It's just a damn doorbell. I pretty much stopped looking at it for the rest of the fishing trip, except for a couple of times when it was the cat. I overcame an impulse to hiss at the phone.
But it does kind of invade you. It has night vision. There is some kind of infrared camera in it that allows you to look out from the front porch when it's dark outside, but what you see on your phone is all black and white and spooky like a horror movie. For a while I was waking up at 4 a.m. and looking out there.
At that hour the street is a black-and-white dreamscape, motionless, silent, haunted. And then here comes the damn cat, menacing in black and white, staring at the doorbell and jabbing at the dish: "M.T.!!" Or did I dream that? By morning I can't remember.
What if we had two-way cameras in every room? I think that might actually be what they call the end times.
There is something about the ads for these things on TV that I do not like at all. They all show these bad guys out on the porch or in the driveway about to filch a package, and then there's this dweeb-y little dude inside the house staring at his phone.
In the ads, the dweeb says something very unconvincingly tough into his phone like, "All right you fellows, you had better scat now!" And the bad guys all run off in a great yodeling, arm-flapping stampede.
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I just don't know that I believe that. How long would that work? I mean, look, the feral cat has it figured out already. My son can walk right through it, and he's invisible. What if the grinches start growling back at the doorbell: "We're comin' in though the doorbell, dude, and we're gonna getcha!"
Anyway, there's something I just don't like about a model of the world in which we're all little dweebs sitting inside on our sofas hissing at our cell phones. It feels very claustrophobic. I think after a while I'd want to go out there myself and steal some packages just for the fresh air.
So what I'm really waiting for — scouring Amazon, in fact — is the first two-way doorbell Taser. You know it has to happen. It's inevitable.
You'd have to warn people, of course. You'd have to put up some kind of sign: "We can see you, and we can Tase you." I promise I would never do that to the cat.


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All members in good standing are free to post here. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the posters, and have not been cleared with nor are they endorsed by The Miniatures Page.
For more information, see the TMP FAQ.
Back to the SYW Message Board
14 Feb 2018 12:11 p.m. PSTby Editor in Chief Bill
The Acolyte Vampires return - based, now, and ready for the game table.
It's back to pirates for Adam8472 !
Editor in Chief Bill looks at the new U.S.S. Constitution for Black Seas.
1,242 hits since 25 Jul 2017
©1994-2020 Bill Armintrout
Comments or corrections?
Looking at the wiki page on the battle of lobositz(yes not the best source)
The Austrians lost only 10 more men rha than the prussians. Also Prussians had the tactical victory while Austria got the strategic victory.
This sounds like a fixed match to me.
But this might have bigger ramifications.
The whole war was quite even. Both sides had their shares of major victories and major losses.
It's almost like Lobositz was a signal; this war will be much more even than the last two. And that of course means that potentially the whole war was staged and fixed from the start.
Well, purely in the abstract, I wouldn't put it past Frederick, but Her Imperial Majesty the Empress Maria Theresa would never have consented to such a thing.
Also there's the old "cui bono?" (No, NOT Cher's ex, and not the "aid to Africa" fellow, either.) The SYW may be beloved of Old School wargamers, but it cost both monarchs a fortune without changing any borders, and it's not as though they made it up on ticket sales. Real phony wars are cheap and bloodless. See Russia's war with Austria in 1809, or the terrors of America's state of war with Finland during WWII.
Now, maybe the bookies fronted the War of Bavarian Succession.
Uh, Robert, the US was never at war with Finland. We made lots of threatening noises, but I don't think we actually declared war on them.
Hmmm. My mother told me otherwise, and she was old enough to remember.
No matter! The Flames of War people tell me that the UK did, though the US did not--and what could be more accurate than the FOW website? Substitute "Britain's War with Finland during WWII."
Trying to remember which Central American republic declared war on Japan following Pear Harbor--actually faster than we did. Another high-intensity operation, though one appreciates the sentiment.
It's good to have friends.
Actually, Finland declared "a state of hostility" with the US to satisfy its German ally. The US ignored it.
Actually America did plan an invasion of Finland. But after hearing about the White Death and the hakapelita. The casualty projection said 700 million dead American soldiers the first week of invasion. So they scrapped the whole idea.
makes me want to watch Barry Lyndon again, great movie
Thank goodness we dropped Little Boy on Helsinki and we saved all those American and Finish lives.
During WWII the United States declared war on Japan, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania. I am guessing that the US declared war on these three minor German allies because we were conducting bombing missions in those countries.
I bet the declaration of wars took place just before one of the big bombing raids on those countries. Might also have something to do with the fact that Finland did not declare war on the US. I do believe Canada and Britain declared war on Finland. Anyone want to check this out, feel free.
How did we get from Lobositz to WWII Finland?
Sorry - only verified members can post on the forums.


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In order to provide basic shopping cart functionality, there are a few pieces of data that we need to capture. The capture of this data is required for us to fulfill our contractual obligation.
We collect data based on your browsing and shopping behavior to be analyzed for various purposes, such as providing a better shopping experience to our customers.
We offer an enhanced shopping experience using services provided by third-parties, who require us to share your personal data with them in order to provide personalized services to you. You can find more information on the services and the data shared in our Privacy Policy.
We collect data on your shopping behavior, to present you with useful marketing content such as product recommendations.
This tee features art and tour back dates from the Run the World Tour. Relive the experience from tour through this limited edition shirt. Printed in California, USA.


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Video settings
Screen resolution
By default, Userflow records videos with a resolution of 1280 x 800 pixels. This ratio matches most laptop displays.
There are reasons why you might want your videos in different resolutions:
- Some content providers can only show videos in certain aspect ratios. One example is Intercom, which will always display videos in 16:9 format. To get 16:9 format, you could change your resolution to 1280 x 720 pixels.
- Your web app is tailored to a different aspect ratio.
You can change the resolution of individual videos through Video settings in the top three-dot menu on the video's Manuscript page.
You can also set a company-wide default resolution, which will be used on all new videos, under Settings in the top menu item.
Here's a walk-through of how to use custom resolutions:
The screen resolution width and height values can be any even integer between 500 and 1280 pixels.
Got questions? We're here for you!
The best way to get help is to
We usually reply within 5 minutes
You can also send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com
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What is a bipolar stepper motor
What is a bipolar stepper motor?A bipolar stepper motor is a type of two phase stepper motor that has a single winding per phase. The current in t5he winding of this type of motor needs to be reversed in order to reverse a magnetic pole, thus making the drive control on bipolar stepper motors much more complicated.
Related Questions
Will reversing polarity damage a proximity switch or proximity sensor?Reversing the polarity on a proximity switch or proximity sensor should not damage it unless there is some kind of massive surge or short circuit at the same moment.
Additional InformationTypes of ActuatorsHydraulic
A hydraulic actuator consists of a cylinder or fluid motor that uses hydraulic power to facilitate mechanical operation. The mechanical motion gives an output in terms of linear, rotary or oscillatory motion. Because liquid is nearly incompressible, a hydraulic actuator can exert considerable force, but is limited in acceleration and speed.
The hydraulic cylinder consists of a hollow cylindrical tube along which a piston can slide. The term double acting is used when pressure is applied on each side of the piston. A difference in pressure between the two side of the piston results in motion of piston to either side. The term single acting is used when the fluid pressure is applied to just one side of the piston. The piston can move in only one direction, a spring being frequently used to give the piston a return stroke.
A pneumatic actuator converts energy formed by compressed air at high pressure into either linear or rotary motion. Pneumatic energy is desirable for main engine controls because it can quickly respond in starting and stopping as the power source does not need to be stored in reserve for operation.
Pneumatic actuators enables large forces to be produced from relatively small pressure changes. These forces are often used with valves to move diaphragms and so affect the flow of liquid through the valve.
An electric actuator is powered by a motor that converts electrical energy to mechanical torque. The electrical energy is used to actuate equipment such as multi-turn valves. It is one of the cleanest and most readily available forms of actuator because it does not involve oil.


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What is cabling? Cabling is the foundation of your network, it is the medium that connects all your computers and servers together and is probably one of the most important and often overlooked items in business networks. The process begins by installing a twisted pair cable made up of twisted wires surrounded by a protective jacket to connect data lines to a computer or other network component. The cables are run through ceilings and walls, out of sight, and link a data/phone drop to a patch panel, or other termination block often installed within a rack in a server room or telecom closet. Simply put, cabling is used to link together computers so they may form a common network and communicate seamlessly with one another.
Anatomy of a typical cabling installation:
Once your office is properly cabled, efficiency is sure to increase and any additions or changes to the cabling system will be easy to accomplish. So how do you get started? There are several variables that must be considered before you begin. The first is what type of cable will be used. There are various cable types and using the correct one is critical. As technology advances, cable protocols are becoming faster and better.
After you have selected your cable speed requirements you have to determine with jacket type is required for your particular installation:
Another important factor to consider is what type of ceiling you have in your building. This will directly affect how the cabling will be installed.


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- Specification
Specification for LANDMANN Grill Chef Tennessee Charcoal Barbecue
ADDITIONAL FEATURES Front Loading Charcoal Oven CE APPROVED Yes COOKING AREA 42 x 56cm DIMENSIONS 112 x 108 x 64 (WxHxD) FACTORY ASSEMBLED COOKING UNIT Yes GAS TYPE Charcoal GRATE TYPE 2 x Enamelled GUARANTEE 2 Years HEAT INDICATOR IN HOOD Yes HOODED GRILL Yes PRODUCT ID NO 11503 REMOVABLE DRIP TRAY Ash Draw SIDE WORK SURFACE (TABLE) Yes WHEELS Yes Colour Black
- Description
Landmann 11503 Grill Chef Tennessee Broiler
Boasting a large 42 x 56cm cooking area covered with 2 x enamelled cooking grills which is ideal for cooking for up to 10 people at one, this Landmann charcoal BBQ is different to anything you have seen previously. Not only does this BBQ look good, perform excellently but it also cleans very easily too, with an easy to access ash draw you can simply remove with no mess or fuss. Backed by a 2 year manufacturing warranty, you can believe in the quality and design of this charcoal barbecue.
Designed with a painted lid and firebowl which is resistant up to a high heat level, within the lid is a temperature gauge which allows you to keep check on the temperature of the cooking area without having to lift the lid. With a front loading charcoal tray which is perforated and height adjustable allowing you to control the temperature of the grill - simply lower this grill for less heat which is ideal for longer cooking times, or higher for a more intense heat for grilling.
Fitted with a sturdy foldable side table which gives valuable extra space for preparation whilst the bottom wire shelf is ideal for storing crockery or other cooking utensils. The trolley base had been built with 2 wheels and a handle to the left hand side allowing the grill to be easily moved around the patio or garden.
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Customer Reviews for LANDMANN Grill Chef Tennessee Charcoal Barbecue
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Principales Questions: Standard butterfly.
Position Adoptée: Favourable rulings given.
Raisons: Meets requirements of the law.
Principal Issues: 1. Whether Organization is an "other educational institution". 2. Whether the Organization is exempt under paragraph 149(1)(l).
Position: 1. Question of fact, but likely not. 2. Cannot confirm.
Reasons: 1. Organization is not empowered by any federal or provincial statute to regulate certification or professional status. 2. Determination can generally only be done after considering all the activities of the taxpayer during a year.
Principal Issues: If a specified person is only able to work for part of the year due to a maternity leave, would dividends paid on the shares held by such person an "excluded amount" under the definition in subsection 120.4(1) on the basis that the "excluded business" exception would apply?
Position: Question of fact but if that person meets the average of 20 hours per week for the portion of the year they actually worked then it is possible for the excluded business exception to apply.
Reasons: Guidance from the explanatory notes issued by Finance Canada.
Principal Issues: Whether the term "merger" as used in subparagraph 40(3.5)(c)(i) may include a winding-up.
Position: Yes.
Reasons: Based on the various Canadian legal definitions of the term "merger", such term may be broadly interpreted so as to include a winding-up. Furthermore, had Parliament intended to exclude a winding-up from the reference to "merger" in subparagraph 40(3.5)(c)(i) it would have specifically done so by incorporating exclusionary wording to that effect, as was done in subsections 87(1), 87(8.1), 87(8.2) and 128.2(3). Furthermore, based on the text, context and purpose of paragraph 40(3.5)(c) the tax deferred liquidation of CCo should not result in the suspended loss becoming available, as such liquidation should fall within the ambit of "merger" in subparagraph 40(3.5)(c)(i).


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Simon's Satisficing Theory (with Criticisms)!
Nobel laureate, Herbert Simon" was the first economist to propound the behavioural theory of the firm. According to him, the firm's principal objective is not maximising profits but satisficing or satisfactory profits.
In Simon's words:
"We must expect the firm's goals to be not maximising profits but attaining a certain level or rate of profit, holding a certain share of the market or a certain level of sales." Under conditions of uncertainty, a firm cannot know whether profits are being maximised or not.
In analysing the behaviour of the firm, Simon compares the organisational behaviour with individual behaviour. According to him, a firm, like an individual, has its aspiration level in keeping with its needs, drives and achievement of goals. The firm aspires to achieve a certain minimum or 'target' level of profits. Its aspiration level is based on its different goals such as production, price, sales, profits, etc., and on its past experience.
This also takes into account uncertainties in the future. The aspiration level defines the boundary between satisfactory and unsatisfactory outcomes.
In this context, the firm may face three alternative situations:
(a) The actual achievement is less than the aspiration level;
(b) the actual achievement is greater than the aspiration level; and
(c) the actual achievement equals the aspiration level.
In the first situation, when the actual achievement lags behind the aspiration level, it may be due to wide fluctuations in economic activity or on account of qualitative deterioration in the performance level of the firm.
In the second situation, when the actual achievement is greater than the aspiration level, the firm is satisfied with its commendable performance. The firm is also satisfied in the third situation when its actual performance matches its aspiration level.
But the firm does not feel satisfied in the first situation. It may be that the firm has set its aspiration level very high. It will, therefore, revise it downwards and start a search activity to fulfil its various goals in order to achieve the aspiration level in the future. Similarly, if the firm finds that the aspiration level can be achieved, it will be revised upwards. It is through such search activity that the firm will be able to reach the aspiration level set by the decision-maker.
The search process may be done through sequence of possible alternatives using past experience and rules-of-thumb as guidelines. But the search activity is not a costless affair. "The advantage of search activity must be balanced against its cost, and once search has revealed that what appears to be a satisfactory course of action, it will be abandoned for the time being.
In this way, the firm's aspiration level is periodically adapted to circumstances and the firm's reaction to them. The firm is not maximising, since partly on account of the cost, it limits its searching activities. The firm, while behaving rationally, is 'satisficing' rather than maximising.
This theory has certain weaknesses:
1. The main weakness of the satisficing theory of Simon is that he has not specified the 'target' level of profits which a firm aspires to reach. Unless that is known, it is not possible to point out the precise areas of conflict between the objectives of profit maximising and satisficing.
2. Baumol and Quant do not agree with Simon's notion of "satisficing". According to them, it is constrained maximisation "with only constraints and no maximisation."
3. Simon does not clarify a satisfactory level of performance based on "a certain level or rate of profit". This is in no way better than the profit maximisation model. The profit maximisation model suggests an optimum level of profits. But in the Simon model, there may be many "satisfactory levels" depending upon the groups that operate in the firm.
It is very difficult for the firm to choose such a profit rate that satisfies all groups functioning within the firm. Thus the operational value of Simon's model is limited. Despite these weaknesses, Simon's theory was the first theory on which the latter behavioural theories have been developed.


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Makeover Services
There are plenty of reasons why you should consider using makeover services today. First and foremost, if you want to look your best for an event, wedding, function or even a modeling shoot, hiring a makeover service is definitely the way to go. There has been plenty of demand for makeup services and if you are looking for reasons to hire them, here are some:
Get Your Best Skin
Makeover services have got professional makeup artists who are going to examine and then recommend different makeover styles that will match with your skin tone. They will tell you whether your skin is dry, and needs to be exfoliated, and also give tips on how you can get your skin glowing and in the best condition.
Look Your Best
Professional makeover services are going to provide you with your best look, and will apply perfect makeup techniques to ensure that your makeup compliments your face. They will know how to fix your eyebrows, what lipstick matches with your skin and what foundation to use on your face so that you don't end up looking like a ghost on camera.
You Are Worth It
Most of the time people are deterred by the costs charged by professional makeover services, but you need to remember that you are worth it. You should hire the best makeover services in order to look your best and it is your right to look this good as well. Hiring a specialist for your makeup will also ensure that you are able to get the best look for your wedding, event or any other function.
Be Stress Free
Hiring professional makeover services also means that you don't have to deal with any stress and you will look your absolute best as well. It is essentially a win-win situation for everyone and you don't have to worry about any time-constraints as well.


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The WWF House Show is a House show produced by the World Wrestling Federation on August 4, 1990 in Augusta, Maine.
Match Results
- (c) refers to the champion(s) heading into the match.
- Koko B. Ware defeated The Genius
- Jimmy Snuka defeated The Barbarian by DQ
- The Bushwhackers (Butch and Luke) defeated Rhythm & Blues (Greg Valentine and The Honky Tonk Man)
- Jim Duggan & Tugboat defeated Dino Bravo & Earthquake
See also
External links
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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"The Pirate Bay is more like sugar- it's bad for you but you can't stop using it. Bad because you get sued for it"- Peter Sunde, TPB co-founder
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- Description
Data is big, and not just "big data". Organizations increasingly realize that their "little data" deserves business attention. After all, no data, no business! This trend has resulted in increased attention for data management. Building a data management capability, though, is far from easy.
In this webinar we will outline our approach, based on architecture methods: the TOGAF® and ArchiMate® standards.
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Additional Information
Reference D118 Author(s) Bas van Gils (BiZZdesign) Published 1 Dec 2014 Duration 56 minutes Type Webinars Subject Architecture
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Due to public health concerns, and to ensure the well-being of our members, visitors, and community, the Museum is closed to the public, and on-site events and programs are suspended until further notice. However, do check our Events page for special Facebook Live virtual events. We have some excellent programs scheduled! Touch the Rock and Experience the Journey in America's oldest, continually operating museum! Pilgrim Hall Museum, founded in 1824, is the oldest continuously operating museum in the country. Step through our doors and immerse yourself in the 17th-century history of the Pilgrims and Wampanoag, presented in the world's finest collection of early Plymouth possessions. Pilgrim Hall Museum offers three exhibit galleries, a superb orientation film, and changing exhibitions that reveal the experiences of the
English families that settled in Plymouth, MA.
Located in the heart of Plymouth's cultural district and less than 5 miles from Plimoth Plantation, Pilgrim Hall Museum is steps away from restaurants, galleries, shops, performance centers, andan exuberant nightlife. With the historic waterfront, whale watch cruises, and Plymouth Rock within walking distance, the museum is a great anchorage for your group to enjoy Plymouth's lively historic downtown. A group excursion to the museum fits readily into day trips from Boston or Cape Cod, or offers a highlight to your extended stay in the area.
- Friendly and experienced museum docents available, on request, to provide knowledgeable introduction to Plymouth and guide your group through the museum
- Substantially discounted group rates
- Complimentary admission for group escort and motorcoach driver
- Convenient free bus parking in the museum parking lot
- Able to accommodate special needs upon request
- Special Education Programs available on request
- Age-appropriate activity sheets for children and adults
Groups Contact: 508-746-1620, x4


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Last Updated:
Welcome to issue 159.
This week we take a React Hooks crash course, build React spinners, use React with AWS Cognito and much more!
Best React Beginner course in 2019!
Wes Bos will teach you React in a day!
Best React Hooks course in 2019!
Tyler McGinniss launches the ultimate React Hooks course.
React Hooks Mini Crash Course
Chris Achard teaches us.
React Spinners Library
Josh Kuttler shows how.
How to fade in content as it scrolls into view
Selbekk goes in-depth.
Taking React and Redux to the next level with Typescript
Leo Melo explains.
Building in-app notification system in React Native
Vadim Korobeinikov tells us how.
A React HOC for AWS Cognito to Simplify User Authentication
Tony Sellitti gives us a rundown.
Using reanimated transitions as a LayoutAnimation replacement
Krzysztof Magiera explains.
Model-Based Testing in React with State Machines
David Khourshid tells us more.
Understanding React (Routing) with your Angular Knowledge
Cristian Marquez helps us understand.
Implementing Skeleton Loading in React
Adrian Bece shows the steps.


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19-year-old faces sexual assault on a minor charge, Carson City Sheriff's Office says
The following people were booked into the Carson City Jail. All are considered innocent until proven guilty in court.
• At 1:30 p.m., A Carson City 19-year-old was arrested on suspicion of sexually assaulting a victim under the age of 16. District Attorney Jason Woodbury said the defendant was under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged crime. He was already incarcerated in the Carson City Jail when the new charge was filed Monday. His bail was set at $250,000 on the charge and Woodbury said he would be tried as an adult. Sexual assault on a minor under 16 is a category A felony punishable by life in prison.
• At 8:58 p.m., Sky Slafter, 35, of Fallon was arrested on a felony warrant issued in Churchill County after a traffic stop on Fairview Drive. The warrant was signed by Western Regional Drug Court Judge Archie Blake. Slafter was ordered held without bail on the warrant and a Parole and Probation hold.
• At 9:42 p.m., Dustin Matthew Johnson, 30, was arrested after deputies went to an address in the old Kinkead Building parking lot on a report of a suspicious vehicle. According to the arrest report, deputies saw a meth pipe on the seat of his vehicle. He was arrested on suspicion of possession with intent to sell, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. In addition, a 39-year-old Dayton woman was arrested on suspicion of being an ex-felon failing to register. She was held in lieu of $150 bail. His bail was set at $13,500.


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I was always very slender until my thirties, when the double whammy of pregnancy and a slowing metabolism hit me. Now I'm an American size fourteen. Very, very fat in Japan. Practically average for a middle-aged woman in America, but Japanese people consider me grotesquely obese.
So anyway, I didn't want to shop online for clothes, but could not find a shop with clothes my size. Nakago (our department store) doesn't have big sized clothing, plus it is a very expensive store. Itoyokado is cheaper, kind of a J.C.Penney's, but it also doesn't have clothing my size. Uniclo doesn't usually go up to my size. Shimamura (like a Walmart) has clothing my size and it's quite cheap but Shimamura's clothes are usually ugly. So I finally found this shop in Aeon, which is a shopping center a little outside the city center of our town. The sign says "Big Size Ladies' Clothes."
It's so hole in the wall, this part of the store. They want to shame me, and shame me bad.
It's divided into the cheaper section….
…and the more expensive section.
I needed some cropped jeans or pants of some kind. First I searched the cheapie section but all the pants were weird stretchy material that outlined every curve and fold of my crotch. Yeah, gross. So reluctantly I headed to the more expensive section. It was my lucky day! The day before, the pants had been put on sale!
For the LOW LOW LOW price of 6,300 yen!!!!!!!! I am too lazy to check today's currency exchange rate…..but that's somewheres around sixty American dollars. (Somewheres.) Down from the original price of 9,000 yen!!!!! For a pair of GENUINE CROPPED JEANS FOR FAT PEOPLE. Wow, I am really lucky.
So here's my advice, ladies. Don't get fat in Japan. Japanese people like everything teeny tiny, and my butt ain't one of them. (Anymore.)


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Axiom Precision - Axiom AR6 Basic AutoRoute 24" x 36" CNC Machine
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The Axiom AR6 AutoRoute Basic series of CNC machines boasts truly advanced features that are typically found only on machines in industrial shops, but with a more consumer-friendly price tag. Axiom...
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Running out of options, Ted Cruz moves the goalposts
About a month ago, shortly before the Wisconsin primary that he would soon after win, Ted Cruz made a very specific case: if a Republican presidential candidate can't win the party's nomination before the convention, dropping out is the obvious thing to do.
During an interview with WTMJ in Milwaukee, Cruz said of John Kasich, "I think any candidate that doesn't have a path to winning, that's the time you should suspend your campaign. Kasich has been mathematically eliminated. He needs more than 100% of the remaining delegates…. Kasich is a good an honorable man, but he doesn't have a path to win."
At the time, that might have seemed like a reasonable position, since Cruz believed there was still a chance he'd catch up to Trump and possibly even reach the 1,237-delegate threshold by June. But in the six primaries since Wisconsin, the Texas senator has earned a whopping two pledged delegates. A month after dismissing Kasich as a candidate who should obviously quit because he's been "mathematically eliminated," needing "more than 100% of the remaining delegates," Cruz awkwardly finds himself facing identical circumstances.
If the Republican senator followed the same principles he outlined just last month, Cruz would have no choice but to end his own campaign. And since he obviously doesn't want to do that, Cruz is instead moving the goalposts. Consider what the Texan told ABC's Martha Raddatz yesterday:
"You know, if you can't earn a majority, you can't unite the party. And that makes you a terribly weak general election candidate."
This is the wrong argument from the wrong candidate.
First, Cruz's standard for success on May 1 bears little resemblance to what he said on April 5. Candidates who simply make up new principles when the old ones become inconvenient tend to look a little desperate.
Second, Cruz's assumption that Donald Trump won't reach 1,237 delegates is looking a little shaky. In fact, by many counts, Trump actually has a pretty good chance of reaching the delegate threshold before the Cleveland convention – and his odds are improving as some of Cruz's own backers start to waver as Trump's victories pile up.
And finally, Cruz is in the untenable position of questioning the scope and depth of Trump's support, despite the fact that Trump has built up a fairly impressive lead – by just about every possible metric – over Ted Cruz.
Look at that quote again: "You know, if you can't earn a majority, you can't unite the party. And that makes you a terribly weak general election candidate."
Maybe so, but that terribly weak general election candidate is crushing the candidate making the criticism. The question Cruz doesn't seem eager to answer is obvious: if Trump's support is so weak, what does that say about the senator who's trailing him badly?


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text: I like the sparkly silver headband that I got in my March box, but this product (and these type of headbands/hair ties in general) is a complete rip-off! These can be an easy DIY project at 1/10 of the cost, if not less. I also don't wear headbands because they give me a headache, so I may just end up giving it to someone else. I just think people need to know how much of a waste of money this is!1


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This year has started out pretty good for music. We have gotten some new tracks from some artists who have been missing in 2018. Not only have we been getting a consistent flow of music, but we've also been receiving a lot of music news. So let's get into the hottest music so far in 2019 and what we have to look forward to in the upcoming weeks.
Chris Brown – "Undecided"
Chris Brown is back with his first single off his upcoming untitled project 'Undecided". The track was produced by Scott Storch, who previously worked with Chris on his first single 'Run It' off his debut self titled album. On the track, Brown discusses the stress of his current relationship and how it's affected his mental state. The track samples Shanice's 'I Love Your Smile".
Future – "Crushed Up" & "Jumpin on a Jet"
As he is preparing to release his next project The WZRD, Future gave us two singles and a documentary. His first single "Crushed Up" was produced by Wheezy. The second, 'Jumpin on a Jet' dropped shortly afterward along with the artwork for the project. I expect this project to be huge. From the sound of the two singles, it's on point with how the city (Atlanta) sounds right now. To people outside of the city, it seems like he may be struggling by dropping back to back singles before he releases THE WZRD will be available on all streaming platforms Friday (Jan. 18).
Gasaffelstein & The Weeknd – "Lost in the Fire"
The French producer Gesaffelstein recruited The Weeknd for their new single 'Lost in the Fire.' The song gained a lot of buzz fast after some believed The Weeknd was taking shots at Drake with his line "And I just want a baby with the right one/'Cause I would never be the one to hide one." I personally think people are just reaching, but it got the song a lot of attention. I expect the Weeknd to use this song to get himself going this year and give us a project.


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Sam Stewart RIP 2007-2014
Sam was born in Picture Butte, Alberta 7 years and one month ago today. He was the grand-nephew of our previous Bernese Mountain Dog (Zeke) and we flew and drove out there to pick him up. He was the last of the litter to leave home, and he was kind of nervous to meet us. The fact that Hank (the breeder) had washed and blow-dried him to floofiness probably didn't help, but in the picture below, that ain't water on the deck! But you can see him looking up at me bravely, ready to make a new life.
On the drive back to Calgary Airport we stopped in Vulcan, AB, where he had his first ever leash walk. Must have been scary for him, but he was brave again and did really well. I love this photo: Berners are very fuzzy from some angles, and we always thought this picture made it look like Barbara was walking a BEAR!
Perhaps it was the early hair-dryer trauma, but he was often nervous at the dog groomers. They always sent back a report card: sometimes he was "a perfect angel" but most visits he was a "brave little bear." We knew what that meant – he was doing his best, was nice to everyone, but you could tell it was maybe a little tough for him.
He always came back pretty good looking: Barbara always called him the "Brad Pitt of dogs." And not the scruffy more recent Brad: she was thinking the Thelma and Louise version!
But being handsome is just genetics, and no one can take too much credit for that. But his inner self was his own making. I've known and owned many dogs, and they each have a core character. Some are puppies for ever, other are old and mature animals from early on. Sam was like a 3-7 year old kid: they know what the rules are, and they know about being good and bad. And they choose good – helping Dad chop green beans, smiling when going into surgery, playing with the other kids.
That was Sam: he always wanted to help, he wanted to be around the family, he was never cynical, and he lived each day in order to be a "good dog" and make his Mum and Dad (mainly Mum!) happy.
The lymphoma was only diagnosed three months ago. We tried chemo, and while the side effects were minimal, it didn't make the tumours go away as it does in 75% of dogs. We tried another kind of chemo, and it didn't help either: by yesterday afternoon he was having trouble breathing, walking, getting up, and had stopped eating. We talked to the vet, and gave all the people who mattered to him a chance to pay a last visit. My kids, the Neray dog-walkers, Uncle Jim.
But a funny thing happened after dinner last night. A very sick and dying dog came to life for 20 minutes of play. In our back yard, where the photo up top was taken, he chased his orange ball like a pup, barked up a storm and squeaked the ball madly, all with massive tail wags. An hour later he was having trouble breathing again, but I think those 20 minutes were HIS last gift to us. He knew we were sad for some reason, so he pulled up his white Berner socks, and had the courage and willpower to make us happy for a very little while.
This morning, just before noon, Sam had the catheter put in. We said goodbye, and held him with me patting his back. As the plunger was halfway down, his head dropped to his paws for the last time. After the vet listened and told us his heart had stopped, Barbara and our dog-walker (also Barbara) couldn't stay in the room and left with the vet.
I leaned across him, nuzzled into his fur, and told him: "you really were a brave little bear."
TV isn't dead. But a very bad thing is happening.
It's silly to talk about the death of TV. Around the world, more people are watching more minutes and hours of traditional TV per day than last year. Even in North America, the rise of over the top video services like Netflix has had almost no effect on hours watched or pay TV subscriptions.
Before we go any further, it is important to note that young people have always not watched as much traditional TV as older viewers. 18-24 year olds are more active, and spend more time in conversations and social settings compared to those over 65. To give you an idea, all Americans over the age of 2 watched just over 37 hours per week of live and time shifted TV, while those over 65 watched nearly 54 hours per week, and 18-24 years olds clocked about 24 hours per week. 65+ watch 45% more than average, 18-24 are about 35% less, and those over 65 watch over TWICE as much as 18-24 year olds.
That's not the problem. This table is:
In the last two years, while the US population as a whole is watching a bit more TV (live and time shifted), 18-24 year olds are watching less.
It's not a "big shift" as yet…only 11%. And it almost certainly varies by urban vs. rural; gender; and race.
But I have seen this movie before. I remember the newspaper industry in the 1990s. It had always been true that teenagers didn't subscribe or even read newspapers. That was OK…once they moved out and got a job or went to college they started. Then one day, around about 1995, that changed, and we started seeing (at first) very small annual DECREASES in print newspaper consumption in 18-24 year olds. 20 years later, that trend has been working away, and we now have the situation where (in one UK survey) less than 0.5% of 16-34 year olds listed print newspapers or magazines in their top five media they would miss the most.
For years now, the TV industry has been mopping its brow, and been thankful that what happened to newspapers doesn't seem to have happened to it. I could be wrong, but I think we are starting to see the first signs of the 'newspaperification' of the traditional TV industry. Up until now we have had surveys, anecdotal data, and lots of arm-waving that young people are abandoning traditional TV, but not much real evidence. The empirical data is coming in now, and I think it is important.
But I need to be clear. Traditional TV remains a globally massive ($400 billion) industry that is growing in most regions and most age groups. It won't go away just because some younger viewers are watching less. And there is no simultaneous TV equivalent of what Craigslist did to classified ads. Advertisers care about 16-24 year olds, but they also care about all the other demographics too.
This isn't the death of TV. But it is important.
Mea Culpa – my math was wrong
In my previous blog post, I tried to refute the idea that TV set top boxes are the second largest consumer of energy in many US homes. I wrote: "According to the reporter's own data, the average set top box (STB) uses about 35 watts per hour while on standby. There are 224 million STBs in the US, and about 110 million homes, meaning the average home has two of these 'power hogs.' At 24 hours per day times two devices, that is 1.68 kWh per day."
Bad Duncan. That was NOT what the reporter said: "A set-top cable box with a digital recorder can consume as much as 35 watts of power…"
Please note his two qualifiers. First, not all of the 224 million STBs in America have PVRs: in fact, only about 50% of pay TV homes have even one PVR. Second, that phrase "as much as" should have gotten my spidey-sense tingling. Based on people who measure their own PVRs, 25 watts standby power is the norm, with non-PVR STBs running about 15 watts standby.
Therefore, let's assume that about 35% of all the STBs in the USA have digital recorders, or 78 million, consuming an average of 25 watts per hour. That leaves 146 million consuming 15 watts. The blended average is about 18.5 watts.
Therefore, in all my comparisons to other sources of energy consumption, the number for an average home with two cable boxes is NOT 1.68 kWh per day, but 0.888 kWh per day, or 47% less.
Which makes the idea that set top boxes in standby mode are a significant part of household energy consumption even more ludicrous.
"Would you say that to me in class?" Online Disinhibition and the Effects on Learning
Useful context for any discussion about MOOCs.
What are the effects of benign, inappropriate or even toxic student-to-student or student-to-instructor exchanges in online learning communities? How do such exchanges affect learning outcomes? It's a topic that's had little attention from researchers and educators, but as learning continues to scale-up with online and open communities educators need to be paying attention, examining and addressing such interactions. This post shares highlights from a recent paper, "Would you ever say that to me in class?": Exploring the Implications of Disinhibition for Relationality in Online Teaching and Learning.
"As Suler (2004) observes, people say and do things in cyberspace that they wouldn't ordinarily say and do in the face-to-face world. They loosen up, feel less restrained, and express themselves more openly. So pervasive is the phenomenon that a term has surfaced for it: the online disinhibition effect." (Rose, 2014)
When reading the paper "Would you ever say that to me…
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No, cable TV boxes are NOT the 2nd biggest energy users in many homes
Unless 'many' means about seven homes in all of North America.
As my friend Brian Piccioni likes to say, to many reporters the word "energy" is equivalent to "magic": once they start talking about electrons, their brains turn to mush, and basic math and fact checking fly out the window.
This week's version is from the LA Times, and the headline is not an overzealous contribution from some editor. The second paragraph ends with the sentence: "They [set top boxes] have become the biggest single energy user in many homes, apart from air conditioning." There's even an adorable little infographic showing the "power hog" devices. (I like the bit where the pig noses are power plugs: infographics #FTW!)
But it is almost impossible for that to be true. According to the reporter's own data, the average set top box (STB) uses about 35 watts per hour while on standby. There are 224 million STBs in the US, and about 110 million homes, meaning the average home has two of these 'power hogs.' At 24 hours per day times two devices, that is 1.68 kWh per day. That's not nothing, but how does it compare to other energy users?
There's no question that air conditioners are huge consumers of energy. But so are refrigerators: the average (energy efficient!) fridge is around 750 watts per hour, and the average one runs 5-10 hours per day. That's a minimum of 3.75 kWh per day, or more than four set top boxes. Do you have hot water in YOUR home? A water heater runs at 4,000 watts, and about 3 hours per day: 12 kWh daily, or over seven STBs. Clothes dryers are another culprit: at 3,000 watts per hour, if you spend even half an hour a day drying your clothes, that is more than the average home with two cable boxes.
We haven't even touched the big energy use: space heating. Lots of homes have either all-electrical heating, or at least a few baseboards. They aren't on year round, but when they are, the dials on your electric meter will be spinning: the average home uses nearly 30% of its total energy consumption for heating over an average year. That's even more than air conditioning.
So it is technically possible that there are some American homes where STBs are the second biggest user of energy. But they would need to have a dozen cable boxes, be in Hawaii, not own a fridge, and bathe in the ocean. Or be this guy:
[To be clear, "vampire energy" consumption by set top boxes – or any appliance – is a serious issue. There absolutely need to be changes in how STBs run in sleep mode. But bad energy math is still bad energy math. Millions of Americans could start unplugging their set top boxes, and think they are saving the planet. At 35 watts per hour, STBs are nowhere near the top of the list of energy conservation measures that we should be thinking about.]
The column SO controversial that 2 media outlets refused to publish it!
Well, that headline is total clickbait.
My wonderful wife, Barbara Stewart (check out http://www.barbarastewart.ca) has two separate columns: one is a bi-weekly newspaper column in 24 Hours, and another appears in online magazine Mrs. R. Both are great outlets for Barbara's writing on women and finances. But a recent column of hers was deemed too 'narrow' for each platform. I thought it was a pretty good piece, so I am posting it here as a guest column rather than letting it go to waste. Enjoy!
To hedge or not to hedge
In case I lost you at the word "hedge", let me say that this will not be an in-depth look at hedging techniques such as forward contracts or options. Instead, it's a high-level look at when a currency hedge might make sense in your personal situation. A hedge allows you to fix an exchange rate for part or all of your portfolio, rather than being vulnerable to the whims of the currency market.
Three examples:
You are paid in U.S. dollars but your expenses are in Canadian dollars
A writer lives in Toronto but is paid by her New York-based publisher in U.S. dollars on a quarterly basis. She has no need for the US$ as all her expenses are Canadian. She doesn't want to have to worry about fluctuations in the exchange rate because she wants to have the ability to plan for her cash flow. She can use forward contracts to lock in the exchange rate in advance for all of her quarterly payment dates.
You live in Canada but you travel regularly to the U.S.
A retired couple are spending more and more of their time in Florida. They worry about movements in the currency because they have a significant need for U.S. dollars for their lifestyle requirements. This will be an ongoing issue for them. In this case, they should consider opening a bank account in the U.S. and funding it on a regular basis by converting from Canadian to U.S. dollars. Rather than doing the conversion all at once and running the risk of a less attractive exchange rate, this will allow them to average in at different rates over time.
You are moving from Canada to the U.S.
A young couple recently started a new life in California. They sold their home in Toronto and the proceeds are in Canadian dollars. As they don't know yet what this money will be used for (a home, travel?), it makes sense for them to partially hedge their bets and convert half of it into U.S. dollars right away. This way they are free to take some time to make decisions as to where they want to invest and what they want to invest in. Meanwhile they will be partly diversified in terms of their currency exposure.
As you can see, a hedge doesn't always have to involve a complicated product. But if you are in a scenario like one of these, hedging is something that should be discussed with your banker or investment advisor. Although I normally add that people can also do it themselves, some forms of hedging are so complicated that outsourcing it will almost always make more sense.
No, Tesla doesn't buy more batteries than the PC industry
In fact, it isn't even close! But respected sources like The Economist said that each Tesla power pack "contains up to 7,000 standard lithium-ion cells of the sort found in laptops. The firm is said to buy more of these sorts of cell than all the world's computer-makers combined." [Emphasis mine]
Although that statement is wrong, I have figured out where so many sensible reporters make the same mistake. Tesla made about 7,500 cars in the first quarter of 2014, so annualising that gets us to about 30,000 cars for the year. At 7,000 'standard lithium-ion cells' (more on that in a second) anybody can calculate that they will need about 210 million Li Ion cells. And 210 million is pretty close to the number of laptops that will sell this year!
But laptops contain power packs of multiple cells, just as Teslas do. There aren't seven thousand cells in your portable PC, but the average is over six cells per pack, and there are laptops with more. See picture below.
On average, that means the PC industry still uses over 1.2 billion lithium-ion cells per year, and that's not even counting replacement battery packs!
To be clear, Tesla uses what are what are called 18650 cylindrical Lithium Ion cells in its packs. Most laptops use the same battery type, but not all: some of the hybrids, ultrabooks and similar computers like the Mac Air use a flat pack form factor.
So the total number of 18650 batteries used for laptops is likely a bit less than a billion per year. Then again, not all Teslas use 7,000 cells: that's just the S85 model, and the S60 would use about 5,000 cells. Tesla has never disclosed the S60/S85 sales mix, but if even 25% of models sold are using the smaller packs, then the average cell count would fall to about 6,500 per car, or 'only' 195 million cells for 2014.
That's a LOT of cells! And it will grow as Tesla sells more cars. And demand for cylindrical cells from the laptop industry will fall as ultrathins gain share.
But, despite what you have heard, Tesla does not buy more batteries than the laptop industry: in fact they are almost certainly no more than one fifth the volume by units.
5 More Habits of Happy Couples
There's a great little article going around online: the 10 habits of happy couples. I thought this one was excellent, and it inspired me to come up with 5 *bonus* habits that I think make for being a happier couple.
- Don't leap out of bed in the morning. The other list talked about the importance of going to bed at the same time, and that's 100% true. But mornings are important too. You've just spent 8 hours cuddling: take 20-40 minutes, waking up early if you have to, and spend that time touching, sharing remembered dreams, talking about the highlights of yesterday, and discussing what you are looking forward to for the upcoming day, especially the things that you will do together as a couple.
- Nap together. Humans are hard wired to bond with those we sleep beside. Plus sleep increases oxytocin AKA the love hormone. If you come back from a long run, bike ride, or busy time with kids, chores and shopping, take a 20 minute cat nap with your loved one snoozing on your chest and your arm around her. I dare you not to be more in love with them after you wake up than you were before.
- Kiss passionately. When we first meet as couples, there is a lot of wet and sloppy kissing going on. Within about 6 months, most of us do much less of that, and after 5 years almost all kisses (outside of the bedroom) are dry pecks. But at least weekly, and daily if you can manage it, try to do something that would embarrass your kids if they saw you. Maybe not over the top "necking" (or whatever it is called these days) but definite full on smooching, mouth to mouth, lasting at least 10 seconds. Tongues are good, and if one of you can lift the other up off their feet and twirl them around, that's always good too. If you've gotten out of the habit, you will be surprised how much fun this is, and it will cast a happy glow over the rest of your day. If you do it extra well, you may get spots before your eyes or pass out, so you've been warned.
- Salutations and sign offs. You probably send 10-50 short messages, emails, texts or equivalent a day – many of them about quotidian tasks like walking the dog or picking up milk. You can miss it once or twice, but otherwise always start EACH one with a loving salutation: Darling, Lover, Dear One, etc. And always close with a "Love" and a sprinkling of x's and o's. Don't think of it as a duty, chore or obligation: instead it is an opportunity to tell your loved one that you love them an extra tens of times per day! How can that be a bad thing? (I already talked about the importance of pen and paper notes in an earlier blog post.)
- Always be presents. That's not a typo for being 'present.' And I don't mean you need to give diamond jewellery every week! But we all have dozens of opportunities per week to buy a thing that our partner might otherwise buy for themselves, and make it into a romantic present. Every couple will have their own examples, but I try to buy Barbara a Starbucks salted caramel cake pop every day when I get my own afternoon coffee. She LOVES getting that little treat from me when she gets home from work. We both need clothes during the year: as much as possible I buy her stuff and make it a gift for her, and vice versa. We still spend the same amount annually, but this way when I wear something that is "from her", it feels more special to me.
Calling it "soccer" is just fine!
Did you know that many UK publications used the words "football" and "soccer" more or less interchangeably in the 1950s and 60s? According to an academic study released just in time for the World Cup in Brazil, we North Americans don't need to feel ashamed of calling it soccer!
"Given the antipathy to the word "soccer" in the UK today, it might surprise many people to know that many of the most famous personalities of the 1960s and 70s used the word "soccer" in their autobiography. Thus Sir Matt Busby, the celebrated manager of Manchester United in the 1950s and 60s entitled his autobiography "Soccer at the top". One biography of George Best, the most famous player of the era, was titled "George Best: the inside story of soccer's superstar". Jimmy Hill, one of the most influential figures in the development of English football entitled his autobiography as a player "Striking for Soccer" in 1961, while the autobiography of John Charles, a great player of the 1950s was titled "King of Soccer".
Happy FIFA World Cup, everyone! And let's close with my favourite George Best quote:
I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I just squandered.
What the Dickens? Rock musicians selling overpriced t-shirts weren't the first content creators to monetise piracy?
Believe it or not, but prior to 1891, American law provided copyright protection ONLY if you were a US resident. UK authors got zero royalties.
It was an intellectual-property war every bit as fierce as today's DVD black market in China. American publishers would send their agents to roam the wharves in New York, Philadelphia and Boston to intercept popular manuscripts coming in by ship. Across the Atlantic, English customs officials would search passenger ships coming from the States and confiscate pirated British books as contraband.
Dickens v America, by Matthew Pearl in the Economist
Probably the biggest victim of this legal form of piracy was Charles Dickens. He had railed against US copyright law (and other aspects of American life) after his 1841 speaking tour, to the point where he turned the formerly-adoring Americans against him.
But pressed for money in later life, he returned to the USA for another speaking tour:
The author gave 76 public readings over six months, earning him $3000 for each performance and $228,000 total (in today's dollars, approximately $50,000 per night and $3,800,000 total). In New York City, 5000 people stood in a mile-long line for tickets, while 40,000 attended his performances there.
New York Times, On this Day from 2001
In fact, when Dickens died shortly after, it was estimated that 20% of his estate came from the proceeds of the tour…despite the fact that he never earned a penny of US royalties from the traditional source of income for authors of the time.
What lessons can be learned for those who are dealing with 21st century pirates? Or who are dealing with fans who think that 'free' is the right price for content?


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Users can conduct tracking of campaigns that are being run simultaneously on different channels.
For example, for a new promotion for a product, a user might create a new website,
post videos about the product to YouTube and make postings about the product to Facebook and Twitter.
Previously, data had to be gathered from the management screen for each channel and placed into Excel or another tool in order to compare performance.
Now, CV-Insight can perform those tasks for you, all in one place.
CV-Insight gathers data on all this diverse content and allows you to slice and analyze performance across multiple channels.
Add content URLs to a CV group (you can add as many as you like) and you will be able to instantly view your campaign results at any time.
A free trial is available which allows you to use the features available in paid versions.


text: By Peter M. Ball The first time he sees the Royal Observatory he is three days shy of his twelfth birthday. It's spring, a clear night, the stars unveiling themselves in small groups as the sky overhead grows dark. The tower rises from the hills, dominating the uneven horizon, a crooked...Read More


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Kyla is obsessed with a boy. Oh boy. She's five.
Hear the Kyla Family Podcast here!
She's 5, but a very mature 5.ReplyDelete
Tobias, Kyla isn't having problems with a boy. The boy is having problems with Kyla.
Kyla appears to be a sensitive spirit. She has the natural nurturing tendency most if not all females have. Surely from you and her mom she has also learned to comfort when someone needs it.
You must remember Kyla is but an unprogrammed computer shall we say. All her data will be learned from those around her. That's why I was down on you about the language. Don't ever think that children aren't listening. They'll shock you every single time by repeating what they heard you say. Or they'll internalize problems and grow up to be introverts taking on the problems as their fault or extroverts vying for attention in your war.
So Kyla wears her heart on her sleeve even at this young age. So what are her parents to do? Take it seriously. Talk to Kyla about what she's feeling make sure before you act on it. You never want to crush her spirit. Begin to talk with your child about male female stuff. Especially emotions; make sure she knows what she is feeling whether sadness for him or a like for him.
Kids are developing much faster these days in body and mind.
In five years or so if Kyla follows the trend of most girls today she'll be menstruating Tobias. In 5 years. By then she will need to know all the basics and you two have got to be responsible parents rather than head in the sand types who think your child is raised right and would never be promiscuous. Peer pressure is a witch.
Talk with Kyla make sure she knows the rules of the school and that she has to respect Wyatt's feeling.
Listen Tobias, little girls loves to assert themselves with little boys. You know, throw their weight around. They will set up an imaginary family where they are the boss. It's what kids do, but they must still adhere to the rules of fair play.
Anyway, I probably said more than I should have to you. Kyla is you child. I remember you had a tendency to ask your listeners what to do about Kyla, Like the nail polishing thing, and felt maybe you did this time also.
ALso Tobias, she could just miss you a lot. The female mind, never underestimate it.
That's Maxie's Dime


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Manifesting LovePosted: January 7, 2014 Filed under: Radical Love | Tags: being single, Love InshAllah, manifesting love, Muslim love, Muslim men, Muslim relationships, Muslim women, openness, Salaam Love, searching for love, storytelling, Tanzila Ahmed, Tazzystar 5 Comments
"Now, in this vision, I want you to visualize yourself in a relationship," he said.
We were sitting on the sofa in my living room. He was on one end and I was on the other, our feet firmly planted on the floor, eyes closed.
"Picture the man you want in your life. See him in front of you. Picture the characteristics he has. But beyond that, picture how you see the relationship. Think of how you want him to treat you. You want someone caring and loving. Someone that will support you and make you a better person. Someone that will inspire you and support your art and writing. Someone to laugh with and make you smile. Someone to hold faith with."
I closed my eyes tight, trying really hard to picture not just a man but a loving relationship. I was sitting in my intuition chakra and all I could see was an abyss of swimming colors, deep pinks and purples. It was beautiful. I wondered how I would paint it. And somewhere, floating in the distance, I was able to picture a blurry outline of a gray-silhouetted couple holding hands. Was that all I was seeking? Someone to hold hands with? Had I not been in a long-term relationship for so long that I had forgotten what characteristics I wanted?
I was one of those perpetually single types referred to in this week's NYT Modern Love article. It wasn't that I hadn't tried, or I hadn't loved. (I've been in love 4.5 times. The national average is 2.) I just hadn't been in a long-term relationship, the kind where we called each other boyfriend and girlfriend, had keys to each other's place, met the family over holiday meals and (ten years in the future) had 'date nights to reconnect' because life is so 'hectic'. And for me that guy, the one who told me back in 2004 that he wasn't ready for a committed relationship, called me on Jan 1, 2014 to let me know he had finally gotten engaged and wanted me to know before he put it on Facebook.
It was now day two of 2014 and I was manifesting a man. A mock-up of a man at least, for now. My friend had come over to generously teach me some tools of the trade from the "manifesting what I want in life" industry. There is a whole industry around this after all. The book The Secret? The whole self-help section of the bookstore? The trend of making vision boards? Malcolm Gladwell? Eat, Pray, Love? Giving duas? It is all about envisioning what you want and putting it out there in the universe.
The snarky side of me was laughing at myself. This was not only so "California" – but just how desperate could I be to resort to such an "all-time low" to actually manifest a man? People in relationships are supposed to meet through kismet, serendipity and online dating websites. Love at first sight because your gut instinct tells you that you "just know." There's no manifesting when RomCom/Bollywood romances are involved.
But on the flip side, the popular belief is that if I wasn't in a relationship by the time I'm in my mid-thirties it was because I was doing something tactically wrong – my online dating profile was too aggressive or didn't show enough cleavage, I was too old for the matchmaking aunties to even care, or I wasn't putting myself out there enough. I was too intense, too educated, too political. I had to be myself (but don't push men away), be confident in what you are looking for (but don't be picky). Societal norm dictates that if I was single, it was my fault somehow. Forget kismet and serendipity and love at first sight.
I took a deep breathe and grounded myself back in the moment of being on that couch with my friend. I realized something beautiful was taking place. My friend had heard me. He had heard all the pains of dating, the nursed broken heart, the unspoken loneliness, and all the gripes of the downfall characteristics of the men I dated. And he wasn't just offering advice, he was helping – in a really hippie dippie Californian way – but it was still help. He wanted to see me in a loving relationship, where I was being cared for and loved; and he was willing to take the time to sit with me and manifest that with me. It reminded of the Thich Nhat Hanh quote, "To be loved means to be recognized as existing."
"Now take that image you have in front of you, this loving relationship," he continued. I pictured the gray couple in the colorful abyss. "Now sprinkle it with some gold. This is the light and goodness. Let's put a timestamp on this, put today's date. And let's set a goal and say we want this to manifest in the next six months.
Now, create a carbon copy, an exact replica, so you see two images side by side. Make sure they are identical. Once you have that, take a huge slingshot, and catapult one of the images as far as you can, to the ends of the universe. You want to put it out, way out there.
Then take the second image and lift it up and pull it down through your crown chakra into you. And hold it there. So that the images can come back together and whoever it is will be able to find you. And then, we are done. And you can slowly open your eyes."
"And then what do I do?" I asked, as I opened my eyes and looked towards him.
"You don't do anything. You forget about it. Now, you can let it go."
As I reflected back on 2013, I felt good with how I challenged myself as an artist, a radical, a community activist and a spiritual being. I had wanted "love" in my life and this past year love manifested itself in my life through community, art, faith and activism. I came to accept that love was being sent to me differently than it was to other people – and I just had to open myself to it. I've struggled with these traditional ideas of conventional love, and tried to accept that maybe Allah hasn't written that path for me. If there's anything I've learned from the grieving process of the past two years, it's to love boundlessly and radically. It's the "how" part that is a constant struggle. If love is the recognition that someone exists – then how can we live a life full of love that recognizes people beyond just significant others and babies? We need to treat love as a value in life's journey, and recognize … well, just about everything.
"Do you remember that conversation we had when we were driving in Los Angeles?" Oiyan asked me a couple weeks ago. We were in her bridal suite a couple nights before her wedding day and I was coaching her into writing her vows.
"The conversation where we got really excited about seeing the grilled cheese food truck on the freeway?" I responded.
"No…." she side-eyed me. "We were talking about love. You asked me what I was looking for and I responded that I was looking for a guy that was going to love me unconditionally. And then you said something that really stuck out in my head. You said you were looking for someone who you could pour your love into. You were looking for someone you could love unconditionally."
I remembered. I was madly in love at the time in someone who was backing away. I nodded my head slowly.
"Well it was because of that conversation," she continued, "that I decided to date again. And I was ready to fall in love again. You taught me that love isn't primarily about receiving, it is about giving. And so I went seeking someone to give love to. And…two months later I met my fiancé. That was why it was so important to me to have you as a bridesmaid. This wedding was catalyzed because of you."
"You should include that in your vows," I suggested.
Here's to manifesting love in 2014: receiving love, giving love, finding love in community, arts and belief. And in recognizing people in our lives as existing. Happy New Year.
To read more posts by Tanzila, click here.
Tanzila "Taz" Ahmed is an activist, storyteller, and politico based in Los Angeles currently working as the Voter Engagement Manager at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Los Angeles. She was a long-time writer for Sepia Mutiny, and was recently published in the anthology Love, Inshallah: The Secret Love Lives of American Muslim Women and both zines from Totally Radical Muslims. Her personal projects include curating images for Mutinous Mind State and writing about Desi music at Mishthi Music where she just co-produced Beats for Bangladesh: A Benefit Album in Solidarity with the Garment Workers of Rana Plaza. Taz also organizes with Bay Area Solidarity Summer and South Asians for Justice – Los Angeles. You can find her rant at @tazzystar.
5 Comments on "Manifesting Love"
This was beautiful. Thank you for your eloquent words. Looking back on my own journey in love, I've never consciously "manifested" a man (I believe too much in kismet myself), just made room for and honored that wonderful tenderness within me that sought to give love, wherever it would be best received. And I always had faith that it would. That hasn't always resulted in a romantic relationship, but it's always led me to greater happiness than I think I would otherwise have had if I were running around like a chicken on a chopping block, seeking the perfect man before final curtains. The journey, as they say, is always more important than the destination–but from my experience, there is no real destination, no best final outcome, only the love we choose to give along the way rather than withhold in our search for "something real." Happy new year–I hope it brings you everything you desire.
thank you for sharing your story so beautifully
Really so amezing story thanks for sharing with us.