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The Friends of Syria Conference in Tunis turned many eyes to Tunisia in recent days, but less attention has been paid to the intense internal strife and incidents of violence that dominated the months of January and February.
National identity debates, religious divisions, and tension between the religious and the secular appear to drive much of the unrest that has followed the first anniversary of the Jasmine Revolution. Today I will related events pertaining to one area of great concern: freedom of expression and the media.
January 23: Attacks on Journalists
–Journalists, activists and intellectuals have been the target of verbal and physical attacks since the fall of Ben Ali's regime, but recent months registered an escalation of this violence. On 23, journalist Zied Krichen, and university professor Hamadi Redissi–along with lawyers and other protesters–joined the growing list of victims; they were publicly assaulted outside the court where TV executive Nabil Karoui was on trial accused of blasphemy and disturbing public order.
Krichen and Redissi filed a complaint against their attackers, a group of Salafists who rallied at the court to protest Karoui's choice to air Persepolis; the French-Iranian film's depiction of God as an old bearded man is seen as blasphemous by religious extremists.
"If the physical safety of journalists is jeopardized, we cannot start talking about freedom of the press," Krichen said. Redissi, who suffered a violent beating, expressed fears that the secular revolution might be hijacked by a religious one. Sofiene Ben Hamida, another journalist victimized by an earlier assault, accused the ruling party, Ennahda, of using religious extremists as weapon to terrorize journalists and activists, based on the government's refusal to put an end to the violence.
But according to Tunisia Live there's more to these attacks than religious radicalization, and they point to several beatings of journalists by police agents–including those of two female journalists covering a protest of university professors.
In response to the events outside the court, Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali addressed the Constituent Assembly to condemn the assaults and vowed to pursue offenders. The Ennahda party issued a similar statement, calling for dialogue between diverging ideologies, but also reiterated that accusations against party members lacked proof and government action would only deepen the divide.
The Tunisian League of Human Rights condemned the violence and promised to pressure the government to investigate.
February 1: Media Strike
—Tunisian newspapers declared a nation-wide media strike and printed a banner (image below) in support of "independence of the press, freedom of expression and justice for all those who trample on the rights of journalists and communicators."
As expressed by Arbi Chouikha–renowned journalist, professor at the Institute of Press and Information Sciences (IPSI) and member of the National Committee of Information and Communication Reform, (INRIC)–"Tunisian journalists realized that freedom of press is jeopardized in Tunisia and felt the necessity to come together and unify their efforts." The strike had the backing of several major media unions, and a committee of union leaders met with Mustapha Ben Jaafar, president of the Constituent Assembly, now drafting Tunisia's new constitution. Their demands included constitutional guarantees on freedom of expression, the enforcement of the Press Code and the creation of the High Independent Authority of Audiovisual Communication (HAICA), an independent body to protect journalists and penalize those who violate their rights.
February 13: The Journalism Foundation Launches in Tunisia—On the upside, The Journalism Foundation launched the Tunisian project with a series of workshops and a closing lecture by The Independent's Middle East correspondent, Robert Frisk. Present at the lecture was Evgeny Lebedev, Chairman of the Trustees of the foundation and proprietor of The Independent and The Evening Standard. He earlier met with Tunisia's Prime Minister to discuss the role of free media in a democratic society.
February 15: Censorship and Arrests
—Following the publication of a partly-nude photograph, the publisher and two editors of the post-revolution Attounissia newspaper were arrested on charges of immoral publication and disrupting public order. While charges were dropped against the editors, publisher Nassridine Ben Said remained detained and on hunger strike until February 23. His trial is schedule for March 8.


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Cops: Woman posted selfies in stolen dress
Officers able to track down theft suspect thanks to Facebook post
If you steal a dress, you might want to avoid any pictures of yourself in it.
An Illinois woman is learning that the hard way, according to police, after posting photos to Facebook of herself in a leopard-print dress reported stolen from a local boutique.
Danielle Saxton, 27, now faces misdemeanor retail theft charges, Carterville TV station WSIL reported.
The dress and other clothing and jewelry were stolen from Mortie's Boutique in West Frankfort on July 11.
Boutique co-owner Kert Williams posted about the thefts on Facebook, and people made the connection after seeing his post and the photos posted by Saxton, police said.
Saxton is now free on her own recognizance.
Distributed by Internet Broadcasting. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

subset: commoncrawl


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Christian Bale, who recently starred as Batman in the "The Dark Knight," has become a Web sensation after being caught on tape cursing and yelling at work.
On the set of his most recent project, "Terminator Salvation," he went off on a tirade against the movie's director of photography, Shane Hurlbut, because he inadvertently walked onto the set during a scene.
Here's a sampling of Bale's emotional explosion: "I want you off the f---ing set, you pr----. What the f--- are you doing? Am I going to walk around and rip your f---ing lights down in the middle of a scene? Then why the f--- are you walking right through? What the f--- is it with you?"
Bale has been both derided and defended for his outburst in blogs and on Web sites, but his behavior begs the question of whether such outbursts are ever appropriate at work or can possibly help a career.
"It's a mixed deal," says Ronald Humphrey, associate professor of management at Virginia Commonwealth University. "We have to look at the organizational culture in deciding whether it helps you or not."
Clearly, the entertainment industry doesn't shy away from tearing down individuals in the workplace.
One of the most popular shows on television is "Hell's Kitchen," whose star, Chef Gordon Ramsay, spends the whole hour shouting bleeped-out expletives at young aspiring cooks.
Building bonds — or breaking them?
In certain high-pressure professions — including the restaurant industry, construction, the military and even Wall Street — colleagues swearing at each other may be more acceptable. (Full disclosure: I've had a few editors in my career who cursed and swore on occasion.)
"We all know that it's bad to curse, it's not nice, etc., but there are some positive elements," says Yehuda Baruch, a professor at London's Norwich Business School at the University of East Anglia and visiting professor at George Mason University.
Buruch has studied swearing at work and found that the practice can sometimes be a way for colleagues to bond and as a way to release stress.
"I remember one bank employee telling me she had customers on the phone that were very annoying, but she had to be calm and supportive," he says. But as soon as she put the receiver down, she started swearing.
In today's politically correct crazed workplace, you would think a potty mouth would derail a career. Not always.
Brenda Christensen, with public relations firm Servoy USA, says she had an employee who often aimed the f-word at other workers.
"I was always nervous about her being a loose cannon," says Christensen, who reprimanded the worker but did not fire her. In fact, the woman went on to land a big job at a major television network after leaving Servoy.
When Kevin Land worked for an engineering and architectural firm, cursing was commonplace.
"When you're an engineer, you have to work with so many other people and rely on that other person doing their job quickly and efficiently," says Land, who is now a producer and videographer. "You also need to be precise in what you're doing, and if you have everything set up the way you like it then all of a sudden the architect decides to remove the wall that you just put all your panels on, you might just want to scream out a few profanities here and there."
But in many cases, even in high-pressure jobs, cursing can get you canned.
A 911 operator in Nashville, Tenn., was fired last year after he cursed.
The employee had just hung up with a woman who said her ex-boyfriend was threatening her life. Even though the woman had hung up, the operator was still being recorded and was taped saying: "I really don't give a s--- what happens to you."
Anne Brown, a career coach, remembers working as a director for a Chicago nonprofit where she had a boss who cursed and yelled daily.
"She was a terror. You could hear her ranting at staff even several doors down," says Brown, the author of "Grad to Great." "One time she actually slammed the door to her office and wouldn't let me leave until she had screamed several choice words at me and actually jabbed me in the chest with her finger."
The woman was eventually fired, she says, but that wasn't until practically the entire staff handed in their resignations.
Karen Leland, author of "Watercooler Wisdom: How Smart People Prosper In The Face of Conflict, Pressure and Change," believes people will think twice about working with someone like Bale. "They'll say, 'That's not the kind of prima donna I want on my staff.'"
Workers need to vent, but publicly humiliating someone is "unacceptable," she says.
Regret over angry outbursts
But again, it all depends on circumstances.
One news outlet reported that Bale became a hero to the cast and crew of his latest movie after his tirade against Hurlbut, who apparently was not well-liked on the set.
While there may be no clear-cut answer to the question of whether cursing and yelling at work is a career killer, most workplace psychology experts think it's a bad idea, especially when it's aimed at an individual.
When a surge of emotion on the job involves "aggression or the denigration" of another person, it's unacceptable, says Anna Maravelas, a psychologist and author of "How to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Stress."
"You do dumb things when angry," she says.
Displaying anger at work can also impact one's overall health because anger is highly correlated with heart disease, she says. Some risk becoming habitual aggressors, and they often feel remorse.
Indeed, Don Hudspeth of Austin, Texas, laments the times he had emotional outbursts at work.
"I always regretted it afterwards," says Hudspeth, who spent six years as a manager for restaurant supply and equipment dealers.
On one occasion, he remembers cursing at a worker for sitting down on the job at the warehouse.
When the employee tried to explain he was just taking a break, Hudspeth recalls telling him: "That's f---ing not the point. There are things out here that need to be done."
He believes his rants had to do in part with the high-pressure industry he was in but also his own anger-management issues. Recently, he quit his restaurant job and is now looking for something less anger-inducing.
Bale may be heading for rehabilitation as well. On Friday, he acknowledged on Los Angeles radio show KROQ that he had a "potty mouth" and called himself a "punk" for his fit of cursing.
"I have no confusion whatsoever. I was out of order beyond belief," he said. "I regret that."
Eve Tahmincioglu writes the weekly "Your Career" column for msnbc.com and chronicles workplace issues in her blog, CareerDiva.net.


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When I first saw these paisley chocolate molds I knew that I had to make something special with them. They are so whimsical and unique and add a lot of detail to any creation.
I made these chocolates to attach to a cake that I was making for my mom's birthday.The cake is designed to look like a gift and I think that these paisleys are perfect because they really look like a beautiful wrapping paper pattern. My mom's favorite color is pink, so of course the paisleys are made using three shades of pink chocolate.
To make the paisleys you will need the following ~
Paisley accessory mold and paisley mini mold (if you are making a large quantity I recommend you use at least two molds. The more molds, the faster the process will go.)
2 bags of pink candy melts
Pink or red candy coloring
Tools needed for this project are as follows ~
Three 12oz squeeze bottles
Very fine tipped paint brush
Electric skillet (optional)
Toothpicks (use these to periodically stir the chocolate in the candymelter palette)
Begin by selecting the three colors that you will use to make your paisleys. I suggest deepening shades of the same color, but you can use any color combination. I chose pinks, but once I saw the finished chocolates, I found that two of the shades were too close to together and could not really be distinguished from each other, so I suggest distinctly different shades.
Step 1 – Pour both bags of pink candy melts into a microwave safe bowl(I use a large Pyrex bowl). Melt in the microwave on the defrost setting in 30 second increments stirring each time. It is critical that you stir in between each 30 second increment. This will ensure that the chocolate is heating evenly and will prevent it from getting too hot which will make it seize and become difficult to work with.
Step 2 – Use a funnel to fill one 12 oz squeeze bottle with melted chocolate and place it in the electric skillet which should be turned on to the lowest possible setting and lined with thick dish towels. The electric skillet is great because it will keep your chocolate from cooling down and hardening while you work. Rotate the bottle every so often to ensure that it is evenly heated. Note – Do not leave the electric skillet unattended as it is a potential fire hazard. If you are not using an electric skillet to keep your chocolate at working temperature, you may have to microwave the chocolate once it is too cool to work with. You can do this by removing the squeeze bottle lid and placing the open squeeze bottle in the microwave on defrost setting for 20 second increments until the chocolate is sufficiently warm.
Step 3 – Divide the remaining chocolate into two separate bowls. Use the red or pink candy food coloring to tint the remaining two bowls of chocolate to different shades. Make sure you are using candy food coloring as regular coloring is not suited for use with chocolate because it is water based and will cause the chocolate to seize. Candy food coloring is an oil based product that is specifically designed for use with chocolate. Begin by dropping a couple of drops into the chocolate, stir and continue to add coloring until you reach the desired shade.
Step 4 – Use a funnel to fill the other two squeeze bottles with the new shades of chocolate you just mixed. Place the bottles in the electric skillet to keep them warm.
Step 5 – Plug in the candymelter palette and squeeze a dollop of each of the three different shades of pink from the squeeze bottles into separate aluminum cups in the palette. This is the chocolate the you will use to paint the details on the paisleys.
Step 6 – Using a very fine tipped paint brush begin painting the first level of detail onto the chocolate mold. You can use any of the three colors that you want, but keep in mind which color you are planning to use as your background color. The background color is the color that you will fill the mold with after the details are dry. The details should contrast the background color so that they really stand out.
Step 7 – Once the first layer of detail has dried (dry time will vary depending on air temperature), you can paint the second layer of detail. I generally paint this layer with the the color that you will not be using for the fill. You have already used one color for the 1st level of detail, and you are planning on using one color to fill the mold, so the only color that is left is the color you will use to paint the second layer of detail.
Step 8 – Once all of the details have dried, it is time to fill the molds. Use the three different colors that you have in the squeeze bottles to fill the molds. You can use the same fill for all of the cavities in the mold or you can vary the fill color. Because I used all different color combinations, I used all three colors to fill the cavities. If I had used light pink and medium pink for the detail colors, I would use dark pink as the fill color. If I used Dark pink and light pink as the detail colors, I would use medium pink as the fill color. The idea behind this is to make the different shades pop as much as possible. If you are putting these decorations on a cake, you may also want to consider the cake background when choosing the fill color. If the cake is white, you know that any darker shades of pink will contrast best against it. If the cake is light pink, you know that a chocolate that is filled with light pink will blend into the color of the cake, and stand out less. Your color choice will depend on the look you are trying to acheive.
Step 9 – Place the molds in the refridgerator for approximately 15 minutes or more until the chocolate is hard.
Step 10 – Release the chocolates from the mold. I do this by turning the mold upside down onto a piece of parchment paper (the chocolate will not stick to this)
Step 11 – Enjoy! These fantastic little chocolate decorations will look amazing on a cake or placed on top of cupcakes or brownies.


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If you are looking to expand your resource network for educational technology, there are numerous free resources available to educators and students alike. Here are a few of my favorites. If they're not in your feedburner, time to add them!
Edutopia – The George Lucas Educational Foundation is an amazing resource for K-12 educators. Their website has a myriad of materials for teachers and administrators – lesson plans, experiential testimonies, free and discount applications, and much more. Their website is not solely dedicated to educational technology, but rather innovative education in its entirety, including theory, pedagogy, and application. If you want to get the best snippets, follow them on twitter.
Cool Cat Teacher – Viki Davis is a full-time educator and ed tech pioneer! She blogs about her experiences in the classroom… all of them, successes and failures. Her writing is a true inspiration to those of us 'in the trenches' of teaching. In addition to her blog, she maintains an excellent website. She is a must read for all teachers trying to make a difference in their classrooms and schools.
FreeTech4Teachers – Just what it sounds like – a regularly updated list of free technology (usually apps) that can readily be applied in an educational setting. This web blog is maintained by Richard Byrne, another full-time educator. In addition to resources, he includes an excellent 'ask me' section and great tutorials (especially for Google Apps and Products as he is a Google Certified Teacher).
Edudemic – Edudemic is one of my all-time favorite resources for educational technology. It highlights various products, applications, social media, and more. It is wholly dedicated to 21st century learning and technological integration in K-12 schools. At edudemic you can find resources, tutorials, reviews, funding opportunities, professional development (free and paid), and even personal experiential stories. If you want to just grab the highlights, be sure that you follow them on twitter.
Google in Education (Teachers) – Many educators and institutions use Google Applications as they are not only innovative, but also free! Not only does Google provide free apps readily applicable in education, but they have some great learning communities! They have blogs, repositories of lesson plans, free training, and links for grants to help educators expand their professional development.
PLP Voices from the Learning Evolution – As a periodic contributor, I would be remiss if I didn't give out a shout to my PLPeeps! The PLV blog should be in every educator's Reeder. You'll find experiential reflections, how to's, resources, pedagogy, and more. Contributors are educators, administrators, students, etc. It truly is about innovation and real world application, not just theory.
Mind/Shift – This is KQED's (the people who brought you Sesame Street) Ed Tech blog. It highlights stories and experiences from various adventures in Ed Tech – flipped classrooms, the 'just google it' mentality, classroom tools, and more. If you remember the Sesame Street of your youth, then you know that KQED specializes in concise and useful information. Their blog is no different. For snippets and highlights, be sure to follow them on twitter.
EdTechTeacher – Founded by educators, EdTechTeacher focuses on technological innovation in the classroom. They provide free and paid professional development in the form of webinars, podcasts, conferences, workshops, podcasts, and in person. Their blog highlight current trends in educational technology. They also have innovative lesson plans and various examples of application of technology (both successful and unsuccessful) in the classroom. Having attended both a workshop and a conference hosted by this organization, I can tell you that they are enthusiastic, informed, and skilled at preparing educators for innovative technology integration. Again, don't forget to follow them on twitter!
This is a very concise list of resources. There are many, many others out there. I would love to hear your own lists and suggestions!


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John Keats
Written On A Summer Evening
Poem by John Keats
The church bells toll a melancholy round,
Calling the people to some other prayers,
Some other gloominess, more dreadful cares,
More harkening to the sermon's horrid sound.
Surely the mind of man is closely bound
In some blind spell: seeing that each one tears
Himself from fireside joys and Lydian airs,
And converse high of those with glory crowned.
Still, still they toll, and I should feel a damp,
A chill as from a tomb, did I not know
That they are dying like an outburnt lamp, -
That 'tis their sighing, wailing, ere they go
Into oblivion -that fresh flowers will grow,
And many glories of immortal stamp.
Comments about Written On A Summer Evening by John Keats
Prabir Gayen (12/21/2018 12:02:00 AM)
Extremely romantic poem with extraordinary skill and rhythm... Beautifully executed.. Silence deep(Report)Reply
Andrea Hunt (7/24/2018 12:51:00 PM)
This is such a lovely poem and I commend you for including it on the PoemHunter.com website. BUT poetry loses all its charm and potency when 'spoken' by an automaton - wholly without feeling and without any idea as to the importance of UNDERSTANDING how Keats's lines should flow from one to the other. PLEASE keep the written poems on your website, but equally, please disconnect the monotone robotic voice.(Report)Reply
* Sunprincess * (6/28/2014 9:23:00 AM)
.............truly wish I could write a poem like this one.....(Report)Reply
* Sunprincess * (6/7/2014 10:17:00 PM)
............an outstanding poem written on a summer evening....enjoyed..(Report)Reply
Keith Sifelani (6/7/2014 3:12:00 PM)
Read this poem 24/7 and always thought
of a morning prayer.(Report)Reply
Kevin Patrick (6/7/2013 5:18:00 PM)
The miraculous power of nature can install a spiritual guidance and temperance that a musty old crumbling building with archaic and informal rituals of destitution can never achieve the potent power of real belief. Enjoy the air not the sermon, great poem from Mr. Keats(Report)Reply
David Wood (6/7/2013 4:58:00 AM)
Deci Hernandez (6/7/2012 1:53:00 PM)
i have patience with this poem because there was a time when i also was not a believer in the round but now.(Report)Reply
Manonton Dalan (6/7/2012 2:44:00 AM)
i read this poem every year and on this date.
i thought of same meaning 6pm prayer(Report)Reply
Terence George Craddock (6/7/2010 11:52:00 PM)
'The church bells toll a melancholy round,
Calling the people to some other prayers,
Some other gloominess, more dreadful cares,
More harkening to the sermon's horrid sound.,
This is a very interesting poem because within the first four lines of the octave, John Keats in his poem 'Written on a Summer Evening', has clearly written his total rejection of Christianity as a religion. He defined the 'blood sacrifice of Christ is 'horrid.'' Christians are 'dying like an outburnt lamp, ' which implies Keats' belief that Christianity is a religion of 'reprehensible Christian sensibilities.' Keats believes personified nature is an 'entity capable of expressing itself through the sensory perception that humans enjoy.' Keats defines 'Art and Salvation through the creative process'.
This poem reveals Keats' emphasis on his ideal that 'the deepest meaning of life lay in the apprehension of material beauty, although his mature poems reveal his fascination with a world of death and decay.' Yet Keats retained a host of moral and intellectual uncertainties. His truth is arbitrary 'based on feelings and preferences, rather than facts or reason.' He wrote 'I have not one Idea of the truth of any of my speculations'. In his 'pseudo-religious beliefs; his many references to higher powers, the afterlife, salvation, the soul, ' his 'rubric of his religious ideas' reveals 'varied opinion oriented ideas and philosophical speculations of his sometimes tormented mind'.
Keats believed in a ghostly earth is where 'the great artists, such as Shakespeare or Milton, did not die, but survived in some form to guide the present.' He never defined exactly how? Yet he believed 'salvation from a painful world was delivered by the personal experience of the Soul, and not by an external saviour.' Keats worshipped
'Apollo as the divine source of poetry. His poetic lyrics tell of the exploits of Apollo, elevating him into the sphere of creative rapture. In this scheme, Apollo takes on an aspect of the Saviour, the leader of those people (the poets) who would bring humanity to bliss by pointing out the world's lessons for the Soul. Apollo becomes 'the golden theme' of inspiration (Hyperion book II line 28) . '
Keats rejected 'the Christian model of salvation' and it has been said he was 'enamoured with Greek mythology' because 'the 'gods' and 'spirits' of Classical mythology were 'mediators, ' but not 'palpable' ones; they only represented certain qualities of the natural world that Keats wanted to bring 'common apprehension' to.'' Keats 'lauded, respected, and expounded the mythologies of the ancient Greeks who presented gods as symbols of elements at work in the universe.' It is interesting that Keats creates his religion from mythology and fictitious stories. In contrast my study of the great minds who revolutionized the western 'world's thinking by developing advanced systems of jurisprudence, civility, education, and science'; so often reveals an inspiration from their belief in Jesus Christ.
We are given free choice to believe as we will! Although I have studied Keats and have opinions concerning his life and beliefs, all sources quoted are from Tekton Education and Apologetic Ministry, the article 'John Keats and Christianity' by professor Carmelo Tropiano from Seneca College. However most of us simply appreciate Keats for the wonderful legacy which he has left us.(Report)Reply
Kevin Straw (6/7/2010 5:59:00 AM)
This is an attack on the melancholy of the Church of England service whose songs and sermons are often dirge-like. It compares the funereal inside of a church with the glories outside it, and asks why should people want to worship God in such a gloom, when they could be among nature's 'rarities'? This poem predicts the death of such a religion, based on "a chill as from a tomb", to be replaced by a religion of nature - a true Romantic statement. The style is pre-Romantic, but the idea is not. One sees here too the view of a man whose life is lived under the shadow of death revolting against a religion which is so deathly, and who braves his fear of death by advocating, not a heaven in which he will live forever, but a Nature which will eventually draw him into its bosom after a life spent glorying in it. The glory is here now all around us, not in some putative ghostly heaven.(Report)Reply
Joseph Poewhit (6/7/2010 5:40:00 AM)
The church bell keeping time, for mortal man's reminder.(Report)Reply
Ramesh T A (6/7/2010 2:41:00 AM)
A sad note dry as summer time is moving to read written by the master poet John Keats!(Report)Reply
Michael Harmon (6/7/2009 6:00:00 PM)
I. Argumentum ad Hominem (abusive and circumstantial) : the fallacy of attacking the character or circumstances of an individual who is advancing a statement or an argument instead of trying to disprove the truth of the statement or the soundness of the argument. Often the argument is characterized simply as a personal attack.
A. The personal attack is also often termed an 'ad personem argument': the statement or argument at issue is dropped from consideration or is ignored, and the locutor's character or circumstances are used to influence opinion.
B. The fallacy draws its appeal from the technique of 'getting personal.' The assumption is that what the locutor is saying is entirely or partially dictated by his character or special circumstances and so should be disregarded.
http: //philosophy.lander.edu/logic/person.html(Report)Reply
Michael Pruchnicki (6/7/2009 9:48:00 AM)
A sonnet by John Keats? What's a sonnet and who was 'someone keats'? But why attempt to explicate 'Written on a Summer Evening' for such dullards, you ask? The sonnet is a Romantic poet's farewell to services in a Christian church, whose bells and sermons are driving a wedge between what Keats sees as outmoded beliefs and a new age of natural religion, a return to paganism akin to what transpired during the Sixties, and there's old Keats in his denims and long greasy hair rocking and rolling to beat the band! And how did that resurgence of old time paganism end? Let's light up a joint and dream on, OK?(Report)ReplyKeith Sifelani(6/7/2014 3:09:00 PM)
Read this poem 24/7 and i thought of a morning prayer.
Jenny F. Diamond (6/7/2008 3:54:00 AM)
Yeah, I also heard the name Keats before... I like the poem, though. Really nice.(Report)Reply
Read this poem in other languages
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Read poems about / on: people, summer, flower, joy
John Keats's Other Poems
Famous Poems
- Phenomenal WomanMaya Angelou
- Still I RiseMaya Angelou
- The Road Not TakenRobert Frost
- If You Forget MePablo Neruda
- DreamsLangston Hughes
- Annabel LeeEdgar Allan Poe
- Caged BirdMaya Angelou
- IfRudyard Kipling
- Stopping By Woods On A Snowy EveningRobert Frost
- TelevisionRoald Dahl


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Is Work-Life Balance Really Possible?
Even though I'm only 33, I know that people today work harder than ever. During my childhood, my dad had a highly-professional job and still made it home by 5:00 pm. Today my own life and those of my friends and congregants suggest that this is a rare occurrence. Has technology simply meant that we work more? Has globalization meant we are competing with the world? Yes and yes. Does that mean that finding a true balance between working and living is impossible? No. Looking at the life of one of history's busiest and most successful figures, we can find a framework and tips for doing so. That figure is Moses. Consider his successes and his failures:
- Led Israelites out of Egypt
- Received 10 Commandments
- Taught the Torah to the entire people
- Paid little attention to his wife and kids
- Got impatient when people did not to live up to his standards
- Lost his temper with his boss (God)
As is often the case, we can learn more from his failures. What can we learn?
- Integrate life and work more closely: Aside from his siblings, the only family member Moses let into his work life was his father-in-law Jethro. Rather than send his wife and children off to live in Midian while he led the Israelites across the wilderness, Moses could have made them part of the journey. We can let our kids know about our work and feel part of what we are doing.
- Respect other people's priorities: Moses responded to the death of his brother Aaron's sons by stating simply that God has His reasons for what happened. Rather than dwell on this loss, he needs to focus now on achieving the mission God had assigned them. Aaron responds to Moses with silence. The implication was that Moses' words did not bring comfort. While Moses could focus solely on continuing their mission of reaching the Promised Land, Aaron needed to mourn for his children. Moses did not grasp Aaron's concerns.
- Keep perspective: Our work can feel all-consuming. We can begin to think the our whole lives rest on the next decision we make or meeting we attend. 99% of the time, it does not.
Rabbi Larry Kushner writes of his friend, an Episcopal minister, who threw away every piece of paper on his desk at the end of every month. "What about the important ones?" Kushner asked him. "Not to worry," the minister explained. "If it's important, it'll come back." We need not adopt this exact practice to recognize that every single piece of paper does not require urgent attention. Work and life can never be completely in balance. As we grow and change, our priorities and needs shift. What does not change is our need for meaning. We seek meaning in our work and our families. To be in balance is to express our best selves and find deep satisfaction in them both.
Rabbi Evan Moffic serves as rabbi of Congregation Solel in Highland Park, IL. He loves synagogues and the way they bring together members of every generation to study and experience Jewish wisdom and tradition. Originally posted at Simple Wisdom


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The new Greenwheels website
Greenwheels is celebrating its twentieth anniversary! This is something to be proud of. It's also a good time to look ahead and plan for the future. That's why we are busy developing a brand new, user-friendly website which is already open for visitors and browsing, but will be officially launched in a few months' time.
Optimised for tablets and mobile phones
The new website will have a clean-cut, responsive design for tablet and mobile viewing. This means that soon you will be able to access the Greenwheels website wherever you are: at the office on your desktop computer, on the road on your laptop or from the comfort of your own home.
What else are we working on?
Besides revamping our website, we are updating our booking system to provide users with a clearer and more user-friendly experience. In addition, we will be launching a brand new app which, among many other great features, enables users to book a Greenwheels car anywhere, anytime.


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NEW YORK -- Equinox recently named Cynthia (Cie) Nicholson its new executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
Nicholson had served as the CMO of PepsiCo North America from 2005 until she stepped down in 2008. She had responsibility for more than 35 brands at Pepsi.
"Cie is a forward-thinking leader who understands how to build and expand a brand into new, profitable markets," Equinox CEO Harvey Spevak said in a statement. "She is the best of all worlds: an award-winning marketing executive with an exceptional track record in one of the most competitive global businesses, a natural leader and developer of talent, and a successful manager with a tremendous entrepreneurial spirit."
Spevak added that Nicholson will help New York-based Equinox build a "global lifestyle brand" by identifying and capitalizing on domestic and international opportunities.
"I am thrilled to be joining Equinox at such an important point in the company's growth and expansion," Nicholson said in a statement. "The Equinox lifestyle brand has something unique and compelling to offer both an expanded domestic and international marketplace. Equinox has tremendous brand equity that defines quality, innovation and attention to detail through its design and diverse offerings. That's a great message in any language."


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Quality canvas, stretched and ready to hang. These beautiful pieces will look good on any wall, with the natural texture of the material bringing an added dimension to the image. Our canvases are printed using archival quality inks and fine-art 381gsm canvas, they are then stretched around 30mm x 30mm kiln dried stretcher bars.
Normal productions times are 1-2 days.
Ideal for those traveling or wishing to send overseas. The same quality and finish as the "ready-to-hang" canvas, but without being stretched over a frame. The canvas is rolled and sent in a hard cardboard tube for protection. Once received it needs to be stretched on a frame, which can be completed by a framer.
Normal production times are 1-2 days.
A professionally framed, archival quality print, hand signed and ready to hang. With solid wood and a simple, yet stylish moulding, a framed print is guaranteed to get a "woah" from all that see it. All my frames are available in either white, black or raw oak!
Framed prints can be delivered locally in Perth or picked up from the gallery. We don't ship them interstate or overseas due to possible damage. If you aren't local, don't fret, you can order a rolled print and get it framed locally to you.
Normal production times are 3-5 days.
Available in the following sizes:
The "Little One"
A 3cm wide and 2cm deep frame with a 5cm white mat surround. The "little one" is perfect for combining with other "little ones" to create a collage of images or on it's own it travels well being the smallest, thinest and lightness framed print we do, just great for taking on planes.
The "InBetweener"
A popular choice for larger spaces. Solid 3cm x 2cm frame, with either a 6cm or 7cm white mat surround. Available in two sizes, this is priced to please and will look great on any walls of your house.
The "Big One"
Stepping up to a large framed print may seem a bit daunting, but seeing it's beauty every day makes you realise what a fantastic investment it is. The "Big One" boasts a bigger frame of 4cm x 2cm and an 8cm white mat to give more space around the image.
The "Paninaro"
For panoramic images the "Paninaro" is the obvious choice with a 3:1 aspect ratio and all the same styling as the "InBetweener" it's a beauty to behold.
Acrylic Face Mounting is the process of mounting the image side of the photograph to the back of 6mm optical grade acrylic using a special adhesive film. The edges of the acrylic have been specially diamond polished so that they match the clarity of the acrylic's front. (Diamond polishing is a superior finish and not the same as companies that sand and buff the edge of the acrylic)
Once mounted we then precision cut and secure a white backing for the acrylic and this offers rear protection to the image and also provides a secure surface to apply the u-channel hanging system.
The final look and effect makes your image literally "Pop", it has a real "Wow" factor about it. This combined with the depth your image has with the 6mm acrylic used has to be seen to be believed.
Normal production time is 7 - 14 days.
My fine art images are printed on archival quality paper with high quality inks which have a strong resistance to light fading and with correct mounting and framing will last for many years without any signs of fading. All image prints can shipped anywhere in the world


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Ex-Md. teacher gets probation for explicit photos
Erin Thorne sent graphic photos to student
A former Anne Arundel County teacher has been given probation after admitting to exchanging sexually explicit photos with a male student.
Erin Thorne, of Arnold, was also ordered at her sentencing hearing Wednesday to stay away from the man, now 19, to whom she sent graphic photos. She called her actions "inexcusable."
The Capital of Annapolis reports that the judge decided to spare the former Broadneck High School teacher from having a conviction on her record, instead granting her probation before judgment.
The 28-year-old Thorne was an English teacher and basketball coach, but her career was derailed after she exchanged explicit photos with a then-17-year-old student throughout the 2011 school year.
She resigned in April after facing criminal charges.
Thorne is to be on probation for one year.


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THE HAGUE, Netherlands — A retired American general has apologized for a remark to the U.S. Senate suggesting that gay Dutch soldiers were partly to blame for the Srebrenica massacre by Serb soldiers in Bosnia, according to the Defense Ministry.
The comment by retired Gen. John Sheehan during testimony opposing a proposal to allow gays to serve openly in the U.S. military caused an uproar in the Netherlands, where discrimination against gays is outlawed, including in the military.
The Defense Ministry released an e-mail Tuesday from Sheehan, a former NATO commander who retired from the military in 1997, to retired Dutch Gen. Henk van den Breemen saying he is sorry for his statements to the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 18.
In the e-mail, Sheehan says the 1995 murder of some 8,000 Muslim men in Bosnia's Srebrenica enclave "was in no way the fault of individual soldiers."
Failed to prevent massacre
Outnumbered and outgunned by Serb forces, Dutch U.N. peacekeepers did not intervene as Muslim families seeking refuge at Srebrenica were separated and the men driven away to be summarily executed and plowed into mass graves.
Sheehan had cited Van den Breemen, the Dutch military's chief of staff at the time of the massacre, as his source when he told the Senate committee Dutch army chiefs had believed gays were "part of the problem" in the fall of Srebrenica.
"I am sorry that my recent public recollection of those discussions of 15 years ago inaccurately reflected your thinking on some specific social issues in the military," Sheehan wrote to Van den Breemen.
Apology welcomed
Dutch Defense Minister Eimert van Middelkoop welcomed the apology.
"The minister is satisfied with the apologies and very pleased that the case is closed," Van Middelkoop's spokesman Otto Beeksma said.
A group calling itself Pink Army said it will likely drop plans to sue Sheehan in a U.S. court.
"The reactions and publicity in the Netherlands and United States have clearly put him under so much pressure that he had to retract his words," said Peter Schouten, who set up Pink Army.
"Now that he has expressed regret, the need to start legal proceedings has vanished," he added.
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Lynne Vogel
Years of experience as a knitter, crocheter, handspinner, and dyer go into the conception of every one of my patterns. Often described as "elegant with an edge", my designs are artful yet classic enough to cross fashion barriers. Each pattern is clearly written and easy to follow, complete with color photos, sizing tips and occasionally charts when necessary.
Leaves and flowers are favorite motifs because I'm a nature girl, a "blue domer". Spiraling patterns especially intrigue me because the spiral is a symbol of the vortex of creation. Every time I spin yarn I hold the tiny vortex of the point of twist between my fingertips. Hand spinning is all about the point of twist, how fibers are pulled into this vortex to become yarn. I design with handspinners in mind, but my patterns are also perfect for popular commercial yarns and you'll usually find several suggestions for substitute yarns with each pattern.
Comments and Questions? Please join my groups LV ltd and Twisted Friends.
find me on:
Instagram: lizzydoone
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It's only halfway through the tour - we didn't have the advantage of seeing the test against Wales last night before this column had to go to print - but there is some clear progress being made in the competition within the team for positions.
I'm talking Ben Franks vs Charlie Faumuina; Brodie Retallick vs Luke Romano; Liam Messam vs Victor Vito; Piri Weepu vs Aaron Smith; Beauden Barrett vs Aaron Cruden; and Julia Savea vs Hosea Gear.
I'd also like to mention new hooker Dane Coles in the context of wishing that they played midweek games as we always used to up north. I think that would set off some of these fine, new players very well. Like Coles. He's done well enough and was brought onto the bench against Wales and he's shaped up as mobile and involved - a far cry from the guy a year or two ago who got a bit big for his boots on and off the field.
He is a lot more focused now and I reckon a game or two against the likes of Bath and Gloucester, as we used to, would do him the world of good. As it would Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick, Victor Vito and others.
I think Faumuina is winning the battle against Franks. Brother Ben has probably reached his peak and is not liable to improve further. What you get is what you see with him - he doesn't ever have a bad game but he doesn't have a brilliant game either. Faumuina has more potential in terms of mobility, ball-carrying and maybe scrummaging but is still susceptible to the odd off day.
Romano got the starting berth against Wales so he is clearly winning the battle with Retallick. But the latter is very young and will be putting in good performances when Romano has retired, I predict. I'd tend to start with Retallick and Sam Whitelock at lock as Romano is a bit like Kees Meuws and Ollie Le Roux, of South Africa. They can cause a lot of damage when they come off the bench in the last 15-20 minutes or so. But I can see why the All Blacks brains trust like Romano - he has got a huge engine and he does so much of the grunt work so well.
For me, Liam Messam has earned his place over Victor Vito as, the way the All Blacks play, they want someone to take it up hard and be aggressive and Messam is doing that. However, you can see a future where Vito does the same thing and he probably has more potential in terms of speed, ball-carrying and all-round skill.
I laughed when I heard all the noises coming out of the All Black camp about Weepu starting against Wales. Yes, he played well against Italy but I think all the guff about starting Weepu against Wales was really just the selectors justifying their stance in picking Weepu for the tour. They would have been in the crapper if he'd had a horror. He'll be remembered for turning in a good showing when his career was on the wane but, for me, Smith is the future.
I'd say Beauden Barrett has cemented himself in the 23 shirt with that display against Italy when Israel Dagg was injured. He played well and showed his versatility and skill. Cruden has probably got the upper hand at the moment but what a huge boon having two such good young guys backing up Dan Carter now. I also don't buy the stuff about Cruden being targeted on defence. If Richie McCaw and Kieran Read and Ma'a Nonu know the opposition are going to run at Cruden, they will be there with bells on and crunch the runners. It doesn't always pay to target the so-called weakest link.
As for the wingers, I think Savea has clearly out-distanced Hosea Gear on this tour. Not that Gear has done anything wrong, it's just that Savea has taken his opportunities and looks dangerous and an obvious selection right now.
It's still early days but these may be some of the selection patterns that we see in this All Black team over the next year or so.


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I have a confession to make: I am feeling a little nervous. I am making a TV programme for the BBC about chance and uncertainty, and for some reason the producers have told me that I need to do a sky-dive – presumably while they stand safely on solid ground, sipping tea and enjoying the spectacle of me floating gently to earth. Probably.
But as I ponder the wisdom of such an undertaking, the statistician in me has been keen to explore the real dangeers of various seemingly high-risk pursuits. There is seemingly no shortage of people apparently willing to scale great heights, or hurl themselves down from them – including me, it seems – turning extreme sports into a multi-billion dollar global industry.
Comparing these risks is not a clear-cut task. It is usually fairly straightforward to count the dead bodies. But do we consider these as a proportion of everyone who takes part, or those that attempt more dangerous forms, or per day of activity? And even then it is often difficult to get solid data on how many people are getting up to whatever pursuit turns them on.
'Flying squirrels'
All of which restricts the range of activities that we can look at. But I will begin with one of the earliest examples of extreme sports. Mountaineering has come a long way since the Alpine Club was founded in London in 1857 – when the British dominated mountaineering, and were bagging the classic Alpine peaks in desperately unsuitable clothing.
Climbing technologies (and clothing) have vastly improved since those heady days, but even apart from the possibility of falls, there are still the dangers of the low oxygen, freezing temperatures, exposure to wind and sun, and the exertion to contend with. Mount Everest is the classic example: from the first attempt up until the end of 2011, there have been 219 deaths, which is 1 for every 25 that actually reach the summit. Out of the 20,000 mountaineers climbing above 26,000 feet (8,000 metres) in the Himalayas between 1990 and 2006, an estimated 238 people died, a rate of around 12,000 micromorts per climb (See my initial post for a definition of a micromort as a 1-in-a-million chance of death). In another study of 533 mountaineers on British expeditions above 23,000ft (7,000m) between 1968 and 1987, there were 23 deaths (or 1 in 23), which comes out at 43,000 micromorts per climb – making it riskier than an average bombing mission in WW2.
That is the risk for people who enjoy going up, but what about those who cannot wait to come down with style. From Icarus' brush with the Sun, and immortal fame, man has felt compelled to fly or glide in some form: parachutes were developed in the late 1700s, and hang-gliders were tested a hundred years later.
Parachuting competitions began in the 1930s, and the United States Parachute Association estimated that an average of 2.6 million jumps were made each year between 2000 and 2010. But it's still not entirely without risk: over that period 279 people died, around 25 a year, giving a rate of about 10 micromorts per jump.
Far more dangerous is "Base jumping", in which sky-divers jump from fixed objects rather than planes. The Kjerag Massif in Norway is considered one of safest launching points as there is a shear 3,280ft (1,000m) drop which should give ample time to do something to soften the inevitable contact with the ground. Nevertheless, over 11 years and 20,850 jumps, there were 9 deaths and 82 non-fatal accidents: that is one death in every 2,300 jumps, or an average of around 430 micromorts a jump. And the Kjerag Massif is one of the safer spots: base jumping is not a mass-participation sport, for fairly obvious reasons, but 180 deaths have been recorded, increasingly featuring "wingsuits" that allow daredevils to soar down the mountain like a flying squirrel.
But if you do not feel like diving through the air, diving underwater provides more buoyancy, but has a different set of hazards. Jacques Cousteau turned scuba diving into a leisure activity with his development of the "Aqua-Lung" in 1943, and the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) now has over 35,000 members. The BSAC keeps a careful tally of diving fatalities and recorded 197 deaths over the 12 years from 1998 to 2009, an average of around 16 a year. They estimated around 30 million dives over this time, so the average lethal risk was around 8 micromorts per dive: but this is an average – for BSAC members it was 5 per dive, 10 for non-members.
But what about something that you may think is less risky? Long-distance running might seem out of place in this list. But, as Pheidippides found 2,500 years ago after collapsing and dying from his 26-mile run to announce the victory at the Battle of Marathon, this event can end in more than sore feet. In 3.3 million marathon attempts in the US between 1975 and 2004 there were 26 sudden deaths, which comes out at around 7 micromorts a marathon on average – putting it at a similar level to a scuba-dive or a sky-dive.
When we look at sky-diving, scuba-diving, marathon running and other extreme sports, there seems to be some natural level of risk – say around 10 micromorts per episode – that people are prepared to take on for a challenging and exciting leisure activity, while still being reasonably sensible (this does not include BASE jumpers).
What is 10 micromorts equivalent to in regular life? Well, it is about the risk of death, from any cause at all, of an average 30-year-old man in 4 days of their normal life, or about 1 day for a 50-year-old. It is also roughly equivalent to the risk in the UK of a 60-mile (96km) motorbike ride, or 2,500 miles (4,000km) in a car, or having a general anaesthetic. Not that one can consider having a general anaesthetic as being a particularly enviable leisure activity.
Anyway, if there are further contributions to this column, you will know that I survived the sky-dive and lived to face another day. Wish me luck!
If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on Future, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.


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The Matisse Falcon art print
$ 15.00
This is a PRINT from an original painting. The artwork is printed on acid free white photo paper, sealed in an archival bag & backed with a sturdy board so that it won't bend. In order to keep prices low, my prints are not signed.
This print is available in sizes 8" x 10" and 11" x 14". Select which size you'd like from the drop down menu.


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This video is short -- just eight seconds -- but I feel pretty confident saying it will blow you away. In it, a dad has come up with the most creative and perhaps ingenious way I've ever seen to do a little girl's hair.
He uses a vacuum cleaner -- a full-sized, regular, sweep-your-floor vacuum -- to create the "perfect" ponytail, and he does it in just five seconds. But as crazy as it is, it actually works. You truly have to see it to believe it. Check it out after the jump.
Pretty amazing, right? I wouldn't call that ponytail perfect, and I'm hoping he cleaned the thing out, but I'm totally impressed ... and highly amused.
I'm actually surprised my husband never thought of this himself. When it comes to girls' hair and dads, the two can be a pretty, uh, interesting match. My husband has definitely gotten better over the years, but there was a time when if I wasn't around, he'd just put a brush and some hair ties in the diaper bag, and ask the first friendly preschool teacher or woman with decent-looking hair he'd see to help him out, a.k.a. do it for him. When he tried doing it himself ... let's just say everyone knew I was out of town.
Like I said, he's come a long way and can do a pretty mean ponytail these days. But if he'd seen this video a couple of years ago, I'm pretty sure he would have at least given it a try.
What has your experience been with dads and girls' hair?
Image via YouTube


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MWC 15 Special
Following the earlier information that an HTC One Mini launch is imminent at O2 Germany, German mobiFlip has just received further O2 internal information which show the HTC One Mini in black and silver, but also show the - so called - "HTC One Max", which sounds like a phablet version of the HTC One. Furthermore, the list shows two yet unknown Nokia devices, named after some kind of code names: Nokia "Eros" and Nokia "Mars". It's obvious that these devices will be Windows Phones but no further information were given yet. mobiFlip speculates that the "Eros" might be just a typo and possibly means "Eos". On the other hand, Eros and Mars were both Greek Gods (of love and war).
Whatever the HTC One Max, Nokia Eros and Nokia Mars mean, it's clear that HTC and Nokia are working on new devices which can be expected to be announced and launched anytime soon. All three, together with the yet to be announced HTC One Mini, have already received article numbers.
Cheers ~ Arne
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On Saturday, Washington Post reporters Lori Montgomery and Paul Kane fretted, with the help of several leftists they quoted, that sequestration might not cause enough pain. Given that the so-called "cuts" under discussion are really "reductions in projected spending growth," that is a legitimate fear if your perspective is that government shouldn't ever shrink under any circumstances.
Rush Limbaugh was correct on Tuesday when he noted that the Post let the "sky is falling" mask slip in it report. Several paragraphs, followed by a bit of Rush's reaction, follow the jump.
First, from the Post (bolds are mine throughout this post):
The big sequester gamble: How badly will the cuts hurt?
... Over the past week, President Obama has painted a picture of impending disaster, warning of travel delays, laid-off firefighters and pre-schoolers tossed out of Head Start. Conservatives accuse Obama of exaggerating the impact, and some White House allies worry the slow-moving sequester may fail to live up to the hype.
"The good news is, the world doesn't end March 2. The bad news is, the world doesn't end March 2," said Emily Holubowich, a Washington health-care lobbyist who leads a coalition of 3,000 nonprofit groups fighting the cuts. "The worst-case scenario for us is the sequester hits and nothing bad really happens. And Republicans say: See, that wasn't so bad."
In the long partisan conflict over government spending, the sequester is where the rubber meets the road. Obama is betting Americans will be outraged by the abrupt and substantial cuts to a wide range of government services, from law enforcement to food safety to public schools. And he is hoping they will rise up to demand what he calls a "balanced approach" to deficit reduction that replaces some cuts with higher taxes.
But if voters react with a shrug, congressional Republicans will have won a major victory in their campaign to shrink the size of government. Instead of cancelling the sequester, the GOP will likely push for more.
"It would be a big problem for the White House if the sequester came and went and nobody really noticed anything. Then people will start saying, 'Well, maybe we can cut spending," said John H. Makin, a resident scholar at the conservative American Enterprise Institute who penned a recent Wall Street Journal piece titled "Learning to Love the Sequester."
Adding to the liberal angst is concern that the scale of the cuts may be overstated, at least in the short term. While the sequester orders the White House to withdraw $85 billion in spending authority from affected agencies in the fiscal year that ends in September, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office predicts that agencies will reduce actual spending by only about $44 billion, with the remaining cuts carried over into future years.Compared with total 2013 discretionary spending, that's a cut of less than 4 percent.
Limbaugh identified the true meaning of what Montgomery and Kane wrote, and previewed some of some of what we're likely to see:
That's pretty telling. How can there be spending reductions without the world collapsing? In fact, the Post goes on to reiterate this. "But if voters react with a shrug, congressional Republicans will have won a major victory in their campaign to shrink the size of government. Instead of cancelling the sequester, the GOP will likely push for more," which is to say some Republicans might even push for real cuts. Oh! Oh! So the Washington Post really lets the mask slip. There aren't any real cuts in this sequester. And if this sequester happens and there aren't any real cuts and therefore the world doesn't end on March 2nd, then the Republicans might be emboldened and actually try to really cut some spending.
So they have totally taken the mask off in this story, and we know what they're really worried about. They have built this thing up into genuine Armageddon. It's like the National Weather Service telling you that there is a 125% chance that a hurricane is gonna strike where you live and destroy everything, and the day comes and it's just maybe some clouds and a few sprinkles. The Post says the Republicans might even push for real cuts, and not just reductions in the rate of growth, real cuts. And that would be a nightmare that the Democrats don't want to deal with it. That's right. If voters react with a shrug, congressional Republicans -- in fact, I don't think the Democrats can afford that happening.
I think what's gonna happen is that Obama will get with Democrat mayors, Democrat town councilmen, they'll try to get this as local as he can make it. And people in towns and cities all over America run by Democrats will actually lay some cops off, just to make sure. I wouldn't be surprised if that happens. I wouldn't put anything past these people because the optic is everything. The greatest enemy, greatest threat the Democrat Party and the Obama administration face is reality, the truth.
These fears probably go a long way in explaining why agencies are already taking hurtful actions, such as releasing illegal immigrants in detention, and blaming them on sequestration even before it takes effect. Sadly, such actions are probably a preview of much worse to come -- virtually all of it unjustified.
Cross-posted at BizzyBlog.com.


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When she wasn't taking her daily two-mile walk near her home or meeting with friends from her sewing club, you might catch Ruth Hamill playing a game of tennis or volunteering with Meals on Wheels. But when she received invitations to the Salk Institute over the years, she wouldn't pass up the chance to hear presentations on scientific research, yet another one of her longtime interests.
"I invited her to come hear a scientist speak at one of Salk's events in the 1990s because I knew she was interested in biomedical issues and research in general," said Ruth's friend and attorney for nearly 20 years Richard Muscio, who previously served on Salk's Planned Giving Advisory Committee.
"After that first meeting, she just fell in love with the place," he said. "Ruth loved hearing new ideas. She was just fascinated by the depth and breadth of knowledge and the creativity of Salk's researchers."
The science of cognition was of particular interest to Ruth, more so after her husband, King, developed Alzheimer's disease and passed away in 2006. The couple supported Salk research as members of the President's Club and eventually decided to include the Institute in their estate plan, which resulted in a $250,800 unrestricted contribution when Ruth passed away in March.
Ruth is survived by her two sons, Rick and Dean, who are very supportive of their parents' philanthropic endeavors, Muscio said.


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Tiga hasn't undergone a drastic makeover here; as it turns out, he's more sympathetic to Crosstown's deep house than you might think—earlier Sexor-era work is a key reference here. Case in point: the flipside is a remix of 2004's "Pleasure from the Bass" by UK producer Subb-an, and it's just about the most archetypal Crosstown production imaginable. The original's excitable fidget is flattened out into a throbbing, bass-heavy crawler, barked vocals nudging the groove along while the mechanical bassline flails with an antiseptic sterility. It's exactly the kind of thing that would merely float by in one of Subb-an's subtly catchy DJ sets.
The droll, dry pulse of "The Picture" is built around a similarly punch-drunk swirl. It's a perfectly capable mix of his electro work and the recent pounding techno of his Turbo label—the proof's in the stunning heart-in-mouth breakdown. Bridging the gap between past and present, it's reinforced with a hypnotically anesthetized bassline that slots it neatly alongside the work of artists like Maceo Plex. Of course, the Montrealer's ever-divisive vocals make an appearance, this time monotonously bleating lyrics from "When Doves Cry"—they don't add much other than torpor to the already sleepy melody, and hold it back from banging highlight to pleasant tension-builder.
Published /
Thu / 30 Aug 2012
Words /
Andrew Ryce
Tracklist /
A The Picture
B Pleasure From The Bass (Subb-an Remix)


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Mouth Coils 62 ft. - Rainbow
Rainbow Mouth Coils. The classic effect finally got longer, 62 feet.
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Have a question about this product? It's possible others do too. Ask here and other AmazeKids customers will be able to respond with assistance! Alternatively, email us and we can help too.
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UPDATE 08/13/12: Team GB completes Britain's most successful Olympics for 108 years ending the Games with 29 Gold Medals. The final gold medal was won by Anthony Joshuain the men's super heavyweight boxing division. The medal victories brought Team GB's tally to 65, with 29 golds, 17 silver and 19 bronze – its biggest win since 1908. See who else brought in the final victories!
UPDATE 08/09/12: It is the first Olympic Games in which women competed inside the boxing ring attracting much attention – Team GB's Nicola Adams became the first woman to win the Olympic boxing gold over China's Ren Cancan. Earlier in the hour, Charlotte Dujardin won her second gold of the Games in individual dressage at Greenwich Park.
UPDATE 08/07/2012: Team GB has now won seven of the 10 track cycling events at the London Velodrome with Sir Chris Hoy winning a record breaking six career gold medals. Hoy told BBC News, "This is enough for me, this is the perfect end to my Olympic career." Laura Trott joins Hoy in winning multiple golds being the first female British cyclist to win two gold medals in one Olympics. Let's take a look at who else has won!
UPDATE 8/5/2012: Andy Murray, Britain's great tennis hope, finally made good on his early promise with a victory over his sport's greatest champion, Switzerland's Roger Federer, in the men's singles Olympic final. The gold medal brings Team GB's medal haul to 16 on Sunday (August 5), adding on to their earlier wins.
How many golds do you predict Team GB will win?!Read More


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Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Thin SKIN
I would like to be read by as as many people as possible, the same I am sure as most writers. And one thing I have pondered and noticed since I have started on the journey and throwing myself out there is the novice writers typical thinness of skin.
A little perceived (or even deserved) criticism is tossed out and many will hide away for quite some time to lick their wounds. I know I did. My first public submission was poorly received on account of POV issues as I recall, as well as some quibbles over my not naming the main character. I thought that was a stupid argument, you didn't need to know his name. That was closer to four years ago than three-and strangely enough the story I thought was the worst won. I swore I would never enter that contest again-but I am a liar. I did re-enter just recently and I won.
I subbed two stories, Song of Saphir won and Covenant of the Scalp was a very close second. My point being that I know in the last four years I have grown as a writer in talent and skill-and the thickness of my skin has calloused too.
IF you wish to be a success with your writing you have to throw it out into the roiling ocean, surrounded by chum, for the sharks to pick at-how else are you going to bag that trophy fish? It takes guts and planning and talent but along with all of that there is a tenacity that comes with letting some things roll off your back, and enduring whatever slings and arrows are tossed your way-because they will come. Accept it, let the skin grow a little thicker and move on, because there are only two kinds of writers.
26 comments:
- Tamara Hart Heiner said...
you got it! Writers have to have thick skins. I've seen people get their shackles and defenses up over a critique, when they should be humble and recognize the truth in it. There's not always truth in a critique, and the author should have the confidence to roll their eyes and say, "thanks" anyway.
- March 3, 2010 at 4:41 AM
- Krista said...
Great post! It's so true. How can we put ourselves out there and not expect people to have opinions? It's scary and jarring at times, but we need to consider the source of the critique and THEN evaluate how we take it.
We've talked about this, but I will say that "Anonymous" critiques are usually the most harsh, and yet how can we give the source any weight?
Love Clint Eastwood!
- March 3, 2010 at 8:10 AM
- Daron D. Fraley said...
Hey Blondie,
That is my favorite western of all time. Awesome movie.
Sometime you need to do a post on character development with this movie in mind. Was there any doubt who was the Good, the Bad, or the Ugly?
I'll keep working on that tough skin thing!
- March 3, 2010 at 8:17 AM
- Christine said...
Totally love the Clint Eastwood clip. And you're right, we do need think skins. Mine's gotten a lot tougher in the past year or so, but I remember the first contest I entered and afterward I cried my little eyes out. I almost quit, but then decided to prove them wrong and learn how to write better. I'm still learning. GREAT POST!!
- March 3, 2010 at 8:17 AM
- Th. said...
Yeah. I had forgotten how much those early rejections were a slap. Now they are less than a gnat in the next room. How times change.
- March 3, 2010 at 9:16 AM
- Charles Gramlich said...
My skin has toughened a lot over the years, although there are still patches of thinness. I'm not sure those will ever go away. At least some thinness helps keep you motivated to do the absolutely best you can, to try and avoid criticism.
- March 3, 2010 at 9:17 AM
- Karen Jones Gowen said...
I judge my progress as a writer based on the thickness of my skin. I used to be afraid to even submit something to a publisher I was so scare of rejection. Now I can read a bad review of Uncut Diamonds and laugh about it. I call that progress.
- March 3, 2010 at 9:23 AM
- Amalia Dillin said...
Great Post. I kind of treasure those moments when someone really brutalizes my work. I mean, during the brutalization I may be feeling like I was kicked in the stomach, but afterward I feel like I made it through the crucible and came out stronger for it! And that is a great moment.
I would say more, but you've already said it better than I would have.
- March 3, 2010 at 9:26 AM
- Angie said...
It does take guts. I don't know that my skin is any thicker, but I have learned not to give up!
- March 3, 2010 at 11:02 AM
- Elana Johnson said...
Excellent advice. Coat your nerves in steel and your skin in dragon scales. :)
- March 3, 2010 at 11:12 AM
- nephite blood spartan heart said...
Tamara-yep there has to be a balance.
Krista-we have to just judge whatr they say with an open mind and see if it helps us in anyway.
Daron-I will keep that in mind, and plan a piece like that for the future.
Christine- Thanks, I relate.
Th.-Oh yeah, things don't get to me near as bad as ages past-heck weeks past.
Charles-I think there is an inate sensitivity to an artists soul-and yeah we shouldn't nessacarily completely lose that.
Karen-you're right, sometimes you just have to laugh at what people will say.
Amelia-thanks I'm flattered, I usually feel like my blog posts are so off the cuff they might hinder people liking my writing.
- March 3, 2010 at 11:16 AM
- nephite blood spartan heart said...
Angie-I've read your stuff its good-I know you can hang in there.
Elena-nice imagery.
- March 3, 2010 at 11:17 AM
- Angela Perry said...
I still have a few thin-skin issues. I've discovered that they come from throwing my story to the wolves before I've finished it in my mind. I do better with critiques if I wait a bit (a week or two) and work on something else in the meantime. Doing that gives me a chance to be more objective about my baby and untie the apron strings.
- March 3, 2010 at 11:37 AM
- Angela Perry said...
Snort. I should read my comments before hitting publish. What a disturbing metaphor--untie the apron strings from the baby and throw it to the wolves. *shakes head and goes to find artificial brain stimulants*
- March 3, 2010 at 11:39 AM
- LDS_Publisher said...
You won a prize in LDS Publishers February contest. Send me your mailing address.
And thanks for being a sponsor.
- March 3, 2010 at 12:29 PM
- nephite blood spartan heart said...
Nice Morgan, but I knew what you meant.
LDS Publisher-thanks, for that and the contest.
- March 3, 2010 at 2:38 PM
- Mary Gray said...
It's funny--I just told my sister that can tell REALLY tell me what she thinks this time reading my new rough draft cuz I'm "tougher now." With my first book I just needed to feel validated, but ever since WiDo picked me up I can take stuff cuz I know I at least have potential.
You're good with receiving criticism. I'm working on it. :) I think it's always easier to take when we know the things we did well too.
- March 3, 2010 at 5:35 PM
- Kimberly Vanderhorst said...
Well said!
Although my skin isn't as thick as I would like, I've come to realize that my writing is never improved by receiving praise and usually improved by criticism. So, tough as it is, I guess that given the choice I'd choose the criticism every time.
Except on the bad days and then I'll choose chocolate...
- March 3, 2010 at 5:55 PM
- Kathi Oram Peterson said...
Right on! I know exactly what you mean. Walking down the path of publication toughens a writer up. Great post!
- March 3, 2010 at 8:32 PM
- nephite blood spartan heart said...
M-definetly, it will come.
Kim-painful as it is, it is a
refining fire.
Kathi-thanks. You need to tell me if you subbed anything for LDSP's contest.
- March 3, 2010 at 10:59 PM
- Angie said...
Hi again. I left you an award on my blog.
- March 4, 2010 at 11:06 AM
- nephite blood spartan heart said...
Thanks Angie.
- March 4, 2010 at 12:14 PM
- Susan said...
HA! I'm sure some of that was intended for me. Don't worry, I'm toughening up. Funny how I'm thinking--or maybe hoping--I've made a few friends through a misunderstanding. Are you and Th. going to the Storymakers conference in April? I have to shake your hands.
- March 4, 2010 at 3:07 PM
- nephite blood spartan heart said...
Susan, Yeah it was a little bit for you, but as I said-I have been there and so has everyone else.
I am going-don't think Th. is because of school. I am excited to meet lots of people there, Storymakers is great for networking.
Congrats on your win too, and hopefully we will be sharing a book by summertime.
- March 4, 2010 at 3:27 PM
- Karlene said...
That's the reason I submitted to that contest--to help thicken my skin as a writer.
From a publisher's POV, I can say that I've made people cry, even when I've been as thoughtful and gentle as I know how to be. I hate that.
I love it when a writer is tough enough to take criticism and then fix the problems.
- March 7, 2010 at 6:52 PM
- nephite blood spartan heart said...
Karlene-I know it has taken criticism for me to improve, though it sure wasn't what I initially wanted to hear.
- March 7, 2010 at 11:06 PM


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We have hit Mesa on several trips (Toyota loves vegas). Lots of good food but to me the very best thing is his peach margaritas.@MrCookingNurse I ate at Mesa Grill, Bobby's place in Caesars Palace in vegas for lunch one day. The Swordfish club was amazing and one of my co-workers got a dish that had 3 or 4 bites, he had food envy for sure that day..Emerils in New Orleans was like that so I just waited till I got to vegas to try a couple of his places too.
It was a great vacation. We were there for 6 days and had some very good meals...Mesa Grill was my favorite. I had a citrus rubbed ribeye that was amazing. Sides and apps were great too.@HI54putty I didn't even know he had expanded there, makes sense but I bet that was a fun vacation!
I had said something to a local and was told they are very hit and miss at the time. This was September. You bet your @$$ mine was expense. Going out on a guess, were you headed to the Bettles show?@Mickey It was the only dry-aged steak I've had and it was cooked perfectly. I'm glad I was getting perdiem and did not effect my budget too much. I don't normally get expensive steaks to cook but I'm sure the same cut would be great on the egg too. Luckily we were catching a show at another hotel so we didn't stick around for more drinks or dessert or it would have been as much as a egg for sure.


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CHAMPAIGN – Concerned about retirements and its ability to recruit new professors, the University of Illinois is working on a plan to make up for what employees will lose after the state's landmark pension overhaul, but most other state universities say they don't have the ability to follow suit.
Most say they just don't have the money to do anything about it.
"Where does this money come from?" asked Matt Bierman, budget director at Western Illinois University, where up to 150 employees are expected to retire, almost 8 percent of the university's 2,000 staff and faculty. "If we're going to add another benefit to our employees, which is probably deserved, we still have to find the revenue or cut expenses."
Illinois lawmakers passed the pension overhaul plan last December to address a $100 billion shortfall in funding state retirement benefits. Signed into law by Gov. Pat Quinn, it cut cost-of-living increases for retirees and capped the amount of earnings that can be applied toward pensions.
The changes take effect in June, but the plan is being challenged in court. That includes a motion filed Friday in Sangamon County by a group that represents university employees and retirees asking that the law be entirely set aside until its constitutionality has been determined.
But many employees of public universities already have decided to retire to avoid losing pension benefits under a new way of calculating them due to the overhaul – or are considering it.
In April, state universities identified an additional problem – an unintended glitch with a date in the law that could further reduce pension payouts for several thousand university employees. Lawmakers last week filed legislation to fix that problem, but there is no guarantee it will happen.
The State University Employees Retirement System says more than 400 employees at the University of Illinois campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield have filed paperwork to retire in May and June. And many more are possible.
Details of the U of I plan to cushion employees' losses have yet to be decided, but many administrators assume it will happen. They hope it will keep as many current faculty members around as possible and keep the university on par in recruiting with schools like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford University.
But some wonder where the money will come from.
"Is it going to come out of my budget?" asked David Cahill, head of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. He then ventured a guess that the school's steadiest source of revenue – tuition – might ultimately be at least part of the source.
Cahill will lose money under the pension changes, and he's "absolutely" considering leaving after 23 years.
Paul Bauer has already made the decision to retire from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb in a few weeks.
Bauer is director of NIU's School of Music. At 57, he's spent 28 years at NIU and hadn't planned to step aside for a while. But staying will reduce his pension by "tens of thousands of dollars."
NIU President Doug Baker says as much as 20 percent of the school's faculty and staff, about 800 people, could leave. With a budget of $446 million, NIU isn't considering any kind of pension supplement either, spokesman Paul Palian said.
That is where the potential problems on campuses around the state start to come into focus.
About a third of NIU's graduate school staff is leaving, Bauer said. The School of Music will be particularly affected, he said, since about a third of its students are grad students.
"There are little pockets around campus, offices, that are going to be so negatively affected it's going to be difficult to provide the services they would like to apply," he said.
Some schools are looking at the possibility of cutting class offerings. That's the case at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, said Rae Goldsmith, the school's chief communications officer.
Just what might not be offered won't be known until all the retirees are gone in the next few months. The school anticipates about 200 of its 5,000 employees will leave, about 20 percent more than usual.
With a $613 million budget, SIU also will be unable to afford any kind of pension supplement, Goldsmith said.
Western Illinois' Bierman says tough recruiting for some disciplines will become even more difficult.
"We struggle now trying to find accounting professors," he said. "So for us to add another wrench into it ... it's going to be another factor against us."