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Prevertere is what would happen if you mixed Jim Jarmusch, Richard Linklater and Gregg Araki with a very low budget and the none of the skills to shy away from that fact… plus a sprinkling of James Duval. These don't necessarily make Brian McGuire's Prevertere a poor film but rather a film, which should become the precursor to a successful, indie career for a filmmaker much more interested in exploring the inner workings of his characters rather than fleshing out a busy and full narrative. The film calls on all sorts of influences, further than just the ones already named and it suddenly becomes clear that a film such as this, is ultimately a postmodern homage to the genre itself; a psychological journey movie.
The journey that the audience is going on is with Templeton (Terry Wayne) who spends his days going from one lover to another, each playing out a different fantasy and playing a different role with them. All these women together, possibly make the ideal woman for Templeton but unfortunately McGuire doesn't seem too interested in exploring why he sleeps around with these different women and what he gets from each of them. Rather the film is much more about these integral moments in his life with these women and what they do to him in the now rather than the consequences for the future.
His visit to Las Vegas with on/off girlfriend, Jo-Anne is the most interesting in terms of narrative. With this girl, he truly seems to show emotion. Whilst they are in Vegas, they spend their time at a house party, at first it appears like they are with frat boys but very quickly this changes and men and women of all ages start to appear. It is as if they are lost in time and these moments at the party are all they have left to enjoy, so they simply never leave. This house seems to be filled with the last of the real rock and rollers. James Duval appears (one of the last rock and rollers?), snorting drugs and making barking sounds (not unusual anymore for Duval) and this suddenly illustrates the slight surreal nature of the party. Then Bobby Dino (Bret Roberts) appears and starts to make eyes with Templeton – there is this constant homoeroticism about him, he dances and sings and he stares deeply towards Templeton. At moments he is reminiscent of Frank from David Lynch's Blue Velvet; seducing the audience with a air of mystery and possible evil ready to explode. He is interested in chatting with Templeton, they have unfinished business and in a slightly more action driven finale, they have a showdown, which is subtle and contemplative.
Along the way, Templeton also spends time with Shelly, an emotional Italian woman who seems to involved in her booty call relationship with Templeton. Although she says that she understands what they have together, there is also this constant need for attention and emotion that she craves and Templeton just cannot provide that. She leaves him hysterical messages asking to see him and then lashing out if he doesn't contact her back and this leaves him wanting to create space between the two of them. His final and most mysterious relationship is with Irene (Pollyanna McIntosh) who has promised that they will sleep together once a year for the rest of their lives; she represents the dreamy, the intimate and most aware of what they mean to each other. As they talk and discuss the women that Templeton has been with, she laughs if off and gives him advice not to lead them on. They play in a make believe world, dressing up like princesses and playing in cardboard boxes; this is the childlike side of Templeton, the animal that is screaming to get out and once a year it does.
Woody Allen, David Lynch, Gus Van Sant and those named above all seem to have their look in with this film; McGuire's filmmaking is exploratory and intimate but it is also very aware of the surface representations of these characters. He is never quite sure whether to create a satire that never breaks the surface or a slightly more alienating look at what it takes to make us, us. The script seems like something written for the Twitter generation, throwing in some Bret Easton Ellis and Hunter S. Thompson just to create the atmosphere. The film never judges the characters but unfortunately it never gives the audience enough to care too much either.
Prevertere is not a hard watch, it is simply demanding you to think but it is never quite sure what it actually wants the audience to think about, therefore leaving them pretty hard done by at the end. There is no consequence for the characters, not really, and despite the mild drama that happens throughout it never leaves the audience wondering what happens next. On the other hand, it is a clever film and perhaps a great introduction to a man with ideas.


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Most of the changes to Thorold City Council's meeting procedures are intended to time-saving at best, and may lead to procedural wrangling at worst, as has happened in other municipalities that have tried similar tactics. However, two of the changes might actually be of benefit: the first to the Councillors, and the second to democracy. Both have to do with the section presently known as "Other Business".
The first benefit is the three-minute time limit per Councillor to bring up their business. As Councillors who have been asked understand it, that's three minutes for all the three items they're allowed, not three minutes each item. And the questions have to be provided by noon the day before so that staff will prepared to answer.
The obvious benefit to the Councillor in this is that they'll be aware that they have to prepare. This will be especially beneficial to Councillors who have a tendency to keep talking after they've made their point and ramble on until they find themselves being sued, or possibly being escorted from Council by police escort. I'm not mentioning any names.
There are drawbacks, however. It could increase heating costs because of all the hot air not expended. But seriously, the reason this may not save time, however, is that it may have the intended consequence of creating long delays when a Councillor feels that his or her or their duty to represent his or her or their constituents is being infringed upon. It takes an inordinate amount of time to delay Council while the police are being summoned.
The potential benefit to democracy and taxpayers arises from the new rule that motions can't be made from Other Business, which will be known as Statements by Members.
Whether or not Council and staff realize it, the public have developed a generally accepted rule of thumb for pushing through items that aren't too, too contentious. Most times, all anyone needs to do at present is to bring along ten or twenty supporters and it'll get passed through a quick motion by at least one Councillor in Other Business. Whether or not it's a true perception, it's generally accepted out there that Council is afraid to say no to a determined crowd.
While it won't completely resolve the problem, or the perception of it, it will slow it down by requiring a Notice of Motion, which will at least move the question to the next Council Meeting. This will give Councillors an opportunity to think about the various repercussions and to ask staff for pertinent information. The petitioners will have to work just a bit harder and get their supporters out to at least one more meeting before it can be passed.
And, don't worry if you think your particular cause is an absolute emergency. The General Committee report states that Council may temporarily suspend procedure at any time with a two-thirds vote. So, if you can convince two-thirds of your elected representatives that your need is immediate and dire, you still have a chance to do it in one night.

subset: commoncrawl


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Essential Substances For Survival and How To Purify them
Have you for a moment ever thought of the things that you cannot possibly survive or live without? If you have thought about it, then water and air must have come to mind. However, did you stop to think about the quality of water and air we use? Mostly, we take air and water for granted even when we understand that they are essential and vital to our survival. When we look at them, and they appear clear, we consider clear to be clean. However, this is not supposed to be the case since clear does not necessarily mean clean. A substance could be clear, yet contaminated. For both substances, be keen and think about their quality. Ensuring quality can better your health and quality of life. Therefore, it is upon you to ensure you use quality air and water.
Let us start with water. We all understand the essence and importance of taking sufficient amounts of water each day, preferably an average of eight glasses. Unfortunately, most of us get the water from the taps and just drink. You may say that tap water is clean and not harmful but think about the distance it has had to pass through to reach your kitchen. There may be chances that the water has been contaminated in some way before it reaches you. Sometimes it could catch harmful substances like bacteria, pesticides, dust and other such particles. Click here for more and see ways water could get contaminated. Click here for more and see other contaminants that may have gotten in the water. Think of how you can improve the water quality. Water companies may have purified the water, but is there really a guarantee that it is completely pure? Take it upon yourself to always filter water before using it, especially for drinking and cooking. Visit your local market to purchase a water filter. You can read more here about water filters.
Air pollution is on the rise, making the air we breathe quite risky. Think of the traffic pollution and smog you see around as well as other factors such as the damage or destruction of the ozone layer. Apparently, these factors are evidence that the air around us is not necessarily clean or pure. It may be difficult to take control of the air quality in different places, but we could at least do so in our homes. Invest in houseplants. They will assist in purifying the air around them. Learn more about the houseplants. At the same time, you can consider using an air filtration system and eliminate problems such as allergies. Discover more and learn about the air filtration system.
Smart Ideas: Welness Revisited
Essential Substances For Survival and How To Purify them


text: I've never been to a dentist, and after 59 years, I ended up with a cavity, which is in front of the wisdom teeth, so they needed to remove those in order to repair the one cavity that I had. I didn't really know what to expect. I sent both of my kids to have their teeth done, and after I had it done, well, it was a breeze, just the way they told me: "It wasn't no problem, Dad." Dr. Graves was just awesome. He's super friendly and super nice. He kind of made me laugh and everything. The procedure went actually really good. After I left here, I actually went shopping with my wife. I would refer anybody to Amarillo Oral Surgery.--Joe


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- This event has passed.
Catching Your Breath
September 9, 2019 @ 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Catching Your Breath is an MADC wellness program for care partners of adults living with memory loss. The program is free and held at the Matthaei Botanical Gardens. Registration required. Please call the MADC at 734-936-8803 or register for programs online here.


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Marketing Buzz 07/03
This story appears in the July 2003 issue of Entrepreneur. Subscribe »
Mood Music
We all know that music affects our mood, but can you use music to enhance sales?
- Slow-tempo music encourages consumers to linger. So slow music is a great strategy for a gift shop or an apparel retailer, where the longer shoppers are in the store, the more they buy.
- Fast music speeds your customers up. If you operate any type of fast-food restaurant, for example, you can actually encourage turnover with the pace of your music. So pump up the volume!
- Matching the music to your product ups sales. If you're looking to encourage sales of, say, French wine, research shows that playing French music significantly boosts sales. Retailer Restoration Hardware used a specially compiled CD called "Rum Punch" a few years ago to rev up sales of its tropical merchandise.
- White noise can work, too. Silent retail environments make customers nervous. Injecting a low hum of white noise puts them at ease.
Retailers are defined by their music. Starbucks, for example, sees music as integral to its brand. In fact, its music was so frequently requested by customers that Starbucks partnered with a record label. The lesson? Stay in sync with your customers.
Free Speech
With today's mind-set of spending less and getting more, consider speaking as an inexpensive marketing tool. Not only does it position you as an expert, but, as Sarah Victory--a speaker, coach and the author of How to Double Your Business in One Year or Less (Northland Business Press)--says, "Speaking is the ultimate free sample. Your audience believes that if you can afford to give away a few ideas, imagine how much more [you must] know."
Speaking for free can generate huge returns as long as the audience is in a position to buy. Before you get in front of the members of your target audience, figure out what key issues they face and how your talk can help solve them. It's perfectly acceptable to briefly reference your business on the podium, but only as it relates to how you solved a similar problem. Blatantly self-promoting speeches always backfire. Instead, make your talk about what you can do for the audience.
And don't forget the title of your speech--it's what sells your presentation. "Audiences buy a solution, a result or an experience," says Victory. Clever usually doesn't sell. Compare "Full Frontal Selling" as a title to "How to Get More Sales in Less Time." After 10 or so speeches, you should start seeing good results.
Given the mantra of test, test and retest, here's an ideal solution to your marketing research problems. InsightExpress offers quality, inexpensive research tools with results delivered in real time. Perhaps you're interested in testing customer satisfaction. This Web site helps you plan the research, customize an existing survey, send invitations to your customers to respond to the survey, and tabulate the results.
InsightExpress can help you make better decisions about your new service offerings, product launches, advertising or pricing. The site walks you through the entire process without having to hire a marketing researcher and is supported by customer service. Prices start at $500.
Marketing consultant and speaker Elizabeth Goodgold is the author of Duh! Marketing Awards (www.duhmarketing.com).


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2014 Elizabeth Chopin Visiting Professorship - Joel M. Stern
Internationally Renowned Financial Expert Joel Stern Taught a Finance Course for Webster University and Lauder Business School Students
Webster Vienna Private University, through the Elizabeth Chopin Visiting Professorship and in partnership with Lauder Business School, had the privilege to host Prof. Joel Stern's course: "The Theory and Policy of Modern Finance" in spring 2014.
The course emphasized problem solving and applications for the theories of modern finance. What efficiencies of markets means in a practical sense was demonstrated, the economic model of the firm was compared with the accounting model, the weaknesses of the accounting framework were demonstrated in valuation of acquisitions and designing incentive contracts for management. Dividend policy and capital structure were investigated as they relate to changes in share value and the price-to-earnings ratio. The concept of cost of capital was shown to be independent of capital structure even in the real world, a principal component of the Miller-Modigliani theorems in a world of perfect capital markets. Finally, three alternate models were presented for pricing firms, including initial public offerings, acquisitions and divestitures and for internal capital allocation. Strategic planning and valuation was reconciled and the EVA framework was used for designing incentive contracts for management, boards of directors and even for all employees right down to the shop floor. The emphasis was on real world illustrations.


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Got this in a swap, thanks Bethany!
Aroma is ever so slightly smokey though that does not come through in the taste. It is very clean and smooth, no astringency so far. This almost reminds me of a Darjeeling, but it doesn't quite reach being exactly like one. Has a little bit of sweetness and I have to say I quite like it. After my earlier horrible cup of tea, this more than makes up for it.
Boiling 4 min, 0 sec


text: Under the federal Home Affordable Mortgage Program (HAMP) when a borrower enters into a trial period plan (TPP), a form of temporary loan payment reduction under HAMP, the borrower and lender enter into a Trial Period Agreement — a written contract enforceable under state law. If a borrower complies with the terms of a TPP, and the borrower's representations remain true and correct, the loan servicer must offer the borrower a permanent loan modification. If the lender fails to offer a permanent modification the borrower may sue the lender or loan servicer for breach of contract as HAMP does not preempt or otherwise displace state law causes of action. West v. JPMorgan Chase Bank. Continue reading


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Nankhatai is a type of shortbread cookie – popular during Indian festivals or just as a tea snack! Its usually made with ghee (clarified butter) and all-purpose flour – some add gram flour and semolina to it as well. It's flavoured with cardamom and usually topped with nuts.
I tried reading more about the origin of this. The name can be broken into two – Persian word 'naan' meaning bread and 'khatai' from an Afghan word meaning Biscuit. Surprisingly, its origin is in Surat, Gujarat in the 16th century – a Dutch couple before leaving India handed over their bakery to an Iranian. He experimented on the bread and came up with a dried version and called it nankhatai, which became very popular. (Source 1, Source 2).
Since it was my first attempt, I kept it simple – only all-purpose flour and no nuts.
Ingredients –
All-purpose flour – 1 1/2 cups
Granulated sugar – 1/2 cup
Ghee (clarified butter) – 1/2 cup – softened at room temperature
Powdered cardamom – 1/2 tsp
Baking powder – 1/2 tsp
Milk – 2-3 tbsp
slivers of pistachio or almonds for topping (optional)
Procedure –
1. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.
2. In a bowl, sift the flour and baking powder. Mix cardamom powder and keep aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream the ghee and sugar till mixed well.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl and mix well. If the dough looks too dry, add 2-3 tbsp milk to bring it together.
5. Make lemon size balls, press pista/almond on top and place them on the baking tray lined with parchment paper.
6. Bake at 180 deg C for about 22-24 minutes till the edges turn slightly brown.
7. They may be very soft when taken out of the oven, do not try to remove at this time, for sure it would crumble. Let it cool for 15 minutes and then transfer to an air-tight container. They keep well for almost 2 months!


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We are in a bit of a summer lull at the moment on the blog but that doesn't mean we are resting, far from it, we are still working with clients around the country to help find them their ideal properties in Spain. In fact this has been the busiest summer in terms of client numbers in various areas since the businesses bagan at the end of the last century 🙂
Today though this is a special blog post about Valencia. After years and years of uncertainty and been left to its own devices the Cabanyal has finally got the future it so needs and deserves.
What's the background?
Well, at the last local elections the governing party, the PP, were thrown out after 24 years of sheer incompetence in Valencia. All of the parties that replaced them, because there is a coalition, and even the other opposition parties are now saying that the plan to expand Blasco Ibañez street straight through the middle of the Cabanyal is now dead in the water. In fact they are now proposing a total modernisation and promising speedy licences and grants to owners in the area to recoup the historic heritage of what was the fisherman's neighbourhood of Valencia traditionally and where much of this quirky nature is retained.
From a property purchase and investment point of view this is very good news of course. It is now safe to buy in all areas of the Cabayal without worrying about future demolition or being affected by the situation in the area. In fact in some of the worst affected areas of the Cabanyal it could be argued that these are now the best places to buy as there will be a gentrification and bettering of the area in general, meaning prices will most likely rise and possibly go up more than any other areas in Valencia as the place gets better.
Expect us at Valencia Property, the Spanish Property Network and the Spanish Property Magazine to actually have a lot more properties in the area over the next few months and years. And also expect the prices on those properties to be rising so if you want to get in now, it's a very special area, then get in touch and let's see what we can do for you.
Meanwhile take a look at some of our Valencia beach properties here and contact us below to let us know what you need to know before coming over to visit us in Valencia. We will be glad to help you with just one proviso, if you are here between the 15th and 25th of August 2015 then it's holiday time this year and we cannot guarantee being able to show properties on those dates.
By the way the videos in this post are from my Vine account. Take a look at more at the link. Not too many property related ones but fun all the same


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Radio Content
SkyWords Media provides a full range of services for radio and TV stations. Our affiliate stations can be heard coast to coast across Canada, and use SkyWords to provide their listeners with accurate real time information. SkyWords Media is the largest independent radio network in Canada. From a minor collision… Read More
Media Buying
SkyWords Media plans, negotiates and purchases national advertising campaigns using many different types of media. We consult with our clients to purchase: Radio Newspaper and magazine Television Billboard placement Online
Promotions & Events
Events The 2012 Calabogie Blues & Ribfest is August 17, 18 & 19. In partnership with SkyWords Media, 101.9 DAWG FM, and Calabogie Peaks Resort. Promotions SkyWords Media is now accepting sponsors for the 2013 Coffee Time Flip to Win promotion. If you're interested in branding to millions of Canadians,… Read More


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stick-it series
Stick-It Series mats are made from the same ultra-high quality EVA as our Snap-It Series. But instead of snaps, Stick-It mats use an easy peel-and-stick application making them extremely versatile to apply almost anywhere on your watercraft—swim platforms, helm areas, complete cockpits, accent areas such as under gunwale rods storage, inside storage lockers, or as step pads entering the boat. Installation is quick and easy and will adhere to most surfaces, smooth or non-skid fiberglass, most aluminum or steel surfaces, and even painted or sealed wood. With MarineMat Stick-It Series mats, you are only limited by your creativity and imagination.
- Installs easily with 3M PSA (pressure sensitive adhesive)
- Peel and stick application
- Closed cell EVA foam
- UV-stable for durability in harsh climates
- Wide variety of colors and textures available
- 3-year limited warranty
- Easy to clean
- Mold, mildew and stain resistant
- Stays cooler than other surfaces in direct sunlight
- Largest EVA sheet size, allowing for fewer seams and greater design options
- Customizable with logos and designs
- Shock absorbing cushioned feel under foot
- Great traction — wet or dry, with or without shoes


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Orochi's Fin (蛇鬼の鰭 Orochi no Fin) is a Legal Guild operating in the kingdom of Fiore as long as until X792, and is in a rival relationship with Lamia Scale.
The guild's location is currently unknown.
In X792, the guild launches a monumental assault against Lamia Scale and Margaret Town during the aftermath of the Thanksgiving Day parade, when they are at their most vulnerable state.[1]
- Orochi is an eight-headed, eight-tailed giant serpent originating from Japanese mythology.
Battles & Events
- ↑ Fairy Tail Manga: Chapter 421, Page 16
|Legal Magic Guilds
|Blue Pegasus • Carbuncle • Dullahan Head • Dwarf Gear • Fairy Tail • Gramlush • Hound Holy • Lamia Scale • Magia Dragon • Mermaid Heel • Mount Altana Guild • Orochi's Fin • Phoenix Grave • Quatro Cerberus • Sabertooth • Scarmiglione • Titan Nose • Twilight Ogre
|Independent Guilds
|Crime Sorcière
|Other Guilds
|Diabolos • Fairy Nail • Edolas Fairy Tail • Love & Lucky • Southern Wolves • Sylph Labyrinth
|Former Legal Guilds
|Cait Shelter • Phantom Lord • Raven Tail • Red Lizard
|Dark Guilds
|Dark Guilds
|Dark Unicorn • Death's Head Caucus • Harpuia • Naked Mummy • Red Hood
|Former Dark Guilds
|Blue Skull • Edolas Fairy Tail • Eisenwald • Ghoul Spirit • Grimoire Heart • Oración Seis • Raven Tail • Reborn Oración Seis • Succubus Eye • Tartaros
Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted.


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United States | Asia | Europe
Smith Bryan & Associates offers retained Executive Search and Talent Acquisition Services in the USA, APAC, and EMEA. We help companies make key executive hires and build out teams throughout the World.
Our team excels in market entry, start-ups, hyper-growth, emerging markets, confidential searches, and crucial, time-sensitive hiring projects.
Having experience in multiple countries and markets, we rapidly learn your recruiting needs and bridge any international, cultural, and language barriers in introducing the best available talent in the market.
We pride ourselves on a systematic, comprehensive and transparent recruitment process that employs the highest level of integrity, compassion and discretion.
Board | C-Suite | SVP | VP | Director
Executive Search
Our experienced team has conducted successful searches for CEOs, CROs, CMOs, COOs, CFOs, Presidents, SVPs, VPs, and Directors for Fortune 500, hyper-growth, and start-up companies throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe.
Finance | Human Resources | Information Technology | Marketing | Operations | Sales
Sales | Marketing | Engineering | Retail
Full - Cycle Recruiting
We have built-out several teams for our clients in diverse markets around the World includng the US, Japan, China, Germany, and the UK. Our expertise revolves around sales, marketing, engineering, infosec, and retail teams. We are also well-versed in volume hiring and RPO solutions.
Technology | Consumer Products | Retail & Hospitality | Non Profit & Social Impact
USA | Asia | Europe
Lead Generation
We have partnered with numerous Fortune 500 internal recruiting teams in mapping out new or emerging markets or positions throughout the World. This expotentially shortens the recruiting life-cycle as we can show you what any given market looks like and provide insight into relevant candidates in a very short period of time.
San Francisco/Silicon Valley | Los Angeles | Denver | Chicago | New York | Washington DC | Tokyo | Beijing | Shanghai | Singapore | Hong Kong | Seoul | Sydney | London | Berlin | Hamburg | Paris
Rusty Smith
Rusty is a talent acquisition expert with over 20 years' experience in the search industry working with Fortune 500s, hyper-growth and start-up organizations in diverse markets throughout the world.
Before founding Smith Bryan, Rusty was the President of a boutique recruiting firm in Tokyo and, prior to that, held leadership positions at both global recruiting firms and boutique firms focused on Executive Search and recruiting solutions throughout the US, Asia and Europe. Before establishing himself in the search industry, Rusty had a successful career in IT and Media sales.
Rusty grew up in Colorado Springs, CO and attended Colorado State University.
Head of Research
Elizabeth Cronin
Elizabeth heads Smith Bryan's research team and has over 10 years' experience in both market mapping and talent acquisition research throughout the United States, Asia and Europe.
Prior to joining Smith Bryan & Associates, Elizabeth was a marketing research assistant at the University of Colorado and has additional experience in banking where she held various positions in office administration and customer service.
Elizabeth was born and raised in Cordoba, Argentina and holds a Bachelors degree in Marketing from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.


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A man walks into the dark, crowded streets of a foreign city and disappears. The city could be anywhere Shanghai, Los Angeles, Paris. It could be anywhere except Auckland.
Perhaps that man is Robert Marling, the problem-gambler architect from both Chad Taylor's 1994 novel Heaven and his latest creation, The Church of John Coltrane. Perhaps that man is Taylor himself, walking the once-dingy alleys, bars and wi-fied cafes of London's Soho.
Taylor has left Auckland, his home and the setting of almost all of his books. He plans to leave it behind in fiction as well.
In 1993, when he was not quite 30, Heaven was published and so well received it became a movie. Pack of Lies was written first, but published second. Both were backed by small, local presses.
Then, in 2000, hot UK publishing outfit Canongate picked up Taylor's next novel, Shirker, translating it into French, German and Italian. The respected Jonathan Cape imprint published 2003's Electric and Departure Lounge in 2006. The Washington Post called Departure Lounge "smart, original, surprising and just about as cool as a novel can get".
Now, in 2009, The Church of John Coltrane has been published by Taylor's loyal French publisher, Christian Bourgois, but so far no one has put up their hand for an English-language edition.
Coltrane returns to the world of Marling, whose father has died and left him a large jazz collection and a pile of questions. He wanders the streets of Auckland in a funk trying to find answers.
The book has been positively reviewed in several European publications, including Swiss Le Temps ("boy wonder") and the French Sud Ouest ("sublime"). Bibliosurf.com compared Taylor with Haruki Murakami, French author Patrick Modiano and Raymond Chandler.
Taylor's modern, neo-noir style and subjects clearly appeal to the French. He also has a lot of fans at home. Electric is being scored as an opera by Warwick Blair.
But still no English-language publisher. What's wrong with Taylor?
Well, for starters, he divides the critics. The Press said Departure Lounge's characters were "one-dimensional" while the Dominion-Post said they were "well-drawn". Critics are fickle, readers are fickle, publishers can be fickle. Canongate head Jamie Byng told the Sunday Star-Times in 2006 that he picked up Shirker in 2000, but passed on Electric because he "just didn't feel passionate enough about it".
Iain Sharp, in this newspaper, called Departure Lounge stylish and assured, but also hinted at some cultural diffidence. "Despite the wealth of specifically Auckland references, Taylor's antecedents seem more American than New Zealand. With his noirish sensibility and ambitious philosophic reach, he comes across more like the grandchild of Ernest Hemingway and the cousin of Paul Auster than the descendant of Katherine Mansfield or Frank Sargeson."
While a Sargeson fellowship helped produce Electric, Taylor has been absent from New Zealand's major awards. Perhaps he's not considered literary enough. And being a cult writer in New Zealand is a sure path to penury.
After reading Coltrane in manuscript, we asked him a few questions. Somehow we kept coming back to the elephant in the room: Auckland. Has Taylor's loyalty to the city, which he has said elsewhere he will stop using as a setting, been counterproductive for his career?
"Artistically, I feel good about it," Taylor says. "They've all come from the same place. Commercially, it's been very difficult. I underestimated how difficult the setting made the novels to sell to publishers.
"You can't sit down and chart out what's going to sell and colour it in, which is, frankly, how it feels when you walk into a bookstore nowadays. I'm in London now and I walk into Waterstone's and walk out empty-handed every time. Bookstores now are duller than record shops in the 90s."
In Coltrane, Marling is, loosely speaking, in a rut. His life, career and relationships are grinding down and grinding him down. Almost from the start, the reader is waiting for him to leave. To just get up and get the hell out of Auckland.
Taylor is open to the suggestion there are synchronicities between his and Marling's situations. Marling's dead father has even written a lost book in French, setting up some of the questions that need to be resolved.
"Oh, sure. There are similarities," Taylor says. "Coltrane is a bit of a mid-life crisis novel. Which is an unfashionable topic nowadays, but that's where I was so that's where the story went. Oddly, of all the main characters I've created, Robert Marling was always the least like me, which is why I felt comfortable returning to him. The character needed to be older, and in my mind he had aged since Heaven he'd literally gathered dust on the book shelf."
The joke about the manuscript only ever coming out in French came back to bite him, Taylor says.
"I wanted to write a book where very little happened. There's a lot of plot in there but it's folded away like an army cot: what drives the novel is Robert's sense of frustration and boredom. This may make it frustrating and boring for some readers but, f–- it, life's like that sometimes."
Taylor says Departure Lounge, a deeply moving novel about the Erebus crash, is about absence how an empty shape defines the remaining presence. Coltrane, though, is about things going in circles, about failure, and drifting. "We're still talking about the book, right?"
So why didn't Marling leave?
"Robert has already left. His actions reveal a man who's manifesting his mental absence in the physical world. He's dismantling his life, piece by piece. He's lost his relationships and so goes out to lose his material possessions and markers as well. Emotionally, he's drifting into a surreal view of the world. He's jet-lagging before he's left."
Taylor says he wanted each chapter to be short and dream-like, but also rooted in the banality and oddness of real life.
OK, let's take another tack. Are Taylor's novels some kind of reverse literary nationalism experiments in what can be done in a New Zealand setting as opposed to attempts to define a New Zealand literature?
"That's not for me to say. I didn't approach them as experiments," he says. "They're just my novels. I just sat down and wrote them. I wanted to write about the city environment and the sort of stories that throws up.
"All cities are international. All port cities, anyway. I think port cities are where all the strange and good encounters take place."
As to "nationalism", Taylor says he's wary of that literature. "You doubtless intend it as a critical tab but in New Zealand the concept is bordering on a stricture. New Zealand writing is whatever New Zealand writers want it to be."
Taylor says he knew Coltrane would be a hard sell. He says his French publisher liked it and the others didn't "simple as that". He acknowledges that going to market in a recession only made it harder.
So how does it feel to be away from the city of his novels?
"Being away helps me to write. I'm a homebody. I like the security of belonging but I've never had that, really. Wish I did, but that's just how things have worked out. Travelling forces me to think. Distance gives you licence to push things further. Which is why Robert Marling goes away – he just has to move."
We're still talking about the book, right?
Taylor has drafted two new novels, but has put them aside. He is now working on a collection of noir stories set in Los Angeles. He doesn't know what their chances will be but he's having fun with them, he says.– by Mark Broatch and Rob O'Neill, Sunday Star Times August 2009


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Now, this is my kind of grown-up Halloween: Tuesday, October 31, 2017 – Dessert Wines & Sweet Treats at Plates
Not a fan of "sweet wines"? Prepare to have your mind blown as you taste through three dessert wine offerings from different corners of the globe, each with the perfect confectionary pairing. 5-8pm (extended hours!) rain or shine. $19 per person (No RSVP required).
Can't make it on the 31st? Join in for Plates' birthday celebrations on Sunday, November 5, 2017!
Help us celebrate four glorious years of existence (and Guy Fawkes night) in true British style as we present a special Sunday Prime Rib roast, half off the entire bar*, and free Sticky Toffee Pudding for all guests!
Dinner from 5:00 – 8:30 pm. Bar open until ???
Reservations are strongly recommended!
*Bar specials available all day long
Plates Kitchen
301 Glenwood Ave, Suite 100
Raleigh, NC 27603


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All news (99)
Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter receives UNRWA Commissioner-General, Pierre Krähenbühl
Press release
Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter received the head of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), Pierre Krähenbühl, on Thursday in Bern. They discussed developments in the Middle East and Switzerland's support for UNRWA.
Dual vocational education and training, a key instrument for development cooperation
Press release
Today in Lucerne, in order to enhance its work in vocational education and training – always a priority of Swiss aid – Switzerland, through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), created a donor committee with Germany, Austria and Liechtenstein. The four countries will pool their expertise and support projects in developing countries to improve economic prospects for young people and enable them to access local labour markets.
Engagement in fragile states: Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter calls for sustainable measures to eliminate the root causes of conflicts
Press release
At the 5th Global Meeting of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding (IDPS) in Stockholm, Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter stressed that a long-term commitment by all the actors is the only way to eliminate the causes of fragility and violent conflict. The participants at the meeting agreed to continue the New Deal for Engagement in Fragile States, a reform agenda designed to promote both peacebuilding and the development of state structures and institutions. Switzerland is already strongly committed in fragile contexts and is going to expand its aid programmes in line with the Federal Council's Dispatch on International Cooperation 2017-2020. The aim is also to prevent young people in particular from succumbing to the temptations of violent extremism.
Switzerland underscores the importance of the private sector in achieving gender equality
Gender equality is one of Switzerland's priority areas in its international cooperation. Switzerland believes the private sector has a key role to play in fostering equality. "Smart economics means empowering women, promoting girls and bringing about gender equality". These were the words of Benno Bättig, Secretary General of the FDFA, in his speech opening a panel discussion with business representatives from all over the world. The event on the role of business in achieving gender equality, which was organised by the UN Global Compact and UN Women as a side event at the 60th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), focused on the multiplier effect of women's economic empowerment for sustainable development.
Federal Council adopts new strategy on sustainable development 2016–2019 (de)
Press release
Der Bundesrat hat heute die «Strategie Nachhaltige Entwicklung 2016-2019» verabschiedet. Die Strategie beinhaltet Visionen für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung der Schweiz, nennt konkrete Ziele bis 2030 sowie die entsprechenden Massnahmen. Die Strategie, die Teil der Botschaft zur Legislaturplanung 2015-2019 ist, zeigt zudem auf, was die Schweiz in der laufenden Legislaturperiode zur neuen globalen «Agenda 2030 für nachhaltige Entwicklung» beiträgt.
«L'eau est un immense paradoxe au Tchad»
Press release
Rémadji Mani est chargée de programme national au Tchad pour la DDC depuis 2014. Elle est l'invitée de la Conférence annuelle 2015 sur le thème de l'Agenda 2030. Elle s'exprime dans le cadre de la table ronde sur l'universalité dans la pratique de la gestion de l'eau en Tchad et en Suisse. Nous l'avons rencontrée en prémisse de la conférence.
"The SDC has a key role to play in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda worldwide"
Ambassador Michael Gerber is the special representative of the Federal Council for global sustainable development and represented Switzerland during the intergovernmental negotiations on the 2030 Agenda at the UN. In this interview he explains what the next steps are in terms of implementation and what role the SDC has to play in this.
"The Sustainable Development Goals are the basis of a new social contract"
The 17 goals for sustainable development and 169 targets form the core of the UN's 2030 Agenda. Thomas Gass, speaker at the Annual Swiss Development Cooperation Conference 2016 and UN Assistant Secretary-General for Policy Coordination and Inter-Agency Affairs, explains what the Agenda actually means and why it is necessary.
«Eine Welt/Un seul monde» – dossier on the 2030 Agenda
Swiss development cooperation: Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter calls for immediate implementation of 2030 Agenda
Press release
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development was the key focus area at this year's annual conference of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). The 17 goals of the global 2030 Agenda will play a decisive role in Swiss development policy over the coming years. The speakers and experts dealt with different aspects of the Agenda: the negotiations, the implementation and financing, and what it means for Switzerland. Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter spoke specifically of how it relates to Swiss policy. The opening speech was made by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Federal Council decides measures to allow Switzerland to implement agenda
Press release
In September 2015 the 193 member states of the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which Switzerland also recognises. Today the Federal Council has initiated the preparatory work needed for Switzerland to actively work towards implementing these objectives.
2016 Annual Conference: Together towards a sustainable future – the 2030 Agenda for Switzerland and the world
Press release
In September 2015, the largest ever gathering of heads of state and government in the history of the UN took place in New York to adopt the 2030 Agenda and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals. All states, including Switzerland, are called upon to contribute to achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals over the next 15 years.


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Excellent Garage Designs features Black Garage Doors by Anne Decker ArchitectsBruce Wayne
DescriptionLooking at the picture, the garage is designed in a traditional structure. Yet, I think this garage idea has a contemporary element by using the contrast color: black and white and symmetrical shapes. That is why the uniqueness of this garage is that it classic but modern at the same time. I like the way everything is placed in a balance way. It can be seen from its alignment. It is simple but beautiful. In addition, the garage design make the building become the center of attention in the green environment. It is perfect to make the building outstanding. So, what do you think about this design, readers?#black and decker garage door opener #black candle wall sconces #black garage doors #black iron wall sconces #black sconces wall #black wall sconces for candles #black wall sconces lighting #garage door black #garage doors #glossy black doors. #lowes garage doors
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While the American press keeps pushing the class warfare along with the Democrats, outside the USA there is a major panic taking place on a grand scale. I have been called into meeting in Europe and even in Asia all deeply concerned about the loss of competition with the United States due to the Trump Tax Reform. Naturally, the American press would NEVER tell the truth how cutting the corporate tax rate will upset the powers that be around the globe.
A German study warns that its economy will be among the losers in the face of the Trump Tax Reform, which they warn will fuel the tax competition between America and Europe, but also the study leader, Christoph Spengel from the Economic Research Institute ZEW, came out and told Reuters:
'In addition, competition between EU members for US investment will increase; Germany is the loser.'
This post was published at Armstrong Economics on Dec 22, 2017.


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Lori Hilliard couldn't find all the information on pet ownership she wanted in one place. Knowing other pet owners would appreciate a "one stop" information solution, she created "The Contemporary Pet."
ELLWOOD CITY, PA – 11/12/2016 (PRESS RELEASE JET) — Lori Hilliard's lifelong passion for animals recently culminated in her launch of "The Contemporary Pet," a website and blog. The new site focuses on a variety of aspects of pet ownership from pet training tips and product reviews to emotional support when a beloved companion animal has passed away.
Hilliard explains, "As an animal lover, I'd joined various online chat groups, followed Facebook pages and visited pet forums. But each one had limitations that frustrated me. Some didn't have any information from reliable pet experts, others made it difficult to connect with other users. Many sites are for dogs only or cats only. I wanted something more inclusive. There were also occasional problems with strife within Facebook groups. Some pet owners who asked questions or were mourning the loss of a pet they loved were harshly judged by other subscribers. It bothered me."
"While talking to my husband about my frustration one night, I had an epiphany. Why shouldn't I create the kind of pet website I wanted instead of waiting for someone else to do it? So I started networking with veterinarians, animal behaviorists, dog groomers and others in the industry and The Contemporary Pet was born."
The website includes several categories, including:
- Blog
- Ask the Owners
- Ask the Experts
- The Rainbow Bridge
- Pet Product Reviews
- Pet Behavioral & Training Advice
- Pet Trends & Lists
The Contemporary Pet also has a Facebook page and Twitter account that link back to the website. Any time a new article or blog post is uploaded to the website, the Facebook page and Twitter are automatically updated. Visitors to The Contemporary Pet are encouraged to submit their questions about their pets for experts or owners to answer.
About The Contemporary Pet: The Contemporary Pet is a website created for pet owners of all kinds. It offers support, encouragement and community to pet owners as well as expert advice from veterinarians, trainers and others in the pet care industry. For more information, contact Lori Hilliard at firstname.lastname@example.com or call 724-554-2167.
Full News Story: http://pressreleasejet.com/news/animal-lover-launches-inclusive-pet-owners-website-the-contemporary-pet.html
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Company Name: The Contemporary Pet
Contact Person: Lori Hilliard
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: 724-554-2167
Country: United States
Website: http://thecontemporarypet.com/


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Clamps and I have birthdays in early December, and this year we held a joint celebration - first at the Cornish Arms to honour his love of beer and deep-frying, then back to Casa sin carne for my kind of icecream. There was vodka-spiked cherry sorbet, my best batch of Vietnamese coffee icecream yet, and a little leftover rhubarb & strawberry sorbet. The centrepiece was a next-generation frozen chocolate crunch.
This icecream cake is an old family favourite that I've written about before, but it needs stripping of dairy and gluten to suit my circle of friends. I used Leda gingernut cookies in the crumble, Orgran egg replacer in the chocolate layer, and So Good vanilla icecream for the centre - all convenience foods in the spirit of the original recipe.
This cake was different to its forebear, with a noticeably darker, denser chocolate strip and a subtle ginger accent. It was wonderful in its own right. It might even earn the storied status among my mates that the original recipe holds with my family.
Next-gen frozen chocolate crunch
(adapted from a family recipe)
85g vegan, gluten-free biscuits
85g slivered almonds
1L soy vanilla icecream
170g dark chocolate
2 teaspoons powdered egg replacer
100g margarine
2/3 cup icing sugar
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
Place the biscuits between two pieces of baking paper and crush them coarsely with a rolling pin. Spread the almonds out over a small baking tray and toast them under a grill, keeping a careful eye on them and tossing them regularly to prevent burning. When the almonds are lightly golden, retrieve them and stir through the biscuit crumbs. Set the mixture aside.
Remove the icecream from the freezer and set it at room temperature to soften.
Gently melt the chocolate in a saucepan, set over a second saucepan of boiling water. Set it aside to cool a little. In a mug, stir together the powdered egg replacer and water until smooth.
In a medium bowl, beat the margarine until fluffy. Beat in the icing sugar. Pour the egg replacer into the bowl of margarine and follow with the vanilla and coffee liqueur, beating everything together thoroughly. Finally, beat in the melted chocolate until smooth.
Line a springform cake tin with foil or baking paper. Sprinkle half of the biscuit-almond mixture across the base. Gently pour in half of the chocolate mixture and spread it evenly over the crumble. Spoon the softened icecream over the chocolate layer and even up the top. Spread over the remaining chocolate and finally the last of the crumble. Cover the cake tin with foil and freeze the cake for at least four hours, preferably overnight. Slice into small wedges to serve.


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Photo Phriday: Stars – They're Just Like Us! Right?!March 30, 2012 at 10:46 am | Posted in Famous!, Photo Phriday | Leave a comment
Tags: Brain Candy, Celebrities, Halle Berry, Lotto, Mega Millions, Shoes, Tom Cruise, Us Weekly
Admission: I love Us Weekly – love it! I have a subscription and look forward to this brain candy every week, even though I know it's wrong (but it feels so right…)*. I love learning intimate details about celebrities' lives (like Tom Cruise), and trust Us more than any other silly celeb mag on the stands. But sometimes even I can't defend some of the features in this pub.
Take, for example, the "Stars – They're Just Like Us!" section. Usually the photos include A-listers grocery shopping, drinking coffee and walking their dogs, just like normal people. But every so often, the mag will publish shots that induce the "bang head here" reaction in me. A few weeks ago they published this shot of Halle Berry:
If she was just browsing shoes, I'd say "Yeah,that is just like me!" I manhandle expensive shoes in stores all the time! But as the caption points out, she's adoring her very own shoe line. Not so much like me… unless I win the Mega Millions $540 million jackpot which, as you all know, is my long-term financial plan!!
* Don't judge me, dear reader(s) – Judgy Wudgy was a bear… and had no friends to speak of!
Man Jew of the YearFebruary 11, 2011 at 11:04 am | Posted in Famous!, Heebs | 4 Comments
Tags: Birkin Bag, Chopard Super Ice Watch, Grandma, Jewish, Jewish Guy/Gal of the Year, Justin Bieber, Popularity Contest, Rhymes With Father of the Bride, Swag, Tom Cruise
N.B.: Our blog will return to more general (read: snarky) topics soon – please don't give up on us just because we're pushing Heb (or "Heeb," as RWFOTB says is correct) popularity contests lately!
Well, dear reader(s), we're pleased to report that my future sister-in-law made the first round of Jewish Girl of the Year her b*tch! Holla (or as we Yids say, Challah!). Now it's time to vote for Jewish Guy of the Year, and we've got a superstar candidate to push on you: my brother!
That's right, "Spencer G." is in the running for Man Jew of the Year and we think you should vote for him. Why? Well, it's not because he's the best candidate and is dedicated to making the world a better place for everyone, particularly victims of genocide (in memory of our grandmother). It's because if I'm related to both the prom king and queen of the Jewish people, I'm pretty sure I'll get some sweet rewards.
Reservations at a super exclusive, trendy restaurant? Check. I'll just waltz in, say the magical phrase "do you know who I am??" (this time I'll have something kick ass to follow that up with: I'm the Most Popular Jews' Sister, fool!!), and instantly kick someone like Tom Cruise or Justin Bieber out of their table.
Free swag? You know it! When the paparazzi follow Rachel C. and Spencer G. around, they'll see me awkwardly tagging along, messing up all their photos. And retailers around the world will know what a great product placement opportunity this is! If I'm gonna be in every photo of the couple imaginable, I may as well look hot. Birkin bag? I'll take two. Diamond and platinum shoes? Bring 'em on. Chopard Super Ice Watch? Doesn't matter that I can't tell time on it – I'd rock it anyway.
So vote for Spencer as Man Jew of the Year and maybe I'll remember you when I'm famous (by association).
Dos besos,
What Gives?October 26, 2010 at 9:33 am | Posted in Pregnancy Fun Time | 7 Comments
Tags: Blog Fail, Blogger, Blogger's Block, Blogging, Factomelettes, Google, Lonely, The Goggle, Tom Cruise
Dear Factinis,
I look forward to your witty musings five days a week, but lately you've left me unsatisfied and alone. Did you quit me? Are you no longer serving tangy factinis and tasty factomelettes? Did the unthinkable happen and "the goggle" finally get you? Was it Tom Cruise? I bet it was Tom Cruise. Sly little man…
But seriously: what gives?
~ Putting the "one" in Lonely
Dear Lonely,
Woah woah woah – it's true that we've been negligent, horrible bloggers lately, but we promise that Tom Cruise had nothing to do with it (allegedly), the goggle hasn't broken us (yet) and we don't even wish we could quit you. Admittedly, service has been a little slow in the Factinis & Factomelettes Café these days, but we're still here and love servin' up all the everyday nonsense we can find for you, our dear reader(s).
It's just that lately (prepare for a pity party in 3… 2… 1…) we have both been completely overworked and over-stressed and over-tired and, well, you get the picture. Between jobs, getting married and creating life, we're overwhelmed! But we are not, I repeat: not, giving up on Factinis & Factomelettes. And we will re-prioritize our To Dos. Eventually. Until then, we promise to be (slightly) more attentive to your humor needs in the course of our over-booked days.
And feel free to send any ridiculousness you encounter our way – we love commenting on (cough cough judging cough cough) all manner of lunacy!
~ F&F 4Eva Eva
The Scary Girl on the Third FloorSeptember 15, 2010 at 9:08 am | Posted in Around Boston | 10 Comments
Tags: Chez Gerrowski, Honda, Junk in your Trunk, New Car, Samurai Sword, The Sword in the Civic, Tom Cruise
As strange as this is for me to say, I think that's how one of my neighbors describes me. I'm the scary girl on the third floor. I'm someone to watch out for. I frighten people. Or at least this particular person.
You see, I just got a new car (huzzah!) which meant that I had to clean out my old car before I turned it in. Apparently junk (particularly in one's trunk) multiplies when left un-chaperoned, so it took a few trips between my car and Chez Gerrowski to remove all the crap I had accumulated in three years.
On my last trip to the trunk, one of my newer neighbors pulled up and parked next to me. As she removed grocery bags from her trunk, she saw me pull a samurai sword out of mine. I paused for a second trying to remember how I had come to carry a samurai sword in my Honda, and saw her glance at me, then at the weapon, then at me again, quickly gather the rest of her things and dash into the apartment without looking back. Apparently I looked a little frightening pulling a sword out of my car and pondering it in the middle of the parking lot.
And I'm okay with that!
P.S. For those reader(s) curious as to how I came to possess said samurai sword, it's the work of my bloggier half's better half. Before April and Mike moved, they bequeathed said weapon to Andrew. He put this little parting gift in my car and apparently forgot to remove it. Hence, "The Sword in the Civic."
Reader's Mailbag: Rude Mistake or Inside Joke?April 28, 2010 at 8:37 am | Posted in Misc. | 2 Comments
Tags: Insults, Misspelling, Nickname, Tom Cruise
From: Bewildered Blog Reader
To: Sarah Wilderrol
Subject: Arpil? Seriously?
Dear Sarah,
I've noticed that you occasionally misspell your "bloggier half's" name by transposing the "r" and the "p." If you're doing it by accident, that's kind of rude, don't you think? If you're doing it on purpose, can you please let us in on the joke? This is getting out of hand.
Dear Bewildered,
Trust me when I tell you that if I misspelled my bloggier half's name for any reason other than a goof, I probably wouldn't be here to talk about it. So yes, transposing those letters is, in fact, a joke – and one we are happy to share with the class.
You see, we once received an email (from someone who shall remain nameless) addressing "Sarah and Arpil." An innocent mistake? Hardly. This gal is no angel, and she did it from a terminal we know is set to auto-check spelling before sending. Clearly the Microsoft gods would have corrected that error – if not because it is a proper name, because it is also the name of a month. And a very important month, at that! So this cough cough charming cough cough gal actually had to go through the trouble of ignoring the auto-correction suggestion. She had to make an effort to screw it up!
Why do we continue using this silly misspelling? Duh! Who doesn't like a nickname inadvertently created by a less-than-generous acquaintance you had no choice but to put up with?
Thanks for your judgmental (Tom Cruise, was that you speaking out of turn again?) inquiry.
And while we are on the subject, dear reader(s), Bewildered's question is a good reminder to us all. We will try to explain our nonsensical references proactively, but should we forget, you can always feel free to hassle us for clarity. That's right, we hereby grant you permission to hassle these hoffs… Or something…
You get the idea…
Tom Cruise in a Pumpkin PatchOctober 28, 2009 at 11:49 am | Posted in Around Boston, Famous! | 2 Comments
Tags: Tom Cruise
And I'm just going to throw this out there. Do with it what you will. Tom went to a farm the weekend after Sarah and I each went apple-picking. Just saying.
What's IN there?October 8, 2009 at 8:00 am | Posted in Spam | Leave a comment
Tags: Junk Mail, President Obama, Spam, Tom Cruise
You know we at Factinis & Factomelettes love us some junk mail! Lately I've noticed an interesting trend: I've been getting junk mail from several delightful spammers (I'm talking to you, Risa Weedert, Wilfredo Burnette, Kimberlie Augustus and Tom Cruise…), all with the same subject line. Normally, this would have something to do with "CH3AP Meds," discount software, luxury watches or "Permanent En1argement." What makes these spammers different is their focus. You see, I keep receiving emails asking:
"What's in Obama's butt?"
That's right – not "what's UP Obama's butt," they want to know what's IN it. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say it's probably poo. Then I'm going to recommend that Risa, Wilfredo, Kimberlie and Tom revisit the popular children's book, "Everyone Poops." And I'm not looking into this matter any further. Even presidents need bio-breaks!
Warning: TC's in TownSeptember 23, 2009 at 9:24 am | Posted in Famous! | 3 Comments
Tags: Hollywood In Boston, Paranoid, Tom Cruise
Although I will admit to some hesitance in posting this blog due to the sensitive nature of these accusations, my dear co-blogger made an excellent point: by posting this you will all know who to blame should some unfortunate "accident" befall us.
So, how do we know that TC is coming for us? Let's examine the evidence…
1) He is filming a movie in MA. Not California, not someplace beautiful or tropical. He is in MA – and not even parts like the Vineyard or ACK (that's Nantucket to you – Schmargaret taught me that). He is filming in Worcester (pronounced by locals as "WUH-stah"). My dad was born there. Then he left – and left the accent behind, too. With all due respect to the City of Seven Hills, it's no bastion of trendiness.
2) "Maverick" is leaving a trail connecting to us. Case in point: he has been spotted on numerous occasions in my old 'hood. And no one goes to Davis Square for anything other than to check out my former digs! You aren't so tricksy after all, eh Tom-Tom?
3) He keeps getting closer and closer to us, both location-wise and Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon-wise! For example: one of our let's-call-her acquaintances (to protect her identity, of course) works part-time at a certain eatery not far from both our office and our commuting center. Mr. Cruise and posse descended upon said restaurant (we won't tell you which restaurant, but it rhymes with meow-stella) to "eat" (though by all accounts, it was really to get closer to us). Reports indicated that while Katie Holmes appeared robotic – and significantly taller than her date (not that height gives a hoot about love) – Tommy-boy was "intense." Apparently Suri was cute. Not the point. Focus, dear reader(s).
Ergo, according to the Rule of Three which we may or may not have invented, TC is definitely coming for us! And now everyone knows it! Keep that in mind, Tom Cruise…
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Fragmented QRS Predicts Cardiac Death During Exercise
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 27, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Fragmented QRS complex may predict risk of exercise-related sudden cardiac death, according to a study published online Sept. 20 in the Journal of Cardiovascular Electrophysiology.
Tomi Toukola, M.D., from the University of Oulu in Finland, and colleagues studied 3,989 consecutive sudden cardiac deaths in northern Finland (1998 through 2012). Of the identified deaths, 647 subjects had a previously recorded electrocardiography acquired from hospital archives.
The researchers found that in 276 of these cases, the death was witnessed, and 14 percent of those cases occurred during physical activity. In the exercise group, fragmented QRS complex in at least two consecutive leads within anterior leads (V1-V3) was more common compared with the rest group (43 percent versus 22 percent; P = 0.005). Similarly, pathologic Q wave in anterior leads was also more common in the exercise group (23 percent versus 11 percent; P = 0.044). Lastly, compared with the rest group, median QRS duration was prolonged in the exercise group (100 ms versus 94 ms; P = 0.047).
"Fragmented QRS complex in the anterior leads is associated with an increased risk of sudden cardiac death during physical exercise," conclude the authors.
Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)


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Wildfire Preparedness Guide
Wildfires can move quickly and cause widespread devastation. If you live in a wildfire zone, this Wildfire Safety Action Guide will help you prepare.
Wildfire safety: How to protect your home
If you live in a wildfire-prone area, these wildfire safety tips can help keep you protected. Learn about wildfire preparedness & homeowners insurance.
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This infographic shows how home landscaping can create defensible space to help stop a wildfire from reaching your home.
Wildfire safety action guide
Turn off gas and oil supplies at the source. Move furniture away from windows and doors. Check out these and other fire safet tips in our Wildfire Safety Guide.


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Mr. Bruerd is a 100K Ring Earner, Millionaire Club Member & 2,000 Production Achievement Award Winner from Sherwood, OR. David is also Co-founder at Winepreneur Club and Founder at Identity Theft Awareness Group (iTAG).
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Derenda Sweeney assisted me with selling my first home while simultaneously searching for and buying my second. I contacted Derenda when I first began to think of putting my home on the market. We met several times and talked through when a good time of year to sell in my area was and what work I should focus on in getting my home ready to sell. The communication between us was a constant. I always felt that she had my best interests in mind. Being a first time home seller, I had many questions and stresses which she was fantastic handling and keeping me calm. I received 3 offers within the first week my home was on the market! We then tackled simultaneous close dates with the home I was purchasing. This type of close is rare and I felt I had an expert by my side, ensuring everything with selling of my home and buying of my new home went smoothly. Again, I can't say enough of her professionalism, courtesy, level of communication and expertise. I highly recommend Derenda.
Julie Fulton – October, 2015
We felt like Derenda asked the right questions regarding unique features of our home. Our solar panels are not a common feature found in PNW homes and Derenda made sure she could market the panels to potential buyers and explain the incentives that the panels provided to a new owner. She was an excellent communicator and facilitator of our move. When we left the state, she stepped in to manage final preparation to put the house on the market. She has a great personality and was a joy to work with. I wish we could have brought her to our new state to help us find a new home.
Eric & Amy McKenna – June 2015
Derenda Sweeney is absolutely The Best of the Best ! She is professional, knowledgeable, returns calls in a timely manner, thinks out of the box, and understands the business of real estate. Her integrity is above reproach, she is honest, direct and doesn't deal with nonsense. If there is a problem or a concern, she deals with it immediately. We would highly recommend Derenda – in fact we already have. She is a gem.
Lave Gustafson – October 2014


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Visit Suebri Wanaka Gardens
Come and visit these beautiful Suebri Wanaka gardens and sculptures at Collinson's Cottage. A unique and special garden experience in Wanaka! click here
Our B&B is set on just under an acre of beautifully landscaped gardens and tranquil seating areas. A quiet walk around our large garden will help to stretch your legs after your days travel, or just sit beside the fish pond or in one of our court yards with a glass of wine. A great way to enjoy the summer evening in our peaceful, tranquil environment. The gardens have been established over the course of 25 years and Brian and Susanne love sharing them with their guests.
The perfect place to stay and unwind on your next holiday to Wanaka. click here
Date: January 29, 2014 by admin
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I have a reasonable size LP collection which for convience I would like to record onto some form of "server/ media centre" if possible, without much loss of sound quality.
The "server" media centre would need to hold music from other sourcers, like I tunes and if possible photos/video.
Could this all be done & work well through a computer?
All of this would need to be able to interfaced through multroom system mentioned above.
Once again thoughts / comments appreciated.


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I really like the Mash & Serve bowl, because it is a great product to mash that fresh fruit, like strawberries, blueberries, bananas and more! This bowl works great for babies 6 months and older. I like how convenient this product is, because I can mash up the fruits/vegetables, and then serve it to my baby right in the bowl. The bowl has a little handle for easy use. I love that the Annabel Karmel products are BPA free, which gives me reassurance that my baby is fed safely.
The Stackable Food pots are 6 individual portion-sized containers that you can put the perfect amount of food in for your baby/toddler. There are two- 1.7 oz. sizes, two- 2.5 oz sizes, and two- 3.4 oz size pots. I really like that these containers are designed to go into the freezer. This makes it great to make a bigger portion of a food item, and then freeze portions for future use. I am so excited to make my own baby food with this baby, and these Stackable food pots will be so handy when I am preparing the baby's food. I like that the food pots have lids, so I will be able to bring my baby's food with me on the go.
I love the Annabel Karmel Freeze trays, too, because I will be able to puree foods like fruits and vegetables, freeze them, and they are ready for when I need them. I also like this product, because I can freeze foods, and bring them with on a trip. When the foods thaw out, they are ready to eat. It is known that frozen food can last longer, too, and I am thankful that with the use of the Annabel Karmel Freeze Trays, I can store my baby's food longer.
I think the Food Mill does the best job at making food a puree. I really like that the Annabel Karmel products work so great together, because you can use the Fresh Food Mill to puree your baby's food, then store the food in the Stackable Food pots and/or the Freeze Tray! I also love that the Annabel Karmel line is dishwasher safe, too! That is a big plus for me!
Annabel Karmel products are a great set of products to make all your own baby foods, and store them safely. I am so excited to have this line of products for our next baby on the way, and I wish that I would have had these products with my other babies. I highly recommend these products to you, and also recommend these for those baby registry lists! The Annabel Karmel products help a parent in the kitchen, making food quicker and healthier for their babies (in my opinion). I think that with the help of the Food Mill and the Mash and Serve bowl, little ones can eat foods that will be easier for them to eat.
Annabel's Biography
Annabel Karmel is a mother of three, and is the UK's best-selling author of seventeen books on baby and children's food and nutrition. She is an expert in devising tasty and nutritious meals for children without the need for parents to spend hours in the kitchen.
I love that Infantino carries this line, and I think that many parents will appreciate the time saved by using the Annabel Karmel products. Infantino carries great products! To check out the Annabel Karmel feeding line that Infantino carries, just check out their website at INFANTINO.COM.
I am a participant in a Mom Central Consulting campaign for Infantino and have received various Infantino products as part of my participation.


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Innovation Showcase / Silverlight and IE8 Recap
Than you all for attending the Innovation Showcase events. We covered Silverlight 3 and Internet Explorer 8 Web Slices and Accelerators.
We have made the PowerPoints and demos available on our SkyDrive.
Here is your call to action:
1. Read our blog for the latest news about Windows Azure, Windows 7, Silverlight and other application platform topics
2. Subscribe to our blog to receive regular news updates
3. Follow us on Twitter
4. Tell us about your IE8 Web Slices, Accelerators and Silverlight 3 Solutions and see your story here on our blog
5. Register for our next event
-The Innovation Showcase Team


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Can We Be Taught to Trade?
A recent discussion with fellow traders brought up the query "Can we be taught to trade?" There were wide ranging views, opinions, studies and personal stories brought up, and needless to say it was a very engaging, and at times heated, debate. Not many traders think about this question when they start trading. Most of us assume anyone can trade, and we can teach ourselves or be taught by others how to do it. I personally think people can be taught to trade (or teach themselves, as I and many of my trader colleagues have), but it requires a lot of work, discipline and self knowledge to consistently profit year in and year out. Here are some bullet points from the conversation, which will hopefully help you in becoming a consistently profitable trader.
- A willingness and humility to be able to accept when wrong and not dwell on it. Losing is a part of trading. Those who can't get over that fact, fail. Those who learn to embrace a loss as just another trade which ultimately gets them to their financial goals, often succeed. How do losses get you to your financial goals? If your track record shows you have been profitable on 65% of your trades, and that allows you to have a trading income, then in order for you to have that income you are going lose 35% of the time. Wins and losses go hand in hand.
- There is a big difference between analysis and trading. Because someone seems to be able to call the direction of the market with a high level of success does not mean they will trade well. Timing, magnitude of moves, capital, risk/reward, fear, greed…all come into play when trading, but are not as important when making market calls.
- Like any field, in order to be a successful trader you need to be ready for success, and be willing to embrace it. This element likely can't be taught. There is a big difference between wanting something, and being able to accept it. Most traders want to be successful, but are unable to accept the personal responsibility that comes with mastering emotions and a strategy in order to extract profits out of a sea of endless possibilities (the markets).
- A couple experiments, such as the "Turtle Traders" tried to showcase that it is possible to teach people to become traders. Given solid educators, a group of select people chosen from more than a 1000 applicants, were provided a winning method for trading. Not all succeeded, although several did. Another TV show called Million Dollar Traders attempted the same thing. A fund manger provided "ordinary" people with money to trade. They lost money, down 2.4% although the fund manager called it a success because over the same time period professional fund managers were down 5%. As a trader you can make money in up or down markets, so I didn't view this is a success. The experiments show what we already know. You can teach a man to fish, but he still has to feed himself.
- This brings us to another point. Continually comparing yourself to others can be your demise. Saying you were "Less bad" (see above) isn't constructive. Just as gloating over a great month isn't likely to do anything for future performance. Trade with conviction the way you trade. Your results are uniquely your own. If you are happy with them, that is all that matters. You set your own bar, not someone else.
- Trading is mostly psychological. There are strategies literally everywhere on the internet, for free, and that work quite well. But novice traders have a few losses with them and assume the strategy doesn't work. They go in search of something else. Part of the psychology of trading is understanding that losses are part of a winning system (see prior comments).
- Nearly any personality trait, habit or skill can be enhanced or removed through internal work, using tools such as meditation, focus/visualization, neuro-linguist programming and others. This basically means anyone can be a successful trader, but at some point all traders will likely need to look outside the markets to find the tools they need to succeed within the market.
- No two moments are ever exactly alike. As traders we learn to spot trade set-ups and patterns and act on them. Unfortunately, one set-up is never going to look exactly like another. Contexts are different; moves may be bigger or smaller, etc. Good traders understand this and act anyway. Novice traders often freeze, not knowing what to do. Or they figure since nothing is exactly the same anyway they can take random trades anytime they want. In other words, good traders embrace uncertainty. While unsuccessful traders seek certainty, which is unavailable, and therefore squander the opportunities that uncertainty provides. Markets=uncertainty.
- Just as you need the right mindset, knowledge and self-awareness to trade successfully, you also need some physical things. You need time to learn and implement your trades. You need enough capital. I recommend not risking more than 1% of capital on a trade. So that means you need enough capital for at least 100 trades at your risk level (i.e. risk $5/trade, you need $500. Risking $50 per trade you need $5000, etc). Most people enter trading with too little capital and too little time to even give trading a real chance.
- Confidence. You need confidence. Confidence comes from thoroughly understanding what you are doing, and overcoming adversity while doing it. This won't come immediately, it takes time. Keep going.


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We are all very aware that we pay mark up on our designer handbags, and if you are not aware, get out from under that rock. I love designer handbags, obviously, but sometimes even I gasp at the price tags. If you ever shop with me you may see me peering at price tags and my face becoming flush and then I walk off and browse more. That is from the price tag, the exorbitant price tag. But I keep on buying and I keep on sharing with all of you the next hot handbags and those that are not. The writer of Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Lustre, Dana Thomas, compared Louis Vuitton to McDonald's, being recognizable as the golden arches with no pizazz from the chairman of Louis Vuitton, Bernard Arnault.
Dana Thomas is stuffing envelopes with copies of Deluxe: How Luxury Lost Its Lustre and writing notes to go with them. What to say to Bernard Arnault, chairman of Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, one of the world's biggest producers of luxury goods? "Oh, I dunno. 'I hope you enjoy my book'," she says. Arnault will have a fit.
The French mogul is fingered as a fiendish money-making former property developer with no artistic sensibility and Louis Vuitton is characterised as the McDonald's of the luxury industry. "A million served," says Thomas drily. The logo is as recognisable as the golden arches. "It really is. I would certainly put it in the top 10, along with Nike, Coca-Cola."
Read the entire article at Executive Style
Is luxury losing its wow factor to any of you?


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What you missed from our interview with BestVPNin General, Partners
In early March, our Vice President, Jeremy Palmer, and our Chief VPN Architect, Josh Tway, had the opportunity to sit and chat with BestVPN. Among the topics discussed were net… Read More
Metadata: painting a picture with contextin General
You've probably heard of metadata before. Metadata is quite literally "data that describes other data," but that's a lazy definition, tbh. Metadata comprises the basic statistics about information, cataloged for… Read More
Anonymity 101: Why Being Invisible Online Could Save Youin Tips
The opportunities to maintain anonymity online have grown few and far between. Let's face it: the all-seeing eyes of the world — be it advertisers or your ISP — track… Read More
Broadband privacy rules were repealed and Americans are not happy about itin News
If you don't live in the U.S., (or you've been ignoring the news,) then you may not have heard the latest about broadband privacy. The skinny? It's gone. After a… Read More
Top 10 Answers From the ACLU's Broadband Privacy AMAin News
The ACLU, in conjunction with Public Knowledge & Free Press, did a Reddit AMA discussing the current risks to broadband privacy. Join us for broadband privacy AMA on Reddit at… Read More
Congress makes move to sell your browser history, kill FCC privacy lawsin News
Republicans introduce legislation aimed to overturn common-sense FCC requirements that safeguard customer data. It became abundantly clear early this week that Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN)… Read More


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The Dark Evil that is Syria
Media reports today (Sunday, April 8, 2018) include (again) claims that government forces commanded by Bashar al-Assad have (again) used chemical weapons on civilians
The response from the world is (again) denial from Syria, "alarm" from the French government, and a wimpy response from the British Foreign Office. In their words, if this is true "it is further proof of Assad's brutality."
I haven't seen anything from Trump, by the way. But, then, I no longer subscribe to Twitter, which seems to be the official organ of the United States Government. (The official nature Trump's penis, which seems to be leading his philosophy, I fear to contemplate.)
But I have seen photographs of children, hooked up to oxygen masks and heart monitors, and wonder if any of these children are still alive.
Where are the good people of the world? The evidence is overwhelming that chemical weapons – chlorine gas from barrel bombs, and perhaps other similar weapons, for example – have been repeatedly used to attack civilians in the Syrian war. Whether the fault lies with Assad, some ill-defined "rebels," ISIS, or the Turks and Kurds, it's clear that children are dying not only from chemical attacks but also from bombs released by Turkish, Russian, and American planes. Perhaps others.
The proximate fault – the match which ignited this fire – may lie with one of the several combatants. However, the ultimate cause lies with you.
Yes, you, who have read (or could have read) of this horror for years.
You, who could have joined with other good people to force your government, whether of the United States or of Britain, or of France or of Russia or of many other nations to stop the insanity.
But you did nothing. You sat in front of your television sets, glued to the latest basketball, soccer, or cricket match, glued to the latest fake-reality show, glued to the current "who has talent" display, while munching on some unhealthy snacks, while people, including children, died at the hands of despots.
Their blood is on your hands.
Comments are closed.
Registered Curmudgeon, scientist, skeptic, humanist, and writer.
March 2020


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SMC is a reliable partner for factory automation, offering pneumatic and electrical solutions. From concept to end of life, we support our customers to achieve and maintain the required levels of functional safety when using our products.
No matter how small or large the project we have solutions to meet your requirements for flexible, productive,safe machinery and systems.
We offer a range of CE marked safety products compliant with the Machinery Directive to provide the necessary levels of risk reduction to provide a safe working environment for the operating personnel.


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The Douglas DC-4 originated from the unrelated first DC-4 (which was renamed the DC-4E) that had proved too complicated and lacking in performance prior to World War Two. The advent of the war interrupted the new DC-4s use as a commercial airliner and after the first prototype was constructed nearly 1,170 came off the production lines for the military in a large number of variants. The basic types were named the C-54 Skymaster (for the USAAF) and the R5D (for the US Navy).
I'm Richard Stretton: a fan of classic airliners and airlines who enjoys exploring their history through my collection of die-cast airliners. If you enjoy the site please donate whatever you can to help keep it running:
March 2020


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Portrait of Pierre Lepautre, Sculptor
- Artist:
- Nicolas de Largillière (French, 1656-1746)
- Date:
- 1689
- Medium:
- Oil on canvas
- Dimensions:
- 64-1/4 x 50-3/4 in. (163.2 x 128.9 cm)
- Credit Line:
- Norton Simon Art Foundation
- Accession Number:
- Copyright:
- © Norton Simon Art Foundation
Nicolas de Largillière received his early training in Antwerp and London and went on to become one of the most successful portrait painters of the second half of Louis XIV's reign. Pierre Lepautre was a master mason and building contractor who worked on various royal building projects.
[Scott & Fowles, New York, by 1911].
William Howard Taft (1857-1930), Cincinnati and Washington, D.C.
Joseph Levy, New York.
[Central Casino, Inc., sold 7 October 1960 to];
[Duveen Bros., New York, stock no. 30352, sold 1965 to;]
The Norton Simon Foundation, transferred in November 2013 to;
Norton Simon Art Foundation.
Image reproduction permission may be granted for scholarly or arts related commercial use. All image requests, regardless of their intended purpose, should be submitted via email. Requests can also be made by fax or mail.
Images may be protected by copyright and other intellectual property rights. Additional permission may be required.
Approved requests for the reproduction of an image will receive a contract detailing all fees and conditions of use of the image. Upon receipt of both the signed contract and full payment, the Office of Rights and Reproductions will provide the image. A complimentary copy of the published material must be provided to the Norton Simon Museum.
Please fill out our Online Reproduction Request Form.
|(626) 449-6840 x 3300
|(626) 796-4978


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James Ishmael Ford posts his letter on his blog which he sent to his local paper about the Rhode Island anti-immigration law which is proposed.
I am glad to see a UU minister take a stand against this bigotry such as that in Arizona which has been legalized. Who will be scapegoated next?
Thank you Rev. Ford.
Rev. Ford's letter and position raises questions for the rest of us Unitarian Universalists. Will we stand in solidarity with all of God's children against this kind of racial scapegoating? It kind of reminds me of the beginning of the anti-semitism perscutory behavior of the Nazi's in Germany in the 30s.
As Rev. Ford's letter points out it is easy for simple minded Americans in times of economic distress to find scapegoats for their antipathy because of their poor financial situations. Unfortunately, is their scapegoating not only racist but way off target. Immigrants are not the perpetrators of their woes. It is the corporations and the investment banks and the corrupt politicians who have been bought off by the corporations.
What we need in the United States is not anti-immigrant legislation but a populist uprising of working class people who demand better government not for the rich but for everyone.
Interestingly and glaringly overlooked is Jesus' teaching about how to treat the poor. Jesus said not one word about homosexuality or abortion or immigration but He said a whole lot about how to treat the poor and the need for economic justice not as a political issue but as a spiritual one. What I see as I look at this phenomenon of scapegoating immigrants is not so much racism, even though it is there, but glaring spiritual poverty in a land of plenty.
The spiritual empowerment of a nation comes from courageous leaders and I am proud as a Unitarian Universalist to count James Ishmael Ford as one.
An online magazine of faith based on a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. The mission of Unitarian Universalism: A Way Of Life ministries is to sanctify the world by helping people become aware of their holiness.
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Unitarian Universalist leadership in speaking out against racist immigration laws
Posted by David G. Markham at 7:00 AM
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January 20th, 2012
Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation coming soon
Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation will get underway on February 29, according to Billboard.
The non-profit charity, named for the pop star's hit song, will celebrate its launch with a soiree at Harvard University's Sanders Theatre.
Gaga first announced the creation of her Born This Way Foundation - to address issues like self-confidence, anti-bullying and career development - in November. She's directing charity with her mother, Cynthia Germanotta.
And Gaga's "Born This Way" album inspired more than just her foundation. It earned the singer a nomination for outstanding music artist by the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, which will host the 23rd Annual GLAAD Media Awards this spring.
Gaga also topped DoSomething.org's list of 2011's most charitable celebrities for her anti-bullying efforts, including her forthcoming foundation.
And in September, after the suicide of a bullied Buffalo, New York, teen, the singer said she supported making bullying illegal.
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About this blog
Our daily cheat-sheet for breaking celebrity news, Hollywood buzz and your pop-culture obsessions.


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Welcome to Zionsville Christian Church
Welcome to this historic church that has been a part of the Zionsville community for over 170 years. ZCC is part of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the oldest American born denomination. Our history and mission has stressed the unity of the church and the practice of welcoming all people into our community. As a result, the Christian Church has made room for a rich diversity of people from many different faith backgrounds and walks of life.
ZCC has a long tradition of service and outreach in our community and beyond. We are a welcoming congregation that is committed to demonstrating hospitality to everyone who enters our doors. Here you will find many opportunities to enrich your journey of faith and a place that you can call home.
In my time here I have found the people of ZCC to be a committed, faithful, and loving community that strives to follow the path of Christ through serving others. I hope you will use this website to get a little more information about who we are, but join us on Sundays to get the full story. Again, welcome to Zionsville Christian Church.
What to Expect
Come join us for:
Traditional Service
Sunday School
What We Believe
We share a number of things in common.
We also affirm some important differences that are vital to our witness in the world:


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Obama Syria
Obama is being accused of treasonAmerica has been so ineffectual in dealing with terror that some people are wondering...
J'accuse ObamaObama is a leftist who is out of synch with harsh reality. World chaos can be traced to his feckless foreign policy.
Russia and America Must Jointly Confront Islamic StateRussia and America now need to solely focus on defeating Islamic State - whilst putting their support for Assad or his overthrow on the backburner.
A Dybbuk in the White HouseEffectively, a president of America has decamped to the enemy.
Obama Seeks New Syria Strategy to Deal With ISIS, AssadUS officials met 4 times this week to discuss new strategy for Syria. US 'Iraq First' policy no longer tenable. Assad must be removed.
Double Standard? US Excuses Civilian Casualties in IS AirstrikesFollowing reports of civilian casualties from US drone strike in Syria, White House states that "near certainty" policy no longer applies.
Obama ISIS 'Strategy' Bolsters Iranian HegemonyIran is no less dangerous than ISIS, so what is Obama doing?
Stop Iran and Stabilize Syria, Weaken Fatah and HamasIt all hangs on one strategic move and now is the time to do it.
Full Text of Obama Speech: 'Our Leadership is at Stake'"Our ideals and principles, as well as our national security, are at stake in Syria," president tells nation.
Peres backs Obama's decision to go to CongressPresident Shimon Peres has said he supports President Obama's decision to seek Congressional approval for military action against Syria.


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Quantum Technology that Improves Brain Functions & Induces Higher Consciousness
Personal Readings
Other Life Events
Unresolved prior life events, known as karma, and/or our pre-incarnatoin planning process play a key role in understanding and answering life's questions.
Schedule a Reading
More Information
Prior to each incarnation, we all go through a pre-incarnation planning phase to formulate our general plan, goals and key relationships. Just as we select a physical body we also select a set of behavioral patterns that facilitate the goals of our incarnation.
Living the way we think we should is often in conflict with our genetic or natural behavioral patterns.
The end result is our life is more difficult and stressful than it needs to be.
An overview of your genetic behavioral patterns will convey practical techniques and strategies that simplify and improve your life.*
Schedule a Reading


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- car keys cut to code
- >
- Volkswagon Car Keys cut to code
- >
- VW REMOTE KEY - 2button
VW REMOTE KEY - 2button
Aftermarket VW Volkswagon Remote car key, complete with remote electronics & cut blade. ready to be programmed..
We supply every commonly used VWcar remote Key produced..if the keycode supplied is incorrect or missing from our database we will contact you for verification of key required, and if you order a key we cannot supply, a FULL refund will be given.
Type & style of key supplied varies, depending on model,year,keycode and stock avaliability,
we aim to ship all orders within 24 - 48hrshrs of receipt of order,
if you do not want the blade cut, please enter BLANK into keycode field when ordering
key blade comes cut to code supplied, and complete with 433mhz remote, all ready for programming by suitable equipment or by using the services of an auto locksmith, this key remote will not work until it has been programmed, and will require a programmed transponder fitted to start the vehicle please ensure the correct remote is order as returns or refunds are not possible once the key has been cut to your code.
* indicates a required field