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The Lantern is ALIVE Outdoor's fresh take on sharing worthwhile information with the collective.
Sharing both great ideas from others and original content curated at ALIVE. We hope you feel inspired and informed.
School is back in session. Reignite your focus, spend time refreshing your own ideas and approaches to teaching and learning with these five books.
They are sitting there filed neatly...
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They are sitting there filed neatly on the bookshelf, staring patiently, waiting to be engaged with. We all have a long shelf, or a box filled with books patiently waiting to be opened. Each is full of ideas that lead to incredible possibility. As educators we often end up focusing on the most pressing pieces of our teaching, spending time on the job of teaching our students and forget (especially at the beginning of each school year) about feeding our own inspiration for how and why we teach.
One of the most compelling books that will help lead the revolution in teaching and learning, changing the way we look at learning, writing, reading and working. Ask yourself, "Is Google making you stupid?" This book offers a compelling case for why the internet has already, and continues to drastically change how we interact with knowledge and material (written word, video, etc.,) on our intellectual, psychological and physical beings. The stark realities of the pace of progress show itself through Nicholas Carr's incredible analysis of our modern[izing] brains. Can you keep pace?
Building on the premise that teaching isn't directed by a simple technique, rather teaching is and should be rooted in the teacher's integrity and identity – ultimately emanating from the heart. Great teachers are unfailingly present in the classroom, treating their classrooms as a community and their students as collaborators. This work uplifts the soul for all teachers, reminding each of us that it is from our hearts — the place where emotion, spirit, and intellect converge – that we can move forward authentically within both our professional and personal lives. Refine yourself.
Revisiting the importance of how the learner interacts with and encounters learning is vitally important. This book helps educators bridge the gap between what the research says regarding learning and the practical implications of teaching. The authors introduce seven general principles of learning, each emanating from a variety of research literature and experience working with teachers.
How many of you would agree with the idea that you love to learn, but hated school! This wildly addictive book explores what happens to creativity and individuality as we pass through the educational system. Be prepared for a startling and provocative look at teaching, writing, creativity, and life by Derrick Jensen who is increasingly recognized for his passionate and articulate critique of modern civilization. It is a page turner and will certainly start a fire under your feet.
Carol Dweck helps us explore the traditional notions of success, she explains why it's not simply our abilities and talent that lead to success. Rather it is all about the approach we take, understanding the difference between a fixed or growth mindset helps refocus what success is. The book explores why praising intelligence and ability does not foster self-esteem and lead to accomplishment, but may actually jeopardize success. Empowering the right mindset can motivate students and help them to raise their grades. It can also help us reach our own personal and professional goals.
Have you heard the new buzzword in Outdoor Education? My ears burn every time I hear it. The simple phrase forces me to feel the striking disconnect. It is the...
Have you heard the new buzzword in Outdoor Education? My ears burn every time I hear it. The simple phrase forces me to feel the striking disconnect. It is the feeling where reverence for, and separation from resides. The simple truth is that the phrase speaks volumes to how we live and see ourselves with respect (or in this case, disregard) for the non-human side of "the coin."
The Nature. A simple phrase, yet these two words together represent an important and troubling reality.
I hear "The Nature" used increasingly by students, teachers, professional guides and instructors within our industry. Realistically, I hear "The Nature" a lot. Most often the phrase is used during end of program debriefs, or after canoe trips and activities like Sit Spots or Rewilding. Initially, I thought it was being used as a joke, a play on words to reinforce intentionality with spending purposeful time in the natural world. But, as the thought lingers, I have started to increasingly challenge my initial opinion on the significance of the phrase. Let me explain my take on "The Nature."
Personally, I am thrilled with the idea that more people are finding meaning in the outdoors, whether it is in urban parks or remote wilderness areas. Specifically, at ALIVE our participants find meaning through the time they spend in nature, we recognize this and build it into everything we do. But what gets my mind twirling is the addition of the "the." Why, and does it have a deeper meaning?
Think of it this way, Nature is a proper noun in the same way your name or the country you live in is. It has never needed the article "the" to precede it. Calling it "The Nature" is grammatically the same as me calling myself "The Ryan." That just seems silly. Let's look at one specific example, "the grocery store" for many of us, is the place we go to buy food. The grocery store isn't the place where food is grown, a grocery store is purposefully built so we can gain access to food and pay someone for that specific and tangible convenience. Using the grocery store logic, when we say "The Nature" are we intentionally indicating that we are going to a specific and distinguishable place for a service? Are we saying "the" to mean that we are dropping by to "pick up" a little nature and then go on our way?
Grammar aside, the importance here resides more in the power of language. How we speak about the natural world defines how we view it in our collective consciousness. If we speak as though we are part of the natural world, we establish our sense of belonging to it. We can all remember Maslow from high school. As we, ironically, become more socially separated as a result of screen time, globalization, or just the realities of a fast paced lifestyle, we generally slip further away from connecting with our physical and present surroundings. This slipping disconnection pulls us further away from the sources of any number of Maslow's stated needs.
A simple example to highlight the importance of this basic human need is that of "the typical sports fan." Think of the sense of community and belonging that some people derive from being a dedicated fan of a particular team. Whether it's yelling at the television or wearing a team's jersey on game day, the sports fans' identity is defined by their association with their team. Be it sports, family or nature, it is that connection to something more that allows us to take our own lives a little less seriously, to dust ourselves off when things get us down, move forward, to not sweat the small stuff and put everything into perspective.
Let's push the power of the language piece a little further. From a social justice perspective, adding a "the" to Nature intentionally places what Nature is into the category of the other. This propagates the notion that we are separate from the natural world, which we clearly are not. Debate it if you wish, but there are some simply facts that are inescapable truths. The health of our ecosystems are directly linked to the quality of the air we breathe, the water we drink and the soil that grows our food. It is so easy to believe that we are not bound up in the same fate as that of the other or "The Nature." What we often forget, in reference to humans and nature, is that our prosperity is intimately tied into the health of our planet and the natural systems the planet struggles to maintain. So let's stop treating and calling nature the other.
We all know that the ongoing challenges in relationship to nature and our societal connections to the environments we live in are amongst the most pressing issues facing humanity today. Something simple we can all do might be to choose the language we want to use with intentionality, and to represent how nature should fit into our lives more clearly. Let's collectively strive to drop the "the" and go back to calling the world around us and the most important system we are all part of what is should be – nature.
Ryan Benson is an Associate Director at ALIVE Outdoors. Most recently Ryan has shared his passion for connecting people to nature through guiding trips on the Tatshenshini and Alsek Rivers. This fall he will be an integral part in helping to deepen ALIVE student's connection to and reverence for the natural world. He is sure to facilitate many interesting conversations on nature. Ryan can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.
How do we value an educational outcome of vulnerability? Designing educational experiences that expose students (and teachers) to opportunities for feeling authentic, deep, self-reflection based on challenging personal notions of...
How do we value an educational outcome of vulnerability? Designing educational experiences that expose students (and teachers) to opportunities for feeling authentic, deep, self-reflection based on challenging personal notions of self, other and society is risky, time consuming and when done correctly – perfectly inspiring.
This summer, many thousands of students will travel overseas to volunteer, learn and hopefully grow through participation in some form of international volunteering or service-based project. Criticism surrounding these programs abound. Being critically observant is a key part of filtering through the myriad program models and international projects available. When considering what program might be 'best' or most effective it is important to ask a few key questions. The questions that I regularly ask teachers, principals and program providers often include:
Significant research, writing and evaluation has been conducted on the value for participants, but less has been conclusive regarding the value and presence to those in the host community, especially from a long-term program model perspective. It is important to remember that volunteering and service programs in international contexts are 'Big Business' and the underlying assumptions of volunteering to help, learn and give are often overshadowed by the needs of organizations to be efficient, cost-effective and marketable. For an aspiring 16-year-old looking to help and partake in the adventure of international service they may encounter many more questions and ambiguity than answers and clarity. There is of course a way forward.
Fighting the 'hero mentality' or 'participating to change the world' are mantras guiding the forward thinking organizations battling to positively help students grow in deep and meaningful ways. So why does this occupy our thinking and daily practices working with schools, communities and doing business? For me, it all started in Haiti during a service trip in 2006. I was motivated to participate in the program because I wanted to experience firsthand the stories and pictures of helping in an international context. I thought the experience would help me grow and see the world differently. Participating also offered me the opportunity to travel with a purpose - rather than the feeling I was more accustomed to as a tourist. I felt empowered, had intention and a clear goal of why I wanted to help in Haiti.
During that 2006 trip, I remember sitting in the back of a pickup truck returning from the worksite one day. As I looked up the road, I noticed a local Haitian woman walking with a large basket. The basket, full of grain, was supported on her hip and seemed like part of her body as she walked. I was immediately drawn to her and had the impression from the way she walked that she was strong, proud, and determined. When the truck passed the woman, she stopped for a moment and looked up at me. I looked into her eyes, felt a moment of connection – beaming with the notion that I was in Haiti helping, and waved to acknowledge our interaction. She returned a very clear gesture that I will remember for a very long time. She proudly and purposefully raised the middle finger of her right hand in response.
This trip to Haiti ultimately blurred my sense of purpose and forced me to critically reflect on the notion of the word help. I felt vulnerable with my initial intentions and motivations. A conflict began to grow between myself, the service I was doing, and the organizational mission. My worldview shifted, and that was the greatest gift that I took from my early experience with international service learning.
Turning that feeling of vulnerability into empowerment is vitally important, and in need of immediate attention. International service programs should not be a perfect sequential packages where students return thinking and feeling much the same as when they left. For program providers it is easier to shelter and shy away from those deeper and messy opportunities that can lead to feelings of vulnerability. In Brene Brown's 2014 viral TED Talk "The Power of Vulnerability," Brene shifted the face of vulnerability from weakness to our "most accurate measure of human courage" and "the birth place of innovation, creativity and change." It is our acts of vulnerability that provide a platform for progress, inner growth and the hope for a changed future. Within service programs, how we teach and plan for vulnerability is the birth place for meaningful character growth and change that we should look at not as weakness, but as one of our greatest measures of human courage.
To move forward we must accept and be comfortable with the idea of vulnerability. We can start with building the strength to say "I don't know" or "I was wrong." Feeling empowered with the courage to engage in difficult authentic conversations rather than stepping on the eggshells built by the culture of political correctness throws open the doors to let vulnerability into your experience in service learning. One quote that has always helped guide me over the last decade on the path to questioning the notions of help is from Lila Watson. Lila stated "If you have come here to help me you are wasting your time. But if you have come because your liberation is bound up in mine then let us work together".
ALIVE Outdoors facilitates international experiences and workshops for students, teachers and businesses. For more information visit our Global Experiential Education and Deepening International Service Learning pages.
Samantha Dear is the Director at ALIVE Outdoors (www.aliveoutdoors.com), through her work at ALIVE she builds and delivers meaningful programming to thousands of students each year. She is an author, public speaker, experiential programmer and believes in the power of meaningful and reflective practices. You can read more about her work on international service learning in a recently published book chapter (Many Meanings: Moving Reciprocity to Interdependence in International Service Learning; Dear & Howard) which can be found in Larsen's edited book International Service Learning: Engaging Host Communities published by Routledge (2015).
It's striking to me that the term " outdoor education " still insinuates to many people that it's solely about learning outdoor skills. Just the other day a parent emailed...
It's striking to me that the term "outdoor education" still insinuates to many people that it's solely about learning outdoor skills. Just the other day a parent emailed to ask questions about our programs. "What's the point in sending my daughter on an ALIVE trip this fall when she will have just returned from summer holidays?" She went on to say that she will have just spent a summer by the lake, and it is time to crack down on her academics, rather than outdoor skills.
Should we drop the term "outdoor education" and start calling our programs something like "Education for Life Success", "Expanding Essential Life Skills in the Outdoor Classroom," "Valuable Learning" or just simply what it is --"Education?" How do we convey to doubting parents that these experiences beyond the traditional classroom walls are invaluable when it comes to nurturing key life competencies, such as learning to work as a team, how to communicate effectively, how to listen thoughtfully, how to fail with grace, how to support others in reaching their goals, how to live in community, how to sit alone in silence, etc.
How do we highlight the immense value of working together to get everything across a portage, the beauty of sleeping out under the stars, and waking up early to nature's silence and beautiful mist rising off a serene lake? For a long while now I feel like the term "outdoor education" limits people's perspectives of the valuable lessons that can be learned when they step away from their screens, their parents and the comforts of their homes. How do we effectively explain to people that we are simply using the outdoors as a classroom for enriching the lives of young people as they move towards adulthood? How can we convey that we collectively work diligently to create and deliver programs that aim to help young people expand their depth of emotional intelligence, their sense of personal awareness, their confidence level to stand on their own when called upon, and so much more.
Later this year, with the help of Lakehead University's Assistant Professor, Ryan Howard, social media and hopefully the support of Alumni Associations through our partner schools, we intend to gather data from people that we can track down who have graduated from schools where they participated in multiple ALIVE Outdoors programs. We have countless, humbling and beautiful testimonials from students who have taken the time to reflect upon their school years and have sent us notes of gratitude for the skills that they learned through their time on their ALIVE programs, and we appreciate these notes immensely. Now we want to formally gather data to help deepen and highlight the value of the lessons that can be learned while with ALIVE.
Maybe the name ALIVE Outdoors insinuates that we are teaching the skills necessary to stay alive in the woods. The truth is, we feel we are teaching the skills to necessary to live a grounded life. A life where young people can live from a place of deeply rooted self-awareness, with the tools required to navigate whatever comes their way. ALIVE stands for Adventure. Leadership. Individuality. Values. Empowerment, but in the end, what we really hope it means is that we are delivering impactful experiences that help young people develop the tools to thrive in this ever-changing world.
In the summer months of 2016 ALIVE instructors Jackson Moores, Emily Cole, Benjamin Scott and Julie Bremner will embark on a sea kayak expedition traversing...
In the summer months of 2016 ALIVE instructors Jackson Moores, Emily Cole, Benjamin Scott and Julie Bremner will embark on a sea kayak expedition traversing the Western Canadian Arctic. The planned route is long and remote, 2600 km with only a handful of small fly-in coastal hamlets along the way. The ALIVE community has done more than just foster the connections that led to the formation of this team; instructing for ALIVE challenged each of us to be curious and engaged, to focus on connecting to place and people. It is a community where the bar for dreams is set high, where it feels safe, even encouraged to voice audacious goals. Ours is an adventure in the spirit of tremendous dreams born at camp. Taking on this lofty of a goal feels important. Already the challenge has inspired much personal reflection and growth. As we go forward we are striving to find ways to relate our learning and to honestly and openly share a complete view of what it is like to pursue this dream.
As outdoor educators we ask our students to balance many new experiences. We intentionally seek to inspire and empower young people to explore their comfort zones. We push, gently, affirmingly, to unlock emotions and ideas that are challenging and that lead to growth. To do this effectively, especially on remote wilderness trips, we operate safely within our own comfort zones, permitting us a facilitating role in the experience while also the ability to comfortably manage risk. This Arctic adventure feeds a personal drive to push our own comfort zones. We are seeking to re-inspire that feeling of growth in ourselves. We have taken on a dream that feels huge and daunting. The scale of the northern landscape we wish to explore feels vast in context to the challenge we crave.
We are grateful that ALIVE has provided us space to more fully share this process. We are cognizant that thus far we have put forth an image of expedition planning that is joyful and optimistic. Our facebook page and website are highlight reels, rich with photographs of training paddles on the west coast of Canada featuring wildlife sightings, sunny days and dramatic landscapes. They represent much of the joy we have felt while following this dream. These moments drive us forward, but are an oversimplification of our process. Over the winter months of this past year we dedicated ourselves to team building, physical training and meticulous logistical planning. We indulged countless 'what if' scenario discussions. We wrestled with the modern realities of expedition planning—branding, marketing and fundraising. The learning curves have been steep. The vulnerability that comes from publicly voicing our dreams has at times felt terrifying. This project has become a piece of our identities and a full time job, one which we have been balancing with our paying jobs and relationships for over a year. It is hard to remember the days before this process when we basked in comfortable routines.
The truth is this journey has had more challenging moments than easy ones. We worry a lot. We worry about funding—taking the summer off work to paddle in a remote area adds a cost burden; we worry about polar bears and other hazards of this new environment; we worry about how we will be perceived, especially in this age of online promotion; we worry about leaving behind loved ones for 3 months and our limited ability to call home; we worry about our stress levels and how we will balance those together. Yet, we remind ourselves that we went looking for challenge. We have found it in more places than we expected, but are determined to let it propel us forward. From our worries, we find more drive. We focus in on one small task at a time, cultivating each little success to build momentum. The value of those hard moments comes out in the joyous feeling of triumph we get each time we realize this dream just might be attainable.
As our adventure goes forward we are able to articulate more of this process. We invite you to follow our journey, either through ALIVE Outdoors who will share our journey with you, or our website (www.arcticlink2016.com), where you will find our blog, photo gallery, crowd funding initiative and ways to get in touch with us. We will be heading north in June, look for a live updated map of our journey and periodic stories along the way. We will paddle all summer long and plan to fly back to Ontario in time for the fall ALIVE season where we look forward to sharing more tales under the starry nights and around the campfire.
Written by: Julie Bremner
Don't take the simplest actions for granted. What drives a person to get up a little earlier, be a little braver and love a moment of uncertainty? Everyone is faced...
Don't take the simplest actions for granted. What drives a person to get up a little earlier, be a little braver and love a moment of uncertainty? Everyone is faced with opportunities where they can rise up, try something new, or place themselves in a vulnerable position. Even if only for the briefest of moments.
This morning we have been thinking about the very simple choices we make. In particular, one that demonstrates fantastic spontaneity and maybe a little hidden meaning for the future. We are at camp this week, and as we once again strive to push ourselves and our students to deepen their potential and form critically important understandings of themselves and the power of community, we are reminded that ALIVE Outdoors isn't just about building and delivering meaningful programming. It is also about the smaller unseen things.
Early this morning, before breakfast, twenty-four high school students lined up at the swim dock for an early morning Polar Bear dip. You get the gist of it. You just woke up - rather, you are barely awake - you and your cabin mates gathered all the strength and courage you could collectively muster, and on the count of three plunge into the cold lake. Standing on shore watching the "swimmers" is a fortunate task at this time of year. The turn around time from when a warm sleepy body hits the cold water to the point you are standing back onshore is shockingly FAST! It is vividly clear that each participant's brain is trying to desperately calibrate itself after the brief dip in water that until three weeks ago was ice.
The significance of this morning's Polar Bear dip isn't that 24 young men jumped into the cold lake, but rather that they planned for it the night before, woke up extra early, and showed up on time to support each other in something that was completely optional and, in truth, inconveniently too early in the morning. What struck us as significant is that these young men demonstrated the personal motivation to go above and beyond what is expected or asked of them. The only benefits for their efforts were personal; they pushed their own individual boundaries, tried something new, and rejoiced, consoled and shared in an act of community.
Reflecting on this morning's Polar Bear dip, the characteristics that brought these young men to the water's edge are some of the personal traits that we at ALIVE work hard to help our students build with meaningful programming. We certainly didn't create the Polar Bear dip, and it isn't a facilitated activity based in process or outcomes, but it allowed the students, on their own, to practice a few key personality traits that they will continue to develop over time. Personal motivation, creating memories, trying something new, being uncomfortable and rejoicing in collective success are all characteristics we know they will take with them into their future challenges. We are continually reminded of the incredible potential and abilities our ALIVE Outdoors students demonstrate, we get to see it in everything we do.
"Sometimes the little opportunities that fly at us each day can have the biggest impact." ~ Danny Wallace
As the delayed spring finally opens its doors, a short walk in the woods quickly brings to focus the sleepy world that was living quietly below the snow (or more realistically the mud) for the last five months. Spring always seems to usher in a sense of awakening and rediscovery after the Canadian winter. Our minds are naturally thrown into the direction of possibilities and new learnings. Translating the feelings of the spring season into action is often where we fall short year after year as spring flows quickly into summer. This spring keep two key ideas in focus: adventure and inspiration.
As the river ice breaks free and the waters flow again into the Great Lakes the stories of adventures long past are reawakened and brought back to life. Our country was, and continues to be discovered by the spirit of adventure and the pursuit of what lies just beyond. Bringing these feelings back into our lives - adventure keeps the Canadian spirit of the land and the sense of identity we share close to our hearts.
Capturing the stories and spirit of adventure can be a difficult task in our daily activities, but in fact, if we look closely, we can find it in everything we apply ourselves too. The pursuit for adventure is not simply a specific action or expedition, it is the intention to look a little deeper and push a little farther. Holding in the spirit of explorers who left their mark on Canada, such as Alexander Mackenzie, David Thompson or Lady Jane Franklin we are reminded of a few key character qualities – embracing the unknown, perseverance, sacrifice, leadership, grit and unwavering conviction. Each of these qualities continue to be highly valued within contemporary society.
The rewards of pursuing adventure are often thought to only benefit those on the quest, but like us, you probably didn't know about Lady Jane Franklin who orchestrated the unbelievable twelve-year search for her husband and in the process contributed more to the mapping and exploration of the high arctic than any other male explorer without ever setting foot in the Canadian Arctic! What are the lessons we learn from explorers' endeavors? How do we place value on the blood, sweat and tears that was success of their hardships, learnings and journeys? Why do extraordinary historical expeditions leave a telling mark on everyone who listens to the tale decades later? There is the human tendency to be curious and to feel accomplishment – inspiring and fostering the characteristics built from adventure in the students we mentor can happen within all aspects of program delivery and implementation.
Do a quick internet search for top Canadian adventurers. Really, go do it. What you will find are endless lists of individuals who are out pushing the edges of their own personalities and seeking to deepen their souls, resiliency, experience and life path. But even more, each of these contemporary adventurers are contributing to our collective understanding of the edges of society, leadership and future progress. Each is a value we should help foster within our youth and an endeavor we should collectively applaud and celebrate. One of the greatest gifts we can give our students is the confidence to push off into the unknown and to believe that no matter what the outcome of their experience they will return stronger, brighter, and above all else have reached deeper levels of their character and disposition.
As the spring pushes us to feel the need to keep the adventurous spirit alive and to recognize that pursuing adventure is a worthwhile endeavor we can focus on the following three principles:
At ALIVE Outdoors we keep this in mind when we develop and build programs for students and teachers to experience the spirit of adventure, and to build their own stories of looking a little deeper and pushing a little farther. We are excited by the change of season. We are especially reminded of the importance of the outdoors and the impact of nature on our lives on Earth Day. Yet every day is a chance to appreciate our planet and spring yourself into adventures.
It is all in the imagery – a flickering light standing out in the darkness drawing in your gaze and captivating your attention. Is it the lantern's glow or possibly a deeper and more profound feeling coming from the dancing light that draws us in? We light lanterns to bring light into our lives, to pull people closer together, to find our way back and to share cherished stories.
"There are two ways of spreading light: to be the candle or the mirror that reflects it."
~ Edith Wharton
We are excited to be sharing our newest endeavor at ALIVE Outdoors - The Lantern. Our vision is for it to be a shimmering light bringing people closer together to share great ideas and help guide us all in meaningful directions. Through The Lantern, we will be casting light onto some of our own ideas, your ideas, stories and learnings, as well as reflecting the important ideas that influences the work that ALIVE and our community practices every day.
Daily, we are exposed to a constant bombardment of facts, figures, quotes, stories and new information. Why not strive to share and populate the internet with "good stuff?" Through The Lantern we will share posts that cut to the core of why we do the work we engage in. The Lantern will cover a wide variety of topics that influence and move us – with purpose, excitement and empathy. Just like a flickering flame, content shared through The Lantern will strive to dance in different directions, mirroring the cycles of ALIVE Outdoors, the instructors who work with us, the students that inspire us and the vast array of clients we are privileged to work with.
We have created this space to share and hold information with the ALIVE Community, and whomever else feels compelled to follow and share their ideas, thoughts, viewpoints, etc.
Our goal is to share ideas that fuel people and expose the light on a vast array of topics that will ideally help us all grow. Please join us on our journey with The Lantern. Stay tuned on how to contribute.
© ALIVE Outdoors Inc.

subset: commoncrawl


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Lori Mann, Vice President —
Field Operations
Lori Mann serves as our general in the field in charge of quality control. She has 25 years of experience in the building and concrete construction industry and has spent the last 10 with Pendleton+Bowman (P+B).
She is on the ground every day with contractors, making sure that all contract specifications have been met to P+B standards. That means determining and approving the thickness and bonding of stucco coats and the proper attachment of accessories, and approving of substrate before successive stucco coats.
Mann is also our expert in the field during the critical waterproofing phase of every project. She maintains records of primer and finish coats applied to walls and overheads, verifying coverage ratios and testing the wet and dry mil thicknesses of waterproofing coats. Her expertise is invaluable in helping to train contractors' mechanics in proper application methodologies.
Mann's extensive knowledge of building and waterproofing materials, combined with a determination that every aspect of every job is completed to exacting specifications, has earned her the respect of contractors and peers alike and is an invaluable benefit to our firm and to the owners.


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With the environment a hot topic these days, any business would do well to see how it could reduce its carbon footprint. Customers are now seeking out greener company and there is a demand for greener products.
Even as a small business, it is much any manager can not reduce waste and be more energy efficient. Going Green does not have to be a chore.
An easy solution is to switch to energy saving light bulbs where possible. Energy-saving light bulbs last longer, which means that you are saving money and reducing waste. They definitely save energy, which will have a positive impact on the company's electricity bill.
Any business, even a small one, tends to go through a lot of paper per year. A lot of paper is used only for Scribbling notes and reminders. This amount can be reduced by using the back of the paper discarded due to failed printouts and faxes. If printed material is not sensitive, it will do just as with all new sheet simply note down thoughts or scribble down time someone called. Since paper can be torn as ever.
In the long run, this will save on paper and is environmentally friendly. It also saves on waste and money.
If a company produces products with packaging, have a look at how much packaging you're using. With media attention focused on landfill and the decomposition products, there might be room for improvement. Plastics are especially worrisome. Products with an elaborate amount of packaging is scrutinized. If you can minimize this, and possibly better use, recycling / degradation solution, you are reducing your carbon footprint, products will appeal to consumers and again you have to cut down on waste and charges.
If possible, do not let the electrical products on standby or longer than necessary. This may sound simple, it is. Many companies depend computers running, to give an example, when they could be closed for hours because users are in a meeting or elsewhere in the house.
Recycle. It is wise to look at waste company and see what can be recycled. Recycling makes sense, is a good business practice, reduces landfill and is good for the environment.
If you would like to go beyond the simple solutions, it would be worthwhile to check out the electricity supply company. Are they using renewable energy? If so, why not? There are plenty of companies around these days offer power from green sources.
In addition, you could have a look to encourage employees to use public transportation to travel to and from work. Feasibility this depends on your location, the average distance of travel and budget, but there are companies that offer workers cash for travel expenses. This is a good incentive to use public transport, avoid delays due to traffic congestion and again a step closer to going green.
solar panels are becoming increasingly practical. They are still rather expensive. It is advisable to see what a difference they could do for your business. Some smaller companies are already switching over, and they are getting media attention because of their efforts. Positive ads will not hurt business.
All this may seem like a lot to look into and put into practice. However, the switch to a greener way of doing business is not as difficult as it seems. Many workers would be willing to make minor changes. After all, these changes do not achieve in the way of day-to-day business and will soon be part of the normal way of doing things.
A green company is a company with a conscience. This tends to get noticed. What is good for the environment is certainly good for business!


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Rammstein clones
This German band certainly owes a lot to their more famous countrymen in Rammstein or Oomph! Tracks like "Engel" are near-perfect clones of Rammstein's electro-tinged metal. There's the big riffs and gruff vocals, and the backdrop of simplistic electronic sequences. It's all there. Which would be great if there weren't already a Rammstein in the world. Or an Oomph!, or an Eisbrecher.
"Schwarze Sonne" is certainly effective enough in it's attack -- strong production, big rock elements, and borderline evil vocals. But, I'm at a loss with b.o.s.c.h.'s all-too-derivative sound. There's just nothing here that hasn't been done a decade or more earlier by Rammstein, Oomph!, or even some of Laibach's early rock/metal experiments. "Apparat" is the band's second album, but here's to finding a more individual and unique sound next time.


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"I've always had a fondness for books about houses," writes Margie Taylor, our fabulous book reviewer, who reads a book a week and writes about it. Here she turns to the great classic Howard's End by E.M. Forster.
Monday, April 30, 2018
Margie Taylor reviews Howard's End
"I've always had a fondness for books about houses," writes Margie Taylor, our fabulous book reviewer, who reads a book a week and writes about it. Here she turns to the great classic Howard's End by E.M. Forster.
The Fall of the House of Usher is one of the scariest (and will be reviewed here once I get up the nerve to reread it), but there are others that come to mind: Brideshead Revisited, Bleak House, Wuthering Heights, A House for Mr. Biswas.
Houses have personalities – what would Gone With the Wind be without Tara? And can you imagine Mr. Rochester and Jane Eyre anywhere but Thornfield Hall? There's the wonderful Manderley, haunted by the ghost of Rebecca, and the mansion on Long Island built by Jay Gatsby, as a physical symbol of his love for Daisy Buchanan. (More on that next week.) And in Satis House, Dickens created the perfect dwelling for the wildly eccentric Miss Havisham – it's impossible to imagine her surrounded by her decaying wedding finery in a bungalow in Surrey.
Howards End is not as stately as or as decrepit as any of these; it's a cottage in the English countryside, a converted barn, actually, and loved only by the frail and ethereal Ruth Wilcox, who has lived there since she was a child. Her husband, Henry, doesn't think much of the place. It's too small – "picturesque enough, but not a place to live in".
But there's a reason E. M. Forster used the name of the house for the title: Howards End is the spiritual heart of the book. It represents everything that is precious and real in an England that is rapidly reinventing itself at the turn of the 20th Century. And not, in Forster's opinion, for the better.
The Schlegel sisters give a lot of thought to these changes. Margaret, or Meg, is the oldest and she and her sister, Helen, while not rich, have enough money to indulge in literary and artistic pursuits. Cultured, artistic and well-read, they're committed to "personal relations":
"In their own fashion they cared deeply about politics, though not as politicians would have us care; they desired that public life should mirror whatever is good in the life within. Temperance, tolerance, and sexual equality were intelligible cries to them; whereas they did not follow our Forward Policy in Tibet with the keen attention that it merits, and would at times dismiss the whole British Empire with a puzzled, if reverent, sigh."
The Schlegels and the Wilcoxes appear, at least in the beginning, to represent opposing points on the spectrum. Henry Wilcox, in particular, is a man of the Modern Age. Forster refers to him as "the man who had carved money out of Greece and Africa, and bought forests from the natives for a few bottles of gin".
Materialistic, pragmatic, and opinionated, he doesn't concern himself much with anything he can't buy or sell: "He lived for the five minutes that have past, and the five to come; he had the business mind". His children, Charles, Paul and Evie, are cut from the same cloth. These are the kind of people who, while not unkind or ungenerous, see humanity in terms of "us" and "them".
As different as they are, circumstances bring them together. Having met during a walking holiday in Europe, the sisters are invited to spend a few days at Howards End. Because Tibby, their younger brother, isn't well, Margaret begs off and Helen goes on her own. During the visit, she has a brief romantic encounter with Paul Wilcox, the younger son. It turns out badly, causing embarrassment to all concerned, and the Schlegels determine to stay well away from the wealthy Wilcox family in future. Which, they assume, will be easy, seeing as they have neither friends, family, nor interests in common.
However, not long afterwards, the sisters are shocked to learn that Henry and Ruth Wilcox have taken a flat in London directly across the street. In order to avoid any unpleasantness, Helen makes an impromptu visit to her cousin, Frieda, in Germany. When Margaret goes to visit Mrs. Wilcox she learns that Paul has gone off to Nigeria and Ruth and her husband have taken the flat to be in London for their daughter Evie's wedding. The older woman talks of Howards End – the meadow, the flowers, and the giant wych-elm, "the finest wych-elm in Hertfordshire" which is thought to have magical properties. There are pigs' teeth stuck into the trunk, about four feet from the ground, and legend is that if they chew a piece of the bark it will cure a toothache.
During a Christmas shopping trip, the subject of houses comes up once again. When Meg confides that the lease is up on their house, Wickham Place, and it will shortly be sold, the older woman is horrified. On an impulse, Ruth invites Margaret to come with her to Howards End. However, just as they're preparing to board the train, Henry and Evie turn up and the visit is postponed. Not long afterwards, Ruth dies, leaving a handwritten note saying she wants Howards End to go to Margaret. Her family, assuming she was not in her right mind when she wrote it, or had been unduly influenced by the Schlegels, toss the note into the fire.
In the meantime, another figure has entered the picture. Because of a mix-up during a performance of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony, the Schlegels are introduced to an impoverished insurance clerk named Leonard Bast. Leonard has had none of the Schlegels' advantages but he, too, is interested in music and literature. In normal circumstances, their paths would never have crossed. Now that they have, the sisters take up his cause. How might the young man be helped?
Encountering Henry Wilcox one night on the Embankment, they seek his advice regarding Leonard's situation. Henry says the insurance company where Leonard works is about to fail and he should get out. That information is passed along to Leonard, who quits his job, lands another, and then is let go from that one. Leonard is worse off than before, all because he listened to the Schlegels – who listened to Henry.
Gradually, Margaret and Henry develop a friendship. Although he's stuffy, two decades older than her, and not at all idealistic, she sees him as kind and well-meaning. For his part, Henry's attracted to Margaret's unconventionality. When he learns that the lease is up on Wickham Place, he offers to rent her his house in London. While showing her around the place, he proposes marriage. Surprised at how happy this makes her, Margaret considers the offer and accepts. They decide to marry in the fall, after his daughter's wedding.
In the meantime Helen visits the Basts and find them homeless, close to starving, and surviving on handouts from his relatives. Determined to embarrass Henry into doing something for them, she brings them to Evie's wedding reception, upsetting both her sister and Henry, who recognizes Mrs. Bast as the former prostitute he had an affair with years ago in Cyprus. Believing he's been set up, Henry breaks off his engagement with Margaret and Helen disappears, giving no reason for her departure and telling no one where she is. Before she leaves, however, she arranges to give Leonard a cheque for £5,000, which he, to his credit, refuses.
In Howards End Forster takes a hard, sometimes cynical look at English society and the stratified nature of its hierarchy. While Helen believes that connecting with others on a personal level can break through the confines of class and social conventions, Margaret is inclined to think it's really about money. "Money pads the edges of things," she says, "there's never any great risk as long as you have money."
There's an indictment here of the Schlegels and their friends: unlike the Basts, they can be as bohemian and offbeat as they like – they will always have a roof over their heads. Leonard and those like him, who make up the working poor, don't have that option.
And so we come back to the beginning: to houses.
To the security of a roof that doesn't leak, walls that will not crumble, rent that will always be paid. Tragic events will occur before the story ends – and I won't spoil it for you by recounting them here. But the resolution is satisfying. As Ruth Wilcox wished, Margaret and her family restore life to Howards End; the house, like "the Dude" Lebowski, will abide.
Posted by Joan Baril at 8:26 AM
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TV reports about my projects, interviews, short films and videos
ARD programme TTT featuring my project SAVE THE DATE
DEUTSCHE WELLE talks about sexuality and modern society, 34:30 min film
ARTE is on the jorney into Russian soul, starting from 6:46 min
German TV channel 3SAT about my SAVE THE DATE project, starting from 13:20 min
NEWS 24 from South Africa asked me questions about my SAVE THE DATE project
French channel based in Berlin went on the cruising jorney with me
Armenian TV channel shows my performance at the Modern Art Museum in Yerevan
Ukranian Donbas TV about my visit in the Ukraine
Russian Student TV channel about contemporary art festival in Pskov, from 3:39min
Berlin based channel about local people BERLINOPOLIS asked me for the interview
Movie by the ASF organization called "Menschen hinter der Geschichte"and revealing the story of the volunteers in Europe, released 2012
LGBT organization in Dresden Gerede e.V. hosted my performance and invited me for the round table dedicated to the International day against homophobia&transphobia 2014, IDAHOT 2014
Movie by the German LGBT project Gerede e.V. about three different stories of Coming Out
Russian TV channel VESTI talks about my ecological project for saving enviroment by recycling the batteries


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I'd love to know what predicated Ed Young's recording of this video speaking to his staff about "church pirates". I watched it a few times and the more I did, the more nervous I became. Seriously, Ed seems really pissed off in this video but he's trying not to act pissed off. Either someone on his staff just left and started a new church and took a few people with them OR (and this would freak me out even more) he got wind of someone on his staff planning on starting a new church, so he's calling them out without naming names.
About the third time through, the whole video reminded me of a Soprano's episode where Tony is making veiled threats while smiling and joking with you, while you laugh a nervous kind of laugh. It kind of freaked me out.
What do you think??


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I apologize for the lack of fishing reports. I've been fishing everyday, and fishing has been the same each day with excellent striper fishing. We're now starting to see a few more trout, puppy drum, and flounder in the rivers. We've consistently been catching 30-80 stripers a day. Plenty of action for everyone. Today I was fortunate to host Wayne, a 7 year old boy who loves to fish. Lisa Adams, of Angels N Camo, put together this trip for Wayne, who has suffered from Type 1 Diabetes since he was an infant. Wayne had a lot of enthusiasm and enjoyed catching fish. Collectively we caught striper, trout, and puppy drum, and Wayne caught almost all of them. We even caught a $100 reward red tagged striper. It was a nice time on the water and a great reward to share our fishing with a young local boy who enjoys fishing as much as I do.
Next Open Dates: July 10, 12, 25-27 Aug. 14 Sept. 4, 27, 29


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Smart Cart (Checkout System) - Embodied Interaction
Duration: Fall Quarter 2017
Role: Interaction Designer & Physical Prototype Developer
Smart Cart
Say hello to the future of shopping.
An opportunity where the users (shoppers) don't have to wait in the queue for the checkout/billing in-store.
Description & Reason: A seamless approach to checkout in-store without the need to wait in the queue is a need, because no one likes waiting. Improving the efficiency by reducing the unnecessary efforts exerted by a patron is the main objective of an embodied solution for this need. A correspondence between a shopper and his/hers objectives can be maintained only if the meaningless inter-actions are made defunct.
To establish a correspondence between a system and its user by eradicating entanglements caused through transducers (in this case an interface/interaction).
The following were the detailed objectives:
Define a need.
Conduct design ethnography to establish a need & purpose.
Use one of the available analysis methods to understand the need.
Use one of the design method to visualize the design solution.
Come up with a 3D prototype.
Demonstrate embodiment of the prototype.
Conduct user testing.
Write a reflection.
I had a constraint of materials to build a physical prototype. On top of that the prototype construction phase had a very limited time. Therefore, I relied on craft materials to develop a static (to self-narrate the prototype functionalities while testing with users) 3D model.
Design Ethnography
I conducted a design ethnography by observing individuals purchasing goods and to checking out at the two super markets, "Pete's Super Market", and "Target Retail Store
Based on my observations, I came up with two excerpts for the two locations I visited. The one for the traditional check-out system at Pete's super market, and the other for the self-checkout system at Target. Design Ethnography helped me to step in to the users shoes. It validated the need to come up with an embodied design solution for the problem.
Analysis & Modeling Methods
Analysis Method: I used Affinity Diagram to identify recurring needs aspects & requirements.
Modeling Method: I used Mind Map to visualize the number of steps taken by a customer to accomplish his/her goals.
Modeling Method: I used Journey Map to visualize and analyze the user goals & pain points. For the optimal view of journey map: click here
Character: Emily is a graduate student living in a rented apartment. She frequently visits the retail market to shop her daily needs (which includes food items + healthcare products, etc.). She often takes her friend Rachel for shopping.
Scene: Emily visits a nearby supermarket for her daily needs. The supermarket is always crowded in the evening, which leads to the formation of a queue at the checkout counter. Emily finds evening as a suitable time to visit the nearby market. Waiting in the queue often makes her irascible. Emily reads a news about a grand opening of a new shopping market in the city which is well known for their smart shopping basket. Out of curiosity, she decides to visit the new shopping market with her friend Rachel.
Design Method: I used Storyboard to envision my embodied solution and its context of use. The narration used in the storyboard helped to remind me the purpose and the emotions behind the embodiment.
The prototype design (iteration one) was inspired from IDEO's process of innovation for the shopping cart concept in 1999.
The 3D prototype was followed by a sketching process.
The sketches helped me to ideate a shopping basket concept with the help of the following processes:
Illustrating several physical forms of a shopping basket,
Coming up with requirements & features for the concept,
Drawing the dimensional specifications (Includes an iteration with the help of the 3D model).
Materials used: Packaging boxes, construction paper, nuts & bolts, fine liner, pencil, colored pens, glue, packaging tape.
Demo 1: Gestural based basket handle interaction. Purpose: An accessible approach was required to control the basket's handle using gestures. The lift of one handle balances the lift of the opposite handle through its equilibrium mechanism.
Demo 2: Embodied Solution - Real-time Bill Calculation. Purpose: Users want to avoid waiting in the queue for the bill calculation. Incorporating bill calculation in the basket would avoid the formation of queue at the checkout. A checkout system without a need to wait.
UsABILITY EVALUATION
I made a user testing floor map guideline. See Figure 1. This diagram would help the subjects to visualize the simulated environment of the in-store environment.
I evaluated my prototype (Iteration 1) by conducting user tests with five participants. Each participant had to go through a series of tasks with the help of a floor map of a simulated environment.
The user tasks comprised of the following duties:
Grabbing a smart basket - To understand the interaction of the user with the smart basket, especially the gesture-based interactions.
Navigating toward the products area - Adding the items into the basket (shopping experience).
Navigating toward the scanning area - To understand the transaction process after shopping the items (post shopping experience).
Reading of instructions labels - To understand the customer's preference (before leaving the store).
See Figure 1, 2, and 3.
At the end, participants were given an opportunity to talk about their experience and offer suggestions through an online survey.
The survey was focused on:
Understanding their shopping experience through a comparison with a retail store's checkout system. [open-ended question].
Knowing their preferences about the need (standing in a queue at the checkout counter). [close-ended question].
To acknowledge their experience with my embodied solution [open-ended question].
To acknowledge their preference over the existing checkout systems (including my embodied solution) [close-ended question, open-ended question].
Suggestions/demands of participants based on my embodied solution [open-ended question].
Results summary: The survey data justified a need to address the problem of "waiting in the queue at the check-out counter". One of the participant found an additional benefit of the real-time bill calculation on the smart basket as a way to keep track of their budget. In addition, all the participants preferred "Smart Cart" as a checkout system due to it's time-saving mechanism. On the other hand, participants found the gesture interaction confusing at the beginning. After a few successive trials they succeeded in learning gestures.
I had a tremendous pleasure in designing a solution for this need. A desire to go beyond screen-based, and click-based interaction was fulfilled through this project.
The metrics I registered:
Building a tangible artifact is not so easy as to build an app prototype on the computer.
Working on EI gave me an edge over web/app designers to think beyond the four quadrants of the display. It made me practice "design thinking".
The user testing revealed the fact that you are not your user. One of the participants found an additional advantage over the smart basket's real-time bill calculator which helped him to manage his budget. This was a unique finding - an idea derived from user-centered design.
Did it go live?:
I'd love to see it go live. I need to iterate my design based on user testing data and come up with an interactive prototype v.2 (Arduino-based).
Incorporating inclusivity by diversifying the participants for user testing could lead to come up with a good design.


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Do You Want to Order a Gnomes Team T-Shirt?
Dear Parents,
Every year, we design and sell a Gnomes Team T-Shirt as a way to build some team spirit and togetherness. Here is this year's design:
Our design will be printed on the front of a white, short sleeved t-shirt. The cost will be $13.00 per t-shirt. Sizes available are: YM, YL, AS, AM, AL, and AXL.
You can find a sizing chart for the company that we are using posted online here.
If you are interested in ordering a t-shirt, the order form can be downloaded by clicking on this link. I will also pass out paper copies of the order form on Monday during science class.
Due date: Friday, August 19th
Hope this helps,
Bill Ferriter


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I need a woman who can keep me on my toes boisegentleman man 57 y. Moved here with my kids from Reno. I am extremely sexual and there are still a few things left for me to try. When you are looking to have a different kind of fun in Idaho, there are several ways to go about it. I am a happy person by nature, smart and attractive and did I mention fun, fun,fun, just in general and especially between the sheets or anywhere else you care to be adventuresome.
Candess - I am an independant woman who is very honest and self reliant. Thanks Cameronhand14 man 20 y. Don't miss jumping aboard this unstoppable train of love - sign up today and discover the ease of online dating for yourself.Looking for dating Nampa men? A lot of single guys spend nights in Nampa chat rooms not in bars or clubs. Why not to meet them by placing a Nampa dating ad? Online dating is great place for single people to date and have fun. Wyatt man 18 y.o. from Nampa, Idaho, United States HelloI like the outdoors hunting fishing that stuff. Looking for a good time and ready to preform. Like to read, sing, and just have a lot of fun. Looking for her Nampa, Idaho, United States Seeking: Female 20 - 37 1, I am married but looking for a girlfriend for just me. No threesums. My husband is gone most of the time. 2. I really not sure what to say about myself. I can be shy, but bold too.
Please send a and put discrete in the subject line. At this point I have pretty much given up on a serious relationship. I know that i will never climb mount everest but i try to breda sexy girls myself fit and use weights often to help my mobility I am looking for someone special in my life who is mature and can see through my Cerebral Palsy nampa Idaho guy just looking for a girl see the mature fun loving music freak who likes me for me. I'm a twenty year old white woman waiting to meet q people.
Older Single Looking Local Online Dating Hot Personal Wants Horney Married
If you know her, (and if she is alone) please help. © Copyright 2018


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Min Cost
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$225 - $301
If you want a professional Window Cleaner in Florence, NJ, we offer the best choice possible, and at the lowest price. The Nexhit Florence team is responsible for a more than desirable cost benefit Window Cleaning in Florence, NJ.
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We had the bi-weekly team meeting today and its getting more and more annoying as people are always running over the same point time and time and time. People are also talking over each other (and getting louder) and when that happens I end up not hearing anyone as its all one great big noise. I was helping another member of staff out later and she checked with me if people were repeating themselves - just to make sure. These meetings have been very useful - but the pure annoyance factor and 'repeating' is making them almost (but not quite) useless.
In other news - the England V India cricket match ended in a draw. India were saved by the bad weather - shame really but it was a good match to listen to. Although a lot of time was lost to rain it was interesting. Thankfully I have LW on my car radio and my little radio at work so I was able to listen to it. During the lunch interval they interviewed Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter in the movies) and as well as being a cricket fan he turned 18 today - that means that he can legally drink alcohol in the UK but not the US.
Anyway, time to make something to eat - and lots of it too.


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Looking to keep your valuables safe? Use this cool can safe to hide money, jewelry, or any other valuables. No one will ever think of looking here. This is an actual can of Muscle Milk Strawberry Milk. The bottom screws off for great storage.
Product Dimensions: 7 1/2" Tall By 2 1/2" DiameterStash Dimensions: 2" Deep by 2" Diameter


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T. B. & Kay Transport LLC
Looking to make the company bigger and stronger.
- Stage Full Product Ready
- Industry Other
- Location Pelham, GA, USA
- Currency USD
- Employees 3
Company Summary
We are a small transporting company that haul cars for dealerships and inop cars We also haul trailer, boats for a local company. It is important that we can grow and keep up with our contract that we have and to make sure we have the best transporting company in the south.


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Click to enlarge.
Ninots — giant cardboard, wood, paper-mache and plaster statues — burn Monday during the last day of Las Fallas in Valencia, Spain. The festival celebrates St. Joseph, as well as the arrival of spring, with fireworks, fiestas and bonfires. On the last day of the five-day festival, ninots across the city are set on fire. Photo by Xaume Olleros/Getty Images.


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Calorie and Energy Expenditure Information
Rowing Workouts
Rowing Machine/Ergometer
A gym rowing machine or ergometer simulates the action of pulling yourself and a small boat along the surface of flat water. Rowing machines work most of the muscles of the upper and lower body in a flowing sequence. A rowing exercise routine builds up aerobic power and burns a relatively high number of calories, so it's a good workout for someone who wants to lose weight. By adjusting resistance levels, you can turn your rowing exercise into a high intensity cardio workout.
How Many Calories Does Rowing Burn?
30 minutes on a rowing machine burns about 240-360 calories. [This is based on a 150-pound woman. If you weigh more, youll burn extra calories; if you weigh less, youll burn fewer calories.]
How Does Rowing Help Weight Loss?
We burn calories fast because rowing uses all four limbs to make the heart work faster and pump extra oxygen-rich blood around the body, which helps to burn more fat than lower-body exercise alone. Rowing also tones the abs, thighs and upper arms - all trouble spots for women who want to lose weight.
How Often Should I Row For Optimum Weight Loss?
How To Start Rowing
Rowing requires good posture and flexibility. Warm up before rowing by stretching the hamstrings to avoid any injury. Do not lock knees or elbows at any point of the stroke. Although legs and arms will be straight, joints can be protected by keeping them loose, relaxed and slightly flexed.
Muscle - Raise
Metabolic Rate - How
to Reduce Weight
Back to Advice About Exercise and Fitness Programs
Calorie Intake
For information about the calorie content of popular food and drinks, please visit: Calories in Food
Energy Expenditure and Calorie-Burning
Exercise Advice to Burn Calories - Activity Calorie Calculators - Aerobic Exercise Advice - Anaerobic Exercise - Basal Metabolic Rate - Best Exercise During Pregnancy - Best Exercise Advice - Best Exercise for Weight Loss - Best Exercises - Best Time to Exercise - Body Composition and Fitness - Calories and Exercise - Energy Burned by Exercise - Walking - Calories Burned Jogging - Running - Calories Burned Treadmill - Biking - Elliptical Trainers - Calories Burned Pilates - Cardio Exercise Health Benefits - Exercise Equipment Review - Exercise Intensity Advice - Exercise Program 60 Min - Exercise for Bigger Muscles - Exercise Programs to Burn Fat - Exercise to Build Muscle - Exercise for Flat Stomach - Exercise to Lose Body Fat - Exercise to Lose Weight - Exercise Workout Advice - Exercise to Raise Metabolic Rate - Exercise Program for Obesity - Exercise Workouts to Reduce Weight - Fitness Health Guide - Fitness Guidelines - Fitness Workout Guide - Exercise Heart Rate Advice - How Long to Exercise - How Many Calories to Burn in Training - How Often to Exercise - Strength-Training Benefits
Information About Calories and Energy Equation
List of Calories in Food - Definition of Calorie - Definition of Kilocalories (kcals) - Calorie Needs to Maintain Weight - Calorie Needs for Children - Calorie Needs for Teenagers - Calorie Intake per Day - Calorie Intake and Age - Calorie Intake/ Expenditure - Calories in One Pound of Body Fat - Weight Loss Diets - Weight Loss and Calories - Calorie-Counting to Lose Weight - Calories Needed to Lose Weight - Calories and Weight Control
Calorie-Counter.net provides general information about how to burn calories, what type of exercise workout is best for calorie burning, what fitness training is best to raise metabolic rate and how to achieve your weight loss goals through training workouts. Copyright 2002-2018.


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Donna is a visionary agent with the ability to inspire and develop cohesive teams to improve care delivery systems. Her 27-year career in nursing was inspired by experiencing first-hand the difference kindness, compassion, and a holistic view of patient care makes when caring for family members in a healthcare setting. Donna is passionate about redesigning processes that improve quality outcomes and patient and family-centered care. An innovative thinker, she is proficient at building collaborative relationships, communicating effectively, applying Lean principles, and deploying strategic change management. Before joining Blue Cottage, Donna was Site Administrator and Chief Nursing Officer at Martin Medical Center and Assistant Vice President, Clinical Practice at Martin Health System. She also held administrative, education, and clinical positions at Carteret Health Care and the Washington Hospital Center. Donna received her Doctorate of Nursing Practice at the University of Central Florida. She received her Master of Science in Nursing from Duke University and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at George Mason University. Donna is a Fellow in the American College Healthcare Executives, and is board certified as a Nurse Executive by the American Nursing Credentialing Center.
Donna Prosser, DNP, RN, NE-BC, FACHE
Senior Clinical Consultant
Meet Our Team


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In cross-border shooting case, Supremes ask lower court to try again
On Monday, the Supreme Court erased the Fifth Circuit's ruling in Hernández v. Mesa and asked the court to reconsider in light of its own recent decision.
In that case, Ziglar v. Abbasi, the Court did not allow Muslim men detained in the U.S. in the weeks after the 9/11 terrorist attacks to sue federal officials for constitutional violations. In Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of Federal Bureau of Narcotics (1971), the Court recognized a limited right to sue, but has since mostly declined to expand that right.
As detailed on Constitution Daily in February when oral arguments took place, Hernández is a dispute over a Mexican family's ability to sue one such federal official – a U.S. Border Patrol officer – who killed their son in a cross-border incident.
Sergio Adrián Hernández Güereca, 15, died in 2010 as he stood on Mexican soil when Agent Jesus Mesa, Jr., fired his gun while on U.S. soil in Texas. The agent claimed Hernández and others were throwing rocks at him as he was attempting to detain an illegal immigration suspect; the family says Hernández was playing a game with his friends at the border location between El Paso and Juarez.
As Constitution Daily Supreme Court correspondent Lyle Denniston has explained, the case deals in large part with the question of the Constitution's application beyond U.S. borders. The Court's answer has been mixed over the years, with recent opinions from Justice Anthony Kennedy suggesting that there may be more cases in which constitutional guarantees can be applied extraterritorially.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled unanimously en banc – that is, with all judges on the circuit, not just the original three-judge panel – in favor of Mesa. The court found no Fourth Amendment or Fifth Amendment violations. It also granted Mesa qualified immunity on the grounds that Hernández was "an alien who had no significant voluntary connection to … the United States."
In a relatively brief and unsigned opinion, the Supreme Court vacated and remanded the Fifth Circuit decision, asking the court to reconsider the Bivens question in light of Ziglar. It also said the court used the wrong analysis in granting qualified immunity and asked the court to reevaluate. The constitutional questions were left unaddressed.
Justice Clarence Thomas filed a short dissenting opinion noting his readiness to reject any right to sue in the first instance and to affirm the Fifth Circuit.
In a separate dissent, Justice Stephen Breyer, joined by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, argued that Hernández's Fourth Amendment right to the reasonable use of deadly force was indeed violated and that his family has a right to sue. Quoting Justice Kennedy in Boumediene v. Bush (2008), Breyer noted that "questions of extraterritoriality turn on objective factors and practical concerns," not simply the quality of being within U.S. borders or not.
Justice Neil Gorsuch did not participate.
Nicandro Iannacci is a web content strategist at the National Constitution Center.
Recent Stories on Constitution Daily
Supreme Court rules for church in playground materials case
Trump wins, for now, on immigration curbs


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Anupam Roy – "The Journey Has Just Begun"
Posted In: Bangamela, Bengali, Music
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"The journey has just begun", says Anupam Roy whose chart-buster song Aamake Aamar Moto Thakte Dao in the movie Autograph catapulted him to fame and a career in music. It was not easy as the pursuit of a job took him away from his beloved city Kolkata and music to Bangalore and engineering. The demo cassettes and CDs that he would distribute to music companies would not generate interest. "They are probably still lying there", Anupam chuckles. But now he is firly entrenched in the music scene of Kolkata and has several projects under his belt – both as a music director and a playback singer. Now he is all set for his maiden US tour. Anupam would be performing live at Bangamela 2011 in Nashville organized by Mid America Bengali Association on July 22-24, 2011. Jonaki Bagchi Singh from BanglaPodcast chats with Anupam before his US voyage and discusses about the Authgraph song, his projects and the US tour.


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If you're looking for furniture for your home, take some time to search the following companies websites and then contact us with the item numbers for wholesale pricing.
We've made our reputation as the place to go for your home furnishings by providing our customers with the best values anywhere in the state. Give us a call and see what we can do to earn your business and add you to our long list of satisfied customers!
You can email your search results with item numbers to: email@example.com or email@example.com


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Experienced MC Linehaul Driver to Eastern Creek to Townsville
- Call us at 1800DRIVERS till 8 PM on Weekdays
- MC Linehaul trips from Sydney toTownsville $.53c KM
- Must be flexible and able to pick up shifts
We have a Linehaul runs from Sydney to Townsville leaving our Depot Monday night. Must be prepared to complete Induction. Earn a Great KM rate $.53c KM plus overnights.
We have a Linehaul runs from Sydney to Townsville leaving our Depot Monday night. Must be prepared to complete Induction. Earn a Great KM rate $.53c KM plus overnights.
Our client is based in Eastern Creek suburb of Sydney and has been a long time industry leader in interstate road express freight services across Australia.
- MC interstate work Linehaul from Eastern CREEK to Townsville Leaving Every MONDAY night at night time 7:00PM
Monday to Sunday shifts are available. W
BFM (preferable)
Most shifts are afternoon start and night time time slots
*Flexibility of selecting daily trip, always keeping it unique
Pay rates 53 cents per KM
You must have:
- A minimum of 2 years' MC driving experience
- Ability to provide us with 2 x driving work references
- Clear understanding of road transport legislation
- Road Ranger experience highly regarded
About 1800DRIVERS
Call us at 1800DRIVERS till 8 PM on weekdays
Or chat on www.drivers.com.au with a live consultant monitored til late
Live Chat with us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/1800DRIVERS/
We are the Recruitment Company of choice in Australia for Drivers and Logistic Staff. We have clients located all over Australia who are looking for their next team member. Please log in to www.drivers.com.au and create your profile now.
About 1800DRIVERS
We are unlike any other recruitment agency in Australia in fact the World and we know how to get you working the Truck without the long drawn out process of other typical recruitment companies; We are a mixture of traditional values, knowledge of Australia's transport, years of experience in the recruitment market, mixed with a high level of IT Services helping to create a system where we place the correct drivers in the right types of jobs.
This job has been filled.


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Poppy Seed Egg Bread
In Berkshire, Massachusetts, Lorraine Darocha prepares this light eggy loaf with poppy seeds throughout. "It's simple to make in the bread machine...or use the dough setting, shape it into a traditional braided challah loaf and bake it in the oven," she suggests.
Total TimePrep: 10 min. Bake: 3 hours
Makes1 loaf (2 pounds)
- 3/4 cup water (70° to 80°)
- 1/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1-3/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- In bread machine pan, place all ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select basic bread setting. Choose crust color and loaf size if available. Bake according to bread machine directions (check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water or flour if needed).
editor's Note: Use of the timer feature is not recommended.
Originally published as Poppy Seed Egg Bread in Quick Cooking January/February 2000
Follow along as we show you how to make these fantastic recipes from our archive.


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Venue: Richmond Park
We invite you to join us for our This Girl Can Navigate event.
Never learned how to read a map? Want to improve your navigation skills? Maybe you just want a bit more confidence in getting yourself out in the wild?
This is your chance to get a small group, hands on workshop to learn the skills you need to go adventuring in the great outdoors. Lead by 2 professional (female!) Mountain Leaders, you'll get a chance to see what This UCL Girl can do! Why not give it a go!
Note: this event will run whatever the weather - please be prepared with waterproofs, boots if you have them and hat/scarf/gloves. The event is suitable
for beginners and those who already have some experience with maps
Other things to bring with you:
- Water bottle/drinks for the day
- Packed lunch
- Warm clothes, including hat, scarf and gloves
- Waterproof jacket (essential)
- Waterproof trousers if you have them
- Walking boots if you have them, or trainers you don't mind getting muddy
Tickets available from 24/10/2018. Spaces are limited - once they're gone, they're gone (sorry!)
Created: Tue, 16/10/2018 - 14:08
Last updated: Tue, 16/10/2018 - 14:57


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Villanova University
NOVAEDGE Engineering Summer Program for HS students
Posted on January 12, 2018
The link for the Villanova University NovaEdge summer engineering program is available. You can go to the following website to get more information about the program. We will select 30 students to attend the program from July 14 – 21st
Feel free to call 610-842-3843 with any questions.
Application due date: January 22, 2018
More Other Local Events and Workshops
Stay Current in Philly's Higher Education and Nonprofit Sector
We compile a weekly email with local events, resources, national conferences, calls for proposals, grant, volunteer and job opportunities in the higher education and nonprofit sectors.


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From the publishers of Octane and The Week magazine, Chrono is an annual celebration of the best watches in the world. Edited by Simon de Burton, Chrono is a must-read for enthusiasts of fine watches. With news of the latest watch launches and features on Richard Mille, Tag Heuer, Chopard, Jorg Gray, Bremont among others, Chrono provides an insight into the fascinating world of the fine watch maker
Be the first person to tell us what you think about Octane - Chrono and you'll save $5 on your next purchase!ADD A REVIEW


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|Tel : +32 (0)2 352 01 31
Fax : +32 (0)2 352 01 52
Brussels - Belgium
The vehicles sale for export is not something that you improvise, it's a profession by itself.
For more than 35 years, Transautomobile is specialised on the sale of vehicles for export and is now recognised as one of the best dealers in the market.
This experience has allowed Transautomobile to create strong partnership relations in more than 80 countries all over the world.
The buying price is quite important in a transaction, but the total cost must be considered without forgeting the "peace of mind" and the services Transautomobile can give you.
Before taking any decision, don't hesitate to visit our website www.transautomobile.com or to contact the office at Brussels. One telephone call, a fax or an email doesn't engage you to anything.
Transautomobile will be pleased to let you benefit of his large experience and to make you an offer. You will then be able to compare with total freedom and to realise the many advantages that Transautomobile can offer you.
Transautomobile can also supply parts, accessories, makes transformations and fittings of ambulances or firetrucks , as well as gives a logistical service, with transport by road, by boat or by plane with all the custom documents and insurances.
1595-1599, Chée de Waterloo - 1180 Brussels - Belgium
- Tel :
+32 (0)2 352 01 31
- Fax :
+32 (0)2 352 01 52
email@example.com - www.transautomobile.com


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Amazing Bible Study Tools Teach Us About God
Each of the following Bible Study Tools contain valuable resources. Each is kind of like heaven--unlimited, amazing, and beckoning us to come.
A great resource for searching the Bible
in several different versions (including
Spanish and many other foreign languages).
For Example, type in "humility" and you have an immediate
Crosswalk also has current Christian News.
TOP of Bible Study Tools page


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This picture was taken 4 months ago at work. Day one of my liquid diet (with protein shakes-Phase 1). Weight 293.8. Ugh.
Size 26/28 or 3x to 4x pants and shirts. Not my largest, and most certainly not my smallest. Reminder to self that this is day 1. A beginning again. I have struggled, as most have, with maintaining diets or even tricking myself by calling it lifestyle change. Daily criticism from my inner being. My heaviest was 315 pounds.
Here I am with Carmen August 20, 2006. My wedding day. Weight: 276 pounds. I have gone up and down so much, but there are certain dates I can remember my weight. The exact weight. Weighing that morning and thinking I am supposed to be beautiful on my wedding day. All I could think about was how hard it was going to be to walk on the beach. How fat I would look in the pictures.
What I ended up thinking about was my new family. David has been a complete supporter of me. Not necessarily of my diet plans or choices, but in general 100% my cheerleader.
I was in Drill Team (dance team) in high school in the 80's. I am on the far left of the above picture. Dancing was wonderful. I was anywhere from size 12 to an 18/20 during those four years, but I could still dance. I was bullied a lot too, but that is another story for another day. I even choreographed a lot of the dances then. I want to be able to kick as high as I used to, well maybe. I do want to be able to have my nose touch my knees without screaming. Goals, right?
So…I am a far bit behind in posting my journey. I will be catching up with you over the next month. Thank you, and continued prayers and thoughts are appreciated.
Jerry Ann


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PlanMiljø is well experienced in identifying, formulating, and evaluating projects both on the environmental- and other parameters as well. Our knowledge in the field has been build up through a long row of formulation and evaluation assignments for Danish and international authorities and donors, supported by experience from managing a countless number of implementation projects. The combination of deep knowledge on methods and implementation experience has proven valuable in all aspects of assignments within this field.
On a regular basis we arrange courses on the LFA-method (Logical Framework Approach) for specific target group. Likewise we have developed a complete course on formulation and management of projects.


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Job Description
Permanent position
Location: Essex
Salary: Negotiable
The Company
A global manufacturer of precision engineered components to the Aerospace and Automotive industries.
The Role
You will set and operate the CNC machines at maximum output as efficiently as possible adhering to company instructions and drawings.
You will also carry out basic maintenance of machine, i.e. cleaning, filling with oil/coolant.
The Candidate
Ideally you will be able to read drawings and be able to identify tooling and working methods to operate machine competently.
You will also have a good knowledge of machine shop practices in milling, drilling and boring as well as knowledge of CNC codes to effectively operate the machines.
For more information on the role or to apply please to not hesitate to contact Louis Palmer on 01332 341452 or alternatively, please do not hesitate to email me on


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I recently had the total pleasure of listening to author Barry Jonsberg talk. He was incredibly funny, the audience loved him and I felt truly embarrassed that I'd never read any of his books, as he's won loads of awards over the ditch in Oz.
The whole business of Kiffo… is every bit as hilarious as I would have expected. Calma Harrison is a super smart teen who doesn't play well with authority. Her home life isn't the best, in fact it's so bad, her mother is a fridge. Well not literally a fridge, but the fact that the majority of their communication takes place via notes left on the fridge means their relationship is not great.
Calma has a strange friendship with the school loser, Kiffo. From a rough family, having faced a horrible past, Kiffo doesn't care about anything or anyone, except maybe Calma. When an evil English teacher arrives and starts to make their lives misery, Calma and Kiffo decide something has to be done.
"A thick forest of eyebrow hair matched the bushy growth on her upper lip. Her mouth was twisted into a sneer, with little beads of drool starting to dribble. I mean, if she really had been a dog someone would have shot her before she had the chance to bite anyone."
Highly entertaining, this is a great read. Jonsberg's writing is brilliant!
Check out The whole business with Kiffo and the pitbull at Auckland Libraries.


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Saturday, February 20 from 6-10p.m. at Quinsigamond Village Community Center, 16 Greenwood St., Worcester
The Q Arts Corporation is a newly formed non-profit organization born from The Q Café 362 Chandler St. Worcester, Ma. The Q Café opened in 2007, dedicated to the local art and music scene. In the summer of 2009 Emilie Poulin, owner of the Q café, made a decision to turn the cafe in to a non-profit organization to encourage the growth of art, music, and poetry in this community.
The goal for The Q Arts Corp. is to grow into a community center for the Arts. Currently we are operating out of the small café that at one time was more than enough space for us, but with our new aspirations we need to expand to a larger location. To do this we have cultivated a relationship with the Quinsigamond Village Community Center in order to hold fundraisers at their venue.
Our first annual fundraiser is a Community Banquet and Performance on February 20, 2010 at The QVCC, to raise money towards our expansion.
This night will be a showcase the ideas of the Q Arts Corporation, a poetry reading by the Dirty Gerund (Run by Alex Charlembedes and Nick Davis), musical acts by Bolero! & The Ticklebomb Orchestra, a gallery displaying work from local artists, a four course meal, and much more.
This evening will give people an opportunity to see what The Q is about and where we are going. It will also give everyone the opportunity to be an active part of this exciting venture.
The ticket price is $40.00 per person, all proceeds will go to financing our goal of relocation and expansion. Please email firstname.lastname@example.com for tickets and further information.


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Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser, For Normal to Oily Skin, 16 Ounce (Pack of 2)
- Specifically formulated for normal, oily, and combination skin
- Removes surface oil and dirt without leaving skin feeling tight or overy dry
- Non-irritating and won't clog pores
Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser
For Normal to Oily Skin
Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser helps remove surface oils, dirt, and makeup without leaving skin tight or overly dry. The low-lathering, nonirritating formula is specially formulated for normal to oily skin and suitable for sensitive and combination skin. It rinses clean without leaving behind residue that can clog pores or irritate skin. Use daily for fresh, clean skin.
About Cetaphil
Since 1947, Cetaphil has been committed to finding innovative solutions to treat skincare needs. The recipient of multiple industry product awards and seals of approval, Cetaphil currently has five global research and development centers staffed with doctors and other healthcare professionals to develop skincare products that cleanse, moisturize, and protect skin without irritation. Cetaphil products are not tested on animals.


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Tacklife FK01 Advanced Pocket Folding Knife
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Tacklife UKS02 Quick-change Utility Knife
Full length:7.8inch
Handle length:4.5inch
Blade thickness:3mm
Blade material:3CR13(420)
Handle material:Stainless Steel+Sour-wood
Blade hardness:52-54
Tacklife FK01 folding knife
User manual
24 months warranty
Package box
How well does the blade sharpen and how long does it stay sharp under use ?
--It actually sharpens really well and stay sharp fairly long time. Use it to cut boxes, branch, meat, packaging, and just about anything else you can think of.
Warm Tips:
1.As the blade is extremely sharp, please do not touch it directly.
2. Please guarantee that your blade is locked securely before use.
3. Keep the tool stay away from children and under 16 years of age, who need to under adult supervision.


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The official blog of @SCHEVResearch at the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia. Discussions about our work, national higher education data policy, and highlights about the data we publish.
The National Student Clearinghouse has released a new snapshot report showing that nearly half of the students finishing degrees at four-year institutions had at least one prior enrollment at community college somewhere in the nation in the previous 10 years. The data for Virginia show that 36,956 students (47%) of 79,456 total graduates had prior community college experience. I think this is fascinating data and demonstrates the importance of community colleges nationally. Unfortunately, I struggle a bit in reconciling it with our data.
I think this struggle is due to a lack of precision in the language used by NSC in the snapshot. My first reaction, perhaps yours as well, is to read the results as 47% of "completers of four-year degrees in Virginia" had previously enrolled at a community college. Instead, the actual language is "completers at four-year institutions" meaning these students completed credentials at any level above the associate's degree. An easy check of this to look at the 79,456 and recognize that Virginia public and nonprofit private institutions awarded only 50,928 bachelor's degrees in 2013-14 with perhaps another 4,000 awarded by for-profit institutions. Clearly, this way short of 79,456 and so when we add in graduate and professional degrees we are much closer.
There are two key pieces about this. First, using total degrees makes much more sense because we know that we have substantial amount amount of transfers between four-year institutions and thus these numbers would suggest that more than half of our BA/BS graduates are transfers. This is completely out of line with my estimate of about 35% based on an upcoming report. Also, I should note that not everyone with experience at a prior institution is a transfer student. Unless the student provides the institution with information about their prior history and asks for credit for prior work, they are generally not identifiable as a transfer. Also, dual enrollment credits are not considered transfer.
Second, this NSC report implicitly makes a super important point. Students who enroll at community colleges are able to be successful at all levels of higher education. Yes, we already know this anecdotally, but it is much better to be able to see quantitatively. I wish NSC had emphasized this point and broken out the data by degree level. Unfortunately, their collection structure does not allow that.
There is one more point. In 2008-09, Virginia had 27,613 high school students dual enrolled with Virginia community colleges and Richard Bland College. Those students also significantly impact these numbers for bachelor's completion.
Altogether, there are some really powerful stories possible in this snapshot. I wish more of them were told, so I guess it will be up to us to delve a bit a deeper and see what we can learn and then share that with you.


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How Good Are You At Attracting Positives Into Your Life?
My results "Wow! you are a rare individual. With your postive outlook, you should probably get on the spiritual growth tour circuit and teach the "Law of Attraction" to others."
Believe you can do it already!
Open your heart and believe in good things, they are bound to happen. You simply train your mind to believe and to hope until it happens.
Set a goal. If you know what you want, you can have it.
Never entertain doubts. This negates all good, strong, powerful, positive thought processes.
With a positive-thinking outlook there is no failure, only a delay in results.
You can train your mind to have a positive outlook. Be conscious of your thoughts.
Because thoughts become things.
"Beyond Visualization" How To Materialize Your Hearts Desires With Holographic Creation. Learn To Use Your Holographic Mind Power. It Rocks! Click Here
Essential Guide to Singing Click Here!
Rocket Piano – Yes learn the piano today Click Here!
Membership site offering tools to help you atract more wealth. Includes Think Rich Meditation Audios, Think Rich Subliminal Audios, Think Rich Spotlights and Think Rich Daily Motivations. Click Here!


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Running over three huge days, the annual Cully Fest Folk Festival is a friendly, down-to-earth gathering, where artists maintain Outback traditions and inspire community spirit by sharing their skills. There are many unique points of interest about Cully Fest but one that is significant is kids can join traditional and contemporary performance art workshops, and Australia's best musicians will come together and celebrate all that's great about the Outback and Aboriginal cultures.
Cully Fest is challenging, educational and, most of all, it is awesome fun for all members of the family and you're invited. Cully Fest Outback and Aboriginal Folk Festival means festival goers will have a unique opportunity over three days and three nights to really immerse themselves in Outback and Aboriginal cultures and traditions like never before. Cully Fest you will see how didgeridoos are made and learn to cook an emu in a traditional Kup Murri and taste delicious Johnny Cakes fried scones and other bush herbs and foods fresh from the fire. Cully Fest Folk Festival it's unique, it is laid back and friendly, it's held in Toowoomba. It's an accessible, adventure the whole family can enjoy.
Venue: Toowoomba Showgrounds, 5 Heritage Ct, Glenvale
Phone: 07 4655 1679 or 4655 1679
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


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What outplays in a nation's government is an exact reflection of the consciousness of its people. With Trump constantly talking about building a wall, I find that most Americans have actually built a wall around themselves.
Why are we so guarded and reluctant to share our feelings with others? Why is it that most of us don't even know how to open up? When will we take down these invisible barriers we've put up around ourselves? You know, the ones we use so that others can't come too close.
When I meet someone, I'll try to get under their surface. I'll prod, poke, and throw all sorts of questions at them. I'm trying to get to their story and figure out the type of batteries they run on. Heck, I'll sometimes even volunteer to tell a piece of my story with the hopes they too will open up. Just doing what I can to build up a connection, not a barrier. I find that if I know your story and you know mine, then all of a sudden we're no longer worlds apart.
Sadly, most choose to still keep the conversation at the surface level and sometimes I'll even end up listening to crickets. Most will walk away with my story, while failing to reciprocate the gesture.
I've come to the conclusion that people just don't want to be put in a situation where they have to be vulnerable, so they will simply gloss over your story and nod as they slowly back away from you.
I don't want to generalize and say this applies to all Americans. But I have to say that I experience this in most of the people that I come across here. Being born and raised in the US, I didn't notice it so much at first. But after visiting several other countries and interacting with the open-hearted and expressive people there, I can clearly see where we lack. Upon returning to American society, the barriers have become quite obvious.
At this point I am so over the small talk and fluffy relationships. Wearing a mask is suffocating. I've taken mines off and am done with upholding emotional facades, surface-level conversations, and fake realities. Lately, I find myself skipping past the hum-drum pleasantries and moving along when I am offered the mask.
If we can't fully express ourselves, then how are we going to heal from the things that burden us? Not sure what could possibly be so earth shattering about others witnessing the expression of our true selves? Not sure what we have to protect so much? But whatever it is, I guess it's worth the trouble of building up a barrier.
LMN, and thanks for reading!
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