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Today on The Tattooed Book Geek I am pleased to be bringing to you all a guest post courtesy of former pro wrestler and current author Matt Doyle.
Guest Post:
Hello TTBG readers! By way of introduction, my name is Matt Doyle and I'm a UK based author, cosplayer, and blogger. Today, I am of course going to talk a little about my current novels, but I'm going to take a little detour first. You see, I've made a point of trying new things when I can. The way I see it, if you want to try something and there isn't a good reason why you shouldn't, then you should go for it. What this meant for me was that, back in 2001, I took a trip down to the NWA-UK training school and started training as a professional wrestler with a promotion called Hammerlock.
If you haven't heard of the promotion, that may well be because they technically closed their doors some time ago now. Their impact on the UK wrestling scene is immense though, and they produced not only some of the wrestling world's current finest, including Finn Balor and Zack Sabre Jr, but some of the best of the previous generation too, such as Doug Williams and Jonny Storm. It's quite a pedigree, isn't it? And believe me, it was a tough place to break in!
Back then, the training took place in a small building that was split into two sections. Just as you came in the door, you had a ring set up, and the other half was completely padded in the same way as most martial arts schools. A typical training session pretty much ran like this: the first twenty minutes was set aside for the warm-up, which was followed immediately by break-falls. Next, everyone sat in a circle on the padded area and we ran through shoot fighting. This usually began with a demonstration and learning session for various submission holds, takedowns and escapes, all taught legitimately. If you're of the opinion that pro wrestling is entirely fake, then try to bear this in mind: a good training school teaches you to perform safely, but it also teaches you how to do things legitimately. The reason for this is that doing things this way allows techniques to double up as self-defence in the outside world. Everything that we learned in that regard had a basis in various MMA schools of training, including BJJ and Sambo. Once we finished the learning part, we would then be paired off in submission matches. Sometimes, these were fought as individual fights, other times, they ran in a winner-stays-on tournament style. The rules here were simple; Shake hands at the start, fight with the aim of submitting your opponent, no strikes, and shake hands again afterwards.
After we'd finished stretching each other, there would be a short (and I mean short) break for water, then we got down to the pro part of the session. This could be learning specific moves and sequences, working on improvising new escapes, or even working on short training matches on the mats. Towards the end of the session, we'd then move on to a mix of working on short interviews and ring based matches. Finally, we warmed down, and left. The sessions ran from 12:00 to 17:30, every week. And so, that was how I spent five and half hours every Sunday for about nine months until it came to trying out for a spot on shows.
That was a nerve-wracking day! They basically took a bunch of us who they thought may be ready, threw us into the ring with an experienced pro, and told us to work a match with no preparation. In the end, all of us trying out that day were deemed ready, and were set to make our debuts on a show three months later. Now, I was never all that big, and I certainly didn't have proper ring gear back then. What that meant was that I, as a skinny teenager in loose spandex, had to step out in front of over 1,000 people and work two straight matches in a winner stays on super fight. The first was with a fellow trainee, and the second was with a guy that I'd never met before that had travelled down from Ireland for the show. To say that I was nervous would be an understatement.
It went well though. Looking back at the footage, I was clearly very green, but the matches were actually OK. From there, I started appearing more regularly on shows, usually in winner stays-on matches or royal rumble style bouts, but sometimes in one-on-one and tag matches. Eventually, I got some professional ring gear – a blue and white thing that made me look like a helmetless power ranger – and just kept going. I got to appear on the same show as some of my childhood heroes like Jake 'The Snake' Roberts and Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart, appeared on a couple of American commercial releases, and had an awesome time overall.
In the end though, I left Hammerlock. I was training new starters myself by then, and so didn't really get the time to work on my own character during sessions, which meant that a lot of guys that I started with were moving up the card while I was stuck in place. Then, I got injured and had to take several months out, by which time, the school had moved. With no car, I was stuck. As it happened though, another fellow Hammerlock worker was still local and was looking to open his own promotion. After helping him name the promotion (Riot Act Wrestling, or RAW for short), I ended up not only wrestling on his shows and helping at his school, but booking the first year and a half of the shows.
If you don't know what booking is, it's when someone picks the matches for each show. I was basically responsible for picking who would face who, what order the matches would run in, how they'd finish, and how long they'd go for. This was where I started to really learn a lot about structuring a story. You see, that's what a show is: a story. And each match is a chapter. When you realise that, you start picking up how to create peaks and troughs for fans, and you learn how to build up to a satisfying conclusion. By watching these tales play out, I also got to finally learn the love/hate principal too. You see, if a wrestler is liked or disliked, the crowd will react, but they won't be selling merchandise, and their face on a poster won't sell tickets. If they're loved or hated though, the fans will explode for them, buy whatever they're selling, and pay to see them win or lose.
I retired after making it into my tenth year of professional wrestling. Between niggling injuries, a changing landscape, and the worry that I was causing my kids, I simply couldn't continue. So, I bowed out with one last match and started concentrating on my writing. The thing with this is that a lot of what I learned in the wrestling industry still applies, especially the love/hate principal. Think about it. Have you ever read a book that you enjoyed, but never re-read? Most people have. But what about the ones that you go back to time and time again? If both those books are by different authors, which author are you likely to pick up another book by?
When I write, I like to take readers on a journey, just like I did with the shows that I ran. And my aim is to create characters that people will love or hate. I want my heroes to frustrate you with their flaws but leave you wanting to see them succeed, and I want my villains to make you long to see them lose. Of course, just as some people prefer a good brawl and others want a technical masterclass, people's taste in books varies. So, I try to do things a little differently each time. To give you an idea about what I mean, I want to talk a little about my two primary series.
The Cassie Tam Files is a series of cyberpunk/crime noir novels about a Chinese-Canadian PI living and working in a near future city called New Hopeland. Built on Utah's Great Salt Lake Desert, the city was supposed to be a shining example of technological advancement, but is now a pit of crime and corruption. The first book, Addict, was released this year by NineStar Press and follows Cassie as she investigates the death of a Virtual Reality Junkie. The police ruled the death to be an accidental overdose of synthetic stimulants and, despite the deceased's sister being certain that they were wrong, Cassie takes the case believing that it will be easy money. The more that she digs though, the more that she sees that things just don't add up.
I wrote the book after binging on Blade Runner, The Maltese Falcon and L.A. Confidential, so that should give you a good idea of tone. I got to throw in some cool tech concepts too, like VR business models, advanced AI pets and technology based shapeshifting as a coping mechanism for stress.
As the only POV character, Cassie has to carry the entire narrative, so I took great care to make her well-rounded. Her sense of justice is likable, and her toughness gives her a cool edge. At the same time though, her more awkward, self-conscious moments are relatable, especially when she realises that she's beginning to fall for her client, the deceased's sister Lori. Despite these positives though, she has enough flaws to keep her from drifting into a sea of done-to-death characters. She's judgemental, sometimes severely so, and remains stubborn, even when she can see that it's going to land her in trouble. I've dropped an excerpt from the first chapter below:
I always did like Venetian blinds. There's something quaint about them in a retro-tacky kinda way. Plus, they're pretty useful for sneaking a peek out the front of the building if I feel the need. That's something that you just can't do with the solid, immovable metal slats that come as a standard in buildings these days. That said, a thick sheet of steel is gonna offer you a damn sight more security than thin, bendable vinyl, so I keep mine installed. Just in case.
Another round of knocking rattles the front door, louder this time than the one that woke me.
The clock says 23:47, and the unfamiliar low-end car out front screams "Don't notice me, I'm not worth your time," which makes for the perfect combo to stir up the paranoia that the evening's beer and horror-film session left behind. This is my own fault. My adverts are pretty descriptive in terms of telling what I do: lost pets, cheating partners, theft, protection, retrieval of people and items, other odds and sods that the city's finest won't touch…I've got ways to deal with it all. That's right, I'm a real odd-job gal. The one thing that I don't put in there are business hours. The way I see it, even the missing pet cases usually leave me wandering the streets at half-past reasonable, so what's the point in asking people to call between certain hours?
More knocking, followed this time by the squeak of my letter box and a voice. "Hello? Cassandra Tam?"
It's funny, really. For all the tech advances that the world has made, no one has been able to improve upon the simple open-and-shut letter box. I stumble my way through the dark and wave dismissively at the frosted glass. The light switch and the keypad for the door lock are conveniently placed right next to each other on the wall to the right of the door, so welcoming my apparent guest is a nice, easy affair. The lock clicks a moment after the lights flood the room, and I pull the door open.
"Cassie," I say, turning and skulking my way back into the room. "Or Caz. Drop the Tam."
I hear a sniff behind me, and the lady from the letter box asks, "Are you drunk?"
"If I pass out in the next five minutes, then yes," I reply, turning the kettle on. I'd left it full, ready for the morning, but I guess this is close enough. "Take a seat at the table. Would you prefer tea or coffee? I'd offer beer, but since I reek of it, I guess I must've finished it."
Footsteps creep unapologetically across the room, and a chair squeaks on the floor. Good. If you can't deal with a snarky response to something, don't say it all, and if you can deal with it, then as far as I'm concerned you don't need to apologise.
"Coffee," the lady says. "So, do you always see potential clients in your underwear, or is it just my lucky day?" Her voice has a slightly playful edge to it, but with a sarcastic kick to round it off.
The business portion of my apartment comprises entirely of a small open-plan room separating my kitchen from my living room. And by open plan, I mean an allotted space that encroaches on both territories but is conveniently large enough to house what I need. Or, in other words, a table, four chairs, and nothing else. Since filing went near entirely digital, filing cabinets have pretty much become obsolete, so the two that I found dumped outside the building when I bought the place currently live in my bedroom, and contain a mix of quick access work stuff and personal files I'd rather not have floating on the net. Most things, though, I store electronically, the same as everything else.
I rarely use the business table to eat, read, or any of that junk, so until this evening it's been entirely empty for a good few weeks. The lady sitting there now is studying me, I can see, and probably wondering if this was a mistake. Whatever she may have expected, a Chinese-Canadian gal of average height in a cami top and a loose pair of sleep shorts most likely wasn't it. For what it's worth, though, I'm studying her just the same. She's a lithe-looking thing, dressed in a casual pair of jeans and a plain black fitted top under a leather jacket. If the metal plugs running down her shaven head like a shiny, rubber-tipped Mohawk weren't a giveaway for what she is, the light scarring punctuating the outer edges of her pale blue eyes certainly would be. She's a Tech Shifter, and like most of her ilk, she looks like a punk rocker gone cyborg.
The Spark Form Chronicles was my first series, and is set in the future during a two-day card tournament. The players are treated like major sports stars and the shows are set out like wrestling events with big entrances, backstage interviews, and rivalries playing out. To spice things up though, the pro players have dangerous spinal implants that allow them to play at high speed while the battles are acted out for the live audience by holograms. In a way, the books are my love letter to my 90's childhood, but set out for adults. The main story is about five of the combatants; as we follow them through the two days, we learn not only why they play, but why they behave the way they do. We also get to see how each of them is effected (both directly and indirectly) by the existence of Carnival, a holographic anthropomorphic wolf/rabbit hybrid that claims to be alive. WICK covers day one of the tournament and ends on a cliff-hanger. CARNIVAL picks up where WICK left off and covers day two and the aftermath thereof. GIFTS is a follow-up novella set six months after CARNIVAL.
This self-published series features five different POV characters, and I've tried to present a good variety therein. The idea was to give everyone someone to get behind, be it the hyperactive defending champion John Forrester, permanently grumpy veteran Connor Ford (picture Jeremy Irons dressed as Ric Flair), the defiant Fahrn Starchaser, self-conscious and tragic teenager Meera Thorne, or the genius that's scared of failing, Lana De La Cruz. Interestingly, Carnival is the string that ties everyone together in one way or another, but she never has her own chapter, so everything that we learn about her is through the eyes of others. She's kinda like Dracula in that way. As a preview, here's an excerpt from chapter one of WICK:
The outside of the E(E)SFC is pretty nice, you know, as far as large but pretty ordinary sports arenas go. The new statues either side of the main entrance are pretty funky. No idea what they're supposed to be though. They look like some sort of bizarre four dimensional something or other. Well, not really four dimensional. An artist's rendition of a three-dimensional representation of a four dimensional … I dunno, mess. But a cool mess, that's the main thing. It doesn't really matter how bad something is, as long as it's cool.
I take another quick glance at my watch. Two minutes to go. The doors are already open, at least to competitors like myself, but I have to time this just right or I forfeit the game. Carnival may be at the other side of the building, but she'd know if I cheated. Plus, there'd be no fun in that. No-no, no head starts for me. I shall just have to be content with dancing back and forth in front of the strange statues and waving to the fans as they pass outside the gate. Being a non-discriminatory sort of guy, I also wave to the people who clearly have no idea who I am. I really don't know which ones make me smile more, the ones that look confused or the ones that shoot me looks of pity.
Time check. And I've been foiled by the evils of 'the mysterious gust of wind that blows your hair into your eyes'. I always loved the look of long hair. It has that vintage rock star feel, ya know? I can't think of a single video where the wind machines swoosh it across the guys face and obscure his vision at an inconvenient time though. Nope, I don't think there has ever been even one hit song about not being able to tell the time because the wind has a vendetta against shoulder length hair.
That's OK though. What was that old saying? The hand is mightier than the naturally occurring inconvenience? And so, with a quick turn and a flick of my wrist I vanquish my foe, just in time to see that I'm now … fifteen seconds behind. Whoops.
Ah well, can't be helped.
I grab my bag from beside the four-dimensional mess on the right and bound through the main doors and up to the reception desk, where I face obstacle number one, 'staff who follow the rules'.
"John Forrester! Welcome back champ," says 'man in suit with rebellious red tie worn surely for no other reason than to stand out from his black tied compadres'. And so begins the search and chat formalities that comprise the opening stage of the game. While I'm trying to find a way to speed through the process, Carnival will no doubt be facing her own set of challenges. Or repeated singular challenge anyway.
See, this is a race. It's an obstacle course too. At my end, I have to go through the checking in process, the everyday interactions with staff and colleagues, all the little things that make up a normal day but slow you down when you're trying to get somewhere. It's a challenge for me, because while I probably could speed a lot of things up, I can sometimes get carried away with verbal detours and quirky small talk and end up letting things drag on far longer than I intend, much like this train of thought right here. Yup, time may fly when you're having fun, but it's not near as quick as Carnival when she has an open run.
Lucky for me, an open run is one thing she's not likely to have. It's the first day of the tournament, so most of the staff will have arrived early so that they can check everything is up and running. Plus, the race officially started at eleven, so I'd put money on the vast majority of the other competitors already being here too. Which means the corridors should be fairly active, which is great, because her challenge is to reach our changing room without being seen.
It's actually quite dangerous too, because if she were to be seen, then we'd both potentially be in a lot of trouble.
Not to worry though. She's not been caught yet, not once in the last three years, not here, or anywhere else.
Obstacle number two is 'staff that keep you informed' and I've somehow ended up wrapped up in that one before I even clear the first obstacle. Which means that I don't get an early opportunity to make up some ground. On the positive side, I am getting a verbal run down of my schedule for the day. Apparently, I'm expected to be filming my interview for the requestable content thingy in a little over an hour or so. I guess I'll have to get changed pretty sharpish. And what's that 'Mr doesn't want to leave me to my own devices'? My match is on last? Well I knew that already. The defending champion always closes night one.
I'll be closing night two as well. Losing just isn't an option. Not for me, and not for Carnival.
I finally clear obstacle two somewhere around halfway to the finish line and quickly pick up the pace, breaking into a jog as I turn the corner of one corridor and start heading down another. Being able to pick up speed like this is a new experience for me. Last year, the spare Data Wick in my bag weighed me down a lot more than I expected so I made sure to gut it before packing this time. The shell is pretty strong, but it's definitely the insides that give it the weight. I'm sure there are plenty of techys that would have heart attacks seeing the mechanical carnage back home but rendering it useless really isn't a big deal. No one knows it's just a spare other than Carnival and me, and it's really only here because a competitor turning up without a Data Wick would lead to a whole bunch of awkward questions so it's kinda essential for me to carry it with me until the I reach changing room. That's cool though, pretending is fun.
Another corridor goes by and I speed past several obstacle threes, 'the friendlies', giving them just enough interaction to satisfy their needs, while I try to get a clear picture of where I am. I know where the changing room is because I've requested the same one every year, so I'm kinda running on auto pilot at the moment. The problem is, I know that I'm probably way behind Carnival right now, so I need to figure out a short cut if I'm gonna win.
There's no prize for winning. Actually, no, there is a prize. If I win, she doesn't taunt me. She does sulk though. Which is kinda cute. Not cute like the chibi version of her from the Spark Force cartoon, or the cuddly-plushie-thingy they made of her after my first tournament win, just, you know, cute. And pretty amusing. But then, so are her taunts. So I don't really lose, even if I lose. Which sounds ridiculous in my head.
I glance down another corridor as I sail past, then remember four corridors later that I probably should have turned there and cut through one of the interview rooms. I guess I could double back. Ah, but if the interview room isn't empty then that would probably take longer.
No, I think I should probably just keep going.
I'm nearly there now anyway. It's pretty clear too, which means I'm still in with a shot, so I give myself a little internal cheer, mostly because the tongue-in-cheek self-adoration of a mock-narcissist is harmless fun, but also because an external cheer risks drawing the attention of stealth obstacle threes hidden behind closed doors. It takes until I finish pointing out to myself that that last part isn't as paranoid as it actually sounds to realise that if it's clear at my end, it's probably equally as clear at Carnival's end, and she's a fair bit quicker than me so …
I round the last corner and sure enough, there she is, casually leaning against the door to our changing room. She tilts her head towards me with a big toothy grin, pushes the door open and walks inside, moving just slow enough to make sure that I catch the triumphant flick of her tail.
I bet she's been there a little while, just waiting to make sure that I see her snatch the win.
I let out a nice big laugh and trot up to the now open door, smiling happily as I prepare myself for Carnival's inevitable decrees of victory.
And so ends my long-winded ramble. I hope you all enjoyed this quick dip into my spandex-clad past! If you want to know more about me or my books, please feel free to drop by my site www.mattdoylemedia.com! There are pages for each of my books, and a ton of reviews of everything from books and comics to anime and video games.
Thanks for reading!
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subset: commoncrawl


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Ah, the Brantley Gilbert Big Machine Brickyard 400 — one of the most iconic races on the NASCAR schedule, on one of the most historic stages in all of motorsports. From yellow-shirts to yellow flags, this year's trip to Indianapolis had it all.
Thumbs Up: Underdogs!
A lot of cars got torn up at the Brickyard this year. Seventeen did not finish with the official cause as "crash," to be exact.
Attrition in a race often means underdogs get a chance to shine. After all, racing on a shoestring budget means keeping the car clean is an essential skill. So, when, like in this year's race at Indianapolis, the leaders wipe each other out, and a lot of faster cars crash, the finishing order looks different than usual.
Matt DiBenedetto, driving the No. 32 for Go Fas Racing, finished eighth.
Chris Buescher came home in ninth for just his fourth-career top 10.
Timmy Hill, making his 200th NASCAR national series start, finished a career-best 14th in Carl Long's Chevrolet.
Thumbs up for the small teams and lesser-known drivers making the most of a tough race on a giant, historic stage.
Thumbs Down: Red Flags
You know what's good? Racing. Lots of racing. Like, specifically, when cars are moving at full speed past each other. For 400 miles at a time.
The inverse of that — when cars are not moving — is not very fun.
This year's Brantley Gilbert Big Machine Brickyard 400 was halted three times: once for weather, and twice for crash cleanups. That means three race stoppages — three times where (most of) the cars stopped racing!
NASCAR has confirmed this is the 6,438th red flag of the day
— Elijah Burke (@ElijahWhosoever) July 24, 2017
I get it. Red flags are necessary for fan and competitor safety. But, by golly, I like to watch cars go. Thumbs down for when cars are not racing.
I suppose, though, that by this logic, the checkered flag should also receive a thumbs-down, since it signifies the end of racing …
Thumbs Up: Goin' For It
You've got to hand it to Jimmie Johnson for giving it his best effort.
While the No. 48 car experienced engine woes, sending smoke out of the back of his Chevrolet, it didn't stop Johnson from attempting a daring three-wide pass for the lead. We'd be using the word "YOLO" if it were 2012.
WATCH: Jimmie Johnson hits wall in three-wide racing
The scientific term in the racing community here is "goin' for it," and it's worthy of a thumbs up, despite the maneuver ending Johnson's day early.
Thumbs Down: Crashing When You're Leading
It was looking like a battle between Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. for most of the race — the pair finished 1-2 for the first two stages, until that fateful restart, when, well …
WATCH: Big wreck yields flames, ended days for Truex Jr., Kyle Busch
Truex took total responsibility for causing the accident that took out the two fastest cars (and, in doing so, also ended Busch's hopes at at an Indy three-peat), but it still earns a thumbs down because it's kind of a bummer to destroy — and thoroughly char, in Truex's case — two dominant race cars.
A bonus thumbs-down for the word "three-peat." Yeah, it's a clever word, but it's a little too clever.
Biggest Thumbs Up of the Week: Kasey Kahne Returns to Victory Lane
Kasey Kahne's summer of bad luck has seemingly reached an end after he claimed his first victory in more than 100 races.
After five unlucky crashes in the prior eight races, and slumping to a disappointing 22nd in points standings, things hadn't been looking great for Kahne. The past doesn't mean much now, as Kahne now suddenly finds himself in playoff contention.
WATCH: Kahne puts winless drought in Rearview Mirror
The explanation for Kahne's bad luck spell seems pretty obvious: clearly, he broke a mirror on July 23, 2010 — he'd only won six races in the following seven years. His seven years of bad luck ended Sunday when the overtime yellow flag ended the race just before sunset Sunday.
A big thumbs up for the No. 5 car appearing in Victory Lane once again.


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The International and Independent IBM Connections User Group will arrange the conference Social Connections in Zürich, Switzerland on the 28th of June. Infoware will be one of few exhibitors in this interesting event.
"Sponsoring Social Connections is a fantastic opportunity for us at Infoware to show our commitment in the exciting transformation towards Social Business", says Mr Ulf Stider, Sales Manager.
We will take every opportunity to make the most of the conference and we look forward meeting customers, IBM Partners and users and discuss every aspect of using Social Business in every day life.
The agenda is highly interesting and we will have a busy day to cover it all. One of my (the blog writer's) goal is to hear Victor Toal, our US Reseller on DomainPatrol Social, give us his thoughts about what to do with your IBM Connections environment in an early stage in your organization. His session is called "IBM Connections: So you have it installed – now what?" and I will be sure to check that out, since I know many of our customers have that same queries.
All in all, we are really looking forward to this event, and of course we will keep you posted about it all.
Read more about the event here:


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Learning Studio A
Space for Ideas
Idea Rich Classrooms
Bringing ideas to life for an audience is a critical skills for all learners. Ideas trapped in classrooms without an authentic audience never grow to full capacity. This makes presentation skills a central tenant in the modern career. Having the proper visual display to accompany a presentation is also essential.
More classrooms are focusing on having their students presenting more often as a way to build capacity and confidence. This also allows students to iterate, learning from past mistakes and incorporating feedback in the learning process.
Everyday is a day for presentation in my classroom. Having student voice central to the learning has added energy and engagement to the classroom. Having student showcase their hard work visually has been essential," said a drama teacher in Florida that sees performance as a key career skill.
The Power of Story
Creating, designing, and imagining a high quality presentation is a skill that is a lifelong process. It requires seeing your presentation as a visual context to the story arc being told throughout the presentation. Classrooms that have great displays allow students to begin to learn these concepts through experience.
Storytelling is a central strategy to excellent persuasion. Not every student will write plays, produce movies, or publish a book, but every student will use words, images, and video to tell story. Beginning these opportunities with students supports the modern learning experience, but it is very difficult in legacy learning spaces.
Teacher Voices
Take a few moments to listen to what some other teachers are saying about using technology and learning spaces to grow ideas.


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Search type: any / all / phrase. Sort by: relevance / session.
Plenum Healer: offering metaphysical healing
* Affiliate links.
79.31 Questioner: Then at this point, would the Choice exist at this point, the creation of the first service-to-self polarity? Is there a choice at that point or is it a non-choice?
Ra: I am Ra. Implicit in the veiling or separation of two archetypes is the concept of choice. The refinements to this concept took many experiences.
79.29 Questioner: Now we are getting to what I was trying to determine. Then at this point were there still only nine archetypes and the veil had just been drawn between the Matrix and Potentiator?
Ra: I am Ra. There were nine archetypes and many shadows.
4.4 Questioner: Then at this point there is a focusing of energy that is extra-dimensional in respect to our dimensions. Am I correct?
Ra: You may use that vibratory sound complex. However, it is not totally and specifically correct as there are no "extra" dimensions. We would prefer the use of the term "multi" dimensions.
106.20 Questioner: I am quite concerned about the instrument's health at this point and must ask if there is anything I failed to consider with respect to the health of the instrument? Anything at all that we could do for her to improve her condition other than that which has already been recommended?
Ra: I am Ra. All is most whole-heartedly oriented for support here. Perceive the group as here, a location in time/space. Within this true home, keep the light touch. Laugh together, and find joy in and with each other. All else is most fully accomplished or planned for accomplishment.
62.6 Questioner: Will there be any lasting effect from this attack as far as the instrument's physical vehicle is concerned?
Ra: I am Ra. This is difficult to say. We are of the opinion that no lasting harm or distortion will occur.
The healer was strong and the bonds taking effect in the remolding of these renal distortions were effective. It is at this point a question of two forms of the leavings of what you may call a spell or a magic working; the healer's distortions versus the attempt at Orion distortions; the healer's distortions full of love; the Orion distortions also pure in separation. It seems that all is well except for some possible discomfort which shall be attended if persistent.
66.18 Questioner: Then in the case of an entity who becomes aware of its polarization with respect to service to others it might find a paradoxical situation in the case where it was unable to fully serve because of distortions chosen to reach that understanding which it has reached. At this point it would seem that the entity who was aware of the mechanism might, through meditation, understand the necessary mental configuration for alleviating the physical distortion so that it could be of greater service to others at this particular nexus. Am I correct in this thinking?
Ra: I am Ra. You are correct although we might note that there are often complex reasons for the programming of a distorted physical complex pattern. In any case, meditation is always an aid to knowing the self.
79.42 Questioner: Then I will just ask for the one of the archetypes which I am least understanding at this point if I can use that word at all. I am still very much in the dark, so to speak, with respect to the Hierophant and precisely what it is. Could you give me some other indication of what that is, please?
Ra: I am Ra. You have been most interested in the Significator which must needs become complex. The Hierophant is the original archetype of mind which has been made complex through the subtile movements of the conscious and unconscious. The complexities of mind were evolved rather than the simple melding of experience from Potentiator to Matrix.
The mind itself became an actor possessed of free will and, more especially, will. As the Significator of the mind, the Hierophant has the will to know, but what shall it do with its knowledge, and for what reasons does it seek? The potential[s] of a complex significator are manifold.
Are there any brief queries at this working?
98.15 Questioner: Then any mind/body complex can develop cancer as a result of anger. Is this correct?
Ra: I am Ra. This is correct.
At this time we would break our routine by making an observation. We observe the following coincidence. Firstly, the congestion of this instrument's throat due to the flow of mucous caused by energized allergic reaction has, at this point, become such that we may safely predict the probability/possibility vortex approaching certainty that within one-half of an hour we shall need to depart from this working. Secondly, as we noted the above the sound vibration made by one of your sound vibration recording devices was audible to us. If this group desires, it may choose to have sessions which are brought to an ending soon after this sound vibration occurs. This decision would ensure the minimal distortions within the instrument towards the discomfort/comfort within the throat until the effects of the magical working of your fifth-density companion have been removed.
106.12 Questioner: I'm going to come back to a couple of points here, but I have to get in a question here about myself. It'd seem to be critical at this point. Can Ra tell me what is physically wrong with me, and what's causing it, and what I could do to alleviate it?
Ra: I am Ra. The questioner is one also in the midst of further initiation. During this space/time the possibility for mental/emotional distortion approaching that which causes the entity to become dysfunctional is markèd. Further, the yellow-ray, chemical vehicle of the questioner is aging and has more difficulty in the absorption of needed minerals such as iron and other substances such as papain, potassium, and calcium.
At the same time the body of yellow ray begins to have more difficulty eliminating trace elements such as aluminum. The energizing effect has occurred in the colon of the questioner and the distortions in that area are increasingly substantial. Lastly, there is a small area of infection in the mouth of the questioner which needs attention.
31.2 Questioner: OK. What I'm going to do is use the information that we did at the end of the previous book that you suggested would be more appropriate for more advanced material. We will put it in the book at this point, as we are talking about bisexual reproduction, and I would like to expand on this material a little bit to get some definitions and better understandings. You speak in this material of sexual energy transfer. Could you define that energy transfer and expand upon its meaning, please?
Ra: I am Ra. Energy transfer implies the release of potential energies across, shall we say, a potentiated space. The sexual energy transfers occur due to the polarizations of two mind/body/spirit complexes, each of which have some potential difference one to the other. The nature of the transfer of energy or of the blockage of this energy is then a function of the interaction of these two potentials. In the cases where transfer takes place, you may liken this to a circuit being closed. You may also see this activity, as all experiential activities, as the Creator experiencing Itself.
58.3 Questioner: We have tried healing with the diamond crystal. I have tried both using the crystal around my neck and dangling it from a chain under my right hand. I think that possibly that to do the best work on the wrist I should dangle the crystal just below my right hand from a distance of just a centimeter or two, holding it directly above the wrist. Is this correct?
Ra: I am Ra. This would be appropriate if you were practiced at your healing art. To work with a powerful crystal such as you have, while unable to perceive the magnetic flux of the subtle bodies, is perhaps the same as recommending that the beginner, with saw and nail, create the Vatican.
There is great art in the use of the swung crystal. At this point in your development, you would do well to work with the unpowerful crystals in ascertaining, not only the physical major energy centers, but also the physical secondary and tertiary energy centers and then begin to find the corresponding subtle body energy centers. In this way, you may activate your own inner vision.
4.17 Questioner: I have no idea of how long this would take or if you can even tell anything about that. Is it possible for you to give me a synopsis of the program of training required? I have no knowledge of what questions to ask at this point. I'll ask that question in the hopes that it makes sense.
Ra: I am Ra. We consider your request for information, for as you noted, there are a significant number of vibratory sound complexes which can be used in sequence to train the healer.
The synopsis is a very appropriate entry that you might understand what is involved.
Firstly, the mind must be known to itself. This is perhaps the most demanding part of healing work. If the mind knows itself then the most important aspect of healing has occurred, for consciousness is the microcosm of the Law of One.
The second part has to do with the disciplines of the body complexes. In the streamings reaching your planet at this time, these understandings and disciplines have to do with the balance between love and wisdom in the use of the body in its natural functions.
The third area is the spiritual, and in this area the first two disciplines are connected through the attainment of contact with intelligent infinity.
73.22 Questioner: Could you define this statement "energy transfer between two mind/body/spirit complexes?"
Ra: I am Ra. This will be the last full query of this working. This entity still has transferred energy available, but we find rapidly increasing distortions towards pain in the neck, the dorsal area, and the wrists and manual appendages.
The physical energy transfer may be done numerous ways.
We shall give two examples. Each begins with some sense of the self as Creator or in some way the magical personality being invoked. This may be consciously or unconsciously done. Firstly, that exercise of which we have spoken called the exercise of fire: this is, though physical energy transfer, not that which is deeply involved in the body complex combinations. Thusly the transfer is subtle and each transfer unique in what is offered and what is accepted. At this point we may note that this is the cause for the infinite array of possible energy transfers.
The second energy transfer of which we would speak is the sexual energy transfer. This takes place upon a non-magical level by all those entities which vibrate green ray active. It is possible, as in the case of this instrument which dedicates itself to the service of the One Infinite Creator, to further refine this energy transfer. When the other-self also dedicates itself in service to the One Infinite Creator, the transfer is doubled. Then the amount of energy transferred is dependent only upon the amount of polarized sexual energy created and released. There are refinements from this point onward leading to the realm of the high sexual magic.
In the realm of the mental bodies there are variations of mental energy transferred. This is, again, dependent upon the knowledge sought and the knowledge offered. The most common mental energy transfer is that of the teacher and the pupil. The amount of energy is dependent upon the quality of this offering upon the part of the teacher as regards the purity of the desire to serve and the quality of information offered and, upon the part of the student, the purity of the desire to learn and the quality of the mind vibratory complex which receives knowledge.
Another form of mental energy transfer is that of the listener and the speaker. When the speaker is experiencing mental/emotional complex distortions towards anguish, sorrow, or other mental pain, from what we have said before, you may perhaps garner knowledge of the variations possible in this transfer.
The spiritual energy transfers are at the heart of all energy transfers as a knowledge of self and other-self as Creator is paramount, and this is spiritual work. The varieties of spiritual energy transfer include those things of which we have spoken this day as we spoke upon the subject of the adept.
Are there any brief queries before we leave this working?
68.6 Questioner: Could you tell me what the plan of the fifth-density negatively oriented entity was and how it would have accomplished it and what the results would have been if it had worked?
Ra: I am Ra. The plan, which is ongoing, was to take the mind/body/spirit complex while it was separated from its yellow body physical complex shell, to then place this mind/body/spirit complex within the negative portions of your time/space. The shell would then become that of the unknowing, unconscious entity and could be, shall we say, worked upon to cause malfunction which would end in coma and then in what you call the death of the body. At this point the higher self of the instrument would have the choice of leaving the mind/body/spirit complex in negative sp— we correct— time/space or of allowing incarnation in space/time of equivalent vibration and polarity distortions. Thus this entity would become a negatively polarized entity without the advantage of native negative polarization. It would find a long path to the Creator under these circumstances although the path would inevitably end well.
88.24 Questioner: Ra must have had a, shall we say, lesson plan or course of training for the twenty-two archetypes to be given either to those of third density of Ra or, later on, to those in Egypt. Would you describe this scenario for the training course?
Ra: I am Ra. This shall be the last full query of this working.
We find it more nearly appropriate to discuss our plans in acquainting initiates upon your own planet with this particular version of the archetypes of the archetypical mind. Our first stage was the presentation of the images, one after the other, in the following order: one, eight, fifteen; two, nine, sixteen; three, ten, seventeen; four, eleven, eighteen; five, twelve, nineteen; six, thirteen, twenty; seven, fourteen, twenty-one; twenty-two. In this way the fundamental relationships between mind, body, and spirit could begin to be discovered, for as one sees, for instance, the Matrix of the Mind in comparison to the Matrices of Body and Spirit one may draw certain tentative conclusions.
When, at length, the student had mastered these visualizations and had considered each of the seven classifications of archetype, looking at the relationships between mind, body, and spirit, we then suggested consideration of archetypes in pairs: one and two; three and four; five; six and seven. You may continue in this form for the body and spirit archetypes. You will note that the consideration of the Significator was left unpaired, for the Significator shall be paired with Archetype Twenty-Two.
At the end of this line of inquiry the student was beginning to grasp more and more deeply the qualities and resonances of each archetype. At this point, using various other aids to spiritual evolution, we encouraged the initiate to learn to become each archetype and, most importantly, to know as best as possible within your illusion when the adoption of the archetype's persona would be spiritually or metaphysically helpful.
As you can see, much work was done creatively by each initiate. We have no dogma to offer. Each perceives that which is needful and helpful to the self.
May we ask if there are any brief queries before we leave this working?
57.33 Questioner: Thank you. I want to go on more questioning on the pyramid, but I want to ask a question [name] has here. I'll throw it in at this point. Could you please expand on the concept of space/time and time/space and how to get past this, the concept of these things, and at what density level do these concepts no longer affect the individual?
Ra: I am Ra. This will be the last full query of this working. This instrument has some vital energy left. However, we become concerned with the increasing distortions of the body complex towards pain.
The space/time and time/space concepts are those concepts describing as mathematically as possible the relationships of your illusion, that which is seen to that which is unseen. These descriptive terms are clumsy. They, however, suffice for this work.
In the experiences of the mystical search for unity, these need never be considered, for they are but part of an illusory system. The seeker seeks the One. This One is to be sought, as we have said, by the balanced and self-accepting self, aware both of its apparent distortions and its total perfection. Resting in this balanced awareness, the entity then opens the self to the universe which it is. The light energy of all things may then be attracted by this intense seeking, and wherever the inner seeking meets the attracted cosmic prana, realization of the One takes place.
The purpose of clearing each energy center is to allow that meeting place to occur at the indigo-ray vibration, thus making contact with intelligent infinity and dissolving all illusions. Service-to-others is automatic at the released energy generated by this state of consciousness.
The space/time and time/space distinctions, as you understand them, do not hold sway except in third density. However, fourth, fifth, and to some extent, sixth, work within some system of polarized space/time and time/space.
The calculations necessary to move from one system to another through the dimensions are somewhat difficult. Therefore, we have the most difficulty sharing numerical concepts with you and take this opportunity to repeat our request that you monitor our numbers and query any that seem questionable.
Is there a brief query that we may answer before we leave this instrument?
67.7 Questioner: I undoubtedly will ask several very uninformed and poor questions. However, I was trying to understand certain concepts having to do with the illusion, I shall say, of the polarization that seems to exist at certain density levels in the creation and how can the mechanism of interaction of consciousness— it is a very difficult subject for me and therefore I ask your forgiveness for my poor questions, but it seems to me that the fifth-density entity is attracted in some way to our group by [the] polarization of this group which acts somehow as a beacon to the entity. Am I correct?
Ra: I am Ra. This is, in substance, correct but the efforts of this entity are put forward only reluctantly. The usual attempts upon positively oriented entities or groups of entities are made, as we have said, by minions of the fifth-density Orion leaders; these are fourth-density. The normal gambit of such fourth-density attack is the tempting of the entity or group of entities away from total polarization towards service to others and toward the aggrandizement of self or of social organizations with which the self identifies. In the case of this particular group each was given a full range of temptations to cease being of service to each other and to the One Infinite Creator. Each entity declined these choices and instead continued with no significant deviations from the desire for a purely other-self service orientation. At this point one of the fifth-density entities over-seeing such detuning processes determined that it would be necessary to terminate the group by what you might call magical means, as you understand ritual magic. We have previously discussed the potential for the removal of one of this group by such attack and have noted that by far the most vulnerable is the instrument due to its pre-incarnative physical complex distortions.
31.4 Questioner: Can you expand somewhat on the concept that this action not only allows the Creator to know Itself better but also creates, in our density, an offspring or makes available the pathway for another entity to enter the density?
Ra: I am Ra. As we have previously said, the sexual energy transfers include the red-ray transfer which is random and which is a function of the second-density attempt to grow, to survive, shall we say. This is a proper function of the sexual interaction. The offspring, as you call the incarnated entity which takes on the mind/body complex opportunity offered by this random act or event called the fertilization of egg by seed, causes an entity to have the opportunity to then enter this density as an incarnate entity.
This gives the two who were engaged in this bisexual reproductive energy transfer the potential for great service in this area of the nurturing of the small-experienced entity as it gains in experience.
It shall be of interest at this point to note that there is always the possibility of using these opportunities to polarize towards the negative, and this has been aided by the gradual building up over many thousands of your years of social complex distortions which create a tendency towards confusion, shall we say, or baffling of the service-to-others aspect of this energy transfer and subsequent opportunities for service to other-selves.
70.23 Questioner: I was asking these questions primarily to understand or to build a base for an attempt to get a little bit of enlightenment on the way that time/space and space/time is related to the evolution of the mind/body/spirit complex so that I could better understand the techniques, you might say, of that evolution. For instance, you stated that "the potential difference may be released and polarities changed after an entity has learned/taught the lessons of love of self" if the entity is [a] positive entity that has found itself in negative time/space and then had to incarnate in negative space/time. And what I was trying to do was build a base for attempting to understand or at least get a slight understanding of what you meant by this statement that potential difference may be released and polarities changed after the above step. I am very interested in knowing, if placed in a negative time/space, why it is necessary to incarnate in negative space/time and learn/teach love of self and develop, I guess, a sixth-density level of polarity before you can release that potential difference. I was trying to build a little foothold or platform from which to make that more apparent. Could you speak on that subject, please?
Ra: I am Ra. This will be the last full query of this working.
The entity which incarnates into negative space/time will not find it possible to maintain any significant positive polarity as negativity, when pure, is a type of gravity well, shall we say, pulling all into it. Thus the entity, while remembering its learned and preferred polarity, must needs make use of the catalyst given and recapitulate the lessons of service to self in order to build up enough polarity in order to cause the potential to occur for reversal.
There is much in this line of questioning which is somewhat muddled. May we, at this point allow the questioner to rephrase the question or to turn the direction of query more towards that which is the heart of its concern.
32.2 Questioner: Thank you very much. I will now continue with the material from day before yesterday. Our subject is how sexual polarity acts as a catalyst in evolution and how to best make use of this catalyst. Going back to that material, I will fill in a few gaps that we possibly don't understand at this point too well.
Can you tell me the difference between orange- and yellow-ray activation? I am going to work up from red ray right on through the violet, and we covered red ray, so what's the difference between orange- and yellow-ray activation?
Ra: I am Ra. The orange ray is that influence or vibratory pattern wherein the mind/body/spirit expresses its power on an individual basis. Thus power over individuals may be seen to be orange ray. This ray has been quite intense among your peoples on an individual basis. You may see in this ray the treating of other-selves as non-entities, slaves, or chattel, thus giving other-selves no status whatever.
The yellow ray is a focal and very powerful ray and concerns the entity in relation to, shall we say, groups, societies, or large numbers of mind/body/spirit complexes. This orange — we correct ourselves — this yellow-ray vibration is at the heart of bellicose actions in which one group of entities feel the necessity and right of dominating other groups of entities and bending their wills to the wills of the masters. The negative path, as you would call it, uses a combination of the yellow ray and the orange ray in its polarization patterns. These rays, used in a dedicated fashion, will bring about a contact with intelligent infinity. The usual nature of sexual interaction, if one is yellow or orange in primary vibratory patterns, is one of blockage and then insatiable hunger due to the blockage. When there are two selves vibrating in this area the potential for polarization through the sexual interaction is begun, one entity experiencing the pleasure of humiliation and slavery or bondage, the other experiencing the pleasure of mastery and control over another entity. In this way a sexual energy transfer of a negative polarity is experienced.
65.12 Questioner: Then each of the Wanderers here acts as a function of the biases he has developed in any way he sees fit to communicate or simply be in his polarity to aid the total consciousness of the planet. Is there any, shall I say, more physical way that he aids in— what I mean is, do the vibrations somehow add, just as electrical polarity or charging a battery or something? Does that also aid the planet, just the physical presence of the Wanderers?
Ra: I am Ra. This is correct and the mechanism is precisely as you state. We intended this meaning in the second portion of our previous answer.
You may, at this time, note that as with any entities, each Wanderer has its unique abilities, biases, and specialties so that from each portion of each density represented among the Wanderers comes an array of pre-incarnative talents which then may be expressed upon this plane which you now experience so that each Wanderer, in offering itself before incarnation, has some special service to offer in addition to the doubling effect of planetary love and light and the basic function of serving as beacon or shepherd.
Thus there are those of fifth density whose abilities to express wisdom are great. There are fourth- and sixth-density Wanderers whose ability to serve as, shall we say, passive radiators or broadcasters of love and love/light are immense. There are many others whose talents brought into this density are quite varied.
Thus Wanderers have three basic functions once the forgetting is penetrated, the first two being basic, the tertiary one being unique to that particular mind/body/spirit complex.
We may note at this point while you ponder the possibility/probability vortices that although you have many, many items which cause distress and thus offer seeking and service opportunities, there is always one container in that store of peace, love, light, and joy. This vortex may be very small, but to turn one's back upon it is to forget the infinite possibilities of the present moment. Could your planet polarize towards harmony in one fine, strong moment of inspiration? Yes, my friends. It is not probable; but it is ever possible.
74.4 Questioner: In a previous session there was a question on the archetypical mind that was not fully answered. I would like to continue with the answer to that question. Could you please continue with that, or would it be necessary for me to read the entire question over again?
Ra: I am Ra. As a general practice it is well to vibrate the query at the same space/time as the answer is desired. However, in this case it is acceptable to us that a note be inserted at this point in your recording of these sound vibratory complexes referring to the location of the query in previous workings.*
The query, though thoughtful, is in some degree falling short of the realization of the nature of the archetypical mind. We may not teach/learn for any other to the extent that we become learn/teachers. Therefore, we shall make some general notations upon this interesting subject and allow the questioner to consider and further refine any queries.
The archetypical mind may be defined as that mind which is peculiar to the Logos of this planetary sphere. Thusly unlike the great cosmic all-mind, it contains the material which it pleased the Logos to offer as refinements to the great cosmic beingness. The archetypical mind, then, is that which contains all facets which may affect mind or experience.
The Magician was named as a significant archetype. However, it was not recognized that this portion of the archetypical mind represents not a portion of the deep subconscious but the conscious mind and more especially the will. The archetype called by some the High Priestess, then, is the corresponding intuitive or subconscious faculty.
Let us observe the entity as it is in relationship to the archetypical mind. You may consider the possibilities of utilizing the correspondences between the mind/body/spirit in microcosm and the archetypical mind/body/spirit closely approaching the Creator. For instance, in your ritual performed to purify this place you use the term "Ve Geburah." It is a correct assumption that this is a portion or aspect of the One Infinite Creator. However, there are various correspondences with the archetypical mind which may be more and more refined by the adept. "Ve Geburah" is the correspondence of Michael, of Mars, of the positive, of maleness. "Ve Gedulah" has correspondences to Jupiter, to femaleness, to the negative, to that portion of the Tree of Life concerned with Auriel.
We could go forward with more and more refinements of these two entries into the archetypical mind. We could discuss color correspondences, relationships with other archetypes, and so forth. This is the work of the adept, not the teach/learner. We may only suggest that there are systems of study which may address themselves to the aspects of the archetypical mind and it is well to choose one and study carefully. It is more nearly well if the adept go beyond whatever has been written and make such correspondences that the archetype can be called upon at will.
* This question was asked in session 67.
32.1 Questioner: I have a little question I will throw in at this point from Jim. I will read it. The instrument's physical complex is now in the process of recovery from taking a chemical. She was ignorant of the opening that she was creating. How can each of the three of us present be more aware of how such openings may be created in our actions and thoughts? Is it possible that we could make such openings innocently as we question in certain areas during these sessions? And then, what can we do to protect ourselves from distorting influences in general? Is there any ritual or meditation that we use?
Ra: I am Ra. Although we are in sympathy with the great desire to be of service exemplified by this question, our answer is limited by the distortion of the Way of Confusion. We shall say some general things which may be of service in this area.
Firstly, when this instrument distorted its bodily complex towards low vital energy due to this occurrence, it was a recognizable substance which caused this. This was not a, shall we say, natural substance nor was the mind/body/spirit complex enough aware of its distortion towards physical weakness. The natural ways of, shall we say, everyday existence in which the entity without the distortions caused by ingestion of strongly effective chemicals may be seen to be of an always appropriate nature. There are no mistakes, including the action of this instrument.
Secondly, the means of protection against any negative or debilitating influence for those upon the positive path was demonstrated by this instrument to a very great degree. Consider, if you will, the potentials that this particular occurrence had for negative influences to enter the instrument. This instrument thought upon the Creator in its solitude and in actions with other-self, continually praised and gave thanksgiving to the Creator for the experiences it was having. This in turn allowed this particular entity to radiate to the other-self such energies as became a catalyst for an opening and strengthening of the other-self's ability to function in a more positively polarized state. Thus we see protection being very simple. Give thanksgiving for each moment. See the self and the other-self as Creator. Open the heart. Always know the light and praise it. This is all the protection necessary.
Version (?): Lightly Edited, Ra Contact, Relistened, Original
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Questions? Comments? Email me: tw at law of one dot info.


text:
hat – thrifted
cardigan – Coco Cardigan c/o Moorea Seal
lapel pin – Kind is Cool c/o Moorea Seal
dress – striped dress by Paris Sunday
purse – camera shaped bag via Amazon
shoes – Loly in the Sky – a pink pair here!
Sheath dresses are my new favorite thing. I had to google the different between "sheath" and "shift" just to be clear, but yeah, it's a fact – I love sheath dresses. I hesitated buying this dress for so long because in the past I've been so loyal to fit and flare dresses thinking that those were what I was most comfortable in but, y'all, I am definitely feeling myself in this! It has such a nice weight to it too, making it feel incredibly appropriate for cooler weather. I absolutely love when I finally pull the trigger on an online purchase and it becomes of my favorite, and most worn pieces!
Hope you're having a lovely week!


text: Have you ever been in a single car together with two hundred other people? Well, movie lovers from Madrid and Barcelona had a such chance. Thanks to Fiat's decision to promote the famous Fiat 500 in a different way. The idea is simple but genial – while the main projector is showing the "road movie", a second projector on the ceiling is showing the famous sunroof of the car.


text:
Setting up an online store with WordPress is very easy and best of all it can be done for free. I should point out there are some upfront costs involved, such as registering a domain name and getting a hosting account. However, the process of turning an existing self-hosted WordPress site into an eCommerce store can be achieved without any additional financial outlay.
By following this guide you will be able to add eCommerce functionality to your WordPress site and start an online store today. If you are yet to setup a WordPress site of your own, please check out our guide to installing WordPress.
Choosing an eCommerce Plugin
In order to enable your WordPress site to function as an online store, you are going to have to install a plugin. There is a handful of leading free eCommerce plugins for WordPress and for this guide we are going to be using WooCommerce.
Why WooCommerce? It's a very robust, powerful and easy to use eCommerce toolkit for WordPress, making it a good choice for beginners and expert users alike. This free plugin been developed by the WooThemes team and there are many additional addons available to enhance both the plugin itself and your online store. These complimentary addons are created by the plugin's developers and third parties. They include features such as:
- Integration with additional payment processing services,
- Advanced product shipping management
- Create products with recurring payments
- Advanced reporting
- Bulk product imports
To view the many extensions available for WooCommerce visit the store.
The downside of WooCommerce is that although the plugin is free, if you want to add more features to your store, there is a good chance you may have to pay for an additional extension or plugin to bring the desired functionality to your site. However, the free version has everything needed to begin selling items online from your WordPress site.
Building an eCommerce Store with WooCommerce
The first step is to install the free WooCommerce plugin on your site. The easiest way to do this is to login to your WordPress admin area and then go to Plugins > Add New on the admin sidebar menu.
Then perform a search for the term 'woocommerce'. There will be a lot of results returned but the plugin we are looking for should be listed first and will look like this:
Click on 'Install Now', and then 'Activate Plugin' on the next screen. Once the plugin is installed and activated, it will prompt you to do a couple of things. The first is to create the necessary pages for your online store. To do this, simply click on the 'Install WooCommerce Pages' button and they will be created for you.
Theme Issues
At this point you may see a message notifying you that 'Your theme does not declare WooCommerce support'.
Depending on the WordPress theme in use, this might be a problem or not. If you are starting a new site, a quick way to rectify this is to activity the free 'Twenty Twelve' theme which should be installed on your site.
To do this go to Appearance > Themes and then look for a theme called Twenty Twelve and click 'Activate'. If it's not there, click on 'Add New' and do a search for 'Twenty Twelve' and then click on 'Install Now' from the results. If you are tied into your existing theme then you can press ahead and wait until it becomes apparent whether it really is a problem or not. A further option is to purchase a theme built for use with WooCommerce.
Creating Your First Product
The plugin has now been setup and your site now has eCommerce functionality. That was pretty easy I'm sure you'll agree. Now it's time to the start adding your products to the store.
Now the bad news with WooCommerce is there isn't an option to mass import products into the system (unless you buy this extension) so you will have to add each product by hand. However, the good news is that creating products is done in almost the same way as creating a new post.
To get started and create your first product, locate the 'Product' menu item on the left side menu and then click on 'Add Product' from the sub-menu.
The 'Add Product' page should be familiar to WordPress users as it is based on the 'Add New Post' page. The main difference is that it contains a few extra meta boxes beneath the main post editor. If you scoll down the page you will see a meta box entitled 'Product Short Description'.
This is the area where you should write the product description as it will be displayed at the top of the product page. However, this placement can vary depending on what WordPress theme you are using. To be sure, enter a quick bit of text in this box and hit the 'Preview' button in the right of the screen.
Any information you add to the main editor on the Add/Edit Product page will be displayed further down your published product page, under the 'Description' tab. To see this in action, quickly add some text to the main post editor.
This information, should now be displayed on your product page like so (although again, this can depend on which WordPress theme you are using, for this example I am using the free Twenty Twelve theme):
So now you've got a product page that includes the main description, then a further piece of text listing more details about the product. Now it's time to add the product images.
Adding Product Images with WooCommerce
The first image you want to add should be the one that shows your product in the best light. Once you've selected your image, locate the Featured Image box on the Add Product page and click on the 'Set Featured Image' text.
Now you can drag and drop the image you want to use into the Media Library or select from an image you've already uploaded to your site. This is the image that will be displayed in the product listings pages and also as the main image on the individual product page so make sure it's a good one.
Once the image has been set, you can preview your product to see it in action.
Now depending on your theme, you might notice some smaller blank images boxes beneath the image you just added when previewing the product page. WooCommerce allows you to add multiple product images to each product page and this is where they are displayed.
Switch page to the 'Edit Product' page and locate the 'Product Gallery' box which should be above the 'Featured Image' box we just used. Here you can add additional images that can be used to illustrate your product description.
Click on 'Add product gallery images' and then upload or select the images as before. You can select multiple images by holding down the Ctrl key when clicking on them.
You should also give the individual images relevant Title and Descriptions before clicking the 'Add to Gallery' button.
To preview the product gallery you will have to publish the product rather than just clicking the preview button. But when you are ready to publish the product you should see something like this:
Due to the way the gallery images are displayed, for presentation purposes, adding three or more images to the gallery is a good idea.
Product Taxonomies
WooCommerce adds its own product taxonomies to your WordPress site. These are the Product Tags and Product Categories. They work like the regular WordPress categories and tags, but they are only shown for products. You will need to think carefully on how you are going to use the product tags and categories as they can be used by shoppers at your store to find products.
One use could be to enter the product type in the category filed and the brand in the tag field. Such as:
- Product Category: T-Shirts
- Product Tag: Nike, Running,
With the above approach, a shopper could click on the T-Shirts category on your store and see all the products in that category, and the same with the Nike or Running tags. You can have multiples of each, although best practice often recommends that a product should only be in one category, but can have multiple tags. You can also have subcategories too such as Clothing > T-Shirts.
Whatever you decide, just try to be consistent across all your products. You can go back and edit these at a later date so don't worry too much at this point.
Product Data
Now that the first product for your online store it taking shape, it's time to look at the product data.
Here you can enter the information that allows you to run your WordPress eCommerce store, including the pricing details and shipping details. What you enter here will be based on the products you are planning to sell online so once you'd got the information you need about your products, start filling in the fields.
WooCommerce has some pretty good features here such as being able to set a sale price and also the date range for when that reduction will be applied. You can let WooCommerce manage stock levels from the 'Inventory' page.
When you've entered the product data, such as price and quantity you have in stock, the product should be ready to go.
Product SEO
If you are using an SEO plugin such as WordPress SEO then you can add some additional information to your product that will be displayed in the search engine results pages when someone is using Google to find a product that you sell. This is worth doing for each product and can increase the number of people who find your store when searching online.
Just fill in the 'SEO Title' and 'Meta Description' fields and you should be done. The former is used for displaying a title for your site in Google, while the latter is what is displayed as the snippet underneath the title in the Google listings. The more interesting and compelling you can make the description, the more likely a searcher will click through to your site and maybe purchase something.
Publishing your First Product
With everything setup, you should now be ready to publish your product and make it live. You can edit any of the product details later or even un-publish a product so changes can be made in the future.
To set your product live, locate the 'Publish' (or Update) button at the top right of the screen and press it; congratulations, you've just created your first eCommerce store with its own product.
Managing Orders
WooCommerce makes it very easy to track orders made at your store. Simply go to the 'WooCommerce' menu on the left side menu of your admin area and then click on the 'Orders' sub-menu item.
From there you can see any orders that have been made and then do what is necessary to fulfil them such as shipping them out. Out of the box WooCommerce can handle basic payment collection using PayPal so once and order has been completed you can do your part of the transaction.
WooCommerce Settings
From the Settings sub-menu, you can configure how you'd like your store to function. There are a lot of options and settings but they are all pretty self-explanatory and are well-documented with tooltips that provide additional information.
One setting you might want to enable right from the outset is the new order email notifications. To set this up, click on the 'Email' tab and then click on 'New Order' from the sub-menu.
Enable the option and then enter your email address. Now you will get an email when a customer makes an order, allowing you to respond as soon as you can.
And that is it. You should now have an online store setup with at least one product that can manage orders and accept payment via PayPal.
As you can see, WooCommerce is very easy to setup. It has all the features you need for building a basic online store, without outlaying any money. For the extra functionality that is required for creating an advanced eCommerce store, there is a large selection of extensions available that bring professional web store features to your WordPress-powered shop.
If you have any questions about setting up your first online store with WordPress, please leave a comment below or get in touch.


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Contact Us
Please contact us through the form at the bottom of this page should you have any questions, feedback or problems.
We will get back to you shortly!
If you prefer some real human contact, you may also call us directly at telephone number:
702 609 9696
We are looking forward to hearing from you!
DirectStoreUSA.com LLC;
Owner: Ingo Schiermann
3726 Las Vegas Blvd S 1605
Las Vegas, NV, 89158
Direct Phone: 702 609 9696


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Q3 League Table: Biotech Deals Fuel PIPES Market
Private-placement-in-public-equity offerings generated more than $20 billion in the recent quarter. The numbers did not quite meet up to the earlier quarters of the year, which were extremely high, but they surpassed those of the same period last year. PIPEs in the recent quarter generated $21.8 billion dollars in capital, versus $17.3 million in the same quarter last year. Securities […]Read More
PIPEs Issuer Legal Counsel Power Rankings
Cooley LLP
Goodwin Procter LLP
Ellenoff Grossman & Schole LLP
Greenberg Traurig LLP
Sichenzia Ross Ference LLP
Latham & Watkins LLP
Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC
Maples and Calder
Jones Day
Hogan Lovells
Sidley Austin LLP
Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo PC
Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
DLA Piper
Loeb & Loeb LLP
Haynes and Boone LLP
Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP
Foley & Lardner LLP
Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP
Morrison & Foerster LLP
K&L Gates LLP
Graubard Miller
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP
Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP
Lowenstein Sandler LLP


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In the mood for some awoof?
This competition is open to anyone all over the country. Leave a comment, telling us what you think it is and you will stand a chance to win.
It runs until the 23rd of April. We'll determine the winner by using a random number generator. Good luck!


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Benefits of Google Tag Manager
By Gowdham | November 17, 2017
About Tracking Scripts
If you have a website, then to track the user history or to integrate Google Analytics or to integrate Google Webmasters or to implement re-marketing strategies through tracking the visitors or to integrate any third party application, then you must paste some scripts in your webpage. Most of the time we will ask the website developers to enable these things for tracking or analysis purpose. If it is one code, then that's fine it won't be an issue but when it comes to integration of every single application then the website will be filled with scripts for tracking and will make the website slow. But these can be done effectively with the help of Google Tag Manager.
What is Google Tag Manager?
In simple language, don't fill a website with scripts, manage each tags through Single Integration, make the integration so simple and easy. In Google Tag Manager, we will integrate it to a website by pasting the script in every web page. And for integration of third party application we will paste the codes and integrate it within the Google Tag Manager. Also through Google Tag Manager dashboard, you can manage all the tracking codes.
Advantages of Using Tag Manager
By Implementing Google Tag Manager Effectively you will be benefited with various things as explained below. •
– Increase the Speed Of Your Website
Instead of pasting bunches of scripts for tracking and integration purpose, we will use a single script which will be of Google Tag Manager. So other scripts for Analytics, webmaster or any plugin will be pasted in Google Tag Manager. So by removing some of the codes from the website will helps to load faster.
– Easy to Manage
If you are integrating various applications in your website and check it's presence you need to check the source code or else you need to sign-in into the website to check those things. But in Google Tag Manager you can easily check what are all the things integrated in a website. Also you can integrate and manage multiple domains in same login. This makes the Managing job very easy and effective one.
– Tag Manager
As Google Knows some applications which will be integrated generally by most of the web developers, they provided some tag names predefined. So you can choose the tag they need and they can integrate it in a website. Some of the predefined tags provided in the Tag Manager application are Google Analytics, Google AdWords, Google Webmaster, Infinity Tracking, Search Force, etc. It is not restricted with the provided name; you can also integrate some new platforms or plugins too. To integrate the codes of a Plugin or application not mentioned in the tags, you can choose "Custom HTML Tag".
– Trigger
Google Tag Manager is not only to integrate the third-party applications with the website, also there is an option to set trigger. It is not needed to run all tags in every webpages. You can set when the tags to be triggered. There are various options in it. Trigger will be set commonly to capture, when an action or the click happens. Instead of Looking into the webpages where to paste the codes, we can modify the codes, we can set the trigger options through Google Tag Manager which makes the job so easy.
– Testing Option
The Best Feature in Google Tag Manager is the testing option. Once after integration, you can test the site in live which will be similar to "Inspect Element". So through live testing, we can able to understand whether we integrated the code in the right way and also it helps us to understand how the code functions. We must use the Google Tag Manager Effectively for better results.
– Version & Description Option
After pasting the scripts in Google Tag Manager, while saving the code it will request for Description and version details. If suppose you are saving the code or editing for a change then it can be mentioned clearly in version details and description option provided below. The previous version of the codes will be helpful to verify later. Integrate and manage the tags from a single application, Google Tag Manager. Also, it provides clear details about the code through Version and Description.


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When life gives you lemons….make gourmet lemonade! Or at least, win some! In celebration of Mother's Day, we're partnering with Belvoir Fruit Farms to giveaway a special gift box of Belvoir sparkling luxury lemonades! I've always been partial to anything with elderflower in the ingredients, but Belvoir's Elderflower Pressé and Elderflower Rosé lemonades are next
Tag: lauren elaine astra capelet dress
Throughout August, we've been busy photographing new Lauren Elaine Bridal collection gowns. While the details and silhouettes of each gown are shown in the mini-lookbooks, sometimes the magic and movement of each gown is best captured with a video. Here's a look at a handful of video teasers from some our recent photoshoots – featuring


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Siti's Delights for inviting me to your baking school & organising the events.
Thank you to all my hardworking students for turning up without fail.
Miss you all ... miss hearing Singlish (Singapore English)...and guess wat, my Singlish has improved too.
Ssshhh.. wana hear the latest gozz?
I am coming back to teach in Singapore again next year (April 2012), stay tune!
Enjoy my photos ...
|Cupcake Decorating class .. can you spot the most handsome guy in the class?
*** well, there's only 1 guy in the class to start with ***
|Cupcake Decorating class ...Teddy Bear, Monkey, Birdie, Floral etc.
|Sugar Flower class
|Sugar Flower created by my lovely students .. Great work, they look real !!
|Single Tier with Sugar Flower
|2 Tier Double Barrel Class - with stenciling technique and jumbo sugar flower


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Take a relaxing dip in Sandwell Valley with stress-busting forest bathing.
Coalition calls to introduce urgent safeguards for mountain hare populations.
Witness some fantastic wildlife spectacles, at their sunset safari.
Bird courtship rituals can vary from the spectacular to the bizarre
Wetland reserves are doing great things for people and wildlife
We've pulled together some of the best facts about Big Garden Birdwatch!
A small, dark goose - the same size as a mallard. It has a black head and neck and grey-brown back.
A nocturnal bird that can be seen hawking for food at dusk and dawn.
male ring ouzels are particularly distinctive with their black plumage with a pale wing panel and striking white breast band.
Feed the birds and give homes to insects by leaving seedheads standing
Explore these pages to find an opportunity that suits you.
Use less water in the garden by installing a waterbutt.
There's so much to see and hear at Minsmere, from rare birds and otters to stunning woodland and coastal scenery.
This is a delightful oak woodland to walk through - especially in spring and early summer.
Heathland home to more than 2565 species.
Go on the hunt for fabulous fungi! How many different shapes, colours and sizes can you spot?
Rain or shine - can you help us measure the weather?
Take a Wild Challenge and look out for something with the WOW factor!
Reserves & events
With stalls full of information and RSPB staff and volunteers on hand, come along and find out what the RSPB is doing for your area and the wider countryside. There are often activities for all the family to enjoy, plus the chance to get face-to-face advice on a wide range of topics.
We found 2 show appearances happening between 29 October 2020 and 29 October 2021.
Birding Migration: Where, When, Who and How? THIS EVENT IS NOW CANCELLED


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Our Links
Infinity Luthiers
Custom, hand-built guitars and mandolins, restoration, repair and consignment for collectors and Bluegrass and acoustic musicians by Chris Oliver in Springfield, Illinois.
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Category Archives: Audio
The Dirty Side of Bluegrass Music
I came across this recently while reading a poison control blog… don't ask. Anyway, it's a pretty well done song that could use a few breaks, otherwise, enjoy!
4 Chords and You Know A 'Plethora' of Songs
If you don't play Bluegrass or even if you do you may not have heard that learning just a few chords will allow you to play hundreds and even thousands of songs. The band, 'Axis of Awesome', has put together … Continue reading
Banjo Nod at IBMA
To end the IBMA Awards show last Thursday evening, Steve Martin gave an emotional tribute to Earl Scruggs which was followed by a huge banjo tribute. If you didn't attend or watch the awards show live here is a video … Continue reading
Posted in Audio, Banjo, Bluegrass, News, Video Tagged Banjo, Earl Scruggs, IBMA Awards, video Comments Off
World Record Attempt for Mandolin Pickers at Galax
Who knew you could hold a world record for simply showing up at the Old Fiddler's Convention in Galax, VA? These folks did! On August 7th they showed up in force mandolins a pickin'. The previous record was 383 players … Continue reading
Posted in Audio, Bluegrass, Festivals, News, Video Tagged A-Mandolin, audio, Bluegrass, Festivals, Guiness World Record, mandolin, video 2 Comments
Show at the Liberty Theater
Photos from the recent sponsored event, "Infinity Luthiers presents the Bankesters with special guests Nu-Blue". Continue reading


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railway is me, Clemens Kofler, a web developer currently based in Innsbruck, Austria. I've specialized in developing web applications with Ruby on Rails since 2006 and doing consulting in that area but I also offer some other web development-related services.
Read more about me and check out services I offer and my rates. You can also take a look at my portfolio and read what others are saying about me and my work.


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An Xbox One update recently introduced a new display bug. It can occur upon start-up or after switching between apps on your device.
If your video signal drops, displaying only a black screen while you can still hear audio, you may be affected by this.
To fix this issue, you have to perform a full shutdown. Hold down the power button for 10 seconds, then turn the Xbox One back on. It should displays as normal. If not, power it down and unplug all wires, wait a few minutes and turn it back on


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Charles Martin Watch Company provides a complete refurbishment and polishing department whom are dedicated to restoring luxury watches to their original showroom appearance.
You will be amazed at how a clean and polish can transform your timepiece back to its former glory. With a super 72 hour guaranteed turnaround; your watch can be looking fabulous again in no time at all.
Why not invest in a full refurbishment and polish of your case and bracelet without having any service or any other work carried out.
Send your watch for a full clean and polish and we will have it back to you within 72 hours – looking and feeling brand new.
Clean & Polish Prices From Only £70.00
Contact our watchmakers on 01889 560002.


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A new study into kiwifruit pollination could see major benefits for growers.
University of Otago researchers have been granted almost $1 million in Government funding to look at male-fertile female kiwifruit.
- Kiwifruit growers hit back at Government's Psa appeal
- Clampdown on pest which could devastate horticulture industry
The three-year project will be led by Dr Lynette Brownfield from the university's Department of Biochemistry.
Kiwifruit differs from most crop plants as it has separate male and female plants.
"This means that pollen must be transferred from a male to a female plant for fertilisation and subsequent fruit development," said Dr Brownfield.
"As a result, more than 10 percent of the plants in current kiwifruit orchards are non-fruiting males required for pollen production."
Additionally, as the size of fruit depends on a high rate of pollination, kiwifruit growers spend resources on managing bees (kiwifruit flowers are not attractive to bees) and some growers resort to artificial pollination.
Flowers on female kiwifruit plants initiate pollen development, but the pollen aborts before maturity.
A team led by Dr Brownfield and involving scientists at Plant and Food Research aim to understand what causes this pollen abortion. This knowledge could provide tools to restore male fertility in female kiwifruit plants.
"Having females that can also produce pollen in orchards means the male plants could be removed and growers would no longer need to manage bees and pollination," said Dr Brownfield.
"This would reduce costs, increase yields and improve land-use efficiency."
The $999,720 funding is from the Endeavour Fund, New Zealand's largest research and science contestable fund.


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1 May 2018
Gardening with dementia – hearts and plants in bloom!
Gardening with dementia could help hearts and plants bloom anew. As our population ages, dementia remains the most feared illness for over 55s and in 2012, the Department of Health
The number of people living with dementia in the UK is forecast to increase to over 1 million by 2025 and with ever-increasing numbers experiencing dementia every day, it's more important than ever before to develop our knowledge and understanding of dementia.
At Trinity Homecare, we're passionate about supporting people live well with dementia and we believe that the key to living well with dementia begins with understanding dementia. Although dementia is a term a majority of the population recognise, questions and concerns are natural parts of the journey and with our Dementia Guide, you and your loved ones can find the answers and reassurance you need.
Find the Dementia Guide here!
The guide is structured around the key topics and questions that we encounter most often when discussing dementia:
What is dementia? Did you know that there are over 100 different types of dementia?
What are the types of dementia? Did you know that Alzheimer's is a type of dementia?
What are the symptoms and stages of dementia? Did you know that each type of dementia has its own symptoms?
How is dementia diagnosed? Did you know that there are several stages which contribute to a diagnosis?
Are there any treatments for dementia? Did you know that it's not just medication that can help you live well with dementia?
Is it possible to live well with dementia? Absolutely!
How can I support someone living with dementia? Did you know that there are simple ways to adapt the home to be more dementia friendly?
Although the guide itself is rich in information, the resource can be separated out into sections so you can read different topics at your leisure.
From hosting specialist dementia training sessions, to advising the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on ways to improve dementia care, our experience and knowledge continues to support dementia care across the country. We also host Community Cafes at various location across Surrey, where we are joined by guest speakers and members of the community to share stories and support one another.
If you would like more information about our dementia care services, our Community Café's or our training opportunities, our friendly team will be more than happy to offer you advice and support!


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South likes: Antoine Catala at Peep-Hole, Milan
South likes: Antoine Catala at Peep-Hole, Milan
Heavy Words
Peep-Hole, Milan, Italy in collaboration with FRAC Champagne-Ardenne, Reims
23 May – 12 July, 2014
With the words Once upon a time… Antoine Catala begins a conceptual account on digital communications, linguistics, and augmented reality. The first of the three projects showcased in this show at Peep-Hole, curated by Florence Derieux, is presented as a rebus to compose the opening words of a tale (Il était une fois…). Using different supports like holograms and projections on steam, Catala plays with the possible associations between images and words. In fact these associations are continuously shaped of digital technologies and internet—and everybody is familiar with the everyday experience of image search engines. The artist's ongoing research transports the conceptual relationships between object, image, and word into the potential of new technologies, which can transform a word into a series of images and further process them into 3D prints. With Abracadabra Catala creates kinetic pictograms, the language of emoticons, so to speak, to create sculptural objects. The technological apparition of Image Families is the third work on display: a drone flying around the room tests digital image-recognition capacities, analysing different types of images.
If one thing is clear is that new intersections between technological principles and perception of reality have come to a totally different level indeed. With this show Antoine Catala envisions different different possible developments in what we know about language and perception. In 1965 the american Conceptual artist Joseph Kosuth presented a well-known work, consisting of a chair, a photograph of this chair, and a dictionary definition of the word "chair". With this exhibition Antoine Catala seems to experiment on the technological evolution of the famous One and Three Chairs, overlapping the experience of machine-images, language and illusions.
Michelangelo Corsaro


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Welcome to our blog! Who are the write romantics? We're exactly that, a group of ten right romantics who met online, through the Romantic Novelists Association's New Writers Scheme (NWS), as a result of our mutual love of all things writing related, with at least a hint of romance. We've all moved on from the NWS in the five years we've been together and are now a mix of traditional and indie published writers. We started the blog before we'd even met in real life and bonded instantly. In 2014, nine of the ten of us were lucky enough to get together for the first time, if not all in one place at one time, at that year's RNA conference. We've managed a few meet ups since then, but never of the whole group, so we're hoping to make it ten for ten at some point in 2018.
We decided to set up a blog to share our journey to publication with other aspiring writers, and our potential readers. We've recently moved away from blogging on a strict timetable basis, preferring to post when inspiration strikes, if we have some advice or news to share, or if a friend of the WRs drops by to fill us in on what they've been up to. You can follow our blog by clicking on the home tab, to check out the latest posts and sign up for updates, if the mood takes you!
We hope you enjoy reading our posts about love, laughter, writing and everything in between. We look forward to reading your comments and getting to know lots of like-minded people . Please check out the links to our individual websites on the 'Meet the Write Romantics' page to find out a bit more about us and the things we like to write about, from the most glamorous love stories to marauding serial killers – we've got it all!