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Beau and the kids made these yesterday for me. Funfetti cake batter bars. I'd say they are better than a birthday cake. Yum!
Source: lovintheoven.com via Katie on Pinterest
I've wanted a Cavaliar King Charles Spaniel for a long time. This isn't any where in my near future as right now I much prefer a larger dog that will gladly tolerate the children and their 'abuse.' Honey (our mastiff) barely even looks up if Micah sits on her - that's an easy going, tolerant, sweet dog there! But seriously you can't say this one isn't adorable!
Source: lorilynn15.tumblr.com via Katie on Pinterest
I get the itch to update/redecorate our master bedroom every 18 months-ish. I don't get new bedding that often but I start looking and noticing things that I'd love to have. It's been almost 2 years since we got new bedding and with pinterest and blogs I keep noticing things that I'd love. Right now I'm in love with these ruffles. I'm loving the grey color palate as well.
Source: urbanoutfitters.com via Katie on Pinterest
My grandma sent me some birthday money and I bought myself my first pair of Toms. I'd been wanting some for a while but couldn't ever decide on a color. I finally took the plunge and they are really comfortable - now I'm excited for these cute ballet flat toms that are coming in the Spring.
Source: Uploaded by user via Katie on Pinterest
On that note I also want to get these for Abby and the new babe. :)
I also ordered this new Vera bag. I got a fantastic deal on it too - the color I wanted was a sale pattern, an additional 10% off the sale price and my Vera birthday discount! I love when my birthday money can go a long way!
Source: verabradley.com via Katie on Pinterest
I also got one of these - but navy. It's lightweight so I think it will be perfect for down here in the South... when we get our next cold front that's coming through tomorrow.


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I thought I'd put up a quick post following my walk yesterday as I'm aware that this blog has become a series of occasional round-ups. I had a day off and seeing as my original plans were thwarted by Covid-19, headed for the Sperrin Mountain foothills... specifically in the eastern Sperrins since the western end … Continue reading Hudy's Way (Aborted Walk, Pleasant While it Lasted)
Tag: walking
Ireland, England, Scotland and Lockdown: 2020 to Date
My year to date hasn't been too good for getting outside and taking photos, what with sh*te Scottish weather, fleeing home across the Irish Sea when lockdown came in, managing to damage first one and then both of my camera lenses, and finally falling off my bike and being off my feet for the past … Continue reading Ireland, England, Scotland and Lockdown: 2020 to Date
Back in the Sperrins 2: Glenlark Forest
I enjoyed revisiting the Sperrin Mountains during the walking festival covered in my previous post, so paid another visit two weeks later. On this occasion we explored one of the biggest areas of forestry in the range, Glenlark Forest. It wasn't the longest or most dramatic of hikes but it's always good to tread new … Continue reading Back in the Sperrins 2: Glenlark Forest
Back in the Sperrins 1: Reliving the Flight of the Earls
I've been neglecting this blog once again so thought I'd post some photos from a couple of recent hikes in the Sperrin Mountains. The first was part of the Omagh and Sperrins Walking Festival and led by outdoors adventure providers Far and Wild. Top image: Our group descending the summit of Carnanelly with a view … Continue reading Back in the Sperrins 1: Reliving the Flight of the Earls
Serbia: Hiking in Tara National Park
Greetings, Readers. I've neglected this blog for the past six months, firstly because I had a lot on with work and then because I took some time out to go travelling around my favourite part of Europe, the Balkans.To get things back on track, I thought I'd add some photos from a hike I did … Continue reading Serbia: Hiking in Tara National Park
Trails of Edinburgh: Union Canal and Water of Leith Walkway
I visited Edinburgh for a weekend at the end of April to visit friends and managed to fit in some great walks in the city and surrounding region. It's long been one of my favourite cites and a big part of this is its easy access to the outdoors (helped by the hilly topography) and … Continue reading Trails of Edinburgh: Union Canal and Water of Leith Walkway
Back in the Mournes: Meelmore, Commedagh and the Brandy Pad
I visited the Mourne Mountains at the weekend to get some practise in for a challenge hike I'm doing next month. The Blackstairs Challenge is a 31km route over the Blackstairs range in Ireland's southeast. The Mournes are an ideal training ground, with their steep ascents and descents and endless options for longer walks. Top … Continue reading Back in the Mournes: Meelmore, Commedagh and the Brandy Pad
Hikes of 2018: January to March Round-up
I've got out of the habit of blogging for a while (the bad weather and lack of outings may have played a part; temporarily adopting two guinea pigs may have been another factor) so I thought I'd check in. I still have to add a Part 2 to the 'Places I'd Love to Revisit' but … Continue reading Hikes of 2018: January to March Round-up
First Hike of 2018: Mullaghclogher via Father Devine's Well
It's become something of a minor tradition (it started in 2016/17) that my first and last hikes of the year take place in the Sperrins, my nearest mountain range. The target for my opening hike of 2018 was a small man-made landmark high up in the hills, known as Father Devine's Well. My walking companion … Continue reading First Hike of 2018: Mullaghclogher via Father Devine's Well
Snow in the Sperrins, Christmas 2017: Mullaghsallagh
I always like to fit in a hike in the days after Christmas and it often ends up being in the Sperrins, my closest mountain range. This year's excursion wasn't the most ambitious but gave some magical views, thanks to an impressive and unexpected covering of snow on the higher ground. Top image: Looking back on … Continue reading Snow in the Sperrins, Christmas 2017: Mullaghsallagh

subset: commoncrawl


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I went into work today and asked for a pay rise,and my boss said yeah – I was astounded that he would be so understanding. Until he took out a gun, shot me in the knee, and gave me a benefits claim form.
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Asked what the driver of our largely capitalist economy is, most entrepreneurs, shareholders and CEOs will insist it is "the profit motive". But, even though wages and salaries are, by definition and in practice, also essential economic motivators, virtually no one will mention "the wage motive" or "salary motive" (although I did, in Part I of this analysis, " Where is Henry Ford's 'Wage Motive' in the 'Not-So-Great Today'"?).
This strange omission, oversight or outright exclusion from the economic conversation is weird and in need of some explanation(s)—to be offered here, to complete the analysis begun in Part I.
It is indeed weird, especially since, nearly a century ago, as popularizer of the family-friendly Model-T and one of the foremost capitalists in history, Henry Ford, explicitly claimed that the "wage motive" is the single most important key for a successful business—even more important than the profit motive. Not only did Ford assert that the wage motive is key, but also that it should be the primary motivation of managers overseeing a company's wage earners.
Henry Ford's Model Wage-Motivated Economy
In his 1926 industrialist manifesto (available online at Google Books, in excerpted form), Great Today and a Greater Future, written with Samuel Crowther, Ford said, "We have heard a great deal about the profit motive being wrong. We have heard nothing at all about the wage motive. That is the only motive of any importance." (Italics mine. Interestingly, and however implausible it may seem, a "salary motive" or "stock-option motive" were apparently as relatively unimportant to Henry Ford as the profit motive was in that book.)
How did Ford seemingly upend capitalism and argue that wages, not profits drive the economy?—by identifying consumer demand rather than corporate profits as the economy's spark plug. As he conceived it, the "wage motive" is effective management's (rather than the toiling workers'?) goal: the goal of "enlarging buying power by paying workers high wages and selling at low prices" (Great Today and Greater Future, page 11). To argue his point, Ford advanced the prima facie counter-intuitive notion that profits were important mostly as a means to higher wages (with which his Model-Ts could be made affordable, yet sold at a profit).
When reinvested into the company for purposes such as creating greater efficiencies and economies of scale, profits lower costs, he (and Crowther) said. Lower costs for the consumer-worker means, Ford argued, a relative, if not absolute increase in wages. So, profits contribute to (relatively) higher wages, which expand consumer-worker buying power (which, on greater reflection, also strangely sounds like an argument for the otherwise denied comparable centrality of the profit motive).
Of course, for Ford the man, to sell at low prices meant achieving great economies of scale and, therefore, having to conveniently become a very big company—like Ford, the current corporation. As Henry put it (with an altruistic spin), "Any business founded on the wage motive and motivated solely with the thought of service must grow big." (Ibid. page 12).
Why Nobody is Talking About the "Wage/Salary" Motive
To say that "nobody" is talking about the wage or salary motive may seem like an exaggeration—but, in fact, it is not much of one. For each Google reference to "wage motive", there are 431 references to the "profit motive". The "salary motive" fares much worse: a dwarfing 2090-to-1 ratio.
Moreover, much of the scant talk about these available on the Internet is highly academic, e.g., a book citation of Oxford philosopher Antony Flew's dismissal of not only "wage motive", but also "profit motive" and "interest motive" as peculiar ideas. So, why is that? Here are two conjectures.
Lingering effects of McCarthyism: The Cold War "Red Scare" and 1950's McCarthy-incited witch-hunts for radicals, revolutionaries, spies and subversives made, then and thereafter, any talk about "wage motive" riskier than in Ford's day (even though the specter of Marxism already loomed large in Europe then).
Try this free association test: Say the first thing that pops into your mind when you think "wage motive". Hard to do, now that you've read this far. But, chances are that before you had read anything about the wage motive (including either Part I or Part II of this analysis), and assuming "wage motive" made any sense to you, you might have thought "worker" or "worker goals", "needs of workers", "rights of workers", or some such thing, like starting to hum "The Internationale" and—in the McCarthy era—thoughts about being hounded to sing before a Senate committee on un-American activities.
Without coaching him, I asked a very savvy real estate agent friend of mine, who speaks five languages, to do the test and got "work", "worker", "greed" and "slavery" as his responses—the last two representing two fears: the fear that workers will demand too much and the fear that they will get too little. (Admittedly, I didn't ask him for associations in any of the other four languages.)
In terms of fears of worker revolts, these two correspond to the fear of waking and sleeping dragons, respectively.
Now try free-associating "salary motive". My guess is that the associations are more neutral, if not difficult to summon up at all. But, since a salary motive is more like a wage motive than it is like a profit motive, it is likely to induce a kind of guilt or fear by association with a wage motive and be relegated to simmering on the backburner of economic history.
That said, it remains to wonder why the salary motive is even more invisible than the wage motive (in terms of Internet citations)—especially since it seems rather less menacing to those wary of workers' movements and demands.
That kind of fear can exert a grip or at least an inhibiting influence long after its sponsors and the worst have passed, much as the fear of a return visit of a tyrannical mother-in-law can linger even just after she has flown home.
Perception of Wage Earners as "Human Resources" and "Factors of Production": Since the basic model of capitalism identifies labor as a "factor of production"—along with the likes of land, machinery and cash, it is tempting to conclude that since a worker's labor is a "resource", the worker himself is a resource: a "human resource". A corporation, on the other hand, is a resource organizer—a "resourceful/resource-full" organizer, if you will, not merely a resource. Accordingly, in the conventional view, the corporation's motive force, the profit motive, is paramount.
Hence, with a bit more logical maneuvering, it may seem reasonable to argue that, since physical capital and resources, such as wood and machinery, do not have "motives", the ascription of motives, such as wage or salary motives, to other resources—including human resources or industrial robots—is not a high priority and perhaps not even sensible (politically or conceptually).
On this view, earning a wage or a salary (as opposed to the rarely-mentioned motive to do so) is best understood as merely a consequence of doing business, not as an incentive to do it.
Driven Around the Bend
Were he alive to ponder such a philosophically disagreeable assertion, Henry would be likely to reply, "So, driving one of my Model-Ts was the consequence of owning one, not a motive for buying it?"
Weighing such arguments and counter-arguments, it quickly becomes evident that there is another useful allusion to Henry's Model-T Ford.
The debate, like the car itself, can drive you around the bend if it gets out of hand.
Image: "A BUSINESS DRIVEN BY THE PROFIT MOTIVE, OR BY THE WAGE MOTIVE? (1908 Model-T Ford)/Image (modified): Wikipedia"


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Whether you first discover Chris Farr through his previous work with guitar wiz Johnny A., or more recently touring alongside songwriting greats, James Maddock, or Kat Frankie, it's clear playing for the song is priority #1.
American born Farr, who currently resides in Berlin, Germany, first made the transatlantic move after spending 7 years in the NYC music scene.
A graduate of Berklee College of Music ('99-'02), Farr was given a scholarship to the college and was asked to play the Commencement concert in '02 honoring Shirley Horn and David Foster.
Since finishing Berklee, Farr has had the opportunity to share the stage with the likes of Hiromi, Albert Lee, Johnny A, Jon Faddis, Oli Rockberger, and James Burton to name a few.
Farr has toured extensively both as a headliner and support act throughout the US, Uk, and Europe. As a support act with Johnny A, the band was asked to go on the road in support of Joe Satriani, JJ Cale, Steve Vai, Eric Johnson, Sonny Landreth, and Peter Frampton.
Currently, Farr can be seen playing mostly in Berlin's music scene with a variety of projects including Adwoa Hackman, Osca, Les Blaque Pearlz, Mona Mur &En Esch, and Kat Frankie.


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Our Mission: Inspiring a Love of Judaism, 365 days a year
URJ Camp Newman takes the magic of camp, translates it into a year-round experience, and brings it you!
URJ Camp Newman offers an expanded menu of fun, immersive Jewish experiences, 365 days a year. Our mission is to become a year-round hub for Jewish engagement—broadcasting the top hits from our camp playlist, far and wide, all year. We accomplish this through three key offerings:
Summer Programs
From our popular summer camp in Santa Rosa, to social action corps nationwide, to educational trips to Israel, our summer programs empower children, teens and adults to better themselves, their communities, and the world.
Year-Round Programs
We offer meaningful Jewish experiences for all ages, all year, in Santa Rosa and beyond! Inspired by the magic of camp, our programs foster a love of Judaism while connecting you to our local and global Jewish community.
Facility Rentals
Nestled in the wine country, our Retreat & Conference Center is the perfect setting for your corporate, congregational or family retreat. Enjoy multiple indoor and outdoor spaces, acres of hiking trails, and more.
Rooted in Jewish Values
Our summer and year-round programs are rooted in the Jewish principles of:
- Tikkun Olam, bettering our world
- Tikkun Middot, bettering ourselves
- Gimilute Chasadim, acts of loving kindness
- Betzelem Elohim, all humans are created in a divine image
- Talmud Torah, love of learning for learning sake
- Ahavat Israel, love of Israel
These timeless, universal values form the backbone of every program we plan, anchoring each event in our Jewish tradition. It's just one way we make Judaism relevant, accessible and meaningful today.


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Welcome to The Oyster Rock, a family-owned and operated waterfront Calabash seafood restaurant specializing in excellent seafood and raw bar items, mixed with a flavorful variety of mouth-watering beef, chicken and pork dishes, along with sandwiches and burgers all prepared in house every day using only the freshest and finest ingredients from local and regional suppliers and the beautiful Atlantic Ocean right outside our doors.Overlooking the scenic Calabash River and its pristine estuaries and relaxing atmosphere, The Oyster Rock provides the most amazing view around, from our indoor and outdoor seating areas and bars featuring more than 24 domestic and imported beers on tap, 30 wines by the glass and a delicious collection of specialty cocktails.
Michael's Seafood Restaurant is an all-encompassing stop for both easy-going seafood meals and catering for casual parties or big events. Located in a central shopping and business section of inland Carolina Beach, this fresh eatery has been wowing patrons of all varieties – from event planners to vacationing families – with a big selection of coastal eats.


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As an example of what I'm talking about, I'm going to share with you the following article:
Written for a recent edition of USA today, it describes the plight of fraternal organizations and how they are dealing with a loss of membership. Give it a good read and pay special attention to the numbers. Think about how that could effect DeMolay.
What do you think we need to do to attract more members? Post your reply in the comments section!
Frat! ~ "Dad" Seth Anthony


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Tag Archives: perched water table
Should You Put Gravel or Rocks at the Bottom of Plant Pots for Drainage?
There's an old gardening myth that it's best to put a layer of gravel or rocks at the bottom of a plant pot to improve drainage, but how true is it? Can the practice actually harm plants more than help … Continue reading
Posted in Gardening Information, Permaculture Tagged capillary action, container gardening, drainage in pots and containers, explaining capillary action, garden mythbusting, gravel in bottom of plant pots for drainage, growing in pots, how did the tradition of putting gravel at the bottom of pots originate, how to increase drainage in pots and containers, perched water table, perlite, the correct way to increase drainage in pots and containers, vermiculite 23 Comments


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Jeanette Fitzsimons, Green Party co-leader spoke this week with Herald political journalist Kevin Taylor. An edited version of this interview was published in today's Weekend Herald.
Why vote Green at this election when that risks reducing Labour's chances of being the party with the most seats in the next Parliament - and thus its chance of being the party with first right to form a Government?
Not voting Green in this election risks Labour not having a sensible coalition partner or being forced into the arms of Winston Peters. Voting Green is the only vote that is going to deliver a Green Labour Government, because no other party will tell you who they're going to work with.
Do you think voters have really got the message that a vote for the Greens is a vote for a Labour-led Government, or has the bickering between you two simply left voters confused?
We've been saying it now for two years; I think the message is getting across but that's what the next six weeks are about, of course, is making sure that it does get across. I don't think we've been bickering. I think we've been criticising them when their policies weren't up to it and supporting them when they were.
Do you ever regret the fallout with Labour over GM which resulted in Labour going with United Future? In retrospect was the cost in terms of the wider centre-left agenda too large regardless of the merits of your stance on GM?
There was no way that the Greens could have been in Cabinet when the moratorium was lifted and applications were allowed for the release of GE, and kept any integrity at all or any confidence from our voters. For all we knew there was actually going to be a full-scale release once that moratorium came off and we just had to be the principled thing even though it cost us a lot.
This time GM is not the big issue, but you would still oppose its release into the environment. How far would you take that opposition - to the extent of withdrawing confidence and supply?
There's no imminent risk of GE release because there are no applications even in the pipeline and no-one that's known to be wanting to be putting anything in, so it seems unlikely that that is going to come up in the next few years.
If it does the Greens will put everything into opposing the release of GE into our environment. Without knowing the precise circumstances I can't tell you any more than that.
Why are you avoiding making bottom-lines this time?
Last election was a very particular circumstance. There was an imminent threat that we wanted to avoid and that was the one time in history when that bottom line could be set. That is not the situation now.
Every party actually has lots of bottom lines. Labour has told us they have heaps of bottom lines. But this time we don't see one particular issue that is likely to be a coalition breaker in the sense that we can't negotiate some progress towards our agenda.
Of all the Green Party's key policies, which can you therefore guarantee you will deliver in Government?
I think you can anticipate that the Greens in Government would deliver a lot of progress towards more sustainable energy use, preparing for rising oil prices, environmental progress in the sense of cleaning up our water and our air, a better deal for students and young graduates - our policy is still the strongest and obviously we'd be negotiating around that.
Some improvements for the poorest members of our society and some improvements in health and safety of food for our kids.
How essential is it that you go into a formal coalition this time with Labour. Is this election the Greens last chance of making it into Government for a while given things will inevitably shift to the centre-right?
The Green movement is around for the long term and nothing is ever the last chance. We are ready I think for the responsibilities of Government.
We have eight experienced MPs returning and some very high-quality candidates coming in behind them, so this would be a good time for us to take greater responsibility in a Government.
But what happens after the election will be based on what is best for New Zealand and for the long-term future of the Green Party. There's no mad rush to go into Government at any price.
What would you want to see in a coalition agreement?
We would want to see substantial progress on a range of Green policies so that our supporters would feel, yes this Government is delivering quite a bit of what the Greens have been campaigning for.
And we would want to see a working relationship between Labour and the Greens based on trust and where there is a process that will work for dealing with the inevitable difficulties that come up during the term of a coalition. So it is about process as well as about the policy outcomes.
If a deal meant ministerial portfolios, what would the Greens want?
There are quite a lot of portfolios that the Greens could handle and I don't intend to litigate them through the media in advance. I think it's pretty clear that we've got a number of capable people that could do a range of different portfolios and we just have to wait and see.
What mechanisms would you want in the arrangement so that you do not suffer the same fate as the other minor parties who have gone into coalition?
The other parties who've gone into coalition and virtually disappeared have not had a really clear brand. They've been kind of, well if you take the Alliance they wanted to be more Labour than Labour, but they were on the same continuum.
If you take United Future they just wanted to be centre, and the centre of the road is a very crowded place where you tend to get run over.
The Greens have got a very identifiable brand and a philosophy that is different from other parties, so I don't think there's the same risk of us being swallowed up and disappearing. And we would expect in coalition never to have to hide what we really thought about things.
But the question is what mechanisms you would want in the arrangements so that you don't get buried? You must have a clause for example that allows you to speak out when you need to?
Well the Cabinet Manual now has a clause that allows partners to agree to disagree and even to vote separately. I think that's got to be used with great caution and very sparingly, but I think it is a good safeguard for those rare cases where it's too important just to compromise.
I think also a mistake that the Alliance made in coalition was that their supporters never knew whether they'd put up a fight in Cabinet and lost on an issue or whether they'd never even put up a fight.
I think there's nothing in Cabinet solidarity or the Cabinet Manual that prevents you from going to the public when an issue's being debated and saying, look this is our view, we argued it all the way through in Cabinet, we didn't have the numbers, we lost.
That's democracy and as part of a government we have to live with that, but we tried. And I think the public will accept that, that even if some cherished policy you don't succeed, well the answer in a democracy is, well give us more votes next time and we will.
Would you be willing to work in a four-way arrangement with Labour, United Future, and Progressives if necessary?
I don't think it will come to that, and it's certainly not our preference, but we haven't ruled out any relationship that is based on a policy that we can sign up to.
It's not about the people or the position, its about the policy platform. And if they're prepared to sign up to a policy platform that were prepared to sign up to then yes, of course, we'd give it a go.
Could you work with New Zealand First as a partner in Government?
Well the same applies to that, if they're prepared to sign up to the policies. I guess if you have several parties in Cabinet, they've got their different portfolios, they're pursuing what they want to do in those portfolios according to a platform that everyone's agreed to.
If you can't reach agreement on that basic platform then you don't form a government.
Your polling has you above the all-important 5 per cent threshold in some polls, but below in others. Given you have no backstop electorate seat to fall back on, how confident are you of getting over the threshold?
Oh, I don't really think there's a risk of not getting over the threshold.
You were Coromandel's MP 1999 to 2002. Why not try to win it again to give the Greens some insurance if the worst happened?
Small parties don't win seats unless their party support is highly concentrated in a few places. The Green support is probably more evenly spread through the country geographically and demographically than any other party.
So winning Coromandel was one of those rare instances where circumstances all came together, an unpopular National Government, an unpopular National MP, Labour nowhere to be seen, hadn't tried for decades, and I was a clear second and we made it a two-party race.
The moment Labour decided that they wanted to be in with a chance, too, and put up a different candidate and campaigned at the last election to take the seat off me, it became a three-way race and I can't win a three-way race.
You have put much store in campaigning on an oil shortage being just over the horizon. Why are voters not responding?
The public are responding very strongly to that message. I'm not sure they're linking it with the way they vote and I guess that's our job in the next six weeks.
But the meetings I've been doing around the country on that issue of the end of cheap oil and rising oil prices and oil depletion have been as well attended as the ones that I held on GE some years ago, in quite small places, quite surprising turnouts.
The public are concerned and they're intensely interested in what they can do in their lives to prepare and also in what we should be doing as a country to prepare. And I haven't found naysayers at the meetings.
People see this as credible, they look at the overseas evidence, they look at the people who've had a lifetime in the oil industry who are saying this and they are saying yeah, we'd better take notice. The skeptics are all in this place (Parliament).
Retiring Green MP Ian Ewen-Street delivered a warning recently that the party was sending confused messages to voters and it was at a crossroads over how it presented itself. Do you agree with that?
No, I don't, and neither does the rest of the caucus or the party. There are a few people in the Greens who are uncomfortable with the idea that we are not solely an environmental party.
We have never been solely an environmental party, neither was the Values Party before us. We were founded on four principles: ecology, social justice, democracy and peace. Those four principles underpin everything we do.
Are the Greens anything more than a bunch of single issue causes masquerading as a political party?
Well this is Conservation Week and the theme of Conservation Week this year is all things are connected. The connections between those four principles are extremely strong. You cannot protect the planet's ecosystem if you ignore the face of people; they've got to go together.
The same forces that are destroying the environment are the forces that discriminate against people, drive down their wages, and cause social harm. And they are the same forces that lead to war. So those four principles, it's very hard to see how any of them can work without the others.
Why are you pushing marijuana law reform when there's certainly no will in Parliament for it, and it risks being a vote-loser for you?
Our assessment is that we could get a majority in Parliament for Nandor's new bill, which is a softer approach than we've been talking about previously and which treats a marijuana offence as an infringement offence, rather than a criminal conviction.
So we do think that there will be a majority for that. Helen Clark herself has in the past advocated that approach to drugs. It's part of our overall message that marijuana is a health issue not a criminal justice issue, and that we have to focus on preventing the abuse not on locking people up.
Things like the Supreme Court and Maori TV are only law because of the Greens support, yet you've had absolutely no recognition. Given that, hasn't it been a frustrating three years for you?
Opposition is always more frustrating than being in a position of influence, and that's what we are hoping to change.
You and Rod Donald are co-leaders of the party and have been for several years. If you or he left, would such a co-leaders arrangement continue?
Yes it would. The party has a strong commitment to shared positions and to gender balanced positions, although in a way that's kind of less necessary than it was because it happens automatically. Our list is gender-balanced without anybody having to make it that way, just because that's the way our members voted.
Is this your last election as co-leader?
I haven't made any decisions about the future. Apart from this current cold I'm in excellent health with plenty of energy, and enjoying my job. I'm looking forward to this election and to the next term and after that, who knows. I make each decision as it comes.
Who would you see as future co-leader material or leadership material in the party?
I can see quite a few at the moment and it would be more than my job is worth to start picking on one at this stage.
So no names?
Absolutely no names.
* Greens co-leader Rod Donald was in Australia when this interview was conducted.
Interview: Jeanette Fitzsimons, Green Party co-leader
Jeanette Fitzsimons, Green Party co-leader spoke this week with Herald political journalist Kevin Taylor. An edited version of this interview was published in today's Weekend Herald.


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- Method
- Put the cherries and bourbon in a small mixing bowl. Let the cherries thaw completely. Drain off the liquid and reserve.
- Put the cherry/bourbon liquid, honey and lemon juice in a small sauce pan. Turn heat to medium high. Bring to boil for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Turn off heat. Let it sit on the blaze.
- Slice the brie cheese (sideways) through the middle making two large circles. Place on a parchment paper covered cookie sheet.
- On the bottom circle, use your thumb or the tip of a spoon to make divots (indentations) all around. Place the cherries in these indentations. They will 'sit' more securely. Sprinkle on about half of the pistachios and about half of the reduce liquid.
- Put the top brie round on. Gently press down. Drizzle with the remaining liquid and sprinkle on the remaining pistachios.
- Bake in a preheated 350° oven for about 8-9 minutes or until the cheese begins to ooze out the sides.
- Remove and serve directly from the cookie sheet with hot baguette bread.
Crafted By
Yield6+ servings
Prep Time20 min
Cook Time20 min


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FDLI's Winckler to Step Down as President and CEO; Search Underway
The Food and Drug Law Institute ("FDLI") recently announced that President and Chief Executive Officer Susan C. Winckler will step down from that position effective May 23, 2014. Ms Winckler, a pharmacist and attorney, was named to the position in November 2009. She previously served as Chief of Staff at FDA.
"Susan has done a tremendous job leading FDLI over the past 4½ years, and it has been a pleasure working with her. Her presence will be missed," said Jeffrey N. Gibbs, a Director at Hyman, Phelps & McNamara, P.C. and member of the FDLI Board of Directors and the organization's General Counsel.
Founded in 1949, FDLI is a non-profit organization that provides a marketplace for discussing food and drug law issues through conferences, publications and member interaction. FDLI is accepting applications for the position of President and CEO (see here). The President and CEO is responsible for developing and managing FDLI's programs, publications and other services, and is also responsible for membership development, assuring the financial stability of the organization, and leading, motivating and managing FDLI's staff.


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In this video, bet your friends that they can not lift an entire glass using only a plastic straw. They will most likely struggle, push the glass around a bit and try to balance it all, to no avail. Then, you come along and save the day with this trick!
The Set Up:
Place a large drinking straw and an empty glass on a bar or table. Ask someone to pick up the glass using only a straw.
The Rules:
The straw will be in the glass and only one hand can be used during the lift. Grasping of the glass with the straw in between your fingers is against the rules.
The Solution:
Bend the straw in half just about the same length as the opening of the mouth of the glass (or bottle). Now, stick the folded end into the glass and try to catch the lip of the glass with the end of the straw - then lift!
You can perform this trick with any glass including wine or any beer bottle.
Want to master Microsoft Excel and take your work-from-home job prospects to the next level? Jump-start your career with our Premium A-to-Z Microsoft Excel Training Bundle from the new Gadget Hacks Shop and get lifetime access to more than 40 hours of Basic to Advanced instruction on functions, formula, tools, and more.


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Amy Adams has been cast as Lois Lane, fellow Daily Planet journalist and romantic interest of Clark Kent, in the Superman reboot. Adams is the fourth official cast member to join the Superman reboot: Henry Cavill (The Tudors) is Clark Kent/Superman; Diane Lane and Kevin Costner will play Clark's adoptive parents Martha and Jonathan Kent.
In keeping with the secrecy surrounding plot details, director Zack Snyder (Sucker Punch) declined to comment on the prominence of Lois Lane or the nature of her character arc in the movie, but he did call the role "a linchpin" to the project. Read more of what Snyder had to say about signing Adams after the break.
Snyder told Hero Complex:
"There was a big, giant search for Lois. For us it was a big thing and obviously a really important role. We did a lot of auditioning but we had this meeting with Amy Adams and after that I just felt she was perfect for it."
I've been a card-carrying member of the Amy Adams Fanclub since Junebug, so I couldn't agree more. The official bio describes Lois as "a strong and assertive woman more than capable of handling herself in dangerous situations." Done. Just give Adams a bottle of brown hair dye and she's good to go.
Snyder spoke a bit about how he'd like to present Clark and Lois to a modern audience:
"It goes back to what I've said about Superman and making him really understandable for today. What's important to us is making him relevant and real and making him empathetic to today's audience so that we understand the decisions he makes. That applies to Lois as well. She has to be in the same universe as him [in tone and substance]."
The reboot, which may go by the title Superman: Man of Steel, is scheduled for release in December 2012.


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An unsettling and sad film; it shows a nightmare world few people know and that few would want to. This Barcelona - so different to the party capital so beloved of pleasure seekers - is a land of muted greys and blues, a purgatory for the halfway dead, only brought to life by violence, argument and recriminations. It is a challenging film but one that gets under the skin, creating nagging doubts at the back of the mind for weeks afterwards. Pleasurable? No. But it is a profound experience and an intensely brave work that demands attention.
Javier Bardem picked up the best actor award at Cannes for his portrayal of cancer stricken Uxbal, a provider of poorly paid and highly dangerous work for illegal immigrants and it's not difficult to see why. It is a startling and mesmerizing performance. The complex personality of Uxbal struggling with internal and external conflicts while supporting two young children and a bi-polar wife is brought powerfully, sometimes uncomfortably, into focus.
Bardem tells the story of Uxbal's pain and fear of death, his guilt over exploiting the immigrants he proudly claims to help and his sadness for his lost father who escaped Franco and only returned as a corpse through his magnificently expressive dark eyes. Truly, Bardem can sell a scene on a look or a glance.
While there is little doubt that the film is anchored around its star, Biutiful also benefits strongly from an excellent supporting cast, especially Marciel Álvarez as Uxbal's unstable wife Marambra. Her wild eyes and tiny almost imperceptible twitching movements perfectly capture the flickering passions and desperate manipulations going on under the sound and fury of her irrational psyche.
The cinematography too, from González Iñárritu regular Rodrigo Prieto, is wonderfully delivered, picking up sombre abstract beauty in the darkness and deprivation of the city's tortured life and death. Haunting images seem to directly impinge themselves upon the subconscious as Uxbal slips further and further into despair and ever closer to oblivion. A surreal, almost metaphysical series of scenes with him communing with a spirit world only add to the unusual and eerie nature of the piece.
At what could be seen as a 147 minute sermon on the nature of death and the human capacity to find beauty in ugliness and squalor, Biutiful, will no doubt be a turn off for some. True, it should be approached with caution but the long running time and tricky subject matter should be no barrier for what is a remarkable and compelling work of cinema. Audiences coming away will feel as though they've witnessed something horrible, beautiful and real.
Biutiful will be released on 28 January 2011, and you can visit the official website at www.biutiful-themovie.com
Don't Panic attempt to credit photographers and content owners wherever possible, however due to the sheer size and nature of the internet this is sometimes impractical or impossible. If you see any images on our site which you believe belong to yourself or another and we have incorrectly used it please let us know at email@example.com and we will respond asap.


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Ashley Ventura, Operations Assistant
Ashley Ventura is the Operations Assistant for Specialized Property Management. She is responsible for the overarching operational processes of the company. Ms. Ventura manages client portfolios for all markets within the company, as she reviews and imports all incoming contracts. She also serves as a Notary Public and assists with documentation completion and filing.
Ms. Ventura has over eight years of administrative management and comprehensive customer service experience. She is very thorough and detail-oriented, which help with her daily operational functions. Ms. Ventura is always willing and excited to help clients, tenants, and her team.
In her spare time, you will find Ms. Ventura enjoying her time with her son experiencing new and exciting different adventures. She also volunteers for her community and is an active board member of her son's school parent teacher association.


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Crafts & Handiwork - Ribbon Embroidery, Counted Cross-Stitch, and Stumpwork Stitches
My daughter-in-law, the incredibly talented Mary Kay Lady, has several hobbies which include the topics listed in the title of the hub. Coincidence? I think not...
Her favorite, and the one she tells me is most soothing to work on in front of the TV - especially as some of the programs do not entirely hold her interest - is counted cross-stitch. The woman amazes me...I have watched as she stitched her way through a good two inches of work, her head bent over her work, all the while keeping one ear and half an eye on the TV program she was following.
...and she never missed a stitch or a plot point.
While browsing through a local book store - they were having their summer monster sale, and we do adore book sales - we came across a beautifully illustrated volume on stumpwork by Jane Nicholas - the illustrations on the right are from an online article about her work..
I was about to return it to the bin, but my daughter-in-law reached for it, saying, "Oh, perfect. I've always wanted to try that. It looks a bit like fancy appliqué, doesn't it?"
Needless to say, I was already lost. After reading the books we purchased, however, I am lost no longer.
Examples of Stump-work can be found as early as the seventeenth century. Designs illustrated stories from the Bible or depicted the English Stuart Court - people, castles, flowers, animals, insects and fruit were popular subjects. Once the young girls of the house had mastered their stitch sampler, Stump-work would be one of their next tasks.
Parts of a Stump-work design are hand stitched separately from the main background fabric and then attached. Many different styles of stitching were employed. Fine canvas was stitched and then appliquéd to the main fabric. Wired slips or "envelopes" were stitched to produce clothing for the characters or for flower petals, etc. Fruit and faces were sometimes made by covering wooden shapes. Many types of threads such as cotton, silk, wool, and metallic threads, were used alongside spangles, beads and metallic coils etc. Often the embroiderer would stitch her initials and year of stitching on the embroidery using small pearl beads.
Designs were usually printed on thick white satin. The individual elements of the designs were easily recognizable, but the size of people, animal, flowers etc would not correspond to any truly life-size representation. The Stag deer could be smaller than the flower sitting next to it. The stars, sun, moon and rain where often found all in the same picture, giving an innocent air to the design.
- Learn stumpwork embroidery with this free tutorial
This cute little rabbit in a basket will help you learn the basics of stumpwork embroidery. Step by step instructions and photographs.
- Home Page | Jane Nicholas Stumpwork Embroidery
Jane Nicholas is recognised internationally as being at the forefront of modern designers interpreting raised embroidery. Here you will find more information about Jane and her work, and the entire catalogue of embroidery kits, books and supplies ava
Ribbon Embroidery
My daughter-in-law keeps telling me that this is such an easy form of embroidery that I should give it a try...and I must admit, the basic stitches are quite simple. Mastery of this deceptively simple art-form can take years.
I have made any number of crewel work pillows and pictures and enjoyed that form of embroidery very much. This is similar in that you can cover a lot of area quite quickly. The artistry comes in the placement of the design elements, the layers of elements that build up the completed work, and the delicacy of the operator.
Illustrations from A-Z of Ribbon Embroidery Ed. Sue Gardner
Three Basic Stitches
This antique form of
embroidery is enjoying a resurgence of interest. Used to embellish almost
anything from patchwork bags and picture frames to corset covers (yes, Virginia,
modern young women do still indulge in the wearing of corsets from time to
time,) and outerwear, silk Ribbon embroidery is fun and quite easy to do. Even
a novice can create elegant floral arrangements and beautiful patterns with
some simple stitches.
Straight stitch: Figure 1
The most basic of stitches can be used for numerous effects
- Bring up at A, pull through
- Insert down at B, pull through
Ribbon stitch: Figure 2
This stitch makes great leaves or petals, and works only with silk ribbon.
- Bring up at A, pull through.
- Lay ribbon flat on fabric and insert needle at B, piercing ribbon and pulling through slowly. Ribbon will curl into B, so don't pull tightly, or effect will be lost. To vary curl, pierce B to right or left of center of ribbon width.
Tip: If ribbon appears straight and narrow, make another stitch on top of first one.
Lazy daisy: Figure 3
Use for petals or leaves with ribbon, floss, or perle cotton.
- Bring up at A, pull through
- Make loop in direction of other end of stitch and insert at B, a thread or two to side of A.
- Pull out at C, in direction needle points until loose loop is formed, then stitch back down at D.
Note: To prevent ribbon from twisting when it's drawn through fabric after pulling out at C, arrange it around needle so it's flat. Gently hold in place with thumb while sliding needle and ribbon through.
From the author's collection
There are so many lovely examples of this artistic craft, but I would like to describe two of which I am inordinately proud. The lovely lady who graces the wall above my headboard is a sterling example of counted cross-stitch, lovingly completed for me by my multi-talented daughter-in-law...you know the one I mean - the Mary Kay Lady...
The pattern called for a specific color of Aida cloth (the cloth on which most of these designs are stitched) but as that color was unavailable, she hand dyed the cloth to the required shade. The design is embellished with tiny pearls and metallic beads which give it a delicate sparkle as the light catches them, while the rich silk flosses lend a gentle glow to the lady's satin gown.
The photo hardly does her lovely work justice, but the "Christmas Angel" has pride of place in my living room.
The second is the beautiful a four-season wreath pictures at the right. From the first time I laid eyes on the design in Michael's Arts and Crafts, I knew it would one day grace a feature wall in my new home. I was going to frame it, but the delicate stitchery tends to flatten out a bit when placed under glass, and ti do love the texture. It took a while to decide how to mount the piece, but I finally settled on a quilted wall hanging with a dark green border. That is still in the works. In the meantime though, the wreath adorns one of my bed cushions where I can enjoy its beauty every day.
© 2009 RedElf
Beautiful work displayed here! Your daughter-in-law enjoys some of my favorite hobbies. I hope we get to see the finished wreath. It sounds like it could be the topic for a hub all its own!
What an awesome hub!! I'm stunned, and can't wait to get off from work tonight to go to the craft store, but the remaining supplies I need, and get going. I've done embroidery, tatting, crocheted lace, punch-needle embroideri, and just about every other needle "sport" you can think of. I have some ribbon, some needles, and plenty of patience, but there must be other stuff I need to buy at the craft store, too. :-) Thanks for an excellent, inspiring hub, and may your needles never grow lonely for your touch and your work never go without praise.
These are some stunning embroideries!
This hub and your daughter-in-law, have inspired me to start making something on my own.
Thanks for sharing and explaining this wonderful artwork!
Great iamges, and so detailed stiches, very artistic. Thanks for explaining what stumpwork is - I never heard of it before although so was good to learn soemthing new. And you just encouraged me to try the ribbon embroidery, the examples promise a great result.
I am thrilled to find this marvelous hub on "ribbon embroidery". The photos are stunning and I can hardly wait to try this myself. I'm not that good at embroidery, but I just have to try this. How I wish your talented daughter-in-law lived next door to me. :) Rated awesome, beautiful and big thumbs up and a great big thanks to you. You sure know how to put a perfect hub together! vocalcoach
RedElf, I have always wanted to try stumpwork, it is so beautiful. I look at it and keep procrastinating, I have a great respect for those who can jump into trying a new craft or should I say extende3d craft. Ribbon embroidery is very pretty especially when used on Holiday ornaments. But, cross stich is my passion. I have to agree with your daughter-in-law, it is very relaxing. I love the pictures of the stitchery crafts, they show the detail so clearly. Great job.
I wish I have the time to try out these amazing crafts. Thank you.
Lovely hub! I am getting into ribbon embroidery myself these days. There are so many creative expressions in it, it's amazing!
I love to make had crafted items, your daughter in law sure does have some talent! I have a difficult time seeing even with my bifocals! So doing cross stitch is out of the question :-(. I always wanted to learn how to tat, does she do that as well?
Very nice Hub and well put together, lovely pictures as well!
Those are beautiful, thank you for this lovely hub. the tutorials are clear and nice
nice hub
Very beautiful embroideries and a great tutorial! thanks!
Very Well written hub !! very informative too..thanks for sharing :D
I really enjoyed this hub. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you! I've been looking for instructions on ribbon embroidery simply because I have no more room for full books!
These are very pretty (needless to say). I've never heard of it.
Beautiful stitch work. This is absolutely lovely. My grandmother used to have such beautiful embroidery. I only wish I had learned more from her.
Very nice Hub. The photos are great!
Haha, most of my handiwork ends up going too slowly, or I forget to take pictures of it before I give it away as a gift. :) I have written a few Hubs on the subject of lace knitting, though, and one of them has a picture of a pattern I designed, if nothing else.
I plan to do another Hub on lace knitting soon, but you know, maybe one on embroidery, or on frugal crafting, would also be fun to write. Thanks for the inspiration, RedElf! :D
I love embroidery, and I think I'm going to try my hand at some ribbon embroidery at some point. It looks like it'll be good for some interesting texture and effects. Excellent Hub, and quite inspirational!
Extremely exquiste designs and explicit detailed instructions!
Thanks,RedElf. Wonderful to have a creative and talented daughterinlaw!
Hey very very beautiful images and I love embroidery I also know few stitches and I am going to try these stitches very nice and informative hub and your daughter in law is very creative.
I love needlework too, and my favorite is counted cross-stitch. Ribbon embroidery is a close second. The photos and illustrations are wonderful. Thanks for sharing!
Wonderful..my sister is good at this!But alas!poor me..I tried..no luck..:( Thanks for a great hub!:)
Beautiful! I seen the finished work, but not how to do it.. I'm very good at the crewel and embroydery, but this is facinating! Thank you!
You are indeed lucky to have such a talented and generous daughter-in-law. I too am waiting for pictures of her work! I'm sure they must be beautiful.
What a great hub, almost makes me want to try my hand at the ribbon stitching...
I enjoyed this hub!
Love this hub, yesterday I bought a ribbon dispenser at the thrift shop and I was wondering how to use the beautiful satin ribbon. Now I know. Thank you so much and congrats to your daughter in law (the Mary Kay lady!) for her patience. I look forward to seeing your pics of her work.
wow wonderful..... like the images, this is a really nice hub


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A Turkish court sentenced a journalist from the opposition Cumhuriyet newspaper to more than two years in jail on Thursday on charges of making people potential targets for militant groups through her reporting, the paper said.
Human rights organisations have voiced increasing concern about media freedom in Turkey, where President Tayyip Erdogan won elections last month triggering a move to a powerful executive presidency.
The case was triggered by an article which Canan Coskun wrote last September about prosecutors' questioning of detained lawyers for two hunger-striking teachers allegedly linked to the leftist DHKP-C militant group, designated a terrorist group by Turkey.
The court found that Coskun, who covered Istanbul courts for the paper, made "people involved in the fight against terrorism a target", the Cumhuriyet said.
A lawyer for Coskun told the court that the naming of a prosecutor in that article did not amount to making that person a target and denied the charges against her, rights group Amnesty International reported on Twitter.
"Another punishment for press freedom," main opposition party lawmaker Sezgin Tanrikulu, who attended the hearing, wrote on Twitter. "Writing a story and being a journalist is sufficient for a court to take a 'negative view'"."
In April, a court sentenced 14 staff of Cumhuriyet – one of the few remaining voices critical of the government – to jail on charges of terrorism and supporting a U.S.-based cleric blamed for organising an attempted coup in July 2016.
Since then more than 120 journalists have been detained and more than 180 media outlets closed on suspicion of links to the network of the Islamic preacher, Fethullah Gulen.
Free speech advocacy group Reporters Without Borders in April ranked Turkey 157 out of 180 countries in its annual report on global press freedom, and estimated about 90 percent of Turkey's newspaper coverage is pro-government.
Erdogan has frequently lashed out at media criticising the crackdown that followed the abortive putsch in 2016 and Turkey's military operations into northern Syria.


text:
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Exploring the binding properties and structural stability of an opsin in the chytrid Spizellomyces punctatus using comparative and molecular modeling
- Published
- Accepted
- Subject Areas
- Bioinformatics, Computational Biology, Evolutionary Studies, Genomics, Mycology
- Keywords
- Chytrid, Opsin, Homology Modeling, Light receptor, Protein structure, GPCR, Early diverging fungi, Evolution, Mycology, zoosporic
- Copyright
- © 2017 Ahrendt et al.
- Licence
- This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, reproduction and adaptation in any medium and for any purpose provided that it is properly attributed. For attribution, the original author(s), title, publication source (PeerJ Preprints) and either DOI or URL of the article must be cited.
- Cite this article
- 2017. Exploring the binding properties and structural stability of an opsin in the chytrid Spizellomyces punctatus using comparative and molecular modeling. PeerJ Preprints 5:e2397v2 https://doi.org/10.7287/peerj.preprints.2397v2
Background. Opsin proteins are seven transmembrane receptor proteins which detect light. Opsins can be classified into two types and share little sequence identity: type 1, typically found in bacteria, and type 2, primarily characterized in metazoa. The type 2 opsins (Rhodopsins) are a subfamily of G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs), a large and diverse class of seven transmembrane proteins and are generally restricted to metazoan lineages. Fungi use light receptors including opsins to sense the environment and transduce signals for developmental or metabolic changes. Opsins characterized in the Dikarya (Ascomycetes and Basidiomycetes) are of the type 1 bacteriorhodopsin family but the early diverging fungal lineages have not been as well surveyed. We identified by sequence similarity a rhodopsin-like GPCR in genomes of early diverging chytrids and examined the structural characteristics of this protein to assess its likelihood to be homologous to animal rhodopsins and bind similar chromophores.
Methods. We used template-based structure modeling, automated ligand docking, and molecular modeling to assess the structural and binding properties of an identified opsin-like protein found in Spizellomyces punctatus, a unicellular, flagellated species belonging to Chytridiomycota, one of the earliest diverging fungal lineages. We tested if sequence and inferred structure were consistent with a solved crystal structure of a type 2 rhodopsin from the squid Todarodes pacificus.
Results. Our results indicate that the Spizellomyces opsin has structural characteristics consistent with functional animal type 2 rhodopsins and is capable of maintaining a stable structure when associated with the retinaldehyde chromophore, specifically the 9-cis-retinal isomer. Together, these results support further the homology of Spizellomyces opsins to animal type 2 rhodopsins.
Discussion. This represents the first test of structure/function relationship of a type 2 rhodopsin identified in early branching fungal lineages, and provides a foundation for future work exploring pathways and components of photoreception in early fungi.
Author Comment
Updated the manuscript text based on peer review, simulations taken out to 100 ns instead of 10 ns and additional supporting tables on similar structures and I-TASSER results.


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Jee Le Zara 18th September 2013 Written Episode Update
Jee Le Zara 18th September 2013 Written Episode, Jee Le Zara 18th September 2013 Written Update
The episode starts with Saanchi coming home and seeing someone changing the curtains. She thinks Advait is doing it and asks him to get down. Dhruv removes the curtains from his face. Saanchi asks him to get down and she will do it. Aaji and Nani says they will handle it. Lawyer comes and Saanchi introduces him to everyone. And tells the lawyer that dhruv prepared the notes. Lawyer says he came to inform that the case hearing date came. Saanchi says when? He says this monday. Saanchi is shocked and says some guests are coming for lunch on Monday. She says can't we postponed it, he says no. Saanchi asks him to do something. lawyer says if judge gets angry then they may lose the case. Saanchi is tensed and is all the family. Prachi calls Sunil and asks him to talk to his parents to change the date. Sunil says his parents may change their decision and asks her to make Saanchi understand. Saanchi looks at Prachi, prachi says you are fulfilling Papa's dreams. I and sunil saw some dreams, before taking any decision think about it. Saanchi is shocked.
While Saanchi is in thoughts. Dhruv throws a flying paper rocket and says he sent some message with it. He asks what she was thinking? Saanchi says she don't know what to do? Dhruv asks her to think what her Dad would do in this situation. Dhruv searches something in the plants and says he fond her smile which was lost. Saanchi laughs. dhruv asks her to sleep and not to think about tomorrow. Dhruv says you want something from me? Dhruv says he is talking about recipees which his mom sent for her. Saanchi thanks him again. Dhruv says he wants return gift. Saanchi says you are not a kid. Dhruv says he wants her car to go on a drive, but Saanchi says she won't give it to anyone. He asks her about the name of the judge. Saanchi replies.
Aaji and Nani asks Saanchi about her decision. Nani says they will asks Sunil parents to come on tuesday. Ulka kaki comes and asks what they are talking about? Nani says they are postponing the monday's meeting to tuesday. Ulka says if you postponed the meeting then the groom's parents will not come as their ego gets hurt. She says postponing means cancelling the alliance. Aaji and Nani asks her to go on a meeting and they will handle Prachi and Ulka. Saanchi meets Dhruv and says prachi's mood is off. Dhruv says he will handle her. Saanchi says you are very smart.
Ulka tells the grannies to get ready to keep prachi at home. She says Saanchi never gave importance to her life and always focussed on work. Nani asks her to leave as Aaji's blood pressure will increase. Dhruv comes, Aaji says ulka always speaks bitter. Dhruv says you are cool Aaji. He asks for Prachi and goes to meet her. He tries to make her smile. Prachi says Saanchi didn't care for her and only cares about her farm. She says her dream to get marry to Sunil will be imcomplete. She says Sunil's parents won't agree this time. Dhruv says you tai will find a way out, she lives for you. she couldn't sleep in the night. Prachi asks why you said I am not smart? Dhruv says you would have cried aloud if you are smart. dhruv says he will get glycerine bottle for her. He asks her to save her energy.
Lawyer tells Saanchi that if we don't appear in the court then the case date will move forward. Saanchi tells the lawyer to change the date. Lawyer says it is not wise to take another date. he says they will lose the case. Saanchi says she understands but try to get another date. lawyer says you may lose too. Saanchi says she will go to supreme court if she lose at the lower court. She says she have to think about her sister's happiness. Lawyer says think about it. Saanchi says family comes first.
Dhruv is driving Saanchi's car and asks her to sit. She sits beside him.
Update Credit to: H_Hasan


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By Pat Loeb
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Margaret Thatcher, the first female British prime minister, who died today at 87 (see related story), is best remembered by Britain's honorary consul to Philadelphia by the label President Reagan gave her at the height of her power.
It wasn't "The Iron Lady" (the nickname she was most famous for), but he says it also sums up her decisive, authoritative style of leadership.
Oliver Franklin is a US citizen but is the point of contact, locally, for the region's 15,000 British expatriates. They are not all fans of Mrs. Thatcher, who, though elected to the longest term ever as prime minister — was a polarizing figure.
Franklin attributes that to a blunt style that, nonetheless, also won her a large number of fans, including Ronald Reagan.
"She was very belligerent in her language in order to get her point across," Franklin recalls, "prompting President Reagan, who was her very good friend, to say she was 'the only man in Britain.' "
But fan or not, local British subjects say her passing marks the end of an era. Howard Silverstone of Haddonfield, NJ says there may never be another like her.
"Se did what she had to do, there's no denying that. If she wasn't an effective leader, she wouldn't have been in power as long as she was," Silverstone tells KYW Newsradio.
He says she deserves a state funeral — an honor not usually granted to English politicians.


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Akitio has been on the front lines of Thunderbolt 3 accessories, something they maintained this NAB 2017 with their new Akitio Node expansion chassis that allows laptops and mini-pcs to accomplish a great deal more than normal. We spoke with Akitio's David Nguyen to find out more about the upcoming Akitio Node and a few other awesome items coming from Akitio.
The Thunderbolt™ 3 eGXF box is a low cost expansion chassis designed to house an external graphics card. Connected to the computer via Thunderbolt 3, the additional GPU power instantly upgrades a regular laptop or a mini PC and makes it possible to do things that would normally require a high-end workstation or gaming computer. For video editors and colorists, the dedicated GPU reduces the time it takes to render the footage, a computer that was not powerful enough for a VR headset is now potentially VR ready and for those that like to play games, these can now run at much higher frame rates than before.
The Akitio Node For more on the Akitio Node, visit Akitio.com


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Last evening, Jung Dettleback and I hosted our first "Sit and Knit" event at the Bound Brook Presbyterian Church. There were 5 of us: Jung, Val Yacik, Peggy Southerland, me and a woman named Elaine whose last name I never got, but who wants to learn to make prayer shawls. I spent a fair amount of time helping her learn to knit. Jung and I wanted to teach her Continental, but then I saw she was more comfortable wrapping the yarn around the needle, so we taught her the English way.
Val, who leads the prayer shawl group, said that so many of the prayer shawlers are working on scarves for the 100 Scarves project that the inventory of shawls is running low. I did give her my Comfort Shawl last night, so that's a help, but they need a lot more. So I came home after the knitting session and went up to the attic and pulled down some bulky yarn that will knit up fast. All of the yarn I chose is a shade of blue-green. This will motivate me to work on it quickly. 🙂
I started a new prayer shawl last night in the traditional K3, P3 pattern, and I've already done a foot. The Light and Lofty yarn that I'm using is so bulky, it's rated a size "6" (which is super bulky) and I'm using size 15 needles, though I'm now thinking I should've chosen size 17 because they'd go even faster. I have tons of this yarn, which is a good thing because I don't see it for sale anymore. I bought it to make a jacket that was published in Knitter's Magazine about 3 years ago. I never made the jacket, mostly because I have decided it's not a good style for someone of my weight. So I think I'll just use all this bright, bold turquoise yarn in prayer shawls instead. It's a happy color, and I like to associate turquoise with healing.
This morning, I've been thinking about God, the Universe and spirituality as I knit, instead of watching the Weather Channel and the History Channel, as I've been doing a lot lately. It's good to align oneself with the harmony of being when one knits a prayer shawl. Meditating instead of thinking about these things is better, but I didn't achieve a meditative state this morning. Perhaps I will get to it this afternoon.
I'd like to get this shawl done quickly. I still have 2 scarves for the 100 Scarves projects on the needles, the grey honeycomb one that you've seen, and the multicolored one that I said I'd do with Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's One-Row Scarf pattern. I worked on both of them at the knitting session last night. We don't need them until Christmas, though, so I have plenty of time to get them done. More importantly, I have that Fair Isle sweater, and I'd really like to get back to it. I had been planning to spend time on it today, and I may still take some time to work on it this afternoon.


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What we're about
We decide as a group what to read/discuss. We read one book per month (or try, anyway). We meet up in Logan Square(with exceptions). No themes, no restrictions on membership -- anyone is welcome (even if you don't live near the Logan Square neighborhood). You in???
Q: I noticed that I started having to pay $2 for each scheduled meetup. Why is that?
A: Meetup is not free for us to maintain! The $2 membership fee makes sure that your RSVP is valid and you're committed to the group.
Q: I noticed that this group meeting is not being held in Logan Square this month. What's the point of calling it the Logan Square Bookclub?
A: This group has been going on since Spring of 2012. While some of our beloved veteran members have moved away to Michigan, North Carolina, New York, etc. some of our other loving veterans have decided to stay more local to Chicago but outside of Logan Square. Occasionally they will kindly host in their homes as they love their book club and it's fun to get you out of the neighborhood and explore other parts of the city. Some of these neighborhoods include Pilsen, Uptown, Edgewater, Humboldt Park, etc. If this commute is too far for you from Logan Square, it's purely understood that you can't make it, but we ask that you respect the generosity of the non-Logan Square hosts during certain months.
Q: Where the heck is this meeting this month?!
A: Leadership always circulates the address the week of the meetup (M, T or W), so if you haven't RSVP'd 'YES' to the meetup a few days before the event, chances are you didn't get the email. Please privately message one of the leaders and they will get you your information.
Q: What should I bring?
A: Usually the host always supplies a bottle of wine and some minimal snacks, but we highly encourage people BYOS (snacks) to share with the group. Recently (Sept 2016) dues have been suggested to contribute if possible. $1-2 per month via meetup.com (http://meetup.com/), or a cash jar at each meeting.
Q: Can I host?
A: Yes, please! Throw your hand up at the end of each discussion when we're planning next months book and meetup.
Upcoming events (1)
First published in 1959, Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House has been hailed as a perfect work of unnerving terror. It is the story of four seekers who arrive at a notoriously unfriendly pile called Hill House: Dr. Montague, an occult scholar looking for solid evidence of a "haunting"; Theodora, the lighthearted assistant; Eleanor, a friendless, fragile young woman well acquainted with poltergeists; and Luke, the future heir of Hill House. At first, their stay seems destined to be merely a spooky encounter with inexplicable phenomena. But Hill House is gathering its powers—and soon it will choose one of them to make its own.
- becca w.
- Megan
- Jae
- 13 attendees
Past events (133)
- becca w.
- Megan
- Anna E
- 14 attendees


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Hey there all you TAYers, Ani-TAYers, and everyone else who has stumbled across this post. It's once again time for you all to answer one burning question: What are the best anime of summer 2015?
Unlike in seasons past, I will be not be posting an anime guide detailing the must-watch new anime of the summer 2015 anime season, on Kotaku. This time, that lovely task falls to my coworker Toshi Nakamura. However, as only one man, he needs our help.
I'm currently watching a ton of anime—and don't get me wrong, Toshi is watching more than a few himself—but its more than possible that there are a few hidden gems in the 47 new anime this season that we have somehow missed. In the past, your votes and recommendations have clued me in to shows that were flying under my radar; so I hope this time you'll guide Toshi equally as well.
So what do we need from you? Just vote in the poll below for the anime you think are among the best the season has to offer. Vote for as many of them as you want. And please do tell us why you chose the shows you did in the comments section below. (This extra input always helps.)
One note though: This poll is only for shows that began airing this summer season—i.e., after July 2, 2015. Continuing anime have already appeared on the spring season poll.
Alright! Let's get to voting!
Kotaku East is your slice of Asian internet culture, bringing you the latest talking points from Japan, Korea, China and beyond. Tune in every morning from 4am to 8am.
To contact the author of this post, write to firstname.lastname@example.com or find him on Twitter @BiggestinJapan.


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"Kate Kenzi Resuscitated"
Starring Kate Kenzi
Kate is waiting for her lover Nathan to get home for their date night. She wants to be in the tub with her dildo when he arrives, as a nice surprise. She smiles at the thought of him coming home from a hard day to find her naked, clean, and ready to go. Hanging up, she begins to strip out of her clothes. First, the shirt and bra, exposing her full, round tits. Next, her jeans and panties hit the floor. Completely naked, she checks herself out in the mirror before heading into the bath with her pink dildo.
The bath is so warm and relaxing, she lays her head back, her heavy lidded eyes closing. She feels her whole body loosen up. Kate eyes her dildo standing on the side of the tub and feels a warmth growing between her legs. She imagines Nathan once more and slides the large dildo into her hungry pussy. As it slides further inside her, she grows hungrier and hungrier for more. Ravenous, she plows herself with the dildo, moaning and splashing water.
Suddenly, the fun becomes overstimulation. Kate sits up with a start clutching her chest. She's unable to draw a breath. She slowly slips into the warm bath water, face first. Kate sinks down, the water covering her nose and mouth, bubbles of air rising, as her face becomes completely submerged. It doesn't take long at all before she has already inhaled too much water and she falls unconscious, face down in her once relaxing bath.
Luckily, Nathan gets home just in time… from his job as an EMT! He pulls Kate from the tub and begins to perform CPR. Puffing air into her mouth to fill her lungs with air and pushing on her chest in a desperate attempt to get her heart beating, he pauses to check for a pulse, before starting the process again. After several unsuccessful around of manual resuscitation, he reaches for his EMT bag to charge up the defibrillator. Placing the paddles on her chest, he shouts "Clear!" and discharges 200 joules into his unconscious lover, causing her back to arch, her limbs to go rigid from the electricity flowing through her. When that produces no response, he turns the charge up to 300j, repeating the process, but there is still no effect. Going all the way to 360j, the man says a silent prayer, knowing that he is in a race against time, for this lovely woman's life.
He presses the paddles hard against her body, pushing the button to send one last charge through her, in a mad race to restart her circulation. Her body convulses and spasms from the high voltage, her torso flings upright and a stream of water shoots from her lips and nostrils. Kate coughs violently then breathes her first breaths of air in minutes. Her eyes flutter open and meet Nathan's. The lover's embrace, they'll never forget this night and how close they came to losing each other forever.
Fetish Elements: Graphic Sexual Content, Stripping, Nudity, Bath, Dildo, Masturbation, Drowning, CPR, Resuscitation, Defibrillator, Medical Fetish, Limp Fetish, Body Views, Foot Views.
Note: Actresses are over 18 at the time of filming and the word "teen", "teenage", "young girl" is only meant to imply legal age characters regardless of audience interpretation.
PKF Studios adheres to USC 2257 record keeping requirements.
1920X1080 HD MP4 Format


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- Home
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- Health & Human Services
- Health Services
- Programs & Services
- Behavioral Health
- Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA)
Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA)
The Local Behavioral Health Authority (LBHA) is responsible for planning, managing and monitoring the Public Behavioral Health System in Prince George's County and providing information and referral services to individuals seeking mental health and substance use-related resources. The LBHA is comprised of the Core Service Agency (CSA) and Local Addiction Authority (LAA) and is the result of the integration of both of these two entities.
There are staff available to speak with you if you suspect that you or a family member has a mental health or substance-related problem. Although the LBHA does not provide direct services, staff may be able to assist you with information and referral to the following:
- Services for persons with Medical Assistance or no insurance
- Specialty services for children, adults and the elderly
- Locating outpatient treatment services
- Locating case management services
- Locating residential treatment services
- Accessing crisis services
- Purchasing psychotropic medications in special situations
- Identifying support groups
- Housing options including residential rehab programs for individuals with mental illness
- Information about advocating for your child's behavioral health needs
- Training opportunities
Grievances or Complaints
An important responsibility of the Local Behavioral Health Authority is the oversight and monitoring of mental health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD) programs and professionals in the public behavioral health system. Monitors make regular visits to licensed programs to do inspections and check on the quality of services offered. If problems are found, the program is asked to correct them within an established time frame in an effort to ensure the provision of quality services.
The monitors also work closely with programs and their staff to make sure clients have adequate and appropriate services and that program operations are serving real needs. Monitors facilitate the development of new programs by listening to fresh ideas and reviewing licensing applications.
The LBHA handles consumer and provider complaints. If a consumer, family member or other concerned individuals files a complaint about a program, the monitors investigate and send a report to the service provider recommending specific changes. Monitors follow-up to make sure necessary changes are made.
Related Documents
Behavioral Health Resources
To access mental health or substance use services in Prince George's County, you can contact Beacon Health Options (BHO), Maryland's Administrative Service Organization (ASO) for intake and referral to services funded by Medical Assistance for the Public Behavioral Health System at 1-800-888-1965.


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Selected Projects
Millican has worked extensively to support requirements and to implement and enhance programs for organizations across all three branches of the Federal government. The following are just a few examples of our considerable history of work in the Federal arena.
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Providing records inventory support services, including:
- Inventory of records
- Creation of file plans
- Subject matter expertise to enhance use of technology, including preparation of an electronic records management plan and a supporting taxonomy
- Follow-up technical support services
Commodity Futures Trading Commission
Performing records inventories and drafting disposition schedules:
- Subject matter expert interviews with federal staff
- Analyze, validate, incorporate new information, and raise the existing granular records inventory information up to a functional level
- Draft disposition schedules at a functional level
Providing technical support for efforts to manage email records in accordance with Goal 1.2 of OMB/NARA M-12-18, Managing Government Records Directive.
U. S. Patent and Trademark Office
Supporting all functions of the records management program: analyzing records, developing/maintaining agency file plans, developing agency-wide guidelines and directives, and providing agency-wide training.
Providing support and guidance for agency actions in response to OMB/NARA M-19-21, Transition To Electronic Records, and its predecessor, OMB/NARA M-12-18, Managing Government Records.
Administrative Office of the U. S. Courts
Providing records management, project management, and administrative support services:
- Records program implementation
- Training and outreach
- Individualized remote or onsite support services nationwide
- Cost tracking, analysis, and verification of financial activities
- Best practices support in program design, preparation, and maintenance
Air Force Office of Special Investigations
Providing project management and electronic records management expertise for the conception, planning, design, testing, implementation, and deployment of a DoD 5015.2-compliant Electronic Record of Investigation (eROI) System in response to requirements of the Presidential Memorandum — Managing Government Records.
Department of Justice, Office of Legal Counsel
Providing Records Management analysis and processing services to identify and consolidate permanent records and prepare them for accessioning into the Archives of the United States; and to analyze, arrange, track, and apply proper disposition to files.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Providing records management planning, support, and administrative facilitation to transfer unclassified, classified, and SBU records and information from field offices nation-wide to a consolidated storage location.
Providing technical and system administration support for the centralized records data system.
Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security
Digitizing and entering case files into the Investigative Management System and properly organizing paper copies and shipping to temporary storage or disposing of them following digitization.
Department of Defense, Joint Staff
Assisting with systems to protect records and providing oversight of the records management program for the Joint Staff and Combatant Commands. Reviewing and updating programmatic documents, preparing records schedules, providing direction to and training for Records Managers, administeringthe Electronic Content Management (ECM) system, and reviewing and archiving unclassified and classified material.
Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Service
As a subcontractor providing strategy, planning, and implementation services to incorporate an end-to-end information lifecycle management approach to records management, compliant with Presidential Memorandum 2016 and 2019 deadlines and DOD 5015.2.
Department of State, Office of the Legal Advisor
Preparing a gap analysis and strategic roadmap for an electronic records management program; and developing policies, procedures, and technologies to implement it. Supporting implementation by inventorying classified and unclassified records and integrating them into the established file structure, converting hardcopy to electronic formats, and training staff on use of records management software.
Department of Energy
Providing records management technical support and leadership assistance to the O&M contractor during Hanford Site shutdown and transition. Reviewing existing program to confirm compliance, revising existing documents and procedures to facilitate understanding of Department requirements, supporting implementation of improvements in records management practices, and establishing metrics enabling management focus to ensure records readiness for contract transition.
Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Developing records retention schedules for electronic systems and updating the Commission's Comprehensive Records Disposition Schedule. Simplifying and standardizing file plans and metadata based on the new schedules. Reviewing and revising records management training materials.
Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Performing a Gap Analysis and preparing a Recordkeeping Organization Plan for the Laboratory's Office of Environment, Safety, Health, and Quality (ESH&Q) to map the program's current state, identify problems or concerns, design processes to correct them, and identify resources to implement the processes.
Department of Labor
Developing a records management program evaluation tool for the Department, including documentation and procedures, and conducting a proof of concept evaluation. Developing and providing training materials and training for Department personnel. Performing records inventory, assessment, categorization, and disposition for the Human Resources Center and the Women's Bureau. Providing briefings and training for senior level managers, program managers, and staff.


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There are a lot of cute dog clothes out there – from simple sweaters and vests to full-blown costumes and stylish ensembles that could easily rival your own outfits. But how do you know if your canine companion actually likes being dressed up? Is it animal cruelty to put clothes on an animal that is perfectly comfortable in the nude? Here are some tips to help you determine whether or not it is a good idea to dress up your pet:
Try it before you buy it
Some pet stores like PetSmart will let you try a costume out on your pet before you buy it. Your dog may not react and will behave as it usually does after you've put on the costume. However, if he begins to twitch or wag his tail slowly, puts his tail between his legs, tries to shake it off, or otherwise behaves as though he is agitated or depressed, that is a sign that the costume is not a good idea.
Pay attention to fit and fabric
Avoid buying dog clothes online until you have confirmed that your dog is amenable to being dressed. There may be certain fabrics and styles that are uncomfortable for your breed. Just like when buying clothes for yourself, the fit and texture of clothes is important. If the fabric doesn't feel good when you touch it, chances are that it won't feel good to your pet either.
Make sure that the clothing you choose does not restrict his movement and does not cover or interfere with his nose, mouth, eyes, ears, paws, or tail.
Since animals can't talk to tell you what exactly it objects to, it is even more important to be careful and conscientious when picking out pet clothes, especially during the stage of trial and error when you are first trying to decide if your dog is compatible with clothes.
Be conscious of safety
If you are going to dress your dog, make sure you monitor his safety closely. Dogs can choke on costume parts, and loose costumes can get dangerously tangled. If costume parts get twisted around your dog too tightly your dog can lose circulation. Also make sure your pet does not eat his costume. If bits of cloth, stuffing, or embellishments get into his gut, he may need surgery.
Consider your dog's personality
Remember that all dogs are individuals with their own personalities. Some will tolerate wearing clothes better than others, and there may be certain items that your dog won't mind wearing and others that he will despise. If your furry friend doesn't take well to sweaters, maybe he will accept a bandana or hair bow. Remember that animals don't understand the concept of wearing clothes and might interpret it as a punishment or restraint, especially if the clothes are uncomfortable.
It is possible that even if your dog is opposed to wearing clothes at first, he may get used to it. If your dog shows serious signs of distress, you should abandon the idea. However, if he only seems confused or has mild reactions, you may be able to get away with dressing him up once in a while – say for holidays or photographs.
Focus on functional clothing
Your dog may not need or like clothes during the warmer months but may like the additional warmth provided by clothes in the winter. Try putting clothes on your dog before going out for a walk in the winter or when your home is drafty or cool. Clothes that are designed to be functional usually fit better than those that are designed only to look cute.
Incidental benefits to your dog
Even if your pet does not like wearing clothes in and of itself, it is possible that he will enjoy the increased attention he receives from being dressed up. You may also feel inclined to administer extra treats for good behaviour which he will appreciate.