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'Don't let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you say, in the way you live, in your love, your faith and your purity.' 1 Timothy 4:12(NLT)
Timothy was endowed spiritually as stated by what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 4:14. He had a responsibility and Paul as an elder in ministry was admonishing him through his letter to him. It is good that one has a mentor in ministry who is genuinely concerned about one's growth and development as a servant of the most high. I pray that may the Lord bring a connection between you and your appointed mentor in the journey of faith in Jesus name.
My friend,as long as the Lord has set you apart for a purpose and set you in motion for that purpose, you are never too young. Regardless of your what some people might say to spite you as regarding your age, hold on tenaciously to the promise of God to you and stay completely submissive to him. The Lord is perfect and so whatever time that he decides to send you forth is the perfect time,irrespective of how young you might be.
However,it is important to live an exemplary life so that one's ministerial purposes might be most effectively achieved. Paul advised Timothy to be an example in his speech, lifestyle, love, faith and purity. This should be the same for you, beloved. It might appear scary to mount that podium and speak to the older members of the congregation or it could look impossible to take that microphone and lead the adult church in worship, but never forget that the one who has commissioned you is bigger,stronger and greater than any opposition that could ever exist. So walk in the confidence of the Lord being on your side and go on to do great exploits. Besides, since the Lord told Paul in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that his grace is sufficient for him, you can as well rest in the confidence of serving the same God whose grace is sufficient for you!
Just concentrate on following the Lord wholeheartedly and staying clear of sin as he leads you to heights unforetold. YOU ARE NEVER TOO YOUNG!
Stay blessed.


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On the same day that Sonic, an Oklahoma City-based fast food chain, issued a statement against customers carrying guns at their restaurants, an employee at the company's Topeka, Kan. store was robbed.
According to Topeka police, two males robbed a carhop on Friday afternoon, reports the Topeka Capitol-Journal. Sonic is unique among major fast food eateries in that it provides customers the option of having carhops bring orders to their vehicle.
While police said no guns were displayed by the robbers, the crime follows a new policy that the Oklahoma City-based company issued Friday.
"We've considered the views and desires of our customers and employees that staff the drive-ins across the country," the company said, according to USA Today. "Accordingly, we're asking that customers refrain from bringing guns onto our patios or into our indoor dining areas. With respect to the storage of guns in vehicles, we ask that our customers continue to honor local laws."
Several other restaurants have announced recent changes to their policies on having guns in their restaurants.
Also on Friday, Chili's, a casual dining eatery, said that it would be encouraging customers to refrain from bringing firearms into their restaurants.
In a statement, also reported by USA Today, a Chili's spokeswoman justified the policy change saying that the company's restaurants sell alcohol.
Sonic does not.
Two other restaurants, Chipotle and Jack in the Box, have also recently made statements asking gun owners to leave their firearms outside of their facilities.
The group Moms Demand Action, which advocates gun control, has put pressure on Sonic, Chili's, and Chipotle to change their gun policies. Pro-gun groups such as Open Carry Texas have joined the debate as well, holding open-carry demonstrations in which supporters carry guns — in some cases rifles and shotguns — into the stores.
Sonic did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

subset: commoncrawl


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Remember that Sega teaser site that said "the new story will begin?" It was for a Vita game, but it wasn't exactly for a "new" Vita game. Sega announced the fifth season of Samurai & Dragons with the teaser site and a new video.
Samurai & Dragons, a free to play game designed in the vein of Kingdom Conquest, has been incredibly successful for Sega. The Vita game has tie-ups with other Vita games like Soul Sacrifice and Dead or Alive 5 Plus as well as a line up of console mascots. The new version, Intense Samurai & Dragons, kicks off on November 1. Sega localized the game in English, but so far has not released this version outside of Asia.


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Inclusivity is one of Rowing BC's four foundational values. Underpinning Rowing BC's Strategic Pillar "To support a healthy athlete-centred rowing system" is the belief that female coaches are essential to a vibrant and effective sport system, and that they are particularly important as visible role models for girls and young women.
Rowing BC is committed to bringing change to the current state that only 25% of coaches in Canada are female.
In 2019 there will be series of workshops in BC to map the current landscape for female coaches, and find solutions to ensuring that gender equity at all levels becomes a reality in our rowing community.
Relevant Resources:
- viaSport Inclusion of Women and Girls in Sport
- CAAWS Female Coach Mentorship Project
- Canada Games Female Coach Apprenticeship Program
- Canadian Association for the Advancement of Women and Sport (CAAWS)
- Canadian University Female Coach Mentorship Program
For more information about Women in Coaching and related opportunities, please contact the Rowing BC Coaching Coordinator, Martin George.


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It must be the rainy cloudy foggy cold day we are having but I feel nostalgically mindless and thought of times in the past where I was enjoying one of the best countries in the world to live=Spain and the best capital city=Madrid.
I had written back on April 13, 2012 here so posting for memory and fuller picture here : https://paris1972-versailles2003.com/2012/04/13/my-madrid-alcala-how-can-i-forget-you/
My first entry and my first apartment or piso in Madrid was at Calle Alcalà 331, Buzon 67, right as you came up the metro station of Quintana in the line 5 of metro de Madrid. This one : https://www.metromadrid.es/es/viaja_en_metro/red_de_metro/lineas_y_horarios/linea05.html
And to go to Elipa took the bus P13 that after the EMT transport in Madrid was created it became the line 113. This one : http://www.crtm.es/tu-transporte-publico/autobuses-emt/lineas/6__113___.aspx?origen=2
And others but the above were the constant ones. Lots of walking especially going to the back park of Parque El Calero; this one: http://www.madrid.es/portales/munimadrid/es/Inicio/Medio-ambiente/Direcciones-y-telefonos/Parque-El-Calero?vgnextfmt=default&vgnextoid=ba9545b9b59be210VgnVCM2000000c205a0aRCRD&vgnextchannel=864f79ed268fe410VgnVCM1000000b205a0aRCRD
This is a great blog like to give credit as essentially they talked about the old movie houses in Madrid now gone; mine was the cine Aragon (as Alcalà used to be called!) it was almost next to me lol The good of the blog story is that it shows how it looks in 2005 on the last year open and what the spot looks today wow!! Here is the blog : http://cinesdemadrid.blogspot.fr/2009/08/los-cines-de-la-carretera-de-aragon.html
I still emotionally remember how my dear late mother took me to Calzados Victor C/Alcalà 278 to buy me my first shoes in Spain! and the immense joy to have my 3 boys going there and buy them shoes as well , really a great feeling would love to repeat this summer. No webpage just a site with a write up on it in Spanish, 90 years in the spot and about 52 now doing shoes!!! A real merchant to support even more. http://www.diarioabierto.es/204762/calzados-victor-zapatos-y-muchas-sonrisas
And well will need a book so many places there to remember and enjoy , even the wonderful Docamar in the sublime Plaza Quintana, the best patatas bravas in Madrid since 1963! Webpage here: https://www.docamar.com/
Enough, what about Alcalà, the street that is. Today the street is 10 200 meters long . It starts at the Puerta del Sol and ends at the Avenida de América on the access road to the O'Donnell station. In the old days the street was named in different sections. The one between Sol and Cibeles was called Calle de los Olivares, between Cibeles and Puerta de Alcalà was named Posito (grain well of the mayor's office had there) , and from Puerta de Alcalà to Ventas was called Carretera de Aragon and after Ventas was called Avenida de Aragon until 1992 where all became Calle de Alcalà. I left the city when the first beltway of Madrid was just about finish that is Avenida de la Paz or M-30 ! Today simply call Calle 30.
Some trivials anecdotes, you know that in 1754 there was a bull fighting arena near here!spot hard to tell now , and it was on until 1874 after another was built on the same carretera de Aragón (another name for avenida de Aragon) that works until 1934. When the Ventas Monumental was done in its first season in 1935 on the one we know today as Ventas Monumental! An interesting house is at No 34 Alcalà built in 1779 and call the Casa de los Heros in honor of its builder ; the house became in succession the Real Fabrica de Cristales de la Granja, resident of the Infant de Borbon and painter José Madrazo, later in 1914 it was host of the Council President or Palacio de la Presidencia, and currently is the home of the Ministerio de Educacion y Ciencia or ministry of education and sciences.
Not to forget the Plaza de la independencia or independence square where the Puerta de Alcalà is located. The old Communication palace now call Palacio de Cibeles, and its Cibeles fountain (symbol of Real Madrid FC triumphs celebrations) and the Circulo de Bellas Artes or fine arts circle with wonderful views of Madrid on its top floor café.
You continue to see wonderful architecture and beautiful buildings such as the Ministerio de Hacienda or ministry of the Treasury, built in 1796. And what about the gorgeous Real Academia de Bellas Artes San Fernando! Now running an exhibition on Carlos III here: http://www.realacademiabellasartessanfernando.com/es/actividades/exposiciones/una-corte-para-el-reycarlos-iii-y-los-sitios-reales
And of course the Casino de Madrid : Calle Alcalà ,15 just gorgeous official site here: http://www.casinodemadrid.es/casinoa/index.html
Across from the Casino you have the building call Banesto and here was installed the first American bank in Spain; it has deco of elephants big ears in the front façade.
And from 1623 the convent and Church or Iglesia de las Calatravas , even after destroyed the Queen Isabel II had it rebuilt in 1872. Very near the Puerta del Sol on Alcalà, of course. More on the Iglesia de San José and the Apolo theater. Continue on the Ministerio del Ejercito or army ministry with a nice garden on what it was the Palacio de Buenavista built in 1769 for the Duques de Alba, that never occupied.
And of course, why not see Calle Alcalà every day and night; well thanks to the webcam we can you can and I do here: https://www.skylinewebcams.com/en/webcam/espana/comunidad-de-madrid/madrid/calle-alcala.html
Beautiful Calle Alcalà and what about movies on it? well there are some too.
A 1986 rendition of Ana Belen, and Victor Manuel here:
And my favorite movie Las Leandras with the song Los Nardos With the late Rocio Durcal
This is Alcalà, the street that is. My street my spot on another part of the world. Calle Alcalà, 331


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Everyone is prey to distractedness, to seeing solace in activity as an escape from experiencing ourselves. In fact this is one of the major obstacles to a meaningful life. Bodhipaksa argues, however, that the force underlying our distractedness is a creative one, and that properly channeled it can take us all the way to enlightenment.
I've always been fond of this saying from Pascal's Pensées, which reminds me that not being at peace with ourselves is a human condition rather than a uniquely modern one. All people at all times have suffered the pains of boredom, self-doubt, loneliness, irritability, restlessness, and anxiety that come from not being at peace with ourselves. I've experienced my fair share of that.
Like many people I have an ideal of being at peace and of enjoying rest. I struggle in my life to live and even sometimes to accomplish something meaningful, and all the time with the idea that sometime in the future — in a few weeks or perhaps next year — life will be more spacious and restful and I'll have more time for meditating and reflecting, and for doing things that I find truly meaningful. And yet when by some rare combination of circumstances I have some free time, I find that I soon start to think about what I can do with it. And then I'm back to square one.
It's part of the human condition to be restless
It's part of the human condition to be restless, to be seeking something better than we have at the moment. The Buddhist word for this is tanha, which literally means thirst. We all have a sense of thirst at the core of our being, a dissatisfaction that drives us to find meaning and happiness. But all too often we don't actually move in the direction of finding meaning and happiness. We just move. Without self-awareness we are inclined simply to find diversion (the word "diversion" usually means "distraction" but its root meaning is "to turn away from"). We fill our lives with busyness, with distraction. And having done so we are temporarily released from our thirst. In the white heat of activity we are less aware that we are suffering.
Often the first thing that happens when someone begins to meditate is that they realize how distracted they are.
Inevitably though, we crave a lull in activity, being exhausted of or bored by the activities we're engaged in. Running around pursuing happiness can be exhilarating, but it fails to address our deep-seated longing for meaning and happiness, and in the midst of busyness our thirst re-asserts itself, driving us towards stillness. And so we cycle through activity, a craving for respite, a brief experience of rest, and a renewed desire for activity.
When we pause and reflect — assuming we can find enough time and mental space in which to do so — we can become aware of this cycle and become dissatisfied with it. We can decide to make a break with our habitual avoidance of our real needs. And so we can decide to make a more conscious effort to find real meaning in our lives. That's where meditation and mindfulness often come into our lives. We get to the point where the same-old-same-old looks tired and worn out and unattractive, and we intuit that we'll really have to work with ourselves if we're going to make a real change in our lives.
Inner restlessness is a powerful force within that drives us onwards.
What is meditation (or, more broadly, mindfulness) if not learning how to sit quietly in a room? Often the first thing that happens when someone begins to meditate is that they realize how distracted they are. And that's the first opportunity to learn to be at peace with ourselves. When we see the inner tumult of our minds we have a choice: to become frustrated or to be forgiving with ourselves. It takes time and practice, but we can learn to accept that the mind is restless. Paradoxically, realizing this brings a measure of peace because we are less caught up in fighting with ourselves.
Our tanha — the inner thirst that drives us to look for a more satisfying way of being — now has a sense of direction and clarity. We develop more of an instinctual sense that the way to happiness is through facing ourselves rather than running away from ourselves. We realize that we have to transform states of mind that lead to unhappiness and cultivate those that lead to a deeper sense of fulfillment.
J'ai découvert que tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos dans une chambre.
Blaise Pascal, Pensées
We learn simply to observe our thoughts rather than to get caught up in fantasies; our mindfulness deepens. We stand back from our thoughts, just noticing them; our patience becomes stronger. We find it's possible to let go of anger and develop kindness. We find that the mind becomes less restless and that there's a greater sense of calmness. Rather than being caught up with inner conflicts we are more at ease and happiness arises. We feel a sense of direction manifesting in our lives and we experience greater confidence.
Ultimately, Pascal points out in that same passage in his Pensées, our desire for diversion is an avoidance of the sense of our own mortality. Our "weak and mortal condition" is a "natural misfortune" that afflicts us and renders us inconsolable. Our being, he points out, is contingent (we might never have been born had circumstances been different) and impermanent (it's certain we will die). And thus there is a deep-seated fear of non-existence, to which the ego tries to blind itself by embracing diversion and removing any possibility for deeper reflection. Meditation helps here as well.
As we continue to observe the mind we realize that all of the sensations, thoughts, and emotions that arise in our experience are impermanent. Within ourselves we can find nothing that is unchanging and enduring. Everything is in flux. All is change. Where then, is the "self" that we fear will die? With continued examination we begin to realize that "death" is happening in every moment. To change is to die, and change is taking place in every instant. And if that's true, then rebirth is also taking place in every moment. As something changes, it becomes something else, and that "something else" is born. Looking a little deeper, we see that there is no "thing" to change. There is just process. The ego, upon examination, simply ceases to exist (at least in the way we used to think about it). There's no permanent self to be found in our experience. And since the ego has ceased to exist we no longer have to fear its destruction. Death has lost its sting. Life has found its ultimate meaning. Contentment has been victorious over restlessness.
I have to keep saying "no" to distractions in order to say "yes" to my dreams
Our tanha is not something to be seen as "bad" or even (in Buddhist terms) "unskillful." It's actually a powerful force within that drives us onwards. Without awareness it will drive us in circles where we make the same mistakes over and over. With awareness it leads us on to greater fulfillment and happiness.
In my own life I've found that I'm managing to live out my dream of being a full time writer. It takes discipline and mindfulness. I have to turn away from seductive diversions — even diversions like teaching that I find fulfilling and enjoyable in their own right. But I have to keep saying "no" to distractions (even to creative opportunities) in order to say "yes" to my dreams. And it's challenging: the scary thing about the prospect of living your dream is that you may, when you get there, discover that it's not what you want to do after all — and then where would you be? But it's also rewarding and nourishing.
At the same time I have to bear in mind that no career — not even writing — can bring me true happiness. For that I have to face up to the "natural misfortune of my weak and mortal condition." I have to cultivate insight. I have to learn to be able to sit — not writing — in a quiet room.
Bodhipaksa is a Buddhist practitioner, writer, and teacher, and is also the founder of Wildmind. He lives in New Hampshire with his wife and daughter, and has a particular interest in teaching prison inmates.
As well as teaching behind bars, Bodhipaksa also conducts classes at Aryaloka Buddhist Center in Newmarket, New Hampshire. He muses, rants, and shares random aspects of his life on his blog at bodhipaksa.com. You can follow Bodhipaksa's Twitter feed at https://twitter.com/bodhipaksa.
10 Comments. Leave new
wow @Bodhipaksa thanks for this https://bit.ly/6VtSs really enjoyed the read
awright ther mate…
a couldnae agree mer wae ye…meditation is not a gem of fitbae its much more important than that..!
could you do us a favour do u or can u reccommend some nice traditional meditation toons or chants…
dont mean the Celtic , Rangers kind…just something nice and chilled to aid and help oot the auld heid
before n after the sitting…
cheers awe the best
Guid ta hear fae ye! Hoo's it gaun? Ah dinna ken if ye've gied oor mantras a birl, but they're braw fir sortin oot a buzzin heid.
Just curious if you have read the Pensees in it's entirety?? Pascal's brilliance was inexorably linked with His faith in Jesus Christ.
"Without Jesus Christ the world would not exist." -Pascal's Pensees
"My heart is restless, until I find rest in Thee" -Augustine
Hi John,
I'm afraid I've only dipped into Pascal's writing. He does seem to be exceptionally brilliant. I'm not sure what you mean by his brilliance being inexorably linked with this faith. Certainly his brilliance illuminated his Christian beliefs, but I think his mind would have been just as lucid and penetrating if he'd been a Jew, or an atheist, or a Buddhist.
You definitely need to read Pascal's work in it's entirety. He would be highly offended by your misunderstanding of his writings.
The oneism worldview of that you operate from was not his worldview. His was twoism. This may help you to distinguish.
One day I'll no doubt get around to reading Pascal, who seems like a very interesting writer. I think you have a misunderstanding, however, in that I'm not trying to understand Pascal's writing or thought, which I know little to nothing about, but merely taking a quote as a jumping-off point for my own thoughts. I'm presenting Buddhism, not Pascalian Christianity.
I think you misunderstand the Buddhist position as well, if you think it is monistic (if indeed that's what you mean by "oneism"). The Buddha posited no ontological views, and rejected monism as unproductive philosophical speculation.
Just for your information, "its" in this context requires no apostrophe, and the expression "of that you operate from" makes no grammatical sense. I mention this because people are less likely to take your statements seriously when they are presented in an illiterate manner. It's unfair, I know, but there you have it.
I agree with Pascal's quote. I should imagine it is very dificult to achieve this if you are not introduced to this as a child because it does require a lot of discipline. I was raised like this but in present society it is nigh impossible to raise children like this with all of its distractions and lack of spirituality.
[…] Pascal on Distraction Filed Under: […]
I came across Pascal's quote in a Louise Penny mystery I am reading and had to stop and think about it's meaning for me. That led me to the internet and your essay. I find your essay soothing and contemplative. Thank you. I plan to save it and return for another time when I find I am "sit(ting) quietly in a room.


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AFTRS' CEO Neil Peplow today announced several senior appointments to the School. Dr Ian Lang joins in the new position Director of Curriculum and Registrar and Dr Georgie McClean has been appointed as the School's Head of Corporate Strategy and Governance.
Dr Lang has had a 25-year career in screen education. He was, most recently, based in China as a visiting professor at the Beijing Film Academy and Communication University of China, as well as the Curriculum Director for Reality Learning Sydney. Previously, he was Professor and Head of the Victorian College of Arts Film and Television School, after having founded the Griffith Film School at Griffith University in 2004.
Dr Lang is also an accomplished documentary maker, having made several productions for both the SBS and the ABC. Dr Lang's Iranian feature-length documentary 'Fahimeh's Story,' received Australia's national 'Independent Spirit' Award at the Independent Film Awards.
Dr Lang will take up his position at AFTRS on 31 July.
"Ian has a wealth of experience both in Australia and internationally in screen education and in developing and writing curriculums. He is also a highly regarded filmmaker. He will bring a strong understanding of the international screen education and production sector to this important new role," said AFTRS' CEO, Neil Peplow
Dr Georgie McClean is a media/arts professional with more than 15 years' experience in public policy and programs. Most recently, she headed up Strategy and Communications at Screen Australia where she was responsible for shaping Screen Australia's policy development, communications platforms and research agenda, as well as broader strategy including new ways of thinking about audience. Prior to that, Dr McClean was Manager of Policy and Research at SBS where she was responsible for managing policy, including editorial policy, developing a strategic community engagement framework and running a research program aligned with the SBS Charter. She has also consulted across the screen industry and education sector through her own company The Gist: Strategy + Engagement.
Dr McClean will join AFTRS on 7 August.
"Georgie will also be an exceptional addition to the Executive team at AFTRS. I have come to know the quality of her strategic thinking through her work with AFTRS on the major research paper Inclusive Pathways Framework, which she authored, and also through working together on the sector-wide Screen Diversity and Inclusion Network," said Mr Peplow.
Mr Peplow also announced that Kyas Sherriff, Head of the AFTRS Indigenous Unit has been appointed to the Executive Team. Ms Sherriff is the first Indigenous member of the AFTRS Executive Team in the history of the School.
In other appointments, Alicia Gleeson has been appointed as the new Senior Lecturer, Editing; Pearl Tan is the new Senior Lecturer, Directing; Simeon Bryan is the new Senior Lecturer, Cinematography; Naomi Wenck is the new Senior Lecturer, Producing; Gerald Mair is the new Senior Lecturer, Sound, and Caroline Grose is the new Senior Lecturer, Screenwriting.
Alicia Gleeson has wide and deep experience as a documentary, drama, VFX, sound and animation editor. Stand out credits include Happy Feet, Holy Smoke and The Thin Red Line.
Pearl Tan created the YouTube series Minority Box, has directed the feature film The Casting Game and was named one of Westpac's 100 Women of Influence in 2016.
Simeon Bryan has had a stellar career as cinematographer and camera operator with film and television credits including A Moody Christmas, Superman Returns and Mrs Carey's Concert.
Naomi Wenck is a successful independent producer. She produced the feature film Strangerland, starring Nicole Kidman, Hugo Weaving and Joseph Fiennes, and Newcastle, starring Barry Otto and Shane Jacobson.
Gerald Mair is an experienced educator, filmmaker and sound designer. He has lectured at Swinburne University of Technology and his creative projects include sound production and original music for the video installation for the White Night Melbourne event in 2014.
Caroline Grose was Head of Development at the New Zealand Film Commission for four years. She has also lectured in screenwriting at the University of Auckland and at Unitec, also in New Zealand.


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High-profile hacker Charlie Miller will soon be joining Twitter's security team.
In a Twitter post earlier today, Miller wrote, "Monday I start on the security team at Twitter. Looking forward to working with a great team there!"
"Moxie Marlinspike, the pseudonymous cryptographer who has identified numerous security bugs in the SSL protocol used to secure website transactions, will be Miller's boss, Miller said in an e-mail to Ars," writes Ars Technica's Dan Goodin.
"Miller ... told me in a phone call that he couldn't offer any information on exactly what he'll be doing at Twitter -- He wouldn't even name his title," writes Forbes' Andy Greenberg. "But I've heard rumors since last winter that Twitter has sought to hire Miller as a full-time penetration tester to probe the service for hackable vulnerabilities and help fix them."
"Miller, a former NSA analyst who works as a researcher with Accuvant, is well known in hacking and Apple circles for his exploits of iPhone and Mac vulnerabilities," writes The Next Web's Matt Brian.
"Last year, Miller found a method for exploiting a problem with the battery in Apple laptops that enabled him to brick the laptop, rendering it completely useless," writes Threatpost's Dennis Fisher. "He also discovered a bug in Apple iOS that enabled him to bypass the code-signing requirements and run unapproved code on an iPhone. That trick, which also involved inserting a proof-of-concept app into the iTunes App Store, didn't sit so well with Apple, which quickly revoked his developer account for the App Store."


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14917 Austin St. NE, Ham Lake, MN 55304
Home Remodeling, Contractors, Roofing
Gutter, Roof, Siding, and Window Our company offers home remodeling services for clients in the Metro Area. Get gutter contractors, roofing contractors, siding contractors, and window repair at affordable prices from the experts of Blomquist Exteriors, Inc. in the Metro Area today. For over 35 years, we have been satisfying our clients with our reliable home remodeling and repair services. Let our home remodeling crew improve your property. Start a Home Remodeling Project Today We sit with our clients to discuss every detail of their home remodeling project, be it installation, maintenance, or repair. Our contractor openly communicates with them during the process to ensure their total satisfaction from the initial planning to the final touches. Call Blomquist Exteriors, Inc. at 763-754-2501 to get a free estimate for gutter contractors, roofing contractors, siding contractors, and window repair.


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HOT Real Estate Zones: Cabarete Real Estate Sosua Real Estate Puerto Plata Real Estate Punta Cana Real Estate
Cute Afordable Apartment
Located in a residential community a few minutes drive from the town and the beach.
This plantation Style home , custom built in 2010, features 2300 square feet of open concept living, 2 bedroom, 3 bathrooms and a lower level perfect for a family entertainment room, third bedroom or home office. Spacious house with tropical garden. The 1000 m2 lot is beautifully landscaped. Nestle in a lush tropical valley, unique designed villa with a view to Mount Isabel de Torres and spectacular sunset. Located a mere three minutes drive to the beaches and the amenities of Sousa and only ten minutes to the Puerto Plata Airport.
Sosúa is a small town in the Puerto Plata province of the Dominican Republic. Located approximately 4 miles (6.4 km) from the Puerto Plata International Airport (POP), the town is accessed primarily by Camino Cinco, or Highway 5, which runs much of the length of the country's North coastline.
Source: Sosúa Wikipedia page
|Bedrooms: 1
|Bathrooms: 1
|Levels: 1
|Lot Size: 63 m2
|Build Size: 63 m2
|Gated Community: YES
|Furnished: YES
|Pool: YES
Source: Sosúa Wikipedia page
Key features


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Bullish Divergence on TRIN and Put Call Ratio Oscillators (Emini daily)
The Emini closed down 3.00 points at 1,314.75 today. I almost wasn't going to trade today, expecting low volatility going into tomorrow's FOMC announcement. But the market started heading towards 1,300 in after hours. We ended up with a 23 point range day and high volume.
Although the Emini closed down, the adjusted TRIN reading was +101, showing underlying buying. In addition, both the TRIN and Put Call Ratio Oscillators have turned up – and they are showing bullish divergence patterns. See the chart below.
We had a nice short trade signal around 1,325 with a combination of volume and Hilbert Sine Wave patterns.
Volume Upthrust Pattern (Emini 5 minute)
The volume pattern was an upthrust into previous resistance on lower volume. The lower volume shows there is not enough "energy" to break to new highs and follow through. Stops are triggered and a reversal follows.
End of Trend Signal (Emini 5 minute)
This volume pattern coincided with an "End of Trend" warning signal on the Hilbert Sine Wave. We also got a signal on the low of the day with a similar pattern:
- "End of Trend" signal on 233 tick chart
- Cycle low on 2,097 tick chart
- Exhaustion volume on 1, 3 and 5 minute charts
You can read an article about this multiple time frame pattern here. Good luck with your Emini trading.


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Open up the champagne: you're more likely to stay together
Drinking together might be fun, and it may lead to a happier relationship too.
But before you go popping the champagne, make sure your partner's on board because there's a catch.
New research suggests couples who have similar drinking habits are happiest, and that goes for those who don't drink too.
Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 2,767 married couples. They asked about their significant others' drinking habits and how they felt about them.
But when one person imbibed and the other person didn't, that's when relationships got rocky.
Experts say it could be because drinking is a leisurely activity couples can enjoy together.
So relationships work better when the people in them are on the same page? Who knew?
Scroll through below for more stories on happy marriages:
See Gallery
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Who is Yoyo帮尼?
Yoyo帮尼 is a male producer from Taiwan and his specialty lies in voice tuning. However, he does music compositions and music arrangements as well. With his natural talent in voice tuning, he can even do some talkloid and create rap genre songs. He uses Japanese, English, and Chinese VOCALOIDs, although mostly Chinese.
He is known for his covers of "红尘客栈", "这里并不存在正义" (Chinese version of "Criminal" from Michaewl Jackson), "Love is an Open Door", "時の流れに身をまかせ", "Re;Last Message", "比翼", and several others.
Original songs include "生日快乐", "女表口力口", and more.
Yueye: How did you discover VOCALOID at first?
Yoyo: Around 2008, I was introduced to the "Leek song" and I saw this VOCALOID thing as some "new era toy". I did not have any interest in getting involved in VOCALOID back then.
Yoyo: My first time using VOCALOID would be in 2010. I used Miku for making a "glove puppetry" song but it didn't sound good so I never used it again. But then, I heard the news about Luo Tianyi during the year of 2012. I was interested so I started to get involved in tuning. To be honest, I didn't really like or dislike VOCALOID at first but now I love them, they are amazing!
Yoyo: The pros would be that it will never get off-key, it is always stable, and it will not have trouble hitting the right note. But when it comes to the cons, there are a lot like lack of emotion, they have monotonic pronunciation, and they only have one tone (because they only record words without emotions). It cannot deliver strong emotions like a real singer due to the nature of the voice synthesis process.
Yueye: Who is your favorite VOCALOID?
Yoyo: If speaking of voice bank I prefer Xin Hua the most, but as for the character it would be GUMI (the difference between working and a hobby, haha).
Yueye: XinHua has a cute voice indeed.
Yoyo: Her voice is soft like a pillow, hahaha.
Yueye: There are not many rap songs in VOCALOID. Why did you choose to make Xin Hua and Xin Yu Yao rap?
Yoyo: The two were competing during their release, sort of like ring fighting. I thought it was funny so I simply suggested it. I never thought I would actually do it in the end. Since it was the battle between the two sides of the fandom, I chose to make it in a "rap battle", which is very popular in the western fandom (by the way, I have never seen people do that in VOCALOID).
Yoyo: Yup, that is it. I was also influenced from another video named "Geek vs. Nerd".
Yueye: I see. Speaking about Frozen, I remember you did the cover of one of the songs in the movie, that duet of KAITO and MEIKO in "Love is an Open Door". I found it very cute! Did you make it using the V3 English voice bank?
Yoyo: Yup, both are V3. Up untill now it seemed impossible that I actually made them talkloids. Although I feel like I could make it better when I look back at my work.
Yueye: You already had a natural talent in tuning talkloid. Do you have any tips for tuning that you would like to share with us?
Yoyo: This kind of question makes me choke on my words. I have so many things to share but to convert it from ideas into words and make sure people who are reading it understand, it is really difficult. Not everyone is qualified to become a teacher.
If you want to learn about tuning, you may listen to and observe how a real singer sings. The tone and emotion in the words have their pattern. For example, the pitch of the singer. It's impossible to hit the exact note when they sing on their first lyric, as it usually starts from a portamento from the lower note to the higher one; this is how our vocal cords works. Using this method will make your virtual singer sound less "MIDI-ish".
Yueye: You uploaded a short version of "我呸" on YouTube, so will you release a completed version in the future?
Yoyo: I didn't really plan to, since it was supposed to be a testing video for Xin Hua and it has already been quite a while. I'm worried I might not have the same skills as I did when making the short version, but since so many people are asking for it, I'll consider completing it when I have got the time. (This song has since been completed and you can find the full version here.)
Yueye: Did you ever consider making songs using other things except a hanging fan?
Yoyo: Oh god, that one, haha. I was inspired by a short video from another county so I made one for myself, too. Hmm… using other things… maybe I can make an original based on that. Gonna keep it in my notes.
Yueye: I'll be waiting for it…
Yueye: You seem to like online games very much?
Yoyo: Eh? Not really though, I rarely play online games? If you mean that "Love Forever" cover from Ragnarok Online, that's just me testing Xia Yu Yao's Japanese voice bank with YOHIOloid because they look good together (seems like quite a lot of people agree with that). I might consider making a Japanese ballad duet for them in the future.
Yueye: Who is your favorite producer?
Yoyo: It would be Mitchie M, as he has quite a unique music style and of course the wonderful tuning that shapes Miku's voice into the signature MM-style. He is a very recognizable producer in VOCALOID music.
Yueye: Does he inspire you?
Yoyo: I get a lot of inspiration from him in my tuning, but his music composition is just too good and I can't seem to catch up anymore, haha.
Yueye: Is there any song of yours that you want to introduce to your fans?
Yoyo: "比翼", the duet song of Tianyi and YANHE. That was the song that I actually put a great amount of effort in tuning.
Fan Questions
Q1: What is your favorite music style while composing music?
Yoyo: I am capable of doing Rock, Punk, or Funk. To be honest, I don't even know what is my own preferred style…
Q2: Are you looking forward to YueZheng Longya's release?
Yoyo: Of course, since there has never been a real male Chinese VOCALOID! Don't make YANHE be the guy in the song all the time, haha.
Yueye: The interview is about to end here. Is there anything you want to say to the fans?
Yoyo: Just want to say we always need people to support the VOCALOID fandom, and VOCALOID can only grow with your support. Whether you get used to the fandom or not, we will still do our best in making good music. Also, thank you to every VOCALOID producer, thank you for the effort you made for the fandom, and it brings changes to the music industry. Although it is not easy, but if we do our best and not give up on our goal, we will make it to the end.
You can find more songs from Yoyo帮尼 at the following:


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Determining how a watch company got its name is pretty straight forward, they are usually named after the founders. Breguet, Abraham-Louis Breguet. Patek Philippe, Norbert Patek founded his watch company and later hired Adrien Philippe. Jaeger-leCoultre, Edmond Jaeger joined forces with the company Antoine LeCoultre founded 80 years prior. Girard-Perregaux, Constant Girard married Marie Perregaux and took charge of her family's manufacturer.
Some are a bit tricker. TAG Heuer began as Heuer Watch Mfg in 1860 and in 1985 the French firm Techniques d'Avant Garde bought them. Viola!, TAG Heuer. Bell & Ross, Bruno Belamich and Carlos Rosillo. Bell & Ross not only is easier to say but it fits on the dial much better. Hublot is an Italian word for porthole. Bonus points if you can get Maurice Lacroix. He was on the board of the Swiss firm Desco when they changed their watch manufacture from private label to a branded watch.
Some incorporate the region of the manufacturer. IWC Schaffhausen is located in Schaffhausen Switzerland, north of Zurich. Glashütte Original is in Glushutte in the Saxony region of Germany. Lange & Sohne is located there as well, named after Ferdinand Lange of course.
And then there's Rolex. Hans Wilsdorf started his watch company in London in 1905. Perhaps the name Wilsdorf was difficult to pronounce or like B&R didn't fit the dial well. Whatever the reason, he registered the trademark Rolex in 1908 and a brand was born. There is much conjecture behind the name including the odd one that Rolex is the sound made when the watch is wound…hmmm. James Dowling of TimeZone claims that Rolex was simply made up. This falls neatly into the theory of the simplest explanation is usually the correct one. Wherever the name came from, Rolex isn't talking which makes it all speculation. But that's usually the fun part.


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In the Rolling Stones' classic "Paint It Black," Mick Jagger sees a red door and he wants it painted black. This is the attitude the luscious Devorah Rose is bringing to Valentine's Day. The Anti-Valentine's Day Massacre features a Priscilla Jade Lingerie Fashion Show and will benefit the Seven Star Animal Sanctuary. The invite welcomes homewreckers, serial daters, bad boyfriends, the "other women," and that sort. There are DJs and videos and even psychic medium Jesse Bravo. It starts at 9pm at Lucky Strike Lanes. In the end, it is all about Devorah Rose…always the center of attention and always with good reason. If I were 20 years younger and her IQ 20 points lower, I'd make moves. I caught up with the face and body of Pricsilla Jade Lingerie and got personal.
Tag Archives: relationships
Robert Pattinson Has A Type: The Riley Keough-Kristen Stewart Resemblance
What happens when you stick Elvis Presley's granddaughter Riley Keough into a car with Twilight star Robert Pattinson? A whole lot of dating rumors and an obvious immersion of a type.
When the two were spotted this past weekend driving back to his L.A. mansion (afternoon rendezvous?), it became clear that Pattinson is moving on to Kristen Stewart: Part 2. The same-shaped face, dainty features, understated beauty, and tossed-to-the-side tresses make this romance the sequel every Twilight fan is going to hate.
Follow Bonnie on Twitter here.
Actually, Relationships Are Not Hard Work
Another weekend in the city, another weekend spent out partying, socializing, complaining about the gloomy weather overhearing all sorts of dates, arguments, and bad conventional wisdom tossed around. In this post-OkCupid world, it seems one of the more pernicious clichés plaguing romance is also one of the easiest to mindlessly agree with: "Relationships are a lot of work." Uh, not really.
Off-Broadway's 'The Last Five Years' Captures The Little Moments
The last five years of a life is all about those little moments – the pensive glances across a mediocre party, the temporary despair at unexpected romantic loss, the jolt of a second's success. And so is the same for the off-Broadway show The Last Five Years, playing until May 18th at Second Stage Theatre; hovering over the entire production like it's a fishbowl isn't going to stir you nearly as much as recalling the tiny dots of sincerity brought by the two stars – the only characters in the show: Jamie, played by Adam Kantor, and Cathy, played by Betsy Wolfe. In a show about the beginning and end of twenty-something love, the completely sung-through musical tracks a relationship in reverse; while Cathy begins at the end of it, Jamie begins at its beginning, five years back. And apart from a rare moment when they meet in the middle on a late-night boat ride in Central Park, they never sing together. The result: a he-said, she-said musical that is full of too many exuberant and heart-trampling songs for you to realize it.
Jazz, rock, musical theatre ballads, country, klezmer – Jason Robert Brown's score has a little bit for everyone – and so does the relationship at hand. With Kantor's spin on Jamie – a 23-year-old writer who gets his book published almost right out of college – you see what Cathy loves (and can't stand) about him: his talent at storytelling, his unrelenting and fearless ambition, and a narcissism that yanks him from the present moments with Cathy. And you sense the burgeoning envy and resentment Cathy feels toward his success, considering she's an aspiring theatre actress who just can't seem to land a role, and with every rejection, feels smaller and smaller. The seesaw dynamic is painful to witness, with audience sniffles heard by the second song.
Of course, there are moments of disbelief that make the show not entirely gratifying: although Jamie is a young character, Kantor looks and acts a bit too young to deliver the emotional thunder of the role , and sometimes Wolfe's wholesomeness is almost a bit too theatrical and animated to believe. And yet, these qualities are also the forces that make you feel for them. Detached from emotion, whitewashed with a smile – they're the shells that sustain and then crack – in all those little moments, and they're what makes The Last Five Years worth witnessing.
Learn more about The Last Five Years, & follow Bonnie on Twitter here.
Ophira Eisenberg on the Merits of Not Getting to Know His Family (Or His Last Name)
In Year 9 (she's Canadian), Ophira Eisenberg made a Lotus 123 spreadsheet ranking potential candidates to take her virginity. But a few months and one bloody cunnilingus mishap later, she wound up going off-book and lost it to a wild card entrant in a hotel bathroom in Banff. She's since been with a bassist, a jazz guitarist and an alumnus of a barbershop quartet—although not all at once. There was an improviser, a film critic and a drama student—they had sex dressed as pixies during a production of Midsummer. There was a coke addict, a meth addict, and a guy from Queens with an addiction to stuffed Garfields. She slept with a blind albino who prefaced things with, "I'm warning you, you're about to see the smallest penis ever." There was a pastry chef ("His hands were like nothing I had ever experienced before"), a guy who preferred to come whilst having anal beads pulled out of his butthole, and yes, there was at one point a woman.
That said, her memoir, Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy, is less a book about raunchy exploits than an account of the comedic romance you don't see in romantic comedies. We get our hearts broken (jazz guitarist, pixie), move to new cities, work shitty jobs (she was a clerk at a waste management plant in Vancouver), and along the way are the stupid rules and games we set up to try and balance our personal ambitions with our desire to feel wanted.
The story ends with a thirty-second marriage ceremony at the city courthouse (you guessed it—she went with the barbershop quartet guy), but she told me recently that along with the love and romance, getting married is like picking the roommate you'll have for the rest of your life. We should all have the right to get married, but what we do in the meantime shouldn't be disparaged. There's a lot to learn in sleeping around.
It never occurred to me that [sex] was for anything other than pleasure—like there was no shame, it was never pathologized, there was nothing dirty about it. But I know it's not the same as other people. Because other people were raised like it was terrible. That it was a terrible, shameful, horrible act that you better save for one unlucky person.
Is it a generational thing, do you think?
I was a young teenager in the '80s, and I came of age in the '80s. And that's when people were partying, [dancing to] disco, and love was in the air. And historically, the AIDS epidemic really influenced how that generation thought about sex. But I will tell you, by college, a couple of boyfriends who'd mention having sex without a condom—it was like, fine, we're both going to go get tested. For everything. And that's what we did, and there was no problem! No one had a problem with it! I guess I just thought that was normal.But in New York, I feel like that'd be a lot to ask of someone—to be like, hey, so we've seen each other a few times, clearly you've been complaining about the condom, if you want to sleep together again let's both go get tested and share the results. I mean, I think that'd be the moment where the guy would be like, "Are you kidding me?!"
Was New York discouraging sexually, coming from Toronto?
I was like, "Oh my God, I'm never going to have good sex again."
What was the main problem?
Detachment. And everyone's like, "You kind of approached it like a guy." No. I'm a girl, I was unable to approach it like a guy. Even if it was a physical act, there had to be something happening in that act that connected us. If someone ever turned my head around or whatever—totally unacceptable. I just wasn't into it. I was like, fuck you, you don't get that. You want that? Go find some other chick. There had to be something to make it seem fun, even if that was an artificial thing that was only happening in that moment.
With one guy in New York, I did this little artistic act in undoing his pants on the couch, like I was being so spontaneous and cool and on top of it and in-control, and then right afterwards he left. And I thought, "All right, it's my turn." And he was like, "See you later sweetheart." And that emptiness—like, I'm not great with that stuff. I don't know who is? But I didn't even know that was possible until it happened, and I was like, okay, that's not going to happen anymore. But I like the nerdy guys—they had to be smarter than me. So that already takes a huge part of the population out of the running.
There was a headline today in the Observer that said, "Study Finds Xbox Players are Actually Pretty Okay at Sex Stuff."
I remember being, like, thirteen years old with my niece, who's older than me, and her boyfriend, at a Stevie Wonder concert, and he said something sexist like, "Ugly girls are really good in bed because they compensate." What a horrible thing to say. But what he was saying is that the most confident, good-looking person walking down the street might not be. Because they are so involved in themselves. And they never had to develop the skill.
Were there people who surprised you in bed one way or another?
Yeah, that guy who pushed my head down—getting him into bed was a trophy. I couldn't believe it. He was this good-looking, kind of jock-of-a-guy, very charming. And I'm such a sucker for charm—it's my weakness. Someone [else might think] that person's really cheesy, and I go, "They're magical!" But when he pushed my head down, I almost hit him. And that was it. Then he was one of the ugliest people I'd ever met in my entire life. But there's that thing where some people are good in bed, some people are bad in bed, and some people don't work for me. And I don't work for some people. Like that dynamic, almost chemically or molecularly, just never meshes.
I like the line in the book about how shower sex doesn't work. I think for it to work there needs to be a weird height dynamic or something.
Right, you need benches and shelves and foot things—if you had a climbing wall on one side of the shower with those little bricks you could put your feet on.
Have you ever been with a guy who's substantially shorter than you?
I have, yes. I mean, I'm not that tall. But the one I'm thinking of was substantially shorter than me, and it was that thing where it's like, "Can we do everything lying down?"
Something else you mention in the book is your tendency to meet someone and immediately think, "What would this be like fifteen years down the road?"
Yeah, yeah, I'm not very proud of that—I think it's a weird, hardwired, evolutionary thing.
But who doesn't? And most people seem either ashamed to admit it, or they wear it on their sleeve, in which case it's obnoxious.
I feel like sometimes you just know. There were times where I'd appreciate that, where I'd talk to someone and I would like them, but I would know that the ten years in the future thing—I just couldn't see it. I couldn't figure it out. It didn't make any sense.
And that would keep you from even going with it for a couple weeks?
No, I could certainly do a night. And maybe more than that depending on what was going on. But sometimes that was relieving. When I moved to New York, I thought no one moves here to settle down. Everyone moves here for themselves, so all of us are in the same game. But we still need to be with people—it's human nature—so there's going to be this random coupling. But it's going to be really hard. And that's when I was like, "I need to take myself out of this thinking because it's going to drive me insane. I'm going to be depressed all the time and crying." So, no more of that. But then I liked the thing where I met someone and we would joke and laugh and have a good time, while I'd know that it would never work out in a billion years.
There's another great part where you're working at Kinko's and a co-worker says he likes you, and you ask why and he says, "Because you're awesome."
Isn't everyone primarily driven by some desire to be liked? That's why people want to be funny, because it's a gateway to being liked by someone.
Is doing stand-up a good way to get laid?
Oh yeah. Laughter is incredibly seductive, plus you're up there commanding a stage. [Guys] always have girls coming up to them afterwards—"Hiiiii. You're really funnnnnny." Whereas that didn't really happen to me. It'd always be really weird, like guys would come up and say, "You're just like me! You're the female version of me!" What does that mean? That's so weird. How did whoever I am immediately become all about you?
I think it's so impressive, by the way, that you wrote a drunk letter to someone.
Before texting! Could you imagine if I had a phone in my hands that could text, what damage I would've done? I'm so happy I was born in the time that I was born.
When texting came along, did you ever get into trouble with it?
Not really, because even once people started texting, they weren't doing it like they do now where it's basically the number-one way to communicate. It was still the tertiary thing. I think I remember the first time someone texted me "Happy Birthday," and I thought, "Wow, this is what's happening."There's a story that's not in the book, but it was a hookup. We met at a bar, and we were both there for birthday parties that weren't any fun. And we wound up going back to my place, exchanged numbers, but never called each other. But I remember like two weeks later wondering what would happen if I texted that guy. I texted, "Hey, what are you doing?" And in five seconds he was like, "WHERE ARE YOU?" So that's how that happens. And I've gotten those texts that say, "What's up?" And you think, "Interesting. Yes, it is midnight on a Friday." At least when you get a letter in the mail, it doesn't have a time signature on it. It doesn't say, "This was written at 100 AM."
There's an episode of Full House where notable Canadian Dave Coulier—
He's not Canadian!
He's not Canadian? Just because he dated Alanis Morissette, people lump him in there?
Yeah, everyone just wants him to be Canadian. Canadians also.
Well, there's an episode of Full House where Uncle Joey starts doing stand-up, and everyone in the family gets pissed because he talked about them onstage. I know you picked up and moved to New York, but is it still a concern that you're talking about real people on stage, and now in writing?
It's a concern. Totally a concern! I don't know how people will react. Part of me thinks that if they had a big problem with it, I would go, "Hey, listen people—you broke my heart. Or do you want to do a panel? Let's organize a panel, and you tell your side of the story." As far as I'm concerned, we ended. I don't think I gave anyone that unflattering of a portrayal. Maybe the Garfield guy, I said we had terrible sex, but I also mention that he had a huge penis. And I think that would make it fine. He's like, whatever!
Twenty-Something Women's Shortcut To Success: 40:20 Vision
At a crowded brunch at New York's Pastis, Christina Vuleta (pictured) was serendipitously struck with an idea: a mentoring forum named 40:20 Vision, where women in their 40s can pass on their perspective and advice to women in their 20s. Two years later, and currently a blog and a frequent in-person meet-up, 40:20 has become responsible for bringing 20-somethings face-to-face and blog-to-blog with the very women that can help them. Covering such topics as friends and family, self and wellness, and finances, the blog is a multi-generational advisory panel where both parties can write in and ask questions, anonymously or not.
At a café, my 20-something self spoke with Christina's 40-something self, which lead to the later opportunity of attending one of 40:20's in-person meet-ups, known as 7×7 mentoring salons. At the salon—which was a unique 7×7 reunion event—I witnessed 40:20's networking magic in action, as experienced 40-somethings and aspiring 20-somethings connected with each other on professional and personal levels, leaving with more than just a business card.
Here, founder and trend consultant Christina shares 40:20's roadtrip-filled journey, 40-somethings' thoughts on Girls, and the power of taking shortcuts.
Where were you in life when you came up with the idea for 40:20 Vision?
I was at a point where I loved my job, and things had finally really come together for me professionally. Personally, I had just been married for several years. It's funny that I quit my job at a time when I actually was at the height of my career.
Tell me about that fateful brunch at Pastis.
I was with seven 40-something girlfriends at Pastis, and we were waiting in line for a table. We noticed these two 20-something women at the bar. They asked us for advice about living in NYC, our careers, how we navigated it all. When my friends and I finally got to our table, I said, "I wish we could just bottle this advice and give it to those girls, because they're so amazing, but they don't have any idea how amazing they are." One of my friends said, "You have to live it to learn it, there's no way around it." And I responded, "Well, who says?" I looked around the table at the seven woman whom have all made such different decisions regarding dating, marriage, careers. We're the first generation of women who have benefitted from making choices and actually doing the things we want to do. We have so many perspectives to share. And that's when I realized I had hit upon something.
And did you run home and start brainstorming ideas?
Yes! That day I came up with the name "40:20 Vision" after we talked about 20:20 hindsight at the table, and I literally went home and began a business plan on making it into a book. I thought it would write itself, and that I could just email all my 40-something friends and compile the one advice they offer, but they didn't answer my emails right away, and they didn't think they had much to say. So I decided to research. I quit my job and roadtripped around the country for six months, interviewing a wide variety of women, building off of connections from friends and family and colleagues.
What quality did you find universal among all of these women?
That we're always comparing the worst of ourselves with the best of others. We compare our inner insecurities with the outside picture other people show to the world. But everybody's got their shit, which is why you have to care less about what other people think.
What's something someone said in an interview that's resonated with you ever since?
One woman in California said, "I'm past the period of my life where I'm filling my life. Now I'm at the point where I am fulfilling my life." I thought that was so insightful. You fill your life with things, and to-do things, and the fear of missing out, and then you come to a point where you finally allow yourself to become selfish. You focus inward, which actually leads you to give more to others.
It's strange how your 20s is considered an era of selfishness and "living for you," when really it's a time when you're faced with so many choices and so much paralyzing judgment surrounding those choices.
Exactly. Lena Dunham made a great point in an interview. She said "20-something women have self-confidence, but they don't have self-worth." The 20-somethings are so seemingly self-confident today, doing lots of diverse things and are so smart, but it's hard for them to respect themselves because they still haven't truly been tested yet. This shows up in the way they allow others to treat them.
What do 40-somethings think of the show Girls?
Some really love it, some hate it. Some find it too whiney and self-absorbed. I asked 20-somethings, and they said it felt realistic, but not aspirational. With Sex and the City, they aspired to have that lifestyle, even though it was not realistic. But with Girls, no one aspires to be them. The 20-somethings I spoke to definitely did not relate to the way the Girls are supported by their parents, since most 20-somethings take pride in their career and supporting themselves.
Perhaps because the Sex and the City characters were in their 30s, not their 20s, so they have their lives together a bit more.
Perhaps. Which is why 20-somethings can relate to the Girls not knowing what they're doing at all.
Tell me about your in-person 7×7 mentoring salons.
7×7 is the off-line version of 40:20 Vision. It brings together seven experienced 40-somethings and seven aspiring 20-somethings to meet and discuss topics like entrepreneurship, career change, and personal finance. Networking is great, but these salons fast-track it a bit. In one night, you can find the person who relates to what you're doing, and can affect your career. Some of these women who've met have become very close friends.
So what do the 40-somethings get from their mentorship of 20-somethings?
Besides just feeling good about helping them, the 20-somethings have showed them how to work the system and cut through lines. The younger group is pretty scrappy and unafraid of cutting through the system, while the 40-somethings are used to a more formal approach, so they're learning this from them.
How do you see 40:20 expanding? Into 40:60, a book, TV show?
All of the above. It's an idea that can become so many things. I feel like I'm creating a movement that gives people shortcuts in their lives, whether in relationships or their careers. The feedback I'm getting from the blog and 7x7s is that one connection can make a huge impact. If 20-somethings knew their power, this world would be a crazy place.
Follow 40:20 Vision and Bonnie on Twitter.
The Gaggle Girls' Most Memorable Valentine's Days
When a book comes out that redefines a word and introduces a new perspective on dating, the world takes notice; the book gets written up in the New York Times, covered on CNN, and becomes the bedtime reading of singles everywhere. The phenomenon: The Gaggle: How To Find Love In A Post-Dating World. Written by Jessica Massa (pictured, left), The Gaggle says that because we're in this post-dating, technological world where everything and nothing is a date, every guy in your life—in your "gaggle" (n.) of guys—plays a role and fulfills a need. From your spontaneous neighbor across the hall, to your intellectual friend at the coffee shop, all of these people, many of whom you're not romantically involved with—covet some kind of quality that'll guide you toward figuring out what you really want in a relationship.
Jessica—along with Rebecca Wiegand (pictured, right), her longtime best friend and co-founder of The Gaggle blog—has classified the gaggle into 10 distinct, highly-recognizable types of guys, from The Ex-Boyfriend Who Is Still Around, to The Ego Booster, to The Prospect You're Not Sure Is A Prospect. And of course The Super Horny Guy Who Happens To Be Around A Lot. When you really take a step away from your interactions and take an honest look, it's simple to pinpoint each of these men in your life.
The best part about The Gaggle: it makes dating—even simply hanging out with guys—fun again. As a single, 24-year-old girl living in NYC with a gaggle, I can attest that this book has powerfully transformed once pressure and expectation-laden experiences with guys, into carefree, "just enjoy what makes you happy" moments of glee.
In honor of Valentine's Day, Jessica and Rebecca share their most memorable Valentine's Days ever, from middle school on. And these girls delivered. From black lipstick, to messages on AIM, to psychic predictions, these experts on love have lived and learned. Here are their stories.
Jessica Massa:
1996: Valentine's Day was a VERY big deal at the middle school that Becky and I attended. Within the hot and heavy world of 7th grade relationships, various school clubs had a tradition of letting students order roses and candygrams to be delivered to their admireree's classes. This, of course, added an air of popularity, competition, and stress to the holiday. Every time the gift deliverers would interrupt a class with a rose, all the girls' faces would light up in nervous anticipation: Is this one for me? Who could've sent it? Wait, no, why is Marissa getting another one??
That year, a few friends and I decided that we were going to rebel against the oppressive tyranny of Valentine's Day. So we did what any other middle school girls would've done when Alanis Morissette was popular: we dressed in all black, piled on layers of black lipstick, and carried around bouquets of dead black roses. Take that, Hallmark.
Of course, this lasted until 5th period, when it turned out that a very sweet guy friend had sent me a flower to be delivered in math class. I couldn't contain my huge smile. I conveniently left my dead roses back on that math class desk and walked around with my blooming red one all day instead. The black lipstick got rubbed off pretty quickly, too. I guess this was the year when I discovered I wasn't quite the raging, idealistic, anti-love feminist that I'd been selling myself as.
Mid-2000s: God bless AIM. This year, I was sitting in my cubicle at work with no plans. By this time, Valentine's Day was really a take-it-or-leave-it holiday for me—and with no serious relationship in my life, it felt like barely a blip on my radar.
But then a guy who I had a little crush on IMed me. While we chatted about nothing, it came up that I'd be running a work errand right by his office later in the day. Cool! He'd come downstairs for a minute and say hi!
So he did. We ended up meeting for a drink, and then seeing his friend's show, then getting food, and then wandering around the East Village, and getting another drink…it turned into one of those epic, aimless, unplanned nights where you find yourself enjoying each other's company not really wanting it to end, so it doesn't. No, we didn't kiss that night. But we kissed later, so that was okay.
This became one of the memories that I always looked back on, especially when Becky and I were first exploring the idea of a post-dating world. Had I wanted or expected dates, flowers, and proclamations of love, that night would have been a let-down. But by being open to any sort of fun, positive way to spend the holiday, I ended up with a really special memory of a great night with a cute guy.
2010: At a certain point of adulthood, you find yourself at peace with Valentine's Day—relationship or no relationship. One of my best girlfriends and I decided to celebrate our utter lack of caring and concern for the holiday in 2010 by throwing ourselves a traditional little date night. We got drinks, saw the movie Valentine's Day, ate a classy dinner, and then went back to her place to watch Up and eat a lot of candy. The night was fun and lovely.
But what sticks out to me was our experience at dinner. We were having the best time—talking, laughing, gossiping, sharing food. And then halfway through dinner, the hostess seated a beautiful couple right next to us. "Okay," we communicated to each other through a series of raised eyebrows, "here is the part where we have to watch a couple be in love on this most 'romantic' day of the year. We're ready for it."
But then! They barely said two words to each other throughout the entire meal. They spent the whole time on their phones. We were actually pretty sure they were eavesdropping on our conversation, simply for lack of better things to do or think about. And both my friend and I were reminded that the very act of being in a relationship doesn't earn you a prize, or a higher station in life. You make the best of whatever your romantic situation is. And that year—even on a day meant for couples—my friend and I were so happy to just have each other.
Rebecca Wiegand:
Circa 2003: "I don't need a designated day of the year to buy you flowers!" my then-boyfriend said to me. He was on a roll: passionate, European, an ambivalent capitalist. I adored him and basically agreed with his assessment that Valentine's Day was a manufactured holiday thrust upon us by greedy Hallmark. Still, I managed to squeak out, "Really? When was the last time you bought me flowers?" Dead silence in the room between us. It turned out that maybe a yearly reminder, courtesy of the Romantic Industrial Complex, wasn't such an offensive idea after all.
2011: "GET YOUR GAGGLE ON!" Jess and I announced at our signature, Gaggle Valentine's Day party, and I'll always remember the damn important lesson I learned that night. We and our team wore white dresses and circulated the room as modern-day cupids, introducing men and women who wore nametags that said things like, "I Need a Career Booster" or "I Need a Hot Sex Prospect" for women and "I'm Your Career Booster" or "I'm Your Hot Sex Prospect" for men. The concept was that you should use Valentine's Day to explore and expand your gaggle – not focus laser-like and neurotically on finding "The One."
I had showed up at the venue stressed out of my mind, anxious about the party and—as always—thinking ten steps ahead to everything I felt I had to accomplish in the next six months (and in my life). I scooped up the nametag that said "I Need an Ego Booster" and started ranting about how I needed some guy, any guy, to be nice to me, lend a sympathetic ear, support all my goals and ambitions, and tell me I was doing alright. I was fed up and tired of playing games via text, via email, in person, over the phone, with men in general, and the one man in particular whom I really liked, but also knew it was never going to work out with. Why couldn't he get his act together? Why couldn't anyone give me what I needed?
Minutes later, my brother ambled up to the bar; quite my opposite, he is calm, self-assured, and reserved. He was wearing the nametag that said "I'm Your Ego Booster."
When I saw him before me, I almost cried and laughed. There he was, not only supporting me and our project, but also putting himself out there to the single ladies present as the sweetest of all the gaggle guys he could be. I was humbled: I had the world's greatest friend and supporter right there, but I hadn't thought to look outside myself and beyond the realm of my fucked up love life. Having gotten over myself and my self-created psycho-drama, I was able to have fun at my own party.
2012: "You're going to be very fertile this time of year, but I just can't tell if it's with a book or a baby!" The astrologer shook her head apologetically while also grinning. I was with two of my girlfriends at our local bar, where they were giving out love horoscopes. I crossed my fingers and prayed the stars were aligning to bring about book success; The Gaggle was being published in hardcover that June. Yet, another part of me wouldn't have minded if the other b-word came about. I had just entered into a relationship with a man who brought more happiness into my life than I could ever remember having before. A desperate, hopeful part of me wanted him to stick around forever. Later that night, he met us at the bar, two big bouquets of tulips crammed into his backpack. He hadn't known they were my favorite flowers. I took it as a sign—whether we ever had a baby or not – that he was the man for me. Once again, I found myself thankful for unexpected lessons learned on Valentine's Day.
Follow Bonnie on Twitter here.
My $500 Blind Date For Charity
Last night I went on a blind date that Steve Lewis put together. By put together, I mean he came up with the awesome idea of entering me, his editor, into an auction benefitting the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and plotting and writing about the date and highest bidder in his column. The moment he declared this to the world in a post, my stock instantly went up 500 points which, in the high-stakes bidding world means $500.
So last night, the moment finally arrived when I would meet my generous suitor: Craig Clemens, a worldly, smart, modest guy who, quite shockingly, was not a serial killer. I was thrilled. The place: the Helen Hayes Theatre to see Rock of Ages, the '80s rock Broadway musical full of sex and yelling and beer and amazingly toned abs. We had a ball, talked during intermission about our life's pursuits, and hopped in a Uber ride that arrived the moment the grand finale of "Don't Stop Believing" came to its end.
Our next destination: Hotel Chantelle, where Craig finally met Steve Lewis. Despite my deep love for and closeness to Steve, I will forever refer to him as the full "Steve Lewis," because he is a man deserving of a grand title and everything good in the world. Craig and Steve hit it off over a bottle of delicious Beau Joie Champagne which only I drank because 1. Craig is on his annual 30-day cleanse, God help him and 2. Steve gets drunk from three sips and this is a fact. So I got tipsy pretty quickly, which happened at the perfect time for a female knife swallower – one of the acts at Hotel Chantelle's beloved The Love Show, a variety/burlesque show full of over-talented performers – to take to the stage and ask for an assistant. But being the business-savvy, considerate NY woman she is, she'd only hand over the position to the person who would hand over the most amount of money to donate toward the Hurricane Sandy relief. So Steve and Craig pitched in, Craig walked up to the woman, handed her the money, and pointed directly at me, the alleged "benefactor."
So she lead me up on stage and did the requisite "What's your name? Say it into the mic" routine, all while Steve Lewis yelled from the black, "THEY'RE ON A BLIND DATE THEY'RE ON A BLIND DATE." Within three minutes, she had an entire 12-inch knife down her throat and me pulling it out of her. I credit Beau Joie for this hyperventilation-free moment.
After this, Steve Lewis started DJing some tunes that made the crowd go absolutely nuts, and Craig and I looked on with pride, like a mother with her child, or maybe that was just me. Craig suggested we get some food, so we left and headed to our next destination: Blue Ribbon. By 2am, we were devouring their best dishes – the bone marrow and fried chicken – alongside some spicy fish soup. The conversation very easily continued, but I can't tell you what it was because my brain shut down after my first bite of chicken wing dipped in truffle honey sauce. Now I have lost my place.
Anyway, we walked out, I hailed a cab, and we talked about going to a party Steve Lewis is hosting at an undisclosed location next Thursday night. It involves six ballrooms. Craig and I hugged, and I was in bed by 3am, thanking Beau Joie for having no added sugar so I have a guaranteed no-headache situation today.
Yes, I did text him today and thanked him for bidding and being such a cool guy and not a serial killer. He said that while he had a blast, even Ted Bundy probably came across as cool at first, which is a good point. So the jury is still out on this one. To be decided at a later date.
Hallelujah! 'Never Sleep Alone' Returns to NYC Friday
NYC's fuckability factor just rose 60 points – and it's not just because you moved here. With the return this Friday of Never Sleep Alone – the hit show that helps get you laid – countless New Yorkers are now on their way to never sleeping alone every Friday night, from now until Nov. 2nd, so please plan accordingly (i.e. wash your bed sheets). And in celebration of the special opening night performance, this Friday's 9:30pm show at Joe's Pub is Black Tie-optional, and includes luxury limo service for the entire audience to the after-party at a very secret and sexy new club.
Just to re-cap: Never Sleep Alone is The New York Times-acclaimed show led by sexual psychologist and music therapist Dr. Alex Schiller. The Dr.performs sex-infused pop songs, dispenses golden advice from her book Get Laid or Die Trying, and encourages mingling and on-stage make outs between all the rows and legions of single people in attendance. If you're feeling timid or you're with a date, just sign up for the more expensive "voyeur" seat in the back and watch the action unfold while you wish you were single again.
The details of this special opening night performance mean several things:
- It's Black Tie-optional, ensuring that already hot people are going to look even hotter
- Free limo service from Joe's Pub to The Very Secret and Sexy New Club ensures optimal bonding time and rendezvous in the leathered corners, and
- The cocktails from both the show and after-party locations make every bit of this all the easier!
So if you're ready to share your bed and get laid in it too, buy a ticket, get dressed up, and make your way to Joe's Pub this Friday. And if you're not ready to do that yet then, well, you're selfish and deserve to be alone. Forever.


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Honestly I never played Blake Stone, because as the wikipedia entry says DOOM came out a week later. Blake is a Wolf3d variant, so I would imagine that the same build environment that can build Wolf3d can build Blake (Borland C 3.1 & TASM 3.1).
For those of you interested in this 20+ year old artifact, you can download the source code here. And as mentioned Blake can be purchased through steam as part of the Apogee Throwback Pack.
An update to the whole thing, Marakaate has fixed the source well enough to compile! You can read about his adventure here, and download his updated source here. He's also asked me to plug his BBS, marabbs.no-ip.org .. You can just telnet to the IP address. There is some palette issues as they are compiled into the game, not read from the data files (wtf?) and have been extracted from an exe, however the starting logo is all wrong.. But the game works.
So, enjoy!


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Layers upon layers of fresh key lime, luscious cream cheese, and shortbread cookies make for a delicious no-bake cake with a show-stopping presentation. A thin layer of pistachios adds a crunch to each creamy, bright bite. The taste is light and sweet, making it the perfect ending to a large holiday meal. If you can't find Key limes to juice, try Nellie & Joe's brand.
How to Make It
Prepare the Key Lime Curd: Whisk together lime juice, sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and eggs in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high, and cook, whisking often, 1 minute. Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until melted and fully incorporated after each addition.
Pour lime juice mixture through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl. Fill a large bowl with ice. Place bowl with strained lime juice mixture in ice. Using a rubber spatula, stir to cool.
Prepare the Cream Cheese Filling: Beat heavy cream in a bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until medium peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. In another bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 2 teaspoons lime zest on high until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add whipped cream to cream cheese mixture, and beat on medium until just combined, about 1 minute; set aside.
Assemble the cake: Place 1 layer of the shortbread cookies directly on a cake stand, arranging in a 8-inch circle. Top with a thin layer of Key Lime Curd. Sprinkle with a thin layer of pistachios; spread with a thin layer of Cream Cheese Filling. Repeat layers with remaining shortbread cookies, Key lime Curd, pistachios, and Cream Cheese Filling, ending with Cream Cheese Filling and reserving 2 tablespoons of the pistachios for top of cake. Chill until set, about 2 hours. Sprinkle top of cake with reserved chopped pistachios and desired amount of lime zest.


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Welcome to the
Eastwood Lions Club Website!
To comply with the EU GDPR which came into force on the 25th May 2018, please see our updated Privacy policy.
Our club neither runs, owns or is responsible for Eastwood community centre in any way. Our club books the centre for club meetings only and has no other involvement. Please do not contact us if you are enquiring about hiring the Eastwood community centre, we cannot help you in that regard, our apologies for any offence caused with regard to this.
Please note that the website link on the Eastwood Community Centre Facebook page is incorrect, we are working on contacting the person responsible for that page & getting our details removed.
For Eastwood community centre enquiries, please visit the hall when it is open & contact details should be there on the community centre notice board. We cannot help you as regards contact details for Eastwood Community centre.
The Eastwood Lions Club meet twice a month, at 7.30pm on the second Tuesday in the month at The Eastwood Community Centre,Western Approaches, Southend on Sea, Essex, SS2 6XY, and on the fourth Tuesday in the month at the Bellhouse pub, Rayleigh Road, Eastwood.
(Update) Eastwood Lions are currently holding their business meeting online via videoconferencing. If you wish to join in on these online meetings please contact the club using the email address below.
The Club is located in the Borough of Southend on Sea, in South East Essex, England, United Kingdom. If you don't know where Southend on Sea is, head east out of Central London along the North Thames river coast for approximately 35 Miles (or 55 Kilometres) & you'll find the home of the longest pleasure Pier in the world!
To find the meeting places, click on the links below.
Eastwood Community Centre, Western Approaches, Southend-on-Sea SS2 6XY, UK
The Bellhouse Pub & Resturant, 321 Rayleigh Rd Leigh-on-Sea SS9 5PX, UK
The Eastwood Lions Club, which was formed in 2008 as a branch of the Lions Club of Leigh-On-Sea and 'Chartered' as a Lions club on its own on September 18th 2015, is affiliated to Lions Clubs International, a world-wide community service organisation dedicated to the idea that the men and women who live in a community are in the best position to know who needs help and why.
The overall aim of Lions is summarised in the following, which is taken from Lions Code of Ethics: 'To aid others by giving my sympathy to those in distress, my aid to the weak, and my substance to the needy'.
Local Lions Clubs are part of the world's largest such organisation, with more than 1.35 million members within 45,000 clubs, serving in 202 countries and geographical areas. The association is both non-political and non-sectarian.
To show you who are Lions Clubs International & what Lions members do, watch the Youtube videos below. These Videos were created by Lions Clubs International in the United States.
For more videos, click on the top link on the right hand side of this page.
If you cannot see the video above, please view this web page with a web browser that supports HTML 5 or update your web browser to the latest version.
In Great Britain & Ireland, our Patron is HRH The Countess of Wessex.
We try our best to collect funds for local good causes, as well as national ones, and also for international appeals such as those recently put out for Tsunami and earthquake victims.
If you are interested in learning more about Lions International or finding a Lions Club in the district 105EA area (Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk), Click on any of the links in the column in the top right of any page on the website.
If you are interested in joining Eastwood Lions Club, please contact us so we can invite you to one of our meetings and so learn more about us. You will receive a very warm welcome and, maybe, a free Cup of Tea as well!
You can email us at the email address below (please type the address, there is no direct link to avoid us being spammed!).
Or, telephone Lion Brian on 01268 782113. This telephone number and our email address is for Lions Club enquiries only and not for Eastwood community centre enquiries.


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In other news...
Two weeks ago, pocketnaomi and I went to, and had a great time at OVFF. I'mm not going to conrep, though.
Last weekend, drcpunk and I had a marvelous time at World Fantasy Convention, where unsurprisingly, we aquired a lot of books (including free copies of Bujhold's Paladin Of Souls [whick is excellent, and turns on a 40 year old heroine to boot] and Pratchett's Monstrous Regiment [which: I much enjoyed as Pratchett in his usual form, his treatment this time a much more sophisticated treatment of many of the themes in Jingo, this time with occasional moments of the always delightful Vimes]). Other hilights of the convention included meeting Theo Black and seeing Holly, hanging out with our DC-area friends, readings by Ellen Kushner and Patricia Mckillip (and I got to put a song virus in the excellent Ms Mckillip's head by one-line instafilking the short story she'd just read to "Feed Me" from Little Shop, somewhat to her bemusement), an evening of music and SCA neeping by Hathere Dale, who is a marvelous and personable woman, and the "evening of music" concert.
The concert...was a -very- mixed bag. There were four separate sets: David Honisberg, a gentleman I'm not all that familiar with, a woman I'm not all that familiar with, and a once-a-year band, consisting of Charles de Lint, Patrick and Teresa Nielsen Hayden, and two other women. First, David did a half-hour set, which was fun but...my tastes and his in music aren't that congruent. After that, he finished his set with a brief reunion of his old band (the DQYDJP), which was nice, and the gentleman going after him did a very country half-hour set that was -really- not to my taste. Following that was a woman who did a couple of nice filky things -- "Others are following you" and a ballad. And then the band went on stage, and they played -music-. Bouncy music, rattle in your bones music, even "get up and dance" music (and we did, at least twice, a couple of swings). Now, the band was clearly not of even voice -- they ended up giving one piece up for dead "I swear, it sounded great last night", and neither of the two women's voices I heard a lot of were really anywhere near as strong as Charles' or Patrick's (since Therisa didn't solo, I didn't get an amazing feel for her voice, but what I did hear aounded nice and on key). But it did't matter -- they gelled , they burbled, they played -music-, and frankly, the excellent musicians in the band carried and were carried by the others just fine. -Man, that was fun.
Mind, part of that is in contrast, since there was -plenty- of real music at OVFF. But that last set was the hilight of a very good con.


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« What Your Students Will Need to Get a Job at Amazon | Main | Poll: AFT Members Support Both Common Core and High-Stakes Moratorium »
Principal Swaps Security Guards for Art Teachers
As an Education Week analysis of school safety bills filed since the Newtown shooting reveals, many states are proposing beefing up securityand even arming teachersto prevent similar tragedies.
But according to NBC News, a school in Roxbury, Mass., has seen positive effectsat least in terms of academics and school culturefrom cutting back on school security and reinvesting those funds in arts instruction.
Andrew Bott became the sixth principal in seven years at Orchard Gardens K-8 School in 2010. At that time, he says (in the NBC video), "the school definitely had a prison feel." He decided to replace all of the school's security guards with art teachers, including band, dance, and visual art. Since then, the school's physical space has changed as wellthe hallways are now lined with bright decorations and motivational posters. According to NBC:
The end result? Orchard Gardens has one of the fastest student improvement rates statewide. And the studentsonce described as loud and unruly, have found their focus.
While undoubtedly there were other factors contributing to the rise in test scoreswhich are still overall below averagePrincipal Bott tells NBC that Orchard Gardens is "definitely on the right path."
In light of all that's been going on in schools and in the Boston area, it's refreshing to see some good news like this. ...


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The ABPI Code of Practice sets standards for the promotion of medicines to health professionals and other relevant decision makers in the UK. It also covers interactions between the industry and health professionals. The ABPI Code sets standards relating to the provision of information about prescription-only medicines to the public and patients, and pharmaceutical companies' relationships with patient organisations. The ABPI Code does not cover the promotion of over-the-counter medicines to the public.
The ABPI Code is a self-regulatory code, first established by the ABPI in 1958. It is regularly updated and reviewed in consultation with the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), the British Medical Association (BMA), the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS), the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) and the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).
The ABPI Code demonstrates the commitment of the pharmaceutical industry to benefiting patients by operating in a professional, ethical and transparent manner, to ensure the appropriate marketing of medicines and to support health professionals in the provision of high-quality healthcare.
The Introduction to the ABPI Code sets out the sanctions that may be applied if a company is found to have breached the ABPI Code.


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Sharp, a Japan based company, started to compete with the biggest brands in the global market and capture US market with the release of AQUOS crystal. The AQUOS crystal has a bezel free design and is said to be a future generation screen that the world might be expecting. Most of the phone is covered by screen except a bit of the bottom part.
The most interesting part of the phone is the bezel-less screen. The display starts at one edge of the phone and ends at the other edge which is a bit different than other phones in the market that have bezels on the edges. The screen edges are made out of glass and are very sharp and glossy. Although there is no materialistic benefit with it but it made the mobile to stand unique in the market. The phone comes with 5 inch screen having measurements of 131 mm long and 67 mm wide, which might be less than other android phone like HTC One M8 or Sony Xperia Z1. The bottom design of this phone is so different and has a 1.2 MP front camera, light sensor and a LED. Yes, you read that right, the phone has a camera an the bottom of the screen which is something very unusual and uncommon.
The phone has a 8 MP rear camera and a flash. It also has a mic and speaker at its back side. The phone has a micro SD storage slot which is expandable up to 128 GB and the important part of the smart phone is the battery backup. You will find a 2040 mAh battery which can make you work patiently from 9 to 5 without any disturbance of plugging in once again. But this mobile has an non removable battery which was the saddest part of any device. The phone comes with an internal storage of 8 GB and a Qualcomm MSM8926 Snapdragon 400 Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 processor. It has 1.5 GB RAM and Adreno 305 GPU.
AQUOS entered a market with two different phones one is US version which comes with minimum specifications to be detailed. This gadget comes with a 5 inch screen and 720p resolution and also it has a bit sharp and crispy look. The Japanese AQUOS crystal X comes with high-end specifications and a larger display of 5.5 inches which is half a inch bigger than the US version and it comes with a resolution of 1080p. The one thing that makes you feel enjoyable is watching movie on this phone, without bezel it makes you feel like watching the movie in a premier mobile.
AQUOS stood once again different in software features also. Sharp included a gesture, motion feature in its mobile phone called as "clip now". If you hold down the volume and power button at a simultaneous time it will capture the screen to an image and users can swipe at the top edge of the mobile display which will save the captured screen shot into a clip now image. The audio features are also really good, with headphone plugged in your ears makes you feel alive. Over all truth comes down here, it's really cool to have this type of unique phone in your hands, but a bit specification increment would have made this mobile more mobilized in the stores. The Sharp AQUOS Crystal comes for $149.99.


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It's been something of an annus mirabilis for Wieden+Kennedy London as the recently high-flying agency has seen the departures of biggest account Nokia (with attendant ten per cent redundancies) and the Guardian, one flagship account, Honda, cut back in the wake of the tsunami in Japan and another, Nike, award its plum Europe assignments to W+K Amsterdam.
Some global agency managements would be handing out extra lines, preparing P45s maybe. But Wieden+Kennedy Portland, HQ of the all-conquering creative network, is made of braver stuff and has made up London managing director Neil Christie (pictured) and interactive creative director Ian Tait to partner status.
This is a select group which already includes W+K London's Honda team of creative directors Tony Davidson and Kim Papworth. Portland managing director Tom Blessington and executive creative director Mark Fitzloff have also been made partners. By the by, isn't it refreshing that the likes of Christie and Blessington are managing directors, not big shot-sounding CEOs?
Dan Wieden says his agency is: "Very picky, very slow and deliberate when it comes to adding new partners," and that the four new ones "bring fresh perspectives and skill sets to critical areas this agency and this industry will face in the years ahead. I am thrilled. It is like our brain and our heart just made a growth spurt."
In many ways W+K london's biggest problem is W+K Amsterdam, home not just to Nike but also Coca-Cola and Heineken. W+K is also using Amsterdam as its bridgehead into Eastern Europe, recently winning the whopper Beeline telecoms account. Amsterdam has also recently gone on a creative hiring drive, luring creatives not just from London (why do they want to leave the UK? Mystifying really) but as far afield as San Francisco.
So there are still challenges ahead for W+K London, partners or not. The agency is unlikely to make it into Campaign/Nielsen's Top 20 for 2011 when the numbers come out in February next year and an agency of its stature really should be firmly ensconced towards the top of that list.
But with the recent appointment by dairy firm Arla Foods and a big new campaign coming up for mobile network 3, the agency has the opportunity justify the faith of its bosses and escape, to a degree anyway, from the shadow of Amsterdam.


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My most recent paper copy of Fortune alerted me that I can now read Fortune on the iPad so off I go to check this out.
- Hassles: As I have experienced before, big files like a magazine are quirky downloading. You get download errors. I never did get that Sports Illustrated issue downloaded and it took 3 or 4 shots to get the Fortune downloaded. I have plenty of memory so I don't understand the nature of the problem.
- Puzzles: As I began the process of downloading the Fortune issue, I saw no mention of what my "deal" was going to be since I am a paper subscriber to the magazine. Copy price on the iPad is $4.99. But what is my "deal" since I am already a subscriber? I emailed Customer Service with this very question. And the answer came back that there is no deal for me. I am one of the stupid people who is getting Fortune magazine and that's my tough luck when it comes to the iPad version.
- Joy! As I have predicted in the past, the iPad can be the making of magazines – showcasing more pix and video, keeping the issue current, making feedback easy etc. And so it was, I:
- Enjoyed seeing the celebrity pix of shoppers at Trader Joe's
- Found the video clip most interesting of Flipboard. Brought the idea home in a more compelling manner than just the story. (I'll be exploring Flipboard further in later blog posts.)
- Relished seeing the actual examples of Salman Khan's tutorials which really brought home the article, "Bill Gates' Favorite Teacher". (Ooops, slight pause in composing this blog while I listen to the post about the French revolution.)
- Reflected on how times change when I looked over the pictures and timeline for Lehman Brothers over 100 years, including their assistance "some time ago" to a small retailer named Sears!
I'm looking forward to more magazines online and the offers they make to their print subscribers to make it a true multimedia experience.


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Who we are
Ray Chung Acrylic Enterprise Co., Ltd. is a company that focus on producing high quality cast acrylic sheets and offering friendly services to customers.
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Ray Chung Acrylic Enterprise Co., Ltd. with more than 30 years of experience, we are specialized producing cast acrylic sheets with 100% virgin material from Lucite. Our products are well known for high quality in the acrylic sheet industry.
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