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Specter of images (in memory of the gardener) appears as an unraveled tapestry of white web-like threads which converge, diverge, knot and form into partial images of plant forms. An homage to the love of embroidery and the memory of the gardens created by the artist's mother and a Swiss hermit (both since deceased), the disintegrating plant forms come together trying to create the semblance of a whole. The holding of fragments and the releasing of form both speak the language of memory- partially preserved, flattened and ghost-like- generating a levitating embroidery on air or perhaps they speak the language of a potential future – as the image awaits forming up and the part expresses a desire for the whole. This weightless image of future-past is a seeking of refuge in the transient image – a waiting to re-join the world of perceived form or an un-turning of the knots which created form to allow a dissolution back to the material from which it came.
Kiran Nadar Museum of Art, Delhi
Sakshi Gallery, Mumbai, India
Hermès, The Chanakya, New Delhi
Wilfrid Israel Museum, Israel
Belgrade Biennale/ 58th October Salon, Serbia
Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Mumbai City Museum
India Art Fair/ FOCUS
C24 Gallery, New York, USA
Exhibit 320, New Delhi, India
Saatchi Gallery, London, UK & Art Houz, Chennai, India
Miscellaneous Thread Drawings


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Article content
Welcome back to another year of fun, games, distractions, injury setbacks and who-knows-what for the Ottawa Senators.
Barely one game into a new season and it's oh-so-cloudy again inside the Canadian Tire Centre.
Let's begin with the hint of uncertainty about Kyle Turris' future in Ottawa as contract negotiations continue.
The talks — or, at least, talk about the talks — took a twist before Thursday's season-opening 5-4 shootout loss to Washington, when TSN's Darren Dreger said the 28-year-old pending unrestricted free agent centre will be traded "at some point."
While neither Turris nor Senators general manager Pierre Dorion were talking publicly on Friday, it's believed that Turris and his agent, Kurt Overhardt, are asking for a contract extension of seven or eight years — too long for the Senators to stomach.
"I'm not going to talk about negotiations," Overhardt said on Friday in a telephone interview with Postmedia.
This much is crystal clear: If Dorion can't come to terms with Turris, the Senators will have to deal him before losing him for nothing as a free agent next summer.
Committing to Turris for the long, long term would be tricky for the organization. Bobby Ryan (five years remaining) and Dion Phaneuf (four years left) are on their own long-term deals, while Mark Stone has restricted-free agent status next summer. Captain Erik Karlsson is due to become an unrestricted free agent himself following the 2018-19 season.
Now, back to the present, where Karlsson's status for Saturday's game against Detroit remains unclear. Karlsson was on the ice for practice on Friday and was paired with Mark Borowiecki. Senators coach Guy Boucher at least opened the door for a possible return from his surgically repaired left foot.
"He looked great," said Boucher. "It's day-to-day, so any time now. I told him the day that (you are) ready, you tell me. And (Friday) he told me was doing great. That's about it."
Meanwhile, Johnny Oduya, the club's highest-profile summer signing on defence, is also iffy for the game because of a lower-body injury suffered against Washington. He didn't skate on Friday.
If Karlsson and Oduya are both ruled out against Detroit, the Senators will need to recall a defenceman from the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Belleville opened its season on Friday night against Laval.
"We have to see where all those guys are and make a decision," said Boucher.
In terms of the forwards, the biggest news is that Alex Formenton is scheduled to make his NHL debut, replacing Logan Brown in the lineup.
Formenton, who turned 18 on Sept. 13, will become the youngest player in modern Senators history. Mika Zibanejad (18 years, 172 days) is the current record-holder. He will likely begin the game on a line with Nate Thompson and Alex Burrows.
"I wanted, as quickly as possible, to try and get both kids (Brown and Formenton) in and see how they're managing stuff," Boucher said. "(Detroit) has smaller, quicker, faster guys and that's where Formenton has those qualities. I think it's a perfect moment to get him in there, and the sooner, the better."
After combining for three goals and four assists against Washington, the line of Bobby Ryan, Derick Brassard and Mark Stone will stay together, but Boucher will juggle elsewhere.
Turris will serve as a centre for Zack Smith and Ryan Dzingel. Jean-Gabriel Pageau will move to his natural centre spot from right wing, on a line with Mike Hoffman and Tom Pyatt.
Pageau will likely go head-to-head against Detroit star centre Henrik Zetterberg.
"I like to think about it a little bit before the game and look at the lineup and what it's going to be like," Pageau said. "But every team now has a couple of good lines, so it's hard now to get a good matchup. We had some matchups (on Thursday), but sometimes we lost those matchups with the power play and penalty killing and they changed up, so it's hard to get a perfect matchup.
"It's always a personal challenge when you're playing these skilled, talented guys, and you take pride playing against them."
With or without Karlsson, the Senators need to clean up their act inside their own blue line. They were in control early in the third period against Washington, ahead 3-1, but a cascade of miscues — a Cody Ceci giveaway, a Zack Smith giveaway, Nate Thompson losing his man — paved the way for the Alexander Ovechkin hat trick that tied the game 4-4. The Capitals then survived a Senators power play in overtime and won in the shootout.
"We didn't get the result we wanted, but we did some good things and there are things we can work on," said defenceman Chris Wideman, who scored a goal and an assist against Washington.
Boucher is confident his team will fill in the cracks against Detroit.
Craig Anderson, who stopped 24 of 28 shots against Washington, will start in goal.
Get over it, Senators fans. The surprise early arrival of Alex Formenton into the NHL came with the considerable help of former Toronto Maple Leafs stars Wendel Clark and Gary Roberts.
Formenton, who will become the youngest player in modern Senators history (18 years, 24 days) when he makes his NHL debut on Saturday against Detroit, was coached by Clark for four years with the Toronto Young Nationals.
Last summer, Formenton worked side by side, day after day, in the gym with Roberts.
"He worked so hard," Formenton's proud father, Jim, said in a telephone interview with Postmedia on Friday. "(Roberts) knew it was important for him to get off to a good start with the organization. Now he's writing his own little story here. It's amazing to see him do this."
Nobody could have seen it coming. Drafted in the second round (47th overall) by the Senators in June, Formenton was expected to be shipped back to the OHL's London Knights at some point toward the middle or end of training camp. Instead, he'll become the first second-round pick to step directly into the NHL in his draft year since Daniel Sprong with Pittsburgh two years ago.
"It's definitely really exciting," the soft-spoken speedster said following Friday's practice. "If I get the opportunity, I want to make the best of it. It's going to be something special if I do get to play. My whole family will be there."
The cast will include his father Jim, mother Christine, brother Justin and perhaps a dozen more family members, all of them stunned at how quickly it all happened.
"At 15, in his draft year in the OHL, he was 5-foot-5 and maybe 140-145 pounds," said Jim Formenton, who is best friends with Clark and works as a mechanic for Wendel Clark's Meineke in Woodbridge. "He just kind of took off one year."
Now 6-foot-2 and 165 pounds, he never wanted to do anything other than play hockey, including scooting around the basement floor on roller blades as a three-year-old.
"I remember coming home from a weekend tournament after he played six games and I expected him to jump on the couch," said Jim Formenton. "Instead, he jumped out of the car, put on his roller blades and started playing hockey on the driveway.
"I said, 'Come on in, let's do something else'. He told me that this is what he wanted to do. Well, I guess it kept him out of trouble."
The 18-year-old will no doubt have butterflies leading up to his debut, but the events of the past week — signing his first contract, making the opening-day roster and getting set for his pro debut Saturday — have also seemed unreal to his family.
"I haven't slept well all week, but in a good way," said his father. "How did this happen?"
Shoot first, ask questions later.
As an organizational philosophy, that approach seems to be working well for the Senators.
When Chris Wideman scored on the Senators' first shot on goal of the season on Thursday against Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby — 6:25 into the first period — it wasn't quite as rare as you might think.
In 2015-16, Kyle Turris also opened the Senators 'season by scoring on the club's first shot against Buffalo Sabres goaltender Robin Lehner, the ex-Senator, a mere 30 seconds in.
"It was just about getting the puck on net," said Wideman. "The guys did a great job screening him. (Mark Stone) was kind of blind-folding him, so I was just fortunate that it went in."
It was a positive, and perhaps necessary, solid start for Wideman, who also registered a third-period assist on Stone's second goal. With captain Erik Karlsson out of the lineup while recovering from left-foot surgery, Wideman was given time on the first unit of the power play.
When Karlsson returns and if the rest of the defence corps is healthy, coach Guy Boucher will be forced into making a decision about who comes out. Wideman could be the odd-man out, but if he keeps putting up points, the decision gets tougher.
"Any time you can contribute, it's obviously good," said Wideman, who played 19:51 against Washington. "We're missing a big piece of our team right now and it's on all the guys in the lineup to step up a little bit and try to help the team win. Any way you can do that, whether it's offensively or defensively — that's a big hole — it's going to take all of us to fill it."
tap here to see other videos from our team.

subset: commoncrawl


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Webcast sponsored by the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre and hosted by the Asian Canadian and Asian Migration Studies (ACAM) program as part of the honouring of Dr. Henry Sugiyama. An 87-year-old Canadian doctor of Japanese ancestry, Dr. Sugiyama is the first student in a new UBC program on Asian Canadian studies. This is a special lecture presentation from History 483 – Asian Migrations to the Americas – taught by UBC History Professor Dr. Henry Yu.
Migration from Asia was, and remains, a formative influence on the social, economic, cultural and political life of the Americas. This course explores the history of migration from Asia to, and throughout, Canada, the United States and Mexico from the late 19th to the early 21st century. It examines the impact of migration from different parts of Asia on local, national and transnational communities. Through a variety of readings and engaged seminar discussions, students explore a range of topics including contested conceptions of Asian-ness, the relationship between migration and indigeneity in the Americas and how perceptions of arriving migrants changed over time. The class contributes its own understandings and interpretations to historiographical discussions as well as contemporary debates about migration from Asia to, and throughout, the Americas.
Select Articles Available at UBC Library
Yu, H., & MyiLibrary. (2001). Thinking orientals: Migration,contact, and exoticism in modern america. New York: Oxford University Press. [Link]
Yu, H. (2009). Global migrants and the new pacific canada. International Journal, 64(4), 1011-1026. [Link]
Yu, H. (2007). Refracting pacific canada: Seeing our uncommon past. BC Studies, (156-157), 5. [Link]
Yu, H. (2005; 2004). History book prize awardees. Journal of Asian American Studies, 7(2), 178-180. doi:10.1353/jaas.2005.0017. [Link]
UBC Library Research Guides


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Getting married right NOW!!
Wow, super excited and nervous and anxious all at the same time. I'm worried about the size of the room and how many people can fit. So it'll be important to have the link for JOINME readily available. If the link's here it's available. I'll take it down when it's not active any more.
Wow it was so wonderful!! Going to bed so happily married!!!
Kait's Engaged to Marry Kris!
I've had a lot of amazing times here in IMVU, but last night was the most amazing nights of my life here! It was my four month anniversary with Kris and I knew she was doing something special for that, but she surprised me by asking me to marry her. It was soo magical, Fairy Flying, unbelievable flowers and the most romantic cuddles. I've never felt so close, so loved, and so unbelievably wonderful and so blessed.
Kris is not only the most loving, passionate person I think I've ever know, but she's an awesome designer and developer and truly fun person and friend. Kris fits in with my family and friends even better than I do and is always such a blessing. She's everything I could ever want. I Love you with all my heart Kris, and am sooo sooo glad to be able to tell the world how much you mean to me.
You've made the past four months since we met mind blowingly amazing. A picture's worth a thousand words so I spent most of the day yesterday going back through thousands and thousands of pictures (is that the equivalent of millions of words) from just the past four months to pull out some of the most interesting or memorable pictures. I tried to keep this one mostly clean, (although it's probably rated R), but I wanted to try and show people a little of the love and Our Story.
So I'm married now
What does being married here really mean? We had an amazing wedding! It was really beautiful. So much fun with such great friends. But what does it mean now? How does it make you feel?
Sure it's only symbolic and it doesn't create any actual physical commitment. But a lot of things here are symbolic but it is still a very powerful thing and feeling. Before the wedding I was rereading my wedding tips and one line stuck with me. It's as important as you make it. That is probably true of a lot of things in here but especially of marriage.
I'm proud and thrilled to be her partner and to commit myself to pleasing her. I was already putting her first, but there is something special about saying it in front everyone so clearly. It is the most amazing feeling to stand there in such a beautiful dress in front of her and all your family, crying and promising yourself.
I talked to a friend who has been dating the same person for a long time. She said her partner didn't really want to be married and was happy as girlfriends. And I can appreciate that. I was so afraid to get married for a long time. And theres clearly no teal need to get married here. But even if they aren't really ready for it or thinking about that, if you ask them in a good way that gives them the ability to quietly say, no they're not ready yet, I think it can be a great thing for most relationships. Just make sure they understand that it's not necessarily a yes or no thing but a yes or not now thing.
I honestly knew pretty quickly with Taylor that I wasn't just close enough or in love enough to marry her, but that I was meant to be with her. I don't mean to go on too much about her but I really do love her more than I can ever say. So bear with this newly wed a little.
PS. Thank you to everyone that sent even the shortest nice note. It means a lot and reminded me that the names and pics in your list are real people. That might sound dumb, but its easy to get used to seeing people and let them become invisible. And it reminded me that even if you get a chain letter type message, or just an announcement type thing, write back just to say hi. Being in contact and on their list and messages is worth it.
Making me the Happiest Girl in IMVU
Wow, I just proposed and got proposed to by Taylor. It was so amazing. I sit here with my head just spinning. (Yes more than usual! Way more!!) I've had the most magical two months. It feels funny to say it's two months, because it feels like I've known Taylor forever. And well if I haven't known her forever, I know that I will. I just left her a few minutes ago and wanted to write something and share her video. It obviously touched MY HEART. I don't know how to say enough how much I love her. It was beautiful because she knows I love videos and she made a video for me. It was amazing… She proposed to me, and I proposed back to her! I know she loves music so I sang her a song to ask her to marry me. (I'll probably use the song in a video later)
I was starting a post about Happiness earlier today, because out of all the awesome things I've gotten from here, the unbelievable happiness has to be the most amazing and surprising benefit. I have absolutely never been so happy in all my life as I have recently in here. And it just seems to bet more and more intense, every day. There's really no way to explain it or even describe the level of happiness I've had in here. Hopefully Taylor's video shows some of it. I feel like no matter what happens in my life, I will always be able to come here and be happy.
Some people say it's not real, but I have to tell you the emotions are so very real, so very intense and powerful. When you're gazing deeply into someone's eyes that you know and love deeply in your heart and so happy to marry them, sobbing trying to type or even just say yes, it's real. When you're sharing the death of a relative, and realize who in your life cares most, you'll know it's real. When you feel their arms around you, and smell the flowers, and laugh so hard your cheeks hurt, that's real. It's so real, it's scary. No it's not scary, it's just so intense, so passionate, so priceless!
Dear Taylor,
I love you with all my heart. I can't wait to marry you and show the world how much I love you, and how committed I am to you. You swept me off my feet and won my heart, making it look so easy to wipe out every defense. You mean more than I can say, but I'll spend my lifetime here showing you, loving you, pleasing you in every way.
Susan and Katy,
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all that you've done. YOU have made this all possible and the most amazing thing and I really mean that. YOU made this possible and every bit of love I feel for Taylor I also feel for you. You've made LYN mean something amazing.
Exclusivity in IMVU
I'm very conservative in real life, ok maybe even boring. I was never crazy. I go to church in real life and I've never even been tempted to cheat. I totally believe in exclusivity in real life marriage and even relationships. But I think no matter what you prefer in real life I think you to chalk this up as one of the things that's different in here.
It's not that you can't be exclusive in IMVU relationships, you can literally be anything you want in IMVU. But it does kind of go against the grain of this crazy place. This place is like miracle grow for relationships and even if you're not looking for anything, fish jump into your boat and pop out of nowhere. You're not being bad. This happens to everyone and this is an issue we all have to wrestle with.
There are a lot of ways to handle this with your partner and any can work, but it's important to talk about it. You can obviously be exclusive or open. You can have a list of acceptables or just say nobody in a group or anyone not in a group. You can allow limited touching or only go so far or just nothing without the other person present. I could give you examples of couples that worked with each of these variations. You can even have different rules for different people, because every person and every relationship is different.
The important thing is to talk about it to establish it and understand what your ground rules are with your partner. Also remember communication and love are the keys to happiness in here. And it's a very fluid place, so what you or your partner want or need will change sometimes too.
You cant look at it like its real life. It's not exactly a game but it's not real either and it's not you being bad. It's just kind of the way this place seems to go. I guess that's the downside of it being so easy to meet people, it's also hard not to.
My Twis and Miss
I've met a lot great people in here, and made some of the most amazing friends I've ever had in my life. But I've never felt such an awesome love, a sincere true friend and heart felt passion as I do for Susan and for Katy.
This world is made up of the most amazing variety of rooms and activities but it's the people that make a room and your friends that make this so amazing. And I have the greatest honor today of announcing the re-commitment of my best friends, my twin sis, aka. my Twist, Katy, and my most loving owner Susan.
Katy has from the first day I met her 8 months ago, been the most amazing kindred spirit I've ever met. I could talk to her forever and love her even longer.
I met Susan through Katy and she has grown over time from a true friend into the the most amazing love. She pushes me and makes this place unbelievably special. They both make me want to be a better person.
So it is with the absolute greatest honor excitement and love imaginable that I announce Katy and Susan's recommitment ceremony on November 7th at 1 am. (an election night they won't forget). I've said it before but have to say it again, they are the most amazing people I've met in almost two years in here or anywhere and I love respect and admire them both more than I can ever say. But I will gladly be here showing them both as long as they will have me.
IMVU Marriage
The idea of IMVU marriage really freaked me out when I first saw it here. That's because I'm married in real life, and my biggest fear in here was hurting my real life marriage. So last June when Holly asked me to break this one rule (I was so nervous coming on here I had a lot of rules) I was reluctant but agreed if we used a different word. The different word idea didn't work that well and took too much explanation. And pretty soon I just called it married like everyone else.
I don't know exactly what the point is to this except that the word "marriage" carries so much weight and can be very difficult or even scary. I've been struggling with and thinking about this a lot lately. Yes I'm single again and kind of enjoying that. I'm honestly not really looking for anything else right now either, just enjoying things a little. I guess that's really nothing new but still. Being "married" isn't what's going to make you happy here. Marriage really just means you give someone priority.
I think the point is don't get hung up on the word imvu marriage. It's just a word and in this crazy world it literally means almost anything you want it to be. There are almost as many different rules or types or marriages as there are types of relationships. I think the key thing to remember is that the only way any of us have of holding on to anyone is loving them more than anyone else does. And if you stop feeling and doing that you're slipping.
The good news is that your imvu lover doesn't just see your pixels when they see you. They see the sum of all the love and emotions you've shared. So share the heck out of them and always do your very best to make your partner feel like you love the heck out of them more than anyone else ever has! And be sensitive to their needs. Then no matter what words or title you use, you'll never be lonely.
A very special letter
I usually try not to post things just to one person but rather show the lesson behind things so it's helpful for everyone. I've never written to anyone outside of Imvu before either but this seemed important to say. I don't know when he'll see this but I had to write to write and thank Stephanie's new RL fiancé.
Dear Evan
I want so much to thank you. To thank you for making Stephanie so amazingly happy and for letting us share that wonderful feeling with her. You get to see people in here in a very special way from the inside out. And I've never met a more beautiful girl on the inside than Stephanie. She has the most amazing heart and I couldn't possibly be more happy for you both.
We had the most special, wonderful opportunity to follow and get to know you through her, to watch and be a little bird on her shoulder, and to share all the happiness that has just poured out of her heart since she met you. We have never met but I feel like I know you and even your family more than a little, at least in an Imvu way.
We have been more than privileged to share a little bit of Stephanie's heart and to be her secret cheerleaders. No matter what happens this will always have been one of the most special things about this crazy place and no matter what, I will be her friend till the end of days. I pray for you both and know that you are heading for truly great things.
Am I married?
Yes and Yes. I'm kind of weird I guess, being straight and happily married to a man in RL with three kids, and married to a the sexiest woman I've ever met in here. I was mostly lez when I started in here, afraid that every guy would turn into a stalker or that it would hurt my RL marriage. It also seemed that women were easier to talk to and it wasn't centered around or focused on sex. Over the past year I've gone from being unwilling to friend guys to having half my sex with them, but I have to confess I don't have the type of relationships with guys that I do with girls.
Sometimes people assume that if I'm married here that means I'm taken. Marriages here have a lot more variety than they do in real life. I feel like I have the best of both worlds cause my IMVU wife doesn't just allow me to have fun, she pushes me like crazy, not just to have fun but to share my heart and I do. The connection with Holly is way above anything else, but it's an amazing feeling to feel so much in love with her and have so much fun at the same time. It makes me feel even closer and so much more appreciative of her. The badder I am the more she likes it, and the more fun it is for me as she pushes me. This wouldn't be for everyone but is so one of the reasons why I say I'm the luckiest girl in imvu.
Update July 2012: Almost a year later, we've downgraded, not broken up, just not really married any more. I still love Holly with all my heart and know she loves me. But her priorities have changed a little and she isn't on that much and despite my protests, thought I needed to be free to love and be loved more. She's still the sexiest person I've ever met in here. I didn't really want it, felt safe being married sort of, though I have to admit I do like being single to some degree. I think the key is to be happy no matter where you're at in here, and you really can be as happy as you make your mind up to be pretty much.
October 2012: This tends to be a little fluid. Holly basically left IMVU, going in other directions so I'm pretty much on my own and enjoying a lot.
Virtual Marriages on IMVU?!
Virtual marriage is a crazy concept to anyone new here. Being married in real life, I was probably more afraid of it than anyone. I made one of my rules that I can't possibly do that. In some ways it sounds silly in such a free crazy place to want to make that type of commitment. Don't worry we all think that. Just have a good time and play it by ear.
Just don't be surprised if you wake up one morning and realize that is the only way to describe what you feel. About the time you realize what's happened, you'll also realize that it's really not making a commitment, so much as acknowledging how you feel and the commitment you already have. That's how this place sneaks up on you. That's when you'll turn around and realize how beautiful it is and that you suddenly want to do this very badly for your partner. And honestly it doesn't have to take away any of the emotion from your real life marriage or relationships if you keep the worlds separate.
These are my wedding vows to Holly. I love her with all my heart and wanted her to know that while I am away. The pictures aren't bad but there is one or two with a little skin in them. :-)
IMVU Cheating?
Is IMVU alright for married people, is a tricky and often difficult question. It's not correct to say that every married person on imvu is cheating, but it's also not correct to say that it's never cheating. There are two factors you have to use to determine the appropriateness of a situation. The first is the precautions taken to limit things. Never crossing the line between IMVU and RL won't seem like much of a big deal to single people but is critical for anyone married. You can take it a step further and not maintain any ongoing relationships with your spouse's sex. It's also important not to do things that reduce your desire for your spouse. If it's adversely affecting the relationship, it's definitely crossing the line.
The second part of the equation is how your spouse not only is affected, but will they look at it. How will your rl partner feel if they walk in at the wrong moment? Will they understand the difference and separation between real and virtual or what have they agreed to. The more communication you have there, the safe it is. Although that's not always easy to do, and can cause issues and concerns too. You can get a divorce in most places now for any reason whatsoever. So the only answer or opinion that really counts is your spouses


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The post-Christian society, which denies its own Christian underpinnings, falls into the trap of religiosity. Because it is religious and yet denies its own sinfulness, it must blame the other. The right blames the "illegal immigrant", the left the "uneducated working class" or "unsophisticated rural folk".
– Mark Sayers in Disappearing Church (p29)


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Well were did the time go, I've been blogging for just over 6-months now. That time has flown by. Looking back at my 3-months blog post has made me realise I should probably write a 6-month blog update.
In my 3-month blog post here's what I said for my blog future:
I see the next steps for my blog being to go self hosted, hopefully set up a Linky, see increased traffic numbers, go to Britmums, write some product reviews, update the look of my blog and include more imagery, and hopefully continue blogging as much as I currently am when I return to work.
I've done all of that (yay, happy face).
Here's my key highlights from blogging over the past 3-months:
- Going self-hosted. This was a big step for me. I moved from the free WordPress account to being self-hosted, meaning I own my site and TSO Host now host my blog. Since I've gone self-hosted, I've seen more interested from companies wanting to work with me. By no means huge companies, but it's progress.
- Being invited to be co-host at #fortheloveofBLOG linky by the lovely Fi from A Mum Track Mind. It was pretty much after I released my 3-month blog post that Fi asked if I fancy joining the Linky bandwagon. And I couldn't say no, Since we launched #fortheloveofBLOG 12 weeks ago we have overwhelmed by its success and the fab blog posts being linked up week after week.
- Guest hosting #KCACOLS with Franca from A Moment with Franca. It was super hard work with loads of link-ups, I think it was the first week that she got over 100 link-ups. But it was fab experience to get a taster of running a Linky.
- Attending #BML16 last month. When I first bought my ticket I was super nervous as my blog was only very new. However my nerves were calmed as lots of bloggers I had been chatting to at #tribalchat were going. I had a brilliant day, and learnt a lot. I've now booked my ticket to BlogFest which is held in London in November.
- I written reviews on behalf of some brilliant companies offering fab products for your baby – Bobadeg Personalised Books, Bo & Bel Teething Jewellery, and My Little Piccolo baby food. Every time a new product lands on my doorstep I get a little bit excited. I love unwrapping it, and letting my little one explore it.
- Twitter continues to be my main social platform, and I strongly believe it's the best for promoting posts and chatting to other bloggers. I've also set up a Facebook page and converted my personal Pinterest account for The Pramshed. Both are in their early days and need a lot of work and content adding.
- I've had posts published on #breastfeedingstores by My Petit Canard, and had my first regular post on Meet Other Mums.
So onto the stats, since my blog went live on 6 January 2016:
- 5,610 views (this is a tricky one as it only takes into account view since my blog went hosted at the end of April. I'm tending to average about 2,500 views a month)
- 3,212 Twitter followers
- 86 blog posts published
- 930 comments
I'm really proud of my blog so far. I've learnt a lot – not just about blogging, but also about myself too. At 3-months I was a novice blogger, with little blogging experience, but hard work and building a community is what has made my blog what it is today. Blogging is overwhelming, especially in the beginning when you're trying to find your voice and style. However I always say your blog is what you make it, it can be as big or small as you like, don't compare your blog to others. Your blog needs to speak from you, and be honest and personable to capture and engage your audience.
I'm really excited about the next 6 months blogging, and I hope that when I write my 1st Blog Anniversary post I can say the following:
- I have a new theme, one that is stylish, simple, clean, premium and professional.
- I have 5,000 Twitter followers.
- I have grown Facebook to 100 Likes. I've set this one quite low, as I struggle to get more than 1 Like a day at the moment.
- I have grown my Pinterest beyond being my personal account, but being more focused on boards for my blog.
- I am blogging for a brand. I would love to work for a young and fun brand, aimed at the baby/child market.
- I have some sort of blog success from attending BlogFest in November.
- I am still co-hosting #fortheloveofBLOG linky with Fi from A Mum Track Mind.
- I have found a balance between running a blog, and working full time.
That's it, I hope these goal are all achievable. Find out how I get on by continuing to follow my journey, and reading my 1st Blog Anniversary post in January 2017 (sounds a long way off, but it'll come round so fast).
Thanks for reading.
Claire x


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New ideas in ecology have implications for managing forest ecosystems. The discipline of silviculture is at a crossroads. Silviculturists are under increasing pressure to develop practices that sustain the full function and dynamics of forested ecosystems and maintain ecosystem diversity and resilience while still providing needed wood products. "A Critique of Silviculture" offers a penetrating look at the current state of the field and provides suggestions for its future development.The book includes an overview of the historical developments of silvicultural techniques and describes how these developments are best understood in their contemporary philosophical, social, and ecological contexts.
It also explains how the traditional strengths of silviculture are becoming limitations as society demands a varied set of benefits from forests and as we learn more about the importance of diversity on ecosystem functions and processes.
The authors go on to explain how other fields, specifically ecology and complexity science, have developed in attempts to understand the diversity of nature and the variability and heterogeneity of ecosystems. The authors suggest that ideas and approaches from these fields could offer a road map to a new philosophical and practical approach that endorses managing forests as complex adaptive systems.


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Legion attends GI Bill enrollment ceremony
A new bill that will dramatically improve benefits awarded through the new GI Bill was widely praised at a Dec. 17 ceremony in House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's office. The legislation, supported by The American Legion, now heads to the White House for President Obama's signature.
The Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act makes it easier for veterans to take advantage of their education benefits, helps them enter the civilian work force more successfully, and extends benefits to more National Guard and reserve members.
"The passage of this act is the latest milestone in The American Legion's longtime advocacy for the GI Bill," said Jimmie Foster, the Legion's national commander. "About 400,000 more veterans will become eligible for their education benefits when the president signs this bill into law.
"While this measure doesn't give us everything we've been asking for, it certainly addresses a majority of the deficiencies the Legion has been trying to correct since the Post-9/11 GI Bill was passed in 2008."
Pelosi thanked The American Legion for its strong support for the new measure.
To read a summary of Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Improvements Act of 2010 (S.3447), click here.


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Author: A.M. Arthur
Publisher: Carina Press
Pages/Word Count: 245 Pages
At a Glance: Tag from the Belonging series FINALLY gets his own story, and it couldn't have been better.
Reviewed By: Jennifer
Blurb: Detective Nathan Wolf might just be a junior detective, but he tackles every case with the passion that he lacks in his personal life. A series of failed relationships with women has left him still single at thirty-four—because he's too scared to admit to his longtime crush on his best friend James.
Dr. James Taggert likes to keep his profession as a psychiatrist separate from his party-animal persona. Known around the gay clubs as Tag, he's the guy who screws them, leaves them, and never looks back. But James's drinking is getting heavier, and when bad memories from the past resurface, he's close to becoming the worst version of himself.
After a drunken blackout ends in a hot and heavy make-out session with his very straight best friend, James has no memory of the steamy affair. But Nathan isn't sorry for the kisses that James can't remember. Nathan finally musters the courage to tell James how he really feels, but a life-altering event might force them apart before they can ever be together.
Review: Having read the entire Belonging trilogy, I kept seeing this recurring character in the background just begging to have his story told, and it finally is in this first book of a new trilogy by A.M. Arthur. Ever since he first graced the page, I loved Tag's character. He's an unashamed flirt and self-professed man-whore, and I loved him. Even when he got rough with Ezra, I felt for him. And when he helped out Romy, my heart offered itself on a plate to him.
This book gives a peek into his side of the story for both Ezra and Romy, though you don't need to read that series before reading this one. It just makes many of the characters clear, as they're all tied into each other's lives in some way or another.
Tag—James to Nathan—is made so real in this book, and my heart ached for him. Readers will get an entirely different view of him than the previous bits of him hanging out at the bar, picking up the men and bringing them home. In this we get to meet the man he's been pining after for fifteen years, the reason he won't settle down with anyone else, and though fifteen years is a long time, it's worth it.
Nathan, like James, is a fully developed character with his own hang-ups and insecurities. He's only dated women before, but he's attracted to James. Does that make him gay? Maybe, maybe not. It just means he loves who he loves, and that's okay with him (after he accepts it, anyway). And I really liked that about the book. He loved James and that was what mattered to him. He didn't care about the label. He just wanted the man he loved.
This is not an easy story to read because the men go through a lot to be together. I cried a few times and cursed the author for breaking my heart. Both men are scarred and it take a long time for them to not only heal, but to even accept that they're damaged to begin with.
Hang in there, though. If you're a fan of Tag, his story is worth every bit of heartbreak along the way.
You can buy Getting It Right here:


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Following earlier warnings that the state would play a larger role in the mining sector, today the ruling Patriotic Front government announced their intention to revoke mining licenses from non-performing companies, prompting renewed fears of resource nationalism.
Deputy Minister of Mines Richard Musukwa has said that the government has already issued notices to affected mining license owners. The Zambian government aims to "weed out" companies holding licenses but who are failing to begin production, thereby denying jobs to Zambian workers.
He says only sound companies will be given licenses to ensure they start mining and create more employment.
The Deputy Minister was speaking during the Ubuilile Traditional Ceremony of the Bwile people of Senior Chief Puta of Chienge District of Luapula province.
Mr Musukwa has appealed to traditional leaders to assist in identifying small scale miners who have the capacity to engage in meaningful business and could create employment opportunities for locals.
He has also observed that Luapula Province is endowed with copper and base metals which should be exploited to the benefit of the people.
Despite increased concern over political risk, and a credit downgrade from Fitch Ratings, recently the Canadian mining group First Quantum announced plans to invest $4 billion in two mines in Zambia – however, the promise of investment also came with a warning to the government to play by the rules.
Source: ZNBC


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THE Offaly GAA Convention on December 10 will be the most interesting for years as the race for chairperson has hotted up in recent weeks.
The nominations for positions closed last week and as announced, Durrow's Michael Duignan is challenging the incumbent Tommy Byrne (Gracefield) for chairperson. A former Offaly and St Rynagh's hurler and footballer, Duignan announced his candidancy after a somewhat contersial meeting in Tullamore a few weeks ago – following the gathering of former county and club players, club officers and interested people and supporters, it was decided to contest a number of positions on the County Board and to seek a "new direction and vision" for the GAA in the county.
Edenderry's Colm Cummins and Clara's Dervill Dolan and Brian Gavin also decided to contest positions in the wake of that meeting. Cummins has put his name forward for vice chairman against the incumbent, Kilcormac/Killoughey's Niall Gleeson. In a surprise development, Rhode's James Murphy has also been nominated for vice chair – it is believed that he will stand and this throws an intriguing extra spanner into the works. Murphy is currently the board's development officer, a position that is filled at a County Board meeting on a recommendation from the chairperson, along with Coiste na nOg chairperson and children's officer – Tullamore's Nora Kavanagh was appointed as children's office at the November County Board meeting and must be ratified at Convention.
Gleeson is also nominated for assistant secretary and in another surprise move this week, the incumbent, Pauric Pierce announced this week that he is not seeking re-election – he has also been nominated.
Dervill Dolan has been nominated for both treasurer and assistant treasurer – the outgoing treasurer, Jimmy Hogan (Birr) and assistant treasurer, Brian Flynn (Ferbane). Brian Flynn was elected for the first time last year, beating Raheen's Martin Boland in a contest and Dolan is likely to go for the treasurer's position.
Brian Gavin is challenging the two current Leinster Council delegates, Joe Higgins (Tubber) and Dolores Slevin (Kilcormac/Killoughey). If Michael Duignan is beaten for the chair, Cummins, Dolan and Gavin are likely to withdraw.
The other outgoing officers are re-elected unopposed, though it remains to be seen if all will still stand if Tommy Byrne is beaten for the chair.
The contest for chairperson is dominating most attention. Intensive canvassing is taking place – Michael Duignan along with Colm Cummins, Dervill Dolan and Brian Gavin are meeting four or five clubs at a time to outline their plans while Tommy Byrne is talking to club officers and delegates on an individual basis.
The nominations are:
Chairperson: Tommy Byrne (Gracefield) (Outgoing); Michael Duignan (Durrow)
Vice Chairperson: Niall Gleeson (Kilcromac/Killoughey) (Outgoing); Colm Cummins (Edenderry); James Murphy (Rhode)
Secretary: Pat Horan (St Rynagh's) (Outgoing)
Assistant Secretary: Pauric Pierce (Raheen) (Outgoing); Niall Gleeson (Kilcromac/Killoughey)
Treasurer: Jimmy Hogan (Birr) (Outgoing); Dervill Dolan (Clara)
Assistant Treasurer: Brian Flynn (Ferbane) (Outgoing); Dervill Dolan (Clara)
PRO: Mary Dunne (Ballyfore) (Outgoing)
Central Council Representative: Paddy Scales (St Rynagh's) (Outgoing)
Leinster Council Representatives (2): Dolores Slevin (Kilcromac/Killoughey) (Outgoing); Joe Higgins (Tubber) (Outgoing) Brian Gavin (Clara)
Cultural Officer: John Moloney (Tullamore)
Coaching Officer: Martin Cashen (Carrig/Riverstown)


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Derek Doepker is the #1 Amazon Bestselling author of 50 Fitness Tips You Wish You Knew, Why You're Stuck, and several others. Derek is a pro when it comes to positioning and marketing books, and coming up with brilliant titles and marketing campaigns that actually work (and don't cost a ton of money).
In today's show, Derek shares his secrets to positioning, branding and marketing books online, and how just a few simple, small changes can make a HUGE difference in your book sales.
Derek has a unique author journey. He got a degree in music and then became a writer to support himself while he was trying to break into the music business.
Derek started his fitness blog in 2012 because he has a passion for sharing health and fitness advice. He had some success with the blog, but he wasn't generating any income.
Discovering Self Publishing
In the middle of 2012, Derek discovered Kindle books. Derek read Tom's book The Kindle Publishing Bible and that really opened his eyes to what was possible with Kindle.
Derek saw Kindle books as an opportunity to monetize the information that was on his blog, and bring more traffic to his blog. He saw Kindle publishing as a low entry way to get his name out in the marketplace, and as a supplement to what he was doing with blogging and online marketing.
Derek published his first book, How to Stick to a Diet and that book did alright. It pulled in $100 its first month, after running a KDP free promotion. That gave Derek a little victory and validation. It proved to him that people were finding his information and buying it.
After studying how to succeed with Kindle marketing, Derek launched his second book 50 Fitness Tips You Wish You Knew and that became a number one bestseller in weight loss over the Christmas season of 2012.
Ever since then, Derek has built upon what he learned and discovered consistent patterns, and what it takes to become a bestseller.
Today Derek coaches indie authors how to sell more books and get visibility on Amazon.
"When we're looking at books and deciding what to buy it's not something we're doing a lot of critical thinking [about.] It's an impulse thing, where something either grabs our attention, or doesn't." – Derek Doepker
Hooks for Books
Derek's program Hooks for Books is all about creating captivating titles for nonfiction books. He developed this program after he realized people quickly decide whether or not they're going to buy a book.
When a customer is browsing Amazon for a new book title, they're simply scanning the website, looking for a book that might interest them. They're not taking a deep dive and analyzing the description page. They are quickly glancing at each book to decide if it's something they might be interested in.
People make split-second decisions when looking for a new book. They ask themselves two questions:
- Does this book grab my attention?
- Does it look interesting to me?
If the answer to either of those questions is no, then the customer moves on to the next book.
A big key to Derek's success is he makes sure before he even writes a book that he has a title that will make people want to know more about what's inside the book.
If you don't have a hook in your nonfiction book title that grabs a reader's attention, nothing else matters.
Use Curiosity to Get Attention
If you want to have success as an author every title you create needs to have a "hook" element. One emotional hook element that works well is curiosity.
People buy things for emotional reasons. And you want to give them a book title that provokes an emotional response.
If you give them a title that makes them curious they're likely to take an in-depth look at your book.
"Add an element to the cover that triggers curiosity. Example: with my book, '50 Fitness Tips You Wish You Knew;' the hook there is the 'You Wish You Knew,' that's making people curious about the content." – Derek Doepker
If Derek had called his book 50 Fitness Tips, or 50 Fitness Tips to Get in Great Shape, it would not have stood out from the crowd.
Another example of a book title that sparks curiosity is Derek's Why You're Stuck. The title why you're stuck implies the book is going to be able to tell customers why their stuck and unable to achieve their goals.
If you are someone who's struggling to achieve some goal, and you come across that book in the self-help section of Amazon, you're more than likely going to take a closer look at it.
Notice how the title Why You're Stuck triggers a different emotional response than the title Get Unstuck. There's nothing wrong with the second title. It just doesn't provoke the same level of curiosity.
Title Variations That Create Curiosity
Any title with the word "secret" in it. 50 Secrets of the World's Oldest Living People. You see a title with the word secret and it, and almost subconsciously you want to know the secret the book is hiding.
- I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know.
- The Five Second Flat Belly Secret
Study Great Book Titles
Go into a bookstore and browse your category. Make note of the titles that grab you. Make note of the emotions those titles elicit.
If you want to take this exercise a step further, you can also look at books that are not in your niche and identify what book titles cause you to want to look closer at the book.
As you study these book titles, really dissect them. Take them apart and see what about the book title grabs your attention.
If you're just starting out, study other books that are successful. See if you can figure out the common elements in successful books and emulate them for your own books.
You can read books on how to write good titles and headlines, but there's something powerful when you analyze titles and headlines for yourself.
Look at Your Book From Your Ideal Reader's Perspective
"The ability to gain the perspective of your customer is one of the most important early steps you have to take as a marketer." – Derek Doepker
When you're creating and packaging your book, it's important that you try to look at your book and its packaging from the perspective of your ideal reader.
Try to envision your book title, the book cover and its description. Try to imagine what emotions your ideal reader is feeling when they look at your book.
What would make you want to buy your book? Who would you recommend your book to?
"I create a best-selling book before I've written a single word. What that means is I've constructed in my mind all the elements I know it's going to take to create a best-selling book. I put them together in my mind before I write one word of the book." – Derek Doepker
For a new author it's important to get out there and try things. Figure things out by trial and error. There's no way to get around that learning curve. But as you become more experienced and more familiar with marketing, you'll be better able to create a bestseller in your mind ahead of time.
How to Come Up With Bestselling Book Titles
Derek has taken a different approach to create every one of his book titles.
50 Fitness Tips You Wish You Knew was inspired because of a marketing podcast Derek was listening to. You always want to be exposing yourself to new information. You always want to be studying and expanding your mind.
The podcast Derek was listening to was discussing the word "you" and its power in ad copy. You is one of the most powerful words in copywriting. That's what led Derek to adopt the title 50 Fitness Tips You Wish You Knew
When it comes to keywords that you want to use to help people find your book, put them in the subtitle.
The book title Why You're Stuck was inspired by a magazine headline. Again, Derek used "you" in the title. The magazine article title was Why You Can't Fall Asleep. Merging the two ideas of using the word you, and the idea behind the magazine article title, Derek came up with the book title Why You're Stuck.
The best way to come up with good book titles is to expose yourself to many ideas, and think about what you want your book title to do.
You want your book title, along with the rest of your book packaging, to elicit an emotional response that leads to a sale.
When coming up with a book title, be willing to give yourself some time to come up with a good one. Don't just use the first book title that comes to mind.
You might also want to survey your audience if you have several book title ideas that could work. Getting feedback from your target audience can be invaluable in the success of your book later.
Derek had the idea for a cookbook, and he came up with five different titles, that in his mind were all fairly equal. The customer survey revealed that his customers overwhelmingly preferred one title out of the five. So he went with that title.
The nice thing about doing surveys is it gives you real-world feedback as to how your customers will actually respond.
"You can brainstorm ideas, but ultimately it's up to your target audience to decide what the best title is." – Derek Doepker
As a nonfiction author who's trying to help their audience it's important for you to get your own opinion out of the way, and use the information they give you to help them better.
The Importance of an Attention Grabbing Book Cover
The cover of your book is one of the most essential elements of your marketing. It's gotten to the point now where unless you really know cover design, you should just find a professional cover designer to create your covers for you.
There are many cover designers available at reasonable prices. You have to look at the cover design like an investment, because it is. Your cover is what first attracts readers to your book.
We have a free guide to finding a book cover designer you can follow to find a great designer for your book.
The final element in your book packaging is your description. The factors that hold true for your title also hold true for your book description.
You want a book description that elicits an emotional response. You want to include headlines in your book description where appropriate. You want a book description that makes the customer want to read your book.
Emulate Successful Authors
Find the successful people in whatever category you are competing in and model their success. Study what works and emulate it.
The great thing about Amazon is you can go and study the books that are selling well. Amazon is very transparent about which books are bestsellers. It's very easy to study the packaging of successful books and use your knowledge to craft your own best-selling packaging.
Sometimes best-selling books have a big name author or one of the big five publishing companies behind them. Go look for authors like yourself. Find authors who have to promote the books on their own. Look for the factors that are making those authors successful.
Look at:
- The book title. What emotions does the book title triggering in you?
- The book cover. Does it catch your attention? Does it make you want to know more?
- The book description. What emotions does the book description elicit in you? Does the book description make you want to buy the book? What keywords are in the book description?
Study other direct marketers as well.
Study magazine headlines and see which headlines make you want to pick up the magazine.
Look at the signs designed to get people to go into restaurants.
There are lessons all around us about how to market and grab someone's attention.
Keep your eyes open and pay attention. You never know where inspiration will strike.
Marketing, finding great book titles, and crafting descriptions are skills that you need to learn. The skill will get better with practice.
It's important to be gentle with yourself when you're learning marketing for the first time. Don't give up because your first attempts at marketing aren't as successful as you'd like. Everybody gets better with practice.
What to Do If Your Book Isn't Selling After a Year
The great thing about indie publishing in the Internet age is it's relatively easy to change a book cover and title, and relaunch your book.
Derek has seen many examples of a successful book that didn't sell well because it had the wrong title and cover. With a new title and cover, books can get a new lease on life.
It's okay to not get it right the first time. With e-books you can always update your files. A lot of times updating your e-book is free.
When it comes to rebranding a book, it can be important to have an objective outside perspective. If you're going to update your book sales page you should find someone who knows what they're doing to identify why your book isn't selling as well as it should.
You can get a coach. Or you can use surveys of your audience to give you that outside perspective.
With surveys it's best to have more than two options. Take the best option chosen by your audience and use it, or use it as inspiration to come up with something better.
The reason an outside perspective is so important is that it allows you access to information that you wouldn't see because you're too close to your own work.
The Mindset You Should Have When Promoting Your Book
When you first start out as an indie author, the relationships you already have with people are going to be your greatest marketing asset.
Derek already had a relationship with several fitness bloggers, because of his time as a fitness blogger himself. Because he had that relationship he was able to ask his fitness blogger friends to promote his work to their mailing list.
Guest blogging is another tactic that can help you gain success. Guest blogging is where you do a blog post for a popular blog.
Derek offered a spot in 50 Fitness Tips You Wish You Knew for his blogger friends to add value to his audience. He promoted other fitness bloggers and in turn, they promoted the book.
Where is your target audience and how can you connect with them? That's the question you should always be asking yourself.
Build Your Email List
It's incredibly important that you always be building your list. Every book you publish should have a link back to a squeeze page where people can give you their email address in return for a free report, or short story. You want to give your audience something of value for giving you their email address.
Look at the different e-book promotion sites that are available today, and try to have at least one of your books be eligible for submission to these book sites.
Derek has had the best success with BookBub. But the guidelines to get a BookBub ad are stringent. You should look around on the Internet for other places to advertise your e-book, and make note of their promotion guidelines.
Derek has also had success by using Kindle countdown deals (available to KDP select authors) and promoting his countdown deals on websites that promote books priced at $0.99.
The difference between someone who has success promoting their book and someone who doesn't is that the packaging elements make people want to buy your book once they get on your Amazon product page.
People and Resources Mentioned in This Interview
Derek mentions Kate White and her book I Shouldn't Be Telling You This: Success Secrets Every Gutsy Girl Should Know when discussing book titles that spark curiosity.
Why You're Stuck: Your Guide To Finding Freedom From Any Of Life's Challenges by Derek Doepker
50 Fitness Tips You Wish You Knew: The Best Quick and Easy Ways to Increase Motivation, Lose Weight, Get In Shape, and Stay Healthy
http://derekdoepker.com/ – Derek Doepker's website.
The Kindle Publishing Bible by Tom Corson Knowles
How To Stick To A Diet: The Ultimate Guide To "Hacking" Your Brain For Unstoppable Motivation, Overcoming Overeating, And Enjoying Lifelong Diet Success
BookBub – the best book promotion sites around.
http://ebookbestsellersecrets.com/ – Derek's website where he has free training on how to build an audience. All you have to do is give him your email address.
http://ebookbestsellersecrets.com/hooks-for-books/ – Derek's training on how to come up with captivating book titles that sell books.
Did you find this post helpful? Let us know in the comments below!
If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:
- Book Title Generators: Tools for Coming Up With New Title Ideas
- How to Write Book Titles That Sell: 5 SEO Tips for Creating a Nonfiction Book Title So You Can Sell More Copies
- How to Choose a Bestselling Book Title for Fiction or Nonfiction
- How to Use Facebook Live to Promote Your Book
Tom Corson-Knowles is the founder of TCK Publishing, and the bestselling author of 27 books including Secrets of the Six-Figure author. He is also the host of the Publishing Profits Podcast show where we interview successful authors and publishing industry experts to share their tips for creating a successful writing career.


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Book Review: The Reluctant Cannibals by Ian Flitcroft
October 19, 2013 11 Comments
The Reluctant Cannibals: What it is about
The publisher says: "When a group of food-obsessed academics at Oxford University form a secret dining society, they happily devote themselves to investigating exotic and forgotten culinary treasures. Until a dish is suggested that takes them all by surprise.
Professor Arthur Plantagenet has been told he has a serious heart problem and decides that his death should not be in vain. He sets out his bizarre plan in a will, that on his death, tests the loyalty of his closest friends, the remaining members of this exclusive dining society.
A dead Japanese diplomat, police arrests and charges of grave robbing. These are just some of the challenges these culinary explorers must overcome in tackling gastronomy's ultimate taboo: cannibalism."
The Reluctant Cannibals: What I thought
A very British book! The story takes place in Oxford, and the characters are all professors or students of the university. The book is written in a style that these professors would likely approve of. It's over the top, but funny, too.
The main story of the book is a very odd request of what should be done with his body after the pending death of one of the members of the secret dining society. Another story line deals with a student, who, together with his snobbish room mate, investigates the existence and the members of the dining society. The society feels threatened when it becomes known that a Japanese diplomat died at their table. They try to stop the publication of the story in the school newspaper.
The story becomes especially exiting when there is talk of a new kind of dish to be prepared for one of the coming dinners. I wanted to read on, but I also, I didn't want to know about this dish. The preparations and the dinner became more imminent with each chapter…. I didn't want to know! But I read on, and hey, I'm still here and enjoyed the book very much!
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (good to very good)
Number of pages: 256
First published: 2013
I got this: from Legend Press via Netgalley (ebook)
Genre: contemporary fiction


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A long-term study of aerosol-cloud interactions and their radiative effect at the Southern Great Plains using ground-based measurements
Published Date:2016
Source:Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 16(17), 11301-11318.
Personal Author:
Description:Empirical estimates of the microphysical response of cloud droplet size distribution to aerosol perturbations are commonly used to constrain aerosol-cloud interactions in climate models. Instead of empirical microphysical estimates, here macroscopic variables are analyzed to address the influence of aerosol particles and meteorological descriptors on instantaneous cloud albedo and the radiative effect of shallow liquid water clouds. Long-term ground-based measurements from the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) program over the Southern Great Plains are used. A broad statistical analysis was performed on 14 years of coincident measurements of low clouds, aerosol, and meteorological properties. Two cases representing conflicting results regarding the relationship between the aerosol and the cloud radiative effect were selected and studied in greater detail. Microphysical estimates are shown to be very uncertain and to depend strongly on the methodology, retrieval technique and averaging scale. For this continental site, the results indicate that the influence of the aerosol on the shallow cloud radiative effect and albedo is weak and that macroscopic cloud properties and dynamics play a much larger role in determining the instantaneous cloud radiative effect compared to microphysical effects. On a daily basis, aerosol shows no correlation with cloud radiative properties (correlation = -0.01 +/- 0.03), whereas the liquid water path shows a clear signal (correlation = 0.56 +/- 0.02).
Document Type:
Main Document Checksum:urn:sha256:2b5281ca2fef44c4fe16e671d85a34bd7089cd3f34c65253b4e1b5e4846fa233
Supporting Files:No Additional Files
No Related Documents.
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By Shamik Sharma, pi Ventures
Predicting what technology will become hot this year is like predicting which TV show will be a hit.
Technologies like cryptocurrency and AI made headlines in 2017 and will continue to make news in 2018. It is more fun, however, to guess which new technologies will emerge from the shadows and, like a sleeper hit show, grab our attention. Here are my predictions:
1. Vernacular Apps
The hinterlands of India make for the fastest-growing global smartphone market. The first wave of new users has reluctantly adjusted to the foreign biases in their devices' interface.
However, they are beginning to expect their devices to adjust to their desires and the ecosystem will evolve to satisfy them. Underlying technologies that enable vernacular content such as speech-to-text, language-translation, and automated content generation are maturing.
Unlike in the past, when companies paid lip service to regional languages by changing a few menu items to Hindi, I expect to see truly vernacular versions of several popular Indian apps in 2018. Their entire interfaces will be in Hindi, Bengali, etc. More interestingly, we may see several apps being designed Hindi-first or Tamil-only, where the product itself is targeted for a particular community.
2. Digital credit
Lack of easily accessible credit is one of the biggest impediments to entrepreneurship in India. The young adult wanting to open a bike repair shop or start a clothing label is limited by capital. Banks continue to rely on antiquated mechanisms like credit ratings and salaries.
I expect 2018 to be the year we will see new credit offerings doing well, in particular, credit tied to online purchases and contract work. Digital lending will rely primarily on digital trails of data to rate credit seekers, and use digital mechanisms to issue and recover loans. The efficiencies of these mechanisms will allow issuance of credit of lower denominations and for shorter periods.
3. High-Bandwidth Apps
The unrelenting growth of smartphone penetration and mobile data usage in India is the big underlying theme of this decade. Last year, we witnessed the mass adoption of high-bandwidth connectivity, thanks to Jio. Any society exposed to such a powerful new communication capability will certainly come up with new ways to use it.
I expect that 2018 will see innovative approaches to exploit this bandwidth, in particular through new forms of graphics, audio, and other media. Bigo Live's growing popularity indicates that there will be a lot more interactive video this year.
4. Digital agencies
India has a large service industry that includes call centres, transcriptionists, graphic artists, etc. We will see the emergence of digital agencies that provide similar services over software APIs and online interfaces.
Using online interfaces to acquire, define, track and pay for work will allow digital agencies to scale faster and use a combination of technology and humans to achieve greater efficiencies. The domains that may see early adoption of these are healthcare, education and media creation.
5. Remixed supply chains
Traditional traders have effective supply-chain systems for distributing goods, handling inventory, offering credit, and liquidating unsold goods across small towns. The e-commerce industry has built parallel supply chain systems that work efficiently for metros and large cities. This year, we should start seeing a remixing of these two supply-chain systems, especially as technology-enabled players try to penetrate broader Indian markets.
Online bulk-selling, e-distributors, warehousing and logistics-as-a-service, and e-commerce players using kirana stores and housewives as resellers will become part of the landscape.
There are several other interesting technologies emerging over the horizon, such as virtual reality and augmented reality, drones, electric vehicles, and hydroponics. There are several startups working on these areas. But I expect these need a few more years of research and development before we start seeing them have a significant impact on the Indian market.
(The author is a venture partner at pi Ventures. Views expressed above are his own)
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of www.economictimes.com.)


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Failure Must Become An Essential Part Of All Our Work
there are very few photographers who are so securely established that they can afford not to experiment in order to adapt to the new rules
failure must become an essential part of all our work; if you're not failing it means you're working in a comfort zone and as the visual world changes at breakneck speed, to live in a comfort zone is itself a failure! However, don't bet the ranch on any single experiment: try many things and be prepared to fail often but in little ways
via Photo Expert Stephen Mayes on the Changing Future of Photography.
Comments are closed.


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Latest News2019 Season of Tours » WE ARE BACK!! »
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"Experience unforgettable scenery, tempting and delicious local foods and wine, luxurious and authentic lodgings, all while achieving that goal you've always aspired to. Riding through picturesque countryside, conquering the classic climbs, enjoying the thrilling descents, creating enduring friendships and relaxing in picturesque villages. We welcome you to the procyclingtours experience."
Michelle Heuss
why procyclingtours?
Experience for yourself the procyclingtours difference and why are your first choice for a European cycling holiday
Let yourself be treated like a PRO by the PROS
- we offer premium and intimate cycling holidays for cyclists and non cycling partners during Grand Tours and many other trips away from races, where you can ride as much or as little as you like
- we cater for cyclist of all riding abilities on our tours, from the weekend worries to the regular racer and everyone inbetween. With one guide for every 3 guests, we have hands down the best support in the business. You are supported all the way on the bike and with a support van. No matter the route or climb you want to conquer we will help you make your dreams a reality
- we specialise in catering for partners not wishing to ride at all (or just a little bit) and who simply enjoy spectating, sightseeing and soaking up the surrounds of France, Italy, Switzerland and Spain.
- as a cycling enthusiast, you will receive the 'pro' treatment on your cycling tour right from the start. the owner creates all tours, runs all tours and deals personally with each client before, during and even after your cycling tour experience
- it's your holiday and we make a point to find out what you want to get out of your cycling tour.
- we can help arrange your flights through our travel agent partner and recommend and reserve places to stay before or after your tour through our travel-assist.
- we specialise in tours through Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, Criterium du Dauphine, Vuelta Espana, Italian and French Alpes, Spanish and French Pyrenees, Spanish coasts and Dolomites and many more wonderful regions.
- we stand out from the rest with our superior service, accommodation and cuisine and with one of the highest 'guide to client' ratios you are given absolute priority with all of your needs met.
- our modern vehicles are fully equipped, including free WI-FI, mechanical support, drinks / snacks / powder, portable chairs, showers, first aid, airconditioning and much more.
- we provide professional advice on bike position, training techniques, nutrition advice, climbing and descending techniques, personalised soignier support and much more, to help make sure you get the best out of yourself and enjoy your riding.
- we are known for our delivery on premium accommodation and cuisine and stay in the most stunning areas, with years of experience and intimate knowledge of the regions in which we travel.
- you will be provided with first hand insight into the world of professional cycling, including race tactics, team dynamics, rider insight and more.
- we also guarantee that all cycling trips advertised will depart, no matter what the group size.
- we love what we do, and this is reflected in all of our tours. Our repeat clients tell us!


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Maplandia.com in partnership with Booking.com offers highly competitive rates for all types of hotels in Pellston, from affordable family hotels to the most luxurious ones. Booking.com, being established in 1996, is longtime Europe's leader in online hotel reservations. See the overview of Pellston hotels in the following section.
At Maplandia.com you won't be charged any booking fees, cancellation fees (see particular hotel policies), or administration fees – the reservation service is free of charge. The reservation system is secure and your personal information and credit card is encrypted.
We have put together also a carefully selected list of recommended hotels in Pellston, only hotels with the highest level of guest satisfaction are included. Many photos and unbiased hotel reviews written by real guests are provided to help you make your booking decision. Luxury hotels (including 5 star hotels and 4 star hotels) and cheap Pellston hotels (with best discount rates and up-to-date hotel deals) are both available in separate lists.
With Maplandia.com and Booking.com the best price is guaranteed! Pellston hotel deals include also long stay accommodation Pellston offers. Take advantage of our exclusive offers and long stay discounts for selected Pellston hotels' suites.
Unbiased Pellston hotel reviews written by real guests and many hotel photos are provided to help you make your booking decision.
Pellston is located in Emmet County, Michigan, United States.
List of all hotels in Pellston. By default, Pellston hotels are sorted by class: the most luxurious hotels in Pellston are listed first. You can change the sorting order using the navigation bar above. By clicking the first (leftmost) button you can interchange the direction of sorting between ascending/descending.
There are separate sections devoted to Pellston luxury hotels and Pellston cheap hotels.
Located off Highway 31, this hotel is 1.5 miles from downtown Pellston. It features an indoor swimming pool with jacuzzi. Traditional guest rooms offer free Wi-Fi and a cable TV. Number of rooms: 52.
Featuring an indoor swimming pool, this Harbor Springs hotel is less than 5 minutes' drive from Harbor Springs Airport. Little Traverse Bay Golf Course is one mile away.
Ten miles from Mackinac Bridge, Bridge Vista Beach Hotel and Convention Center offers guests a water park, heated indoor pool, spa and rooms with access to a private beach.
Located in Mackinaw City, Michigan, this hotel includes a private beach. Thunder Falls Water Park is minutes from the hotel. Free Wi-Fi is available in every room. At the Waterfront Inn Mackinaw City, guest rooms offer a refrigerator and cable TV.
This all-suite resort in Mackinaw City, Michigan offers free Wi-Fi in the guest rooms. An indoor pool is available at the resort. Mackinac Bridge is minutes from the hotel.
This hotel is less than a mile from Thunder Falls Water Park and a 10-minute walk from the Arnold Transit Mackinac Island Ferry. It features an indoor pool and jacuzzi.
Come stay and play in beautiful and historic Mackinaw City. Directly across from Thunder Falls Family Water Park and close to downtown, we are in the heart of Northern Michigan and all it has to offer.
This Mackinaw City motel is one mile from historic Fort Michillimakinac and the Mackinaw Bridge. The motel has an indoor pool, outdoor pool and sun deck. Rooms have free Wi-Fi. Great Lakes Inn Mackinaw City rooms include a microwave and...
This Mackinaw City hotel offers free shuttles to the nearby Kewadin Casino and to Mackinaw Island ferry services. The hotel has a children's playground and an indoor pool and jacuzzi.
Situated in Mackinaw City and provides views of Lake Huron and Mackinac Island. Cable TV with HBO and free Wi-Fi are available in every room at the hotel. At the Fairview Beachfront Inn & Waterpark, guest rooms provide coffee facilities.
We search over 500 approved car hire suppliers to find you the very best Pellston rental prices available. You can compare offers from leading car hire suppliers like Avis, Europcar, Sixt or Thrifty as well as budget rental deals from Holiday Autos, Budget, Economy, EasyCar, or 121 carhire. Choose Pellston car hire supplier according to your preferences. The booking process is secured and is made as simple as possible. You don't have to browse through several websites and compare prices to find cheap car hire at Pellston - we will do it for you!
In the following list, car rental offices nearest to Pellston are sorted by the approximate distance from thi city centre.
Maplandia.com is not sponsored by or affiliated with Google.


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MINUTES for monthly meeting, Dunlop V. Hall, Thurs, 7 November, 2013.
PRESENT:- J. Young (Chair); J. Miller; I. Kerr; E. Ferguson; J.Taylor; D. Caulfield; B. Wiseman; T. Howie; E, Brown; EAC Cllr E. Freel; 2 police officers; 4 members of public. APOLOGIES:- K. Bree; A. Pinkerton; EAC Cllrs E. MacColl & J. McGhee. Continue reading


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There you are, losing sleep, worrying about your next vacation. Know that your trip need not be stressful. This article can help you learn what you need to know about making travel plans and reducing traveling stress.
Don't use the public computers in your hotel or anywhere else they offer free internet while you are on vacation. Your information may be tracked by keyloggers or malware.
After picking your destination, research the area thoroughly. Look over different points of interest you may want to visit. Memorizing some of the area will help you navigate it easier.
To keep traveling expense within budget, try making them as far ahead as you can. Regardless of what your vacation costs, you usually get a better price if you pay early. By reducing the number of last-minute purchases, your travel budget will go further.
Try to be as flexible as possible about where you go. Although going to the same place repeatedly has its advantages, seeing new places and things provides pleasant memories, as well. A different destination may save you hundreds of dollars.
Try not to pack too much for your trip. The fewer things carried, the less the chances of having the items stolen or lost. Take with you only the essentials, and try to avoid stuffing your bag with too many heavy pairs of shoes.
Bring a doorstop with you when you are staying in a room that makes you feel less than comfortable about security. These nifty devices can help hold doors closed just as much as they can help keep them open.
If you cannot fathom leaving your pet back home, research vacations options that are pet-friendly. These types of travel options are gaining in popularity. There are even pet day cares and spas. Some cruises also allow pets. The point is that you should not toss out your vacation plans because you do not know what to do with your pet. Simply verify that services are available and pets are welcome before finalizing any arrangements.
After reading this article, you know travel doesn't need to be a hassle. All it takes is putting the techniques into action, and you will soon be traveling stress free. Prepare yourself to travel.


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We are Maura and Bobby Marko, writers and photographers, detailing our family of four's adventures while giving tips, tricks, and insights along the way.
I was raised in a family of 6 girls and spent my summers camping in the State Parks of MN.
While attending the University of Minnesota I majored in Recreation Resource Management with a minor in Forest Resources. I've worked at a winter and summer Boy Scout camp, I've been a Park Ranger for the Army Corps of Engineers, and a Forestry Technician for a municipality.
We moved to Seattle, WA in 2012 where I volunteered heavily with Washington Trails Association as a frequent member of trail crew volunteer work parties and as a Hiking Correspondent, I would write up trail descriptions for their website.
Bobby is the youngest of two sons, who grew up in a dome home in East Bethel, MN in a family who impressed upon him the importance of scouting.
He achieved Eagle Scout when he was 18 and worked at Tomahawk Scout Reservation for 7 summers in various areas from Scoutcraft to running the High Ropes Course.
He now works as a User Experience Designer for Amazon. Bobby is addicted to research, collects guidebooks, enjoys gazing at maps, is a gear shopaholic and loves photographing all of our adventures.
We have been adventuring together since meeting in 2007 while working at Tomahawk Scout Reservation in Birchwood, WI. Over the years we have explored together participating in numerous types of outdoor recreation. Some of our favorite trips include hiking the 133 mile Kerry Way in Ireland, rock climbing in Chamonix, France, Horseback riding through the remote wilderness areas of the Sierras in California, and trips to the BWCAW.
The three years we lived in Seattle, WA we completely immersed ourselves in the outdoor recreation scene.
We are avid backpackers, hikers, campers, and canoeists. Bobby also enjoys rock climbing and backcountry skiing.
Now parents to two beautiful children, Jack and Rowan, our adventures have taken on different parameters and meaning. Jack (born July 2014) has been on some very memorable trips thus far.We love that he has seen so many different landscapes at such a young age. He's been to the tops of mountains on both the east and west coasts, has explored desert regions in the southwest, and has been serenaded to sleep by loons in our great Minnesota Northwoods.
Rowan (born October 2016) is just beginning her journey in this life and we are anxious to introduce her to all that our beautiful natural world has to offer.
We are raising our children to love and explore the outdoors as much as possible. Passing down our respect and enjoyment of the outdoors to our children is our biggest goal in life. We are very passionate about helping other parents begin or continue an adventurous lifestyle with their kids along for the fun.


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If your software targets Windows, InstallShield is your solution.
Created by Flexera Software
As much as I hate InstallShield, I tried Inno Setup on a Windows 2008 Server R2 x64 machine and it was constantly quitting on me with no errors. Launch Inno Setup Compiler, select Example Scripts..., click OK, quit. Try the Wizard, it goes for a few steps, and quits. I checked the Event Viewer and there are some cryptic PCA2 notifications, but no info on why it quit.
Also, support for InnoSetup is hard to find. Unless someone can give me a workaround (I've tried Run as Admin) that keeps Inno Setup Compiler from constantly quitting, I just can't pursue it as an alternative. It looked like it would be really nice.


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Nonset 50, Nonset 50 FF and Nonset 50 SR are cement-based dry mortars, which expand 1 - 3 % before setting. The mortars are composed of cement, well-graded sand, expanding, stabilizing and plasticizing substances.Nonset 50 FF contains also additives which ensure that the cement sets and will not crack even at surface and air temperatures down to -10°C.Nonset, Nonset 50 FF and Nonset 50 SR are used for all types of foundations and concrete repairs in thicknesses up to 150 mm.The three products, manufactured in Sagstua (Norway) are compliant with EN 13813 ("Screed material and floor screeds. Screed material. Properties and requirements"), and supplied in 25 kg multiply bags or in big-bags (only for Nonset 50 and Nonset 50 SR) with 1000 kg of finished product.
This EPD has been dually-registered under the scope of the three mutual recognition agreements between the International EPD® System and EPD Norway. The EPD thus has the right to bear the logotypes of the two programmes. http://epd-norge.no/utenlandsk-registrerte-epd/category334.html
Nonset 50
Nonset 50 FF
Nonset 50 SR
Using EPD
Creating EPD
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EPD International AB | Box 210 60, 100 31 Stockholm, Sweden | Visiting address: Valhallavägen 81, 114 27 Stockholm, Sweden | Other offices


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Our Team
Mission & Vision
Forensics being a relatively new field in our country is still to find a firm footing. But the importance of this field in crime investigation can hardly be over emphasized.
Law enforcement agencies need solid scientific evidence to produce a water tight case and to make sure guilty are brought to book. At the same time, it is equally important to make sure that no innocent should be wrongly punished.
Careful examination of crime scene, collection & scientific analysis of evidence, logical construction of sequence of events-are all vital to crime investigation & need domain expertise for proper handling.
This is where an organization like IFSR plays a vital role.IFSR was started with the sole intent to give the field of forensics a new dimension. It is an earnest effort towards realizing the full potential of the hitherto, unexploited or untapped field of forensics.We as a society have progressed immensely across different walks of life, an achievement which is commendable.
State-of-art technology, novel mediums of communication & ease of access to information has made life easier for humanity. But there are attendant risks to this progress as well.
All this progress & growth cannot cloud the fact that we have also seen a spurt in crime & anti-social activities in our society. Cyber crime, homicide, different types of theft, forgery and impersonation have all become much too pervasive for us to ignore.Thankfully for us the immense advancement in sciences of forensic investigation equips us to deal with all sorts of crime.
This is where IFSR seeks to play a leading role. Our team is a dedicated group of professionals on the sole mission to uncover the truth behind any & all such crimes. Equipped with modern tools & techniques to handle all such cases, we give a detailed analysis of the case. Fields ranging from fingerprint analysis to handwriting examination, from audio-video analysis to questioned document investigation, from cyber crime to impersonation – we hold expertise across length & breadth of forensics.
Most importantly, we as an organization have a vision to bring a cultural shift in the way forensics are visualized in our country. It's an exciting field which offers immense opportunities to students who are looking for challenging roles. If IFSR is able to generate the required enthusiasm & zeal for this field, it would consider itself lucky. Forensics is an idea whose time has come & we want to be the harbingers of that change.
Our Clientele


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Blueberry Fondant Filled Candy Stick – Large
An electric blue candy stick, with a blue fondant filling. This is one of our most popular flavours, both kids and adults alike will love the delicious blueberry flavour. High quality Giant Italian candy stick.
- 90 Grams
- 50 cm
- Long shelf life
- Italian candy stick
Ingredients: Sugar, glucose syrup, WHEAT (containing gluten), corn starch, dextrose, acid: citric acid, modified potato starch, vegetable oil (coconut), gelatin, stabilizer: glycerol, sorbitol, aromas, Emulsifier: E471, dye: E133 citrate, beeswax


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NASA may make the saying "we belong to the earth" true in a kind of digital-literal way on Earth Day 2014. The space agency is inviting people around the world to send in selfies, and it will assemble the cellphone snapshots of human faces into a composite image of Earth.
It's one small click for whole lot of men and women, one giant piece of computerized collage for NASA.
America's space agency has long been known for helping mankind study and appreciate Earth as well as the wonders of space and the solar system.
Back in December 1968, a couple of years before the first national Earth Day celebration, US astronauts orbited the moon and took a photo of Earth as it appeared over the gray lunar horizon. The image of a distant "earthrise" brought home to humanity, perhaps as never before, the notion of living together on one precious and relatively small planet.
And in a scientific sense, NASA-launched satellites are helping to track everything from polar ice to global rainfall and fires in the Amazon rain forest.
"Selfie" photos have been making their own history lately, in a less cosmic way. The arms-length self-portraits are a common currency of Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, becoming the stuff of headlines on occasions when they go viral online or turn heads because of the celebrities involved. (When Ellen DeGeneres posed with movie stars on Oscar night, it was a publicity coup for mobile-phone maker (and Oscars sponsor) Samsung.)
How do you participate in the Earth Day photo event? Here's what the space agency says:
"While NASA satellites constantly look at Earth from space, on Earth Day we're asking you to step outside and take a picture of yourself wherever you are on Earth" as part of a worldwide celebration of Earth Day. You post the photo to a social media website such as Twitter, and type #GlobalSelfie as a hashtag to bring the photo to NASA's attention.
"Post your photo to Twitter, Instagram or Google+ using the hashtag #GlobalSelfie, or post it to the #GlobalSelfie event page on Facebook or the #GlobalSelfie group on Flickr. You can also join the #GlobalSelfie Google+ event page," the agency explains. "Tell us where you are in a sign, words written in the sand, spelled out with rocks."
For people unaccustomed to spelling with rocks, NASA has created a ready-to-print page (you can pick from 22 languages) on which to write your location.
NASA says its mosaic image won't be put together on Earth Day, but will be released in May along with a video using the images.
The event is social, but just like at the Oscars these selfies may also serve a promotional purpose. NASA is publicizing its efforts to study mankind's home planet as well as ones far away. The agency says it has "17 Earth-observing missions orbiting our home planet right now – and several more launching this year – [to study] Earth's atmosphere, land and oceans in all their complexity."


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Volunteer Centre Sefton have launched a brand new Volunteer Management Toolkit to mark this year's Volunteers Week. The tooolkit is designed to be used be Trustees, Managers and Volunteer-Coordinators to help attract, manage and retain volunteers
Welcome to the Volunteer Centre Sefton
Whether you're looking to volunteer, or you're an organisation looking to recruit or manage volunteers, the Volunteer Centre Sefton can help.
The Volunteer Centre Sefton supports community groups, charities and non-profit organisations – whether that's with recruiting volunteers, promoting opportunities or developing volunteer roles


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Effective Green Screen Gear You Can Buy Inexpensively
A screenshot of me, in front of my green screen, layered over a background image
Wanted to show-off a bit with some new gear. I've been doing a bunch of tech-coaching for a guy I know and helping him with his website and, along with other client connections, I've increasingly been on webinars, online meetings, and Skype group calls. I was sick and tired of my crappy looking video, so I bought a green screen, some lights, and after a lot of goofing around to figure stuff out, it's all up-and-running and working flawlessly.
For effective green screen video one needs good lighting and, most importantly, a high resolution camera. Unfortunately webcams don't work (even though so many people insist they do), green-fringing is startling obvious when I'm superimposed over some image or video, so I invested a bunch of time in figuring out how to use my Nikon D500 DSLR as a very expensive webcam!
Here is my set up:
- Nikon D500 DSLR set in Live View with tweaked settings so it doesn't automatically shut off after 10 minutes! With my lens, this is a $4,000 camera. If you do not have a good resolution camera, then a good mirrorless or DSLR model will set you back $1,000 – $3,000 or so.
- UPDATE: Here is a good 2020 post with some options on cameras that can be less expensive: The 6 Best Video Cameras for Green Screen (Chroma Key) in 2020
- LED Lighting kit = $300 (at Amazon) These LEDs are very flexible. They are bi-color variable with a temperature range of 2300K – 6800K so it is easy to warm up or cool down the color temperature of the light. It also has a brightness range of 10~100%. Pretty dang good for cheap lights!
- Soft boxes for those lights = $80 (at Amazon) I had to have diffusing for these lights as they were just a bit harsh when maxed out in brightness.
- Elgato Green Screen = $160 (at Amazon) Though I'd like one a bit wider, this is the most perfect product of its type I've seen yet.
- Blue Raspberry microphone = $220 I own this one since it also works with iPhone and iPad.
Though I already had the camera and microphone, for just under $600 I added good quality green screen video capability. (NOTE: In the photos below you'll notice a RODE microphone on top of my Nikon D500. I only use that when recording video in to the camera's storage, usually for remote set ups).
So if you are a vlogger, do numerous webinars or online meetings, or just want to record videos for YouTube, then this gear can help you get going!


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By John Gruber
Infolio — No-nonsense task management and team collaboration
Analysis by the SEO hucksters at WordStream of the most profitable keywords for Google AdSense. Their pie chart is an atrociously bad infographic — the total pie doesn't correspond to Google's total ad revenue, but rather to the total revenue from just the top 20 keywords.
But it's fascinating to me that Google makes so much of its money from spammy words like "insurance", "loans", "mortgage", "attorney", "credit", and "lawyer".
★ Wednesday, 20 July 2011


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In this bulletin:
> Your voice matters – take the neighbourhood policing survey!
> Councillor King: upcoming events / événements à venir
> Ottawa Food Bank Town Hall: Poverty Reduction
> Nominate an outstanding woman / Nommer une femme exceptionelle
Neighbourhood Policing in Overbrook SURVEY: How can community police better serve Overbrook? Comment la police peut-elle mieux servir Overbrook? Take the survey by clicking on the poster below. Tell your friends about it! The link can also be found on the right-hand side of our home page (overbrook.ca)!
Councillor King: Upcoming events / événements à venir : BudgetSpeak 2020, November 5; Rockcliffe Park Public School Book Fair, November 1-3; St Bartholomew's Annual Bazaar and Tea Room, November 2; Seniors: Navigating Next Steps, November 4 / ParlonsBudget 2020, 5 novembre; Salon du livre de l'école publique Rockcliffe Park, du 1er au 3 novembre; Salon du livre de l'école publique Rockcliffe Park, 2 novembre; Aînés: Naviguer les prochaines étapes, 4 novembre
For more information / pour plus de renseignements : https://overbrook.ca/upcoming-events-budgetspeak-and-more-evenements-a-venir-parlonsbudget-et-plus/
Town Hall: Poverty Reduction Strategies and Food Security: The Ottawa Food Bank will be hosting a Town Hall on Wednesday, November 13th, featuring a panel of experts speaking about the need for a poverty reduction strategy in Ottawa.
Ottawa has not had a poverty reduction strategy in over a decade, and since the City is currently undergoing strategic planning, we look to make this a priority now.
The goal for this Town Hall is to discuss the need for a strategy, how to bring a strategy forward for the city, what should be included in a Poverty Reduction Strategy, and how it can be used to reduce food insecurity in Ottawa.
For more information and to register: https://www.ottawafoodbank.ca/event/town-hall-poverty-reduction-strategies-and-food-security/.
Femmes remarquables Ottawa Distinguished Women: Call for Nominations of outstanding women / Appel de mises en candidatures des femmes exceptionnelles : https://overbrook.ca/nominate-outstanding-women-nommez-des-femmes-exceptionnelles/