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With a New York Times article last month detailing their staff's picks for the 25 best films of this century thus far, many others online have felt the need to return the favor and list their own picks. So I thought why the hell not? Let's do this. After a lot of deliberation, reflection, and setting of a few restrictions for myself(Kept it to one per director, try to include one from every year and as many genres as possible). Also, since 2000 is still technically part of the 20th century Amores Perros, Code Unknown, Memento, and Traffic don't count but all would've been here had they been released just a year later. Hey, it allows me to talk about other movies from later years. Sorry, straight comedies, I do enjoy a lot of them just not enough for this listing. The titles listed below are wide-ranging in human scope and emotional gravitas, some are grand riddles of cinema that continually confound and challenge their audiences. Many of these I can credit as helping me to open my eyes to be inspired and sincerely moved by cinema as a whole the first time I watched them. Enjoy the countdown, and please do seek out the ones you haven't seen or heard of where ever that might be, they're more than worth it, trust me.
Honorable mentions: It's Such a Beautiful Day, The House I live In, The Piano Teacher, Russian Ark, and Silence
And without further delay, here are my picks for the best films of this century. Discuss, enjoy, and debate the following entries at your leisure.
25). United 93 (2006, dir. Paul Greengrass)
Released five years after 9/11 the calls of "Too soon!" were perhaps unavoidable but this docudrama would prove it came out at just the right time. With the tragedy having been overly politized in the years following what was lost is the human story of that day, and the filmmakers sought to depict it in truly stunning and resonating fashion. Recruiting some of the real-life people to act as themselves who were involved that day added a certain heightened authenticity to the work as was casting no big-name actors to play the passengers and crew of United 93 with the last 30min or so in real time as a harrowing recreation of the final moments of the doomed flight. It is a defining historical moment given careful and respectful important posterity by way of film.
24). Burma VJ (2008, dir. Anders Østergaard)
The documentary art form has morphed from decade to decade since the first non-fictional films in the early 20th century today daring filmmakers utilize the visual medium to bring to light stories that shimmer underneath public awareness and oppression around the world. Sneaking footage from inside the then military-dominated Burma these brave freedom fighters used camcorders as their weapon of choice against a tyrannical regime to show the world their terrifying stories of violent repression. A glimpse of the daring new frontier and possibilities for the powerful visual medium.
23). Atonement (2007, dir. Joe Wright)
Atonement is one of those movies that you know it's good while watching it, you know it's great by the time the credits roll but you're afraid it'll get lost in the shuffle in your mind as one moves on to the next in your watch queue. That was not the case with me and this romantic epic as it's impact hasn't lessened one bit since I've first seen it. A fantastically performed, scored and shot war-time Romance that'll leave you breathless in its flawless execution from start to finish.
22). The Best of Youth (2003, dir. Marco Tullio Giordana)
Including a six-hour long Italian mini-series drama may be a questionable choice but it was released state-side as a pair of 3hr movies and its impact emotionally is certainly not questionable. Documenting the lives of two brothers and their family from 1960's to present day Italy the filmmakers tell a story of a generation through historical events, tragedy, and personal relationships. An emotional epic of powerful and resonating scope that you'll be wanting even more of the story even by the end of the sixth hour, and some forty years story-time, with these characters.
21). The Man Who Wasn't There (2001, dir. The Coen Brothers)
Arguably, the most consistent, stylized and iconic working pair of American filmmakers in film history comes in with their most underrated work. A playfully stark neo-noir centering on Billy Bob Thorton's Bob Crane as a small-town barber caught in the middle of murder, blackmail, and other sordid activities. Shot by the great Roger Deakins in gorgeous black and white 35mm adds to the mysterious atmosphere as the duo portray their unique characters as only they can. Cruel ironies, eccentric roles, and their signature dark humor highlight this enigmatic and underrated outing for them.
20). Boyhood (2014, dir. Richard Linklater)
Linklater's dedicated masterpiece of time, family, and coming-of-age provides a glimpse into a 'normal' upbringing in order to show the inherent drama of figuring it all out one day at a time in those ever important adolescent years. The process has been well-documented over its 12-year production, what doesn't get as much notice is the effortless pacing of the editing by Linklater's longtime editor Sandra Adair gently leading us from one age to the next with sheer fluidity. Showing the nature of time as a constant companion through life's adventures big and small.
19). Persepolis (2007, dir. Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi)
An adaptation of Satrapi's fantastic graphic novels depicts a coming-of-age during the Islamic Revolution in Iran spanning bloody wars, socio-political upheavals, and personal tragedies. An engaging personal story of growing up done beautifully in the style of the autobiographical source material. Balancing the turmoil of a single family unit with the social strife of an entire nation in crisis. A powerful work that allows understanding from a viewer by making us see through the eyes and experience of another. An invaluable gift bestowed from the cinema going experience.
18). The Pianist (2002, dir. Roman Polanski)
Reflecting on both Wladyslaw Szpilman's and the director's own experience with the Holocaust proves to be a stunning and staggering journey into the true horror of the event. Focusing on one man's unimaginable suffering but sheer willpower to forge ahead conveys an important and powerful first-hand perspective into the sheer toil of the atrocity. A historical epic that pulls you in and never lets up as we walk along with this poor soul through inhumanity on Earth.
17). The White Ribbon (2009, dir. Michael Haneke)
Depicting the strict upbringing of the early 20th-century German generation that would grow up to become the Third Reich the Austrian filmmaker deftly crafted a haunting portrait of childhood trauma, angst, and contempt that would manifest itself in the ultimate evil just a few decades later. Not making us sympathetic to these people by any means, rather it's conveying a certain level of empathy in showing us the dire consequences of growing up in a terrifying, hypocritical, suffocating, and cruel environment.
16). Ida (2013, dir. Pawel Pawlikowski)
Having the distinction of being the shortest film on the list it is no less resonating and powerful in its impact than any other on this list. When the titular character leaves her Christian Polish Convent to look for her estranged Aunt she is told about her family's history and seeks to know more as her Aunt drives her to Ida's birthplace. A quietly powerful road trip movie that reveals itself slowly and methodically as we along with the main characters reveal a wrongfully forgotten family history.
15). The Tree of Life (2010, dir. Terrence Malick)
Terrence Malick. How many times can I praise the man's work? With Tree of Life being perhaps his most personal and autobiographical the maestro creates a symphony of emotions with an awe-inspiring introspective and universal scope. A fantastical journey of the soul that gave the auteur an expanded reach, widening his audience awareness being able to show more people his own vision of a beautifully profound and truly poignant world.
14). 2046 (2004, dir. Wong Kar-wai)
The Hong-Kong Auteur has dazzled audiences world-round for over 20-years now, but his greatest cinematic riddle might very well be his follow-up to his seminal In The Mood For Love. Focusing on a Sci-fi writer, played by the great Tony Leung, held up in a Hong Kong hotel and his attempts to work on his next book. Recanting his escapades with women and how they influenced his work the filmmakers seemingly embrace the concept of the inescapable loneliness of a self-imposed exile from the rest of the world. Showing empirically that how we deal with ourselves is really the only way we know how to relate to others.
13). The Master (2012, dir. Paul Thomas Anderson)
Charting the inception and rise of a Scientology-like cult in the aftermath of WWII, the filmmakers here craft a battle of wills unlike any other. With two pitch-perfect performances from Joaquin Phoenix and the dearly missed Philip Seymour Hoffman, as the irascible Freddie Quell and magnetic Lancaster Dodd respectfully, the two start a follower/cult leader relationship after their paths cross accidentally that is absolutely transfixing. Much like the process depicted in the film itself, based on the concept of Scientology Auditing. My favorite film from the first year (2012) I started this blog holds up even better five years on and I venture will only age even better in the coming years.
12). Children of Men (2006, dir. Alfonso Cuarón)
An eerie through the looking glass vision of a bleak future where some elements of this dystopian setting depicted here are starting to look all too frighteningly familiar. Featuring documentary-like world-building Cuarón gives all the exposition needed for this world in the production design, indeed the background settings play as a constant dialogue letting the audience know how this time and place came to be. As dark and unforgiving as the movie gets an audience engages with the material on a visual level helping to immerse them in the timely story of the glimmer of hope in times of ultimate darkness.
11). Brokeback Mountain (2005, dir. Ang Lee)
I try to single out something from each of these movies that they did above and beyond the rest, for Ang Lee's magnum opus its the flow of the passage of time. A perfect rendering of the time cowboy's Jack (Jake Gyllenhaal) and Ennis (Heath Ledger) spent together and apart for the entirety of their intimate relationship together. A romance that makes you feel the passionate longing and affection shared between two people truly in love but heartbreakingly unable to have a life together. The defining bittersweet romance for our time.
10). City of Life and Death (2009, dir. Chuan Lu)
The single hardest watch I've had with a movie made this century, perhaps ever, is the grueling, unrelenting, unforgiving recreation of the notorious Nanking Massacre in 1937 committed by the Japanese Expeditionary Forces in WWII. As stark a war-drama has ever gotten Chuan Lu spent four years getting the film made for good reason, the sheer depths the filmmakers go to would be too much for a regular film schedule. As oppressively bleak as any war film that has been made this century with a truly disturbing and unflinching vision of the atrocity, but as unforgettable and emotionally draining an experience as any film listed here.
9). Mulholland Dr. (2001, dir. David Lynch)
Casting his unique spell over TV audiences now with his revival of the seminal Twin Peaks TV series (how about that episode 8) the surreal auteur put his unmistakable stamp on the Hollywood dream. Noami Watts is effervescent as Betty an aspiring actress who falls into the dark underbelly of the City of Angels through Laura Harring's Rita. Forboding, sublime, and surreal the unique auteur crafts his finest work to bring to light the very nature of dreams in the city that was born to recreate them for audiences to see on the silver screen. As always with the director working in the sub-conscience the strange twists continually confound and befuddle. It's a mystery box with no definite answers, as is always the case with the filmmaker's most acclaimed work.
8). 25th Hour (2002, dir. Spike Lee)
Daringly expressing the feelings in the aftermath of 9/11 on the citizens of New York City 25th Hour encapsulated the overall nationwide mood after the unimaginable tragedy. Done to one of the best scores of the century by Terrence Blanchard, Lee paints his hometown in physical and emotional recovery mode through the eyes of Edward Norton's Monty character, a drug dealer sentenced to seven years behind bars, as he throws a "going away" party for himself with his childhood friends. The fate of one man has repercussions for numerous people in and around his circle of friends and family. Portraying the effect one person can have on another human being, a crucial lesson in the wake of tragedies, large and small.
7). The Act of Killing (2012, dir. Joshua Oppenheimer and Christine Cynn)
As stated previously with Burma VJ, the documentary form has morphed into new territory in recent years, with every new filmmaker taking chances with new ideas. However, none have been more experimental than Oppenheimer's staggering and shocking work detailing his efforts working with former Indonesian death-squad leaders who committed mass murder in unspeakably brutal ways to reenact the events for the camera. What follows is the very epidemy of evil, outlining the vile, inhuman, and sociopathic minds of these men. No easy sit to be sure, but like with every great filmmaker listed here, Oppenheimer has a clear purpose that reveals itself in its own time and rest-assured you will never forget it when it does.
6). Shame (2011, dir. Steve McQueen)
Michael Fassbender, really what else needs to be said? One of the best actors this century gives his single best performances of this, or any, century playing sex-addict NYC businessman Brandon suddenly dealing with his impulsive and outgoing little sister Sissy played by Carey Mulligan. McQueen's flawless direction brings ahead the problems with self-imposed isolation brought on by the feelings of utter loneliness. The downward spiral that ensues as Brandon tries to finally satisfy his carnal desires is as harrowing a sequence committed to film as any other this century. A shocking and graphic (appropriately rated NC-17) masterpiece that looks into the deepest depths of a lost soul serving as a mirror to reflect our own vices back at us.
5). Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring (2003, dir. Ki-Duk Kim)
Meditative, deliberate, thought-provoking and simply gorgeous this hidden gem from South Korea represents the very best of the Korean New Wave that began surging through the film world in the 2000's continuing to right of the moment. A deeply spiritual journey of the power of belief and how it is lost, regained and redefined from person to person and one generation to the next. Rarely brought up when the Korean New Wave is discussed but be assured this is a rare special kind of film of supreme quiet power.
4). Spirited Away (2001, dir. Hayao Miyazaki)
An anime fairy-tale that only the legendary director and studio could produce with such unique grand awe-inspiring vision. A wondrous and fantastical journey of the strange, sublime, terrifying, meditative, and mystical. The filmmaker's boundless imagination on full display. A new-age modern update on The Wizard of Oz with creature designs, magical elements, and sets that wouldn't be impossible to create in live-action, but then again why bother? It is perfectly rendered here in crisp colorful 2D animation as a story of learning patience, understanding, and resourcefulness when suddenly faced dealing with a new strange unfamiliar world of pitfalls, obstacles, and wonder.
3). Certified Copy (2010, dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
After fantastical coming-of-age tales, horrifically bleak war-time period-pieces, and haunting intense character studies it comes down to two people (The always amazing Juliette Binoche and accomplished Opera singer turned actor William Shimell) sharing an extended and complicated debate on the nature of originality vs. a copy in the Art world. Credit the late great Iranian filmmaker with crafting dual resonating character studies as the two figure one another out through their day traveling around in Tuscany. Simple but completely captivating in the two's mannerisms and inflections as their interactions continue on. A strange sort of relationship gradually reveals itself as it seems the two knew each other previously, but in what capacity? Why are they acting like this? These questions are never answered directly and that is what the great filmmaker leaves to us the audience to discover for ourselves on our terms.
2). Upstream Color (2013, dir. Shane Carruth)
A wondrous mystery warped in an enigma inside of a riddle would probably be the best single sentence description for this completely original and fascinating work of sci-fi. Shane Carruth made his name at Sundance in 2004 for his wildly innovative, micro-budgeted, and complex time-travel movie Primer, with Upstream Color he has crafted as fine a Sci-fi movie that has ever been made. Meticulously shot in shallow depth of field compositions, scored with an immersive sound, and acted beautifully especially by indie darling Amy Seimetz. I could give my complete thoughts on what everything in the film means but hey, "…everything eventually flows downstream"
1). City of God (2002, dir. Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund)
If I ever lay my eyes on another film with as much ferocious energy, stunning geographical and human scope, and true insight I'll be praising it to no end to whoever will listen. For now, City of God is one of my favorite films of all-time and an outright perfect masterpiece of this century in so many ways. From its no-holds-barred frantic pace, engagingly violent characters, to the ingenious story-telling elements this is kinetic cinema. Goodfellas in Brazil is an apt comparison in more ways than one. The place (and main character) is the favelas of Rio De Janeiro where everyone is just trying to survive from one day to another. Some join gangs, pick up guns, steal, kill, others try their best to have an honest living but you learn from a young age that it is a dog-eat-dog world your job is to be the last one standing day to day. Influences of Scorsese, Tarantino, and De Sica are apparent but this is a wholly unique beast in and of itself. The filmmakers' uncompromised vision fills all the scenes at every instance so there is barely any time to catch your breath as you are plunged head-first into these streets and slums with these kids. A feat of filmmaking that I completely adore to no end giving me a first-time viewing experience that still resonates with me to this day.
And there you have it, lots of more than worthy films were considered but these are my cherished picks. Here's to this list getting modified and updated in the near and far future with new releases and those I have passed over for too long.


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Geo wrote:YHmmm, does that mean they DO ship? seems to me that's the implication
Puckjam wrote:How about a place called Shaevitz Market in Highland Park? I hear they make a good natural casing dog. Any experience with them? Worth an effort?
Geo wrote:There are NO GOOD SAUSAGES, none, nada, zero, in upstate NY. I hate that.
G Wiv wrote:budrichard wrote:Before I did a blind tasting, I would swear that Usinger's veal wieners (wiener is Usingers' for natural casing) were my favorite.
But Vienna Natural casing beat out Usinger's veal and Usingers' beef Weiner's hands down for three tasters's.
Have you tried Miesfeld's natural casing hot dogs? While I very much enjoy Vienna natural casing dogs Miesfeld's is #1, though I see a blind tasting in my near future.
Miesfeld's natural casing hot dogs, count me a Fan!
budrichard wrote:Miesfeld's is alive and well!
Order was 'Restaurant Steaks' which are used in Sheboygan Restaurants such as the Charcoal Inn, Grand Champion Brats and of course hot dogs.
Geo wrote:Bud,
Is that a cooked brat in the pic by the restaurant steak? It isn't the Miesfeld brat that I remember.
And the Miesfeld brat that I remember was the best Wisconsin (or American-style, for that matter) brat I've ever had. Wish I could get 'em up here in way far Upstate New York... yinz is lucky!

subset: commoncrawl


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Intellectual Property - POSTED: 2007/07/05 18:45
LG Electronics has filed suit against Taiwanese manufacturer Quanta Computers alleging infringement of its DVD patents.
LG is seeking an injunction to prohibit Quanta's use of this technology as well as monetary compensation. The suit was filed in the US District Court in the Western District of Wisconsin on 3 July.
The claims include infringement of four DVD patents which LG says Quanta has been using without permission to produce notebook computers supplied to US computer companies.
"LG's proprietorship of DVD technologies is widely recognised throughout the industry, and the unlicensed use of our intellectual property is not acceptable under any circumstances," said Jeong Hwan Lee, executive vice president and head of LG Electronics' Intellectual Property Centre.
Quanta said in an official statement: "The company has assigned its legal representatives to work on this matter. R&D is crucial to Quanta's success, and the company values and respects intellectual property rights.
"Quanta is committed to defending its reputation and acting in the best interest of its shareholders."
LG filed a lawsuit against Quanta for alleged patent infringement of its personal computer technology in a Californian District Court in 2000.
In July 2006, the US Court of Appeals overturned and handed back the decision of the trial court, which had originally decided that the Taiwanese company did not infringe on LG's patents.
The companies are currently awaiting the court's final decision, which is expected to be handed down during the first half of 2008. LG said that it expects the final ruling to be in its favour.


text: JimCA recomended me ( Link removed ) to take the road along the Mekong river from Kratcheh to Kampong Cham. I did it and had lots of fun. Here are a few pictures from the day that might motivate you to take the same road too. The road 72 nicely marked out on my GPS as one of the major roads (thick red line). The road also starts out really nice and easy. Plenty of people along the road that come and look at the "alien" when you stop. A lighthouse on the way. Marked out as LITE on the GPS shot above. A nice villa with view over the rice fields and the Mekong river. Some bridges are a bit basic so it takes a second to think about if it will manage my around 250kg. Local fishermen One of the main connecting roads. I was fooled to take it because it looked much better than the 72 at the intersection. Interesting problems always arise in Cambodia. Here is the solution. The last part of highway 72 close to Kampong Cham approximately at black arrow in GPS shot.


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3,275 words, rating PG. This story takes place a few weeks after 'Not Fade Away', and also a few weeks after 'Dragonflight'.
Angel and the Dragon
F'lar, bronze Mnementh's rider, gripped his flying straps tightly as the great dragon under him surged up towards a tumbling clump of Thread. The alien parasite shrivelled in the gout of flame that Mnementh breathed forth, and F'lar reached to pass his dragon more firestone as the bronze turned back his head. The sacks were nearly empty, but by F'lar's calculations this Fall should be almost over now. Good timing. In fact, the wings were becoming more competent all around, as their experience and confidence grew. Even the Oldtimers had had to acknowledge that.
Taking advantage of a gap in the Threadfall, he asked Mnementh to hover while he gazed around at his wingmen. All around him, the dragons of Benden Weyr dove, soared, and flamed, searing Thread from the skies of Pern. As their Weyrleader he took a quiet pride in their efficiency; they might even get through this Fall without a single injury, which would be the first -
His thoughts faltered as a green dragon burst abruptly out of between straight into the path of Thread. She screamed piteously as the deadly filaments laced her wing, belching out fire that almost caught a blue rider as he swerved his beast desperately out of the way. The new arrival's rider seemed overcome by panic; he cowered on the back of his dragon, flinging up his arms to shield himself as if that could possibly protect him.
F'lar's lip curled in contempt and anger. This cowardly, untutored fledgling was a danger to himself and - far more seriously - to his dragon and to the rest of the Weyr. He didn't recognise either beast or rider; the man must be an Oldtimer. Small mercy, that at least Benden wasn't shamed by his incompetence. Furiously, F'lar told Mnementh to order the newcomer to join formation and stay out of trouble until the Threadfall was over, when F'lar would deal with him.
Mnementh informed him that the green couldn't hear him at all; her mind seemed closed to the bronze's thoughts. In fact, Mnementh wasn't even sure that the green dragon was a 'she' in the first place.
"That's impossible." F'lar thought back at his scaled companion. "All greens are female. Take another look."
Mnementh informed him haughtily that he, a mighty bronze dragon and mate of the queen, had no interest in taking a closer look at a silly green.
Besides, the strange dragon, perhaps overawed by the sight of the eighty or more beasts around her (or him), had obediently shifted into a steady glide that practically screamed "I'm harmless, don't hurt me." On her (or his) back, the cowardly rider seemed to have overcome his fear. Indeed, he seemed to have gone to the opposite extreme - to F'lar's eyes he seemed to be practically preening on the back of his mount, turning his face to Pern's golden sun and letting the rays fall on first one side then the other, all the time grinning hugely.
F'lar shook his head, uncertain what to make of such strange behaviour. Perhaps the man was a lunatic of some sort? But then he wouldn't be a dragonrider, surely, even if this dragon seemed as peculiar as its rider. Still, there was time enough to sort things out when they got back to the Weyr... or perhaps he should give the man over to Lessa's tender mercies? He'd wish he'd been threadscored once the Weyrwoman finished lecturing him about proper flight discipline...
"Not that the girl ever pays attention to discipline herself - but at least she sees its value for other people!" he thought with a grin. Mnementh informed him that Lessa always had a good reason for everything she did, and wasn't it about time F'lar went back to see her? Threadfall was over, and he'd quite like to rejoin his own mate too now.
F'lar patted the warm hide of his bronze cheerfully, reassuring him that he'd see Ramoth soon, and took a look around. Threadfall was indeed over, and down on the ground he could see the teams of groundsmen emerging from their Holds with flamethrowers and agenothree tanks to sweep the fields for any burrows that had got past his wings. Time to return home. He asked Mnementh to pass along the order, then waved at the newcomer on the green to attract his attention, and indicated through signs that he was to follow. Then taking a deep breath, he took his bronze between.
The wings emerged over the bowl of Benden Weyr in perfect order, all dragons present and correct, bugling in triumph and welcome to their fellows below. F'lar signalled the wingmen to take their beasts to the Feeding Grounds while he directed Mnementh towards the queen's weyr. He'd made up his mind that Lessa should indeed get to deal with the stranger - if only because she'd never forgive him if he left her out of this. He looked around to make sure the green was following... and blinked in astonishment. The sky was empty.
His anger now was mixed with contempt. Surely the idiot hadn't got himself lost between? Or had he just refused to come? Or perhaps the peculiar green had been injured in some way more serious than it appeared, and was unable to follow? That thought calmed him a little, and he began to wonder if he should send help.
Mnementh informed him that Lessa had already thought of that, and had matters well in hand. Of course, he had told her what happened as soon as they arrived at Benden. Slightly nettled, F'lar asked snappishly why Mnementh was more interested in chatting to Lessa than to his own rider. The bronze replied that of course Lessa was only concerned about their safety. She wanted to know they were healthy and unharmed when they arrived back from fighting Thread. His tone was soothing, but F'lar could feel the deep rumbling in his belly that was the draconic equivalent of laughter.
The dragonrider thought of several choice things to say to his companion - and to Lessa too - but forgot them all as the great bronze landed delicately in the lip of the weyr and a diminutive figure shot out of the cave entrance and wrapped herself around him as he dismounted. The Weyrwoman's welcome was as demonstrative as he could have wished for, but then she stepped back and was all business as she awaited his report. Her eyes glowed as triumphantly as his own as he told her they had suffered zero casualties for the first time this Pass, then turned thoughtful as he described the strange intruder and his actions.
"I sent Ramoth and two of the older browns to bring them back," she said, then paused, her eyes distant and unfocussed. "Ah. Ramoth says the stranger is none of her brood, but listens to her all the same." She giggled. Few dragons or humans could ignore the great golden queen who was the largest and most powerful creature on Pern. "They're bringing them back through between now." F'lar looked up, just as the shapes of four dragons erupted into the air above the Bowl in tight formation, wings interweaving and the terrified-looking green dragon held firmly in the claws of the other three. The browns forced the stranger down towards the ground, as Ramoth stretched her huge wings and glided over towards her own weyr.
Lessa looked up fondly as the immense dragon settled gracefully onto the stone ledge, dipping her golden wedge-shaped head - larger than a horse and with a mouth lined with ferocious teeth - towards her youthful rider. The Weyrwoman stretched up to scratch Ramoth's eyeridges tenderly, then swung herself up onto the dragon's back and grinned over at F'lar. "Let's go and talk to this stray you found for us, then."
Angel was having a bad day. Of course, ever since Los Angeles was sucked into a hell dimension it was hard to tell days from nights, but whatever. They were all bad. And this one was worse.
The dimensional portal had been supposed to take him back to Earth. He had a list of contacts salvaged from the ruins of the Wolfram and Hart offices: powerful magicians, shamans, people who might be able to help enlarge the portal so he could bring the other survivors back through. They were his responsibility; of course he had to help them. The sorcerers he would have to deal with weren't necessarily good guys, but Angel had a trump card. A huge, scaly, fire-breathing trump card. If normal methods of persuasion failed, he'd never yet met anyone who wasn't overawed by his friend the dragon.
So of course he had to end up in a dimension where, it seemed, everybody and his dog had their own personal dragon. It was just plain unfair.
At least there was one small mercy - the sun on this plane of existence didn't burn him. Pylea had been like that too; it seemed to be one of the benefits of dimensional travel. He felt himself grinning again, and fought it back. He had to be serious, focussed on the mission. These strangers had kidnapped him, forced him to accompany them back to their base, but they hadn't tried to harm him directly yet. Perhaps they could be negotiated with, always assuming they spoke a language he could understand; perhaps he could find a way to get back to Earth. Or failing that, back to LA.
He climbed off the back of his dragon onto the rocky ground. Around him encircling cliffs towered up into the sky. He seemed to be in the crater of an extinct volcano, its walls pockmarked with dozens of cave entrances; and everywhere dragons crawled, flew or lazed in the sun. His sensitive nostrils caught a faint tang of blood from the distance, and he guessed that some of the dragons were feeding. He tried not to speculate on what, and fought down a sudden hunger pang of his own.
Thankfully, he was distracted by the thunder of wings as two huge dragons landed next to him. One of them was the golden monster that had somehow teleported him - dragon and all - to this secret volcano base. After a moment he recognised the metallic-brown creature beside it from when he first arrived in this dimension. Its rider had seemed to be the leader of the other dragonriders back then, so presumably he was in charge here. Angel folded his arms and waited to see what he had to say.
F'lar strode across the Bowl, anger rekindling in his amber eyes as the stranger stood complacently waiting for them. He opened his mouth to tear strips off the fledgling for his incompetence, but Lessa touched his elbow and addressed the newcomer in her sweetest voice. "Did you have some trouble with your dragon back there? I should speak to your Weyrleader; perhaps you need some extra training before you're allowed out on your own."
The stranger seemed taken aback, not to mention baffled and angry, and F'lar grinned cruelly. Lessa often had that effect on people. It was surprising how much strength of character and force of will could fit into such a slight female form, not to mention one that was fewer than twenty-three Turns old. If people weren't used to women like her - well, they tended to underestimate her until about ten seconds after she turned her attention their way. He stepped back to enjoy the scene.
Only to be surprised when the stranger's first words were a complete nonsequitur: "So, at least you speak English here."
"Well, of course we do. Doesn't everybody? Which Weyr do you claim? Who was your Harper, for you to be so ignorant?"
The stranger clenched his fists in anger at that, and Ramoth bugled suddenly in challenge above them. F'lar stepped hastily between Lessa and the newcomer, as much to protect him from the anger of an over-protective dragon as to defend his weyrmate.
"Curb your temper and answer the Weyrwoman's questions!" he snapped.
"Don't order me around, boy." growled the stranger in reply.
The two men locked eyes, staring each other down. 'Boy'? At first glance the stranger had seemed younger than F'lar, but there was an odd weight of experience in his eyes. Even so, the patronising tone infuriated F'lar. His hand reached instinctively towards his belt knife.
"You will mind your manners when addressing me, green rider."
"I didn't come here to fight you. But if you think you can hurt me with that little sticker, think again."
"I've killed stronger men than you with it. Are you challenging me?"
The stranger grinned sardonically. "Take your best shot."
Stung, F'lar whipped out the knife. He had no intention of killing this stranger, but perhaps he needed to be taught some humility. He adopted a fighting stance, waiting for his opponent to draw a weapon of his own.
Then gasped in astonishment as the knife was simply grabbed from his hand. How did he do that? Nothing human could move so fast, exert such strength. He staggered back, looking cautiously at his knife which now rested in the stranger's hand. The newcomer grinned evilly.
"Now, perhaps we can talk properly? I - awwk!"
His words were cruelly interrupted as Mnementh's sword-like talons closed around him, and the dragon plucked him high into the air. Hot phosphine-laden breath puffed into the stranger's face as the bronze dangled him upside down, thirty feet above the ground, and peered at him curiously.
Lessa laughed. "No, Mnementh, you can't eat him. Even if he did threaten your rider." She turned to grin at F'lar, her eyes sparkling with glee. "If you boys have quite finished your display of masculine chest-puffery, impressive though it was, perhaps we can find out exactly what's going on here?"
Angel was starting to feel slightly better about things. He still disliked that arrogant, jumped-up little man with the amber eyes, but at least he'd learned a valuable life lesson today: never piss off a man with his own dragon. The woman was easier to deal with. Her direct approach, the sly sense of humour that sparked off an inner passion that was as quick to anger as to enthusiasm; even her mannerisms had an aching familiarity. He was only glad she was black-haired instead of blonde. Still, he'd explained how he came to be there, and the two of them - F'lar and Lessa, their names were - hadn't outright disbelieved him.
Well, he wasn't sure they believed him either, but at least they weren't laughing at him.
They'd sent a messenger for someone called 'the Masterharper', whom they believed might be able to help him. Lessa had added, grinning, that Master Robinton would never forgive her if he missed this opportunity to talk to someone claiming to be from another world. She'd then started talking to her companion about 'going between' - between what, Angel wasn't sure: dimensions, hopefully - and visualisations and timing and all sorts of other technical jargon that he understood about as well as he used to when Fred started talking physics. After a while he left them to it.
At least they'd had the courtesy to offer him the hospitality of their base. After some wandering he'd found his way to a giant communal kitchen, where a freshly-slaughtered herdbeast of some kind was being prepared for roasting. He'd worried that they might have just poured the blood away down the drain, but a bit of sniffing around turned up a sealed earthenware jar that he quietly liberated. Then he retired to an empty corridor and enjoyed his first meal for over a day.
His own hunger satiated, Angel began to worry about his dragon's appetite. Fortunately the giant creature didn't need to eat every day; but when it did get hungry, it took a lot to satisfy it. Would these people mind? He shrugged. Considering how many hundreds of dragons they had here, they must have plenty of food available for them. He returned to his reluctant hosts to ask about feeding arrangements.
Said arrangements turned out to be a vast herd of mixed animals - and some flightless birds too, and things that looked like big reptiles - that milled around the grass-covered bottom of the crater next to a big lake. F'lar and Lessa brought their own mounts to feed too, joining a crowd of other dragons and their riders. The smaller beasts stood back as the giant gold and bronze dragons took their pick of the herd, then retired to an overhanging rock to consume their prey. With the path clear, the other dragons now pounced; sending the terrified herd fleeing this way and that in panic as the predators seized their prey.
The smell of blood, the squeals of dying animals as their throats were ripped out; they were overwhelming, all-consuming. Angel felt himself recoil, repulsed by this terrible hunger that awoke inside him. He didn't normally feel like this, even in the middle of a battle. The scent of death filled his nostrils, coppery taste on his tongue, and he turned away from the others in desperation, struggling to keep himself from letting the beast show in his features.
In the centre of the herd, a green dragon sucked greedily at the neck of a fat buck, draining its blood. Around her was a circle of blues and browns - and Angel's own dragon - staring at her with curious intensity. She stared around at them, bugling her defiance, then suddenly leaped and pounced on another herdbeast. Angel saw the dragons' riders standing beside the field in a tight little clump, watching their mounts intently. One of them saw him, regarded him curiously for a moment then beckoned him over.
He shrugged, uncertain what was going on, but approached the group of men cautiously. He could hear their heartbeats thudding; there was sweat on their faces despite the coolness of the mountain air. He could sense a hunger in them that matched his own peculiar feeling - but why? They were only humans...
Before he could ask what was happening, the green dragon suddenly sprang into the air and flew away, faster than any dragon he'd yet seen. The others - including his own - were instantly in the air behind her, and in seconds the grounds were empty of dragons. Well, except for the two on the clifftop. The bronze seemed to look up wistfully for a moment, but the gold nipped at his neck, and he turned his face back to his food obediently.
One of the other dragonriders suddenly pointed at Angel accusingly. "He's a green rider too! What's he doing here?"
One of the others laughed. "His green's chasing yours, L'bet."
The others chimed in with various comments that only baffled Angel more. "Never seen that happen before." "What happens if she catches her?" "What do you think will happen?" "Isn't that kinda gay?" "Look who's talking!" He looked round in confusion, unfamiliar heat flooding his body; and suddenly his consciousness seemed to divide. Half of him was here, standing in the centre of a circle of men, their faces flushed and eyes dilated; the other half was with his dragon, soaring high over the mountains as he pursued the fleeing green, effortlessly outpacing his rivals. As Angel's dragon suddenly folded his wings and plummeted down to entangle the other green with entwined neck and tail, he looked plaintively around at the other men.
So, guys, uh, what happens next?"


text: All Dogs Go to Heaven is a 1989 AmericanIrish animated musical adventure comedy film directed and produced by Don Bluth and released by United Artists and Goldcrest Films. The film tells the story of Charlie B. Barkin, a German Shepherd who is betrayed by his friend, Carface, but forsakes his place in Heaven to return to earth where he and his best friend, Itchy Itchiford, team up with a young orphan girl, Anne-Marie, who teaches them an important lesson about honesty, loyalty and love. ... more on Wikipedia


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Oct. 25 (UPI) -- Authorities retrieved three more suspicious packages Thursday, two addressed to former Vice President Joe Biden in Delaware and one to Oscar-winning actor Robert De Niro in Manhattan, officials said.
Police said the packages appeared to be similar to several others found Wednesday addressed to former President Barack Obama, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former Attorney General Eric Holder, former CIA Director John Brennan and Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif. A total of 10 packages containing suspected explosive devices were found between Tuesday and Thursday.
John Miller, the New York Police Department's deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism, told reporters a retired NYPD Intelligence Bureau detective working for De Niro tipped police off about the suspicious package sent to the actor's production company in the Tribeca neighborhood. Miller said the retired detective recognized the packages when he saw images of them on the news Wednesday evening.
"It struck him that they looked very much like a package he had seen Tuesday for" Robert De Niro's production company, Tribeca Productions, Miller said during a news conference with the FBI and U.S. Postal Service. "He called the bomb squad directly."
The package at De Niro's building included a return address in Florida for Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the former chair of the Democratic National Committee. Other packages sent to prominent Democrats on Wednesday also listed a return address for Wasserman Schultz's South Florida office. The one addressed to Holder ended up at the Sunrise, Fla., office because its address to Holder was incorrect, officials said.
Packages to Biden were found at two different post offices, one in New Castle and the other in Wilmington. Both were located early Thursday, the Delaware News Journal reported.
The post office in New Castle was evacuated and its mail trucks moved to other locations, WPVI-TV reported. Local authorities said the FBI has taken over the investigation. The News Journal said that the Wilmington post office remained open Thursday.
Authorities swept Biden's Greenville, Del., home Wednesday and found nothing suspicious, the Delaware News Journal reported.
CNN's New York City offices at the Time Warner Center were evacuated Wednesday when a similar device was sent there addressed to Brennan, an NBC News commentator. A similar package was found at the home of liberal hedge fund billionaire George Soros on Monday.
Miller said bomb squad officials transported each of the packages recovered in the New York City area to the FBI's lab at Quantico.
"We are discovered things by the hour," NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said during Thursday's news conference of the analysis at Quantico.
He said authorities don't know if there are other packages still in the postal system or yet to be discovered. FBI Assistant Director William Sweeney said some of the packages were delivered through the U.S. Postal Service, but wouldn't confirm how many or if the others were delivered by courier.
"These devices should be considered dangerous," he said. "Do not touch, do not move any suspicious or unknown package."
A USPS official at the news conference said no new suspicious packages have been found in the past 8 hours.
"This investigation is of the highest priority for the FBI," bureau chief Christopher Wray said in a statement earlier Thursday. "We have committed the full strength of the FBI's resources and, together with our partners on our Joint Terrorism Task Forces, we will continue to work to identify and arrest whoever is responsible for sending these packages.
"We ask anyone who may have information to contact the FBI. Do not hesitate to call; no piece of information is too small to help us in this investigation."
The FBI said the packages were delivered in manila envelopes with bubble wrap interior and were affixed with computer-printed address labels and six USPS "Forever" stamps.
Law enforcement officials told The Washington Post the devices had pipes stuffed with explosive material and were wrapped in electrical wire and tape, but they did not describe how they would have been detonated.
New York Mayor Bill De Blasio called the suspicious devices an act of terrorism.
"It's absolutely terrorism because it's an effort to use violence to make a political impact," he said.
On the campaign stump in Mosinee, Wis., Wednesday night, President Donald Trump again condemned the attacks.
"No nation can succeed that tolerates violence," Trump told the audience. "The language of moral condemnation and destructive routine, these are arguments and disagreements that have to stop. Those engaged in the political arena must stop treating political opponents as being morally defective."
Trump, though, appeared to blame news media for some of the political divide.
"The media also has a responsibility to set a civil tone and to stop the endless hostility and constant negative and oftentimes false attacks and stories," he said. "They've got to stop."
He revisited his attacks Thursday morning on Twitter.
"A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!" he wrote.


text:
Darren Dake Top 5 Tips for Tending Your Dreams
*You may receive a warning message prompted by some security software. But this file is perfectly safe, just a simple PDF. When these warnings pop up, as long as you are downloading from a trusted source and know what to expect from the file, then it should be safe to "Accept the Risk".


text:
Lily Lolo
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Specifically designed to extend the wear of powder eye shadow by keeping the eyelid smooth and crease-free, the eyelid primer is natural and creamy and helps conceal and correct discoloration and dark areas around the eyes.
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The interview changed the way Dodson talked with other supervisors and managers of low-income workers, and she began to find that many of them felt the same discomfort as the grocery store manager. And many went a step further, finding ways to undermine the system and slip their workers extra money, food, or time needed to care for sick children. She was surprised how widespread these acts were. In her new book, "The Moral Underground: How Ordinary Americans Subvert an Unfair Economy," she called such behavior "economic disobedience."
I'm perplexed as to why Prof. Dodson is so surprised by this. Looking back over the jobs I've worked in the last ten years, ranging from hourly work just above minimum wage to a family owned business to the corporate world, every company I've worked at has seen managers or owners making reasonable exceptions for people in order to help them out: Letting people leave early without clocking out; not officially making someone off work when they're home with a sick kid; giving left over food, supplies, etc to people who are known to be hard up; etc. This happened at least as much at the small, family-owned company I worked at for a couple years, where it was clearly not a case of managers "subverting" a system in order to help people out, since it was the owners themselves granting exceptions and giving people extras.
What the supervisors here are doing is, technically, breaking the rules of giving away resources that are not theirs. Too much of this kind of thing can be bad for the company, and if a manager is constantly putting people down as working hours they didn't work, upper management will probably eventually notice and be upset about the waste of resources. (So might be the workers who actually work all their hours.) However, it's fairly normal for managers to assume, rightly or wrongly, some of the prerogatives of owners in regards to granting exceptions and handing out favors. And indeed, it's arguably not just good for the workers but good for the company if managers make reasonable exceptions at times. The working mother who's given unofficial time-off to take a sick kid to the doctor is likely to be a harder and more loyal worker as a result than she would be if her boss refused her time off or held back wages for the time missed.
Good supervisors know that if they take good care of their workers, their workers will be more likely to watch out for the good of the company, putting in extra hours when necessary and letting them know when they see problems or things that could be improved. Contrary to the populist imagination, being an inflexible jerk is generally not good for business.


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Have you ever woken up one morning midweek and felt… flat?
Perhaps you had a bad sleep, perhaps your skin looks dull because forgot to apply a night moisturiser (naughty!) or perhaps you simply woke up on the wrong side of the bed?
I have—and I find the perfect pick me up is lipstick. Whether it's a deep berry plum, a striking matte red or a creamy pink nude, lipstick is a surefire way to boost your mood and make your day.
Got an important work meeting which you need to be all Girl Boss for? Apply a strong slick of rouge and suddenly 'Confidence' becomes your middle name.
Throughout the week, I personally wear lipsticks according to my mood, my outfit and even the weather. To show you exactly what a week of my life looks like as a beauty editor, I've directed this short film (see below).
I hope you enjoy watching! Let me know what you think.
Tell me, do you wear lipstick as a reflection of your personality?
What's your favourite colour to wear?


text:
Anyone who has ever had a "desk" job knows the drill. You get to work, unpack for the day, sit down at your desk, and go. Perhaps, every so often you make your way to the coffee pot or copy machine, but save for your lunch break (given you're actually taking a break and not… Read more »
Monthly Archives: January 2014
A new year, a new look
"Unless you have absolute clarity of what your brand stands for, everything else is irrelevant." – Mark Baynes, Global CMO, Kellogg Co. While we have no claim to be a brand as well known, or as prominent as "Kellogg, Co.", what Mark Baynes says, is true, I think for any brand, including ours. For nearly… Read more »


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CNC Laser Cutting Specialists
For over 20 years we have provided a time positive, real action service to all of our customers and our loyal customers cover a very large spectrum of manufacturing disciplines using ferrous and none ferrous materials.
Our Laser cutting machines supported by added services, including identification etching, Form Bending on our Press Brake machines, tapping, countersinking, Stud and nut inserting and 4 axis milling helps us to offer to you a fuller wider usage of our competent abilities. You our existing customers and all of our future customers makes our continuing success certain, you make us more positive to serve your needs.
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Production from New 6Kw CO2 Laser machine and new 6Kw Fiber Laser machine
This year 2016 we have replaced a 3 year old 4.4 kW Laser machine with a NEW 6Kw CO2 Bystronic Autonom Laser machine, and a 4 year old CO2 Laser Machine with a NEW 6kw Fiber Laser machine, The Fibre Laser has reduced our 2015 Carbon footprint by taking the advantage of Fiber lower power usage requirement. Our £960,000 investment supports our ongoing ethos of our commitment to customer service and quality, this investment combined with our self-motivated staff fulfils our company statement.
"We always aim for Excellence and our self-motivated staff always hits the objective target bang on" ... "FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTION"


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By Debbie Hall
Many would agree that children face enormous challenges growing to adulthood. Amy Meyer-Terry faced her own obstacles and, realizing the great need, founded White Horse Youth Ranch known as WHY Ranch in 2007. The fully functioning ranch and equestrian program helps children, teenagers, families and military personnel.
WHY Ranch builds confidence, encourages integrity and inspires creativity. It offers a safe place for kids to come and experience personal healing and growth while building a loving and connected relationship with their horse.
Kids and teens can experience a difficult time going through adverse situations. Many are bullied, face various forms of abuse or deal with a death, divorce or many other situations that causes withdrawal and strained family relationships.
Diamonds in the Rough is designed as an after-school program where kids attend for 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Participants get to work with horses in natural horsemanship and groundwork. It is not a riding program, but after a child or teen has been in the program, they do get the opportunity to ride the horse.
$1Korral is a yearly or monthly sponsorship to help with the cost of the horses and ranch as well as grow the programs. Volunteering opportunities are available to those who are passionate about horses while getting their hands dirty. WHY Ranch is looking for those who want to share the joy of loving and caring for horses and kids, work alongside staff members and experience changing lives. The Junior Leadership volunteer program is for teens ages 10 to 14 who are not part of the program but volunteer and learn through their service.
WHY Ranch also works with military families, especially those experiencing PTSD. Meyer-Terry's husband served in Afghanistan and suffers from PTSD. He works at the ranch which is integral to healing himself and helping others.
"We want to rebuild lives working together on the ranch," Meyer-Terry said.
"Horses are great because they don't judge, just love," she said. "They only perceive how a person approaches and pets, grooms, hugs or talks to them. They are instinctive animals that can help heal broken hearts and minds with just their beautiful spirits and tranquility. Positive experience with a horse provides each youth with life-changing tools that can transfer to all aspects of his or her life. What I hear from people who come to the ranch is that their child can finally open up."
The beautiful functioning ranch, complete with gentle horses and trained staff, continues to help kids become their best selves. For more information, visit WhyRANCH.org.


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text:
An Italian cruise ship with more than 1,000 people on board is without power in the Indian Ocean following a fire.Reports say no one's been hurt, so that's good.
The Costa Allegra is adrift in the dark more than 200 miles southwest of the Seychelles, near Alphonse Island.
The ship is from the same fleet as the Costa Concordia, which capsized off the Italian coast in January, killing 32.
Commander Cosimo Nicastro of the Italian coast guard told the BBC that it took the crew a few hours to extinguish the fire.
Although the ship is in the middle of the Indian Ocean, there are "no problems for the passengers".
However the ship probably needs to be towed to a Seychelles port, he said.
There are no electric lights on board the ship as the batteries are being used to keep essential machinery going.
2012 is starting out badly for Costa Cruises.
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text:
Investors Flunked in For-|Profit College Fraud Suit
CHICAGO (CN) – Two pension funds cannot pursue claims that the for-profit college DeVry hid illegal recruiter compensation to inflate its stock price, a federal judge ruled.
U.S. District Judge John Grady tossed the case with prejudice Wednesday, finding no chance that the Boca Raton Firefighters' and Police Pension Fund and West Palm Beach Firefighters Pension Fund could salvage their claims against DeVry, CEO Daniel Hamburger and CFO Richard Gunst.
The fund's amended complaint focused on DeVry's recruiter compensation policies, and included anonymous declarations from recruiters stating that they received a bonus based on the number of students they enrolled.
In 2010, the Department of Education implemented new recruitment regulations after a report by the Government Accountability Office found numerous dubious practices across the for-profit college industry.
Following these revelations, new undergraduate enrollment at DeVry fell 25.6 percent, and its share price fell from a high of $70.86 in April 2010 to $37.98 in August 2010.
Grady concluded, however, that "the funds still have not alleged facts tying senior DeVry executives to their recruiter-compensation allegations."
"The company had an ostensibly HEA-compliant policy of 'fixed compensation,' which tends to support the inference that the defendants believed that their class-period compliance statements were truthful," Grady wrote, abbreviating the Higher Education Act. "The CWs [confidential witnesses] state that the official policy was a sham, but it is not clear how the individual defendants and other senior executives would know that. Even if the defendants reviewed recruiter evaluations – and there are no allegations that they did – an HEA violation would not be apparent on their face."
The judge found that the claims could not draw much ammunition from 2011 conference calls that DeVry held with investors. In one call, Hamburger, the CEO, said that the company did not pay illegal bonuses to recruiters, but conceded that enrollment does factor into their pay. He also indicated that DeVry's compensation plans would change under new Department of Education regulations.
Grady concluded, however, "that the complaint's allegations indicate only that
Hamburger's comments about the new regulations were evasive, and that is not enough."
The ruling slams the funds for failing to fully investigate their claims before filing suit.
"The Funds have lost money on their investments, but the securities laws do not insure against all such losses," he wrote. "The way that the plaintiffs and their attorneys have conducted this lawsuit – 'shoot first, aim later,' as the defendants aptly put it – indicates that insurance is what they are seeking."


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When it comes to CX, don't get hung up on the jargon
Published: Feb 02, 2017
Author: Gordon Littley
If you've been following the tech news, you've probably read a lot about artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and other similar technologies—and how they're the key to great customer experience (CX). You might now be wondering which of these technologies is the right one for your business. You might be asking, "just what is the difference between machine learning and machine reasoning anyway?"
It's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of excitement around new technologies. But that shouldn't distract you from what really matters—and that's not the tech, it's getting the customer insights that inform great CX.
Making sense of all the data
Today, you're collecting more data on your customers than ever before. You can track their shopping habits online. You can analyze their conversations with your call center representatives or chatbots. And you can use Internet of Things (IoT) devices to monitor in-store behavior. But organizations are struggling to harness all that data—51% say they're struggling with big data variety and complexity1. And if you have enough data, you can find just about any pattern.
Are you familiar with the Texan sharpshooter fallacy? It runs like this: A farmer in Texas has a habit of letting off a round or two into the side of his barn. Over the years this amounts to a lot of holes. Then one day his son paints a target around the bullet holes. A passing stranger comments: "That farmer must be one hell of a shot!"
Tech is great, but not a panacea
How can you harness all the data to drive CX? And, importantly, how can you make sure you don't jump to the wrong conclusions—like the passing stranger? Technologies, like AI and machine learning, are providing a means to that end. And these tools are becoming ever-more sophisticated. They can handle more data, do it faster and find correlations. They can help you wade through all the data—and the most advanced might even suggest actions you can take to improve CX.
If you were at the National Retail Federation's BIG Show in New York City last month, you might have seen Blue Yonder showcasing its replenishment optimization tool. It says that retailers using machine learning have seen a reduction of up to 80% in out-of-stock rates without increasing waste or inventory. There are plenty of other examples of AI being used to provide insights and deliver more personalized service—check out this post by our CMO, Tony Recine on marketing segmentation for more.
Less jargon, more insight
But can a machine truly see the whole picture? AI might tell you the connection between the time customers spend waiting in line and customer satisfaction. And it might then suggest ways you can optimize shift patterns to reduce waiting times. But it won't come up with innovative ways of solving problems—like providing entertainment or keeping customers informed so that they they don't become frustrated by a long wait. Human intuition hasn't been replaced —yet—when it comes to CX innovation. If you really want to understand your customers, there's still a strong argument for getting on the frontline and talking to them.
AI, machine learning, contextual learning and the rest are helping turn today's big data into customer insights. But if you are going to turn that into great CX, they need to be acted upon and drive changes across all your channels. That means—wherever you're getting your insights—they need to be shared, understood and actioned by employees that input into delivering CX—and that's every one of them.
Gordon Littley is the Managing Director of Verizon's world-class Customer Experience practice, which specializes in delivering high-value solutions and specialized sales for Verizon Enterprise customers.
1 Harvard Business Review Analytic Services report, sponsored by Verizon, 2017


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Debating dams in the rain forest
After a five-day journey by plane, boat, bus and boat, HOT reporter Nick Terdre has finally reached 'Mission Village' in the Amazon rain forest, where members of the Munduruku tribe are meeting to discuss the government's plan to build hydroelectric plants on their land.
Near the priest's building where we were accommodated was a larger set of buildings which included the nuns' quarters and more guest accommodation. I found one of the nuns doing some washing in a large sink. She asked where I was from. "I'm from England," I said. "And you?" "Thanks be to God, I'm Brazilian!" she replied cheerfully. When she had finished washing, I seized the bar of soap and did some of my own; I was in desperate need of some clean clothes.
There was electricity in the village, courtesy of a generator. There were showers and, at least in the priest's house and guest building, flushing toilets. In the evening, we were invited to eat in the house of the cacique or village chief. It had a concrete floor, wooden walls and a cooker fuelled with bottled gas. We ate in the kitchen, sitting on chairs and on the floor. The room was dominated by a wide-screen TV tuned in to 'TV Globo', Brazil's most popular channel. Dinner was roast meat and rice. Some of the meat was a bit tough, and I felt a filling in one of my teeth come away. I didn't blame the meat – most of my fillings are a good 50 years old and ready to be replaced.
After dinner, I tagged along with Lala and Eliane from the Tapajós Vivo (Living Tapajós) NGO who were on the trail of some local handicraft. They had been directed to another house; here we were invited inside, and while they made their purchases, I was able to appreciate the range of electronic gear – a large TV, a couple of laptops and some hefty-looking speakers and audio equipment. It all looked rather more state-of-the-art than my own bits and pieces back in St Leonards.
The following morning, we had breakfast al fresco with our hosts standing around a large table near the meeting hall. To drink, there was diluted fruit juice and black coffee, kept hot in thermos flasks. And to eat, tapioca cakes made from manioc flour and crackers.
I ran into Kailo, a dentist, who had volunteered for duty with the Munduruku after spending several years working with other tribes. He travels round from village to village. The drinking water, which comes from wells, is very good, he said. But the Munduruku eat a lot of sugar in their diet, and aren't very good at brushing their teeth. I'd mislaid my toothbrush on the journey here and Kailo gave me a no-frills, government-issue new one, together with some dental floss. It was a relief to finally brush my teeth properly after several days of trying to do it with my finger. And then, of course, I found my own toothbrush.
The assembly begins
The assembly got going at about 9am. The hall was pretty full – I counted roughly 140 people inside, while others stood all around the outside, leaning on the chest-high walls. The first day was taken up with presentations, as the various delegations from different villages introduced themselves. It was all, or nearly all, in Munduruku. Since none of my companions spoke the language, what was said passed us by. But all the speakers were clapped, and some cheered enthusiastically, having apparently said something particularly rousing.
There was another guest staying in our quarters – Inácio. He was, he told me, the president of a community health association in Santarém and had come to give advice to the Munduruku. Quite why, I wasn't sure. My colleagues said he was a false friend of the Indians, though that was perhaps because they didn't agree with his views. Inácio told me that the Munduruku needed to be realistic; hunting and fishing were getting more difficult, and simply opposing the hydroelectric development would not get them anywhere.
In his opinion they should enter into negotiations seeking the right to 20% of the energy to be generated by the plants. That would be worth a lot of money to them, but would also drastically alter the economics of the project, and probably their own way of life. It sounded quite unrealistic to me.
In the late afternoon, it was the turn of us whites to introduce ourselves. I stood in line with the others and when my turn came, explained that I was an English journalist and had come to hear the Munduruku's story so that I could tell the people back home what was happening to them. I got an appreciative clap, though not as loud as some of the others, who took the opportunity to vehemently condemn the dam project.
Once the introductions were done, Maurício made his slide presentation, which was largely based on official information. The second of the various stages in the process of issuing a licence for a hydroelectric plant to be built requires the indigenous peoples affected by the project to be consulted, he pointed out. As everyone knew, this hadn't yet happened, although the government had already embarked on later stages of the process.
Seven plants, much disruption
The scheme calls for a total of seven hydroelectric plants, generating a maximum of 13,800 mega-watts. Three will be sited on the Tapajós, the others on its tributaries. In the case of the Munduruku, 18,000 hectares, housing 16 villages, will be flooded. They will not be the only ones to suffer; flooding will affect a total of 207,500 hectares of conservation units, on which 32 communities currently live. The homes of at least 2,350 people will disappear under the waters.
Construction of the seven plants is expected to attract some 130,000 migrant workers chasing just under 100,000 direct and indirect jobs. Past experience shows that the construction period, which will last three to five years, will be chaotic and disruptive, probably becoming even worse when it comes to an end and tens of thousands of workers find themselves unemployed. As has been amply documented in similar projects, criminality and sexual exploitation thrive in such conditions, and conflicts between the migrants and both indigenous peoples and established settlers are commonplace.
The ecological effects would also be damaging in various ways, Maurício said. For example, the seasonal rhythm of the rivers will be disrupted, and with it the lives of fish, turtles and other species living in them. The waters in the flooded areas will turn still and stagnant, in the process becoming unsuitable for drinking. The fishing on which both indigenous and riberine communities depend will be threatened.
Mining also poses a threat to the indigenous communities. Large swathes of the land in the south of Pará state where the Munduruku live have already been licensed to mining companies, giving them the right to come onto the land, even if it is occupied by indigenous peoples, to prospect for and produce minerals. Mining companies round the world have a dreadful reputation for their treatment of both the peoples and the environment on lands where they work, and the experience in Brazil is no different.
Almost half the mining concessions in the Tapajós basin have gone to the state-owned company, Vale do Rio Doce, which has a history of conflict with the peoples, whether indigenous or not, on its concessions. In the area of the Belo Monte hydroelectric project on the Xingu river, Canadian mining company Belo Sun was already expelling people from its concessions, Maurício said.
Most of the land occupied by the Munduruku is covered by the concessions, and there are half a dozen other indigenous groups affected, as well as conservation areas. Had anyone from the government ever consulted with the Munduruku about the mining concessions? he asked.
Obeying the law
"You have much more strength than you know," he told the audience. "You must demand that the government obey the law." He recalled the occasion when the Munduruku had expelled a team carrying out environmental studies from their land. The government responded by sending the team back under the protection of armed soldiers.
"The fact that they sent an army here shows that you are strong," Maurício said. "The number of men who came reflects the size of the government's fear. If I didn't think you could stop this, I wouldn't be here."
If that occasion testifies to the Munduruku's determination to protect their land, it is also indicative of the government's willingness to use force to get its way. In the case of Balbina, one of the first hydroelectric plants in the Amazon, when the local Indians resisted, a military force was sent in and they were forcibly moved to another area, some being killed in the process.
The audience followed the presentation with interest, and when it was over, a lengthy debate ensued, as speaker after speaker got up to say their piece. I couldn't understand a word and, as it was already late, I decided to return to our quarters. Soon after it began to rain torrentially – we were trapped inside. When midnight came, the rain was showing no signs of abating, so we gave up on dinner and went to bed hungry.
Next week: concluding article from Nick Terdre on his Amazon experience.
All photos by Maurício Torres, except where stated.
See also HOT visits Amazon tribe facing dam threat.
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Daniel v. Waters
|This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2008)
|Daniel v. Waters
|United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
|Full case name
|Joseph C. Daniel, Jr., et al., v. Hugh Waters, Chairman, Textbook Commission of the State of Tennessee, et al.
|April 10, 1975
|515 F.2d 485 (6th Cir. 1975)
|Case opinions
|Majority: Edwards
Dissent: Celebrezze
|Court membership
|Judge(s) sitting
|George Clifton Edwards, Jr., Anthony J. Celebrezze, and Pierce Lively
Daniel v. Waters, 515 F.2d 485 (6th Cir. 1975) was a 1975 legal case in which the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit struck down Tennessee's law regarding the teaching of "equal time" of evolution and creationism in public school science classes because it violated the Establishment clause of the US Constitution.
The plaintiffs were school teachers supported by the National Association of Biology Teachers.
Various state laws prohibiting the teaching of evolution had been introduced during the 1920s. These laws were challenged in 1968 in the case Epperson v. Arkansas, which established that such laws were to be held in violation of the constitutional separation of Church and State. The creationist movement reacted to the decision by turning to the promotion of the teaching of creationism in school science classes as equal to evolutionary theory.[1]
The act[edit]
The Tennessee law stated, "Any biology textbook used for teaching in the public schools, which expresses an opinion of, or relates a theory about origins or creation of man and his world shall [give] . . . an equal amount of emphasis on . . . the Genesis account in the Bible." (Public Acts of Tennessee, 1973, Chapter 377, cited in LaFollette, 1983, p. 80)[1]
The ruling[edit]
The Federal District Court ruling was that the Tennessee law was "a clearly defined preferential position for the Biblical version of creation as opposed to any account of the development of man based on scientific research and reasoning. For a state to seek to enforce such preference by law is to seek to accomplish the very establishment of religion which the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States squarely forbids." (US District Court, Daniel v Waters, 1975)[1]
Effect of the ruling[edit]
The ruling did not prevent the Bible from being taught in public schools in an appropriate way. The Court stated (quoting from a prior decision): "While study of religions and of the Bible from a literary and historic viewpoint, presented objectively as part of a secular program of education, need not collide with the First Amendment's prohibition, the State may not adopt programs or practices in its public schools or colleges which "aid or oppose" any religion."[2]
Following this ruling, creationism was stripped of all overt biblical references and was then renamed creation science. Several states then passed new legislation which required that this be given equal time with teaching of evolution. This came to court as McLean v. Arkansas (1982), which resulted in a detailed ruling that it was similarly unconstitutional to teach this in public school science classes. This was a District level ruling and, while setting a persuasive precedent, it was only a binding precedent in the relevant district. It was not until Edwards v. Aguillard (1987), a similar case in Louisiana, was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court that creation science was ruled unconstitutional at the federal level, which resulted in its removal from public school science classes nationwide. The reaction from the creationist forces would be to create the new concept of intelligent design specifically in order to circumvent this ruling.[1]
Related cases[edit]
- ^ a b c d Creationism/ID, A Short Legal History By Lenny Flank, Talk Reason
- ^ Abington School District v. Schempp, 374 U.S. 203 (83 S.Ct. 1560 1573) (1963)


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Control and Traceability
The Quality Control team at Devenish Nutrition follow a thorough sampling schedule which includes testing random samples of our finished products and any raw materials used in production; this allows us to continuously monitor the quality of our incoming materials and outgoing products.
We also follow a schedule for testing the plant and our products for the presence of Salmonella. This is an EU requirement and is carried out for the following reasons:
- Salmonella is the most common bacterial cause of foodborne illness.
- Intervention strategies aimed at reducing Salmonella on raw product should be effective against other pathogens.
All results are entered into our QC database and expected/actual results are analysed by our Quality Controller and Technical Manager.
Every raw material is fully traceable throughout the entire process from the time it enters our site, throughout the production process and when it eventually ends up with our customer.
Batch numbers of all raw materials are recorded at every step and each movement is time and date stamped by our process control to give 100% traceability. Every product manufactured has a unique batch number giving full traceability to the end user.
Devenish Nutrition offers a wide range of bag sizes and colours to meet our customers requirements. Labels are stuck to every bag with peel-off batch numbers and barcodes available upon request.


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Her conclusions are common-sensical, but I'd certainly be interested to see more data on this. What she found is that while parents actions are important in forming their children's moral thinking, spoken witness essential to passing on beliefs. The design of the study was pretty interesting:
"We asked students to tell us what they believed and what they thought their parents believed," says Lynn Okagaki, an associate professor of child development and family studies. "We then asked the parents what their beliefs were and how strongly they felt they had tried to nurture their child in terms of religious beliefs and values. What we found was that the perception does not always match the reality."
Okagaki's study showed that the accuracy of a student's perception was affected by how much his or her parents talked about their beliefs and whether the mother and father shared the same beliefs.
"Many of the students we talked to told us that their parents shaped their environments by making church activities a regular part of their lives, and took on service projects as a family", Okagaki says. "But while 'walking the walk' was certainly important, it was regular, specific conversations about religious beliefs that gave students a more accurate perception of what their parents actually believe. In other words, it's not enough for parents to just model beliefs for their kids."
This seems to be what has driven so many parents in the post Vatican II church to put more time into overt religious education at home. In my grandparents generation, it seems to have been assumed that if you sent your kids to Catholic schools and took them to mass on Sundays that they'd pick up whatever they needed to know. Goodness knows with most parish schools and CCD programs these days you're in no way guaranteed to pick up the fundamentals of the faith by default.
After seeing the drop-out rate in the first couple generations after Vatican II, it seems that those still standing have learned that if you want your children to be active, faithfull Catholics you need to educate them rigorously. (Some of my more liberal/cynical friends tend to put it differently: "You think that if you shelter and indoctrinate your children that they'll all grow up just like you.") There are still, certainly, no guarantees in life or parenthood. Free will has a way of asserting itself. But one thing is clear: if you assume that your children will simply "pick up" your faith without putting in the work to teach it to them clearly, you're far less likely to be successful in passing on your beliefs than if you take the time to educate your children thoroughly in what you believe and why.


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On October 1st, community leaders along with local and national Hip Hop artist will meet in Phoenix to discuss racial profiling, police brutality, SB1070 laws, and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. This will take place at a premier screening of a short film "#Bars4Justice" (view or download media kit) Presented by Nation19 and Directed by award winning filmmakers Hakeem Khaaliq and Queen Muhammad Ali. "We believe this is the perfect time to use different approaches to activism especially in the state of our society today, and encouraging advocacy through hip hop can help educate and position today's youth locally and nationally" said Queen. The film includes cameo appearances by Academy Award® winner artist Common (Selma) along with Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, M1 from Dead Prez, Jasiri X, Cornell West, Bree Newsome, and activists from all over the country. "This film documents the new generation of civil right activists who don't sing We shall overcome they chant… Fight the Power" said Hakeem. "Bars4Justice" was filmed in Ferguson in the midst of yet another officer involved shooting during the anniversary of Michael Browns death who was killed by officer Darren Wilson on the same day a year prior.
With the growing epidemic of police deadly force against people of color, community activism has become a necessity. While community activism is progressing, there is another revolution on the rise that has not yet been televised. The revolution of HipHop advocacy and the rise of MC's rapping about social issues.
Subsequent screenings of the film #Bars4Justice are being scheduled in Chicago, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, New York, Honolulu, and Ferguson. To find out more about screening the film in your area contact 909.380.2138 or email get[at]nation19.com.
- Since the 2014 killings of unarmed 17 year old Mike brown in Ferguson, and unarmed 34-year-old father of four Rumain Brisbon in Phoenix, 1100+ people were killed at the hands of police.
- Arizona ranks among the highest in nation for deaths by Cops
- No FM or AM radio station currently play conscious Hip Hop in Phoenix
- Officer Mark Rine was not charged for the killing of unarmed father Rumain Brisbon.
- Since then Arizona passed a law in 2015 that will shield names of police in 'deadly force' killings.
- The Public Enemy music video for "By the Time I Get to Arizona" aired on MTV only one time in 1991. However, PE's message spread:The NFL pulled the 1993 Super Bowl from Tempe, Arizona, and thousands of conventions and tourists followed suit. It's estimated the state lost $350 million in revenue before voters reconsidered the referendum in a 1993 vote, re-instating the King holiday.
What does "bars" 4justice mean?
The most popular time signature in music is the 4/4 measure and 4 bars is usually 1/4th of a rap verse (16 bars).
About Bars4Justice:
Bars4Justice is a documentary film shot on location in St Louis and Ferguson. The film follows Emcee / Community activist Jasiri X who was invited to perform at a benefit concert on August 9th 2015 along with Common, Talib Kweli, Immortal Technique, Cornell West, and Bree Newsome. The screening and live Q&A discussion with Jasiri X on Hip Hop's roll in activism locally and nationally will take place on October 1st 2015 at:
6:30PM to 9:00PM
All ages welcomed
In order of appearance
Jasiri X
Talib Kweli
Fubar St Louis
Tory Russell (Hands up United)
Kayla Reed (OBS)
Kendra Ross
The Ferguson Poet
Cornell West
Bree Newsome
Immortal Technique
Tef Poe
Pharaoh Monch
Bun B (UGK)
M1 (Dead Prez)
Family of Mike Brown
Rev. Renita Lamkin
Rev. Osagyefo Uhuru Sekou
Rev Traci Blackmon
Rahiel Tesfamariam (Urban Cusp)
Rabbi Susan Talve ( Reform Congregation)
Rev Michael McBride
Davey D
Rosa Clamente
Deray Mckesson (We The Protesters)
Andre Anderson, Chief of Police Ferguson


text:
An Uproar in Ephesus
Acts 19: 21-41
I. Paul's Time in Ephesus Nears an End (vs. 21-22)
a. What does the phrase "when these things were accomplished" refer to? _____________________________________________________
b. The transition in verse 21 is "Paul purposed in the Spirit…" What can we
determine from this phrase? __________________________________ _______________________________________________________
c. His purpose included returning back through Macedonia and Achaia…what
would Paul be doing as he passed through these regions? _______________ ________________________________________________________
d. Ultimately Who was responsible for Paul's destination being Jerusalem? ________________________________________________
e. Where else does Paul desire to see? ___________________________
f. Paul sent Timothy and Erastus into Macedonia (the very place where he would
follow) what purpose may they been serving? ________________________
II. Spiritual Awakening Causes Some Issues (vs. 23-32)
a. What is "the Way" described in verse 23? __________________________
b. What was Demetrius' main problem with "the Way" and the Gospel message that
was truly taking root in Asia? ______________________________________
c. What was Demetrius' and the other craftsmen's solution to their loss of profits? __________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
d. How does 1 Corinthians 14:33 help us determine who was the author of this
confusion? _________________________________________________
e. Why would the disciples (and some of the officials) not allow Paul to go in to
the people? _________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________
III. Reason Prevails (vs. 33-41)
a. Why couldn't Alexander quiet the crowd? _____________________
b. Who was able to quiet the crowd and how? ____________________
c. What 'reasonable' argument deferred bloodshed and a Roman inquiry? _______ _________________________________________________________
IV. Application: Do we always recognize what the Spirit in prompting us to do and
all it will entail? ________________________________________________
If we knew all the details ahead of time would we be as quick to obey? ________


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This could be the place where one can "buy" or "find" a good cryptographic algorithm.
Wrong address.
We deal exclusively with the flawed ones.
And those designed by people who did not know what they were doing,
and if the algorithm is still secure in practice, or secure enough, it was by accident.
Most of security claims in cryptography become obsolete within a decade.
However the cryptanalytic attacks are here to stay.
Code breaking is a noble sport in which major nations compete
with their brains, their hardware, and their software.
Interesting links:
Algebraic attacks on block ciphers:
AES, Rijndael, Serpent, DES, KeeLoq, GOST, etc..
Algebraic attacks on stream ciphers: Toyocrypt, Lili-128, E0, Snow 2.0. etc..


text:
Program Overview
Values-Driven Leadership: Adapting to the new cybersecurity normal. Our first panel sets the tone. It is leadership – not just management – that we need if our organizations are to successfully adapt to this new reality. We'll look at Los Angeles' new Cyber Lab as an example of community leadership. And we'll talk with two CEOs about change leadership and adapting to the new cybersecurity normal.
Cybercrime: It's Dangerous. It's Real. And it's existential to your business. To defend your organization, you must know the enemy. In our second panel, you will come to understand the enemy. And just like in the Godfather: "It's business, Sunny." You will learn what he wants, how he works, and how he gets past your cyber defenses. With this knowledge, you will know what you must do to get out in-front of the cybercriminal. Hint: It starts with leadership.
IT Security Management for non-IT People: Our next panel introduces SecureTheVillage's new Code of Basic IT Security Management Practices. Based on an internationally-recognized best practices, the Code of Basic IT Information Security Management is a set of basic IT security management practices that are so basic that a failure to implement them puts the organization at a dangerous and unnecessary risk of a costly information incident. Not following the code is the equivalent of drinking and driving. The Code provides a security baseline for IT while answering an executive's most critical technical question: "How am I – a non-technical person – to know that our IT organization is protecting our information in accordance with basic information security IT management practices?"
Managing Risk and Legal Exposures: A short review of risk, the law, and the role cyber-insurance plays in managing cyber-exposure.
Securing the Human: People — our biggest weakness and our first line-of-defense: Our next panel is all about the people. It's about moving beyond awareness training. It's about turning staff into cyber-warriors. It's about adapting to new threats. It's about culture.
The SecureTheVillage ResourceKit: As we wrap, attendees will be introduced to the new SecureTheVillage ResourceKit, an online resource for cybersecurity management, leadership, cultural adaptation.
Program Schedule & Speakers
Registration & Networking: 8:00 – 9:00
- Muffins, Coffee, Tea will be served
Opening: 9:00 – 9:15
- Stan Stahl, Founder & President, SecureTheVillage
Values-Driven Leadership: Adapting to the new cybersecurity normal: 9:15 – 10:00
- Bill Leider, CEO, Consultant, Vistage Chair
- Dennis Duitch, CEO, Consultant
- Adam Gertz, Esq., Office of the Mayor, Los Angeles Cyber Lab
- Moderator, Patrick Fraioli, Esq., Co-Chair of the Cybersecurity, Data Privacy & E-Commerce Workgroup, Ervin Cohen & Jessup
Break: 10:00 – 10:30
Cybercrime: It's Dangerous. It's Real. And it's existential to your business: 10:30 – 11:15
- Warren Kato, Deputy District Attorney, Office of the District Attorney – Los Angeles County
- Brad Maryman, FBI (Retired), Maryman and Associates
- Josh Peplow, Vice President – Cash Management, American Business Bank
- Moderator: Michael Zweiback, Esq., Partner, Alston & Bird
Meeting the Challenge: IT security management for non-IT people: 11:20 – 11:50
- Kathryn Burns, Sr. Director – CIS Controls Program, Center for Internet Security
- Michael Gold, Esq., Co-chair Cybersecurity and Privacy Group, Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell
- Louie Sadd, President, Datastream
- Moderator: Stan Stahl, Founder & President, SecureTheVillage
Lunch: 11:50 – 12:50
Meeting the Challenge: Managing risk and legal exposures: 12:05 – 12:35
- Thomas Peistrup, Esq., General Counsel, Tre Milano
- Howard Miller, Vice President, Director Technology Division, LBW Insurance & Financial Services
Meeting the Challenge: Securing the Human: 12:50 – 1:35
- Barbara Watkins, Senior Vice President Treasury Management, City National Bank
- Shawn Burke, CPA, Vice President of Finance & Controller, Entertainment Industry Foundation
- Sandra Lollino, Independent Associate, IDShield/LegalShield
- Moderator: Kimberly Pease, Co-Founder & VP, Citadel Information Group
Wrap-up and ResourceKit: 1:40 – 2:00
- Stan Stahl, Founder & President, SecureTheVillage
Networking: After 2:00


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Finally! The turkey-dinner is over and now it's time to focus on the best time/holiday/season of the year! CHRISTMAS
Yesterday, I spent the afternoon shopping for the perfect tree to bring home, and relished in the nursery as they cut my tree, as I allowed the smell of pine and vanilla candles to fill me up! I just can't wait to decorate it.
Some might say that I purchased my lovely tree too early. Crazy, right? I mean, the folks at Disneyland began decorating their trees back on November 13th. No, really!
Check out the video, I'm not making this up.
Besides, tomorrow is December 1st, and the best way to kick off the most magical month of the year is by singing carols while trimming the tree!


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This year I have had some really interesting web design projects – everything from creating an online store for a wool shop (which involved many hours photographing balls of yarn) to creating a social network for dogs. In between, there has been lots of graphic design work for a shoe company (how very tempting) and a request to make a lovely wedding album.
This last was a particular challenge as since moving house over a year ago, I hadn't really sorted my work space out properly so it was a real challenge to keep the white and cream leather, ivory satin book cloth and the Japanese Chiyogami decorative paper I used to make the album and its presentation box, away from any glue-y surfaces. In my old house I had separate glueing and dry assembly areas – here I have one space.
My dog, Milo fell asleep on several sheets of glue covered scrap paper that I had tossed on the floor – and it had to be cut from his coat when he woke up. You can see the finished album in the Custom album section of the portfolio – it's the cream and white one.


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Fear; It's OK to NOT Be OK w/Tracy Simmons February 18th, 2018
February 21, 2018
Pastor Tracy returns in the next to last week of our Sunday Series, and tackles the topic of fear. Finishing out the message with the Zach Williams song "Fear is a Liar" is powerful and moving. Link to the music video is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQTnREEtuNk
Credit to Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and John Ortberg for the
inspiration and roadmap.
Link to VIDCAST of this message: https://youtu.be/bzqATguKRaQ
Online giving portal: https://c3ak.churchcenter.com/giving
Text2Give: 84321 (instructions here: https://www.c3ak.com/donate)


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Proceed to read our full returns policy, click here.