text:
What a shocking surprise, I yet again set a deadline for myself, and yet again I ended up passing it. Seems to be a running theme this year. Anyways, no excuse for it this time, I plain and simply ended up running a few weeks behind on some of the shows I was watching and ended up putting this article off to instead catch up on those shows first. Speaking of said shows, this season has saw me fall back from the nowadays pretty high for me 17 shows I saw as simulcasts in the Spring to 14 simulcasts instead, tying the amount I saw in the Winter season.
As always, this amount isn't necessarily reflective of the amount of shows I'll be considering in the end of the season article, what with there being a few titles I'd like to check out that I'll likely have to binge at the end of the season instead. Not to mention the stupid amount of shows Netflix is dropping on us this month. With this season's progress report being so far into the season, it means the shows ending this season only have a small handful of episodes to change their fate, so unlike previous seasons it is more likely the medal tiers they are currently placed in will be where they end the season in as well. So with that out of the way, let's start with my bronze medal shows, as I currently do not have any shows progressing towards a dreaded black medal.
Chio's School Road
Talk about a show that is unfortunately very hit or miss. I want to like this show more than I do, but I just never know if an episode is going to range from hilarious segments involving Andou, the former biker gang member with a heart of gold who has a crush on Chio, or if it is going to involve Madoka, the captain of the school's kabaddi club, whom the series absolutely loves focusing a bunch of "jokes" about sexually assaulting high school girls around. Even the most recurring type of segment, where Chio's "gamer vision" takes over all her mental functions, can either be hilarious or a chore, and I just never know which I am going to get.
When Chio's School Road hits its jokes, it is absolutely hilarious, but when it misses, dear god does it miss and fall on its ass. Which is kind of a damn shame, because many of the voice actors, in particular Chiaki Omigawa, who plays Chio's friend Manana, are putting in some serious work to try and make the material work, and they unfortunately just can't sometimes.
Attack on Titan Season 3
I must admit, they did it. Those glorious bastards have actually did it. This was around the time that the Attack on Titan manga started turning south for me, for a wide range of reasons with the biggest ones being I wasn't particularly a fan of where things were heading, combined with the pace the manga was going at, due to its nature of being a monthly release, and some rather messy action choreography.
However, the crew behind the anime adaptation has made me actually rather enjoy what they've adapted so far. Things like pacing have been fixed thanks to the plot details coming out in a quicker fashion and them shaving off some fat plot wise by either cutting scenes wholesale or saving them for a later time where they would flow better. In addition, to say the jump to animation has improved the action scenes is a gross understatement.
I dare anyone to watch the thrilling chase sequence from the second episode of this season and not be impressed at the pure sense of speed the characters were zipping around the town at. I still don't like this as much as I did the Female Titan Arc in the first season or the first half of the second season, but, yeah, this is has been a stellar adaptation job of one of the most divisive parts of the franchise by everyone involved. Keep up the good work.
Encouragement of Climb Season 3
So the wonderfully chill and adorable show about cute girls climbing mountains has taken a bit of a different turn this season. While the girls are still climbing some mountains every now and then, this season seems to mainly be focused on how the girls interact with their non-climbing friends during Mt. Fuji's climbing offseason. Aoi is slowly trying to build up strength and endurance so she can finally complete the climb to Mt. Fuji's summit next climbing season, but while she is doing this, she starts to become friends with several of the girls in her class.
This at times seems to cause some anxieties and stress between Aoi and her lifelong friend Hinata, even though Hinata was the one to introduce her to most of these new friends. The show may be taking a bit of a detour from its central hook for the most part this season, but I think it is working wonderfully, as it allows the girls to further grow as characters, and I can't wait to see what is in store for this lovely short.
Harukana Receive
So Harukana Receive is not a bad show whatsoever. It's actually quite enjoyable and an extremely easy watch. One of the easiest watches of the season if I am being quite honest. It has some genuine pathos to it, but it doesn't go over the top with it, making for a surprisingly chill sports show. Frankly at this point the show is more slice of life than it is a typical sports show, as the sport is kind of inconsequential, as shown by how easily the show can just montage its way through a tournament without a care in the world.
There is a bit of some, in the grand scheme of things rather lighthearted, fanservice, but I'll be honest, I would have been completely shocked if a show about cute girls playing beach volleyball didn't venture into this territory at least a bit. Ultimately, this is something I enjoy watching, but I feel it never stretches out of its comfort zone, and as a result is merely a very consistent show, and it seems rather content to be that, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Ninja Girl & Samurai Master 3rd
The ever reliable edutainment short continues chugging along, and the somewhat bittersweet tone the show has had this season has kicked into a fever pitch during the Summer season, with even more prominent members of the cast starting to die of in sad, yet badass, fights. The show is expertly navigating one of the rockiest parts of Oda Nobunaga's quest to unify Japan, and I can't wait for any potential future seasons of what is quickly becoming one of the best anime shorts in history.
Steins;Gate 0
Oh man, what a disappointment Steins;Gate 0 has become to me. I don't hate this show, but in the grand scheme of things, I feel like I could also do without it. I'm enjoying this enough still to see it out through to the end, but I think this is going to be a one and done viewing for me. Part of the problem is Steins;Gate 0 is ridiculously slow. Like people like to bag on how slow the first Steins;Gate anime is, for most people not picking up until halfway through. Now I personally enjoyed the first Steins;Gate from the very first episode, but even then I have to call it like I see it, and the truth is, for me, Steins;Gate 0 just takes way too damn long for the other shoe to drop.
Not to mention that once it does drop, the show goes in some rather silly, anime-esque directions. I saw someone else put it in quite a succulent way, as Okabe becomes more "normal", the world around him becomes more like an over the top anime, complete with a maniacal villain bent on world domination.
Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion
I will always be a sucker for historical shows. History was my favorite subject throughout school, and is still an incredibly strong passion of mine. So a show that is basically the Japanese version of 300 about Japan's most famous repelling of a massive invading empire is right up my alley. This show is admittedly a tiny bit shallow in that it is mostly a popcorn show, but it does have some great themes, specifically around fighting to protect people you have no direct need to fight for, in addition to some surprisingly thoughtful inspection into what it means to betray others.
It also plays a little loose with history, combining aspects from both of the Mongol invasions of the island of Tsushima, mix and matching various aspects such as the date of the invasion, the size of the Mongol fleet, and the size of the defending forces on Tsushima, but honestly I can kind of excuse that because a show based solely on the first invasion of Tsushima would be a ridiculously short one.
In addition, while the show is playing loose with history in that respect, I absolutely must commend the show for its depiction of the Mongol army. I love how they go to great lengths to show that this is not one solitary horde, but rather a mass comprised of a ruling people and the people they've subjected and thus conscripted into their army. The Mongols, as in the actual Mongolians, have the armor and more impressively the hairstyles signature to the Mongolians. Then you have the Goryeo troops, who have their respective time period armor and general look. They even include, briefly, Chinese and Jurchen troops. They included freaking Jurchen troops! That may seem like a small little detail, but for history buffs like me, that was a moment to greatly enjoy.
Oh, and the action scenes are pretty badass too, I suppose.
Banana Fish
Ring ring ring, banana pho...wait, that's something completely different. So, yeah, Banana Fish, holy shit. This is simply a stellar crime drama. If you didn't know this was adapted from a manga that ran in the 80's and 90's, it would be hard to tell. They have done a wonderful job adapting this series to modern times, and it is easy to see why this was such a seminal series back in the day. Most of the time I don't bother with series meant for the yaoi audience unless it is really freaking good. Like something in the ballpark of Yuri!!! on ICE, more or less. Well, it probably goes without saying, but Banana Fish is one such show.
It is just a deeply enthralling show about tragedy and revenge, and kind of feels like a Shakespearean play with its twists and turns, deaths and betrayals. Despite the show being marketed equally around the duo of Ash Lynx and Eiji Okumura, so far it has been Ash's story more than anything else, as he is overall the main focal point, and the character who is on the main path of revenge for the wrongs done to him and his brother. In a way, Banana Fish feels like the excellent show 91 Days, only set in the modern era, without the animation issues, and just overall better. I have some high hopes for this series, and I hope it can stick its landing down the road.
Cells at Work!
What a pleasant surprise! We have another edutainment show this season, but unlike Ninja Girl & Samurai Master, this one is about the human body. This has led to it often being compared to the Osmosis Jones property, and it is rather easy to see why, but honestly both series are only similar in premise. They greatly differ when it comes to execution, with Cells at Work! genuinely going out of its way to try and teach about microbiology.
Sure it does this through a very effective combination of comedy and badass balls to the walls action(courtesy of the masters of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure, David Production), but it accomplishes its goal nevertheless. They also give some great, if simple, personalities to the various cell groups, and it can lead to some funny moments. Such as the lethally effective macrophage cells appearing like sweat, loving maids. This is just an absolutely enjoyable show all around, and one of the biggest surprises of the season. I think a lot of people expected to enjoy the show, but not to this degree.
This show is kind of a weird beast. I am absolutely enjoying the hell out of the show, but every now and then I can't quite tell why I like it as much as I do. I know it is an expertly made show, with stellar visuals, and effectively dramatic writing, even if it does sometimes get a little too overdramatic. If I had to guess any real particular reason, it probably has to be the creature that is Ayano Hanesaki. She is just so fascinating to watch to me. Outside of badminton matches, she's for the most part a rather seemingly normal Japanese high school girl. But when she steps on the court, oh man.
It is like a switch is flipped in her head and she enters a Terminator mode, where she has absolutely no chill and will crush all those who oppose her with ruthless aggression and efficiency. Probably the most interesting thing is, she didn't even want to get back into badminton despite her very obvious skill at it. She wanted to join different clubs and just live her life like a regular teenager, but she was basically dragged kicking and screaming back into the world of a sport she despises despite her gift at it.
So she basically responds with actions that more or less says, "Hey, you wanted me to play badminton, this is on your hands." She's simultaneously a sympathetic character because of her backstory involving her mother, and a detestable character because of how she carries herself while playing and takes her aggression and frustrations out on everyone.
My Hero Academia Season 3
It has finally happened, it took the better part of three seasons, but I can now openly say, I love My Hero Academia. In previous seasons I enjoyed the show, but not as much as everyone else seemed to be loving it. This season changed that, first by having the strongest start to a season in the franchise yet, which then blossomed into my two favorite arcs in the series yet, the forest training camp arc and its immediate followup, the hideout raid arc. Things started getting real this season, and it all came to a head with one of the most memorable moments of the year so far.
However even with all of that, it didn't actually dawn upon me that I "loved" the series until about halfway into this current anime season, where for a few weeks, thanks to work and other obligations, I fell woefully behind on my anime viewing and was only actively watching just 4 shows, with My Hero Academia being among that group. I realized that, if I didn't love the show, then why was it part of my priority viewing during such a pared down part of the season for me? So here we are. It took the show's strongest season to date, but it finally broke me.
Asobi Asobase - workshop of fun -
This show is just flat out hilarious to me. In a year that has already been particularly strong when it came to absurdist humor, it has managed to somehow trump itself yet again. I love the cast in this show, even with all but a few of the characters being absolute shitheels. This show just runs on taking jokes as far as it can, and then pushing even further beyond the boundaries, often times just hurdling past the line of good taste to results that usually left me breathless from how much I was laughing.
The star of this show is far and away Hanako, who just makes everything better, either because of her pure petty dumbassery or the multitude of reaction faces that constantly kill me. This show doesn't rely on just one type of joke, either, peppering in several different kinds of gags to great effect. Sure it has repeated gags, but it has such a wide roster of recurring gags they can always keep things fresh, unlike Chio's School Road which feels like it keeps repeating certain gags to the point where some of them seem like crutches for the show to lean on.
Another aspect of Asobi Asobase's jokes that I like is there is a ridiculous amount of continuity with them. The show doesn't merely bring back jokes for another laugh, it builds upon not only the previous times they used these jokes, but also incorporate other jokes they use. All of this means that this is quite possibly my favorite comedy series of the year so far, and it will be hard for anything to topple this from that top spot.
Lupin the 3rd Part 5
Somehow this show just kept getting better and better. There isn't a single episode in this season of Lupin the 3rd that I've hated. Sure there have been some weaker episodes in between the main mini-arcs in this season, but those are only weaker when compared to these stellar episodes, they are still really good episodes that trump the best episodes of other shows.
Not only has Lupin and friends been having to face an increasingly difficult world to move around in the shadows of thanks to the vast improvements in technology, this show has had some deliciously biting commentary about the current state of the world. Lupin has gone from taking on dark web Silk Road wannabes, to foiling the CIA's attempt to overthrow yet another country to fulfill the desires of the American government, to now taking on some serious Jeff Bezos/Elon Musk type people, all the while sending a rather potent message about technology and how we interact with it nowadays.
This is one of the most smartly written shows of the year, while also remaining one of its most fun. For all the deep themes and messages it has, it still is a Lupin the 3rd series after all. Top to bottom, this is currently one of the best overall anime packages of the year, and it would be a standout in any given year. I implore you, if you haven't seen this show yet, please give it a shot.
Planet With
Speaking of shows that have great writing while also being stupidly fun, we have arguably the biggest surprise of the season. Planet With takes character and mecha designs plucked right from the halcyon days of 2000's anime, which was just flooded with series that had character designs similar to this, along with several of the tropes from the era, and just flips it all on its head.
The show has one of the most memorable hook episodes of the year, just assaulting you with pure, raw, "what the hell?!" material left and right, and tosses you in the deep end, before smartly and methodically explaining the situation to you as the episodes go by. Eventually what we end up with is probably the closest thing to being the spiritual successor to Gurren Lagann that so many people have been craving for all these years.
On top of the highly effective writing, the action scenes are thrilling and carry an impressive sense of both scale and weight. Everything is brightly colored and goofy looking, but when the show gets serious, it shows just how much all of that is a facade. In a year that already has a phenomenal track record of action shows with great character drama and deep pathos, while also feeling like blasts from the past, this is looking to be one of the strongest members of the bunch.
And that should just about do it for now. Stay tune for what ends up being my actual favorites, including the shows that I didn't see as simulcasts, in my end of the season favorites article, coming...whenever I actually get it done. Sorry, don't want to jinx myself yet again by declaring any kind of future date, even a vague one. In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts on the shows airing this season in the comments down below. Until next time!


text: More than 83,000 tons of polymers were offered by 18 local suppliers in Iran Mercantile Exchange's spot market on Tuesday. As IME reported, the oil and petrochemical trading floor played host to 74 grades of polymers, including styrene butadiene rubber, polyethylene terephthalate, chemical polypropylene and polyvinyl chloride. In addition, 50,800 tons of various grades of bitumen were also filed for potential customers. The export trading floor witnessed the offering of 84,000 tons of various grades of bitumen by Jey Oil Company as well as 31,000 tons of the same commodity offered by other local suppliers. About 800 tons of aluminum alloy of 99.95-percent purity at the base price of 58,022 rials was offered by Iran Aluminum Company on the industrial and mining trading floor. The agricultural trading floor featured 26,900 tons of corn, 5,000 tons of white sugar, 4,000 tons of durum wheat as well as 603 tons of date. The IME's secondary market registered the offering of 2,000 tons of scrap metals by Islamic Republic of Iran Railways. All in all, close to 280,000 tons of commodities were offered in IME's spot market on Tuesday.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
What day of the week do your lets begin and end on?
Weekly lets normally run from Saturday to Saturday.
What standard of accommodation should I expect? Are the City Apartments recommended by recognised organisations?
The apartments are inspected annually by the North West Tourist Board and are consistently graded 4 star [since 1998]. This is one of the highest gradings of any city centre accommodation.
Do you provide bed linen and fresh towels?
Yes. All rates include bed linen and utility bills, and the cost of local phone calls. Towels can be provided for an additional charge of £10.00 per week. Please see our – Rates Page – for further information.
Do all apartments have laundry / clothes washing and drying facilities?
Yes. Please see our individual property pages for further information.
Do all apartments have private parking?
When should I arrive arrive/depart? What are the normal checking in and checking out times?
Please arrive after 12:00 on the day of arrival and leave by 10:00 on the day of departure.
Can we be picked up from the train or bus station? How are we met?
Guests are met either directly at the apartment, or a courtesy pick up from the bus/train station can be arranged. This service is available free of additional charge.
Can I use the telephone in my apartment? What is the cost of making 'phone calls?
UK telephone calls can be made free of charge from each of the City Apartments. The telephone can receive international calls with no problem.
Do the apartments have access to satellite television channels?
Does your accommodation have access to the internet?
Yes. There is unlimited wireless broadband internet access provided free of charge in each property.
What payment methods do you accept?
Cheques can be accepted in pounds sterling, euro and all other international currencies at the tourist exchange rate at the time of booking. Credit cards are not accepted, but we can accept a bank credit transfer [sometimes called a BACs payment. Please ask for further information.
Do you require a deposit in advance? What are your terms and conditions of letting?
A deposit of 30% is normally required upon confirmation of your booking, with the remaining balance payable 4-6 weeks before the date of arrival. Please see our – terms and conditions – page for further information.
How far are your apartments from my town or city?
Liverpool is 20 miles away, about a 30 minute drive. North Wales and Snowdonia are 20 miles away, about a 30 minute drive. Manchester is 35 miles away, about a 45 minute drive. Llangollen is 35 miles away, about a 40 minute drive. Anglesea is 45 miles away, about a 50 minute drive.


text:
So many wonderful authors, publishers, and people just interested in the book industry have written numerous guides, case studies, and resources to help others interested in writing and publishing. Sometimes the best way to share resources is via lists, like my post 7 Strategies and 110 Tools to Help Indie Authors Find Readers and Reviewers. With that in mind, here are links … [Read more...] about By the Numbers: 189+ Tips and Tricks on How to Write, Edit, Market, and Sell Your Books
Indie Writers: Building Your Email List
There's a saying: the money is in the list. An email list is the best way to connect to your audience. You can communicate directly, without worrying about how a platform might change, and you can get feedback from your fans and readers. So how do you build an email list? There's a lot of great advice out there, but it boils down to a few steps: Step 1. Start a Blog Or at … [Read more...] about Indie Writers: Building Your Email List
Indie Authors: It's All About the List
Marketing is a huge, integral part of indie publishing, but it doesn't have to be hard. There are a lot of different pieces, but one of the most effective and longest lasting is building an email list. The email list has a few different names. Mailing list, subscribers, sign-ups, newsletter. But it all boils down to the same thing: it's a list that people have willingly … [Read more...] about Indie Authors: It's All About the List
The Ins and Outs of Blogging as a Professional Writer
Blogging is one of the best ways to build a platform, both as a book author and as a freelance writer. I plan on posting more about the specifics of being a freelancer, now having done it for a while, but blogging seems a good place to start, since it applies to both types of writers. There are a lot of benefits to blogging, especially if you do it regularly. In the past few … [Read more...] about The Ins and Outs of Blogging as a Professional Writer


text:
WWF: Principles, Inspiration, and Action for a Sustainable Blue Economy
To save the oceans, we have to (frankly) love them and take better care of them. We think our friends at WWF are doing a wonderful job at motivating people to wake up, understand how seriously threatened the oceans really are, and take action.
Check out their current global oceans campaign.
But in order to have any chance of saving our seas, we're going to have to create a green economy in the oceans. And that's called, for obvious reasons, a blue economy.
WWF has produced a wonderful set of Principles for a Sustainable Blue Economy to help decision-makers of all kinds — international agencies, governments, businesses, local communities — take steps to make sure human economic development of the oceans and seas (which is accelerating rapidly) stays within nature's non-negotiable limits, and even helps to restore the seas to health. Healthy seas, it turns out, are vital to our own health, and to a healthy and sustainable global economy, too.
Check out the Principles here.
Goal 14/Organization


text:
Tell Congress what you really think, President Obama.
In his last press conference in his first term, the president insisted today that he would not negotiate on the debt ceiling-although he said he is open to more spending cuts.
"America cannot afford another debate with this Congress about whether or not they should pay their bills on time," Obama said. "The full faith and confidence of Americans is not a bargaining chip."
Insisting the country is "not a deadbeat nation," Obama told Congress that they couldn't "tell me to spend X and then not give me the authority to go ahead and pay the bills."
{Andy Heller-Matzav.com Newscenter}


text:
Daily Kos has a review up of Naomi Klein's new book The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. Harper's ran an excerpt from The Shock Doctrine in the October issue which was, as the DKos review says, riveting, and immediately put the book on my must-read list. I'm planning to pick up a copy […]
Entries Tagged as 'Film'
On My Reading List: Naomi Klein's New Book, The Shock Doctrine
October 16th, 2007 · 1 Comment · Activism, Books, Climate Change, Culture, Film, Foreign Policy, Human Rights, Infrastructure, Journalism, News, Politics, TV, Video
The Golden Compass: Official Trailer and Featurette on Daemons
October 12th, 2007 · 3 Comments · Books, Culture, Fantasy, Fiction, Film, Lit, Music, News, Science Fiction, TV, Ursula K. Le Guin, Video
The official/final trailer for The Golden Compass is out, and the more I see of this film the better it looks. I am somewhere between guardedly optimistic and completely geeked out. Also, here's a nice little featurette called "Defining Daemons," which looks at the animal companion-spirits that accompany the characters on their journeys. […]
Roundup: Swiftly Tilting Planet Edition
September 17th, 2007 · Comments Off on Roundup: Swiftly Tilting Planet Edition · Activism, Books, Chicago, Climate Change, Comics, Culture, Fantasy, Film, Foreign Policy, Hate Crimes, Health, History, HIV/AIDS, Infrastructure, Journalism, LGBT, Lit, Media, Nature, News, Peace, Politics, Public Transportation, Roundup, Science, Science Fiction, Tech
Eric Alterman has an outstanding column in The Nation on how the media's mean girls (of all genders) develop the narratives they use to bring down the presidential candidates they take a dislike to. With examples of what they did to Gore in 2000, and what they're doing to Obama and Edwards right now. Two […]
Roundup: Pink Elephant Edition
September 10th, 2007 · 3 Comments · Activism, Books, Climate Change, Comics, Culture, Energy, Film, Foreign Policy, Health, History, HIV/AIDS, Human Rights, Internet, Journalism, Language, LGBT, Media, Music, Nature, News, Peace, Performance, Politics, Racism, Roundup, Science, Tech, Theater
General Petraeus says that "victory" in Iraq will require 9-10 more years. I'm trying to imagine how ten more years of bloody occupation can possibly work out to a victory. More on that subject here. A bill has been introduced in Venezuela to restrict baby names to a list of 100 approved choices. "The bill's […]
Trailer for Rendition, with Meryl Streep, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Reese Witherspoon
September 10th, 2007 · 2 Comments · Blogs, Comics, Culture, Film, Human Rights, Media, News, Politics, Torture, Video
Via Towleroad, the trailer for the new movie Rendition, scheduled for release October 19 in the US. I'm not usually one for movies that get the "thriller" label, but the political dimension to this one — and the quality of the cast — make it look like an early standout among fall releases. There's […]
Russell Hoban News: New Releases and More
September 7th, 2007 · 2 Comments · Books, Culture, Fiction, Film, Lit, News, Russell Hoban, Science Fiction, Theater
I just updated the News page over at The Head of Orpheus, the Russell Hoban Web site I maintain, so I figured I might as well cross-post the info here as well (with a few slight formatting tweaks). Autumn 2007 is shaping up to be a great season for Hoban fans, with Russ's next novel […]
Good Morning, Day 51
September 6th, 2007 · Comments Off on Good Morning, Day 51 · Activism, Culture, Film, HCC-DDT, Health, Healthcare Crisis, Human Rights, Media, News, Politics, The Economy, Stupid
1,850 U.S. citizens were recently killed in an entirely preventable disaster. It's been a while since I've updated this record — 37 days, to be exact. On July 18 I started keeping count of the 50 U.S. citizens who die every day because they can't afford health care, according to this statistic. So in a […]
Roundup: Dinosaur Corsage Edition
August 31st, 2007 · Comments Off on Roundup: Dinosaur Corsage Edition · Activism, Advertising, Comics, Culture, Doctor Who, Energy, Film, Foreign Policy, Health, Healthcare Crisis, History, Human Rights, Law, LGBT, Media, Nature, News, Peace, Pets, Politics, Roundup, Science, TV
Scary stuff: There's a lot of buzz and speculation that starting just after Labor Day, the Bush administration is going to be rolling out a major PR campaign to pave the way for war with Iran. See here and here for starters. Grand Moff Texan at DKos says the Bushies will be using the same […]
Review: Michael Tolliver Lives by Armistead Maupin
August 28th, 2007 · 5 Comments · Books, Culture, Fiction, Film, HIV/AIDS, LGBT, Lit, Reviews, TV
I just finished reading Armistead Maupin's newest book, Michael Tolliver Lives — well, inhaling it really, because reading Michael Tolliver Lives is less like reading a novel than it is like opening a richly detailed letter from an old friend you inexplicably lost touch with about 15 years ago, and suddenly here he is giving […]
Clip and Trailer for Todd Haynes' New Dylan Movie, I'm Not There
August 24th, 2007 · 3 Comments · Culture, Film, Music, Video
For those looking forward to Todd Haynes' new film about Bob Dylan I'm Not There, in which Dylan is played by six different and very diverse actors, here's a leaked clip from the movie with Cate Blanchett as Dylan and David Cross as Allen Ginsberg. If the whole movie is this much fun we're in […]
The Oingo Boingo Video Vault: Gong Show, Flaming Bathtub, and an Urgh! Outtake
August 18th, 2007 · 1 Comment · Culture, Film, Music, New Wave, TV, Video
Via Gadget Girl, let us now thrill to this 1976 appearance by Oingo Boingo on The Gong Show, from the early part of their career when they were still called The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo. With bonus Bill Bixby! (As the notes on the YouTube page point out, you might think that's […]
A Message from Ian McKellen
August 1st, 2007 · 5 Comments · Activism, Culture, Film, Human Rights, LGBT, Media, News, Politics, Theater, Video
… to the people of Singapore.
Golden Compass Trailer
July 31st, 2007 · 6 Comments · Books, Culture, Fantasy, Film, Lit, News, Video
Finally! An "extended preview" trailer for The Golden Compass. Been waiting for-EV-er for a look at this. Hard to tell too much for sure, but it does seem like they've gotten the look of it right. And it seems like maybe it's going to be fairly faithful to the book — fingers crossed anyway. […]


text:
Elizabeth Gunion
Elizabeth Gunion
Elizabeth "Betty" Gunion, 88, of Grand Junction, passed away early the morning of Aug. 19 at St. Luke's Hospital in Cedar Rapids.
A celebration of life was held Aug. 24 at the Slininger-Schroeder Funeral Home, with words of comfort by Pastor Jim Barnett, of Jefferson.
Music was provided by pianist Danille Curtis.
Honorary bearers were Todd Busch, Woody DeForest, Tom Butler, Scott Butler, Lawrence Rold and Harold Osterman.
Interment was in the Dawson Twp. Cemetery, Paton.
Following the committal service at the cemetery, the family hosted afternoon lunch and fellowship at 209 Main in Paton.
Betty was born Sept. 3, 1930, in Grand Junction, the oldest child of Henry and Lena Busch. She was joined by a brother, Bob, seven years later.
Betty graduated from high school in Dana in 1948 and was asked to work for the bank in Dana. The summer before she graduated, she met her future husband, Vernon Gunion. They married on Jan. 1, 1950, and moved a quarter-mile down the road from where Betty grew up.
They liked to roller skate, play cards and watch basketball together.
When Betty had her first child, she stopped working at the bank to focus on her family. Vernon and Betty raised four children together: Mark, Doug, Beth and Lisa.
During these years, Betty was president of the Garden Club, treasurer of the PTO, taught Vacation Bible School and spent countless hours working on 4-H projects with her daughters and serving her community.
Betty and Vernon spent their lives working together on their farm and instilling their work ethic into their kids. She was a great cook, baker, gardener, farmer, and above all else, mother.
When Vernon died in 2016, after 66 years of marriage, Betty moved to Marion to live with her daughter, Beth.
Betty will be lovingly remembered by her children and their spouses: Dr. Mark Gunion, of Bremerton, Wash.; Doug and Carleen Gunion, of Boone; Beth and Alan Tribble, of Marion; and Lisa Gunion-Rinker and Matt Rinker, of Milwaukie, Ore.; four grandchildren: Scott Gunion, Melissa Gunion, Matt Tribble and Daniel Tribble; and great-grandson Brayden Gunion.
- Log in to post comments


text:
Tony Goodwin, Founder & CEO of Antal International, has just won the Award of "Entrepreneur of the Year" in the Recruiter Awards 2016 ceremony. Tony was shortlisted for the second time in a row and this year, his significant impact on the recruitment industry in terms of creativity, profitability and potential sustainability was recognised with this award.
The list of nominees was released in March and Tony Goodwin was competing with well-known professionals from the industry. Business practices, professionalism and ethics of the highest standard were the main values to take the decision.
The Recruiter Awards are known and considered to be the largest and most prestigious event in the recruitment community and it was held on the evening of the 4th May at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, the epicentre of global recruitment with more recruitment businesses than New York, Tokyo, Frankfurt and Shanghai combined. Winning this award facing this kind of competition stands out as even more exemplary given these facts.
Antal International, founded in 1993, is a global management and professional recruitment specialist that offers more than just a local recruitment solution, due to the impressive range of sector-experienced industry leaders and traditional recruiters in more than 130 offices in 32 different countries around the globe. Antal is one of the world's largest and most successful privately owned international recruitment companies and is globally recognised. Antal also offers to entrepreneurs or professional management who desire self-employment the opportunity to own, build and develop their own recruitment business as an Antal franchise, leveraging their backgrounds and Antal's brand, technology, global platform and proven training.
Tony himself believes that the Antal culture stands for 'doing things rather than just talking about them' and acted on this philosophy in in starting up Antal in Hungary, Russia, Poland and China, where in all cases Antal has moved to the number one leadership position over its first 20 years of existence. This 'can do' spirit has now propelled Antal into India where with almost 50 offices and growing quickly, Antal is now the market leader.
Today, Antal is opening offices at the rate of over 2 per month somewhere in the world. Its next objective in terms of both expansion and having global commerce lead is in Iran now that it is opening up. It won't be long before Antal is trading there and in Cuba.
Doug Bugie, President of the franchisee division, Antal International Network says, 'I've known Tony for over 20 years. His drive and ambition have never wavered. If anything they have increased. It permeates the group and we feel that no obstacle is too great to overcome. I see it with the franchise Owners and our support Teams around the world every day. I believe it too. Tony and I both agree, it is not just the 'CAN DO which makes for great organizations, it is the WILL DO that propels them to the top'.
Tony believes this drive will lead 'Antal to over 300 offices in a several years and believes that by sharing ideas, ambitions, and yes, shared placement deals, Antal will continue to prosper globally.'


text:
A great number of rare animals are annually killed by poachers in Africa. The black leopard, who was captured on footage for the first time in over a hundred years, is also at risk of being killed. Poaching is a pressing problem in Kenya. Strict laws, high fines and long jail sentences don't solve the problem. The Kenya Wildlife Service lacks staff and equipment.
Over 24,000 animals were killed in East Africa, 42,000 in Central, and 41,000 elephants were killed in South Africa. During the last 7 years the population of largest mammals has been declined from 550,000 to 470,000.
The black leopard that is now being discussed by the public, has all chances to become a victim because of its magnificent black coat.
The black leopard or black panther was spotted on cameras by a group of scientists in Laikipia County, Kenya (Laikipia Wilderness Camp).
These images prove that the African black leopard does exist. For the last time, the animal was captured on footage in Africa in 1909, told Nick Pilfold, a global conservation scientist at the San Diego Zoo.
The group of biologists from the San Diego Zoo placed remote cameras in Laikipia County last year after being reported that the alleged black leopard was seen in that area. A few months of continuous waiting and watching rewarded the scientists with footage of the rare big cat.
Pilfold's team footage includes a few photos and a video of the rare animal lurking in the dark. The captured animal is a finesse female leopard with a pitch black coat, which is a result of a gene mutation called melanism, the opposite of albinism, causing over-production of pigment.
Scientists believe that black leopards have been living in Kenya all along, which can now be proved by the captured observations.


text:
It's been a long time! Weeks and weeks ago I wrote about how we were hoping to get a cat for the shop, but I guess with the late winter and cold early spring, cats were late in delivering their litters.
But just this morning, we drove off to pick up our little kitten. The name is still to be decided (I took a long time to even name Caleb!), but boy is he a cutie.
Everyone is excited to have him around! The entire Wonder Pens team is cooing at him, Caleb is thrilled, I am in love, and Super can't get enough sniffing. Jon claims a few early childhood incidents with cats have scarred him for life, but even he can't resist those deep, sweet blue eyes. I'm swooning.
Caleb has always been pretty good with new animals, coming close and then waiting for them to make the first move, and he's been great with the new kitty. I'm not too sure where he learned it from, it's not something that we explicitly taught him, but he loves coming up to new dogs and squatting two or three feet away from them, waiting for them to give him a kiss.
With our newest family member, Caleb has turned into the pinnacle of helpfulness, bringing every new thing we've brought home for the cat, to the cat. It's startling to see how Caleb just "knows" the new stuff is for the cat, even the littler scooper and bags of treats. He's been holding out things for the kitten to sniff and to see if the cat will go ahead and take a bite.
Unfortunately (for Caleb? the cat? the dog?) the new cat is not quite like Super – when Caleb leans in for a kiss, the cat just looks up at him, there's no big tongue coming out. When Caleb offers a treat, it's the same old snout coming in for a taste.
It's safe to say that Caleb is enjoying the kitten. While the kitten was wandering around the couch and the carpet, Caleb could barely eat lunch for having to keep checking on the little guy.
While trying to convince Caleb to go down for his nap today, the kitten crawled up onto us to snuggle, and it took about four times longer than usual to get Caleb asleep.
We are thinking of Chewbacca, or maybe Chicken for a name, but the weight of naming a creature for the rest of their life! Oh, the pressure.
I have to admit we were all a little worried about Super going crazy, but don't furry little kittens have a way to bring out the best in us, even big smelly dogs? Maybe it was all the hamster training, but Super didn't bark even once. He saves that for humans.
Knowing nothing about cats or how to raise them, we still have big hopes for this little one. We've been careful to make sure his health is up to snuff, and have even researched into fel-o-vax and other vaccines for the little fella down the line. Super has been a pretty resounding failure at becoming a shop dog (although one can still dream in the late afternoon), mainly due to his barking and jumping, but who doesn't love a shop cat slinking around your ankles as you browse for stationery and inks?
And it wouldn't hurt if he could catch a few mice, too.


text:
Thank you to all of the Targeting Excellence sponsors, the board of directors, and committees for awarding me with this scholarship! Agriculture has always been a passion of mine from a young age and thanks to people like everyone of you I am able to continue pursuing a degree in Animal Science at Penn State!
Hometown: Airville, PA
School: Pennsylvania State University
Major / Species: Animal Science
Career Goals: In life, there is one moment when you realize what you truly want to pursue in life. Not everyone's moment comes when they are young, sometimes it takes a little searching and one day it just hits you. Growing up through the years on a small farm, my days were spent washing market hogs, riding horses, and practicing with my meat goats for show. A passion for animals, specifically livestock has always been near and dear to my heart. My passion and nurturing nature for the animals on my farm has always lead me to believe that upon graduating from Penn State University that I would go on to become a large animal veterinarian. In my first few years at Penn State, I attended a branch campus and I still had thoughts about vet school, but I was very unsure of the idea. The moment in which I realized what I truly knew what I wanted to do came when I made the move to University Park, and I moved onto the Penn State Dairy. I never had much experience with cows growing up other than helping friends lead them around at fairs, so when I received the opportunity to live and work there I was very willing to learn. Since then I have absolutely fallen in love with the dairy industry and have even gotten the chance to get some experience with beef cattle. My only dilemma now was that I knew what species I was really interested in, but had no idea what career I could have. A few weeks into living in University Park I met with my advisor, Dr. Ott, and talked to him about my interest in dairy and possible careers. While in conversation Dr. Ott said to me, "have you ever thought of going to grad school?". I told him, to be honest, that it had never crossed my mind. He continued to talk to me about getting my Master's degree in Animal Science. We talked about what I could do with the degree in the dairy industry and narrowed down some possible specializations. The combination of starting to work with dairy cattle and that twenty-minute conversation that I had with my advisor was the very moment in which I realized my career goals and what I really wanted to do in life. The part of the plan that I had as a little girl to graduate from Penn State University for my undergrad is still true to this day, but the ending is a little different. Upon finishing my bachelor's degree in Animal Science, I plan to go on to get my Master's degree, also at Penn State, either specializing in reproduction or nutrition.


text:
Peer Support Partner – Mary P.
Age at diagnosis?
I have had rheumatoid arthritis for about 10 years but had symptoms for 1-2 years prior to actual diagnosis. I am now 54 years old
Why I chose to be a Peer Support Partner
I became a peer coach to try to support/encourage others and share what my experience, challenges, and outcomes have been. It was difficult at the beginning to find a balance and modify my lifestyle so I wanted to be able to give others advise, tips, etc. that helped me.
A little about me
I am a pediatric RN and enjoy this aspect of my life very much. I have a great husband, family and friends which I feel very fortunate about. I enjoy movies and dinner with friends, family get togethers, cooking, love to travel, and working out at the gym (finally after recently having both knees replaced).


text:
Daily Hijab chocolate
Tax included Shipping excluded
Cotton Crinkle Hijab Scarf is very comfortable, soft and breathable. Because of crinkle texture, the scarf is not slip. You can wear it even without pins. Daily Hijab is great for warmer month.
- 90% cotton 10% polyester
- non-slip
- soft crinkle fabric
- no need to iron
- size 180x90cm
New product


text:
Venue: Edificio Povo 1, via Sommarive nr. 5, Povo (Tn) - Room B101
Time: 3.00 p.m.
- ALLEN P. LIU - Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Biophysics, University of Michigan
Biological membranes are involved in a large number of cellular processes including cell migration, membrane trafficking, and cell signaling. Significant amount of work have elucidated the molecular machineries that regulate dynamic membrane-based processes. In parallel, there are growing interests in recent years in trying to understand how mechanical states of a cell are utilized as a regulatory input to control cellular processes. My lab is interested in studying the mechanochemical responses of biological systems. In this talk, I will present two projects related to this theme. On the cellular level, we have reconstituted the function of a bacterial mechanosensitive channel MscL in mammalian cells. Using this system, we investigated the role of actin cytoskeleton in mediating local membrane tension that activates MscL. On the synthetic level, we are building artificial systems that can sense mechanical input and transduce a biochemical response. To this end, we are attempting to build artificial platelets that mimic the functionalities of natural platelets. I will discuss several modular platforms that we have developed that together will integrate into functional artificial cells. Together, our work will provide basic understanding of cellular mechanotransduction and potential applications of force-activated synthetic biology


text:
Man Cooks Keto Thanksgiving Dinner With Mom
Here's a video that's all about keeping Thanksgiving on the dietary side without sacrificing, well, the sides. Quick gravy was one of their efforts in their first attempt at low-carb / keto gravy. In case you are planning to embarrass your spouse by offering to cook her American colleagues a Thanksgiving meal, here's at least a couple of Thanksgiving staples and a stuffing recipe.
And luckily for you, we now get turkey meat in Bangalore. It has become popular and finds its way to market shelves, especially a few days before Thanksgiving. So make sure you alert your butcher or even your favourite online grocer of your plans.
So this Thanksgiving you get to maintain that trim bod just a little longer. Without giving up that delicious second helping of mom baked Pumpkin Pie.


text:
I believe I understand that bigger is not necessarily better as pertains to leaf size in some species in that it would appear some Pings have developed growth habits that are adaptive to better insure their survival. Correct me if I am off base on this however, pink leaves on both tropical Homophyllous and Heterophyllous Pinguicula would be a sign the grower has met the optimal light requirements of the plant? Therefore, if a Mexican ping from the lower elevation ranges of that region does not have tinges of pink... it is not getting enough light?
Is there a list out there somewhere that provides the native range of tropical Pings?
I would also like to know more about "moving air" and what constitutes same or rather what would be deemed acceptable movement. Exactly how does one create moving air aside from adding an osciallting fan? Is routine human activity in a room throughout the course of the day sufficient? There are people growing Pings in terrariums who appear to be enjoying success. Surely that environment would be stagnating, wouldn't it?
Does any one happen to have any photos of rosy pink Ping leaves that they would be in a position to share with me?


text:
More Stories from City Meat Market
Tootsie Tomanetz, now a Texas barbecue pitmaster of renown and my former boss at City Meat Market in Lexington, said she never had any favorite customers. I must have because there are some people who still live larger than life in my memories.
One of those is Henry Harzke, the neighbor out on String Prairie who encouraged young Tootsie Otto to write to a serviceman named White Tomanetz. It was 1952. White was serving with the army in Alaska. Henry's family was friends with Tootsie's family. They got together at least once a week to play dominoes. Henry was a most unlikely cupid.
By the time I knew him, Henry was a lifelong bachelor who was up in years and cemented in his ways. He raised cows on his place east of town and worked hard year round outside. He changed his bib overalls and other work clothes with the seasons. Those of us who knew him up close and personal were grateful when spring came, and he retired the single set of long underwear he'd worn all winter.
He came into the market every Saturday after lunch. His brother Dewitt came in before lunch. Sometime earlier in their lives, they'd had a major falling out. Henry and Momma were on one side while Dewitt and their father were on the other. Ultimately, the brothers were separated by real estate and resentment.
One time, before my tenure, the brothers ended up at the market at the same time. It precipitated a fight in the parking lot, which culminated with Henry pulling a pistol from the bib of his overalls and drawing down on Dewitt. Cooler heads prevailed. Bullets didn't fly. The split Saturday scheduled was implemented.
I still remember Henry's Saturday afternoon order because it was almost always the same: four Taylor red wieners, a small hunk of summer sausage, a quart of buttermilk and a few canned goods. He always bought "hay," too. Some weeks he chose Nabisco Shredded Wheat, and other weeks it was Mini-Wheats depending on "how hard he wanted to chew." Food was a necessity not a pleasure, for Henry —although I've been told his mother, known only as Momma, was an excellent cook. Miss Tootsie waxed poetic about a seven-layer cake she ate at their home decades earlier.
Henry wore thick bottle cap glasses and saw life through an accumulated haze similar to bug splatter on a windshield. Henry was hard of hearing and made up for it by talking loud. Periodically he squalled. "G-damnit, Momma" was a favorite phrase.
In her later years, when Momma was unable to stay by herself; she accompanied Henry everywhere. He left her in the front seat of the truck while he tended to business. One day the oil change boy at Greg's Exxon was more than a little surprised to see Momma peering down at him from atop the oil change rack. Henry had forgotten to take her out before the truck was serviced.
The only thing Henry loved as much as Momma was dogs. He had a pack of dogs that he hauled everywhere. They barked, snarled and snapped. He spent a lot of time yelling, "Shut up, damn it." They obeyed for about 42 seconds. He had sideboards on the back of his pickup to keep them in. The dogs liked Henry but nobody else. They shared his house.
One time he came into the market bandaged up. I asked him what happened.
"G-damn Ridgie bit me." Ridgie was half Rhodesian ridgeback and half something big. He looked like he could eat a lion in two bites.
As the story unfolded, Henry was late getting to bed, and Ridgie had gone to sleep sprawled across the top. When Henry tried to roll Ridgie over, the startled dog bit him. Despite looking like a chew bone, Henry was nonplussed by the incident.
"It wasn't his fault. I was on his g-damn side of the bed."
I liked Henry. And Henry liked me, but I didn't know how much until I left for college. My freshmen year, right before my birthday, I got a birthday card from Henry. It was recycled. Not at a factory, but by Henry. He scratched out the other person's name and sent it to me with a crumpled dollar tucked inside.
In older man scrawl, it said, "Be a good girl, Lorie Lou." He signed it, "Your friend, Henry." I got one of those every year until old age made him forget who I was. I don't know if anything short of Alzheimer's will ever make me forget him.
Madder Than a Wet Hen
Miss Tootsie is quick with a laugh and a hug. When we worked together at City Meat Market in Lexington, I watched her talk and cut meat with equal speed, never slowing down one to do the other.
She stands about 5'2" and 40 years ago she lifted 150 lb. beef quarters with ease as most women lift a vacuum cleaner. Miss Tootsie is a force to be reckoned with but not because she has a bad temper. She's pretty even keeled. In all the years I worked with her, I only saw her get mad one time. She lost her composure over raisins.
Ed Jordan lived in Lexington. By the time I knew him, he held court on the bench in front of the Senior Citizen Center and slept in a variety of empty buildings. Earlier in his life, he rode his horse up the stairs in the post office, the interior stairs to the second floor not the steps outside. He liked wearing hard hats then. By the time I knew him, he preferred a crumpled straw cowboy hat with the evidence of a lot of living collected on the brim. Ed looked just like Santa Claus if Santa had preferred beer and cigarettes to cookies and milk.
Since Ed didn't have a permanent address, Miss Tootsie let him keep a quart of milk and a box of Raisin Bran in the kitchen at the back of the market. In the afternoon, he'd come in and eat a bowl of cereal. I suspect it was his supper.
Unbeknownst to anyone, Ed disliked raisins. (Week after week he chose Raisin Bran from the cereal display where All-Bran was its next door neighbor.) For years he had eaten around the raisins and then put the despised dried fruit in the trash.
One week something snapped. Instead of putting his half-chewed raisins in the trash, he started spitting them on the clean dishes I had left drying in the sink. These weren't just regular dishes. These were the big steel pans and trays that held barbecue on Saturdays. Washing congealed barbecue grease off these over-sized pans was an undertaking.
The first time raisins showed up on my clean shiny stainless steel gear, I rewashed them without a word. But after it happened for several consecutive weeks, I brought the problem to Miss Tootsie's attention by showing her the masticated raisins on her otherwise sparkling steel pans.
Her face changed color. She said, "Don't you wash those. I'll handle it." And she did. She marched out the front door and held her own court with Ed at the Senior Citizen's bench. She was judge, jury and potential hangman. I had better sense than to follow along. I watched from a distance. I didn't hear a word she said, but I didn't need to. The gist of her message was clear from 50 yards. Up close and personal, it was unmistakable because Ed followed Miss Tootsie back to the market and apologized to me. He went into the kitchen and washed all the dishes.
From then on, he ate All-Bran.
by Lorie Woodward Cantu
Join Our Newsletter List
If you liked this article, be sure to subscribe to our e-newsletter so that you don't miss future ones.


text:
Gary Janit
Integrative Psychotherapist
Type of client
- Couples
- Families
- Groups
- Individuals
- Private healthcare referrals
- English
Methods of practice
- Face to Face - Short Term
- Face to Face - Long Term
MANCHESTER, Greater Manchester, M25
Wheelchair access
MANCHESTER, Greater Manchester, M45
Wheelchair access
Qualified and registered Integrative Psychotherapist (UKCP), Cognitive Behavioural Therapist (BABCP registered) and Imago Relationship Therapist (Couples). Previous experience working on the NHS within Psychology Services as well as previous work experience working at the Priory Hospital. Currently Clinical Manager & Senior Therapist at Reflections Therapy Services in Manchester. Private consulting rooms based in Prestwich/Salford at the Prestwich Holistic Centre. Currently working with individuals and couples. I use Imago Relationship Therapy when working with couples.
I work with
- Addiction
- Anger Management
- Anxiety
- Bereavement
- Bullying
- Cultural Issues
- Depression
- Disability
- Employment Difficulties
- Gender
- Identity Problems
- Mental Health Issues
- Obsessions
- Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
- Parents
- Phobias
- Post-Traumatic Stress
- Private Practice Issues
- Relationships
- Spirituality
- Stress
- Supervision
- Telephone Counselling
- Training
- Trauma
- Workplace Counselling
UKCP colleges
- Humanistic and Integrative Psychotherapy College (HIPC)


text:
Warm up before bedtime with this delicious, hot drink.
2½ cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk
2 tbsp pumpkin puree
2 tbsp maple syrup
¼ tsp cinnamon
optional: vegan whipped cream + walnuts for garnish
Whisk together all the ingredients on medium-low heat in a small saucepan until the drink is perfectly hot and no lumps remain.
Serve hot!
RELATED ARTICLE: The Amazing Health Benefits of Pumpkin + Tasty Recipes


text:
Transformers are intelligent, robotic alien lifeforms that originated from the planet Cybertron and created by the sacred cube, the AllSpark. They were peaceful species in their planet, a jewel in the galaxy's crown, but war broke out between the Autobots that fought for freedom, and the Decepticons who dreamt of tyranny and oppression. Transformers; also know as Cybertronians, are bio mechanical, living robots with their own spirits (their spirits are called a spark). Cybertronians can transform into vehicles or electronic devices by scanning them. They transformed by rearranging their exoskeleton to make it take appearence of the vehicle or device.
Headline text Edit
Spark = Human Heart/Spirit
Energon = Human Blood and their favourite drink
Hatchlings = Human Newborns or Children
Protoforms = Young Teen Cybertronian
Protoform Entry = Naked Humans Looking For Clothes
Primus = The Cybertronian God
Primes = Cybertronian "Angels" or Apostles
The Fallen = Lucifer/Judas
Megatron = Lucifer the Angel/Judas
Unicron = The Cybertronian Devil or Satan
Cybertronians can die just like humans can die (Being Stabbed, Bludgeoned, Shot, Old Age, Diseases, and otherwise)
Circuits = Human Nerve Systems
Transformers are also much like reptiles/mammals
They need some kind of heating system to survive


text:
The Foundation finds its inspiration in the words of Saint Augustine as well as in the principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Nations
During the Intermediate General Chapter held in Dublin in 1974, the Augustinians began to reflect on the social and political dimension that their works had on the local and international level. In 1995, thaks to the work of Fr. Arthur Purcaro and Fr. John Szura, the Augustinians began to think about the usefulness of being recognized by the United Nations for the importance of the work being done by their missionaries in the world and in 1997 the Curia Generalizia Agostiniana was recognized as an NGO of the Department of Public Information of the United Nations. From the first year it was decided to entrust the representation of the Order to the UN to an Augustinian friar, beginning with Fr. Jesus Guzman who remained in the office from 2002 to 2007. Fr. John Deegan (2007-2010) and Fr. Emeka Christian Obiezu continued the work and in May 2014 the UN recognized the value of our work and gave to the Order an advancement in status, putting it among eh NGOs that are a part of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) with the name of Augustinians International. In February 2015, the Curia asked the Foundation Augustinians in the World to be a part of the project. Its competence is to involve in a greater way the Augustinian missionaries in the activities of advocacy and to support the UN in New York and to denounce the abuses committed against women, children, ethnic minorities and migrants, and to bring to the attention of the UN the needs of the most poor.
Our commitment
The commitment to the UN is developed in three areas: education, development, and respect for human rights.
Education because, taking up the words of Saint Augustine in the "Confessions", no one must discriminate and all, boys and girls, must have the possibility to study. Further, study must be directed toward personal growth and above all spiritual growth and not just dictated by economic motives.
In his work, "The City of God", we find the indications of what it means and how to foster the Development of Humanity, not centered on corporate or economic interests but rather on social equality and respect.
Finally, in his book, "On the Trinity", Saint Augustine affirms forcefully the need to respect human rights and human dignity, independent from religious creed, social and cultural affiliation of sex.
Augustinians International, with the collaboration of the Foundation Augustinians in the World onlus, is part of the program Culture of Peace, begun in 1999 and financed by UNESCO. The program is based on six fundamental principles:
1. The respect for every human being and the dignity of every person;
2. the rejection of every type of violence (physical, social, sexual, economic and psychological) above all that which is use against children;
3. The sharing of resources in order to put an end to social exclusion;
4. To defend the freedom of expression and to dedicate oneself to the promotion of dialogue even between opposing parties;
5. To promote responsible consumption with respect for life and for nature;
6. To help to create on s single community, founded on democratic and solidarity principles, and which include women.
A work of advocacy, in order to be efficacious, must develop in collaboration with other organizations. Augustinians International and the Foundation Augustinians in the World collaborate on a permanent basis with International Catholic Organizations Network, Caritas Internationalis, Congregation of the Mission, Congregations of St. Joseph, Dominican Leadership Conference, Franciscans International, Passionists International, Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur e Vivat International.
Besides, Augustinians International is a part of the following commissions: Committee on Financing for Development, Committee on Migration, Committee of Religious NGOs, Committee on Social Development, Committee on the Status of Women, Committee to Stop Trafficking in Persons, Committee on Sustainable Development e del Working Group on Girls.
In order to help the work of the advocacy of the representation of the Augustinians to the United Nations, the Foundation Augustinians in the World has begun a collaboration with Caritas Internationalis, Caritas Italiana, CONCORD Italia, CIDSE, FOCSIV e Regional Mixed Migration Secretariat.
The Central Offices
New York
Augustinians International
246 East 46th St. Suite 1F
New York, NY 10017
Web: www.augustiniansinternational.com
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Fondazione Agostiniani nel Mondo
Via Paolo VI, 25
00193 – Roma
Tel. +39 06 680061
Web: www.osafund.org
e-mail: email@example.com


text:
by Suzanne Calulu cross posted from her blog True Love Doesn't Rape
Today it was announced on Vision Forum Ministries site that in light of the Doug Phillips scandal that the ministry would be locking the doors and shuttering the building. They are completely shutting down. Here's what they've posted on the Vision Forum Ministries site.
The Closing of Vision Forum Ministries
In light of the serious sins which have resulted in Doug Phillips's resignation from Vision Forum Ministries, the Board of Directors has determined that it is in the best interests of all involved to discontinue operations. We have stopped receiving donations, and are working through the logistical matters associated with the closing of the ministry. While we believe as strongly as ever in the message of the ministry to the Christian family, we are grieved to find it necessary to make this decision. We believe this to be the best option for the healing of all involved and the only course of action under the circumstances.
Say what?
My first reaction upon hearing the news was 'oh holy *expletive*' Could not believe it, First Baptist Church and Hyles-Anderson College didn't close when either Jack Hyles or Jack Schaap were outed as adulterers. Jimmy Swaggart has been caught with nasty cheapo hookers more than once and he's still on the air touting his special blessed Bibles and other religious geegaws as it only ever temporarily slowed him down. Oh Lawd, oh how the money still rolls in!
I could just be engaging in idle speculation but this makes whatever it was that Mr. Phillips did or didn't do much worse than his published confession on the website of 'emotional infidelity'. VF has stopped taking ministry donations. When the money stops rolling in it sounds like something more serious. Could be there were other improprieties going on that haven't hit the press yet.
If I were a betting woman I would say it's likely some financial 'situation' has taken place and someone is nosing around the ministry's books. I suppose we'll find out soon enough.
Wonder what the staff at VF is going to do? The loss of jobs has to be heartbreaking to those staff members that believed they were helping do the Lord's work, had nothing to do with the scandal and are now facing unemployment at a time when the government has made serious curtailments to unemployment, food stamps and other assistance programs. They are being punished and have done nothing to deserve it.
Mrs. Doug Phillips and assorted little Phillips are being punished by no fault of their own.
But the ones I feel the worst for are the thousands nationwide that supported this ministry financially. They've been fleeced for years by someone that cannot even practice the same things he insists on from everyone else.
There's nothing that hurts more than finding your dreams turned to ashes and everything you've believed in isn't quite what you thought it was.
I'm of two minds about all of this. Glad that this means that Doug Phillips will no longer have a public bully pulpit to spread his warped ideas of what following Jesus means and unhappy for all those people that are humiliated, losing their livelihood or being punished in any way by the ministry closing. May a merciful God restore them to wholeness.
Who will the Botkin Sisters follow now?
Tell me what you think about this sudden and unexpected news.
Comments open below
Calulu lives near Washington DC , was raised Catholic in South Louisiana before falling in with a bunch of fallen Catholics whom had formed their own part Fundamentalist, part Evangelical church. After fifteen uncomfortable years drinking that Koolaid she left nearly 6 years ago. Her blogs are True Love Doesn't Rape and Calulu – Seeking The Light
NLQ Recommended Reading …
'Breaking Their Will: Shedding Light on Religious Child Maltreatment' by Janet Heimlich
'Quivering Daughters' by Hillary McFarland
'Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement' by Kathryn Joyce


text:
A BINDURA-BASED gold panner was allegedly recently assaulted to death by over 80 artisanal miners at Mazowe Mine after he, together with two colleagues, secretly entered into one of the shafts believed to be rich in gold ore.
The two other miners escaped with serious injuries.
Peter Nyamazana (31) died after he was severely attacked by the mob before being stabbed by one of his assailants in the head.
Mashonaland Central police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Petros Masikati confirmed the incident.
"We are investigating a murder case in Mazowe, where over 80 gold panners pounced on their three colleagues, who they assaulted with switches. Two of the miners, Tatenda Nyamazana (24) and Silvester Imbayarwo (30), managed to escape with injuries, while one died on the spot," he said.
"One of the panners reportedly pulled a knife and stabbed the now-deceased in the head. After committing the crime, they all fled from the scene."
In a related case, police in Mashonaland Central have launched a manhunt for a murder suspect, popularly known as Igwe in the mining circles, who allegedly killed Nathana Katsangaya (29) at Mazowe Mine on April 27, after he reportedly demanded his debt.
Masikati told NewsDay that the suspect assaulted the deceased with a log and he subsequently died at Parirenyatwa Group of Hospitals a day after the alleged assault.
"We have launched a manhunt for the suspect called Igwe in the mining circles, who reportedly killed Katasangaya after he demanded his $22 from the suspect. Igwe became violent and assaulted the deceased with a log until he became unconscious. He was rushed to Concession Hospital and later transferred to Parirenyatwa Hospital, where he eventually died," he said.
Masikati urged people to desist from engaging in illegal mining.
"These activities are claiming many lives. People no longer respect the sanctity of life. So, as police, we urge people not to attempt to join illegal mining," he said.
— NewsDay


text:
Tue., March 13, 2007
'They could send it back'
Gov. Butch Otter was none too pleased with the job the Senate did this morning amending the grocery tax credit bill, and, in comments to the Idaho Press Club just an hour after the Senate vote, bolstered the threats some senators had alluded to that the amended version could be headed for a veto. "I think I sent a pretty strong signal," Otter told the Press Club. He said he favors a means-tested credit that costs the state about $22 million a year – not an across-the-board credit like the Senate-approved plan, which has an annual price tag of $32.6 million.
The governor said, "I will not look favorably on that. … They could send it back to the amending order again, maybe."
He said, "I think we need to target that tax credit with what money we do have available on an ongoing basis, and I believe that to be $22 million."


text:
While Seraphina's Fiona Hodges career has taken her to Vogue and Anouska Hempel, her greatest passion has always been for fabric. And let's just say, it shows.
As she says, "It all started with one kaftan in the heat of Delhi when I was in my 30s. I bought some fabric in the market and found a one-man-band to make it. He took my fabric up to his roof terrace where he sat with a simple sewing machine and views of the city. He made my idea become a reality. The joy of seeing the fabric turn into the design, overseeing that process, gave me a huge thrill. I guess I've been hooked on the magic ever since. I can't believe l now design collections."
Having grown up on her father's tea plantation in Darjeeling, Fiona has always loved India, and it was this love that drew her back to the country that shaped her childhood. Captivated by the colours, textures and beauty of the fabrics, she was inspired to create her own easy-to-wear modern clothing brand, and we are so glad she did.
Seraphina's range provides a fresh take on resort and loungewear, using the finest fabrics in divine prints that are all designed in-house. We were delighted to speak to and visit Fiona in her home in Somerset, where we found out about her design process, her life in the country and what it's taken to build this impressive brand.
Photography by Jade Nott | Shop Seraphina
Tell us a little about Seraphina.
Seraphina's journey started with one kaftan in the heat of Delhi when I was in my 30's buying some extraordinarily beautiful fabric in the marketplace and finding a one-man band to make a sample! We are now producing two resort and loungewear collections a year, with a particular emphasis on "Mummy and Me", all of which are designed in house at our factory in Delhi. I still pinch myself at how far we have come since those early days!
We adore your wearable, relaxed pieces. How do you go about the design process?
Thank you! The design process will start with mood boards in the office and anything that I love – be it a colour of a plate to the shape of shell – is immediately pinned. We then decide on colour themes, fabrics and prints which is a challenge as there is always far too much choice! Once we have worked on the styles, our factory gets to work on the toiles which go to and from the factory to perfect the fit. Our in-house design team in the meantime work on fabric strike-offs and colour lab dips. The whole process can take up to eight months. Always at the front of my mind is that is has got to be easy to wear with a bit of fun thrown in too!
What inspires you when designing a collection?
Inspiration comes in many forms but India offers so much and it is where I feel at my most relaxed and able to take in the beauty around me. I love trawling the many markets in Delhi, visiting ancient palaces in Rajasthan, to rambling on the remote beaches of Goa. The patterns, colours, shapes and textures are breathtaking. Nature has a funny way of providing the necessary inspiration. I always return to the office buzzing with ideas.
Your children's pieces are equally gorgeous. What prompted you to create a collection for both women and children?
It is quite often our clients who come up with the best ideas! I had repeated requests for matching outfits, particularly from the States, to design matching outfits for mummy and me. They were an immediate sell-out and since then we have increased the size of the mother and daughter collection. It always brings a huge smile to my face receiving the happy holiday photos sent to us.


text:
Netanyahu's Nightmare: The World Welcomes Rohani
In an interview with CBS' Face the Nation, Israel's Prime Minister stated, "Rohani is a wolf in sheep's clothing and his policy is to smile and build a bomb. The world must not trust Hassan Rohani, the president-elect." He also considered any hope for change after the election of Hassan Rohani to be baseless and superficial. The efforts made by Israeli radicals and US neo-conservatives have always been aimed at creating a complete global consensus against Iran so that, by assembling and intensifying accusations such as support for terrorism and human rights violations and building nuclear weapons, they can introduce Iran as an immediate and horrible threat for the whole world and, by adopting paralyzing sanctions and then planning a total siege, prepare the ground for domestic collapse or, in the end, a military attack against Iran. Now that the people of Iran have widely participated in the presidential election and voted for a candidate whose basis of policies is the establishment of national reconciliation and strengthening interactions with the world, the dreams of the Israeli and American radicals to attack Iran have been transformed into a nightmare. They are disappointed and furious that the world and even Israel's allies have welcomed this election and expressed hope that a new chapter could be opened with regard to Iran.
In an interview with the BBC, Jack Straw, the former British Foreign Secretary and one of the individuals having negotiated with Iran, has talked about the personality of Iran's new president, stating, "One of the reasons behind my respect for Dr. Rohani was that I considered him a person who is really proud of his country and one who defends his beliefs … I personally think that he was a very respectable official. He always knew what to say and had complete knowledge of the issues."
While creating joy and hope for a clear future and a bright horizon for the people of Iran, the slogan of "wisdom and moderation" has disappointed and alienated the war-mongers and occupiers. In his interview, the Israeli Prime Minister, who feels that his dreams are gone with the wind, attempted to convince the American people that they should not be deceived by this election; for Dr. Rohani is a wolf in sheep's clothing. The Zionist regime is used to dividing the world into wolves and sheep. Since 60 years ago, all the countries of the region have been considered as sheep and it has bitten them with its teeth whenever it has had the desire to do so. Millions of Palestinians are still displaced and the Palestinian youth and women and even children are victims of Israel's barbarism. Netanyahu is angry because the president-elect considers the occupation of the Palestinian territories illegitimate and the Palestinians as people who have rights.
Israel is furious because the government of moderation can, through wisdom and negotiation in the international and regional scene, reduce the misunderstandings and suspicion with regard to Iran and attract trust and cooperation. Israel, which is the only country in the region which holds a secret nuclear arsenal and is not committed to any of the international conventions in this regard, is upset because Iran pursues a peaceful nuclear program and is committed to the NPT. Israel is angry because the oppressive sanctions have not been able to paralyze the people of Iran and it knows that with the success of the government of moderation the sanctions would be reduced and Iran would achieve its rightful rights through interaction with the world. Israel is angry because Iran and Shiism would no longer be considered as two very big threats for the region, but rather as elements of stability, security, dialogue, cooperation, and compromise. Israel is angry because the billions of dollars that have been spent for Iranophobia have been wasted under the shadow of this election and now the world has woken up from the drunkenness of this deceit and the call for justice and wisdom has been heard from Iran. Dr. Rohani is neither a wolf nor a sheep; he rather intends to transform wolf-sheep relations in the world into humanitarian relations. Iran does not intend to invade any country, but it defends its territory against any aggression with all its heart. The government of moderation will expand the circle of friendships in the region and the world and reduce the number of enemies and establish just relations based on trust and cooperation. With the success of the government of moderation, the unjust image of Iran as an element of insecurity and instability will gradually be eliminated from the global scene and Iran will be known as a stable and safe country in a region which is filled with war, radicalism, and chaos. In that case, everyone would admit that, without the help of Iran's stabilizing and securing role, the world would not be able to create peace and friendship in the region. In the approach of the government of moderation, independence and security will be created in the shadow of constructive interaction with the world. In this constructive interaction, Iran's national interests and security is the main objective and negotiation and competition along with prudence and continuous pursuance of programs and creation of mutual trust are the tools necessary for this policy. The diplomacy of the government of moderation is to pursue the interests of the country with honor; with convincing language, modest behavior, and wise discretion. Now with the appearance of the government of wisdom and moderation, Israel can no longer introduce Iran as a great threat to the world, so that it can hide behind this tumult and continue its occupation and violation of international laws and continue to trample upon Palestinians' rights.


text:
- Information and Communications Technology
- eCommerce Industry
EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework: Active
Swiss-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework: Active
Purpose of Data Collection
Lucky Orange processes personal data of customer representatives in the EU/Switzerland and personal data of visitors of customer websites in the EU/Switzerland. The purpose of processing is to provide customers with the Lucky Orange service, which provides customers with statistics based on website visitors. We disclose personal data to service providers, such as cloud hosting service providers, payment processors, and service providers who send emails on our behalf.
Privacy Policy
Non-HR Data
The Lucky Orange LLC Privacy Policy describes how Lucky Orange processes personal data.
Verification Method
Dispute Resolution
Questions or Complaints?
If you have a question or complaint regarding the covered data, please contact Lucky Orange LLC at:
Compliance & Contracts Manager
Overland Park, Kansas 66212
Privacy Shield organizations must respond within 45 days of receiving a complaint.
If you have not received a timely or satisfactory response from Lucky Orange LLC to your question or complaint, please contact the independent recourse mechanism listed below
Appropriate statutory body with jurisdiction to investigate any claims against Lucky Orange LLC regarding possible unfair or deceptive practices and violations of laws or regulations covering privacy Federal Trade Commission


text: Music MP3: Rudeboy – Oga October 12, 2020 DOWNLOAD NOW Rudeboy Oga MP3 Rudeboy just dropped a new song titled Oga. This song is right available on Gidijams for your fast download. DOWNLOAD MP3/ZIP Listen & Download Rudeboy – Oga Below: http://gidijamsfiles.xyz/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Rudeboy_-_Oga_gidijamsfiles.xyz.mp3 DOWNLOAD MP3 DOWNLOAD FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedIn You may also like Music MP3: Dave East – Pain (East Mix) October 29, 2020by Gidi Speed Album • Music ALBUM: Wizkid – Made In Lagos [zip file] October 28, 2020by gidijams Leave a Comment XCommentName * Email * Website Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


text:
In view of some of the complaints levied toward The Plainsman, some concerning what we ought to cover as journalists and some concerning whether we should voice our opinions, we believe it's important to express what constitutes our duty as journalists.
First and foremost, it's our duty to report the happenings on Auburn's campus and the surrounding community in an unbiased manner — to report the facts in their fullness, as they happen.
If those facts cast Auburn University, any organization or person in a good or bad light, so be it.
Our job isn't to be mindless supporters of all things Auburn; our job is to function as a spotlight to the things people ought to see, good and bad.
The fact we are students of Auburn University doesn't mean we shouldn't criticize our University. In fact, it demands the opposite.
We must constantly work to better our University by providing a natural check on its activities.
Sign up for our newsletter
Get The Plainsman straight to your inbox.
We do this through reporting and by broadcasting our opinion when we believe the University errs.
In doing this, we serve the student body and faculty.
Organizations, such as universities, naturally tend to look out for themselves.
That isn't to say they never look out for those they serve, but it is to say they keep an eye out for themselves sometimes to the point where it's unhelpful to those they ostensibly aim to serve.
Sometimes it's easier to sweep things under the rug purely for PR purposes.
With this fact in mind, we are committed to pulling such things to the surface — a process that sometimes makes people uncomfortable.
We are able to put pressure on entities, which leads to better performance from those entities.
This pressure can take the form of showcasing facts that may be perceived as negative, but it's important for people to fully appreciate that their perceiving of something negative doesn't necessarily mean it was written in a biased manner. It may only mean the reader has a certain disposition about the facts.
While reading our news, it's important to consider a bias most humans deal with: negativity bias.
Negativity bias is a psychological phenomenon that causes negative events or information to create stronger impressions within people's minds than positive events or information.
This bias leads people to falsely believe we only or mostly cover negative events.
And it's evident in the fact that our coverage of negative things gets much more attention than our coverage of positive things.
Keeping this bias in mind will lend a more objective outlook as to the nature of our reporting.
Another complaint that commonly surfaces is that The Plainsman shouldn't post opinion pieces.
Some argue we shouldn't post opinion pieces at all, and others arbitrarily draw the line at topics like politics.
In many cases, these complaints rise out of an ignorance of the common structure of a newspaper — that is, how there are specific sections for unbiased reporting and a section clearly designated to broadcast opinions.
Yet time and time again, an opinion piece will be published and along come people who disagree with the piece's stance and attempt to disparage The Plainsman for straying away from unbiased reporting.
The opinion section is supposed to broadcast opinions, which, by definition, makes it not subject to some of the constraints other sections face.
Many, especially in the face of opinion pieces they feel deeply uncomfortable with, would rather the section be done away with so as to protect their bubble of beliefs.
In vain attempts to construct a persuasive argument for that dissolution, people argue the opinions represented in The Plainsman don't always reflect the majority of opinions held on campus — as though that's an inherently negative thing — and therefore, those opinions should not be published.
Occasionally, the views expressed in our opinion section don't completely align with some readers' opinions. That is completely OK; it helps further disucssion and challenges people's thinking.
Our history is marked by us publishing sometimes unpopular opinions, like pro-integration and pro-LGBTQ editorials.
It's healthy to regularly read opinions that strike at your most central beliefs.
We welcome opinions that contradict our own, and we aim to use them to craft more tenable beliefs.
We are committed to providing opinions in their designated section, despite the cognitive dissonance they may erupt in our readers, as well as responsible, unbiased reporting.
Do you like this story? The Plainsman doesn't accept money from tuition or student fees, and we don't charge a subscription fee. But you can donate to support The Plainsman.Support The Plainsman


text:
Find Hostels all over the World
Mexico City Hostel, HOSTEL in Mexico City Mexico.
Mexico City Hostel.
Brasil No. 8, Mexico City, Mexico
Located near: Cathedral, Zocalo, Bellas Artes, Templo mayor, Zona Rosa, Garibaldi, Ciudadela. We also provide Tours and Day Trips to the most important places in Mexico City and around.
The best and cheapest hostel in Mexico & Only 20 meters from The Cathedral and Zocalo (main plaza) Mexico City Hostel offers economic, comfortable accommodation, in our newly and completely remodeled building.
This building displays the beauty of Colonial times.
Mexico City Hostel offers a tradi


text:
The Plum
Three Years of Culinary Panache
Brett Sawyer, executive chef of Ohio City's The Plum Cafe & Kitchen, grew up eating quail and mushrooms that his father culled from the forest around his hometown of Wellington, Ohio. Years later, he spent six months in France, discovering sophisticated fare, such as dry-cured ham and duck confit. These dual culinary inspirations—the rustic and the refined—continue to influence the choices he makes at The Plum, which, in May, will celebrate three years in business, a milestone for any small business, particularly in the food industry. Brett's dream has always been to use The Plum to churn traditional rural American, Pan-Asian, and European dishes into unique combinations. The ideal, he says, is to take a familiar dish, deconstruct it, and reassemble the parts into something comforting yet refreshing. Plum mainstays include General Tso's Whole Fried Chicken and a formidable lamb burger.
Seated at The Plum, echoes of the past can be felt nearly everywhere. The twin deer heads that oversee the dining room were hunted by Brett's father. Some of the dessert plates are vestiges from the location's earlier life as an antique store. Finally, the house recipe for coquito, an eggnog-like Puerto Rican beverage, was provided by sous chef Chantz Blakeslee's mother. Called the Doreen, it contains rum, eggs, condensed milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg, along with ingredients that shan't be disclosed here. This is, after all, a family recipe.
In-house collaboration is vital, too. Brett operates under the "test it/taste it" principle, inviting his staff to be creative and to introduce new dishes and drinks, some of which end up on the menu. Nolan Tidwell, The Plum's pastry chef, recently unveiled his Guava Mille Feuille—a puff pastry served with dulce de leche, whipped ganache, and fresh guava—a dessert as stunningly presented as it was clean-plate-club delicious.
Brett's goal for the future is to continue melding familiar and fresh. He expanded his vision into Battery Park in January, opening Good Company, a sports bar that shares The Plum's chic aesthetic, but features daring innovations, such as a homemade vegan ranch dressing so savory Brett forewent including the buttermilk alternative, and prime beef burgers served on crustless house-made bread for the kids' menu. Brett continues marrying the well-loved with the avant-garde, delighting his patrons in the process.
The Plum is located at 4133 Lorain Ave. in Cleveland. For more information, call 216.938.8711 or visit ThePlumCafeAndKitchen.com.


text:
Like many of our most famous and beloved celebrities, she had only one name: Tama, a tortoiseshell renowned for her jaunty hat and cool smirk, was Japan's most famous (and only) feline train stationmaster. She died Monday at an animal hospital in Wakayama prefecture aged 16, having worked at her post in a converted ticket booth in Kishi Station for almost eight years.
Tama first rose to fame when she was appointed stationmaster at Kishi, a secluded hamlet of at the end of a rail line that had changed hands after closing from disuse, CNN reports. She was whisked away from a simple life at the village grocery store and given a new perch at the station entrance, soon to find herself on posters, T-shirts, stickers and even the center of a themed café.
It didn't take long for stardom to come knocking. The number of passengers on the train line jumped from 1.92 million in 2005 to 2.27 million in 2014, according to the Japan Times. In fact, the new stationmaster had so many visitors that an Osaka University study estimates that Tama's popularity added $10 million into the local economy. Many credit her for single-handedly saving both the station and its train line.
Wakayama Governor Yoshinobu Nisaka paid tribute to Tama in a statement to the Japan Times, saying the late stationmaster "contributed greatly to promoting tourism in our prefecture. I am filled with deep sorrow and appreciation."
Tama is survived by her apprentice, Nitama, who takes her workload of eating, sleeping and upholding the local economy as seriously as her illustrious predecessor. Tama's funeral will be held at Kishi Station on June 28.


text:
DENVER, Aug. 29 -- Margaret Hurley, D.O., a solo family practitioner in rural Woodstown, N.J., was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention who came to cheer long and hard for Barack Obama.
She recalls getting chills when she first heard Obama speak at the 2004 Democratic Convention, and she still gets them every time she hears him speak. When he entered the race for president last year she visited his Web site and realized she agreed with many of his policies.
"He's an amazing leader and visionary and what this country needs right now," Dr. Hurley said in an interview with MedPage Today.
The 49-year-old board-certified physician's passion for Obama, coupled with dismay at the current administration's policies, pushed her to dive into the campaign this year.
Dr. Hurley was in charge of the Obama campaign for Salem County in New Jersey to get Obama elected in the primary. As a delegate, she cast her vote to here to endorse Obama on Wednesday wearing a white lab coat adorned with "Doctors for Obama" on the front, and "No Patient Left Behind" on the back.
Hillary Clinton won the New Jersey primary and it was thought that some delegates might vote for her at the convention. But New Jersey delegates unanimously voted for Obama on Wednesday, the day after Clinton gave a speech on the floor endorsing her former adversary. New Jersey was the last state to cast its vote in the roll call before Clinton stopped the proceedings and moved to nominate Obama by acclamation.
"Thank you all the supporters of Hillary Clinton for putting aside the hurts of the past and putting party and country ahead of person," Dr. Hurley wrote in a column about her convention experience for the New Jersey news Web site, nj.com.
Dr. Hurley said while healthcare is an important issue to her because it affects her daily life and her patients' well being, she personally considers women's issues, such as reproductive rights and equal pay, the turning points.
But she supports Obama's healthcare platform, particularly because it promises to provide coverage to more people. Dr. Hurley volunteers in a free clinic, which she said has exposed her to the depth of health disparities in this country.
"The variety of people I see is amazing, all different people who don't have health insurance," she said.
Dr. Hurley called malpractice reform a crucial part of lowering medical costs, citing defensive medicine as particularly troublesome.
Dr. Hurley said she used to feel that seeing patients -- not politicking -- was her only job, but now that she owns her own private practice, she sees how policies can affect her ability to run a business.
Dr. Hurley worries about the impact that the thinning pipeline of family physicians will have on the health of the country in terms of preventing disease and promoting healthy lifestyles.
The healthcare plans of both Obama and John McCain mention increasing preventive care.
"It's tremendously important to boost family care and primary practice," she said, adding that the overall cost of care in countries with a vibrant primary care workforce is much lower than in the United States.
Dr. Hurley said she recognizes that massive debt after medical school often drives students into more lucrative fields of medicine, and she admires Obama's plan of loan forgiveness for students who pursue primary care practice careers.
She would also like to see a boost in reimbursement for evaluation and management of patients.
"We don't do a lot of procedures," Dr. Hurley said of primary care physicians. "A lot of specialists are paid disproportionately high."
Dr. Hurley graduated from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in the School of Osteopathic Medicine, and did her residency at Underwood Memorial Hospital in Philadelphia.
After working for several years as an ER physician in the South Jersey Hospital System in Elmer N.J., she spent 10 yeas at a group practice owned by Underwood Memorial Hospital. She has owned her own private practice since 2005.