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Senate Passes Bill Extending Statewide Suicide Prevention Council
Council promotes awareness, enhances prevention efforts, creates plan of action, and achieves partnerships
JUNEAU-Today, the Senate passed Senate Bill 37, sponsored by Senator Anna Fairclough, R-East Anchorage/Eagle River, which extends the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council until at least 2019. The 17-member council advises legislators and the Governor on improving public awareness of suicide and risk factors, enhancing suicide prevention efforts, creating a statewide suicide prevention plan and putting it into action, as well as building and strengthening public and private partnerships to prevent suicide.
"For many years, Alaska has had the unfortunate distinction of being number one in the nation for suicide. It plagues both rural and urban areas," said Senator Fairclough, who is also a member of the council. "This council has worked hard to stop those heartbreaking numbers by using a comprehensive approach to develop healthy communities while developing a statewide plan for suicide prevention. If we don't extend the council, this critical work can't continue."
Casting the Net Upstream is a five year plan created by the council which has specific measures to determine if the state suicide prevention system is effective – or to allow for further development if the expected results are not achieved. It is based on extensive public input and stakeholder efforts to create a suicide prevention plan that responds to the unique needs of Alaskan communities and benefits from the creativity and culture of Alaska's people.
"Thanks to this plan, the council and its partners will be able to offer annual reports highlighting the successes of evidence-based suicide prevention programs as well as emerging and innovative prevention efforts," said Senator Fairclough. "I will be interested to see those results as they come in over the next few years and how they can guide us to better suicide prevention efforts."
To get more information on Casting the Net Upstream, please click here.
"Suicide rips apart Alaskan families and leaves years of devastation behind. But with the right treatment and outreach, we can slow down this horrible epidemic in Alaska," said Senator Fairclough. "Senate Bill 37 is just one step in the right direction and I will continue to fight for suicide awareness and prevention on several levels."
To visit the Statewide Suicide Prevention Council's website, please click here.
Senate Bill 37 now heads to the House for further consideration.
For more information, please contact Laura Pierre in Senator Fairclough's office at 907-465-3777.


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Damiani S.p.A., parent company of the Damiani Group, historically is a leading company in the Italian manufacturing and trade sector of jewelry and high level luxury watches.
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All Damiani jewelry creations express the quality of entirely Italian made sublimely crafted products that have made the jewelry masters ambassadors of Italian Style and craftsmanship across the world since 1924.

subset: commoncrawl


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Online Advertising Broker Specialist Wanted
Budget $10-30 USD
Thanks for your interest in our project.
We are looking for an experience Ads Broker Specialist to commercialize our website's advertising space.
Find attached our current metrics for your review (including October 2016 forecast).
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Please include in your bid what would be your line of action, background and past experience.
1 freelancer is bidding on average $45 for this job
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We are very much interested in your project, I have seen your project specifications requirements and I believe that we will definitely meet your specification with our professional service. We are working in this More


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Buy Animal Wetsuits online at Shore. Animal wetsuits have always had the same philosophy from day one "commitment". Animal pride themselves in being committed to understanding surfers needs. Surfing in the UK means bearing harsh winter conditions, therefore you need a wetsuit that allows high maneuverability, keeps you warm and will last all season. Animal have taken this into consideration when designing their latest wetsuits, aiming to enhance your surf session no matter how long your in the water or what the conditions. Every wetsuit built has the same level of commitment from their entry level suits to their top of the line models. Each Animal wetsuit is packed full of the latest technology and features that will enhance your surfing .Whether your new to surfing or have years of experience Animal pride themselves in catering for everyone. With a great choice of affordable men's, women's and children's suits here at Shore.co.uk, you can grab one online today!
Having been established for over 23 years now Animal are constantly looking for new technology and materials to give even more flex and warm. Originally started by two surfers in 1987 who were fed up of loosing their watches in the surf due to harsh conditions. They took it upon themselves to find a solution and they did exactly that. The solution was to design a webbing and velcro strap, this increased durability and put a stop to the problem. This funded their worldwide surf trips selling straps along their travels from Hawaii to Oz. This allowed the brand to progress into other areas of the sport, meaning continuous expansion giving them the household name of today. Their dedication and commitment to provide the best equipment has become embedded within their latest range of wetsuits.
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Animal Girls Nova 3/2 Shorty Wetsuit Berry Pink
Was £35.00
Special Price £24.50Sizes: 10


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Reference: BSS5779
Chalet: 4 beds, 1 bath, 2 showers, 2 receptions
Slades Estate Agents
This newly built detached chalet style home is simply stunning! Offering deceptively spacious, luxuriously appointed accommodation and being set within one of Hengistbury Heads most favoured locations we strongly advise taking the opportunity to view.
* Newly built detached home * Deceptively spacious accommodation approaching 2200 square feet * Luxury finish throughout * Four bedrooms * 2 en-suite shower rooms * Family bathroom * Ground floor cloakroom * Superb 30' open plan kitchen/family room * Spacious formal lounge * Utility room *
This newly built detached home is set within one of the most sought after roads within the popular location of Hengistbury Head, a wonderful coastal position that gives easy access to local beaches and wide open spaces that offer stunning scenery across areas of outstanding natural beauty.Now complete this deceptively spacious home has been constructed by a dedicated team of local professionals and offers nearly 2200 square feet of accommodation which has been luxuriously finished to an exceptionally high standard throughout. Internal viewing is now available and we strongly recommend taking the opportunity to view this stunning home.As soon as you enter there is a great feeling of space, a large fully tiled hallway allowing plenty of natural light and giving access to both of the main living areas by double doors which when opened allow the full extent of the home to be seen.The lounge overlooks the front of the property and makes an ideal formal seating/TV room whilst the open plan living space to the rear offers a range of living possibilities measuring 30' x 27' max. This superb room has a large roof lantern for natural light and features bi-folding doors leading to the rear garden. There is an extensive fitted kitchen area with an Island incorporating the hob with extractor over plus a full range of high quality integrated appliances.Accessible from the hallway there is a separate utility room which also has a door leading to the side of property. Also accessed from the hall is a ground floor WC, good size store cupboard and a ground floor double bedroom which has its own en-suite shower room.The first floor is served by a roomy landing, a side aspect velux window providing good natural light. To the rear of property there are two spacious double bedrooms, both of which have large rear aspect windows giving a glimpse of the nearby sea.The master bedroom is set to the front of property and features a large shaped window which offers a pleasant view over nearby homes and again a distant glimpse of the nearby sea. The master is served by a luxury en-suite shower room which has a velux window for natural light and ventilation. It is fitted with matching his and hers wash basins, a wc and walk in shower cubicle finished with recessed storage/display areas, a heated towel rail, tiled walls and flooring.The family bathroom has been finished to a similar luxury standard and again has a velux window for natural light and ventilation. The suite comprises a WC with enclosed cistern, hand wash basin with vanity storage beneath, a free-standing double ended bath and separate walk in shower. Outside the front has been been landscaped and a large attractive driveway provides off road parking for several cars. The rear gardens feature extensive patio abutting the open plan living space, French doors from kitchen area and Bi-folding doors from the main living space, the remaining gardens being laid to lawn. A stunning home which is available for occupation imminently viewings is advised, opportunities like this being very rare within the local area. Approximate room sizes;Open plan kitchen/family room: 30'5 X 27'10 (9.27m X 8.48m) maximumLounge:Utility room: 8' x 5'10 (2.44m x 1.78m)GF bedroom Four: 14'10 x 10'6 (4.52m x 3.2m) maximumMaster bedroom: 15'11 x 10'11 (4.85m x 3.33m)Bedroom two: 18'10 x 11'6 (5.74m x 3.51m)Bedroom three: 14'7 x 11'6 (4.44m x 3.51m)Family bathroom: 9'1 x 6'3 (2.77m x 1.91m)
The Agent has not tested any apparatus, equipment, fixtures and fittings or services and so cannot verify that they are in working order or fit for the purpose. A Buyer is advised to obtain verification from their Solicitor or Surveyor. References to the Tenure of a Property are based on information supplied by the Seller. The Agent has not had sight of the title documents. A Buyer is advised to obtain verification from their Solicitor.
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About Todd McKie
Todd McKie works in a distinctive visual style identifiable for its reduced forms and ragged line work. His deceptively simple, quotidian scenes with everyman protagonists belie explorations of human interaction and the absurdity of contemporary life. They also draw heavily upon personal experience—his travels and immediate surroundings, the people in his life, and even the meals he has eaten have appeared in his works. McKie's body of work includes paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures, and collages, but the root of his practice is in drawing. McKie's work is most influenced by what is typically categorized as Outsider or Primitivist Art, as well as the work of children. When asked to explain his practice, McKie responded, "I try to make the most beautiful, mysterious, funniest, and truest things I can."
American, b. 1944, based in Boston, Massachusetts


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This school shooting in Newtown, Conn., is just devastating. I can't find words to express how my heart is breaking for these children, their families, the school staff, the community. I just want to go get my two boys and hug them forever. But how to talk to them about what's happened?
Here are some tips for talking with children about violence against kids, from the Family Resource Center at Minneapolis Children's Hospital and Clinics for Family Information Services, Minneapolis, Minn.:
Children are exposed to numerous accounts of violence against kids, such as abductions, murder, and random acts of terrorism.
Parents need to be aware that children may react strongly to those events and should be prepared to discuss their child's thoughts and feelings. The following are some guidelines for parents:
- Be honest about the situation. Give your children information at their own level and put it in context. Explain that even though frightening things happen to children every once in awhile, most children go about their day with no harm. Don't describe unlikely scenarios that would unnecessarily frighten your children.
- It helps to know what information your child is getting. Monitor their exposure to television reports, and help explain what they see if they do watch television. Ask them what they are hearing at school and, if necessary, give them factual information to dispel rumors they are hearing from others.
- Limit the amount of exposure to violent movies, videos, or computer games. The impact of violence for children is cumulative.
- Understand that children of different ages react differently. Younger children may react by showing more separation anxiety when their parents leave them at daycare or school. Older children may present a rough exterior or act out aggressive behavior.
- Provide extra emotional support for your children. Review safety precautions and practice routines of going to and from school with them. Teach your children that they should go to an adult that they trust if they feel threatened in any situation.
- Avoid infecting your children's lives with your own anxiety. If you are feeling overwhelmed by anxiety caused by traumatic events, take steps to deal with your own feelings before your children are affected.
- Be aware of other areas of children's lives that may make them especially vulnerable to fears regarding violence against children. Children who have experienced a traumatic incident in the past, children who are grieving a personal tragedy, and children who are ill are all more susceptible to anxiety regarding other events.
- Children need personal reassurance. Tell them what you are doing to ensure their safety; tell your children what their daycare provider or teacher is doing to maintain safety; and tell children what they can do to enhance their own safety.
- Don't overdo it. Maintain normal routines for eating, sleeping, and play. Keep an eye open for any signs of anxiety.
Source: Family Resource Center at Minneapolis Children's Hospital and Clinics for Family Information Services, Minneapolis, MN
Permission to reprint for educational purposes.
I got this link from Brene Brown, who also wrote this post with some more references for talking with children. Read them if you need, and hug your kids.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Youngstown Veterans of Foreign War Post 313 will hold a Memorial Day ceremony at the Fort Niagara War of 1812 Cemetery on Monday at 11 a.m. VFW members, accompanied by the Lewiston-Porter Air Force Junior ROTC Color Guard, will march from the Fort Niagara Officers Club to the cemetery to begin the ceremony.
A reception and open house will be held at the post, 434 Third St., after the ceremony. The post will hold a disposal ceremony for unserviceable flags during the reception. Residents who have unserviceable flags can drop them off at or bring them to the reception. For more information, contact Lance at 716-745-7524.


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Vertical Greeting Card
- Editors' Notes
Photographer Alicia Bock loves to experiment with image composition and photographic techniques, and these beautiful greetings cards use her original images to evoke happy memories and sunshine.
- Product Details
Dimensions: 109mm x 155mm.
Material: Printed on Fenner Omnia 320gsm.
Process: Full Colour.
Envelope: Recycled White.
Origin: Printed in England.
- Delivery & Returns
If your item is in stock, we will do our best to send out your order within 1 to 2 days.
We want you to be entirely satisfied with your purchase, if however you would like to return an item, please do so within 14 days. Items must be in original condition, and returned with the original sales receipt.
For full delivery and returns information, click here.
- Payment & Security
We never see your credit card details. All transactions are processed by WorldPay, who manage millions of card payments every month.
Your personal details are also encrypted using a 256-bit SSL certificate, the same technology used to secure online banking.


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DONATE (Why?)
Akregator - Feed Reader
Akregator is a news feed reader by KDE. It enables you to follow news sites, blogs and other RSS/Atom-enabled websites without the need to manually check for updates using a web browser. Akregator is designed to be both easy to use and to be powerful enough to read hundreds of news sources conveniently. It comes with Konqueror integration for adding news feeds and with an internal browser for easy news reading.


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The year was 1993. A pale, chubby, awkward, nerdy boy with nary a whisker in sight was visiting the Universal Studios Orlando Resort with his family. While there said boy witnessed none other than "Ghostbusters Live" and traveled down a dinosaur's gullet in the "Back to the Future" ride, both of which that now bearded still awkward man remembers clearly. But the pièce de résistance was a Horror themed makeup show in which two hosts vying for Penn and Teller level displays of misdirection and illusion demonstrated a variety of special effect techniques.
Another day another "Paranormal Activity 3" clip and man oh man check this one out. There's a girl sleeping and then... well I think there might be something in the doorway? I have no idea what the hell is going on honestly. But I know it's frightening as hell. I think. 99% sure that's what it is.
Kevin J. Foxe is credited as being an executive producer for "The Blair Witch Project" which I assume means he was in charge of finding the perfect sticks to make those weird dolls. Or at least finding someone to go do that for him. Well now he's bringing all that talent to the directing role of a new spooky ghost story involving a group of college students title "The Ghost Experiment 3D". Can you guess if it's going to be in 3D or not? If you guessed no you are wrong... and really stupid.
Here's some news you didn't see coming. Sherri Moon Zombie is going to star in "Lords Of Salem" which is currently being directed by her lover Rob Zombi. If I was a betting man I'd put my money on her playing a freaky deeky who screams a lot and gets naked. That's just me though. She's actually been confirmed as a radio DJ who unleashes a coven of witches from days of yore. So probably not a lot of stripping there.
In a recent interview Mr. David Cronenberg alluded to the fact that he has already written a sequel to his 1985 remake of "The Fly". While there's no actual discussion of the film being made it looks like there's a god possibility it could go into production sometime in the near future. He spent the rest of the interview talking about this season's "Dancing With The Stars". It got kind of weird.
Werewolves are all the rage these days with the release of Universal's "The Wolfman", but why should the dog boys of mid February get all the fun? Throughout literature and film, there have been quite a few other were-creatures that stalked the night as well as many other folks that just happen to change shape as well! So to celebrate our furry friend, I give to you 8 Other Shape Shifters to raise your hackles!
News came yesterday that David Cronenberg is said to be returning to his masterpiece "The Fly" in hopes of remaking it.


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You won't be disappointed.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
You won't be disappointed.
29 comments:
A neat thing to do when upstairs in Deyrolles is open all those little drawers (you can see some of these in your pics). Inside are glass eyes of all shapes, sizes and colors...for taxidermy needs, of course!ReplyDeleteReplies
wow I didn't know you could touch things?Delete
I thought it was a musee...
idiot moi
And to think the place almost burned to the ground a few years ago... So glad fire damage was limited to a couple of rooms, and Deyrolle reopened fairly quickly... for everyone's enjoyment! Looks like cold, wet weather in Paris today... Brrrr... Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)ReplyDeleteReplies
Yes it is brisk but the sun comes out to flirt now and then and it is not impossibly cold yetDelete
Wow. What a great place! The Rue du Bac is the cutest street, n'est-ce pas?ReplyDelete
I LOVE rue du Bac...Delete
one of my favorite Paris streets of special shops
I was wondering how you managed to take photos! Every time I have been there there are huge signs all over the place not to mention people walking the store telling you not to take photos. Lucky you!ReplyDelete
This is a fabulous place. How did you like the lobsters?Replies
What lobsters?Delete
did I miss them?
Your photos are terrific..thank goodness you were ...well..misinformed:-)ReplyDelete
How could I have ever known without your post and pics..
- Misha11:05 PM
I love love love ParisBreakfast! I have been following for 3 years now and the best part of my morning is checking my email to see your new posts! I save every one of them in a email folder titled "Paris Dreams".ReplyDelete
Thank you so much for all the lovey post and amazing Paris centric art for us who can't get to Paris just yet! Again thank you for the work you do, we greatly appreciate your passion!
Your secret is safe with me...and a few thousand other readers. We would never turn you in for improper photography. Just stick to your story when they stop you and say you thought it was a museum. We'll have your back.ReplyDelete
David Sedaris is a big fan of Deyrolle.
Almost like Aladins cave..How facinating, even though photos were 'Interdit'...what better publicity could they have to be advertised on your blog & for free.ReplyDelete
Yep...I'll be there tomorrow.ReplyDelete
LOL at Amy- where is the room of stuffed tourists !ReplyDelete
I loved Deyrolle but my husband has this "thing" about "rooms full of dead animals" ... silly man.
Big fan of yours from Boston!
There is a great article in a recent New Yorker magazine by David Sedaris about a trip he takes to the taxidermist! It is so fabulous... Wish I could remember the title.. definitely worth a google and a read.
Thank you for sharing all of your adventures!!
My best,
On my many trips to Paris I have never been to Deyrolle, so it is now on my list.ReplyDelete
Are you stay8ing in "our" studio?
Love DeniseReplies
Not this time Denise...Delete
I wish!
I didn't know about 'Deyrolle'. It looks quirky and mad, just what I like. Great find. Thank you!ReplyDelete
What a treat! I must have one of those birds.ReplyDelete
- Elizabeth6:43 PM
Thanks so much for the entry about Deyrolle. That place just blew my mind. I made sure to visit today...before the end of my trip. Would have never known about the place or been drawn inside otherwise. I found a nice paperback (activity book for children) for 13 Euros which is full of beautiful drawings and useful vocabulary. Loved the expensive gardening clothes...and even tested fragrances. Only in Paris. :)ReplyDelete
For you, I will go there...(and for the French school posters!!!)ReplyDelete


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
NBC's popular reality series "The Biggest Loser" is launching an 11-city, cross-country search to find new contestants for its next edition. Individuals who have at least 80 lbs. to lose are encouraged to apply for the show's 15th season.
Casting producers are looking for charismatic individuals who have the desire to change their lives forever and vie for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to lose weight and compete for a grand prize of $250,000. Candidates must be at least 18 years of age and legal residents of the U.S. For information on how to apply, visit www.nbc.com/casting and www.thebiggestlosercasting.com.
People will not be allowed to line up prior to three hours before the start of the open call. Candidates should bring a non-returnable photo of themselves.
Saturday, May 4
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Music Farm, 32 Ann St.
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Planet Fitness, 3120 N. Pulaski Road (at the corner of Pulaski Road and Belmont Avenue)
•Los Angeles
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Citadel Outlets, 100 Citadel Drive
•Oklahoma City
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Crossroads Mall, 7000 Crossroads Blvd.
•Salt Lake City
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
KSL 5 TV, 55 North 300 West
Saturday, May 11
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Georgian Terrace Hotel, 659 Peachtree St. NE
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Planet Fitness
Northgate Shopping Center, 270 Charger St. (Route 60/Squire Road - Revere, next to CVS)
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Planet Fitness, 8501 Winton Road (located next to Conway, Kroger and Applebee's)
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Gilley's Dallas, 1135 S. Lamar St.
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Shops at Liberty Place, 1625 Chestnut St. (entrance for the casting call at Market Street Courtyard by Au Bon Pain)
10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Embassy Suites Phoenix-Scottsdale @ Stonecreek Golf Club, 4415 E. Paradise Village Parkway South
"The Biggest Loser" challenges and encourages overweight contestants to shed pounds in a safe and recommended manner through comprehensive diet and exercise as they compete for a grand prize of $250,000. The series provides the contestants with challenges, temptations, weigh-ins and eliminations until the final contestant remains to claim the title of "the biggest loser." Contestants work out under the supervision of professional trainers.
For more on "The Biggest Loser," visit NBC.com's official show site: http://www.nbc.com/the-biggest-loser/. Fans can like "TBL" on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/biggestloser and follow the show on Twitter http://twitter.com/biggestlosernbc.


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Re: Niganthas Vs Modern day idealogy
Posted: Fri Mar 26, 2010 11:04 am
The whole practice is designed to produce unpleasant sensations. It is your "Attention" that is proliferating these sensations. If you turned your attention away from these unpleasant sensations, towards something wholesome, then the sensations would subside.meindzai wrote:Exactly. Buddha's problem with the Jains was that by practicing self mortification, they were just creating more kamma in the process.Mukunda wrote:I was never taught to induce sensations, but rather to observe their arising. Perhaps therein lies the problem.Brizzy wrote:Goenka talks about past actions rising to the surface. His concentration technique is aimed specifically to induce sensations, rather than tranquility.
i.e. if I hit you in the face with a shovel, that's an unwholesome action, which will ripen at some point for me. (For you it's your bad kamma ripening, so...you're welcome?)
But hitting my*self* in the face, whether that is the ripening of unwholesome kamma or not, is kind of pointless, because all I've done is create more unwholesome kamma by doing the action.
I believe it's that simple. Sitting in mindfulness and observing sensations, feelings, etc. isn't anything like this shovel-face-hitting-asceticism (or any kind of asceticism - same thing). The Goekna method, as far as I know, is adopted from Satipatthana - nothing ascetic in there.
That is not to say that unpleasant sensations do not appear in Right Meditation, it is just that one does not go looking for them in order to impose an "equanimous" mind upon them & thereby eradicating past kamma. Goenka will often explain that these "Gross" sensations are "DEEP, DEEP" sankharas from our past, rising to the surface to be eradicated.
This idea of "one pointed" concentration is strange. We learn from the Buddha that everything is change and we are then told to "FIX" our minds on one "POINT". So in an ever changing world we are told that we can come to understand this world, by grimly trying to fix our minds statically. Now this would produce an enormous internal struggle (pain ) but if we are bloody minded enough we can come through it, and the brief abscence of the pain is great and then we "Start Again"
The idea of a collected mind, as found in the suttas is a mind that is together & powerful - in tune with the body and is malleable enough for vipassana (a happy mind ). The one pointed mind sounds more like a "Hindu Oneness" approach rather than Buddha Dhamma.
People are told to develop equanimity to painful sensations - all that is being developed is willpower/strength of mind. If people developed a happy mind, this would lead into equanimity. Goenka puts it the other way round "Be equanimous - it will lead to happiness!" The Buddha teaches, to develop a joyful/happy mind and this leads to equanimity. Its a really important point, it is very easy to fool ourselves and take willpower to be equanimity. Equanimity is the profound jhana within which the Buddha encourages his monks to make a breakthrough (any jhana will do), it is not a mind state that can be "set up" it has to be developed and developed through jhana.
Goenka will often tell the tale of a weapons engineer who developed guidance systems for missiles. His sankharas/kamma were so bad he was jumping about his cell through the heat & pain of his evil past. Does this not sound a little like Nigantha asceticism. Does any of this sound like the Buddhas explanation of how kamma works?
People on the thread seem to object strongly to my views on Goenka Vippasana and I can understand why. However, if people are so sure of the truth of this practice and it is truly the Buddhas Dhamma, why is there no trace of it in the suttas?
Words & meanings can be changed & stretched, and people may point to the satipatthana sutta, but the satippathana sutta does not promote this technique. Goenkas technique produces a very strong & hard mind, that can overcome pain through vigorous exertion - mindfulness is produced, but look at the Buddhas explanation for this "type" of practice :-
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .than.html
This sutta describes a "Goenka Approach" to mindfulness, which the Buddha ultimately rejected in favour of the beautiful memory from his childhood under a rose-apple tree.


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|System: PS3, Xbox 360, PC
|Dev: Eidos Montreal
|Pub: Square Enix
|Release: August 23, 2011
|Players: 1
|Screen Resolution: 480p-1080p
|Blood, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Sexual Themes
Too often with games like this, you'll find yourself in complete awe over the cinematics, but with the in-game graphics you are left with a bland (albeit well-done) tone that nearly ruins the game experience. Human Revolution never truly falters in this area. There are a few NPC characters that were mistreated (or were intentionally made to look hideous), but despite the odd blemish and occasional frame rate drop, you'll find yourself in complete graphical euphoric bliss.
Unfortunately, this brings me to the faults, the biggest being the third-person/first-person timeshare. Admittedly, when I first saw in-game footage of Human Revolution, I was beyond excited for the third-person action game I thought I saw. I was admittedly a little disenchanted when I realized it was a first-person game with third-person elements (like the cover and takedown systems.) The takedown system is just a quick visual stimulant that shows off how much of a badass Adam Jensen is, but just like the cover system, the pullout from first-person to the third is a bit jarring. Not to the point of breaking the game, but it's definitely enough to make players take notice.
The only other flaw is more comical than anything else. Too often, when talking to a female NPC, it sounds like a male voice imitating a woman. This can be funny at times, but it detracts from the occasional "real" voiceover work. This is not to say the voice acting falls short of entertaining, because the main vocal cast really comes through in the story elements. However, many times the NPCs sub-characters deliver their lines as hyperactive versions of Ben Stein.
On the opposite side of this, the score to Human Revolution ranks among some of the best in recent times. It reminds me a lot of Daft Punk's score for Tron: Legacy. (Say what you will about the movie, but the music from that film is emotionally resonating, even when some of the actors are horribly not.) In Human Revolution, the music conducts itself as a character without expectation of recognition.
At its core, this is a game that is reliant on the player. Without your influence, the game doesn't have a direction. However, it also doesn't give the illusion that it needs you to help it finish the story. Much like great sci-fi fantasy, Deus Ex: Human Revolution never allows you to feel like you have total control or that you know everything going on in the overarching story. In this case though, it also doesn't allow you to feel as if you are an outsider looking in. This is as much your own human revolution as it is Adam Jensen's.
Matt Walker
CCC Site Director
Game Features:


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New Orleans Italian Restaurant
Pizza, Pasta, Paninis, Wine List
Restaurant Photo Gallery
About Us
Love List
Giving Back
Salads Sandwiches and More!
(Fast Service when you need it.)
Nonna Mia Cafe & Pizzeria (111130), New Orleans / Louisiana Reservations
2010 Nonna Mia Restaurants.
3125 Esplanade Ave • New Orleans • 70119 • 504.948.1717
© 2010 Nonna Mia Cafe and Pizzeria. All rights reserved.
website by
Imaginal Marketing Group


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Congregation B'nai Israel
"The Home for Today's Jewish Families."
Congregation B'nai Israel is a Conservative, Egalitarian Synagogue located in the heart of the Pascack Valley, in Emerson, New Jersey. With a membership of approximately 200 families, we are pleased to offer something for everyone. Our Hebrew School meets two days per week, which allows children to learn about the Jewish life cycle, Jewish holidays, and Israeli culture and provides excellent preparation for the Bar/Bat Mitzvah celebration. Our active Sisterhood, Men's Club and Social Action committees offer many programs and events throughout the year for all age groups. We offer Adult Education classes as well as Adult B'nai Mitzvah classes with our Cantor. Since 2008 we have hosted a very successful series of "Casual Shabbats" which focus on music and innovative programming to encourage all our members to try something new during Shabbat prayers. Come see what's happening at B'nai Israel and learn why we are "The Home for Today's Jewish Families."
See our photos
Service Schedule
Erev Shabbat8:00PM
Shabbat Morning10:00AM
Sunday Minyan9:00AM
The High Holidays represent a special time to connect with the Jewish community. Through the EZ Key program synagogues in the Jewish Federation of Northern New Jersey catchment area are saying "Welcome" to new members of the community (who have lived in Bergen County / Passaic County / Hudson County for two years or less) by offering free High Holiday Tickets. Tickets are available for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services, including Kol Nidre and Yizkor. Want more information? Please contact Elisa J. Hirsch, email@example.com or 201-820-3918.


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Here is the announcement on the IIAR blog: IIAR publishes white paper on Managing the Gartner MQ. The whitepaper is titled: "Managing the Gartner Magic Quadrant: a tool for analyst relations managers." The paper is free for all IIAR members and can be found in the Library section of the organisation's website www.analystrelations.org.
Filed under: News | Tagged: analyst relations, AR, Gartner, IIAR, Magic Quadrant, MQ | Comments Off on IIAR publishes white paper on Managing the Gartner Magic Quadrant


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Style # 208029
This no-fail bebe cocktail number features delicate pleating that highlights the waist, perfect scoop neckline and racerback cut against sheer fabric and the classically-sexy silhouette of an LBD. Try it with a pair of statement earrings and classic pumps to complete the look.
- 100% rayon
- Center back to hem: 31" (79 cm)
- Silk georgette contrast
- Tricot lining
- Invisible zipper
- Dry clean
- Imported
- Model is 5'9" and is wearing a US size S


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migya wrote:Still can't get a pic on my sig! Don't know what is going wrong. I place the url of the pic after the phrase I have as my sig and an error comes up
I haven't tried it myself, but I suppose the image url has to be between the labels.
Something like this:
phrase [img]url[/img]


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By using our website, you are agreeing to cookies being stored and Google Analytics being used on your device in order to offer the best possible service. You can find more information on this here.
40.0 km/h wind
Mostly cloudy and rainy. But a slight chance of sunshine towards evening.
Sunny and cloudy periods will alternate throughout the day.
Some clouds in the morning, lateron much sunshine and hardly any clouds
You can compile your personal myVienna travel plan here. A personal watch list with interesting Vienna tips, sights and events.
You will receive an email containing a link to let you create a new password for your user account.
The registration details needed for myVienna are collected and processed on the basis of your consent under the terms of Article 6 GDPR for the purpose of identification, saving your travel plans and contacting you for these purposes. The provision of the data is necessary because we cannot carry out the service otherwise. The Vienna Tourist Board only evaluates the travel plans anonymously for the purpose of statistical surveys. You can erase this data yourself in your account settings. Or you can contact our Data Protection Officer at firstname.lastname@example.com. If you register for myVienna via Google+ or Facebook, we do not collect or process any personal data you have entered in Google+ or Facebook. Authentication by Google+ or Facebook is subject to the terms and conditions of use of the respective provider.
To mark the 450th anniversary of the death of Pieter Bruegel the Elder, the Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna is showing the world's first major …
"Bodyguard - The Musical" is coming to Vienna in September 2018. The German stage version of the 90s movie hit brings glamor and romance to the stage at the …
They are as famous as the Giant Ferris Wheel, Schönbrunn Palace, the Vienna Boys Choir or the Lipizzaner.
The Viennese fashion designer Arthur Arbesser took his inspiration for a limited collection from his home town and Vienna Modernism. The …
The new luxury shopping area in Vienna's Old City offers exclusive flagship stores of Louis Vuitton, Emporio Armani, Miu Miu, Prada and Saint Laurent.
The Mobile Tourist Infos (MoTI) are out in Vienna, using a cargo bike to distribute information and brochures to guests.
Tourist information
On our website you can search for hotel rooms in the Hotel Reservation Services system (HRS). The Vienna Tourist Board acts purely as a middleman in this regard, and does not store any data. You will find the relevant data protection provisions of our partner here.
The hearts of many members of the former imperial dynasty are stilled stored inside the Loreto Chapel, in the church where the Habsburgs once got married.
Access to Loretto Chapel: 5 steps.
In the former Court Church – today highly considered because of its church music – the 1854 wedding of Emperor Franz Joseph and his Sisi took place. Today, one regularly …
No other empress is as famous as Sisi. After marrying Emperor Franz Joseph, Sisi moved to the capital city of Vienna, the residence of the imperial family. Many places are …


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Gylfi Sigurdsson scored a late equaliser to earn Tottenham a 2-2 draw at Chelsea and keep the three-way race for a place in next season's Champions League in the balance.
Chelsea took an early lead when Oscar turned in a corner from close range at the back post before Spurs drew level through a superb 25-yard strike from Emmanuel Adebayor.
The Blues again went ahead six minutes before the break as Ramires broke through and produced a toe-poked finish into the bottom corner.
Rafa Benitez's side had chances to seal the victory after the restart but Spurs substitute Gylfi Sigurdsson scored the visitors' second equaliser of the game 10 minutes from time with a curling low shot.
Both sides made three changes to the starting line-ups that won their weekend matches, with Fernando Torres selected as Chelsea's lone striker and Frank Lampard dropping to the bench as he chases Bobby Tambling's club scoring record.
Spurs manager Andre Villas-Boas was dealt a blow as Mousa Dembele missed out with a muscle injury with Scott Parker and Lewis Holtby coming into the side.
Chelsea had the first chance of the game when Juan Mata fired over the crossbar in the seventh minute, but they only had to wait three more minutes to break the deadlock.
Mata swung in a corner from the right that Gary Cahill flicked on as he nipped in front of Michael Dawson and Oscar was on hand to turn the ball home from close range.
First we had the simple, then the spectacular.
In the 26th minute, Tottenham cleared a Chelsea corner and Scott Parker played the ball to Adebayor deep in his own half. The Togolese striker, off form all season, ran at the Chelsea defence before curling a wonderful strike into the top corner past the statuesque Petr Cech.
Six minutes before half-time, Chelsea once again took the lead. Fernando Torres did well to escape from Spurs defenders on the right touchline and slipped in Ramires, who at full speed toe-poked an unstoppable finish into the far corner.
Chelsea started the second-half with more purpose than the visitors and should have extended their advantage. Eden Hazard fired over from a tight angle before Ramires slipped when he looked certain to score after being played in by Mata.
But Tottenham took control as the second-half wore on and Adebayor was again at the heart of the move as he produce a sublime first-time flick for substitute Sigurdsson to curl low into the corner from 12 yards.
The result means third-placed Chelsea are not yet assured of their place in the top four while qualification for the Champions League is out of Tottenham's hands as they sit one point behind Arsenal with two matches to play.


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Effect of Massage Therapy on Aggression in a Psychiatric Inpatient Unit
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00421070
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : January 11, 2007
Last Update Posted : April 28, 2015
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- No Results Posted
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
|Condition or disease
|Psychiatric &or Mood Disorder
|Procedure: Massage therapy
|Not Applicable
Patient aggression and agitation on psychiatric inpatient wards poses a significant problem for both staff and patients, and impairs the therapeutic environment of the ward. Relaxation massage therapy has previously been shown to reduce the level of arousal, stress, anxiety and aggression in adolescents/young adults with various psychiatric disorders including anxiety, depression, conduct disorder and bulimia. This project investigates whether relaxation massage therapy is an effective intervention treatment for the management of arousal and aggression on a young adult inpatient ward.
Two treatment conditions will be assessed at different times on the ward; a) standard (control) treatment as per usual and b) relaxation massage therapy intervention treatment in addition to the standard treatment. Each treatment condition will be implemented for a six-week period. Depending on admission rate, we estimate there will be approximately 50 participants in each treatment group. The massage therapy intervention treatment will consist of daily 20-minute, fully clothed, seated relaxation massage sessions, offered to all consenting patients during their period of hospitalization. We aim to determine whether relaxation massage therapy significantly reduces: i) the level of arousal, stress, anxiety, hostility and aggression in psychiatric inpatients; ii) the frequency and/or severity of aggressive incidents on the ward; iii) the need for sedating medication; iv) the need for patient seclusion and/or restraint; v) the mean duration of hospitalization and vi) the amount of sick leave taken by staff and the associated costs of running the ward. This will be assessed by pre- and post-massage therapy measures of heart rate and salivary cortisol levels; and staff and patient ratings of anxiety, hostility and aggression. The nature, frequency and severity of aggressive incidents on the ward, as well as the use of coercive measures during each treatment condition, will be assessed using the "Staff Observation Aggression Scale-Revised" (SOAS-R). Staff and patient perception of the atmosphere of the ward during each treatment condition will also be assessed using the "Ward Atmosphere Scale".
It is hypothesized that relaxation massage therapy will lead to a lower incidence of violence and aggression on the ward via a reduction in the level of arousal, stress and/or anxiety among inpatients. It is further hypothesized that this will reduce the level of risk for both staff and patients and improve the therapeutic atmosphere of the ward. We also hypothesise that a reduction in aggressive incidents on the ward will be associated with a shorter mean duration of hospitalisation.
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|47 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Crossover Assignment
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Official Title:
|The Evaluation of Relaxation Massage Therapy as an Intervention Treatment for Reducing the Level of Arousal and Aggression on a Young Adult Psychiatric Inpatient Unit
|Study Start Date :
|May 2006
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|September 2006
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|September 2006
No Intervention: Treatment as usual
Observational component
Active Comparator: Intervention
Massage therapy adjunct comparator
Procedure: Massage therapy
A qualified massage therapist will administer a 20-minute standard massage procedure with the client sitting fully clothed in a special massage chair. The massage therapy session will consist of ; 1) long, broad stroking with light-moderate pressure to the back, compression to the back (parallel to spine) from the shoulders to base of spine, trapezius squeeze, finger pressure on the shoulder; 2) arms dropped to the side with arms kneaded from shoulder to lower arm and pressing down on upper and lower arms; 3) entire hands massaged and pulling of fingers, light kneading to area of cervical vertebrae, pressing down on trapezius with finger pressure and squeezing continuing down the arms.
- Aggression [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ]
- Irritability [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ]
- Anxiety [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ]
- Depression [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ]
- Cortisol levels [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ]
- Psychosocial climate [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ]
- PRN medication [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ]
- Incidence of seclusion or restraint [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ]
- Duration of hospitalisation [ Time Frame: 6 weeks ]
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|15 Years to 25 Years (Child, Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Admission to the ORYGEN Inpatient Unit
Exclusion Criteria:
- Highly agitated and aggressive patients remaining in a severely aggressive state for more than 24 hours after admission
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT00421070
|Australia, Victoria
|ORYGEN Youth Health
|Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3052
|Principal Investigator:
|Belinda Garner, PhD
|ORYGEN Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne
|Principal Investigator:
|Lisa Phillips, M.Psych, PhD
|Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne
|Study Director:
|Patrick D McGorry, PhD, FRANZP
|ORYGEN Research Centre , ORYGEN Youth Health, Department of Psychiatry, University of Melbourne
|Responsible Party:
|Melbourne Health
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|NCT00421070 History of Changes
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|January 11, 2007 Key Record Dates
|Last Update Posted:
|April 28, 2015
|Last Verified:
|April 2015
Keywords provided by Melbourne Health:
Psychiatric inpatient
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Mood Disorders
Mental Disorders
Behavioral Symptoms


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23 Dec 2014 11:55:36 AM
The World MMA Awards Are a Goddamned Travesty
(Arianny Celeste, accepting her third-consecutive award for Journalist of the Year. / Photo via Getty)
By Mike Fagan
I sort of remember where I was when Fighters Only announced the first World MMA Awards. What a moment. I sat there at my desk in my two-bedroom apartment in beautiful Henderson, Nevada, reading the announcement and nominee list. I may have thought something like "This won't last more than a year" or maybe I just finished reading and moved on with my life. December 2008 was a wild time, man.
Yet, here we are during the annual War on Christmas in 2014 and the World MMA Awards are going strong with their seventh annual edition. They proved the maybe-fictional version of my 2008 self wrong.
Fighters Only released this year's nominee list on Monday, and I have some thoughts. Allow me to list them for you…
1. Someone ran the nominee photos through the "2003" filter. The World MMA Awards built itself a flashy website complete with a sweet animated countdown clock and high-res background video of last year's awards and 2014 UFC highlights which I'm sure cost a lot of money to license (wink wink). Yet when you click through to vote, you find headshots of nominees that look like they were shot on a flip phone a decade ago.
2. International Fighter of the Year is still a thing. For the first two years, International Fighter of the Year was known as European Fighter of the Year, which, okay, Fighters Only is a UK publication or whatever. They renamed it for 2010, and fighters "outside the Americas" are eligible. Now I'm not sure of the point. Every winner of the award (including the original Euro winners) had a presence in the United States the year they won. Plus, MMA is a global sport, and international fighters aren't disqualified or handicapped from winning Fighter of the Year proper. The first three winners were non-Americans Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre (who technically isn't eligible for International Fighter of the Year anyway), and Jose Aldo. You could always present a non-UFC Fighter of the Year and prevent things like…
3. Emanuel Newton nominated for Fighter of the Year.Read More DIGG THIS


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Streamlining Your Product Development
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We are giving away a Mansur Gavriel Bucket Bag!
Sign up to find out more details.
Wide Bias Pull On Pant
Orchard Gem Exotic Watch
Palomino Wide Brim Striped Hat
Square Metal Frame Sunglasses
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Japanistic is already well known amongst bento fans as a source for well priced bento boxes and accessories, not to mention a lot of other great products from Japan such as stationery, craft items and more. They're offering a special discount on a very useful bento box set, plus a giveaway prize to JustBento readers. Both feature bento boxes with clear lids and large snap-on plastic side clips. These types of clips are easy to open and close even for little hands, and keep the contents really secure. They don't require elastic bands to hold them closed - one less item to worry about getting lost.
First up is the special set price for the very cute Addy Drop Back-to-School Package.
It features a single-layer bento box, a small side box, and matching chopsticks. You could use the bento box or the side box on their own of course. The price for the set is $31.45, 10% off the price if purchased separately. The Addy Drop Back-to-School Package can be shipped worldwide.
And here's the equally cute giveaway prize!
This set consists of a Hobee 1-layer bento box (capacity: 400ml) with large snap-on side clips, and the matching chopsticks. 400ml is a great size for kids, and can be used as a snack bento or side box for people with large appetites.
Update: This drawing is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered! The winner will be announced next week.
Please note that this giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.
To enter, just leave a comment to this post, telling us how you discovered bentos. Be sure to include a valid email address where you can be contacted in the appropriate text box! Your comment must be posted by 23:59:59 EDT (U.S. East Coast Time) (or just before midnight) of Friday, August 20th 2010. One lucky entry will be drawn at random to receive the Hobee bento box and chopstick set. Good luck!
This is Giveaway No. 1 of Back To School Week. Stay tuned for more throughout the week! (Non-US residents don't worry, there will be giveaways later in the week that you can enter too.)
Follow and Like our Facebook Page! And visit our sister site, Just Hungry
I discovered bentos and this website from a small article in Cooking Light last year. I had just started a new job teaching and went back to school full time and needed a quick and nutritious way to stay fueled all day. This website and your recipes have been just what I needed. Can't wait until your book comes out! :)
Although I have always known about bentos, it wasn't until a friend clued me into this website that I became motivated to try it out. I have started slow and with little in the way of supplies but it has been fun. I look forward toward ever expanding my repertoire and supplies. Thanks for the blog!!
I discovered bentos quite a while ago (9-10 years?) when I first watched My Neighbor Totoro. Silly to find out about bento lunches this way, but I was so charmed by the little boxes and idea, that I started doing similar things. I was super excited to find this website 1 year ago with easier (and not in Japanese) recipes.
I learned from a friend at work. I just love them.
I had a bento style dinner at a Japanese restaurant, loved it, then didn't think about it for ages. This summer I stumbled across mention of a bento lunch, started to research them, and my brain got hooked. I've started packing them for my husband (a teacher) and sons - even myself. It taps into my creativity and love of food and is helping me with portion control and vegetable/fruit variety. My youngest isn't ready for a bento yet, but as soon as she is, I think she'll love them too!
The first time I saw them was when I was searching for Hello Kitty stuff online and I've been addicted ever since.
When I got my first big-girl job everyone at my office went out to eat everyday. Trying to make my meager entry-level paycheck go a little further, I started packing my lunch, to everyone's amusement. I spent lots of time finding new, quick recipes for my lunch, which eventually led me to bento's (and to Maki!). And once my lunches were adorable and in cute boxes, everyone finally stopped teasing me!
I across bento lunchboxes when i was looking for healthy lunch ideas for my daughter. She will be entering the 4th grader in a couple of weeks and very much a "foodie" like me. She is always disappointed by the meal choices as school and I've decided this school year to let her bring her own lunch. We plan to prepare her meals the night before and I'm excited to see where her imagination will take us.
I'm a quarter Japanese. I used a small plastic Tupperware container to pack my lunch in high school, but I didn't know about bento or that I was making bento until some friends in college introduced me to charaben. Though I suspected that most people don't spend that much time on lunch, I didn't see bentos as practical until much later, when a friend raved about your blog and I read your definition of bento.
I was (again) bored by my lunchtime routine at the same time my son started needing lunches packed for him. Searches for "interesting lunch" led me to bentos!
I used to look at the site "Bento Yum" and i missed it a lot once it went away, but now I think your site is better! Thanks for the yummy recipes too. Looking forward to getting your cookbook from Amazon.
My fascination with Japanese culture in general, and bento in particular, began with Anime. A friend of mine insisted that I watch Anime un-dubbed, with subtitles; he said that I would get more out of the experience if I did. I took his advice, and almost immediately had a list of questions: what is Golden Week? When exactly does the Japanese school year start? What's with those cute little lunch boxes wrapped in cloth? What's the difference between yukata and furisode? What do ohagi (takoyaki, okonomiyaki, anpan, inari, the list goes on.....) taste like? And many, many more. As soon as the episode would end I'd jump on the computer and google my little heart out. Then I lstumbled across a website article explaining bento and I've been hooked ever since. :-)
I discovered bento when someone forwarded me a link to www.anotherlunch.com. A hobby that feeds my obsession with containers and will help me feed my daughter varied and nutritious food? Sign me up!
From there I started following her links to Hapa Bento, Just Bento, Happy Little Bento . . . the list goes on. And let's not look too closely at my bento shopping expenses in the last few months -- I even already own the Hobee bento box (by the way, I hold you personally responsible for my recent purchase of a Zen 3 at Bento & Co). ;-)
Thanks for all the great information about recipes and resources, and best wishes for your continued recovery from surgery,
i found this website on google when searching for everyday bentos. hip2save.com asked some good ideas on how to update kid's lunches so i posted this site on there as ideas from the everyday sandwiches. i LOVE bentos and have been playing around with them for years. i have definitely bookmarked this site now though =)
I discovered bentos from Mitsuwa market in NJ. Then I started to bring home made lunches and found that bentos were the best things ever...and even though the only things I can make now are eggs shaped like bunnies and octowieners...I still love carrying my bento - just with mom's cooking instead. Someday I will learn to make cute bentos...just not right now.
I'd heard about them before, but thought it was hard to do. Then I started taking my lunch to work at a job where everyone took lunch breaks together, and I wanted to have super-compact meals that fit in the jam-packed fridge. Bento was the answer, though I used rather plain containers. Now I'm buying the very kawaii boxes for my daughter, who, being a toddler, requires very specific foods and very attractive presentations before she'll accept anything. Bento makes vegetables happen!
I became aware of bentos when i first saw one on facebook created by my friend. She made bentos for her daughter who goes to the same school as my daughter. Ever since then, i have been making bentos for my daughter and she loves the cute tooth picks and little containers i put into the bentos. Your site has help me a lot with preparing different bento food. Thanks!!!
I found your website through a Google search as I'm looking for ideas for packing my daughter's lunches. What a great idea....can't wait to try it!
I was born and raised in Japan. One of my favorite bento is at P.E. festivals. Lots of my classmates peeked what I got because my mom made special menu every time. Another favorite is when I was in kindergarten, my dad took some pictures of me with bento. It was lunch time and those pictures make me smile even now! :) I will make bento for my child's lunch so we can share great memories likely my parents game to me.
I discovered Bento boxes whilst searching for healthy lunch box recipes for my daughter.
I actually heard about Bentos from Cafemom. That is also how I found this blog. I absolutely love them and think they are the cutest!
A coworker with a serious penchant for cuteness introduced me to bentos (her lunches!)...love at first sight!
Through my love of sushi and researching it online, I stumbled onto bento boxes. I tend to love the cute variaties. I was SO excited to find this new way of eating because my lunches during my work days needed a big re-vamp. And it seemed like delving into bento box making would help me get more creative with my lunches, therefore making me more interested in eating my awesome lunch. I even sparked this idea to a family member who ran with the idea and found it fun too! I also love the idea of the portion controling it provides.
I learned about bento while I was surfing the web for Japanese recipes. Thanks to the tips and recipes on your site and others, I now pack healthy bento lunches and snacks for my family.
I could have sworn I replied to this already, but I can't seem to find my reply. Oh, well. The short version is that I met a girl at a conference who had brought her lunch in a bento box. I thought it was really neat, so I asked her about it, and she told me she was using it to help her with portion control with her diet, but that she had fun just making the lunches, too.
Found out through my girlfriend... kinda cute.
I discovered bentos via anime, but I did not consider making my own until I started reading Biggies blog Lunch in a Box. I've cut back on my bento making since ichibankan shutdown their website.
I first had a bento box in a chain restaurant 'Teaism' in Washington. I thought it was the most awesome thing I'd ever seen. I've had them since occasionally in local places, but really started doing research this past week because my daughter is getting ready to start preschool, and I'm going Bento, baby!
Thanks for the site and giveaways :-).
I discovered bentos through your website Just Hungry! Simultaneously, my boyfriend and I were making efforts to eat better and that included lunches. All of these things just fit together, and bento seemed like a great solution.
I think I first introduced to bentos when I was 6 years old. My family had a foreign exchange student from Japan living with us for a year, and Misako would make lunch for me to take to school. I thought her lunches were great, as they were different from what my mom would make for me. It wasn't until I was in middle school that I realized that the lunches Misako would make were called bentos. I had already been making them for myself for the past year at that point, and went to school to tell all my friends about them. Now I'm a 20 year old college student, who finds making bentos in the dorms super easy and a lot of fun :)
I honestly can't remember how I first learned of bento, but I'm going to guess that it came up during some random web surfing. I was hooked almost immediately, it spoke to my love of crafting, cooking, and fun!
I discovered bento by searching online for healthy easy meals that I can take with me to school to save money on expensive prices in the student union.
I first learned about bentos when I moved to Japan to teach English at a Kindergarden in Osaka. I was amazed by the cute, creative and delicious looking meals packed in a convinient little box. I've been interested ever sense and can't wait to start making obento for my daughter!
I was buying my older son (11) this lunchbox he wanted from Price Club, and my younger son (7) said, "I want the kind with the dividers" - I knew he was talking about the Bento box, as I've been intrigued by them but just haven't gotten one yet. There are so many to choose from! Yikes!
Cool giveaway!
I actually found bento through this site. I had to make a menu for Italian class, and instead of sticking to only traditional Italian dishes I used different cultural dishes. One of the dishes for the antipasti (appetizers) was rice balls/onigiri. When looking for a picture of onigiri, I found this site, and was captivated by the idea of bento. I read Maki's introduction about the "Japanese gazelle" and using bento to loose weight; I also saw the interesting recipes, beauty, and Japanese culture in a bento. As an budding anime fan, I started with bentos, and now I love them. Bringing them to school is fun, and it has helped my interest in cooking.
So, besides entering this contest, thank you Maki for introducing me to bento!
I first heard about Bento boxes online when I saw some pictures of some made to look like video game characters.
I first heard about bentos while watching anime, some 10 years ago! But finding this website really encouraged me to create my own.
I discovered bentos when I was at a Japanese Anime convention in Texas. I saw a girl eating out of a rectangle box and was intrigued by its cuteness and have loved them ever since.
I picked up a magazine "Yum Food & Fund for Kids" Sept 2010 and it had a article in there. I "binged" Bento Boxes and found your website. :o)
I discovered bentos on accident. I was looking up how to make Onigiri and eventually stumbled onto this site. I've been browsing all summer and am very excited to start packing my very own bentos next week for school. (:
I have a son who is allgeric to corn, milk and eggs. I have been desperately looking for something new to add to his meals. You see, he cannot eat anything from a restaurant. When we eat out he is usually stuck with a PB&J sandwich or something else totally boring. In my frantic search on line I stumbled upon the Bento and fell in love with the idea. He is very proud now to open his meal up and all the kids and other parents "Ohh and Ahh" over his meal. He is actually eating new foods and not so quick to turn his nose up to it. Yahoo!
When I studied abroad in Japan I found out the bentos could be some of the most amazing, condensed, yet intensely healthy boxed lunches around. I also found out about the evening bento sales, but maybe that's a different story. While I don't have tons of bento supplies, packing my own lunch with healthy, colorful creations is a great way to use leftovers - but also get lots of comments as to "where did you get that!?" :)
I recently learned about bento lunches from a local discussion group for moms called CharlotteMommies.com. I didn't understand the allure at first, but the more I learn from blogs such as this, the more excited I become!
I saw them in anime and manga
I discovered bentos by watching Sailor Moon as a kid. I never realized that it could be possible to replicate what my favorite cartoon characters were eating! I found this site a couple of months ago, and have been hooked ever since!
I first saw bento while living in Seattle- at Uwajimaya Market.
I guess I've always seen the characters in my favorite anime and manga eating bentos at lunch time, but I never really knew what they were or paid them any attention. It wasn't until I was looking for some recipe or another and found this site that I got really interested and "discovered them".
I was Stumbling one night and came across Bentos. I loved the idea of creative, simple, healthy food.
I was looking for ways to make my lunches more attractive, yet compact; needed to stay edible w/o refrigeration. I stumbled upon your site, and VOILA, here I am, a bento addict. Thank you for your blog. I have learned much from you.
I saw the "Vivo Bento Box" pictured in a magazine and thought it was cute. Then I consulted the Google to find out what a bento was. I read the "lunchinabox" website first, then came to this one. A cute lunch that can use leftovers-what's not to like?
@justbento - strictly site updates
@makiwi - Maki tweets at random


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Storify: Oh Hanukkah, Oh Chanukah? How do you spell that anyway?
During Hanukkah, Jewish family kitchens overflow with potato pancakes, jelly donuts and chocolate coins, and kids light the menorah and play dreidel.
But when it comes to music for the Festival of Lights, what"s a Jew to do?
Traditional holiday music playlists usually include generous portions of standards by Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Bing Crosby.
Hanukkah tunes, however, haven"t enjoyed a wide interest.
"How do you make Jewish music appeal to the general audiences? … I feel that never happens," said Leeav Sofer, 23, co-leader of the Jewish Youth Symphony Choir for the Jewish Federation of the Greater San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys.
"Nobody hears Jewish music that isn"t really searching for this kind of music," added Sofer, who has his own music group called Mostly Kosher.
Hanukkah, the traditional Jewish Festival of Lights, began Saturday night and continues through Dec. 16. It celebrates the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem after the Jewish rebel army, called the Maccabees, defeated the Greek-Syrian army in the second century B.C.
Ron Wolfson, professor of education at American Jewish University, said the social networking revolution fostered by Facebook and YouTube have made sharing Hanukkah spirit much easier.
"I think the Internet and YouTube have really become vehicles for sharing that sort of stuff. In the past unless you were Adam Sandler you didn"t get a Hanukkah song on the radio," Wolfson said.
Now, Jews have more of their own holiday hits to choose from.
In recent years, Grammy-nominated Hasidic reggae artist Matisyahu"s rising success in the music industry has elevated Jewish sounds to a new level in pop culture.
Matisyahu first became popular among Jews and non-Jews alike with the 2002 release of the hit song "King Without a Crown."
In 2010 Matisyahu"s "One Day" became a theme song for the Winter Olympics. Later that year he released "Miracle" on the first night of Hanukkah. This year he"s given Jews another holiday gift entitled "Happy Hanukkah."
Matisyahu said his intention is to make hip Hanukkah music and convey the meaning of the holiday to a wide range of listeners.
"I figured there really aren"t any fresh, young, modern, kind of cool Hanukkah songs out there. I decided that was the kind of Hanukkah song I wanted to write, and … that was called `Miracle,"" said the singer, whose real name is Matthew Paul Miller. "I played for a lot of people. A lot of people loved it and my Jewish friends got it. But my friends that weren"t Jewish didn"t necessarily know it was a Hanukkah song.
"This year, I decided I was going to do another one and try to actually incorporate Hanukkah into a song and still make it sound cool."
Matisyahu said he hopes his songs, which resonate even across religious boundaries, can give Jews a sense of pride in their religion.
"I think that they are songs that make kids feel good to be Jewish, and that"s one of the elements of what I believe I"ve accomplished or what I"ve hoped to do," he said. "For me as a kid I struggled with identity and trying to figure out who I was and spirituality and all that, and I went on this journey to find and explore myself via Judaism and through music and through many things, but I came to a certain place and that"s what I try to give back and put out there."
Matisyahu, who lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three sons, said though the holiday in America is about celebration, for him the story of the rededication of the temple and the miracle of light resonate on an even deeper level.
"They say the body is a temple, it"s healthy body healthy mind, it"s all connected. The idea is about rededicating yourself to spirituality … that"s kind of what Hanukkah is for me," he said. "And then there"s light, there"s the idea that Hanukkah comes at the darkest time and it"s simple, Hanukkah is one candle in the darkness. To me, it"s sitting in the back of the tour bus in a dark room with the menorah going and there"s the very subtle, beautiful glow in the darkness. That light that"s there no matter what."
And Matisyahu"s not the only artist spreading Hanukkah cheer these days. Yarmulke"d YouTube a cappella sensation The Maccabeats, which originated at Yeshiva University in 2007, have made Hanukkah hip, at least for their fellow "tribesmen."
"We get messages from people saying, I live in a town where I"m one of the only Jewish people and I never thought it a cool thing to be Jewish, but now that I saw your video and how successful it was I"m a lot more openly proud of who I am and my heritage," said group member Joshua Jay, 25, who a student at Yeshiva University"s Albert Einstein College of Medicine. "We are very happy to be able to provide that to people."
The Maccabeats, whose name comes straight from the Hanukkah story, released their first Hanukkah song and music video "Candlelight" in 2010. The song, a parody of Taio Cruz"s "Dynamite," went viral with more than one million hits in just a few days.
Jay said the group hoped to bring the story to life in a fun way with its holiday songs.
"We were trying to write a fun video that people would enjoy in its own right, we were trying to provide a way to tell the story of a holiday that is relatable and accessible," he said. "And also we were trying to come out with more Hanukkah music because there really isn"t much out there."
This year, the Maccabeats released their first original song "Shine," which touches on the Hanukkah theme of light and "finding light and meaning in someone"s life," Jay said.
Jackson Block, 17, president of the Pacific Western Region B"nai B"rith Youth Organization, said he and his peers are grateful for these new, fun and modern songs, which help make the holiday more special.
"It shows the vibrance of the Jewish people and the younger generation taking ownership of our community," said Block, who lives in Santa Clarita.
And that, Wolfson said, goes to the heart of the "miracle" of Hanukkah, a holiday that celebrates the Jews" refusal to assimilate into Greek-Syrian society.
"The message of Hanukkah is to stand up for your religious beliefs and to kind of assert your identity and for families," said Wolfson, who wrote "Hanukkah: The family guide to spiritual celebration."
"And at this time of year that"s an important message because our culture is inundated with messages of Christmas and it just so happens that Hanukkah happens at the same time."


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Join me every week for Win-It Wednesday. I'll be posting 24-hour giveaways at 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. ET to give you plenty of chances to win!
I've always envied those bloggers that faithfully post their menu plans each week. They seem so organized and as if they just have it all together. I imagine how nice it would be to know ahead of time what's planned for dinner, but I've always struggled to implement menu planning into our schedule. Then I learned about Plan To Eat...
Plan To Eat is a meal planning website and so much more, and it's really the perfect solution for someone as disorganized as myself in the kitchen. With Plan To Eat, you can easily compile your favorite recipes and then use them to create a weekly menu plan.
There are three main components to the Plan To Eat site: Recipe Book, Meal Planner, and Shopping List. One of my favorite features is the Recipe Book. I have literally hundreds of recipes that I've written down, torn out of magazines, or bookmarked in my browser. But while I have good intentions on making all of them, in actuality, I only try a few because of the sheer chaos.
The Plan To Eat Recipe Book allows me to compile all of these recipes in one location. I can tag them so I can find them easily in the future, and I can even upload photos of the finished product. Importing recipes from other websites is usually as simple as searching for the URL in the Add A Recipe view, or I can quickly add them with the bulk entry feature. Plus Plan To Eat makes it easy to share recipes with friends also using the service.
Meal Planning with Plan To Eat is simple once you have your recipes set up. Just drag and drop your selected recipe to the day you plan to prepare it. You can also save a group of menus as a plan that you can reuse in the future, and (I love this feature) you can add your plan to your Google Calendar. I don't know what I'd do without my Google Calendar!
Plan To Eat goes above and beyond just meal planning. It will automatically generate a Shopping List based on your menu selections. Is one of your ingredients on sale at a local store in a given week? You can sort your list by store, making it easy to remember which ingredients should be purchased where.
I really feel like I've only just scratched the surface of what Plan To Eat can do, but why not check it out yourself? Plan To Eat is currently offering a FREE 30-day trial for their monthly menu planning site! Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Six lucky Deal Seeking Mom readers will each win a one-year membership to Plan to Eat!
To enter, tell me what your favorite family meal is!
Every reader has four methods available to enter this contest. Choose one each of any combination of method one, two, three, or four for up to a total of 4 entries!!!
If you are reading this in your email or feed reader, please CLICK HERE to visit the original blog post to enter. Email entries will not be counted.
Methods of entry:
1. Leave a comment. What's your favorite family meal?
2. Subscribe to the Plan to Eat blog for recipes, organizing tips and more. Be sure to come back and leave a separate comment letting me know you've subscribed.
3. "Like" Plan to Eat on Facebook to get previews of new features and suggest features you'd like to see! Come back and leave a separate comment letting me know you've done so.
4. Subscribe to my feed via RSS or email. You must confirm your email subscription for it to be a valid entry! Leave a separate comment letting me know you have done so. If you're already a subscriber, simply leave a separate comment letting me know you're already subscribed. Lovin' my subscribers! You guys make this all possible.
(6) one-year Plan to Eat memberships
This giveaway ends at 2pm EST on Thursday, 7/8 and is open to all U.S. residents 18 years or older. I'll use Comment Contest to select the winning comment. Winner will be notified by email and listed on my Giveaway Winners page. Winners must respond within 48 hours of notification to claim their prize. Good luck!
While you're in a contest entering mood, don't forget to check out the Giveaway Gathering for a variety of contests being hosted on Deal Seeking Mom readers' blogs!


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Creative chefs like to experiment, sometimes using wine as an ingredient.
Gretchen Hartrick of The Cupcake Daily in Talent has a following for her Rose Jolee strawberry cupcake ($3.25) using Del Rio Vineyards & Winery's 2011 Rose Jolee ($15 a bottle), a white blend of early muscat and riesling with red wine added to create a pink color.
"The cupcake is very popular, especially because so many people are big Rose Jolee (wine) fans," she says.
From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 12, Hartrick and her crew will serve cake samples at Del Rio's ninth annual Winter Wine Event. Inside the winery at 52 N. River Road in Gold Hill, other vendors will pass out candies, breads, cheeses and Talent-based Shibui balsamic sauces.
Admission is $15 and includes a keepsake wine glass and tastings ($10 for wine-club members who are allowed inside at noon).
Hartrick says this event always draws a large, cupcake-friendly crowd. "After a few glasses of wine, they are not as worried about calories and are looking for a good time," she says. "It's a 'what-the-heck?' attitude."
The Cupcake Daily customers don't have to feel that guilty because the cakes, frostings and fillings are made from scratch, with unbleached flour and in-season fruits.
The shop at 102 Talent Ave. (open Tuesday through Saturday) has daily specials, such as the Wine & Cheese: a chocolate-red wine cake with cream-cheese frosting and salted caramel. On Wine Wednesdays, there may be pear-chardonnay, chocolate-zinfandel or other cakes made with wine.
The Cupcake Daily has worked with other wine producers, including Talent-based Ledger David Cellars, to infuse a red-velvet cupcake with 2010 Sangiovese ($22), and Ashland-based Grizzly Peak Winery, to pair a brown-butter buttercream-spice cake with 2010 Chardonnay ($16).
— Janet Eastman
Cooking with Wine
Creative chefs like to experiment, sometimes using wine as an ingredient.


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LONDON (AP) — Britain's Ministry of Defense says a third soldier has died from injuries sustained in a training exercise in Wales earlier this month.
The soldier had been hospitalized following the exercise on the Brecon Beacons mountain range in South Wales, which killed two other reservists.
The defense ministry on Tuesday announced the third reservist's death but did not provide further details. The ministry said only that the serviceman's family has asked for a grace period before he is named.
The ministry has said it is investigating what happened during the exercise.
The Brecon Beacons is one of several locations the British military uses for training. The army's website says the area's rugged landscape is demanding and can prepare soldiers for circumstances in the field.


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There's an old adage attributed to the great Roman military writer Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, who said, "If you want peace, prepare for war."
There's an old adage attributed to the great Roman military writer Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, who said, "If you want peace, prepare for war."
For those who are currently gainfully employed, take note: This is a new age. It's an age that reflects the constantly changing dynamics of not just the economy, but how companies manage their expenses to run as lean as possible. Just read the business headlines for a month and you get the flavor that there is a constant adjusting of head counts, even at companies that are doing well.
The constant shifting in the economy and in the skills needed by companies, combined with a culture of constantly streamlined company expense management, creates an uncertain employment picture.
So, from my perspective, the best time to get ready for unemployment is while you are employed. This is counterintuitive to what almost everyone does. Who wants to think about building the foundation for their next career move while the party is going? Few if any, I can assure you.
Here are a few key things to consider as your career and employment hum along:
-- Document your projects and special work assignments. You can go a long time without having to find employment and forget many of the key details of projects or assignments you've handled in that time. Keep a journal that notes the challenges in each project, your approach to solving them and the results. This data will serve you well in preparation for future interviews.
-- Whenever possible, take on extra assignments, especially the ones no one wants. Employers like to hire people who have the proven ability to solve thorny problems. It's a great return for them in exchange for your salary.
-- Take advantage of formal and informal training programs as they are offered. A steady diet of new knowledge and skills is the fiber that makes your job search muscles strong.
-- Never, ever stop building your database of professional contacts. Your best chance of landing your next job lies somewhere in the strength of your network contacts. Jobvite's (jobvite.com) 2013 Social Recruiting surveyed noted, "The highest-rated candidates are sourced through referrals, social networks and corporate career sites." It also noted that "candidates sourced through referrals and company hiring pages are more likely to get hired faster and stay on the job longer."
--- Take care to contact and keep in touch with both corporate and private recruitment firms. Staying in touch with them a few times a year keeps your name in the flow of potential career opportunities.
My last point is this: Never feel guilty about preparing for your next job search. Doing the above is an insurance policy that allows you to shorten the cycle time it takes if you lose your job.
-- David Dirks is the author of "Job Search Marketing: Finding Job Opportunities in Any Economy." You can find more information on his job search strategies at jobsearchmarketing.net and by listening to his podcasts at blogtalkradio.com/jobsearchmarketing.


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LEIDSCHENDAM, Netherlands (AP) — More than a decade after fuelling a murderous campaign of terror in Sierra Leone by supplying rebels with arms, Charles Taylor was definitively convicted and imprisoned Thursday for 50 years, in a ruling that finally delivered justice for victims.
The appeals chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone upheld the 65-year-old former Liberian president's conviction on 11 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including terrorism, murder, rape and using child soldiers.
Taylor is the first former head of state convicted by an international war crimes court since World War II and Thursday's confirmation was welcomed as underscoring a new era of accountability for heads of state.
"This is a historic and momentous day for the people of Sierra Leone and the region," U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement.
"The judgment is a significant milestone in international criminal justice, as it confirms the conviction of a former head of state for aiding, abetting and planning war crimes and crimes against humanity."
Stephen Rapp, the ambassador for war crimes issues at the U.S. Department of State and former prosecutor at the Sierra Leone court, said the ruling "sends a clear message to all the world, that when you commit crimes like this, it may not happen overnight, but there will be a day of reckoning."
However, it also appeared to establish dueling sets of jurisprudence at two international courts on opposite sides of The Hague on the question of when senior officials can support one side in another country's civil war — an issue world leaders must consider if they mull over arming rebels in Syria.
The Sierra Leone appeals panel rejected a controversial February ruling by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), which said that to prove a leader has aided and abetted a crime, the assistance has to be specifically directed at committing a crime. In that case, the former chief of staff of the Yugoslav national army was acquitted of aiding and abetting atrocities by Bosnian Serb forces even though he had sent them arms and other supplies.
Taylor's case appeared to swing the pendulum back toward a lower burden of proof for prosecutors.
His lawyer complained that the two rulings have created "entirely chaotic jurisprudence" at international tribunals.
If Taylor had been prosecuted by the Yugoslav tribunal, "I dare say the outcome would have been different, and that courthouse is less than 10 kilometers (six miles) away from this courthouse," Morris Anyah said.
But international law expert Michael Scharf of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, said the ruling Thursday "righted the ship" after the Yugoslav court had made prosecuting leaders who support rebels much more difficult.
Anyah also complained that Taylor had been prosecuted because of a lack of friends in high places, again referring to Syria.
"But for two powerful nations, two members of the Security Council — Russia and China — Bashar Assad would have been charged and indicted by the International Criminal Court. That is not happening simply because of political reasons," he said. "Had Charles Taylor had as friends any of the five permanent members of the Security Council ... this case I dare say would probably not have had the sort of traction it had."
Because Syria is not a member of the International Criminal Court, only the Security Council asking the court to investigate could trigger jurisdiction there.
Wearing a black suit and a gold-colored tie, Taylor showed little emotion while Presiding Judge George Gelaga King read the unanimous verdict of the six-judge panel.
Anyah said Taylor was bitterly disappointed by the ruling that will likely see him spend the rest of his life behind bars, but "he has remained stoic and calm."
It remains unclear where he will serve his sentence. Great Britain has offered cell space, but the court also has agreements with Finland, Sweden and Rwanda to house prisoners.
The court found Taylor provided crucial aid to rebels in Sierra Leone during that country's 11-year civil war, which left an estimated 50,000 people dead before its conclusion in 2002.
Thousands more were left mutilated in a conflict that became known for its extreme cruelty, as rival rebel groups hacked off the limbs of their victims and carved their groups' initials into opponents. The rebels developed gruesome terms for the mutilations, offering victims the choice of "long sleeves" or "short sleeves" — having their hands hacked off or their arms sliced off above the elbow.
Back in Sierra Leone, Edward Conteh, who lost his lower left arm when rebels chopped it off with an ax, said he was elated with Taylor's conviction.
"Impunity must stop in Africa, so I'm very happy over the decision," he told The Associated Press. "At 65, I don't know whether he will ever breathe the free air that I do breathe."
Conteh, who today leads an organization that aids war amputees, said Taylor's sentence closed a chapter but that some 2,000 people still live with amputations and other serious injuries from the war. Many live in abject poverty with little means to support their families.
But Taylor supporters in Liberia remained loyal to the former warlord who was later democratically elected the country's president.
"We are here. We will always be here; and we will always be loyal to Mr. Taylor no matter what the international community thinks," said Henry Brown, the caretaker of Taylor's palace in the Congotown township of the capital, Monrovia.
Taylor's brother-in-law Arthur Saye said he wasn't surprised by the verdict.
"From Day One my position has been that the trial of Mr. Taylor was orchestrated by the powers that be — the Western powers," he told The Associated Press. "This was an international conspiracy."
Associated Press writers Toby Sterling in Leidschendam, Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal and Jonathan Paye-Layleh in Monrovia, Liberia contributed to this report.


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Featured News - Current News - Archived News - News Categories
Genewick lauds dedication to senior issues
Betsy Diachun of Lewiston's years of volunteerism in her community have paid off, with the active senior being named the 2013 Senior of the Year by the Niagara County Office for the Aging.
Diachun, who chairs the Niagara Area Foundation of the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, has been involved in a host of civic programs - everything from delivering nutritious meals to other, less-mobile seniors as part of the OFA's home-delivered meals program, to serving as an elections inspector in Ransomville and Youngstown. That dedication to her neighbors is a big part of why she was selected for the annual honor, Director Ken Genewick said.
"Betsy's had a life of service to not only her community of Lewiston, but throughout the county as well," Genewick said. "She's been involved with many boards, she's a small business owner, and she's been really instrumental in the services we provide at the Office for the Aging, including delivering home-delivered meals for us in her hometown for more than 15 years."
Genewick noted his agency relies heavily on volunteers, most of them seniors themselves, to operate various programs that serve the senior community. The home-delivered meals are one of the most popular, and visible, OFA programs, with a team of volunteers that includes many active older adults fanning out across the county every weekday to bring hot, nutritionally balanced meals to seniors for whom traveling to senior centers and other dining facilities is not practical.
"For us, it's great to be able to honor someone like Betsy, who along with 200 other seniors and volunteers in our office allows us to provide a high level of services for the seniors of Niagara County," Genewick said.
Diachun's civic involvement over the years has included two terms on the Lewiston-Porter School District's board of education, serving on the Leadership Niagara board of directors, fundraising for the Youngstown Free Library, and starting the first Red Hat Society in Niagara Falls.
She is the former assistant director of Old Fort Niagara and remains secretary of the Old Fort Niagara board of directors, and is on the board of the Niagara Beautification Commission.


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Judge OKs deal to end Ala. HIV inmate segregation
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge has approved a settlement to end the segregation of HIV-positive inmates in Alabama prisons.
U.S. District Judge Myron Thompson issued an opinion Monday saying the agreement isn't perfect but can take effect.
Female inmates with HIV already are living with other prisoners at the state's lone women's prison, and male inmates will be integrated into the general prison population next year.
Thompson sided with prisoners in December and ordered the Department of Corrections to quit making HIV-positive inmates live in housing areas away from other prisoners. Thompson held two hearings last week on the resulting settlement.
The American Civil Liberties Union represents inmates who sued to end the practice. Thompson approved $1.3 million in legal fees and expenses that will have to be paid by the state.