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I'm Sioux Roslawski and this is my blog about writing, dogs, grown-up children, menopause, the joy of a marvelous book, classroom teaching in general, and specifically, the teaching of writing. You can email me at sroslawski(at)yahoo(dot)com.
Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Courageous? Stupid? Ever Hopeful?
It takes courage to not accept offers from writer friends. "We would be glad to look at your manuscript," they say. I'm worried that I'm just seeing the trees and not the forest. I'm afraid my friends will say, "That's a lovely birch," and "What a fabulous pine," and won't say--out of kindness--that the forest is a tangled mess of vines and rotting stumps.
It takes courage (or stupidity) to send a manuscript to a fierce writer. An unflinching critic. A poet who knows the difference between something that's decomposing and something that's green and growing.
It takes something--courage or stupidity or eternal optimism--to keep writing. To keep submitting even though the odds are not good. (Chicken Soup gets thousands of submissions for each anthology... and still I submit.) To keep revising and talking about the craft and believing in a piece.
It's something. I'm just not sure what it is...
27 comments:
It is all of the above, with a whopping dollop of persistence and the knowledge that even if we don't make it big, we've at least made it real. You're making it real every time you write, revise, edit, submit, and repeat. The rest is luck and timing.ReplyDelete
I hope to think it is optimism. :) Not stupidity. If we were stupid, then how could we write all these wonderful words we do. ;)ReplyDelete
I am watching my mailbox with hawkish concentration!ReplyDelete
Yeah, I think that sometimes, Sioux, we just can't help ourselves. :-) But I'm glad you keep at it. I also think that sometimes, the best writers are those who don't have any idea that they're wonderful writers!ReplyDelete
I am going to bend your arm behind your back until you pass your ms to me. Diligence, persistence, hope...believing in yourself and learning as you go...that is why we do it. I just read that if you collect rejections, you are learning to perfect your craft. I agree.ReplyDelete
Just like with the lottery (not that I have any experience with it, of course)...you can't win if you don't play. Never give up hope. Carry on.ReplyDelete
I don't consider myself to be writer, just practicing. I seem to do better when I use the voice of my dogs. But, I do love my dogs ... Thank you for your kindness last week, it has been hard.ReplyDelete
Everything you said is so well put. I am looking for a day when I can be stupid again and write some more.ReplyDelete
I believe it takes courage which I seem to lack. I like to write but I've never tried to publish anything.ReplyDelete
You already have a significant accomplishment. YOU WROTE A BOOK! That's more than most people can say.ReplyDelete
I'm so glad you sent it to someone who can give you objective, honest impressions and feedback. That will be invaluable.
Though I haven't read your ms, I'm betting all it needs is some judicious pruning. With time and persistence, your book will find the right home.
- AnonymousOctober 21, 2016 at 10:46 AM
Hi Sioux,ReplyDelete
It was great to see you again and to feel your new lease on life.(via your new teaching position) Thank you for encouraging me to return to blogland. I wil seriously consider it. I'll think about the retreat too. Have to check with my boss. Keep being an enCOURAGEr!
Funny that I should say this, especially after all the times that people have told me not to do this, but please do not over-think it. Sharing one's writing with others is, a lot of the time, like handing your baby to someone (most literally), a stranger perhaps, and watching them toss it up in the air for laughs, all the while worrying that they're going to drop it. Add to this the fact that many of the previous comments have pointed out how much you have accomplished, as well as what it means to be persistent in your art, and it appears to be a no-brainer. You must go forth because this is all part of the process. But therein lies the issue, doesn't it? Trust your work, and know that while we can always improve on things, there is no end to trying to get it perfect. All the butterflies in your stomach about wanting more accurate feedback, rather than some kind of apologetic praise is a fair point. However, at the end of the day, if you know you did a good job, then you did a good job, and better is just a matter of you returning to it in a different frame of mind to see how else you can improve upon it. Personally, I've attempted all manner of short stories, poems, and my most recent and still ongoing attempt to write a book...this last one, I tried, and hammered out an entire "chapter" and the outline of the whole book, and how it would all fit in. When I went back and read it, I didn't like it at all. So, I burned it, literally. Maybe there was something there. Maybe I've lost some truly precious lines that would have been remembered fondly by readers. Maybe I saved myself all manner of public embarrassment. But, as a creator, the most difficult ability I must call upon to exercise is to destroy when something is not up to the standard that I set for myself. If I wanted to be serious about it, which I do because a book is a huge deal, I need to be happy with what I put on paper. Anything less is well, good enough for the blog...which is far from consumption-worthy by most readers, and even though it is "published", may never see the light of someone else's day. Courage, Stupidity or being ever Hopeful? It's all and none of these things, all at once. Confused? Good. Because just ignore this drivel and get your show on the road! For what it's worth, you've got me in your corner!...not to mention so many wonderful well-wishers as well!ReplyDeleteReplies
Rohin--You burned your writing? To a writer, that's against the law. It might not please you now, but later, with new eyes, you might see something of value in it.Delete
This manuscript/piece is far different from anything else I've written. The writing of it healed me in a couple of ways so even if it's deemed a pile of poop, I got some benefit from the process.
I think you should try NaNoWriMo--National Novel Writing Month. The idea--write a novel in one month (November)--ensures that your internal editor is banished, because you don't have time to worry if the writing is good when your primary goal is to get 1,600 + words down every day.
Think about it...
Sioux -- Yes, I am a bit of a hothead like that. But, I trust my ability to be able to do a better job of things the next time around. This comes from countless times where I have typed things up, in the three to four thousand word count, and then lost everything due to a computer crash, and quite simply, because I forgot to save my work. Far less frequent now, this habit is, but mostly thanks to the "autosave" feature on most word processors.Delete
I can understand how the manuscript in question helped to heal something within, and therein the supreme difficulty you are having with the decision you're trying to make. At the risk of offering meaningless advice, now that you have it out on paper, you've already passed the first hurdle, which to me is the biggest. The rest of what you believe may get in your way, that is just a matter of navigating the waters and passing through any storms to get yourself what you want to achieve. I'm reminded of the end of the movie, The Truman Show, where Jim Carrey's character overcomes his biggest fear, only to discover that what he suspected was right all along. Trust me, it'll be fine. And, if you don't mind an amateur eye going through it to offer you any feedback, I wouldn't mind taking a look, if that will help break this tension, so to speak.
I might just take you up on NaNoWriMo, finally. You have mentioned this to me previously, and I remember being all "Yes, yes, I will..." only to not end up doing it. I am going to look through the rules of this because I'm not sure that the ideas I have in my head at the moment, sparked ever since you first mentioned it, will qualify. This time around, I want to do this. Besides, if its free flow writing without the editor-in-the-head, I should be able to meet the word count daily. Certainly thinking about it. When I do decide to do it, I will let you know, and certainly post about it.
Thank you again for your encouragement, on this post, where I thought I would attempt the same for you, but ended up getting more of the same pour moi. Like I said, if you wanted someone to give it a look-see, I am more than up for it.
Rohin--One, I'm excited you're considering doing NaNoWriMo. A bit of advice. Do not use any contractions. "Do not" is better than "don't" because it's double the words. ;)Delete
(You can always go back in your revising, after you've hit 50,000 words, and changed the stilted language to something more flowing.)
Two, thanks for the offer. I had my writing group look at it in its first form, than scrapped the whole thing and pretty much started from scratch. This is the third or fourth version, depending on how you look at it. If my beta reader determines it's worth anything, I'll do some more revising and try to find another publisher that might be a good fit.
I don't think it would be the kind of fare you enjoy. There's lots of men-bashing, the color of the language sometimes matches the color of the sky, and it's definitely slanted toward the tastes of women. In other words, it's chick lit. However, if it seems like the manuscript is judged by objective eyes to be better than a pile of poop, and if you still want to look at it, I would be glad to send it to you sometime... assuming you have a thick skin. ;)
Love that forest metaphor! Very poetic yet practical.ReplyDelete


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IRVINE — Former world No. 1 women's tennis player Lindsay Davenport couldn't be sure what she had going into her 10th season of World Team Tennis.
What the Orange County Breakers have is one of their best teams in years.
They had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference Finals before Saturday's regular-season finale against visiting Philadelphia. But, they still wanted to finish on a strong note.
The Breakers did that, defeating the Freedoms 21-15 for their fifth straight victory. Orange County (8-6) will play Sacramento (7-7) in the Western Conference Finals on Sept. 14 in Charleston, S.C. Washington (14-0) plays New York (9-5) in the Eastern Conference Finals the following day, and the winners meet for the WTT title on Sept. 16.
After Saturday's match, Davenport, a Laguna Beach resident who now has three children, talked about the fun she's had this year.
"These guys have been so great," said Davenport, the marquee player who played in all seven home matches for Orange County and three on the road. "I really feel like I've been so lucky in my Team Tennis teams over the years, because you never know what you're going to get with the draft. I'd never known, never heard of John-Patrick [Smith] before. I knew a little bit of Travis [Parrott], I never knew Jana [Juricova] and I knew Anna-Lena [Groenefeld], but that was it.

subset: commoncrawl


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[EAST HANOVER, N.J.] Novartis has launched a review to handle the direct-to-consumer account for its Cox-2 arthritis drug in development (known as Cox-189) and scheduled for a 2003 launch, people familiar with the matter said. Shops involved are Cline, Davis & Mann, New York; Abelson-Taylor, Chicago; WPP Group's Ogilvy & Mather, New York; and Omnicom Group's Merkley Newman Harty, New York, the people said. Novartis declined to comment. Professional-marketing shop Abelson is expected to find a consumer agency to partner with; Cline Davis may handle both areas; while the other two shops are expected to find professional shops to join with in the pitch. The drug is expected to be the fifth Cox-2 on the market following two each by Pfizer/Pharmacia and Merck.
PSAs target teens' use of ecstasy
[washington]The Partnership for a Drug Free America launched public service ads warning teens of the dangers of the drug ecstasy, whose growing use is being compared to the use of cocaine in earlier generations. Four spots were directed by Adam Reed, 25, for Elsewhere Films. The spots feature stories of the devastation caused by the drugs. Two others came from Publicis Groupe's Publicis Toronto; a final spot was created by Working Pictures. DiMassimo Brand Advertising handled print, and Rand Interactive handled interactive.
'USA Today', 'Biz Week' join on personal finance
[NEW YORK] McGraw-Hill Cos.' Business Week and Gannett Co.'s USA Today are expected to announce today a partnership by which the two titles will jointly produce and publish articles on personal finance and investing. The first result of this partnership will be a special section based on Business Week's annual list of the best-performing companies in the Standard & Poor 500, which will run in Business Week on April 2 and in USA Today's Money section April 3.
Campaign-finance vote could alter prospects
[Washington] A quick debate and vote on campaign-finance reforms that could dramatically alter the prospects for campaign advertising spending is slated for the House of Representatives this week. Legislation sponsored by U.S. Reps. Christopher Shays, R-Conn., and Marty Meehan, D-Mass., is similar to that approved by the Senate a year ago. The voting comes as a result of an unusual bipartisan petition by House members to discharge the measure from committees. The GOP House leadership opposes the legislation.
Coalition launches push on insurance coverage
[Washington] Dramatically expanding a far smaller campaign from last year urging Congress provide health insurance for the uninsured, a coalition that includes the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the AFL-CIO and the American Hospital Association is joining the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to launch a 1 1/2 year $10 million campaign with a similar message. Two spots to air nationally on cable starting Feb. 13 and on broadcast stations in Washington, along with national print, all from Greer Margolis Mitchell Burns & Associates, Washington, use the tagline "let's get America covered."
Sirius launches service in limited markets
[new york] Sirius Satellite Radio is launching its service in limited markets Feb. 14 with an integrated-marketing push themed, "You'll never want to leave your car." Sirius' integrated effort, through Interpublic Group of Cos.' McCann-Erickson Worldgroup, New York, includes a roadshow enabling consumers to experience the service live via Sirius radio-equipped cars at retail locations and events like Nascar's Winston Cup races. Sirius is also sponsoring the No. 7 Sirius Satellite Radio Dodge Intrepid R/T in an effort to boost brand awareness and generate subscriber leads. Radio and newspaper ads for Sirius will break locally this week to support the launch in Denver, Houston, Phoenix and Jackson, Miss. TV will not begin until midyear.
AFM ratifies labor pact for musicians in ads
[WASHINGTON] The American Federation of Musicians ratified a labor contract for musicians appearing in advertising. The pact increases wages 6% over its three-year life and adds a standard rate for music used in Internet ads. The contract between the AFM and Joint Policy Committee on Talent Union Relations of the Association of National Advertisers and American Association of Advertising Agencies is retroactive to Oct. 17, 2001 and expires Oct. 16, 2004.
Jon Steel, former director-strategic planning at Omnicom's Goodby, Silverstein & Partners, San Francisco, has taken a part-time job as a worldwide consultant to WPP companies. ... Bulmers America, a unit of the U.K.'s HP Bulmer Ltd., retained Clark Goward, Boston, to handle its Strongbow and Woodchuck cider accounts. Strongbow is worth about $2 million, and Woodchuck's budget is being worked out. Clark Goward beat Boston independents Fort Franklin and Gearon Hoffman, as well as Panoramic Communications' Earle Palmer Brown, New York. ... Reckitt Benckiser Food Division , Wayne, N.J., will introduce a new squeeze bottle for its French's Yellow Mustard that includes a "stay-clean" cap. The packaging change, the first for the brand since the '70s, will be the focus of an ad campaign in mid May from agency of record, Havas Advertising's Messner Vetere Berger McNamee Schmetterer Euro RSCG. ... Pennzoil-Quaker State Co. breaks its estimated $25 million 2002 Pennzoil motor oil brand advertising this week. Omnicom's GSD&M, Austin, created TV spots that reflect the brand's new "protection-for-your engine" positioning. ... WPP's Ogilvy & Mather Worldwide is reteaming with Gordon Bowen, a former creative directoron the development and production for a new project for the American Express Co. account. Ogilvy declined to say what the project, which is currently under way, would entail. Mr. Bowen, now a freelance creative director, helped create the American Express "Portraits" campaign for Ogilvy in the mid-1980s, featuring celebrities photographed by Annie Leibowitz.


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$42,9004959 Sherman Drive NE
Bemidji, MN 56601
Status: Closed
1 / 3
Property Description
Beautiful heavily wooded lot that fronts Sherman Drive and Elliot Rd. This 9+ acres parcel is in city limits with natural gas available. This would make a gorgeous building site for a walk-out or many other home designs.
Current Price: $40,000
Contract Information
MLS Code: 4975 - BMJ
Auction: No
Type of Property: Residential
List Price: $42,900
Owner is Agent: No
Rental License: No
In Foreclosure: No
Potential Short Sale: No
Lender Owned: No
Association Fee: No
General Property Information
Builder Restrictions: None
Aprox Lot Dimensions: 382x1125
Approx Nbr of Acres: 9.8
Waterfront: No
Waterfront Name: None
Location, Tax and Other Information
House Number: 4959
Street Name: Sherman
Street Abbreviation: Drive
Street Dir Sfx: NE
Postal City: Bemidji
County: Beltrami
State/Province: MN
Area: Bemidji
Zip Code: 56601
Legal Description: Sect-01 Twp-146 Range-033 RIVERSIDE ADDITION 9.2 AC OUTLOT C
Parcel Number: 80.03128.00
Township Name: Bemidji
Township #: 146
Section #: 1
Range #: 33
School District: Bemidji #31
Tax Classification: Non-Homestead
Tax Year: 2017
Tax Amount: 771
Assessments: Yes
Assessment Balance: 255
Taxes w/Assessments: 1026
Directions & Remarks
Directions: North on Lake Ave, Right on Sherman.
Status Change Info
Status: Closed
Under Contract Date: 2018-08-30
Sold Date: 2018-09-24
Property Features
Lot/Land Description: Corner Lot; Tree Coverage-Heavy
Road Frontage: Paved Road
Topography: Level
Terms: Cash; Conventional
Listing Office: Counselor Realty of Bemidji
Copyright Northwest Minnesota MLS. All rights reserved. Information Not Guaranteed and Must Be Confirmed by End User.
Friday 18th of January 2019 12:58 AM


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Monday Morning Musings
Markets are nicely higher on the first day of the new quarter, with the Dow up +150 points in early trading. Of course, its still very early in the day so anything can happen by the close.
There doesn't seem to be much news moving the market today, as it appears more like new money being put to work as the new quarter begins. ONXX is up 50% after rejecting a takeover offer from AMGN. And AAPL is up 2.8% afer reports that it registered the iWatch trademark in Japan. It also got an upgrade and a $600 price target from Raymond James.
Asian markets were mixed overnight. Japan was 1.3% higher after the economy minister said that the country's real economy is "clearly recovering". In China, the HSBC manuf. PMI ticked down to 48.2 from 48.3, a level that points to continued contraction in the manuf. sector.
European markets are higher today. Eurozone manuf. PMI rose to 48.8. Most countries PMI indexes rose except for Germany which ticked down to 48.6.
After an 8-day win streak, the dollar index is slightly lower today. That is helping most commodities. Oil prices are higher to $98. Gold prices are up near $1241. And copper prices are bouncing sharply.
The 10-year yield hovered near the 2.50% level most of the first hour of trading. It is currently at 2.49%.
The volatility index is 4.2% lower to 16.15. The VIX has moved sharply lower since last week's spike near the 22 level.
Trading comment: We have been watching the overhead 50-day averages to see if they act as resistance on any bounces. Right now the S&P 500 is up exactly at its 50-day at the 1624 level. So this is a key test. Sometimes it makes sense to look at some of the other indexes to see how they are trading in relation to their respective 50-day averages. The Nasdaq, S&P mid-cap, and Russell 2000 are all above their 50-days. So that lends itself to the notion that the S&P 500 will be able to lift itself above its 50-day as well. Lots of traders are looking for more of a correction in July. But investor sentiment is already showing some bearish readings, so from a contrarian perspective the market could look to frustrate the bears once again. We should know fairly soon.
KAM Advisors has long positions in AAPL


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The following excerpt is from my journal:
May 20th, 2012
The Day of Departure
It has officially begun @ 10:20am. Sitting in the parking lot of Jack in the Crack in Torrance. Centering myself. Some notes to self: All you can do is set a date; doesn't mean you'll go on that day. All you can do is make plans; doesn't mean they're gonna be stuck to. Another note: As I made my way away from the house this morning, I was crying and disoriented. As I made an attempt to get into the left lane on Hawthorne, I nearly bumped into a Lexus mini SUV. The license plate frame read, "GO BLUE. MICHIGAN."
4 years later.
Here I am. In Torrance again. In my parent's house. In the same room I had in high school.
Things are different now. Not just superficially of course. Things are not the same anymore. These aren't measurable differences, besides maybe a few more gray hairs on my head. I feel different inside myself. I feel myself differently. I am more me now than I ever was.
I wrote something down in my journal today that I'd like to share here. The context is that I had gone to the dojo to speak to my teacher about how I have been feeling recently. I didn't have a script. I didn't really want one. I knew what needed to be said, I just had no idea how it would go down. I began by asking him, "What do you want me to do?" I clarified that since he had taken down the names of other black belts off his wall, people that he once had friendly relations with, was he planning to do that with me? "That's your choice!" he said, a bit bewildered. What I had meant of course was that, since I am no longer interested in training at his school, and no longer interested in helping him run his organization, was I to be kicked out? "Oh, well if it's my choice then Sensei, I don't want to be kicked out." The conversation then veered into a debate of sorts, regarding my interest in kata bunkai, him trying to explain away my questions, me trying to stand my ground and stay clear-headed. It was difficult. And then a mom and her daughter came in for class and the conversation/debate had to be ended abruptly. I told him I'd be back to discuss it some more.
As I drove home, a hot, fiery rage burned inside me. Not a conflagration. But a renewing fire. One that made me want to create a PowerPoint presentation of what I had learned about kata and why that new information makes more sense than what I was taught. One that made me want to begin outlining the idea for a documentary and call it, "KATA: The language of karate".
Instead, I wrote these words:
Sensei tells me, "You've changed a lot. Your thinking." Yes, I have teacher. I've changed a lot. Changed the way I've thought about what I'm learning, about myself, about life, a whole helluva lot. And that's not gonna stop. It can't stop. It won't stop. The world is spinning, revolving. People are living, dying. Nothing can stay the same forever. The only real stability, paradoxically, is in that changing. If we can embrace that change and not get "stuck in old ideas" (as Grace says), then we can live more fully in this life instead of fearfully. I'm not saying it's easy or that I'm great at this. It takes courage to face uncertainty, to assert your authentic Self among the naysayers, to live life according to what you know to be true inside yourself. The truth I've brought back home isn't about karate or bunkai or fighting or violence. The truth I've brought back is how I move and shake in this world. How I believe things need to be taught and learned. Part of my struggle with suicide and depression comes from that old confusion of Self. From that place of devaluing, worthlessness and rejection. Being introverted and highly-sensitive, I've naturally dwelled on that inside myself, turned them over and over again. Not understanding how my environment, especially the people in it, have affected me. I've soaked in their thoughts and ideas, marinated in their opinions. Not recognizing that these gifts I have were being used against me. Not by them, but by me. Often, when we don't know the magnitude of the power we hold in our hands (like a gun), it's very easy to hurt ourselves. And so, armed with new insight and knowledge, I sit here, waiting, watching, listening to myself. Learning new tricks to manage the arousal. Learning new skills that feed the soul. I have no idea where I will be in 5 years time or what I will be doing. Life is just too damn short to have expectations.
Happy 4 years later.
– elbow SMASH.


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Please please please support Chrome-like profiles
smartov last edited by
I do like Vivaldi and the way it goes. But working without Chrome profiles is just a pain! Switching between Personal and Work Gmail inbox, calendar, jira, github, bitbucket etc. is very annoying. And even if I create a separate data-dir then external links will not open in the right window. They will always open in the first Vivaldi instance. Profiles is something supported by Chromium itself so as far as I understand this API should be available to any Chromium based browser. Do you know how many browsers support profiles besides the MOST POPULAR browser on the planet Chrome? Zero. Firefox profiles are NOT the same. They do not support clicking link in external application and opening it in the last accessed window. But at least there is some profiles support in the SECOND popular browser on the planet. And besides Firefox no other browser has at least UI to manage profiles. As an advanced user and a web developer I constantly use profiles. I'm begging you to include at least command line possibility to create and use profiles! [img]http://i.imgur.com/5tdgWL1.png[/img] Cheers!


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A TEA Party justice on the Montana Supreme Court says that public censure and a month suspension for Montana judge who said a 14-year-old rape victim appeared "older than her chronological age" is too harsh a penalty.
The Montana Supreme Court last week ordered Judge G. Todd Baugh be publicly censured, as the Judicial Standards Commission had recommended. They also gave him a 31-day suspension without pay for his misconduct.
All the justices agreed except one. The Montana Growth Network backed justice Laurie McKinnon thought censure AND a suspension was too harsh.
The Montana Supreme Court ruled that censure wasn't enough because:
"There is no place in the Montana judiciary for perpetuating the stereotype that women and girls are responsible for sexual crimes committed against them."
Yet Laurie McKinnon penned a dissent longer than the original ruling. McKinnon objected to the harsher sentence the Montana Supreme Court handed down.
It was revealed last month by Michael Beckel for the Center for Public Integrity in a story that Lee Newspapers ran statewide, McKinnon raised only $42,000 for her own campaign, but Montana Growth Network, ran by disgraced Sen. Jason Priest (R-TEA Red Lodge) and Rep. Ed Walker (R-TEA Exxon Mobil), spent over $690,000 on the race (and some attack mailers against any Republicans Priest and Walker thought might support health care for working poor using federal government funds from taxes Montanans are already paying.)
Ed Walker is running the legislative campaign effort for the Montana GOP.
Jason Priest is not running for re-election as he faces charges for parter and family member assault, although it is not known what involvement he still has in the dark money movement. His trial is set for August 12.


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Book your free, no-obligation hearing evaluation today by filling in the form to the right or calling 888.797.2943.
Do you suspect that you, a friend or a family member may have hearing loss? Here are 4 easy-to-recognize signs:
If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, it's time to visit Connect Hearing for an evaluation.
Fill in the form to the right and a Connect Hearing representative will contact you to book your free, no-obligation hearing evaluation at a convenient location near you.
receive a FREE copy of Canada's only independent hearing aid guide


text:
You don't have to be into fishing to enjoy watching this amazing encounter between a dog and a fish. In the words of her owner, Nick Corona, the Labrador Retriever – Sasha to her friends couldn't get enough of playing with her "unlikely friend".
"Sasha took a break from playing fetch to befriend a carp at Lake Mead in Las Vegas Nevada. What ensues is a 2 minute frolicking as Sasha & Carp say hello, swim together, eat together, & finally meet nose to nose in a touching video…"


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Free Album Download: Ray Alexis – 'Madison Meadows'
Up and coming rapper Ray Alexis recently dropped a free project featuring production from DJ Rek and a chorus from John Givez. Kings Dream Entertainment artist Ruslan offered a tweet of support for the new project this morning:
A new favorite: Catch Me If You Can Ft. John Givez (Prod. By Anthony Cruz & Bam Beatz) by Ray Alexis https://t.co/MwB2b0mXqa on #SoundCloud
— Ruslan | DreamJunkie (@RuslanKD) June 26, 2015
Via NoiseTrade:
Living in Massachusetts, I decided to move to California with the desire to pursue a music career. I had the opportunity to pursue music back home but have never been challenged like I was when I arrived in Cali. Living on Meadow Street in Holyoke, Ma, where I spent most of my days is where I got the second word of the tape.
Meadow street is where I lived during middle and high school. I grew up around a lot of great people and had an empowering support group through my family. I also gave my life to Jesus and was saved during the time I lived on Meadow Street. The music is influenced by family, friends, and my experiences. .
Madison Street is where I moved to when I arrived to Southern California. I learned a lot about myself being alone in my apartment. I was also exposed to a new way of viewing music by my cousin Anthony Cruz and the Dream Junkies. As soon as I arrived I knew that I had to immediately step up it as an artist. I experienced a lot of great days as well as a lot of "home-sick" days.
This tape is clash of both worlds, a loving supportive home and new exciting experiences. A small piece of my creative artistry.
The theme of the project: Love where you came from, love where you'll go.
Download Madison Meadows on NoiseTrade and stream below:


text:
Update 07/11/2018: Though Radex is still live for historical purposes, the information below is outdated. We have since released a new decentralized exchange Saturn Network with many upgrades like wallet to wallet trading in one transaction or token self-listing, this required a new smart contract & therefore we recommend you no longer use Radex and migrate over to the new exchange.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at http://blog.saturn.network/understanding-the-importance-of-radexs-upcoming-api/


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Friday, February 21, 2014 marked the 35th Anniversary Cornerstone Dinner for Preservation Houston. The Stewart Title Award was awarded to Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Bethel Park in Freedmen's Town.
Bethel Park preserves and interprets the surviving elements of historic Bethel Missionary Baptist church, a landmark in Houston's first African-American community.
The Stewart Title Award is presented to one of the Good Brick Award winners for a project that embodies the true spirit of ingenuity and reinvention through preservation.
Project Team
Landscape Architect: White Oak Studios
Architect: PGAL
Structural Engineer: Henderson + Rogers
Contractor: JE Dunn
Your Name:
Your Email/URL (Optional):
Your Comment:
Comment Guidelines: No HTML is allowed. Off-topic or inappropriate comments will be edited or deleted. Thanks.


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Based in the Pacific Northwest, Immix Law Group is made up of experienced business and litigation attorneys. We serve an array of clients, including startups and mature companies, as well as individuals across the country. We specialize in matters of formation (startup, growth, and governance), fundraising, mergers, acquisitions, licensing, multi-party transactions, contract creation and enforcement, estate planning services, and litigation services.
Business Law
Our business transactional team has a reputation as the entrepreneur's attorneys, as we represent some of the most active startups in the area. Because of this, we attract groups for fund formation as well, providing the legal component to a growing number of funds in the Pacific Northwest. Our team is known for their "business reality" approach to law, especially in formation and fundraising matters for startups, handling mergers and acquisitions for established companies, and intellectual property matters for software and technology lifecycle development, while always accomplishing the work within agreed-upon budgets.
Our litigation team advises clients on a range of business practice topics designed to avoid litigation and lead them through disputes when litigation is unavoidable. Our deep bench of litigation experience includes shareholder disputes, contract interpretation and enforcement, securities issues, intellectual property enforcement and defense, and malpractice claims. With a focus on client service and effective advocacy, our litigation team can manage disputes both inside and outside the courtroom.


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Thursday, April 5, 2007
My first video ever!
This is as far as I was able to get with my video I hope you enjoy!
Posted by Carley Jacobson at 8:04 AM
1 comment:
- polyfluid said...
nice video. I'll be interested in seeing you explore non-narrative film... or abstract... see wat you can come up with.
- April 17, 2007 at 9:45 PM
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Volume 23 Issue 1 • Feb. 2018
Filter Results
Table of ContentsPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):C1 - C4| PDF (154 KB)
IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics publication informationPublication Year: 2018, Page(s): C2| PDF (120 KB)
Guest Editorial Focused Section on Health Monitoring, Management, and Control of Complex Mechatronic SystemsPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):1 - 4
Sensor Reduction for Driver-Automation Shared Steering Control via an Adaptive Authority Allocation StrategyPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):5 - 16
Cited by: Papers (1)
This paper presents a new shared control method for lane keeping assist (LKA) systems of intelligent vehicles. The proposed method allows the LKA system to effectively share the control authority with a human driver by avoiding or minimizing the conflict situations between these two driving actors. To realize the shared control scheme, the unpredictable driver-automation interaction is explicitly ... View full abstract»
Robust Sensors-Fault-Tolerance With Sliding Mode Estimation and Control for PMSM DrivesPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):17 - 28
Cited by: Papers (1)
In general, permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drives require four sensors (one position, one dc-link voltage, and at least two current sensors) to obtain good dynamic control performance. If an unpredictable fault occurs in any of these sensors, the performance of the drive deteriorates or even becomes unstable. Most of the existing works are limited to fault diagnosis of one or two sensor... View full abstract»
Active Control of Magnetic Field Using eDMP Model for Biomedical ApplicationsPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):29 - 37
This paper presents a novel method to actively control magnetic field in a region-of-interest using multiple electromagnets (EMs), referred to here as extended distributed multipole (eDMP). Numerous sensor and actuator applications require controlling magnetic fields such as medical device and automation. However, it is difficult to achieve owing to the nonlinearity of the field and its interactio... View full abstract»
Fault-Tolerant Control of Multiarea Power Systems via a Sliding-Mode Observer TechniquePublication Year: 2018, Page(s):38 - 47
Cited by: Papers (1)
This paper is focused on solving the problems of fault estimation and fault-tolerant control for multiarea power systems with sensor failures. First, the estimations of the system states and fault vectors are determined using an improved sliding-mode observer technique. Moreover, a derivative gain and a proportional gain are introduced to design the resultant sliding-mode observer more freely, and... View full abstract»
Hierarchical Coordinated Control of Flywheel Energy Storage Matrix Systems for Wind FarmsPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):48 - 56
Cited by: Papers (1)
Flywheel energy storage technology plays an important role in enhancing the operation reliability and efficiency of wind power generation farms. This work investigates an aggregated connection topology of flywheel energy storage matrix system, which is composed of multiple flywheel energy storage system (FESS) units within a wind farm. Based on this architecture, an effective charge/discharge stra... View full abstract»
Continuous Fixed-Time Controller Design for Mechatronic Systems With Incomplete MeasurementsPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):57 - 67
Cited by: Papers (3)
This paper presents a continuous fixed-time observer-based controller driving all states of an n-dimensional chain of integrators to the origin for a finite pre-established (fixed) time using a scalar input when only the highest relative degree state can be measured. The uniform upper bound for the controller convergence time is calculated. Performance of the developed controller is demonstrated i... View full abstract»
Novel Particle Swarm Optimization-Based Variational Mode Decomposition Method for the Fault Diagnosis of Complex Rotating MachineryPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):68 - 79
Cited by: Papers (2)
The vibration signals of faulty rotating machinery are typically nonstationary, nonlinear, and mixed with abundant compounded background noise. To extract the potential excitations from the observed rotating machinery, signal demodulation and time-frequency analysis are indispensable. This work proposes a novel particle swarm optimization-based variational mode decomposition method, which adopts t... View full abstract»
Integrated Design of Event-Triggered Closed-Loop Subspace Predictive Control SchemePublication Year: 2018, Page(s):80 - 88
This paper proposes a novel event-triggered closed-loop subspace predictive control algorithm for linear discrete-time systems with an unknown plant model. The integrated observer-based event-triggered system is designed only with the system input and output data. The designed event-triggered law is dependent on the defined input error based on the input-to-state stable Lyapunov (ISS-Lyapunov) fun... View full abstract»
Wind Turbine Fault Detection Using a Denoising Autoencoder With Temporal InformationPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):89 - 100
Cited by: Papers (3)
Data-driven approaches have gained increasing interests in the fault detection of wind turbines (WTs) due to the difficulty in system modeling and the availability of sensor data. However, the nonlinearity of WTs, uncertainty of disturbances and measurement noise, and temporal dependence in time-series data still pose grand challenges to effective fault detection. To this end, this paper proposes ... View full abstract»
Fault Diagnosis for Rotating Machinery Using Multiple Sensors and Convolutional Neural NetworksPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):101 - 110
Cited by: Papers (3)
This paper presents a convolutional neural network (CNN) based approach for fault diagnosis of rotating machinery. The proposed approach incorporates sensor fusion by taking advantage of the CNN structure to achieve higher and more robust diagnosis accuracy. Both temporal and spatial information of the raw data from multiple sensors is considered during the training process of the CNN. Representat... View full abstract»
A General Tracking Control Framework for Uncertain Systems With Exponential Convergence PerformancePublication Year: 2018, Page(s):111 - 120
Cited by: Papers (2)
A difficult problem of exponential tracking control for uncertain systems even with external disturbance is investigated. The systems studied have a general/representative form with the lossless second-order differential systems and Euler-Lagrange systems included. A general control design framework is presented using observer technique. An observer-based estimator is first developed to precisely ... View full abstract»
Reinforcement Learning of Manipulation and Grasping Using Dynamical Movement Primitives for a Humanoidlike Mobile ManipulatorPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):121 - 131
It is important for humanoid-like mobile robots to learn the complex motion sequences in human-robot environment such that the robots can adapt such motions. This paper describes a reinforcement learning (RL) strategy for manipulation and grasping of a mobile manipulator, which reduces the complexity of the visual feedback and handle varying manipulation dynamics and uncertain external perturbatio... View full abstract»
Position Tracking Control Law for an Electro-Hydraulic Servo System Based on Backstepping and Extended DifferentiatorPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):132 - 140
Cited by: Papers (1)
This paper investigates the problem of position tracking control for an electro-hydraulic servo system with parameter uncertainty. Superior to some existing results based on parameter estimation or fuzzy modeling, our proposed control scheme can guarantee the bounded tracking performance without parameter identification and model approximation. This is accomplished by using a novel differentiator-... View full abstract»
Remaining Useful Life Prediction for Multiple-Component Systems Based on a System-Level Performance IndicatorPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):141 - 150
Cited by: Papers (1)
Most prognostics and health management publications focus on the development of algorithms to monitor and estimate the health condition of individual components. However, estimating the remaining useful life (RUL) of complex systems comprising multiple components is a more relevant topic for the industry. An accurate system-level RUL prediction can be used as a powerful decision support tool to he... View full abstract»
Deep Learning for Infrared Thermal Image Based Machine Health MonitoringPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):151 - 159
Cited by: Papers (3)
The condition of a machine can automatically be identified by creating and classifying features that summarize characteristics of measured signals. Currently, experts, in their respective fields, devise these features based on their knowledge. Hence, the performance and usefulness depends on the expert's knowledge of the underlying physics or statistics. Furthermore, if new and additional conditio... View full abstract»
Real-Time Triple Field of View Interferometry for Scan-Free Monitoring of Multiple ObjectsPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):160 - 166
Cited by: Papers (4)
Synchronous scanning of multiple objects is essential to health monitoring of cells with high reliability. In general, monitoring multiple objects with fixed optical resolution in a total area larger than the sensor size of the camera requires asynchronous scanning; therefore, the recorded images of different scanned areas are asynchronous. We have developed a novel single-shot triple field of vie... View full abstract»
Condition Monitoring in Advanced Battery Management Systems: Moving Horizon Estimation Using a Reduced Electrochemical ModelPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):167 - 178
Cited by: Papers (5)
Efficient battery condition monitoring is of particular importance in large-scale, high-performance, and safety-critical mechatronic systems, e.g., electrified vehicles and smart grid. This paper pursues a detailed assessment of optimization-driven moving horizon estimation (MHE) framework by means of a reduced electrochemical model. For state-of-charge estimation, the standard MHE and two variant... View full abstract»
Vibration Sensing of a Bridge Model Using a Multithread Active Vision SystemPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):179 - 189
Cited by: Papers (1)
This study proposes a concept for multithread active vision sensing that can measure dynamically changing displacement and vibration at multiple points on civil engineering structures. In multithread active vision sensing, a high-speed camera can function virtually as multiple tracking cameras by accelerating its measurement, computation, and actuation with ultrafast viewpoint switching at millise... View full abstract»
Improved NO and NO2 Concentration Estimation for a Diesel-Engine-Aftertreatment SystemPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):190 - 199
The high nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission is one of the main issues for diesel engines. To reduce the NO',, emissions with an after-treatment system, the information of NO and NO2 concentrations plays an important role. In this paper, we investigate the NO and NO2 concentration estimation for a diesel-engine-after-treatment system w... View full abstract»
A Plug-and-Play Monitoring and Control Architecture for Disturbance Compensation in Rolling MillsPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):200 - 210
Cited by: Papers (6)
In modern industrial processes, production quality, system performance, process reliability, and safety issues have received considerable attention. This paper proposes a plug-and-play (PnP) monitoring and control architecture that results in a simple reliable design procedure. The proposed PnP architecture is integrated with process monitoring and control systems, by which system performance can ... View full abstract»
Real-Time Remaining Useful Life Prediction for a Nonlinear Degrading System in Service: Application to Bearing DataPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):211 - 222
Cited by: Papers (2)
Remaining useful life prediction for degrading systems plays a key role in prevalent prognostics and health management discipline. Compared with the offline remaining useful life prediction methods, online methods are usually more attractive in practice since they can be implemented dynamically adaptive to the real-time health conditions of the interested system in service. However, most of the ex... View full abstract»
Geometric Estimation of the Deformation and the Design Method for Developing Helical Bundled-Tube Locomotive DevicesPublication Year: 2018, Page(s):223 - 232
This paper presents a novel design method for an in-pipe locomotive device named "helical bundled-tube locomotive device." Helical bundled-tube locomotive devices are soft robots that travel in pipes. The device only comprises inflatable tubes; it deforms into a helical shape and travels in a pipe with pneumatic power. The deformation pushes the device toward the inner wall of the pipe and generat... View full abstract»
Aims & Scope
IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics encompasses all practical aspects of the theory and methods of mechatronics, the synergetic integration of mechanical engineering with electronic and intelligent computer control in the design and manufacture of industrial products and processes.
Meet Our Editors
George Chiu
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN USA


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MAC Educational Outreach
Monroeville Arts Council offers art demos and workshops to the public. These educational art opportunities are being offered throughout the year, in the spring and the fall. Noted artists and art educators provide lessons to persons interested in exploring many mediums and techniques.
Recently, nationally recognized artist and ESAL member, Karen Ferrick, presented a pastel demonstration and free workshop in the Program Room of Monroeville Public Library. The artist created a pastel drawing and then guided the participants in recreating the drawing on their own. Techniques such as blending and glazing were demonstrated.
Other local artists who have presented at the Educational Outreach workshops include:
Tom Niggel – Learn to Draw
Pam Price – Exploring Watercolor
Bob Bickers – Acrylic Art
At these events, interested persons, ages 15 and up, may attend; no prior experience is necessary. All materials will be provided. Space is limited.
Interested persons may call 412-373-0277 to request further information or find out ways to support future art opportunities.
Kids' Art in the Park
A Kids' Art in the Park is held annually at a local park in the Monroeville area. These events are free and open to children ages 6 through 12. This popular offering is provided with sponsorship by UPMC East and Pat Catan's. Publicity is given by Monroeville Recreation and Parks.
Volunteers provide a series of creative activities geared to interest and engage the children throughout the day.
Sunrise School Outreach
With the financial support of UPMC East, Monroeville Arts Council presented "Passport to Rhythm" through Gateway to the Arts for the children at Sunrise School in Monroeville. A trio of musicians used an assortment of drums to entertain the audience with various sounds and rhythms as a means to transport the children to Latin American and African nations. The children were encouraged to clap during the drum tours and were delighted they had a chance to play the drums themselves.
Other groups or individuals that entertained the children include:
Cello Fury and nationally known mime Dan Kamin.
Gateway to the Arts, a part of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, provides support for these educational and cultural events.
July Concerts
Previous Performers
Doo Wop Five and Vocalist – Lively Rock 'n Roll Music.
Doo Wop Five featuring Rich Mansfield – Playing the Rock 'n Roll music of the 50's and 60's.
East Winds Symphonic Band
Proud to have been honored for its high standards of excellence by the John Philip Sousa Foundation with the prestigious Sudler Silver Scroll Award. The East Winds Symphonic Band is under the direction of Susan Sands.
Swingtet8 with Johnny Angel
Swingin' with An Angel is a Swingtet8 program that features Johnny Angel of the Halos fame, together with vocalist Debbie Zugates, performing the music of the big band swing era.
Swingtet 8's programs include the Musical Evolution of Jazz, music of Cole Porter, theme songs of the 40's. and 50's big bands, music for dancing, and Johnny Angel's singing Frank Sinatra and other Swing Era vocalists' songs.
Ron Damico and Friends
Other noted groups include:
RML Jazz
Featuring smooth jazz combined with modern and traditional jazz.
The Rick Purcell Band Featuring Shari Richards
Fresh and dynamic musical entertainment.
Etta Cox and Her Band
Voted Pittsburgh's best Jazz vocalist.
Concerts are held yearly on three Sundays in July from 4-6 p.m. at Gateway Middle School
The 26th and Final Art Show Experiencing the Arts – Artists in Action!
was held in 2015
Archives (2014 and 2015):
The Experiencing the Arts – Artists in Action and Annual Art Show included three facets: an Art Show and Artist Related Activities; Demonstrators; and Approved Artist Vendors.
This event has been replaced by the Educational Outreach Workshops in March and October at the Monroeville Public Library Program Room.


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Friday, April 10, 2009
One More Interesting Tang Gwan (Tetsubin) By Kim Jeong Hoon
One loves the blooming lotus flower knob and how the rusty metal handle is arching low over the full sized body of this pot. If you look closely you can see the auspicious coy fish broadsided by the handle, feeding on the spout. Kim Jeong Hoon really pulls off an interesting pond motif here.
2 comments:
- speakfreely said...
Does Kim Jeong Hoon sell his wares on line anywhere? (Due to a Korean actor of the same name getting thousands of hits, I'm not sure whether he has a web site or not.)
- April 11, 2009 at 2:34 PM
- Matt said...
Hahaha. Upon checking out a search on 'Kim Jeong Hoon' one found out that some of his big hit songs were often playing in those dreaded cellular phone stores that riddle almost every block of Korea when one lived there.
The ceramicist 'Kim Jeong Hoon', like most phenomenally talented Korean ceramicists, has no web pages in English. Very very few even have Korean sites.
It was a bit of a surprise that this store in Daegu had a wall full of his tang gwans!
- April 11, 2009 at 11:42 PM
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My Star Ratings
Originally I was against putting a letter grade or star rating on my reviews (which might have been because I started out writing purely small press reviews, and I didn't really want to give people's personal work a straight-up letter grade :S ), but after using the star rating system on Goodreads for a couple of years now I've gotten used to it and actually find it pretty interesting.
I enjoy looking back over things I've given similar grades to and realising things like, for example, where my cutoff point is for 'I have to own this!' vs. being happy to just borrow it (or even, 'I own this, but now I must get rid of it as quickly as possible')
So here's a brief ramble about what my each star rating actually means to me:
5 stars – I love this series! If I don't own it its on my to-buy list. I probably felt some kind of connection to each 5 star entry that went beyond just 'this is a good solid story with good solid art'. Some of these will be universal recommendations that I think practically everyone could get something out of (e.g. Yotsuba&!), but others will be a purely personal thing, so I might still recommend that people try one volume before jumping all the way in.
4 stars – I really liked this book. It was above-averagely entertaining with a good solid story and good solid art. Recommended.
3 stars – I liked this book. This is probably the most volatile category. A lot of entries here will be very strong in one element, but fall down on another (e.g. Benjamin's 'Orange' – I adore the artwork, but couldn't stand the story). The other reason for a book ending up here is that it was still an all-round entertaining read, but it just didn't quite hit the highs of a 4-star. A 3 star review certainly does not mean the book was bad though – an awful lot of what I read day-to-day ends up as 3 stars, but I still enjoyed reading it.
2 stars – This book was OK: the book was alright, but I wouldn't recommend that anyone bothered getting hold of it unless there was something in particular about it that piqued your interest. Usually 2-stars are books that are either a bit boring, with lacklustre art and story, or too confusing to continue reading. This is probably my least used rating – I can't remember many books I didn't hate but didn't like enough to give a 3-star rating to either.
1 star – I didn't like this book. If I own it, its probably in my 'take to a bring-n-buy at my next con' pile. This is probably because either I found the art too horrendous to stick with, or the story too non-existant, or a particular combination of art and story being way too confusing or boring to bother with. Some of these will be 'I found this book to be bad in general, don't bother reading it', but others will be 'I personally didn't get on with this book, but others might', e.g. Natsume Ono's 'Ristorante Paradiso' (conveniently forgetting that I actually gave it a 2 rating, not 1) I don't really like that book, but it still has merit for other people to try.
So that's my rating system in a nutshell!


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The OECD Territorial Review notes that "ICTs can play an important role in improving the efficiency of public service delivery in sparsely populated and remote areas. The Internet can also promote better business opportunities and help rural firms to penetrate distant markets".
These observations form the starting point for Digital Arctic – the NORA REGION CONFERENCE 2014.
Our approach is three-pronged: society, technology, and business. We look on how IT can affect the way people live, we look on the technological issues, and we look at business potential and how IT can help boost economic diversification.
In the spirit of its digital theme, we decided to make it a digital conference, divided into three sessions:
IT'S ABOUT HUMANS – society
MAKING IT POSSIBLE – technology
IT CAN BE DONE – business
Beyond Digital Arctic, there is a wide range of ways NORA may offer support if you were inspired by the conference. You can read more on these options under the DO IT section.
Follow NORA on twitter and use #DigitalArctic
Key note video on how digitization can develop North Atlantic communitiesGo to video ›
How can Greenland become a leading IT nation by 2030? Philtrum has a comprehensive planGo to video ›
Listen to Lars Utstøl of U Nordic explain their approach to and ambition for e-learning.Go to video ›
Fighting the Gjógv Syndrome - why the Arctic should embrace education, urbanization and digitizationGo to video ›
How digitazation has transformed professional and social life in LabradorGo to video ›
Digitization of Greenland - why and howGo to video ›
A Fab Lab located in the small fishing community of Vestmannaeyjar, IcelandGo to video ›
Connecting the Canadian ArcticGo to video ›
Project management and leadership - how to make Arctic IT projects succeed?Go to video ›
Connecting a small archipelagic countryGo to video ›
How are communication services in Greenland delivered?Go to video ›
Operating in Greenland? TELE-POST presents successful casesGo to video ›
From personal need to global markets - mini documentary on the fantastic story of Highsoft from Vik, NorwayGo to video ›
Passionate pilot and airport builder - from a village on the Faroes? Mini documentary on Simon Nordendal and AzurafilesGo to video ›
Online trade and inequality - advantage for remote locations?Go to video ›
FabLab Case Study - the interactive benchGo to video ›
NORA (Nordic Atlantic Cooperation) is an intergovernmental organization under the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The NORA region includes the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, and Coastal Norway (the 9 coastal counties of Norway, from Finnmark in the north to Rogaland in the south). The NORA countries are associated by their geographical location and by shared characteristics, common challenges and historical, institutional and cultural links.
NORA's goal is to contribute to the creation of a vital and dynamic North Atlantic region, characterized by a strong and sustainable economy. To reach this goal, NORA supports collaboration between businesses and research and development organizations in the region. NORA's main objectives and focus areas are set out in NORA's strategic programme.
The Nordic Council of Ministers, supplemented by national grants from the four member countries, finances NORA. The NORA committee, which is comprised of twelve members, three from each of the countries in the NORA region, decides the main focus areas for NORA's activities. These focus areas are set out in multiple-year strategic programmes.
NORA's main secretariat is located in Tórshavn, the Faroe Islands. In addition, regional contact persons are located in Iceland, Greenland, Western Norway and Northern Norway.


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Jerry Rice Dog Football
Re: Jerry Rice Dog Football
I had to google it to be sure this wasn't a video game published by the onion. I liked the second video's ambiguous marketing. "Intelligent doggie tracking system" As bad as it looks, there could be a fun game in there somewhere. 5 on 5, obstacles and football. I guess Blitz already did that.
Re: Jerry Rice Dog Football
Re: Jerry Rice Dog Football
Watched that the other day, think I enjoy their quick looks of bad games better then the good ones.
You see that Hard Reset quick look? I don't know where that game came from but it looks awesome.
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Lundin Norway Makes Non-Commercial Gas Discovery
Lundin Norway AS announced Wednesday that it has completed the drilling of exploration well 7219/12-2 on the Hufsa prospect, in PL533, in the southern Barents Sea. A non-commercial gas discovery was made in the main well.
The main objective of the well was to prove oil in Jurassic and Triassic sandstone reservoirs. The main well, 7219/12-2S, encountered a 22 metre gas column, although no hydrocarbons were encountered in the sidetrack 7219/12-2A.
Extensive data acquisition and sampling have already been carried out, including coring, logging and sampling of gas from wireline tools.
The well was drilled with the semi-submersible drilling rig Leiv Eiriksson, which, after completion, will proceed to drill the Hurri prospect, also located in PL533.
Lundin Norway is the operator of PL533 with a 35 percent working interest. The partners are Aker BP with 35 percent and DEA Norge with 30 percent.
Generated by readers, the comments included herein do not reflect the views and opinions of Rigzone. All comments are subject to editorial review. Off-topic, inappropriate or insulting comments will be removed.


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Speaking, Presenting & Leadership - City Melbourne
At 'Smashing the Envelope' we help people improve their speaking, presenting and leadership skills in a safe, friendly and supportive atmosphere.
You won't walk into a room of expert speakers, rather just average people looking looking to self-improve and socialise. We are a diverse group with varied mixed nationalities and backgrounds.
With our friendly tips you will be amazed how quickly your speaking improves.
Free Parking in near-by Cobden, O'Connell Streets etc.
We are also within walking distance of Melb Central Station.
Meetings are on the first, third and fifth Tuesday of the month, between 6.15 to 8.15pm.
We have a mid-meeting break for a chat/nibbles, head downstairs for a chat/nibbles afterwards. Everyone is welcome. We always have plenty of new faces and love our visitors.
Email: email@example.com
Homepage: https://smashing.toastmastersclubs.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Smashing-the-Envelope-Toastmasters-1464469780529841/


text: On Sunday, Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m., several small groups of Wachusett Regional High School students will go door-to-door in neighborhoods in the central Holden area collecting non-perishables for the Wachusett Food Pantry and distributing literature about the Pantry. This is the fifth year of the student Halloween collection. Residents who are not visited are encouraged to drop off food donations at the Big Y, the Gale Free Library or the Senior Center during their regular operating hours. High school students who want to participate should contact high school seniors Peter Dzaugis or Dustin Hughes.


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फ्रीप्रेस द्वारा प्रकाशित आलोचना भूषण सम्मान 2012 की रपट
Alochana Bhushan award conferred on Prof Sharma
Ujjain:Vikram University Proctor and renowned critic Prof Shailendra Kumar Sharma was conferred with Akhil Bharatiya Alochana Bhushan honour for his incredible contribution in the field of criticism during a programme organised in Gaziabad on October 28 under the joint aegis of Rashtra Bhasha Swabhiman Nyas and USM Journal.
Prof Sharma was accorded this honour during national level Samman Alankaran programme under 20th Akhil Bharatiya Sahitya Sammelan by former Union Minister Dr Bhishmnarayan Singh and former Member of Parliament Dr Ratnakar Pandey. Prof Sharma was honoured with citation, memento and books. Former Union Minister and educationist Dr Sarojini Mahishi, senior dance scholar Padma Shree Dr Shyam Singh Shashi, Loksabha TV senior officer Dr Gyanendra Pandey, convener of institute Umashankar Mishra and other Hindi Scholars from more than 15 States were present during the felicitation programme.
Prof Sharma has been active in research and writings related to criticism, folk- culture, stage- art, Rajbhasha Hindi and Devnagari Lipi for last two and half decades. He has written more than 800 reviews in renowned journals of national and international recognition. Some of the most famous books written by Prof Sharma include Shabda Sambandhi Bharatiya and Pashchatya Avdharana, Devnagri Vimarsh, Hindi Bhasha Saranchana, Awanti Kshetra and Simhastha Mahaparva, Malwa ka Loknatya Mach, Malwi Language and Literature and others. Prof Sharma has been felicitated by several organizations earlier.
|Prof Shailendra Kumar Sharma conferred by former Union Minister Dr Bhishmnarayan Singh and former Member of Parliament Dr Ratnakar Pandey


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According to pedalpowergenerator.com it can be pretty expensive to make your own bicycle generator. Take a look at the list of components you would need to buy below.
2 $199 - 300 Watt DC Generator
3 $79 - Adjustable V-belt
4 $159 - 12V Charge Controller
5 $129 - Aluminum Adapter Plate
6 $79 - Bike Trainer Exercise Stand
7 $89 - Blocking Diode
8 $49 - Terminal Blocks + Wiring Kit for charge controller
+ $223 - OPTIONAL - WattsVIEW Power Monitor for windows (TOTAL $1155)
Price does not include taxes. May cost you extra to buy specific tools and replacement parts.
HOWEVER once you have your bicycle generator, what can you do with it? Well the average person can produce 40 watts per second on a bicycle. Enough to light an energy efficient 40 watt lightbulb.
A small laptop uses 45 watts per second.
The average fridge uses 110 watts per second.
A desktop computer uses between 150 to 340 watts per second depending on the size of the monitor.
A 50" LCD television uses between 210 to 320 watts per second.
A tiny air conditioner in the window uses 500 watts per second.
An electric oven set at 350 F uses 2000 watts per second.
Even a measly clock radio uses 4 watts per second.
So lets pretend you get on your bicycle generator and cycle for 1 hour, averaging 40 watts per second. That is enough to power your clock radio for 10 hours.
NOTE: For $599 you could get yourself a Blue Planet 100 Watt Monocrystalline Solar Panel, which would produce a lot more electricity between sunrise and sundown. Or you could get a Blue Planet 600 Watt Wind Generator for $799 and generate electricity 24/7. You will also need to buy batteries and a battery control system, but basically it works out to more bang for your buck than a bicycle generator.
So I am sorry for debunking any hopes and dreams you had of running your home on bicycle power. Its just not feasible. An hour on a bicycle producing 40 watts per second is only enough to power a coffee maker (900 watts per second) for 160 seconds. You could cycle 10 hours per day and would still not be producing enough power for the electricity needs of a normal household.
While typing this on my desktop computer, with the AC on full blast, a 60 watt lightbulb, a freezer and a fridge running I conservatively estimate I was using about 980 watts per second. If I turned the AC, computer, the lightbulb all off I would still be using maybe 220 watts per second just to keep my food cold. And this doesn't include any electricity I use if I use water from the tap.
It really makes you realize just how dependent we are on solar, wind, hydro and nuclear energy now that Canada is phasing out coal energy.
NOTE: Canada has no geothermal power plants, even though geothermal produces as much electricity as a coal plant and is significantly cheaper than nuclear power.
Private Archery Ranges near Toronto - One of my students asked me about private archery ranges near Richmond Hill, and in response I have made the following list of private archery ranges near ...


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Industrial IoT Initiative: Welcoming KETI
The vision of the CWC is to start a mutually beneficial collaboration with KETI (Korea Electronics Technology Institute) that will employ smart techniques in what is called "factory-things." With increased efficiencies in cost, processes, manufacturing and performance, the US smart factory will once again dominate the competition.
"Transformation of manufacturing with IoT's will help the US maintain its competitive edge in the manufacturing industries," says Sujit Dey, Director, Center for Wireless Communications at UC San Diego.
What exactly is Industrial IoT?
As we know, IoT can bridge between many interfaces (or be employed across multiple interfaces). Human to Machine, Machine to Human, and Machine to Machine or "M2M". M2M will be key in enabling better processes by providing insightful information back to the factory. The large amount of data collected will require machine learning techniques to parse out the components with the most utility. With the collaboration with KETI, UC San Diego's Center for Wireless Communications will do just that.
"Starting this initiative with KETI, that has a dedicated advanced Industrial IoT group in the Smart Factory ICT Research Center, along with the manufacturing powerhouse that is Korea, is going to be very productive. We are excited about this collaboration with KETI and are hopeful to expand it with new factory partners" says Dey.
The KETI collaboration will focus on deriving two specialized types of data-mining models. One will be "Predictive Analytics" which is adaptive and captures the performance of the process, the other is "Prescriptive Analytics" which will use the predictive model to assess the reason behind performance failures. Further design challenges include determining how these devices will be able to share information and what the overall network topology will look like. These obstacles will play a large factor in how the group determines and prioritizes its goals.
"Through the KETI-CWC smart manufacturing research project, both countries can develop an advanced smart manufacturing platform and have a mutual utilization of test-beds built in each country " says Soojin Ji, Associate Researcher, Convergence Emerging Industries R&D Division, Smart Factory ICT Research Center, "by doing this project, we expect that smart factory related corporations in both countries are more likely to acquire global competitiveness in various ways."
Korea Electronics Technology Institute (KETI) joins CWC.


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Persson posted a nice paper recently, exploring the relationships between Calabi-Yau threefolds, U-duality groups and automorphic instanton partition functions. The paper discusses recent attempts at describing the moduli space in type IIA/B string theory on X×S^1, or the hypermultiplet moduli space in type IIB/A on X. It is well known that in certain classes of N=2 supergravities (e.g. magic supergravities) one can use automorphic techniques to constrain quantum corrections. Given a D=3 U-duality group G_3(Z), BPS-degeneracies are recovered from the Fourier coefficients of its related automorphic forms. From this stems the conjecture that the instanton partition function in N=2 supergravity on R^3×S^1 should correspond to an automorphic representation in the quaternionic discrete series of G_3.
Abstract: We survey recent results on quantum corrections to the hypermultiplet moduli space M in type IIA/B string theory on a compact Calabi-Yau threefold X, or, equivalently, the vector multiplet moduli space in type IIB/A on X x S^1. Our main focus lies on the problem of resumming the infinite series of D-brane and NS5-brane instantons, using the mathematical machinery of automorphic forms. We review the proposal that whenever the low-energy theory in D=3 exhibits an arithmetic "U-duality" symmetry G(Z) the total instanton partition function arises from a certain unitary automorphic representation of G, whose Fourier coefficients reproduce the BPS-degeneracies. For D=4, N=2 theories on R^3 x S^1 we argue that the relevant automorphic representation falls in the quaternionic discrete series of G, and that the partition function can be realized as a holomorphic section on the twistor space Z over M. We also offer some comments on the close relation with N=2 wall crossing formulae.


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Mission Creep: Obama Admin Floats 'Boots on the Ground' in Iraq
Guest post by Kristinn Taylor
President Barack Obama is considering deploying U.S. ground forces to northern Iraq to affect a rescue of thousands stranded Yezidi Iraqis trapped by ISIS terrorists on Mount Sinjar.
The Wall Street Journal and New York Times are both reporting comments by anonymous senior administration officials that the Pentagon is developing options, including U.S. troops, to bring an end to the suffering on the hot, barren, rock strewn mountain that has been a deadly home for over a week for displaced Yezidis. The articles make sure to note Obama has not approved any rescue plan yet.
The rapid gains by ISIS in recent weeks have forced Obama to abandon his hands off approach to the Islamist terrorist group. Obama has gone from ignoring ISIS as it took Fallujah, to sending advisors when ISIS threatened Baghdad, then ordering U.S. airstrikes to aid the Yezidis and ward off an ISIS move on Erbil to now considering putting U.S. boots on the ground in Iraq to potentially fight off ISIS in a rescue mission.
"The U.S. is weighing a military mission in Iraq to rescue thousands of Yazidi refugees, a move that risks putting American forces in direct confrontation with Sunni fighters for the Islamic State.
"The proposal is still under development and hasn't been approved by President Barack Obama. U.S. officials said the rescue mission is one of many options the U.S. military is weighing after dropping food and water to dying refugees over the past six days.
""People are looking at ways to do something more than just drop water and supplies," one senior U.S. official said. "You can only do that for so long."
"Since last week, the U.S. has sought to halt the militants' advance on the Kurdish city of Erbil and to relieve Yazidis trapped by the fighters on a barren mountain range through a campaign of airstrikes and aid drops.
"A rescue mission could expose U.S. forces to direct fire from the militant group Islamic State, also known as ISIS, and that is a risk Mr. Obama may not be willing to accept.
"On Tuesday, the Pentagon continued to lay the groundwork for a rescue by sending another 130 military advisers to northern Iraq to develop options the Pentagon can present to the president. The team will be made up of U.S. Marines and members of American special operations forces who have expertise in difficult missions."
"The Pentagon has sent an additional 130 military advisers to northern Iraq to help plan the evacuation of thousands of displaced people trapped by Sunni militants on Mount Sinjar, Defense Department officials said Tuesday, raising the possibility that a larger American force may eventually be needed in the rescue attempt.
"While military officials said the Pentagon planned to continue aid drops of food and water, United States officials said they believed that some type of ground force would be necessary to secure the passage of the stranded members of the Yazidi group. The military is drawing up plans for consideration by President Obama that could include American ground troops in what is expected to be an international effort to rescue the refugees, a senior administration official said.
"Mr. Obama has insisted, most recently on Monday, that he will not send American ground troops back to Iraq. But as the Yazidi crisis has deteriorated, American officials say they have become increasingly convinced that a humanitarian corridor will have to be established soon, with troops on the ground to help ensure safe passage for the displaced.
""No decisions have been made as to the composition of such a force," a senior administration official said."
Mission creep: "The tendency for a task, esp a military operation, to become unintentionally wider in scope than its initial objectives."
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KC Chamber's Annual Small Business Celebration Kicks Off Wednesday With Candidate Showcase
Doughnuts, lingerie, and beer are just three of the products that will be on display this Wednesday, March 28 at the KC Chamber's annual Small Business Celebration Candidate Showcase. A total of 75 candidates will display their wares and explain their services from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in the Sprint Festival Plaza at Union Station.
Advance registration for the Candidate Showcase is $20 for Chamber members and $30 for non-members. Your registration includes appetizers, beverages, and parking validation. Click
to register.
The Candidate Showcase is the first public event of the 2018 Small Business Celebration, held annually to honor the small and entrepreneurial companies that contribute so much to KC's economy. From the 75 candidates, ten will be chosen as the Top 10 Small Businesses of the Year. One of those ten will be named the "Mr. K" Award winner as Small Business of the Year at a luncheon later this year.
The candidates are selected by an independent panel of judges who base their decision on the business principles espoused by iconic Kansas City entrepreneur - Ewing Kauffman (Mr. K): (1) growth or sustainability in business; (2) excellent employee relations; and (3) outstanding service to the community.
This is the 32
year for the Chamber's Small Business Celebration. A then-small company by the name of Cerner won the Mr. K Award in 1988. The current chair of the KC Chamber, Matt Condon, won in 2010 for the first company he founded in Kansas City, ARC Physical Therapy+, sold in 2013 for $36 million.
LOTS OF VISUALS: Carnival and arcade games, baby chicks (used for elder therapy), therapy dogs, lots of food (Buntinis, beets (yes, beets), beer & wine tastings, homemade soda, pizza, and meat).
Other Small Business Celebration events include:
Top 10 Think Tank: Small Business Best Practices Breakfast 2018 – May 3, 7:30 – 9:00 a.m., The Sheraton Kansas City Hotel at Crown Center:
Previously called the Top 10 CEO Breakfast, this event features a conversation with the leaders of the Top 10 Small Businesses on the secrets to their success.
Small Business Celebration Awards Luncheon 2018 – May 24, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Kansas City Downtown Marriott.
The Top 10 Small Businesses will be honored and the Small Business of the Year/Mr. K Award will be announced, as well as the Diverse Small Business Award, the Legacy of KC Award, the Entrepreneur Award, and the International Award.
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You can rent Location, organize everything turnkey, or make available our kitchen from the restaurant, maybe you do Chef with your friends
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Sir Paul McCartney married his fiancee Nancy Shevell in London on Sunday on the day his late bandmate John Lennon would have turned 71.
The Beatles legend, 69, proposed to New York socialite Shevell in May after four years together, and they became man and wife on Sunday at London's Westminster registry office at The Old Marylebone Town Hall – the same venue where McCartney married his first wife, Linda.
The couple received a blessing at a local synagogue on Saturday evening as part of Shevell's Jewish religion ahead of Sunday's civil service.
Shevell wore a simple white dress reportedly created by McCartney's fashion designer daughter Stella, who was among the guests at the nuptials along with the singer's former Beatles bandmate Ringo Starr.
The star's younger brother Mike reportedly acted as best man, while McCartney's daughter Beatrice, seven, from his marriage to Heather Mills, acted as bridesmaid.
The newly-weds were greeted by crowds of fans and well-wishers as they emerged from the venue to a hail of confetti and they smiled and waved to the spectators before heading off.
After the marriage, the newlyweds retreated to McCartney's St John's Wood home for the reception, greeting the press outside, with the musician telling reporters, "It has been a wonderful, terrific day, I feel married."
A marquee was erected in the grounds of the mansion, and fridges full of champagne and hundreds of roses were brought in for the party, which attracted the likes of Rolling Stone Wood, artist Emin and newswoman Barbara Walters.
Other guests included 60s supermodel Twiggy, hair guru John Frieda, and musician/ TV host Jools Holland.
McCartney has been married twice before – his first wife, Linda, died of cancer in 1998, and the star divorced Heather Mills in 2008. Shevell has been married once before.


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Paris, 3 October 2017
1 Read the press release : View web site
2 Read the press release : View web site
3 LIGO (Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory) is a detector made up of two interferometers located in the US, at Livingston, Louisiana and Hanford, Washington State.
4 Virgo is an interferometer located at Cascina, near Pisa (Italy).
5 An upgraded version of the first-generation Virgo detector.
6 The organizations and research groups involved are Nikhef (Netherlands), MTA Wigner RCP (Hungary), the POLGRAW group (Poland) and the University of Valencia (Spain).
CNRS Press Office l T +33 (0)1 44 96 51 51 l firstname.lastname@example.com
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By Shannon
Before we leave Oloron-Sainte-Marie, we decide to mail the stuff we are sending home plus some heavier electronics that we still need, ahead to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in order to make our packs as light as possible for the next few days.
While Eric goes to the post office to ship our box, I sit across the street at a cafe, drinking café au laits. I really don't want to go. I don't feel like I have the motivation to do this. That moment I had yesterday, where I thought I might actually be able to do this, was fleeting. Right there, in that moment, sitting outside, people watching, drinking my coffee, everything just felt heavy.
But Eric returns and informs me it's time to go. I begrudgingly put my pack back on and we start walking through the park that leads us out of town. I'm really not looking forward to the day since we have to make up two missed days of hiking from our recovery stay. Even though we had already decided to do a mix of hitchhiking and hiking, I'm really wishing Eric would just suggest we hop in a cab. (I want to say, screw the rules, let's just make this easy.)
I think Eric can read my mind because he keeps telling me that he believes the journey provides for pilgrims, which results in me rolling my eyes at him. It's not that I don't believe that the journey provides you with what you need, it's just that it's been a rough few days and I'm in a bad mood. (Or as Eric calls it, feeling "Shan-gry". That would be Shannon either angry, hungry, or both.)
I've always liked the idea of synchronicity and how different seemingly unrelated events carry immense meaning in our lives. But today, I'm in the mood for resisting everything. So when we walk a few kilometers out of town, and all our attempts at hitchhiking are fail, I want to say to Eric, "See, I told you so. Let's just call a cab."
Then, just as I sit down on the side of the road, my inner drama queen itching to come out and pitch a fit, Pepito rides by on a bike. Yes, Pepito, the guy who picked us up and drove us to our gite when we limped into town a few days ago. Now, maybe this doesn't seem like a weird coincidence but Oloron-Sainte-Marie is not a small rural town, and we are several kilometers outside the city.
After Eric talks with Pepito for a bit, we decide to go a bit further down the road to see if there is a better place to try and hitch a ride. We find a nice shaded spot, where passing cars have plenty of room to pull over.
After about 45 minutes (where two cabs actually did pass us), I'm ready to beg Eric to just give in and say "screw the rules"!
Before the words can come out of my mouth, a woman pulls over – she tells us she can take us one town down the road because it's on her way home! I climb into the back of her van, while Eric get in the passenger seat. Since Eric speaks Spanish (and so do a lot of the French people in this region), I let him do all the talking. After talking to the woman for about 10 minutes, Eric has charmed her so much that she says she can drive us out of her way and can take us as far as Mauléon.
When we get to Mauléon, we confirm with a shop owner the direction of Musculdy and start walking up the road until we find a good place to hitchhike. Not much time passes at all, and another WOMAN stops and she says she can take us all the way to Musculdy (I love that both of the people who picked us up are women.)
The drive is beautiful. Looking out the window across the mountains, I think, "This has actually been a good day." I remind myself that I need to trust in this journey a bit more. If I want things to flow and feel easy, I need to let things unfold as they unfold. I don't always have to be in control.
The woman driving us isn't sure of the exact place we are staying, but she drops us off at the first bar/hotel in town. (Which is also the only place in sight.) We go in, and the bartender informs us the place we are looking for is, "just right down the hill."
Well, "right down the hill", ends up being a hike down this windy, curvy mountain road, for about 2 kilometers.
But the walk was beautiful and we were rewarded with making it to this cute little inn in the middle nowhere rural, France.
With the all the synchronistic events, beautiful weather, gorgeous views, and all the nice people that helped us out today at the forefront of my mind, I feel a great sense of calmness and peacefulness wash over me.
That evening, Eric and I laugh over a delicious meal and some good wine, before we drift off into an amazing night of sleep with fresh, French country air wafting through our open window.
The heaviness I felt this morning has shifted into lightness. Even though I'm still feeling like I don't have it in me to do this, I fall asleep a little bit more willing to try.
Distance: Forgot to charge my band so I have no clue!
Location: Musculdy, France
Feeling inspired by our journey? Please consider donating to The Passport Party Project. Your contribution will help 10 young girls, get their first passport and go on their first international trip! Go here to donate and find out more.


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With cities in the Tri-Valley and throughout much of California facing budget deficits as tax revenues fall, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that he has an agreement with city unions to curb costs there.
Newsom said a tentative agreement with city employees' unions to institute 12 furlough days over a two-year period as an alternative to the mayor's proposal to reduce the work hours of about 15,000 employees.
The agreement, which amounts to about a 5 percent pay cut, would help by "not only preserving city jobs, but preserving city services in San Francisco," Newsom said.
Several employee unions had been in discussions with the mayor's office in recent weeks to find an alternative to Newsom's proposal to lay off thousands of employees and hire most of them back at 37.5 hours per week, a proposal many unions had criticized.
The city, which employs about 26,000 people, is facing an estimated $522 million general fund budget deficit.
The two-year agreement announced Friday still has to be ratified by each union that Newsom said will hopefully take place within the next few weeks.
Bob Muscat, executive director of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers Local 21, said union leaders "all feel confident that our members will be willing to ratify these agreements when they're completed because they're the best thing for them and for the people that live in San Francisco."
Muscat, whose union represents about 4,000 engineers, architects, and Internet technology and public health employees, said the agreement should be looked upon favorably because it is not permanent, and will likely reduce child care and transportation costs for the workers.
The agreement is estimated to save the city nearly $100 million annually, according to Newsom.
He said more employees will be included in the furlough agreement than had been in the reduced work hours proposal, but essential services such as police and fire will be excluded.
Newsom said the framework still needed to be worked out for which days will be furloughed, but wanted to avoid the "terrible process" by which state workers have been furloughed.


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Friday, December 4, 2015
Dickens of a Christmas!
We will be open during
Dickens of a Christmas
. If you are going to be downtown tomorrow for the festivities, stop in and say hi! This will be a great time to pick up handmade gifts at a discounted price. In addition, Zach is also taking orders for custom assemblages. So you know all those knick knacks, odds and ends that you have laying around the house? Box them up and bring them with you! He will be happy to make you a personalized painting at an affordable price.
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Wednesday 14th August @ 8.50pm
Genesis cinema at Stepney Green is showing Only God Forgives for £3.50.
Everyone can meet at 7.30pm at Stepney Green Station and go for a drink or something to eat before hand.
Seeing as the tickets are so cheap it would be good to pre-book your ticket. All you have to do is register, sign in and book!
let me know if you are able to come along by text or email- email@example.com 07772217527


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Cruise White Nights
Finding Family Bliss in the Baltic
By Ralph Grizzle
It is near midnight, or at least that is what my watch tells me. The sun and sky suggest otherwise. The bright orange orb hovers over the watery horizon, casting a reddish-yellow glow on a cloudless sky.
My kids are asleep, and I stand on our stateroom balcony waiting for the sun to dip below the horizon. My body clock is out of sync, six time zones east of my home (we'll lose another two hours as the clock moves forward one hour on each of the first two nights of our cruise from Copenhagen).
The sun seems like it will never set, even as the clock ticks — and ticks.
What a mysterious and enchanting region of the world. I am cruising with my two kids at the same latitude as the Alaska Panhandle, yet aside from the midsummer sky that hardly darkens, the Baltic Sea's similarities to Alaska are few.
For starters, we will visit not one but six countries during our cruise. Our ship will disgorge us in some of the world's most fabled cities.
On the Baltic Sea's eastern edge, at the head of the Gulf of Finland, we will explore Peter the Great's St. Petersburg — for two days. No less impressive is the Baltic Sea's western edge, marked by Elsinore, Denmark, which lays claim to Kronborg Castle, the setting for Shakespeare's Hamlet.
In between and along the shores of the Baltic are fairy tale lands. Copenhagen gave the world Hans Christian Andersen; Stockholm gave us Astrid Lindgren, creator of Pippi Longstocking.
Our days were sunny and hot (not once would we pull out the fleece we had packed). And though we had not a single day of rain on our cruise, precipitation throughout the Baltic averages 24 inches annually. By contrast, Ketchikan receives 150 inches of rain yearly.
While we would see no snow-capped mountains or glaciers, we would stroll wide pedestrian streets free of cars, sip coffee at charming outdoor cafes, enjoy nearly 20 hours of sunshine each day, marvel at world class museums, stand among opulent palaces and walk next to well-preserved medieval town walls.
For two weeks (a 10-night cruise combined with four nights in Copenhagen), we would live a fairy tale life in these enchanting lands.
Our tale began in Copenhagen, where we would visit Tivoli, a delightful diversion for the kids, rent bikes and lay our eyes on the Little Mermaid, made famous by the father of fairy tales, Hans Christian Andersen.
One day during our visit, we popped out the front door of our hotel (D'Angleterre, near colorful Nyhavn) and smack into a procession of toy-soldier-like sentries making their way to the Royal Palace for the changing of the guard at noon. Here, I told my children, lives a real queen. They looked up at me with mouths agape. It was the first of many surprises for them during our blissful Baltic cruise.
Tallinn, Estonia
I'm not sure what we expected of Tallinn, but we were awed by what we saw. Our ship approached a cityscape that might have been familiar to those seafarers of long ago: red-tiled rooftops, church spires and the onion domes of Russian Orthodox churches.
We docked within walking distance of the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With its miles of winding cobblestone streets and quaint medieval houses, Tallinn is the best-preserved Old Town in Northern Europe and, like Copenhagen, a fun place for the kids, who appreciated the town's Medieval atmosphere.
We climbed the vertigo-inducing circular stairs at St. Olav's church for a view that was worth the challenge. Only 50 miles across the sea (18 minutes by helicopter from city center to city center) we could see Helsinki. We would be there soon, after our next stop: Peter the Great's city.
St. Petersburg, Russia
Founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and shortly thereafter becoming the capital of Russia, St. Petersburg accumulated all the grandeur of the Russian Imperial Court, and in two days, we saw quite a lot of it with our private car and guide. We began our tour at Peterhof palace, about an hour's drive from the pier.
There, we wandered the formal gardens and grounds, with 62 cascading fountains and 142 water jets that shower gilded statues. I was glad I had my camera — not only for the grounds but also for actors in period costumes who posed with the kids for photographs. The kids also enjoyed the many fountains, especially a section of the gardens offering opportunities to cool off under water sprays.
Tour guides recommend combining Peterhof with the lavishly baroque Catherine Palace, where the Amber Room opened in 2003. The 18th-century hall's amber panels vanished during WWII and took decades to replicate requiring six tons of amber.
St. Petersburg's museums are among the world's most famous. The Hermitage boasts some 400 rooms containing more than 3 million exhibits. Don't plan on spending too much time there with the kids unless yours are extremely patient.
Helsinki, Finland
Founded in 1550 by Sweden's King Gustav, Helsinki was developed as a harbor town to compete for Baltic trade with Tallinn. The Finnish capital developed around the port.
Situated in the city center, South Harbor is the cruise passenger traffic hub. Cruise ships dock within walking distance of the city center and Helsinki's famous Kauppatori Market Square, a colorful way to begin exploration of Helsinki. We dined on fresh berries, tried on fur hats and browsed such specialties as reindeer and canned bear meat.
We hopped the ferry to Suomenlinna Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site founded in 1748 and built on six islands off the coast of Helsinki. Aside from the garrison and museums, we found charming cafes and cozy restaurants.
With too little time to see more of the "pocket-size" metropolis, we took the ferry back after only a couple of hours and boarded the ship, departing for Stockholm.
Stockholm, Sweden
In Stockholm, we began our tour in Djurgarden, the lush island park that is home to the city's most popular museums. There, the kids enjoyed Junibacken, the Pippi Longstocking-inspired amusement park and children's museum.
Next door, we visited the Vasa Museum, which houses a warship that in 1628 sank in the harbor on its maiden voyage and was brought up from the depths in 1961. We were awed by the scale of what we saw in the city's most popular museum. We had expected a model, not the ship itself.
Afterward, we walked to Skansen, an open-air museum and exhibit that features five centuries of Swedish history and a great zoo that the kids enjoyed quite a lot. We had an outdoor lunch, then boarded a ferry to make our way back to Gamla Stan, the city's old town.
Arhus, Denmark
On the last day of our cruise, we chose to visit Legoland, about an hour away from the Arhus by motorcoach.
The Danish toy company operates only four Legolands worldwide. The kids had been to Legoland near San Diego. The Danish park, however, was superior, in their expert opinion.
Legoland seemed an appropriate end to our cruise. The kids were wide-eyed, just as they had been back at the Royal Palace in Copenhagen. Indeed, we had experienced Baltic bliss during those 10 long days when it seemed the sun would never set and our summer would never end.
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Personalised map gifts
Our personalised map location gifts capture and celebrate the treasured memories of those special locations for years to come. You choose the map location from anywhere in the world to feature on your choice of our handmade gifts. Just perfect for wedding, anniversary or birthday gifts or even just to treat yourself. We have more than 15,000 vintage maps of all over the world in our collection so we're bound to have the location you're after. And if on the rare occasion we don't we'll do our best to source it for you.
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