text:
Madonna (Madonna album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
|Studio album by Madonna
|July 27, 1983
|May 1982 – April 1983
|Sigma Sound Studios
(New York City)
|Madonna chronology
|Madonna video chronology
|Alternate cover
Cover for the 1985 international re-release of the album, titled Madonna: The First Album
|Singles from Madonna
Madonna (retitled Madonna: The First Album for the 1985 rerelease) is the eponymous debut studio album by American singer and songwriter Madonna, released on July 27 1983 by Sire Records. After having established herself as a singer in downtown New York City, Madonna was signed by Sire Record president Seymour Stein following the success of her 1982 single "Everybody". Unhappy with the work of producer Reggie Lucas, Madonna invited John "Jellybean" Benitez to complete the album, who remixed many of the tracks and produced "Holiday".
Madonna has an upbeat synthetic disco sound, using new technology of the time, including the Linn drum machine, Moog bass and Oberheim OB-X synthesizer. Madonna sings in a bright, girlish timbre, with lyrics about love and relationships. She solely wrote five of the album's eight tracks. To promote the album, Madonna performed one-off gigs in clubs and on television in the United States and United Kingdom throughout 1983–84, followed by the Virgin Tour in 1985. Five singles were released, including the international top-ten hits "Holiday", "Lucky Star", and "Borderline". Their accompanying music videos were released on the Madonna video compilation, which became the best-selling videocassette of 1985 in the United States.
Madonna peaked at number eight on the Billboard 200, and was certified five-times platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of five million copies across the United States. It reached the top ten of the charts in Australia, France, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom, and sold more than 10 million copies worldwide. Though Madonna was dismissed by some critics at the time of its release, it has been applauded by contemporary critics; in 2008, the album placed number five on Entertainment Weekly's list of "Top 100 Best Albums of Past 25 Years". The album helped popularize dance music, setting the standard for dance-pop for decades afterward, and pointed the direction for numerous female artists of the 1980s.
In 1982, the 24-year-old Madonna was living in New York, and trying to set up her music career.[1] She was joined by her Detroit boyfriend Steve Bray who became the drummer of her band, the Breakfast Club, which played generally hard-rock music. Soon they abandoned playing songs in the hard-rock genre, and got signed by a music management company called Gotham Records, planning to move in a new musical direction.[2] They decided to pursue the funk genre, but the record company was not happy with their musical talents and they were dropped from the label; Madonna and Bray left the band also.[1] Meanwhile, she had written and developed some songs on her own. She carried rough tapes of three of the songs, "Everybody", "Ain't No Big Deal" and "Burning Up". At that time she was frequenting the Danceteria nightclub in New York. It was here that Madonna convinced the DJ Mark Kamins to play "Everybody".[1] The song was received positively by the crowd, and Kamins decided that he should get Madonna a record deal, on the understanding that he would get to produce the single.[1] He took her to his boss Chris Blackwell, who owned Island Records, but Blackwell refused to sign Madonna so they approached Sire Records.[3] Michael Rosenblatt, who worked at the artists and repertoire department of Sire, offered Madonna $5,000 in advance, plus $10,000 in royalties, for each song she wrote.[4][5]
Madonna was ultimately signed for two 12" singles by the President of Sire, Seymour Stein, who was impressed by her singing,[4] after listening to "Everybody" at a hospital in Lenox Hill where he was admitted.[5] The 12" version of "Everybody" was produced by Mark Kamins at Blank Tapes Studios in New York, who took over the production work from Steve Bray.[5] The new recording ran 5:56 on one side and 9:23 for the dub version on the reverse side. Madonna and Kamins had to record the single at their own cost.[6] Arthur Baker, friend of Mark Kamins, guided him through the role of a music producer and provided him with studio musician Fred Zarr who performed his keyboard wizardry on the track.[7] Zarr became one of the common musical threads on the album by eventually performing on every track. Due to the restrained budget, the recording was a hefty affair as Madonna could not understand Kamins' directions and Kamins himself faced problems directing. Rosenblatt wanted to release "Everybody" with "Ain't No Big Deal" on the other side, but later changed his mind and put "Everybody" on both sides of the vinyl record after hearing the recorded version of "Ain't No Big Deal".[5] The single was commercially released in October 1982 and became a dance hit in the United States. This led to Sire signing Madonna for an LP and two more singles.[4][8]
"[S]he was unhappy with the whole [album], so I went in and sweetened up a lot of music for her, adding some guitars to 'Lucky Star', some voices, some magic... I just wanted to do the best job I could do for her. When we would playback 'Holiday' or 'Lucky Star', you could see that she was overwhelmed by how great it all sounded. You wanted to help her, you know? As much as she could be a bitch, when you were in groove with her, it was very cool, very creative."
The album was primarily recorded at Sigma Sound Studios in New York City.[11] Madonna opted not to work with either Kamins or Bray, but chose Reggie Lucas, a Warner Bros. producer. Bray decided to push her in the musical direction of pop, and recorded the song "Burning Up" with her. However, Madonna still did not have enough material to generate a full album. The songs available were, "Lucky Star", a new version of "Ain't No Big Deal", "Think of Me" and "I Know It". Lucas brought another two songs to the project, "Physical Attraction" and "Borderline".[9] As he recorded the tracks he deviated considerably from the original versions of the demos. One such altered song was "Lucky Star". The song was written by Madonna for Kamins, who previously promised to play the track at Danceteria.[5]However, the track was instead used by Madonna for the album, which she planned to call Lucky Star. She believed that "Lucky Star", along with "Borderline", were the perfect foundation for her album.[5]
Problems arose between her and Lucas during the recording of the songs. Madonna was unhappy with the way the final versions turned out. According to her, Lucas used too many instruments and did not consider her ideas for the songs.[12] This led to a dispute between the two and, after finishing the album, Lucas left the project without tailoring the songs to Madonna's specifications; hence she called John "Jellybean" Benitez, a DJ at Funhouse disco, to remix the available tracks. In the meantime, due to a conflict of interest, Bray had sold "Ain't No Big Deal" to an act on another label, rendering it unavailable for Madonna's project.[9] It was Benitez who discovered a new song, written by Curtis Hudson and Lisa Stevens of the pop group Pure Energy.[5] The song, titled "Holiday", had been turned down by Phyllis Hyman and Mary Wilson, formerly of The Supremes.[13] Jellybean and Madonna sent the demo to their friend, Fred Zarr so he could embellish the arrangement and program the song with his synthesizer magic.[5] After vocals were recorded by Madonna, Benitez spent four days trying to enhance the commercial appeal of the track before the April 1983 deadline.[9][13] Just before it was completed, Madonna and Benitez met Fred Zarr at Sigma Sound in Manhattan, where Zarr added the now familiar piano solo towards the end of the track.[5]
Music and lyrics[edit]
According to Allmusic, the album is mostly influenced by dance-pop, post-disco and pop rock music.[14] The overall sound of Madonna is dissonant, and is in the form of upbeat synthetic disco, utilizing some of the new technology of the time, like the usage of Linn drum machine, Moog bass and the OB-X synthesizer. This equipment has dated since, consequently the sound of the album comes off as somewhat harsh.[15] Madonna commented on her debut album: "The songs were pretty weak and I went to England during the recordings so I wasn't around... I wasn't in control. [...] I didn't realise how crucial it was for me to break out of the disco mold before I'd already finished the [first] album. I wish I could have got a little more variety there."[15] The album starts with the song "Lucky Star", a medium-paced dance track, beginning with a sparkle of synth note and is followed by heavy beats of electronic drum and handclaps.[15] A guitar is played in high riff and a bubbling bass synth is produced to accompany the guitar sound.[15] The song revolves around the "Starlight, starbright" hook for more than a minute, before going to the chorus. According to author Rikky Rooksby, the lyrics are repetitive and inane, revolving around the transparent ambiguity of the stars, and juxtaposition of the male character with being a heavenly body in the sky.[15]
"Borderline" is a sentimental track, talking about a love that is never quite fulfilled.[10] According to author Santiago Fouz-Hernández and his book Madonna's drowned worlds, the lyrics of the song like "Something in the way you love me won't let me be/I don't want to be your prisoner so baby won't you set me free" depicted a rebellion against male chauvinism.[16] Madonna used a refined and expressive voice to sing the song, backed by Lucas's instrumentations.[10] It opens with a keyboard rich intro and a catchy synth melody provided by Fred Zarr.[15] Bass player Anthony Jackson doubled Dean Gant's synth bass to provide a solid & more complex texture.[15] The chords in the song were inspired by Seventies disco sound in Philadelphia as well as Elton John's musical style during the mid-seventies.[15] The chord sequences cite from Bachman–Turner Overdrive's song "You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet" while the synth phases display her typical musical style.[17] The third track "Burning Up" has a starker arrangement, brought about by bass, single guitar and Linn drum machine.[17] The drum beats used in the song were reminiscent to the records of singer Phil Collins.[17] It also incorporated electric guitars and the most state-of-the-art synthesizers of that time.[18] The chorus is a repetition of the same three lines, while the bridge consists of a series of double entendres; the lyrics describing what Madonna is prepared to do for her lover, and that she is individualistic and shameless.[17]
Next track "I Know It" has a gentler swing to it and features music from piano, a saxophone, synth phrases while having an offbeat chord change.[17] "Holiday" consists of a four-bar sequence, featuring instrumentation from guitars, electronic drums and handclaps from the Oberheim DMX, cowbell played by Madonna and a synthesized string arrangement. A side-by-side repetitive progression is achieved by making use of the chorus.[19] Towards the end of the song, a change in the arrangement happens, where a piano break is heard. Lyrically, the song expresses the universal sentiment that everybody needs a holiday.[19] In "Think of Me", Madonna warns her erring lover that he should pay her attention or else she would leave. The song consists of beats from the Linn drum machine and a saxophone interlude. "Physical Attraction" is a medium paced track, with synth bass, a guitar line, sounds of a brass and Madonna singing in a shrill voice, about the attraction between herself and a boy.[19] The last song on the album is "Everybody", which starts with a heavily synthesized and spoken introduction, with Madonna taking a loud intake of breath.[20] She displayed her bubblegum-pop like voice in the song, which was also doubletracked.[20]
Release and artwork[edit]
The album was first released in the United States on July 27, 1983 by Sire Records.[21] It was originally slated to be titled Lucky Star, after the track of the same name, but eventually titled simply Madonna, perhaps that this singular name could have star power.[5] The album's artwork was shot by photographer Gary Heery and directed by Carin Goldberg.[11][22] The front cover shows Madonna with short-cropped platinum hair, wearing a number of black rubber bangles on her hands and a dog chain around her throat. Her navel is also prominent on the inner sleeve of the album. Madonna commented: "The picture inside the dust of sleeve of my first album has me, like, in this Betty Boop pose with my belly button showing. Then when people reviews the album, they kept talking about my cute belly button. [...] I think there are other unobvious places on the body that are sexy and the stomach is kind of innocent."[23] Regarding the album photoshot, Gary Heery recalled:
The album was re-released in 1985 for the European market and re-packaged as Madonna: The First Album with a different artwork created by photographer George Holy. The cover features Madonna in similar style of dress to the original cover but this time with crucifix as her earings. Madonna's trademark style was catching on as a fashion statement among club kids and fans, with her crucifix accessories becoming the jewelry of the moment.[5] Madonna said that wearing a crucifix is "kind of offbeat and interesting. I mean, everything I do is sort of tongue-in-cheeks. Besides, the crucifixes seem to go with my name."[5] In 2001, Warner Bros. Records released a remastered version of the album with its original artwork and two bonus remix tracks of "Burning Up" and "Lucky Star".[24] Madonna dedicated the album to her father, Tony Ciccone, with whom her relationship had not been good until the release of the album. In an interview with Time magazine, Madonna said: "My father had never believed that what I was doing here [in New York] was worthwhile, nor did he believe that I was up to any good. [...] It wasn't until my first album came out and my father started hearing my songs on the radio that he stopped asking the questions."[25]
Main article: The Virgin Tour
Madonna had promoted the album throughout 1983–84 by performing a series of "track dates", one-off gigs. These shows were done at New York City and London clubs like Danceteria and Camden Palace and on American and British television programs like American Bandstand and Top of the Pops.[26] On American Bandstand, Madonna performed the track "Holiday" and told interviewer Dick Clark that she wanted "to rule the world." John Mitchell from MTV said that the appearance "remains one of her most legendary."[27] The album's singles were later performed on The Virgin Tour in 1985. It was Madonna's first concert tour and visited North American dates. The Virgin Tour received mixed reception from critics, but was a commercial success. As soon as the tour was announced, tickets were sold out everywhere.[28] Macy's New York department store was flooded with buyers, who bought the tour merchandise like the crucifix earrings and fingerless gloves.[29] After its end, the Virgin Tour was reported to have grossed over $5 million ($11.13 million in 2017 dollars[30]), with Billboard Boxscore reporting a gross of $3.3 million ($7.35 million in 2017 dollars[30]). The tour was recorded and released in VHS, as Madonna Live: The Virgin Tour. Later authors have looked back at the tour and commented that it was clear that "[Madonna] was a bonafide pop star in the process of becoming a cultural icon."[31] Shari Benstock and Suzanne Ferriss noted the clothes and fashion in the tour and said, "Virgin Tour established Madonna as the hottest figure in pop music."[32]
Madonna released five singles from the album, although two of those singles actually preceded the album's release by several months. "Everybody" was released on October 6, 1982, as Madonna's debut single; at this point, the rest of the Madonna album had not yet been recorded or even conceived of. Musically incorporating R&B infused beats, "Everybody" portrayed the image of Madonna as a black artist, since her picture did not appear on the single cover.[17] However this misconception was cleared later when Madonna convinced Sire executives to allow her to shoot a music video for the song. The low-budget music video directed by Ed Steinberg portrayed Madonna and her friends singing and dancing in a club to the song. The video helped to promote the song and Madonna as an artist further.[33]"Everybody" failed to enter the official Billboard Hot 100 chart and only charted at number seven on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles on December 25, 1982.[34] Nevertheless, the single was a hit on the Billboard Hot Dance/Club Play Chart, peaking at number three.[35][36]
"Burning Up" was released as the second single in the US on March 9, 1983, and later issued in some countries as a double A-side single with "Physical Attraction". The single peaked at number three on the dance chart in the US,[36] and became Madonna's first top twenty hit in Australia.[37] The accompanying music video of the song portrays Madonna writhing passionately on an empty road before her "lover" approaches in a car from behind. The video ends with Madonna driving the car instead, suggesting that she is ultimately in control.[38] "Holiday" was released as the third single on September 7, 1983 and became Madonna's first top-ten hit in many countries, including Australia, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and the UK. It also became her first entry ever on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching number 16, and her first number-one hit on the dance chart.[36][39][40]
Originally released in the UK in September 1983, "Lucky Star" was the fourth single from the album. The single peaked at number four on the Billboard Hot 100.[41] The music video portrayed Madonna dancing in front of a white background, accompanied by her dancers. After the video was released, Madonna's style and mannerisms became a fashion trend among the younger generation. Scholars noted that in the video, Madonna portrayed herself as narcissistic and an ambiguous character. She referred to herself as the "lucky star", unlike the lyrical meaning of the song.[42] "Borderline" was the fifth single from the album, and was released on February 15, 1984. In the US the song was released before "Lucky Star" and became Madonna's first top-ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at ten. Elsewhere, the song reached the top twenty of a number of European nations while peaking the chart in Ireland.[43] The accompanying music video portrayed Madonna, with a Latin man as boyfriend. She was enticed by a British photographer to pose and model for him, but later returned to her original boyfriend. The video generated interest amongst academics, who noted the use of power as symbolism in it.[16]
Video compilation[edit]
A video compilation, titled Madonna, was released by Warner Music Video and Sire Records in November 1984 to promote the album. The singer's first video compilation, it contained three music videos from the album—"Burning Up", "Borderline" and "Lucky Star"—as well as the then current single "Like a Virgin".[44] The music video for "Lucky Star" was a special extended dance mix, and when she says "ooh yeah" it is echoed three times and her image is repeated three times. "Like a Virgin" omits the scene where the lion's tongue moves in time with the beat of the music. These videos were later released on the 1990 greatest hits compilation The Immaculate Collection with these edits changed.[44] The video was promoted at the Cabaret Metro club in Chicago, on February 9, 1985. Dubbed as 'The Virgin Party', the event drew a crowd of around 1,200 and promoted Madonna's LPs, cassettes, CDs and the videocassette. Attendees were encouraged to wear white, and for $5 admission fees, were able to view the Madonna videocassette and the premiere of the music video of her then upcoming single "Material Girl". The event was organised as a drive to promote music videos, which at that point did not have a large market.[45]
Madonna topped the Music Videocassette chart of Billboard for the period from April 13, 1985 to November 9, 1985. Jim McCullaugh from Billboard attributed the strong sales of the video to Madonna's recent studio album Like a Virgin and The Virgin Tour concert.[46] It placed at number one on the year-end music videocasette chart for 1985.[47] Madonna was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments of 100,000 units of the video.[48] It won the award for the "Best Selling Video Cassette Merchandised as Music Video" from the National Association of Recording Merchandisers.[49]
Critical reception[edit]
|Professional ratings
|Review scores
|Christgau's Record Guide
|Encyclopedia of Popular Music
|Entertainment Weekly
|The Rolling Stone Album Guide
|Slant Magazine
|Spin Alternative Record Guide
|The Village Voice
Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic wrote the album as "cleverly incorporated great pop songs with stylish, state-of-the-art beats, and it shrewdly walked a line between being a rush of sound and a showcase for a dynamic lead singer. This is music where all of the elements may not particularly impressive on their own — the arrangement, synth, and drum programming are fairly rudimentary — but taken together, it's utterly irresistible.[14] Tony Power from Blender said that the album consisted of "quacking synths, overperky bass and state-of-the-art mechanical disco, with Madonna strapped to the wing rather than holding the controls. It's a breathless, subtlety-free debut, with overtones of Soft Cell and Tom Tom Club."[50] While reviewing the remastered version of the album, released in 2001, Michael Paoletta from Billboard felt that "Nearly 20 years after the release of Madonna, such tracks as 'Holiday', 'Physical Attraction', 'Borderline' and 'Lucky Star' remain irresistible."[24] [57] Jim Farber from Entertainment Weekly gave the album an A, saying "[Madonna] might have wound up just another post-disco dolly if [the songs on the album] didn't announce her ability to fuse club beats with peerless pop."[53] In July 2008, the magazine ranked the album at number five in their list of "Top 100 Best Albums of Past 25 Years".[58]
Bill Lamb from About.com commented: "[The] album is state of the art dance-pop loaded with hits from 'Holiday' and 'Lucky Star' to 'Borderline'. Irresistible pop hooks glide across shimmering synth beats to make this a landmark album of the early 80's."[59] Jonathan Ross from Q said that "'Borderline' is sweet and 'Holiday' still fizzes with invention and joie de vivre....this quintessentially '80s dance hit also features a barrelhouse piano solo."[54] Robert Christgau wrote in The Village Voice, "In case you bought the con, disco never died — just reverted to the crazies who thought it was worth living for. This shamelessly ersatz blonde is one of them, and with the craftily orchestrated help of a fine selection of producers, remixers, and DJs, she's come up with a shamelessly ersatz sound that's tighter than her tummy — essence of electro, the D in DOR."[56] Don Shewey from Rolling Stone was of the opinion that "without overstepping the modest ambitions of minimal funk, Madonna issues an irresistible invitation to the dance."[60] Sal Cinquemani from Slant Magazine rated the album four and a half out of five stars and commented: "Heralding the synth-heavy movement was a debut album [Madonna] that sounds just as fresh today as it did almost two decades ago."[18] In March 2012, the publication placed the album at number 33 on their "Best Albums of the 1980s" list.[61] Michaelangelo Matos from Spin selected the album among "The Definitive Guide to Classic Disco" and noted that it "mashed-up street sounds and reinvigorated disco for a generation that wanted nothing to do with polyester suits, ending an era and birthing a new one."[62]
Commercial performance[edit]
In the United States, the album entered the Billboard 200 albums chart at number 190, the week of September 3, 1983.[36] The album had a slow and steady climb, and peaked at eight on the Billboard 200 on the week ending October 20, 1984, more than a year after its release.[63] It also peaked at twenty on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.[64] Within a year, Madonna had sold 2.8 million copies in the United States.[65] It placed at number seven on the year-end chart for 1984 and at number 25 on the year-end chart for 1985, with Madonna becoming the top pop artist for the year 1985.[66] After 17 years since its release, the album was certified quintuple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipment of five million copies across United States.[67] With the advent of the Nielsen SoundScan era in 1991, the album sold a further 450,000 copies as of August 2010.[68]
In Canada, the album was released on March 10, 1984, and debuted at number 87 on the RPM Albums Chart.[69] After few weeks it re-entered the chart again, at number 95 on August 4, 1984.[70] The album finally reached its peak position of number 16 in its 29th week.[71] It was present on the chart for a total of 47 weeks, and ranked at number 50 on the RPM Top 100 Albums of 1984 list.[72][73]
In the United Kingdom, the album was released on February 11, 1984, and charted on the UK Albums Chart, reaching a peak of thirty-seven and present on the chart for twenty weeks. After a re-release titled Madonna – The First Album in July 1985, the album charted again on the UK Albums chart. It reached a higher peak of fourteen and was present on the chart for eighty weeks.[74] Six months since the re-release, the album was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipment of 300,000 copies of the album.[75] In Australia, the album reached a peak of ten on the Kent Music Report albums chart and was certified triple platinum.[37] The album reached the top ten of the charts in Netherlands, France and New Zealand; in the last two markets, it was certified platinum.[76][77][78] It was also certified platinum in Hong Kong and gold in Germany and Spain.[79][80][81] Worldwide the album has sold more than 10 million copies.[82]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine said that with the album, Madonna began her career as a disco diva, in an era that did not have any such divas to speak of.[14] In the beginning of the 80s, disco was an anathema to the mainstream pop, and according to him, Madonna had a huge role in popularizing dance music as mainstream music, utilizing her charisma, chutzpah and sex appeal. Erlewine claimed that Madonna "launched dance-pop" and set the standard for the genre for the next two decades.[14] The staff of Vice magazine stated that the album "drew the blueprint for future dance-pop."[83] Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 50 on "The 100 Best Albums of the Eighties" list, writing: "Indeed, initial response to Madonna gave no indication of the mania to follow. It took a year and a half for the album to go gold. But its assured style and sound, as well as Madonna's savvy approach to videos, helped the singer make the leap from dance diva to pop phenom, and it pointed the direction for a host of female vocalists from Janet Jackson to Debbie Gibson."[84]
According to biographer Andrew Morton, the album made Madonna a household name, and was instrumental in introducing her star power.[85] Martin Charles Strong, author of The Great Rock Discography felt that the album's unprecedented dance-pop and naive appeal served Madonna in establishing her base as an artist.[86] Kyle Anderson from Entertainment Weekly commented: "Madonna's sound, and of course her look, would be heavily copied for years to come, but Madonna heralded something much bigger: the arrival of the pop diva as a singular force who put personality above all else."[87] According to author Santiago Fouz-Hernández, the songs on Madonna reveal several key trends that have continued to define her success, including a strong dance-based idiom, catchy hooks, highly polished arrangement and Madonna's own vocal style. In songs such as "Lucky Star" and "Burning Up", Madonna introduced a style of upbeat dance music that would prove particularly appealing to future gay audiences.[88]
Music critics Bob Batchelor and Scott Stoddart, commented in their book The 1980s that "the music videos for the singles off the album, was more effective in introducing Madonna to the rest of the world."[89] Author Carol Clerk said that the music videos of "Burning Up", "Borderline" and "Lucky Star" established Madonna, not as the girl-next-door, but as a sassy and smart, tough funny woman. Her clothes worn in the videos were later used by designers like Karl Lagerfeld and Christian Lacroix, in Paris Fashion week of the same year.[25]Professor Douglas Kellner, in his book Media Culture: Cultural Studies, Identity, and Politics Between the Modern and the Postmodern, commented that the videos depicted motifs and strategies which helped Madonna in her journey to become a star.[90] With the "Borderline" music video, Madonna was credited for breaking the taboo of interracial relationships, and it was considered one of her career-making moments. MTV played the video in heavy rotation, increasing Madonna's popularity further.[16]
Following the release of the album, Madonna was dismissed by some critics. They called her voice sounding as "Minnie Mouse on helium", while the other detractors suggested that she was "almost entirely helium, a gas-filled, lighter-than-air creation of MTV and other sinister media packagers."[91] Madonna said: "From the very beginning of my career, people have been writing shit about me and saying, 'She's a one-hit wonder, she'll disappear after a year'."[92] She responded to the comment "Minnie Mouse on helium" by doing a photoshoot with Alberto Tolot, where she flirted with a giant Mickey Mouse toy, putting its hand inside her dress and looking at it with an admonishing glare. Author Debbi Voller noted that "such provocative imagery at a young age of her career, could have hurt her too much. But it went on to shut those twerps who dared to take a swag at her voice again."[93] Twenty-five years later, in her acceptance speech of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, Madonna thanked the critics who snubbed her in the early years, "The ones that said I was talentless, that I was chubby, that I couldn't sing, that I was a one-hit wonder. They pushed me to be better, and I am grateful for their resistance."[94]
Track listing[edit]
|Madonna – Standard edition
|"Lucky Star"
|"Burning Up"
|"I Know It"
|"Think of Me"
|"Physical Attraction"
|Mark Kamins
|[show]Madonna – 2001 remastered edition (bonus tracks)
|[show]Madonna – Video compilation
- Notes[95]
- "Burning Up" (Alternate Album Version) – 4:48, was used for the Vinyl edition of Madonna: The First Album, released in Europe in 1985. The same version was the b-side for the single "Angel" (1985) in the same countries.[96][97]
- "Everybody" has a duration of 4:57 on the original 1983 album release; the 2001 remastered album includes a version which is 6:02, which is the original 12" version.
- ^a signifies a remixer
- Vinyl – includes the 8-track album and the 4:57 version of "Everybody".[95]
- Cassette – includes the 8-track album and the 4:57 version of "Everybody".[95]
- CD – includes the 8-track album and the 4:57 version of "Everybody".[95]
- Longbox CD – includes the 8-track album and the 4:57 version of "Everybody".[95]
- Vinyl (1985) – Re-released in Europe with new artwork and renamed as Madonna: The First Album. This format includes the same tracks as the original but includes "Burning Up" (Alternate Album Version) – 4:48. Also released as a limited edition with fold-out poster of the cover minus typography.[98][99]
- Vinyl Picture Disc (1985) – Madonna: The First Album includes the same tracks as the original album.[100]
- Cassette (1985) – Madonna: The First Album includes the same tracks as the original album.[98]
- CD (1985) – Madonna: The First Album includes the same tracks as the original album.[98]
- CD (2001) – Remastered 10-track edition includes all tracks from the original album and two bonus remixes of "Burning Up" and "Lucky Star". This version was released by Warner Bros. and also includes a longer version of "Everybody" – 6:02. This version replaced the 1985 international re-release and reverted the album back to its original artwork and title in those territories.[101]
- Digital download (2005) – Same tracks as the 2001 remastered version, except for "Holiday" which is a 3:51 edited version.[102]
- Vinyl (2012) – 8-track European reissue of the original album which includes the 4:57 version of "Everybody". This version was released by Warner Bros. and Rhino Entertainment.[103]
Adapted from the album's liner notes.[11]
Record company[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
Year-end charts[edit]
Certifications and sales[edit]
|Certified units/Sales
|Australia (ARIA)[37]
|3× Platinum
|France (SNEP)[77]
|Germany (BVMI)[80]
|Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[79]
|New Zealand (RMNZ)[113]
|Spain (PROMUSICAE)[81]
|United Kingdom (BPI)[75]
|United States (RIAA)[67]
|5× Platinum
*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone


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Who says that sport and politics don't mix?
Kim Jong-Un, the supreme leader of North Korea, is a winter sports fan who has his own ski resort.
"Rocket Man", as Donald Trump tartly calls him, duly secured a rapprochement with South Korea to have athletes from both countries march together at the Winter Olympics, which start in Pyeongchang on Friday.
There will even be a combined female ice hockey team, preserving the myth that sport heals all.
This is rather better than the last time South Korea hosted an Olympics – its northern neighbours blew up a South Korean airliner a few months before the 1988 Summer Games.
Politics has never been far from the heart of the Olympics, not least because of the vast shop window it provides.
Adolf Hitler himself opened the Winter Games in Garmisch and the Summer Olympics in Berlin in 1936, the last time the two events were hosted in the same year.
Four years ago, Russian president Vladimir Putin hoped to use the Sochi Winter Olympics to demonstrate his country's muscle – to disastrous effect.
Russia cleaned up the medals table, only to be found to have engineered a state-sponsored doping programme.
The IOC promptly banned the Russians, 11 of whom were kicked out for life.
Despite this, 169 of its athletes will be in Pyeongchang thanks to a curious compromise that ensures they will compete as neutrals – political expediency at its finest.
As for the Games, there is much to look forward to. I challenge you to watch curling and not be utterly fascinated.
As Charles Barkley, the basketballer, famously said: "Curling is not a sport. I called my grandmother and told her she could win a gold medal because they have dusting in the Olympics now."
There will be an added dimension with mixed doubles, one of four new events on the Games agenda, the others being big air snowboarding, long track speed skating and alpine skiing for teams.
If you have no more than a passing interest in the Games, do yourself a favour and just watch snowboarding, which is spectacular and requires a degree of insanity from its participants.
The Winter Games have failed to resonate across Africa, predictably enough, but this sentiment might soften if the Nigerian women's bobsled team do more than just show up.
Former track-and-field stars Seun Adigun, Ngozi Onwumere and Akuoma Omeoga broke dog-eared stereotypes by qualifying, although if you scratch a little deeper, you discover that none were born in Nigeria and had ample snow to train in – in their US backyard.
Nonetheless, they have captured the imagination, not least when Ellen DeGeneres invited the trio on to her television show. And two weeks ago, Serena Williams gave them a shout-out on Twitter.
For all their energy, they will never do as well as bobsledder Eddie Eagan, who in 1932 became the first man to win golds at both Summer and Winter Games, having captured gold in boxing in Antwerp a dozen years previously.
The Nigerians will carry the hopes of a nation, if not an entire continent, when they fire up their bobsleigh in one of the fastest, most dynamic events at the Olympics.
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As will Akwasi Frompong, who will be the first athlete from Ghana to appear in the Winter Olympics.
He will compete in the skeleton, so-named for the shape and appearance of the original sleds.
Nigeria's Simidele Adeagbo will also be having a crack, ensuring more than passing interest from supporters across the continent.
Even SA will be represented, with Connor Wilson entered in the giant slalom.
Might they follow in the footsteps of Eddie "The Eagle" Edwards or the Jamaican bobsledders, who became a part of folklore for their unlikely participation? Perhaps.
If your interests are more classical, figure skating may appeal.
The dazzling costumes, dramatic music and tension as the scores are totted up make for a fascinating blend.
Unusually, the sport gives respectful nods to its champion forebears: the "axel", named after the star of the 1930s, Axel Paulsen.
Similarly, the "salchow", a challenging jump in the air, borrows its origins from Ulrich Salchow, an Olympic champion who won the world championship 10 times.
Settle in. The Games may be out of your comfort zone, but you might be surprised by what you find.
Sunday Tribune


text:
Put forward your URL to chats and forums web directory. Learn about chat rooms and forums that deal particularly to the world of art. You can become a part of these rooms and forums and submit your artwork, get opinions, express your views on various art topics like architecture, literature, photography and many other related domains. So browse and suggest quality sites to spam free web directory.
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Risqué Designs is a Filipino lifestyle brand that brings forth modernity and luxury with its meticulously hand-crafted artisan products.
From the far-flung communities of Negros Occidental and Paete, Laguna, to the busy show town of Marikina City, Risqué fuses various Filipino materials, craftsmanship and inspirations to create both ready-to-wear and ready-for-runway for footwear pieces.
Risqué envisions a revival of traditional crafts to be competitive with global brands, thus fostering a surge in demand for age-old skills such as loom-weaving, wood-carving and shoe-making.
Risqué has consistently been exhibiting in Manila FAME International since 2013 and has even participated in the New York NOW Trade Fair in New York in 2015. Risqué has its own 180 square meter production facility and showroom in Marikina. It also recently opened it's first pop-up shop in Glorietta Mall, Makati.
Tal de Guzman is the founder and main designer of Risqué. She graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Art Management, but later on took additional courses in Fashion Design from the School of Fashion and the Arts, and Entrepreneurship from The One School.
She has always had an affinity for local handicrafts and has made it her life's work to be a medium for transforming traditional crafts into modern designs. She dreams of growing Risqué both in local and global markets — telling the story of the Filipino one shoe at a time.


text:
- spectra279Asked on July 05, 2017 at 04:16 AM
I am trying to design a tenant application form. There is a section for previous addresses. I am having to repeat the details multiple times Is there a way that the user may be able repeat section instead of having to design a very lengthy form.
- coruptaAnswered on July 05, 2017 at 04:30 AM
I suggest you to check out this link:
Feel free to contact us for further questions.


text:
Image © Tommy Trenchard
Amnesty International Media Awards celebrate excellence in human rights journalism and applaud the courage and determination of journalists and editors who put their lives on the line to tell important human rights stories.
Click here to see winners of previous awards.
If you have any queries in relation to entering the Media Awards, please email firstname.lastname@example.com or call 01453 872731. For any other queries about Amnesty International and their work, please contact:
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At DriveTrain Learning, we fuel your account management teams with proven methods for engaging customers. Our team boasts over 25 years of hands-on experience in managing major customers, leading teams, influencing business partners and developing account managers. We're ready to equip and enable your teams to accelerate your business, WOW your customers and deliver the results that today's market demands. We're ready to get you moving!
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Denise is a creative, thematic leader and teacher who spearheads the visual aesthetics and content design of DriveTrain materials.


text:
For those of you unfamiliar with some of the intricacies of the financial market, here's a quick summary of what you see in the picture to the left regarding sponsored access. Brokers, like Bank of America and Goldman Sachs, are members of exchanges (ie. NYSE, Nasdaq, etc.). Brokers go through registrations, pay considerable fees, and are regulated to have access to these markets. Clients of these brokers who are interested in high-volume trading, for example in some cases hedge funds, want access to these markets.
Traditionally clients would pay the brokers a fee to access the markets via the broker's own internal systems. It's a win for the broker, who generates extra income in charging for access, and a win for the exchange which makes its money with the increase in trading volume.
The problem arises as more and more clients, who are also interested in high-frequency trading, want faster access to the markets. Using the broker's internal systems to access these markets only increases the latency. The clients already have their own networks, usually optimized to meet their performance objectives, whereas the brokers may or may not. Either way, the broker's systems will only add to the latency by adding an additional 'hop' to reach the market. (Again for those of you unfamiliar with high-frequency trading and the sensitivity surrounding latency, performance is measured in milliseconds and microseconds.)
To address latency concerns among their clients, brokers have given them 'naked' access to these markets (NYSE, Nasdaq, etc.) by providing their broker 'market-participant IDs.' The client (ie. hedge fund) directly accesses the market as if they were the broker (Bank of America, Goldman Sachs, etc.). The advantage is that the client bypasses the broker's internal systems, directly connecting to the actual exchange, and avoids the additional latency.
Two problems, among others, that arise from naked sponsored access are:
- Since clients are using the market-participant ID of the broker, the market is unaware that the trader is not the actual broker but a client of that broker. This therefore puts to question transparency (one major purpose of exchanges).
- The broker is also held responsible for all trades made on behalf of those clients, since it's their market-participant ID being used on that exchange. This puts brokers at risk of a client over-leveraging. Multiply the risk of over-leveraging by the number of clients trading with naked sponsored access, and there are legitimate concerns of another financial crisis.
This past November 20th, Senator Ted Kaufman urged the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to stop sponsored access all together. The issue argued by many against the senator's move is that sponsored access accounts for more than 50% of the daily trading volume that occurs on exchanges today. Sponsored access has also created more liquidity for buyers and sellers, essential for trading.
A variety of firms have explored and invested in building a low-latent solution to address the concerns surrounding naked sponsored access. The solution they've built is a low-latent risk management application which sits on top of naked sponsored access. A division at NYSE Euronext, NYSE Technologies, calls their solution a Risk Management Gateway (RMG).
What does it provide? Sponsoring brokers can manage the risk of their clients through a web-based user interface that allow them to:
- Manage a set of trade filters, that are configurable, and controls the level of risk for each of the sponsoring broker's clients. Once a threshold is hit, the RMG can block further trading activity until a risk manager/administrator removes the block or resets the limits.
- A means to visually monitor the level of risk based on all client order activity pre and post trade.
- Cancel all orders, or specific orders, for a given client.
RMG, and other low-latent risk management products like it, may be a way forward to keeping the practice of naked sponsored access alive with secure enough safeguards to prevent abuse by high-frequency traders.
Technology is moving so fast that it's hard for the SEC to keep up with deciding what the right amount of regulation is needed while understanding all the ramifications with or without it.
Click here to read more about the Wall Street Journal's article on 'naked' sponsored access.


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Yes i know, far from a serious topic and very much like the what are you listening to topic, but i felt that this should go here being as it would be pertaining to alcohol.
this is where you mention... recipes i guess, or stuff you liked/just tried with some friends. anything really. and i feel those that dont drink would naturally just not post here so it should be okay.
anyway... i like wine and i was wondering if anyone could recomend some good red wine.
[<snip fake signature>


text:
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United States District Court, D. Oregon
July 6, 2017
DANIEL PATRICK CONNORS, Plaintiff,v.NANCY A. BERRYHILL, Commissioner of Social Security, Defendant.
Katherine L. Eitenmiller and Robert A. Baron, Law Office Of
Harder, Wells, Baron & Manning, P.C., 474 Willamette,
Suite 200 Eugene, OR 97401. Of Attorneys for Plaintiff.
J. Williams, United States Attorney, and Janice E. Hebert,
Assistant United States Attorney, United States
Attorney's Office, 1000 S.W. Third Avenue, Suite 600,
Portland, OR 97204; Jordan D. Goddard, Special Assistant
United States Attorney, Office of General Counsel, Social
Security Administration, 701 Fifth Avenue, Suite 2900 M/S
221A, Seattle, WA 98104. Of Attorneys for Defendant.
Michael H. Simon, United States District Judge
P. Connors ("Plaintiff") seeks judicial review of
the final decision of the Commissioner of the Social Security
Administration ("Commissioner") denying his
application for Disability Insurance Benefits
("DIB") under Title II of the Social Security
Act. Because the Commissioner's decision was based on the
proper legal standards and is supported by substantial
evidence, the decision is AFFIRMED.
district court must affirm the Commissioner's decision if
it is based on the proper legal standards and the findings
are supported by substantial evidence. 42 U.S.C. §
405(g); see also Hammock v. Bowen, 879 F.2d 498, 501
(9th Cir. 1989). "Substantial evidence" means
"more than a mere scintilla but less than a
preponderance." Bray v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec.
Admin., 554 F.3d 1219, 1222 (9th Cir. 2009) (quoting
Andrews v. Shalala, 53 F.3d 1035, 1039 (9th Cir.
1995)). It means "such relevant evidence as a
reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a
conclusion." Id. (quoting Andrews, 53
F.3d at 1039).
the evidence is susceptible to more than one rational
interpretation, the Commissioner's conclusion must be
upheld. Burch v. Barnhart, 400 F.3d 676, 679 (9th
Cir. 2005). Variable interpretations of the evidence are
insignificant if the Commissioner's interpretation is a
rational reading of the record, and this Court may not
substitute its judgment for that of the Commissioner. See
Batson v. Comm'r of Soc. Sec. Admin., 359 F.3d 1190,
1193, 1196 (9th Cir. 2004). "[A] reviewing court must
consider the entire record as a whole and may not affirm
simply by isolating a specific quantum of supporting
evidence." Orn v. Astrue, 495 F.3d 625, 630
(9th Cir. 2007) (quoting Robbins v. Soc. Sec.
Admin., 466 F.3d 880, 882 (9th Cir. 2006) (quotation
marks omitted)). A reviewing court, however, may not affirm
the Commissioner on a ground upon which the Commissioner did
not rely. Id.; see also Bray, 554 F.3d at
Plaintiff's application
was born on May 14, 1963, in Portland, Oregon. Administrative
Record ("AR") 29, 385. Plaintiff enlisted in the
U.S. Army at 17 years o1d. AR 297. He served from 1981 to
1984. After that, he served with the National Guard from 1985
to 1995, and then returned to the Army from 1995 to 2002.
Id. Plaintiff worked various jobs in the Army. After
leaving the Army, Plaintiff worked as a wildlands firefighter
in 2003 to 2004 and as a grocery clerk in 2003. AR 92-98,
March 2014, Plaintiff filed his application alleging
disability as of January 1, 2003. AR 187-95. Plaintiff
requested a hearing after the application was denied
initially and again upon reconsideration. AR 135-45. After
the hearing on May 5, 2015, Administrative Law Judge
("ALJ") John Michaelsen found Plaintiff not
disabled. AR 35-56. Plaintiff appealed ALJ Michaelsen's
decision to the Appeals Council and his appeal was denied
review on October 26, 2015, making the ALJ's decision
final. AR 1-6. This appeal followed.
The Sequential Analysis
claimant is disabled if he or she is unable to "engage
in any substantial gainful activity by reason of any
medically determinable physical or mental impairment which .
. . has lasted or can be expected to last for a continuous
period of not less than 12 months[.]" 42 U.S.C. §
423(d)(1)(A). "Social Security Regulations set out a
five-step sequential process for determining whether an
applicant is disabled within the meaning of the Social
Security Act." Keyser v. Comm'r Soc. Sec.
Admin., 648 F.3d 721, 724 (9th Cir. 2011); see
also 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520 (DIB), 416.920
(SSI); Bowen v. Yuckert, 482 U.S. 137, 140 (1987).
Each step is potentially dispositive. 20 C.F.R. §§
404.1520(a)(4), 416.920(a)(4). The five-step sequential
process asks the following series of questions:
1. Is the claimant performing "substantial gainful
activity?" 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(a)(4)(i),
416.920(a)(4)(i). This activity is work involving significant
mental or physical duties done or intended to be done for pay
or profit. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1510, 416.910. If the
claimant is performing such work, she is not disabled within
the meaning of the Act. 20 C.F.R. §§
404.1520(a)(4)(i), 416.920(a)(4)(i). If the claimant is not
performing substantial gainful activity, the analysis
proceeds to step two.
2. Is the claimant's impairment "severe"
under the Commissioner's regulations? 20 C.F.R.
§§ 404.1520(a)(4)(ii), 416.920(a)(4)(ii). An
impairment or combination of impairments is
"severe" if it significantly limits the
claimant's physical or mental ability to do basic work
activities. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1521(a), 416.921(a).
Unless expected to result in death, this impairment must have
lasted or be expected to last for a continuous period of at
least 12 months. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1509, 416.909. If
the claimant does not have a severe impairment, the analysis
ends. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(a)(4)(ii),
416.920(a)(4)(ii). If the claimant has a severe impairment,
the analysis proceeds to step three.
3. Does the claimant's severe impairment "meet or
equal" one or more of the impairments listed in 20
C.F.R. Part 404, Subpart P, Appendix 1? If so, then the
claimant is disabled. 20 C.F.R. §§
404.1520(a)(4)(iii), 416.920(a)(4)(iii). If the impairment
does not meet or equal one or more of the listed impairments,
the analysis continues. At that point, the ALJ must evaluate
medical and other relevant evidence to assess and determine
the claimant's "residual functional capacity"
("RFC"). This is an assessment of work-related
activities that the claimant may still perform on a regular
and continuing basis, despite any limitations imposed by his
or her impairments. 20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(e),
404.1545(b)-(c), 416.920(e), 416.945(b)-(c). After the ALJ
determines the claimant's RFC, the analysis proceeds to
step four.
4. Can the claimant perform his or her "past relevant
work" with this RFC assessment? If so, then the
claimant is not disabled. 20 C.F.R. §§
404.1520(a)(4)(iv), 416.920(a)(4)(iv). If the claimant cannot
perform his or her past relevant work, the analysis proceeds
to step five.
5. Considering the claimant's RFC and age, education, and
work experience, is the claimant able to make an adjustment
to other work that exists in significant numbers in the
national economy? If so, then the claimant is not disabled.
20 C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(a)(4)(v), 416.920(a)(4)(v),
404.1560(c), 416.960(c). If the claimant cannot perform such
work, he or she is disabled. Id.
See also Bustamante v. Massanari, 262 F.3d 949, 954
(9th Cir. 2001).
claimant bears the burden of proof at steps one through four.
Id. at 953; see also Tackett v. Apfel, 180
F.3d 1094, 1098 (9th Cir. 1999); Yuckert, 482 U.S.
at 140-41. The Commissioner bears the burden of proof at step
five. Tackett, 180 F.3d at 1100. At step five, the
Commissioner must show that the claimant can perform other
work that exists in significant numbers in the national
economy, "taking into consideration the claimant's
residual functional capacity, age, education, and work
experience." Id.; see also 20 C.F.R.
§§ 404.1566, 416.966 (describing "work which
exists in the national economy"). If the Commissioner
fails to meet this burden, the claimant is disabled. 20
C.F.R. §§ 404.1520(a)(4)(v), 416.920(a)(4)(v). If,
however, the Commissioner proves that the claimant is able to
perform other work existing in significant numbers in the
national economy, the claimant is not disabled.
Bustamante, 262 F.3d at 953-54; Tackett,
180 F.3d at 1099.
The ALJ's decision
The ALJ
denied Plaintiff's claim for benefits using the
sequential analysis. At step one, the ALJ noted that although
Plaintiff might have engaged in substantial gainful activity
in 2003 and 2004, the record was ambiguous, and so the ALJ
concluded that Plaintiff had not engaged in substantial
gainful activity during the period of January 1, 2003, the
alleged disability onset date, through his date last insured
of March 31, 2009. AR 19. At step two, the ALJ found the
following severe impairments: history of alcohol abuse, major
depressive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder,
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder ("ADHD"),
mild obesity, degenerative disc disease of the lumbar spine,
osteoarthritis of the right shoulder, and history of left
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text:
the top 10 most dangerous driving songs
A new experiment has revealed the songs that can cause motorists to drive more dangerously says the opening paragraph
experiment, not survey - from a massive sample of 8 people too
some of them seem rather apt titles for this particular list
& as for nickleback, well if i had to listen to them i'd want to crash to get it over with too
oh wait
"Also, listening to music you don't like can cause stress and distraction and this also negatively affects driving."
so maybe they just found the top ten songs that the 8 people didn't like?
I had to stop listening to slayer in the car because it was making me
drive much too fast.
- Mehodor this'd this
surely any song that means you have to reach for the dial to turn it down / off?
or a shit song at the end of an album so you need to stop the cd and press eject..?
that list does not contain
"bad habit" by offspring and is thus wrong surely?
did a lot of driving to Japandroids over Christmas
surprised I'm still alive tbh
Song 2 by Blur is by far the worst thing to drive to.
because everytime it goes `woo hoo` you have to jump over a canyon
or at very least drive through a big puddle.
Works best if you change up the gears during the intro then
hit the gas at the first woo-hoo. Not advisable in a built-up area tbh
Hit the road, Jack
apart from the humorous/disgusting imagery - why?NoahVale this'd this
The whole of Primal Scream's XTRMNTR
is just a catalyst for crashing cars, really.
Is it because
those songs are the aural equivalent of Horlicks and a sleeping tablet?
i crashed into a parked car once when i was listening to that goldfinger song off the tony hawk's game


text:
Today's the day. My prompt is featured!!!! (insert happy dance!)
For me, it's the sun rising each and every day that really encourages me to keep going. It's so simple, so ordinary. But it's power is amazing.
No matter what happens: no matter how badly I'm feeling or how badly I think I've messed up or how mean the rest of the world is or how terrible it is to have a chronic illness — the sun rises every day. Like the rainbow in the sky, it's God's promise to me that no matter what, He's in control and His presence is with me. I can see His glory surrounding me. He's the Creator, the One who created life and continues the work of renewal throughout creation. It's a sign of a fresh beginning, another opportunity to live another day that will count before God and man.
You know what? It seems so simple, so ordinary. But the fact that the sun came up today? It keeps me going. Because I see the power of forgiveness, the work of resurrection, the promise of life. And I'm reminded that the heavens do rule! So I can start the day singing…
A new day has dawned
The saints are going on
The glory of the Lord is coming down.
All around me I can see,
There are signs of victory.
Hallelujah! A new day has dawned.
Grateful for the ordinary,


text:
Anonymous, 10 Feb 2015Please suggest me i want to buy lumia 535 is good or not.Lumia 535 is bed windows phone bed touch ,no sharing stuff options like android , music and videos not play properly,no contiune vibration on incomeing call but its both cemeras good look nice but no one can buy lumia series i hate mircosoft n windows phone
jashalee, 10 Feb 2015The phone is so good and it's good for gamers... one thing i hate is when you charged it the p... morethat's two things
Vamsi , 10 Feb 20154 months old my lumia 535 but not respond touch screen every 1 hour hang tha phoneThis phone was launched on 11th Nov 2014. And became available since 26th Nov 2014 so like 2.5 months before. So how come you have this phone for past 4 months?? Think about it
how to set mp3 ringtone??? i bought today this phone plz tell mi hw to set ringtone
I want to buy Microsoft lumia 535... Is there any problem of bad touch sensitive system...
For the Past three days m using this mobile.. If use 3g + calls battery will stand upto 10.. browser is good but not able to download few applications bcs it require WIFI....
The phone is so good and it's good for gamers... one thing i hate is when you charged it the phone gets hotter... and there's a problem with turning off the phone... when you restart the phone and you want to off your phone to charge it... it's automatically turning on the phone... one thing i like is the CAMERA it's very cool so smooth the pixels are so nice with auto focus zoom with different camera effects/ back cam. and front cam... so far it's nice. love the cover cases... one thing i hate is you can't download apps on android, you can only download apps for microsoft lumia only... The price is good, the features,widgets,ringtons,SELFIES etc. are so nice :)
AnonD-360621, 10 Feb 2015Is the touch issues of this phone is solved????? Plzzzzz replyyyyy Fantastic Job - Microsoft.
mahesh, 09 Feb 2015i want to buy this phone plz suggest me Not bad phone I think Microsoft trying to do best
Is the touch issues of this phone is solved?????
Plzzzzz replyyyyy
Bukharyyah, 08 Feb 2015Hi, i just bought my Microsoft Lumia 535 yesterday, initially i have been using Lumia 625 and ... more Bukharyyah it has an already downloaded app to increase battery life.It is called Battery Server.From this app you can close the apps that running and your problem is sold.
Yesterday I have Bought this Mobile .Nice Mobile (Different mobile for me)


text:
On 7 December 1949, following the loss of four capitals, Chiang evacuated his Nationalist government to Taiwan and made Taipei the non permanent cash of the ROC (also known as the "wartime money" by Chiang Kai-shek).[76] Some 2 million folks, consisting mostly of troopers, customers with the ruling Kuomintang and intellectual and business elites, have been evacuated from mainland China to Taiwan at that time, incorporating to the earlier inhabitants of about six million.
The net Examination was taken as screening objective and was organized on 22ndAugust and fifth September. All of the candidates who sat for that Examination are extremely anxious to receive…… Study Far more
two. suppose you want to take a automobile mortgage variety state financial institution of india. create a letter to your chief supervisor, sbi department of the locality, requesting him/...
Taiwan uses two official calendars: the Gregorian calendar and the Minguo calendar. The latter numbers decades ranging from 1911, the yr of the founding in the Republic of China.
How much time will it get to receive again the nj state rfund? i filed in mid january and received the federal but no state however?
sir Lucknow ki bacancy jo 28 se30march tak samvida thi usame Interviw hoga ya pepar hoga? ReplyDelete
just after perusing the small print duely authenticated by judges panel .The inconvenience prompted if any, is regretted. Director
How long will it go ahead and take state of alabama to put your state refund check in your emerald card just after it's been processed from your state?
sir mera naam Neha dwivedi hai lucknow se meri advantage 186 hai kya mera admission kisi personal university me ho sakta hai pls reply
Notice : Often Guess your own danger how at any time we posted below some hearings. All of our guideline can be done guide only to check to your personal information.
EuroMillions – the a single and only multi-national lottery of Europe is 100 percent worth a attempt due to spectacular jackpots you'll get use of. Below's anything you need to know about EuroMillions, its record, regulations and prizes.
I need to move outside of state. what do I would like to take care of in my present-day state in advance of leaving, initially things to complete in new Mizoram state lottery sambad state Once i get there?
How can i block this site from my lookup results, as It appears to seem whether or not there isn't any info on the location?
The ROC administration of Taiwan beneath Chen Yi was strained by increasing tensions involving Taiwanese-born persons and recently arrived mainlanders, which were compounded by financial woes, for instance hyperinflation. Furthermore, cultural and linguistic conflicts among the two groups swiftly led into the loss of popular help for The brand new authorities, whilst the mass movement led via the Functioning committee on the Communist Occasion also aimed to provide down the Kuomintang authorities.
- 192 Visitors


text:
Handsome Stranger is now available on All Romance ebooks.Only $0.99 Go pick up your copy today.
Also check out the new review for Finding Samantha at Queenutt's World of Escapism
I'm glad that I found she reviewed Hestia's Vacation, which you can read here Queentutt's world of Escapism
So much new stuff has been going on. Also my short story for Halloween has been accepted. Not sure when it will be out but you can be sure I will keep you updated. I have been able to add more to John's book as well, finally over my writers block/ being lazy! Gets me so excited when I have new stuff out that I want to get this one done. My goal is to have it done by the end of the year so that I can work on Joe's while I'm home with the new baby. Hopefully it will be done before that though so I can work on his book before the kid, I'm sure I won't have much free time after baby Robert is born.
Let me know what you think of the reviews and of the new book. Hope you all enjoy!


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100-Year Loom Chef's Apron, Tan
Proud to be named in Bon Appétit as a "Top 10 Great Specialty Food Store"
Apron also available in Navy.
Before Divakar brought his impossibly tasty Tellicherry Peppercorns to my attention in 2012, he made textiles for my old company, The Land of Nod. Well, life has come full circle.
Divakar and I joined forces again to create our own exclusive chef's apron. Our version features gorgeous, heavy-weight cotton fabric produced on a 100 year-old handloom in Divakar's hometown of Kannur, India. (See the photos under the main shot.) To achieve a soft, natural feel, no starch is added to the yarn at the weaving stage.
The apron is as practical as it is good looking. Includes two large pockets below the waist for cooking utensils, cell phone and mom's secret recipes. Features a blue ticking stripe embellishment. Two small pockets near the top hold pens and pencils. Neck strap is fully adjustable. Waist strap is long enough to tie in back or front.
Aprons are unisex. Choose Navy or Tan. Each apron comes packaged in a printed, drawstring Reluctant Trading Experiment bag. Ideal for gift giving or just for yourself.
100% cotton. 200 thread count. Machine wash cold, tumble dry low.
- 100% Cotton Canvas
- Machine Wash Cold Water, tumble dry low.
- Width: 11" at the top, 30" at the bottom
- Length: 32.25" in the middle, 21.25" on the sides.
- 2 top pockets, 4.75" long x 1.75" wide each.
- 2 lower pockets, 10.5" wide x 7.5" high each.
- Side straps 42" long each.
- Available in two colors.
- Made in India by Mr. Divakar.
**Due to the holiday and our annual inventory, orders placed today will not ship until Thursday, January 3.**
Regular Non-Rush Delivery starts at just $3.95. It's very reasonable.
It's darn fast too. Almost all orders arrive in just a few days.
Your satisfaction is guaranteed. Would hate for you to be unhappy. The world has enough unhappiness. We're here to make you happy. Okedoke?
Customer Reviews
When I ordered this I figured it would be another item I used and put in a drawer. But this is both a substantial garment and a useful apron. It has some heft and the weave is very attractive. I find myself reaching for it routinely and I am sure it will last years. I have paid more for less so I am very pleased with the quality but I have come to expect that from Reluctant Trading.


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Black Orchestra, from Game Salute, is a new game based on the various resistance plots that existed to assassinate the Nazi Fuhrer, Adolf Hitler. The game depicts a map of Germany (with several locations in Berlin their own spaces- the Chancellery, Gestapo HQ, Sportspalast, etc..) as well as various other locations in Europe like Prague, Stockholm, Vienna, Paris, Auschwitz, and more. Most locations have random items on them, which are placed face down to hide them from the players. Each player draws a random conspirator, based on an actual historical resister like Clause von Stauffenberg, Wilhelm Canaris, Hans Oster, and more. Player cards have motivation tracks- how committed they are to the cause; and suspicion tracks- how much the Gestapo suspects their loyalty to Hitler. On a players' turn he or she may take three actions like conspire, roll dice in an attempt to add successes to the dissent track which will help to increase motivation or lower Hitler's military support; move from one location to another; search to reveal the item at a location, obtain that item, or draw a conspiracy card, or more. Conspiracy cards may give you advantages in the game to move directly across the board, or modify dice rolls, or contain plots to take the Fuhrer out. After the player takes his or her action, the player draws an event card which may move Hitler or his henchmen (Goebbels, Himmler, Goering, etc..) around the board, which can cause the player problems when they start their turn in the same space with one of them. Event cards also unfold the course of the game. Divided into seven decks, they unlock more territories as the war expands in Europe. Each deck also contains a number of Gestapo Raid cards, which will result in the arrest of on conspirators who have the highest suspicion ratings. Once arrested, they may be interrogated and forced to do bad things to their co-conspirators.
Players attempt to carry out a plot. The plot card will tell them what they must do to kill Hitler, and what cards and conditions will give them more dice and other advantages. Players then roll dice the plot card allows them to, and add in any more dice from conspirator cards. They must roll enough successes that it beats the rating of Hitler's military support, but also not roll the German eagle symbol greater than their own suspicion level- lest they go to the Gestapo prison. The players win the game when they successfully kill Hitler. They lose if all of the conspirators go to jail, or if a certain cards is revealed from the final event deck.
Black Orchestra is designed by Philip duBerry, who designed one of my favorite games, AEG's Courtier. The mechanics here are solid, and players really get a sense of the difficulties it took to get all of the pieces into place to take down of the most heavily guarded figures in history. Every turn you've got something to do, even if it is trying to get an item to another location in order to lower your suspicion level. Where the game really shines, however, is in the strong narrative that it provides. Conspirators are darting around Europe, collecting the pieces of the puzzle that they need, all the while careful not to make a misstep that will leave them to the tender mercies of the Gestapo. The way the war expands with the different event decks is really cool, allowing European locations to open up with the growing tide of war. Also, the various abilities that the conspirator cards provide offer some great decisions and touch choices, particularly when you want to keep them all but are limited to your hand size.
With a background in history myself (I wrote my master's thesis on Hitler and Stalin as military commanders, and studied for a time in Berlin), I really appreciated the strong historical narrative here. Also, I love games based on history- and do it well- that are not wargames (though I do love wargames, too). Black Orchestra will take its place alongside historical board game gems such as Twilight Struggle, Origins of World War II, The Grizzled, Churchill, and others. The only complaint I have with regard to this game is that it can feel a little random, and therefore a little frustrating at times. It's not nearly as random as Escape From Colditz, but there is that element there if that is something that might turn you off of the game. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed Black Orchestra and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys solid cooperative games and rich, historical games that are filled with narrative.
The Discriminating Gamer


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20 May 2014, Dubai – In just a matter of weeks all eyes will be on Brazil for the kick off of the 2014 Fifa World Cup. But come this weekend, one of the most recognisable faces in football, Diego Maradona, will be taking in some powerboating action at the third leg of the UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series in Naples, Italy.
It will be something of a homecoming for the Argentinean legend, who played for Serie A side Napoli from 1984 to 1991. During his time there, he is credited with guiding the club to two Serie A titles within three years, leading to his being hailed as a hero of the city. Now he'll return to give his support to the 13 teams taking part in this weekend's UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series race, which will be staged in Naples for the first time in Series history. "We are honoured that Diego Maradona will be joining us for what promises to be a thrilling race in Naples this weekend," said Vice President of the WPPA, Dr Khalid Al Zahed. "As a hero of the local football side back in the 80s, we have no doubt that his presence will add to the excitement that is already building around the third race of the Series, which is being held in Naples for the first time," "Maradona has already shown his great support for the Series, attending and thoroughly enjoying the last race of the 2013 season in Dubai in December – a mark of its growing stature on the international sporting calendar," added Al Zahed. Racing gets underway on Friday with the first Official Practice while Emaar Pole Position and the Dubai Duty Free Speed Cat Run will take place on Saturday, and the Napoli Grand Prix will be contested on Sunday at 3.30pm local time. Fazza (Arif Al Zaffain and Nadir Bin Hendi) currently lead the 2014 UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series with a maximum 800 points, after emphatic victories in the first two races of the season, in Dubai and Fujairah. Skydive Dubai (Sultan Al Dhaheri and Jay Price) are second with 525 points, while Italian team Six (Tomaso Polli and Matteo Nicolini) are in third place with 313 points. But with Fazza not having had things all their way in races away from home last season, there will be all to play for when action resumes in Italy. All the action will be streamed live via the Series website.


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20 December 2015
Mom: We have been waiting for your email all day!
So have I! we were going to email earlier but the internet place was closed. island lyfeeee... they close their stores and stuff whenever they feel like it.
Mom: Was your Christmas package there???
YES! I can't wait to open it!
Hello everybody! I'm not dead!! Haha, I'm safe and sound on my little island :)
First of all, these French keyboards really don't make ANY sense... Just so you know, if I throw a "q" in randomly just know that it's supposed to be an "a." There will probably be a lot of mistakes in here...
So let me think back to this whole process... It feels like I was in the MTC a billion years ago! We finally left the MTC on Monday afternoon and our flight left SLC at 5ish. Funny and super awesome story: we were waiting at our gate and people start coming off the plane from LAX. Guess who was getting off the plane! Four missionaries coming home from New Caledonia! Elder Ellingson, Sisters Giles, White, and Taylor. It was so cool and fun to see them!!
In LA, the whole process of getting on our flight to New Zealand was a mess... I don't like how you have to leave the airport to get into the international terminal because you have to go through security again... But when we were waiting in line to get in at the Air New Zealand desk, we met some Mormons, so that was cool. But then one of the Sisters with us was from Belize and the Church didn't tell her/didn't realize that she needed a transit visa or whatever to get through New Zealand. So we were trying to call Church travel and figure it out and they told her to stay behind in LA and the mission office there would get her and they'd send her out later (she did come out on Sunday.) Soeur Casuga did not end up staying in LA and flying the next day because church travel made her get on our flight. So we headed to NZ! I slept most of the time on the plane... The food was pretty good though!
We had a long layover in New Zealand--I think 6 hours. We kinda just wandered around. Then two sisters from the NZ MTC came. They came to Vanuatu with us and one of them, Soeur Snow from Tahiti, is in New Cal (she's in my district actually!) There was some confusion about our luggage--it got stopped in NZ so they had to quickly find it all and make sure it all got on our plane to Vanuatu. All of my stuff made it but not everyone's... haha.
Then we flew to VANUATU! They gave us sandwiches on the plane, which was very nice because I was starving by that time. They also gave us water in sealed containers--like yogurt or jello but water inside haha. As we were landing in Vanuatu, everything was so GREEN. It looked like a fishtank that needs to be cleaned because it's covered in algae (think Finding Nemo!) And it was instantly hot and humid when we stepped off the plane. We went through customs and then met President and Sister Granger! Yes, they're very Australian :) There were also the APs there to help with our luggage and drive us to the mission office. People in Vanuatu drive CRAZY (there aren't any stop signs or lights or anything) and the elders drove super crazy too (one of them ran over a dog the second night we were there...) They have trucks and vans and here in New Cal there are vans and Jukes. There are also many Kia Sorentos and it makes me happy to see them :) We hung out in the mission office and hqve root beer floats :) I think there ended up being probably 20 new missionaries. Two of them were New Cal visa waiters--so to Vogel, Rhodes, Watkins, and Miner: yours WILL come!! :) That night we stayed with some sisters in their apartment. Having spent those nights in Vanu with them really helps me appreciate what I have here in New Cal.
The next day (Thursday) we had some orientation and hung around the office. Then we went to get lunch at this fast food place that serves burgers and chicken and seafood that's really cheap and also right next to the ocean :) I got a quarter chicken meal with fries and fanta. Then we walked around the little market area--lots of fruits and veggies and also the usually trinket-y things you see at all the tourist areas (like in Mexico-dresses, jewelry, handcrafted things.) We also sat in a park and watched some families play. Everyone in Vanu is super nice and says hi to you :)
That night we went to the mission home for dinner and more orientation. They have a beautiful view! We had tacos/burritos and for dessert we had fruit--pineapple, passionfruit, watermelon, bananas.
The next morning, Friday, we got up super early to be at the airport in time for our 6:30 flight which ended up leaving half a hour later than scheduled... Island time... But we got on the plane, which was super small and awesome--it had propellers! (Also, in the Vanu airport you walk on the tarmac and up the stairs into the plane--so cool!
Mom: Have you felt motion sick?
motion sickness = yes :(
Not on the planes, but Elder -- drove so crazy the morning we flew to New Caledonia that I actually barfed right before we boarded... But I'm glad I did so I could enjoy the flight and not be sick when we got here.
We got to New Cal FINALLY!! It's so much cooler and less humid than Vanu and there's pretty much a constant breeze. It's also rained at least a little bit everyday I've been here. And it's definitely more civilized here than in Vanu. At least in Noumea it is...
We were picked up from the airport in Tontouta (it says you fly to Noumea but you really fly to Tontouta... there is an airport in Noumea but it's tiny and actually right next to the Magenta chapel! You can hear/see the planes fly during church meetings!) We went to the Magenta chapel, which is where the mission office here is. We had a tiny transfer meeting--there's only like 20 something missionaries here.
Ma collegue [companion] is Soeur Tellus! She's from France but she's part Martinique-ian so she's brown haha. She only has four months left so I'll probably be her last companion. Our area is Vallee de Colons, which is THE city in Noumea. It actually reminds me a lot of San Fran with the hills and lots of houses with the fences... haha Yeah every house has a fence so "porte a porte"/contacting is really just yelling at houses. We haven't done that yet but that's what I've heard. You really have to get to know the members and get them to help you find people or you won't find anyone. The work is pretty slow here but we hope to change that! We're both new to the secteur so we've just been trying to figure out what the boundries are and who the amis are and which members will help and who the less actives and recent converts are.
A lot of the people and missionaries here are Tahitian, so they speak very different French and mix Tahitian in with their French. Honestly, I really can't understand most of what people say.... :( But Soeur Tellus speaks lots of English, and I can understand her French way better because it's Frenchy French :) Also, we never use "vous" or "nous". We use "tu" and "on" because it's easier and faster and the people here are lazy hahaha :) People have complimented my French (I bore my testimony in sacrament meeting) so I have that going for me! But yeah... comprehension is a big challenge. I've been just going around not knowing most of what's been going on. Church and our meeting with the DMP (ward mission leader) were rough though. But once the kids know you speak English, they're in love with you haha and try to speak English to you. One girl at church told me that I speak English well, so I have that going for me, too! :)
We've been eating a lot of rice. We bought a baguette from the store by our house and I eat it with peanut butter and Nutella :) I think we have an appointment with a recent convert family this week and they're going to feed us, so then I can tell you what people eat!
We are walking [in our area], but the STLs [Sister Training Leaders] have been showing us the area in their car. Hills + TONS of roundabouts = sicky me. We might take the bus sometimes.
Our plans for Christmas: Zone partayyy, haha [A zone is a group of elders and sisters]
So yeah, I'm safe and sound! We're just starting the work this week for real, so I can tell you more about how that is next week!
Soeur Matheson (no one can say my last name here--they say something more like mattison...)
Let me know what your questions are!
1. The view in Vanuatu while eating lunch
2. "Seaview"--the place where we had lunch
3. The view from the mission home
4. Me, Casuga, and Flake!!
5. V for Victory! our mission theme :)
6. Our apartment (tiny and no A/C but it's still nice)
7. My bed haha
8. Soeur Tellus!!


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ya'll. i get all zero dark thirty when i'm sick. anyone else in the same boat as myself? In fact, i started to look back on this blog at how many times i've been sick in the last two years, and it's like A LOT.
the ONLY good thing is the binge eating of oyster crackers + ginger ale + lipton noodle soup. it's funny what traditions stick well into your …. (i was about to say late twenties, but i'm thirty now, so i guess.. thirties. omg).
any who.
i'm here, still swallowed up by flu accompanied by the most wonderful sinus / chest infection that one could possibly hope for! and i have convinced myself that typing up this post will make me feel less miserable, and you guessed it. I was wrong.
but, heres to thinking more positively. because i at least gotta fake it until i make it out of this thing in one piece. I'm all doomsday whenever I'm ill which is LITERALLY the WORST trait EVER. I can't seem to shake the bad thought habit, like julia. chill. c-h-i-l-l.
anyways. since i've been eating a staple of crackers and artificially flavored soda i decided to trick my body into eating something healthy. and it was TOTALLY worth it. like 100 percent worth it. eating good home cooked food actually made feel a little more human. total win!
so the lovely team from Americas Test Kitchen decided to bless me with their incredibly delicious (and nutritious, hehe, so what i did there) cookbook, Nutritious Delicious, and asked that I cook from it and then GIVE a copy away to one of my readers! How could I resist? If you've been following this blog for a while you are WELL aware of my obsession of anything that comes out of ATK so I just couldn't say no.
Anyways, I actually made several recipes from this book but chose to highlight one of my favorites of the bunch, the sauteed spinach and yogurt with dukkah.
Recipe Notes:
The recipes in this book are fairly easy to follow so are great for any level cook. However I DO have some notes in case you've never lets say… toasted chickpeas before!
When you rinse and drain your chickpeas, rub them with paper towels when drying because this will actually remove the outer most layer of the chickpea (basically the translucent skin) which can sometimes trap in moisture when toasting and so your chickpea just won't crisp up as much as it could.
I used already shelled and roasted pistachios because that was easiest. I toasted chickpeas as per the instructions and toasted all the seeds in a pan (dry, no oil). Store your leftover dukkah in a sealed container in the fridge so you can reuse it all week! it's the BEST.
I also added a tbsp of water to my yogurt sauce as i wanted it to be more of a dressing than a thicker sauce. This makes it easier for drizzling on. Just make sure you salt and pepper to taste, of course :).
I also had an onion that I chopped up, because I LOVE when spinach + onion + garlic are paired together and so added the onions when I added my garlic and sautéed them at the same time (and increased cooking time until onions were translucent in color).
I roasted this alongside some carrots and tomatoes, and made some brown rice so this was a main dish (and a filling one).
I also think this could be paired very nicely with a juicy red steak, but that's just me 🙂
- Serves: 4
- Serving size: 181
- Fat: 14.5g
- Fiber: 3.9g
- Protein: 5.2g
- ½ cup organic low fat yogurt
- 1½ tsp lemon zest plus 1 tsp lemon juice
- 1-2 tbsp water
- Salt & pepper
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 20 oz curly leaf spinach, stemmed
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ cup Dukkah (recipe follows)
- 1 can chickpeas, rinsed and patted dry
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ½ cup shelled pistachios, toasted
- ⅓ cup black sesame seeds, toasted
- 2½ tbsp coriander seeds, toasted
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted
- 2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted
- 1½ tsp pepper
- 1¼ tsp salt
- Combine yogurt, lemon zest, lemon juice in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. whisk and add 1-2 tbsp of water to achieve more of a dressing consistency (this is optional).
- Set aside for serving.
- Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a dutch oven over high heat until shimmering.
- Add spinach, 1 t handful at a time, and cook stirring constantly until wilted. About a minute or two.
- Transfer spinach to a colander and squeeze to remove excess liquid. Do this until all spinach is cooked.
- Wipe pot dry. Add remaining 2 tbsp of oil and garlic and cook over medium heat until garlic becomes fragrant.
- Next add chopped onions and saute until translucent, about 6 minutes.
- Add spinach and toss to coat with the garlic / onion oil.
- Remove from heat and salt and pepper to taste.
- Transfer spinach to a serving platter, drizzle with yogurt and sprinkle with dukkah. Serve
- adjust one rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees.
- Toss chickpeas w/ oil and spread in a single layer on rimmed baking sheet.
- Roast until browned and crisp, 40-45 minutes stirring every 5-10 minutes. Cool completely.
- Process chickpeas in food processor until coarsely ground, about 10 seconds. Transfer to bowl.
- Pulse pistachios and sesame seeds in food processor until coarsely ground, 15 pulses.
- Transfer to bowl of chickpeas.
- Process coriander, cumin and fennel seeds in food processor until finely ground, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to bowl of chickpeas, pistachios and sesame seeds.
- Add pepper and salt and toss until well combined.


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"Wherever you go, go with all your heart." ~ Confucius
"The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart." ~ Helen Keller
I'm not going to build a case in this post. I'm going to answer the title question and hope that I leave no doubt whatsoever in your mind that the answer I propose is the only right answer.
The answer is that "good" is never good enough. Good is merely "okay." It is doing only what is expected. It is never stretching to reach a greater goal. Good is mediocrity. It is certainly not giving something all you have got.
Good is a reasonable effort without the passion of one's heart. Good is lukewarm – neither hot nor cold. Good is getting by. Good is ordinary. Genius is the brain at work. Greatness is the heart at work. Good is just working at work.
Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple, once said, "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it." Jobs saw great work as a matter of the heart.
The Holy Bible, the source of inerrant truth, admonishes us to do all that we do to the glory of God. Would you offer God less than all of your heart and mind and soul and strength?
I love writing. I write about everything from sermons to the stock market, from inspiration to immigration, and from micro-technology to macroeconomics – and I love every minute of it! Let me clarify – I do not just do what I love to do. Rather I have learned to love whatever I set my hand to do. If I am going to do something, I am going to do it with great passion. It makes life thrilling.
I cannot imagine the shallow life a person lives just being good at something. What is the point? Being good can't even get you to heaven. That takes a passionate submission to the love of God and obedience to Him. (John 14:6)
Another writer once told me that what he writes about doesn't matter – he's just putting words on paper to make a living. In my days of operational management we called that a "lunch bucket mentality." It's a description of a boring life of punching a clock and doing the same mindless work day in and day out without any passion to excel. It's an "I punched the clock – I put in the time – Now pay me" kind of lifestyle in which people start the work week by counting the days and hours until the next weekend.
I am sorry to tell you that the life of "good" is available to you, if that is what you really want. But you need to count the cost before you make your choice. Why settle for good, when you can be great?
John Piper said, "Most people slip by in life without passion, spending their lives on trivial diversion, living for comfort and pleasure." Some would call comfort and pleasure a good life. He calls it a wasted life. If you don't agree with him now, someday you will. If you are living a "good" life and doing a "good" job, it's not too late to make your life and your work great.


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If you want to check your calculations for a regression line and see the line then Excel and WolframAlpha are both very easy to use. In Excel – just add the data, insert a chart – choose Scatter, then add a trend line.
…or let WolframAlpha do all the work for you (including a plot)!
You could also use Desmos. Their video gives clear instructions:
For another example with an A Level question (using the same data as for Excel and WolframAlpha above) check this slideshow.


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It Begins at the Ending
This is my first post. Hello. I have great plans for this blog but for now we shall start small and simple.
I'm a recent grad and in this world of "recession" and "hard economic times" and all those other buzz words the news and car commercials throw at you, it's hard to take it seriously when you're a student. But once the excitement of graduation is gone you realize you're in a weird limbo of not being a student and being a "post-grad" and then you final just come to the understanding that you're unemployed. And being unemployed in these "hard economic times" is scary. And once out of college you realize, wow I have negative money. Meaning… my student loans and the money it cost to get a job or start a career puts you at negative.
Thank God for my mom. People out there, love your parents, even if they suck- but especially if they don't, cause you don't know how long you'll have them and how much they real did for you. My mom immigrated to the US from the Philippines to find a better way of living and now in this twist of irony I'll be emigrating out of this country that she came to so many years ago, to work in a country that is so close to her homeland I could swim to it (well I could swim it if I was Michael Phelps…)
Don't just enjoy your time as a student, but enjoy your time all the time. When things get bad they can always get worst and when things are worst they can only get better. (I could work for Hallmark…)
Bottom line is not matter what your dreams are, how detailed you plan out your future, whether you're 14 or 40, take things as they come, live in the moment and don't feel bad if things don't workout how you planned them, cause something better is bound to happen.


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The Mercedes-AMG Marauder Boat Unveiled, and It's Epic
Every year, for the last decade, Mercedes-AMG and Cigarette Racing have released a new special-edition racing boat. The two companies have been designing special-edition performance boats together over the past ten years.
Knowing how impressive the past boats have been, we were eagerly awaiting the announcement of this year's collab. We were not disappointed when they unveiled the 2018 Mercedes-AMG Marauder Boat at this year's Miami International Boat Show in February.
This 50-foot long offshore racing boat was inspired by the Mercedes-AMG GT R. The Marauder has the performance and good looks of the Mercedes-AMG DGT R.
Powered by a pair of Mercury Racing twin-turbocharged V8 engines, this powerful, sleek powerboat is fast as hell. The engine can get up to a combined 3100 horsepower. One of the unique features of the Marauder is the ability to switch power levels depending upon need. The pilot can choose to operate the boat at 1350 hp for relaxed cruising or 1550 hp for high-intensity cruising. A unique key fob allows the driver to switch the power levels back and forth.
The lightweight carbon fibre construction of the Marauder also contributes to the boat's incredible speed. The Marauder weighs about 589 kg less than similar boats allowing it to reach high speeds quickly. The cockpit, consoles and deck were also designed with carbon fibre.
Finally, the Marauder is finished up with a custom paint job—a Green Hell Mango colour to correspond to the Mercedes-AMG GT R. This rare powerboat is a limited edition. Mercedes-AMG says that only eight will be produced.
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What's the difference between these types of service?
What is Comfort, and what is Survival package?
Find out what to expect in detail
asically, with a comfort package we tend to offer you the best possible comfort level on your hiking tour, aiming for 3 and 4 star hotels, or the best mountaineering huts and pansions in areas where these are unavailable. On the other hand, survival package is aimed at the more adventurous among our visitors, who enjoy sleeping in tents in complete wilderness in order to get the most out of their hiking adventure. While in the comfort package all the meals are provided at the accomodation point or as daily lunch packages, survival in it's minimum support form means that we will carry food for several days in our backpacks, and often get provisions along the route. But each one of them has several possible levels of service, so we'll list them in detail below (the price of your tour will depend on the service level). A 4×4 support vehicle which discretely transports your equipment between accomodation points, staying in contact with your guide, but keeping out of sight until needed in order not to disturb your hike, is a possible option for both the comfort or survival packages.


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Out tonight, out tonight.....let my bollocks take majestic flight (part 3)
This time I'm going to see how many baby chicks I can sneak into people's pint glasses before they take their next sip.
P.s. Little Johnny Russells, Albert Road, Portsmouth? Anyone familiar with this dive?
yeah, i think i went in there once
it's a bit rubbish. the honest politician is betterer.
I've been invited there as well
A night out with me is a very lucrative proposition...............................(in my mind)
I've been there once
I took one look at their salad and spewed. This was on May 26th 2007, if you were wondering.
I'm not going there for drinking
I'm going there to meet this fit chav I nearly fucked last week (but my catholic moralising strangled my judgement)
I meant I AM going there for drinking
Not to peek at salads
yo sup hommy
going out on a monday?
well how very studenty of you
ive got an essay due friday,and no words writ
gimme some motivation
like this look http://images.encyclopediadramatica.com/images/b/b0/Couragewolf10.jpg
Run a mile, my friend.....and your feet will probably hurt
No man is an island................
except this guy: