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This "Household Words" column appeared in the Spring 2005 issue of Macalester Today.
By Brian Rosenberg
People send me things: some nice–tokens of appreciation, bits of Macalester memorabilia–and some less gratifying, but either way the reception of such items is a necessary and expected part of the job. Among the "gifts" I received during my first year at the college was a copy of a cartoon from the Nov. 3, 1978, edition of the Minneapolis Tribune. Beneath a drawing of a very young, very dejected football player walking beside what appears to be his father is a caption–ungrammatical but to the point–that reads as follows: "If you're playing that rotten because you got some dumb idea you're going to go to Macalester some day, you can just forget it."
Presumably my anonymous correspondent wanted to remind me that the history of Macalester athletics has, at least over the past few decades, been less than consistently triumphant–as if I needed a reminder of any sort. From the moment of my arrival I have been invited to ponder the past and present struggles of our program in football and, more recently, in women's basketball (see page 10), and to reflect even more broadly on the role of athletics and recreation on a campus such as our own. A few of those reflections I would like to share.
Most important to recognize is the fact that athletics form a central part of the lives of many of our students and that it is therefore incumbent upon all of us at Macalester to think seriously and constructively about the subject. About one in five students at Macalester participates in intercollegiate athletics, a far higher percentage than at nearly any Division I school, and many more participate in club and intramural sports. To virtually all of them, their shared experiences with teammates, coaches and friends matter a great deal, regardless of scores and standings.
As for those scores and standings, it is helpful to remember that the results are considerably more varied than the conventional image of Macalester athletics might suggest. Not infrequently we lose; sometimes we win; occasionally we succeed on the highest level both collectively, as when our women's soccer team won the NCAA Division III national championship in 1998, and individually, as when Ben Van Thorre was named a first-team Division III All-American in basketball in 2004. Attention is paid, and rightly so, when our participation levels in some sports are unusually low, but attention should be paid as well to the very high participation levels in sports such as swimming and cross country. And, clearly and consistently, our student-athletes are student-athletes: in 2003-2004, our women's soccer team earned the highest cumulative grade point average of any team in the nation.
I am asked pretty often what success in athletics at Macalester would look like to me. My answer is simple: a program that comprises a meaningful, positive part of a student's educational and social life at the college, one upon which any alumnus can look back with pleasure and pride. From any academic or co-curricular program we should expect nothing less.
This does not mean that we should yearn to win championships or measure success in simple terms; it means that we should do our best to provide student-athletes with the opportunity to succeed and support them in their efforts. It means that any student at Macalester, regardless of athletic interest or ability, should find some opportunity at the college to participate in activities that promote health and fitness. It means we should work to integrate athletics and recreation into the intellectual and communal fabric of the college and not imagine them as a thing apart.
In this area, as in so many others, we need both to celebrate our successes and remain passionately determined to do more and better for our students. We need to think about recruiting and retention, and about budgetary support. We need to attend games and meets and provide congratulations and comfort. Perhaps most visibly, we need to create spaces for athletics, recreation and wellness that are more inviting, useful and flexible than those we have at present, the oldest of which were built during the presidencies of Warren Harding and Calvin Coolidge.
Much more information will be forthcoming about the construction and fund-raising plans for this project, but already I have been impressed by the passion, energy and generosity of the alumni and parents who are volunteering their time and resources on behalf of Macalester students present and future. Without doubt, we will make this happen and we will do so soon.
Meanwhile, the cartoon remains tacked to my wall, a reminder.


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Situated in a suburb of Manchester, England this is a story of a co-op store still with meeting rooms above the shop, and the lane itself. Plus other related or not so related history.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Guilds in the 1970's
Previous posts have told about activities of the Barlow Moor Mixed Guild, founded in 1931. The year of formation of organisations is recorded and celebrated with birthdays but the decline and dissolution is rarely written about. They fade and are no longer mentioned.
In the Norwest Members Handbook 1975-76 there is no mention of the Barlow Moor members meeting at Hardy Lane. However Didsbury Guild, a mixed guild for both men and women and affiliated to the National Guild of Co-Operators are holding their meetings at Hardy Lane.
So here are list of the remaining guilds :
Women's Guilds
Ashton-on-Mersey, Cheadle, Knutsford, Ladybarn, Stockport, Stretford (meeting at Taylor's Road, Gorse Hill), and Yew Tree. That's seven.
National Guild of Co-Operators (mixed guilds)
Didsbury, Heaton Moor, Hyde, Offerton, Old Trafford & Firswood (meeting at St.John's Lesser Hall, Ayres Road), Woodhouse Park, and Wythenshawe. That's also seven.
Also listed in the booklet is the Norwest Co-Op Young Wives Group in Hattersley. Then there are two Woodcraft Folk groups in Chorlton. The Elfins 6-9 years meet at Chorlton C of E School, and the Pioneers 10-13 years are at Hardy Lane on a Monday night.
For the seniors there was a Norwest Over 60's Club at Hardy Lane on a Tuesday at 1430h.
In 2011 only a small Wythenshawe Guild remained with 18 registered members. The nearest Women's Guild is in Runcorn. Woodcraft Folk carry on and the South Manchester Members Group now fulfil what would have been guild activity.
Links :
Co-operative Women's Guild
Labels: Guilds
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subset: commoncrawl


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Holiday Name
Cairngorm MTB Classics
Holiday summary
A great long weekend break for the mountain biking enthusiast. Accessible bike rides from the door of your accommodation
29/03/2018, 03/04/2018, 11/04/2018, 20/04/2018, 09/06/2018, 15/06/2018, 22/06/2018
3 days, 3 nights
Meeting Points
We'll pick you - up from either Aviemore station or Inverness airport free of charge; all you need to do is let us know when you due to arrive. We usually aim to pick up from Inverness about 5pm, depending on when the last flight is due in. Aviemore station is only 10 minutes away from the Lodge so we can usually pick up at your convenience. If you plan to travel by train and let us know your arrival and departure details when you pay your balance of payment, we'll deduct £15 from your balance of payment as our own Green Travel Discount
All Inclusive
From: £311 (Open currency converter)
3 out of 5
Tour Highlights
The natural trails in the Cairngorms National Park are world-class for mountain biking. There are miles of off-road tracks criss-crossing the moors and hills. We picked out 3 of the classic routes which can be done from our front door, meaning that once you arrive you won't need to get back in your car until the end of your trip and neither will you need to ride the roads on your bike.
Day of arrival
Arrive Fraoch Lodge the evening before you intend to head out on a route. We would suggest aiming to arrive some time around 7pm so that you have a chance to put your feet up by the fire before dinner. However, if your work commitments don't allow you get to Fraoch Lodge by 7pm we will be happy to keep dinner for you or serve you some light refreshments when you arrive.
Day 1
Gleann Einich & part of the Speyside Way – Boat of Garten – Aviemore – Loch Einich and return
Limited opportunities for cake & coffee stops on this ride.
Day 2
Kinkardine Circuit through Abernethy Forest national nature reserve owned by the RSPB, pass Loch Garten and the Osprey Hide and through Ryvoan Pass.
Day 3
Burma road above Aviemore. Pub lunch in Carrbridge.
Return to Fraoch Lodge to freshen up before departure. Do feel free to stay on and explore the area or ask us for more details of extensions we can offer to your trip. There are also the organised mountain biking centres which you won't have had a chance to explore. Glenlivet Mountain Biking Centre is an excellent set of trails and you can link their rides with a visit to the distillery.
Optional Extra Days:
Please contact us for prices if you are considering any of these possible extensions.
We asked our guests what sets Scot Mountain Holidays apart, why they return year after year:
"the social aspect" – "the camaraderie, food and conversation" –
"the company of the hosts" – "so warm and welcoming" –
"a profound sense of belonging" – "the welcome of Rebecca's home cooked meal" – "Andy's skills as a guide, naturalist and leader" – "stewardship, sustainability and a small footprint" – "in harmony with the land" – "a slice of rural Scottish life"
Scot Mountain Holidays is the ONLY adventure tour operator in Highlands of Scotland with a combined home and guest lodge. We strive to be more than just an tour. We aim to provide you with a 'home away from home' on your adventures. We thought of no better way of doing this than to welcome you into our own home.
We have owned and operated Fraoch Lodge as our home base and business since 1999. In that time, we have come to embrace our guests as members of our extended Highland family.
We source our meals from locally produced and home grown ingredients to provide you with the most delicious flavours and traditions the area has to offer (while minimising our impact on the environment, too). Our dining room and lounge are shared spaces where we gather with guests and friends to share in the holiday and offer you extensive knowledge of your tour.
No matter the season, the Cairngorms and Fraoch Lodge is a place to relax and explore all its beauty and comforts, and we hope to make you feel as at home as we are.
We have achieved Gold Star Awards from the world's most highly respected green accreditation scheme, Green Tourism, and were awarded Highly Commended in their Green Star Awards 2013 for both Scot Mountain Holidays and Fraoch Lodge. We offer a Green Travel Discount of £15 to any guests who travel to us by public transport. Our primary aim is to minimise the carbon footprint of our holidays, and to this end we donate 1% of the price of our tours to the RSPB's Abernethy Reforestation project.
It is a holistic approach we have to the care of the environment. Andy your adventure guide has a passion for the natural world – whether it's the flora, fauna or fungi. He has a background in geology and a lifelong interest in natural history, as well as being a keen gardener. He knows a Golden Plover from a Dotterel, a Green Shank and a Dunlin. He also makes no apologies to being very excitable upon spying a Golden Eagle!
For further information, please don't hesitate to check out our Environmental Responsibility page, or contact us directly at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Departure Guarantee
We are proud to continue to offer our unique departure guarantee*. If your booking is confirmed by Scot Mountain Holidays you can be assured that your holiday will run. We can offer this guarantee as we are unique amongst walking holiday operators in Scotland by providing all the parts of your holiday (guiding, accommodation and catering) in-house.
* Scot Mountain Holidays reserves the right to alter the venue and itinerary of holidays advertised as based away from Fraoch Lodge.
We work with Worldpay to process our online transactions now so you can rest assured that your payment will be processed securely. We accept the following cards:
Booking online is straightforward and enables us to confirm your reservation immediately. We also accept bookings by telephone, email, and post.
Attention! Don't forget to read our trip dossier and booking terms and conditions, BEFORE you complete the booking process!
A deposit of 50% is required at the time of booking unless you are booking less than 28 days before departure. In this case, full payment of the trip price is required
Your Financial Protection
In compliance with the UK Package Travel, Package Holidays and Package Tours Regulations 1992 a client deposit account has been arranged with the Royal Bank of Scotland to protect monies paid in respect of travel arrangements offered in the Brochure and to cater, where necessary (and subject to the terms of the insurance policy), for a refund of such monies in the unlikely event of our financial failure. The balance of payment is due 28 days prior to the commencement of the course. Credit/debit cards accepted are: Visa, Visa Electron, Mastercard, Switch, Non-refundable deposits will be debited on receipt of the booking form. Balance of payment reminder will automatically be sent out to you. Please be prompt in paying the balance. If you decide to pay by internet bank transfer please use your own name or booking number as a reference for the payment so it can be reconciled.
It is a condition of booking that you are insured against medical and personal accident risks. This must include cover for the activities to be undertaken during the trip. We also recommend that you take out insurance which includes cancellation and baggage cover.


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Are you a victim of domestic abuse?
Professional help is at hand...
Domestic abuse has many forms, including mental, emotional, financial, sexual and physical abuse. It is rarely a one-off incident and there is often a pattern of abusive behaviour.
Anyone affected by domestic abuse has rights under the law.
In the Domestic Abuse Team at Fosters Law, we ensure that the law is quickly applied to protect you and your children.
In certain cases it is sometimes necessary to apply to the Court for a non-molestation order to prevent your partner from having any contact with you. This is commonly known as an injunction, which is a Civil Court Order that can be used to keep you safe by placing certain restrictions on the person to try to prevent any further threat.
Injunctions can be obtained from the court at very short notice, sometimes even on the same day. Injunctions show the abusive person that you, and the Court, take their behaviour very seriously.
Fosters Law are here to help protect you and your family from physical & psychological abuse.
We aim to respond to all enquiries within 24 hours. If you are at risk of harm, always call 999.


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Title: Shadow of the Mark by Leigh Fallon
Published: July 9th, 2013 by Harper Teen
Format: Paperback, 352 pages
Group Age: Young adult
Genre: Paranormal / Romance
Their love could destroy them all.Through the ages, Marked Ones have harnessed the powers of the four elements: Water, Fire, Earth, and Air. Much about the elements is shrouded in mystery, but one thing is certain: A relationship between two Marked Ones has the potential to cause widespread devastation.Megan and Adam—Air and Water—are determined to defy the risks.But the power that swirls inside Megan is growing in twisted ways. And the closer she is to Adam, the closer Megan comes to unleashing a dark force that could spell destruction for the entire Marked line.
- 1st place - a signed copy of Shadow of the Mark and a boat load of goodies inc. a silver bookmark (pic attached) USA only.
- 2nd place - a $10 book depository gift card & some signed swag . International.
- 3rd place- signed swag International.


text: Biologists watch speciation in a laboratory flask November 29, 2016 Please Register or Log in to view the hidden image! Molecular models of the two receptors the virus evolved to specialize on. Credit: Justin Meyer, UC San Diego Biologists have discovered that the evolution of a new species can occur rapidly enough for them to observe the process in a simple laboratory flask. In a month-long experiment using a virus harmless to humans, biologists working at the University of California San Diego and at Michigan State University documented the evolution of a virus into two incipient species—a process known as speciation that Charles Darwin proposed to explain the branching in the tree of life, where one species splits into two distinct species during evolution. "Many theories have been proposed to explain speciation, and they have been tested through analyzing the characteristics of fossils, genomes, and natural populations of plants and animals," said Justin Meyer, an assistant professor of biology at UC San Diego and the first author of a study that will be published in the December 9 issue of Science. "However, speciation has been notoriously difficult to thoroughly investigate because it happens too slowly to directly observe. Without direct evidence for speciation, some people have doubted the importance of evolution and Darwin's theory of natural selection." Read more at: http://phys.org/news/2016-11-biologists-speciation-laboratory-flask.html#jCp


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By Gabriela Baczynska
BRUSSELS "Europe is our common future," the European Union's 27 leaders plan to declare in Rome next week, in defiance of its worst blowback ever - Brexit. A one-and-a-half page draft, seen by Reuters in advance of the meeting to mark 60 years of the bloc and entitled "The Rome Declaration", is an effort by the 27 to chart a course for their future after Britain leaves in 2019. "We are determined to make the EU stronger and more resilient, through even greater unity and solidarity amongst us. Unity is both a necessity and our free choice," it reads."Taken individually, we would be sidelined by global dynamics. Standing together is our best chance to influence them, and to defend our common interests and values ... Our Union is undivided and indivisible."The draft, dated March 16 and prepared by the chairman of EU leaders' summits Donald Tusk, will be debated among the capitals next week and may yet change before it is finally adopted in Rome next Saturday."In the 10 years to come we want a Union that is safe and secure, prosperous and sustainable, with an enhanced social dimension, and with the will and capacity of playing a key role in the global world," it says.It pledges more security cooperation between EU states and their defence industries, effective management of immigration and tight external borders.
It vows to promote global trade despite the new U.S. President Donald Trump's criticism of international agreements, to develop the bloc's single market and promote jobs and innovation."Europe is our common future," the last sentence of the declaration reads, an exact repeat of the final line of the EU text signed in Berlin in 2007 to mark 50 years of the bloc.MUTLI-SPEED EU
The Tusk draft is very soft on the idea of a multi-speed EU, or allowing willing countries to foster closer ties in areas they can agree on, while leaving reluctant ones behind.
Tusk has warned against such a scenario, but it has been increasingly backed by Germany and the bloc's executive in Brussels. They see it is as the only way for the EU to stave off a wave of euroscepticism, nationalism and populism engulfing the bloc."We will act together whenever possible, at different paces and intensity where necessary ... leaving the door open to those who want to join later," reads the only reference to multi-speed Europe in the text.
Another delicate issue is further enlargement, which is anathema to some member states.Others say the doors must not be shut, as EU entry criteria promote democracy and stability in neighbouring countries."We want a Union which remains open to those European Countries that fully share our values," the text reads.Other tricky areas include the concept of fostering more "social Europe", where the idea is to fight discrimination and ensure equal opportunities in education and jobs. The draft calls for "A social Europe: a Union which promotes economic and social progress as well as cohesion and convergence, taking into account the variety of social models and the key role of social partners..." Eastern states fear their cheap workers may lose out if the wealthier West uses that goal to demand equal treatment for local and migrant labourers in their markets. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; editing by Andrew Roche)
This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.
Updated Date: Mar 18, 2017 05:30:12 IST


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Tuesday, 29 May 2012
Day 29: Little Red Riding Hood
I don't know why, I don't even know what it means. But it just gives me shivers when I read it. Which is what a good poem should do I think.
I love using poetry and quotes in my work. The combination of words and images can be so powerful.
Usually, I just draw or paint something, and then I look through my endless supply of quotes and poems and lyrics, until I find something that I think fits the image perfectly.
For this poem I worked the other way around. I don't know why, but everytime I read it I see the image of a young, sad, disheveled girl before me. So that's what I drew.
I scanned the graphite drawing, and added the background and words in Photoshop.
Here she is:
About my charcoal-drawing yesterday: following Natasha's advice I sealed her.
Guess she won't be disappearing out of my journal in the near future ;-)
11 comments:
WOW Denthe... I read the poem first before I looked at your drawing... and she is... exactly as I imagined her to be... a little haunted... and disheveled... and yet gorgeous... that poem is amazing... and yes... it does give you shivers... thank you too... for your watercolor tips... I have only just started to use them in this challenge... loving them... and learning all the time...ReplyDelete
Jenny x
You have done a fantastic sketch Denthe, she is so beautiful, you just want to give her a big hug. I have not read that lovely poem before but it is perfect for your girl.ReplyDelete
- Anonymous29 May 2012 at 18:17
oooh, I loved the poem, so perfect for your girl. Such a haunted look on her face, I love art like that!ReplyDelete
This is beautiful Denthe. I really like that the poem is printed. I'm not sure why it's so effective to me, but maybe it's the juxtaposition of the drawing with type.ReplyDelete
This is beautiful Denthe. I really like that the poem is printed. I'm not sure why it's so effective to me, but maybe it's the juxtaposition of the drawing with type.ReplyDelete
This so lovely Denthe! I am just catching up with your faces again and they look great, well done!ReplyDelete
LOVE this - the hair is amazing!!ReplyDelete
I'm glad I was of help. :) Your girl looks so beautiful and innocent. And I admire everyone who has the ability to combine artwork with words. It's something I'm not good at but I totally enjoy in other people's artwork. :)ReplyDelete
This one is gorgeous! So much work you have put in it..ReplyDelete
You have many lovely faces! :)
This painting is very deep and mysterious. Beautiful and intriguing work.ReplyDelete
The combination here of verse and image are heart-rending. Very powerful.ReplyDelete
Thanks for taking the time to comment! I love hearing your thoughts about my work. Because I'm getting too many spammer comments nowadays, l have banned anonymous users from commenting. Hope this isn't a problem for you !


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Your mentors for the coming 6-months are:
Nick Radge
Craig Fisher
When you grasp the concepts of robust systems trading, expect an epiphany.
Have you ever had one of those 'light bulb' moments when all of a sudden everything just falls into place?
You wondered how you'd missed it before, right?
Whilst they only happen occasionally, they do happen - if you're lucky. There is nothing more exciting than designing and building your own wealth building formula and then watching it start generating profits for you.
Indeed in the summer of 2010 I built one of my best strategies which continues to serve me very nicely today.
The chart clearly shows that the ASX has gone sideways since 2010. Many are calling for a lost decade. Growth investors are scratching their heads wondering what lies ahead in the next 5-years.
But even when a market moves sideways there are still opportunities - if you have the right system and if you have the knowledge to build and implement that system with complete confidence.
Which is what the Trading System Mentor Course will do for you.
- - - - - - - - - -
Michael H.
"I want to thank you...for the fantastic programme you have created. As you know I've been around the markets for years and spent considerable time and money looking into many trading methods. This without a doubt is the most honest and complete programme I have ever come across. I cannot recommend it highly enough to anybody who seriously wants learn how to trade."
Len Z.
"I am about to finish the mentoring program and I wanted to give you feedback. I found the mentoring program an exceptional learning experience. I learned what it takes to become a profitable trader. I learned how to design and assess trading systems. I found the course materials well written and an invaluable reference for future study. The highlight of the course was the interaction with the both of you. You answered all my questions in a timely manner. I can't thank Craig enough for his help with my coding questions and Nick for his advice in designing and testing my trading systems. I really enjoyed the mentoring and I hope to continue my relationship with you guys in the future."
Darryl V.
"The money I have invested has well and truly paid for itself. I'm very happy I signed up and where you guys have got me to where I am. Couldn't be happier."
Hans R.
"I'm excited about deploying [my] system, learnt so much over the duration of the course it has been great, and I think life changing thanks."
Said B.
"[The] trading system mentor course is not a course that will only teach you how to write correct strategies in Amibroker but it goes further than this. It teaches [you] how to gain confidence in the system that you develop and gives the correct mindset that will make you follow your system in the bad days before the good. The course is well organized that it will take you from one stage to another till you reach the final destination of full confidence in yourself and your system development abilities as well as in the system that is developed. Great thanks to Nick and Craig for their guidance and for the great opportunity that they gave me to access and benefit from their experience and walking the journey along side with me to move from amateur system developer to a more experienced one."
Stephane F.
"...let me tell you that this course is absolutely fantastic. It is very clear, interesting, practical… Congratulations to the whole team!!"
Julian C.
"I just wanted to say a massive thank you for everything over the last few months. I have to compliment you on an extremely well thought out and presented program. I am recommending to friends that I think will benefit so hopefully some will come to you in the next few months."
Tony S.
"Since the GFC I've been looking for a smarter way to invest - one that helped me capture the growth as a market swings up and minimises the downside when it falls. I've spent so long searching online, reading highly rated books and reading white papers. Then through a stroke of luck I discovered Nick Radge. For the first time ever I felt that I was actually investing with a plan that would work for me whether the market went up or down. I wasn't beaten by the GFC in 2008 as I'd panicked at high valuations at the end of 2006 and sold everything. That meant I missed all of the gains in 2007 but also the losses in 2008. Thanks to Nick's work and my learning I felt confident that in the future I wouldn't be scared out of the market and I could trade with confidence knowing that following a tested systematic approach I could safely invest for the years ahead."
Once you're certain you want to make the giant leap to successful systems trading, and providing we have space available, you will be given exclusive access to our secure Learning Management System (LMS).
Within the LMS you will find extensive tutorials, videos, quizzes and tasks that are the culmination of 45-years worth of experience. For the first time ever we're unloading our extensive trading knowledge into one location.
Within minutes of ordering you will be able to access decades worth of effort, experience and knowledge. None of the content is drip-fed - you get the lot straight away. The LMS allows you to work through at your own pace but you will be on the fast track to results.
If you are brand new to system trading you will have a lot of questions whilst you learn the ropes. We are here to support you.
If that challenge appeals to you then you will succeed!
Having your own mentor speeds up your learning process and provides you with the support you need to get results much faster than going it alone.
Never get stuck with a virtual roadblock again.
You will be held accountable...
Once you have completed the Trading System Mentor Course you will be required to trade real time, using unseen market data, for a minimum of 3-months. You will be expected to trade with an execution confidence level of at least 95%.
This is not another throw-away course. There are plenty of those out there that leave you in the trading wilderness.
We will ensure you use your new found knowledge and start generating profits straight away.
Only genuine candidates need apply as we're not going to waste our valuable time if you're not serious about becoming a successful trader.
Like any high level of education you will have to make a significant investment and put in hours of hard work. The Trading System Mentor Course can help you with great information but you can't expect to become a successful trader unless you work hard and put in the energy required.
Of course, the Trading System Mentor Course is not for everyone.
You should only consider the Trading System Mentor Course if:
Due to the nature of the one-on-one mentoring and the sizable investment of time by the mentors, the Trading System Mentor Course is only available by invitation and after a successful application has been lodged. To assess your compatibility you will be required to fill out a brief questionnaire and return via email. Insert your email address to receive the questionnaire.
Can anyone join the Trading System Mentor Course?
No. The course isn't necessarily a good fit for everyone. From a practical standpoint you will need to have sufficient trading capital to ensure the investment makes financial sense. Secondly, you will be challenged and require the commitment to complete the course within the allotted 6-months. If you are completely committed then we guarantee the time allotted will be sufficient.
How many hours will I need to commit per week?
You can work through the complete course at your own pace however personal mentoring will only be available for 6-months from your start date. We have had students finish the theory within 2-months and others that have needed 4-months.
I live internationally. Will that be a disadvantage?
No. 50% of students are international. We take several measures to ease the burden of long distance mentoring for our international students. First, all theory is provided by a secure LMS which is accessible 24/7. Much of the information exchange for mentoring can be done by email, Skype and Team Viewer.
What software will I require?
The course is based on AmiBroker which we consider the best value for money testing software available. Students are required to purchase AmiBroker prior to starting the course. We will teach you how to use the software and how to purchase and integrate data with AmiBroker.
Is AmiBroker included in the course price.
No. AmiBroker is a one-off investment of US$339. You buy the program and you own it forever. You may choose to upgrade or not, whenever you want. The license is personal, so if you own 3 computers, you can use your single personal AmiBroker license on all of them.
I can already program AmiBroker. Can I get a discount?
No. Over the years we have seen many trading systems that have been programmed in AmiBroker and many of those were simply not suitable to trade professionally. We have also had one student with 10-years AmiBroker experience that was able to learn many new skills from the course.
How do I make course payment?
Once you have completed the required questionnaire and if an invitation is offered to you, you will be invoiced. Payment can then be made via credit card, PayPal or Direct Bank Transfer.
Can I get a refund?
No. We provide all information immediately and mentoring is ongoing throughout the 6-month course. You may however request a sabbatical if:
If I design a trading system of my own, how will I know it remains proprietary to me?
We do not disseminate any information about other students strategies and have been programming proprietary strategies for clients around the world since 2008. However, we will sign a non-disclosure agreement although you would need to prove that the system, or parts thereof, are in fact completely original to you.
How many systems can I design?
As part of the course you will be required to design, build and trade at least one system that is agreed upon by the Mentors. Obviously with the new knowledge you will be in a position to design, build and trade as many systems as you require.
Do you have a payment plan?
No. As has been stated, access to all information is immediate upon approval.
Can I just pay for the theory and forgo the mentoring?
No. The true value of this course is the personal insights from the mentors to help meet the student's specific needs.
How do I retain the written theory after the 6-months has expired?
As a student you will continue to have access to the secure LMS area and can revisit all aspects of the course at any time.
Can I claim the cost of the course through my tax?
We are unable to advise on that. Please speak with your accountant or tax advisor.
I only trade FX and commodity futures. Will this course be suitable for me?
Whilst the information provided throughout the course can be used in any market, the focus is on stocks and stockmarkets.
Given that the objective of this course is to create successful systems traders, have you mentored anybody to become active systems traders before the creation of this course? If so, how many?
I have done personal consulting since 2008 for 82 clients to different degrees and have been engaged by 5 larger organisations (accountants and financial advisors) to develop internal systems.
Will the students have a means to interact with each other in a type of "study group" environment?
Yes, within the LMS is a forum that was built specifically for this reason. We also run a monthly live group call where all students can interact with mentors and other students.
¹Source: Australian Financial Review, "The Man Behind The Models"
² Source: www.tacticalnet.com
³ Source: Forbes


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First off, I take no credit for the brilliance of this recipe what-so-ever. All the credit goes to one of my new favorite food blogs Six Sisters' Stuff.
I am trying to find more "real food" options for dinners. Having been on a diet of sorts for 9 months, I have gotten in the rut of eating the same foods, every day, and they arent necessarily the greatest foods. Pretty much turkey burger patties, peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat bread, protein bars, kix cereal. Lather, rinse, repeat. Yea. I know. Yum, right? Well frankly, I am so sick of not having a "real" meal for dinner, like one that consists of more than a turkey patty on a plate with ketchup and no bun or anything else, that this is now one of my goals--To either come up with a new, well balanced dinner meal most nights, or make one that someone else has created. This week has gone better. With my husband gone until pretty much dinner time four days a week, I also find joy in having a (hopefully) delicious, nutritious, homemade meal more or less on the table when he gets home.
This recipe was posted this week by Six Sisters' Stuff blog, and it was originally called Crockpot Cashew Chicken. I don't have cashews, and I am not sure my husband would like the texture in it, so I omitted them. I also decided to forgo breading and browning the chicken, so I just threw the frozen chicken breasts in there and the sauce ingredients and called it good. Cuts back on a few calories, (and I am lazy) and made it truly a one pot dinner. I used frozen chicken breasts, doubled the sauce components (a must) and threw it all in the crock pot. My house smells phenomenal, and I must say, it was a mouth wateringly tasty dish. Perfect balance of sweet, savory, and spicy. I made it over quinoa since it apparently has so many wonderful dietary benefits. I do love the taste. It went fantastic. I am sure it would be just as good over rice or even pasta.
Ok, enough blabbering, on to the good part. Here is the recipe! (As they wrote it, omit cashews as desired).
Slow Cooker Cashew Chicken (See it here at Six Sisters' Stuff)
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh tenders or chicken breast tenders*1/4 cup all purpose flour (omit if not breading)
1/2 tsp black pepper (omit if not breading)
1 Tbsp canola oil (omit if not breading)
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 tsp grated fresh ginger (I used 1/4 tsp dried)
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 cup cashews (omit if desired)
- Combine flour and pepper in large Ziploc bag. Add chicken. Shake to coat with flour mixture. (Skip if not breading)
- Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken about 2 minutes on each side. (Skip if not breading)
- (Here is where I started) Place chicken in slow cooker. Combine soy sauce, vinegar, ketchup, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes in small bowl; pour over chicken.
- Cook on LOW for 3 to 4 hours (I did high for 6 hours, it is just me and the timing I had).
- Add cashews and stir (optional, if you don't want them).
- Serve over rice, quinoa, or pasta.
- Makes 4-6 servings.


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When You Are Against Busing, What Are You For?
Dear Congressman Nobus: I am writing to you--a legislator with a consistently progressive voting record--because of your position for school integration, but against busing. Now that the campaign to abolish busing for school desegregation appears to be close to its zenith, this is an appropriate time to remind you of the political dangers that will come with the success of this movement.
The hard-core segregationists will not be politically endangered; they oppose busing for the soundest of reasons--it works, and they oppose results. The dangers are to legislators like you--thoughtful conservatives, moderates, and liberals with decent records on matters of civil rights and social progress, and genuine visions of an open and fair nation. It is not merely a matter of having strange bedfellows; it is that you are imprisoning yourself with a social result that you will find incompatible with your own values.
You see, someday someone who knows that you're against busing will ask what you are for. If you are anti-war, you'd be for peace. If you are against unemployment, you'd be for job-creation. If you are anti-federal deficits, you might well be for strict spending controls. Peace, the creation of jobs, and spending limits can be explained--certain kinds of public policy flow from such goals. To be against busing, however, leaves you in favor only of neighborhood schools. And therein lies your political danger, because if all the buses that produce desegregated schools are taken off the road, you will have to be willing to accept--and defend--the following realities.
First, a very large number of black, white, and Hispanic students will forever go to one-race schools. Even with current desegregation plans, one-third of all black students, more than one-fourth of all Hispanic students, and nearly two-thirds of all white students go to one-race schools. Dismantle existing desegregation plans, and the number of one-race schools will mushroom. Only 19 years ago, as Gary Orfield, the University of Chicago political scientist, noted recently, 98 percent of black students in the South were in all-black schools and almost all whites attended all-white schools. That's where the killing of desegregation will take us. Simply and honestly stated, to be anti-busing is to be tolerant of permanent racial segregation in the schools. Once you help kill busing, you will have to explain why segregated schools are good for the country.
Second, the federal government, the official protector of civil rights, will be close to out-of-business on matters related to race and schools. Racial desegregation is the best-known equity objective the government has pursued in the schools, but it is far from the only one. The government also pursues equity on other school fronts--for females, the poor, the non-English-speaking, and the confidentiality of students' records.
More often than not, making schools more equitable--fairer--has been a federal idea, not a local initiative. Indeed, if the government tolerates segregated schools, deregulates education, and delegates power to the states through block grants for school programs, the federal presence in the schools will be reduced to little more than classroom flags and the Pledge of Allegiance.
So your assistance in resegregating the schools also will contribute to reducing the federal role in promoting equity in the schools, a role that relatively few states and local school boards have ever played with distinction. If no level of government effectively fosters equity, there will be less of it--and you'll have to explain why less fairness in the schools is progress.
Third, voluntary school integration is a noble idea--but a ludicrously unrealistic substitute for desegregation by enforcement of law. It is perfectly obvious--even to those who oppose busing--that schools have been desegregated since 1954 by federal action, not by local volunteerism. Of the 1,800 school districts now desegregated, only a handful did so voluntarily--and few of them are very large.
As a politician, you can easily sense how much desegregation is left to voluntary actions. Voluntary programs, the desegregation method touted by the Reagan Administration, have made a pitifully small contribution to desegregation--for example, 1,200 students in St. Louis and 14 suburbs; 700 students in Houston and 30 of its suburbs; and 1,165 students (as of three years ago) in Rochester, N.Y.--compared to the vast majority of students still racially isolated. Prayer might be as powerful in integrating the schools.
Milwaukee, Buffalo, Cleveland, Denver, Boston, and other cities would also each claim a quantity of voluntary desegregation achieved through magnet schools and special programs. But these voluntary programs were energized and propelled by desegregation orders from U.S. courts, not by local initiatives for integration.
So when busing is replaced by voluntary goodwill, you had better be prepared to explain how a little integration is as much as a lot, and why school districts that have desegregated only when pressed by law will rush to integrate voluntarily when the legal pressure is removed.
Fourth, the desegregated big-city school systems, once relieved of busing, will continue to have nasty problems concerning money, educational productivity, morale, and management--and busing won't be there to blame. An important part of the anti-busing rhetoric is the blaming of busing for having caused everything from enrollment decline to financial bankruptcy to watered-down instruction. But take busing out of the Clevelands and Bostons and Detroits, and urban schools will still have more than their share of fiscal crises, dropouts, depressed reading scores, low attendance rates, and discipline problems. The causes are deeply rooted in practices, policies, structures, assumptions, and orthodoxies that often predate desegregation.
The fact is that many of the older, big-city school systems--Cleveland is a prime illustration--have been internally bleeding and dry-rotting for years, but out of public sight. The spotlight of desegregation exposed old systematic ills, and unintentionally gave the opponents of busing the attractive though false theme that busing wrought educational ruin in the cities. So when busing is dead and the school problems persist, you'll have to explain why they didn't disappear with the buses.
You see, Congressman, the school problem is bigger than buses, more intractable than the busing opponents allow, and desperately serious, especially in the cities. To help the schools and the children in them demands more than being against busing--you have to be for something.
Are you for permanently segregated schools, less attention to fairness in the practice of education, dependence on voluntary cures for the most unpopular school problems, and less pressure on the schools to find and attack the root causes of old school-system defects?
If so, join the kill-the-busing crowd, enjoy the short-term political benefits--and get ready to explain to yourself and others precisely how you've helped the schools and contributed to the health of the nation. The question will arise: You can count on it.
Sincerely, Leonard B. Stevens
Vol. 02, Issue 20, Page 24
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Lucid Kingdoms
Lucid Kingdoms is a fairly new server.
Our aim is to create a fun and competitive enviroment for players to create power Clans.
We offer our members 17 Races, and that's just the start! We also have Open PvP Arenas, daily events, competitions, parkour and more!
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Eight generations of the Grubs family have been crafting the finest sporting goods for well over two hundred years. At Grub's this tradition guides us in our mission to provide you with the best gear available.
Grubs Frostline Wellington Boot is a great activity wellington. An insulated boot designed for temperatures down to -10 degrees centigrade, with a TRAX sole pattern and small lugs for push off grip, and a 6mm Nitrocell foot bed for further insulation and cushioning.
Free UK mainland delivery for orders over £50. Worldwide delivery.
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Blog Archives
Shopping for School shoes- again|The Podiatrist and yourfeetnz
The wrong school shoes could cause bunions, corns, calluses, blisters, clawed toes, heel pain or change the shape and function of a foot.
School shoes would be one of those things that one should consider spending a bit more money on as children spend up to 40 hours a week in them.
More expensive shoes are likely to last a lot longer than the cheaper ones.
Parents of children with flat feet should be particularly careful.
Runners could also provide support, as long as they were fitted properly, Ms Biedak said.
Ballet flats and skater shoes for everyday wear at school is not recommended.
You would be better off taking your child with you to get school shoes. Shoes need to fit properly. It is not a guessing game, and all makes fit differently. A size and fit in one make is not necessary the same size and fit in another.
– Measure BOTH feet, as most people will have one foot longer or wider than the other
– Look for soles made from rubber and double-stitching around the toe area, which will give shoes a longer life
– Avoid slip-on shoes
– Avoid second-hand shoes as the worn shoe will have moulded to the shape of the previous wearer and could cause problems for your child's feet
– It's best to buy shoes in the late afternoon as children's feet often swell by the end of the day
– There should be a child's thumb-width between the end of the shoe and the end of the longest toe
– The widest part of the foot should correspond with the widest part of the shoe
– The fastening mechanism should hold the heel firmly in the back of the shoe
– The sole should not twist
– The heel should be snug but comfortable and the back part of the shoe strong and stable
– Your child should be able to move their toes freely, the shoes shouldn't hurt and there should be no bulges from the toes on either side of the shoe
– Children complaining of pain in the feet, heel, knee or legs
– Regular, unexplained tripping or falling
– Uneven shoe wear or one shoe that wears down before the other
– Skin or toenail irritation


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Bike/Ski/Raft Denali Traverse, 200 miles
Yakutat to McCarthy Logan Traverse, 370 miles
Orizaba Traverse, 240 miles
Show Up and Blow Up: Grand Canyon
Show Up and Blow Up: Alaska
Show Up and Blow Up: Meghalaya
Show Up and Blow Up: Mexico
Show Up and Blow Up: Dixie
Remote Overland Travel: Trip Planning
Southcentral Ak Packrafting Guide
Satellite Communication
Class IV Packrafting Guide
Pimp my Packraft Tutorial
Packrafting Equipment Guide
Ski Touring Equipment Guide
Backountry Ski-Tour Repair Kit
Backcountry Food Guide
Fast & Light Winter Travel
Route Planning: Google Earth to GPS
Nordic Skate Equipment Guide
Arctic Refuge Traverse
Katmai NP Traverse
Gates of the Arctic, Anaktuvuk to Ambler
Haines to Juneau Traverse
Chugach Traverse
IRS Volcanoes Traverse
Aniak to Dillingham
Iceland Traverse
Fairweather, Yakutat to Haines
AK Peninsula Traverse, Aniakchak
Revelation Range, Big River to McG
Packrafting New Zealand
Backside Lake to Coffee River
Upstream Paddling: driB Creek
PR201: How to be taken seriously
McCarthy Creek Packraft Race/Festival
Happy River
The Kama Sutra of Packrafting
Lakina Loop, Wrangell Mountains
Sheep Creek Done Cheap
Heavy Metal Blunder
2016: Brooks Range
2015: Rob Kehrer Memorial Route
2014: Thompson Pass to McCarthy
2013: Thompson Pass to McCarthy
2012: Thompson Pass to McCarthy
2011: Black Rapids to McK Village
2010: Bike/Ski/Raft (attempt)
2009: Donnelly to McK Village
2018: Atigun Gorge to Arctic Village
2015: Wrangell Mountains
2013: Wrangell Mountains
2012: Brooks Range
2011: Brooks Range
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Kuskulana Glacier, Mt. Blackburn
Haines Alaska Ski Loop
Alsek Traverse: Haines – Gl. Bay
Ski Alaska
Mt. Sanford, Twice
Portage Triple Crown
Iliamna Volcano
Knik: Mt. Goode, Marcus Baker
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Ice Skating Katmai National Park/Preserve
Cracked Ice, Kenai Lake
Bethel to Goodnews Bay
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Shoulder Season
Nulato Hills: Biking Muskox Trails in Western Alaska
McGrath to Anc on the Iditarod Trail
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Knik Glacier by Fat Bike
Adventure as Art
Doug Demarest: A Loss, A Pledge
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Braver, Bigger: Erica Madison
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Luc Mehl: Alaska wilderness adventuring photos and videos. Multi-Sport, Ski, Packraft.
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Public expectations of us are high. In order for the OHS to meet those expectations, since our services are not funded, our community's support needs to be high too. The OHS does a lot to fundraise for the animals. We organize great events. We mail, email and telephone our supporters frequently to tell them about the animals and our great work, and to ask for support. By and large, our community responds. It responds because we never refuse an animal, no matter how sick, injured, old or aggressive, because homeless, injured, abused and neglected animals have nowhere else to turn.
So far this year, despite huge efforts, we have not met a number of our fundraising targets. The usually popular Wiggle Waggle Walkathon showed inexplicably low results compared to last year. We are surveying previous walkers to try to find out why, how we can improve the walk and bring walkers back, but in the meantime, there are almost 600 animals in our care today that need our help.
Our United Way directed-donation cheque arrived—much lower than expected. We are visiting more workplaces, rallies, campaign launches and barbecues than ever before to improve next year's results, but today 28 animals need to be rescued from injury, abuse or neglect.
To date, adoptions have been lower than expected. We include sterilization, vaccination, pet insurance, and other inclusions worth many times more than the adoption fee. We are in 19 convenient locations in addition to our West Hunt Club Shelter, and we are looking at new and better ways to promote OHS adoptions for the future, but today there are 132 animals ready and waiting for a loving home and a new life.
In order to keep caring, rescuing, adopting, investigating, educating and generally making our community better for animals and people, we need your support today.
Bruce Roney
Executive Director
Ottawa Humane Society


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Thursday, February 24, 2005
As promised, the Pesharim lecture is now posted on the course website.
A weblog for a course on the Dead Sea Scrolls at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, taught by Dr. James R. Davila. Opening date: 8 February, 2005.
E-mail: jrd4 at st-andrews dot ac dot uk ("at" = "@"; dot = ".")


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06 May, 2015
Fukushima Leaking Yet Again
Tepco has admitted that yes, Fukushima is leaking seriously high
radiation yet again.
More than likely it should be ' is still leaking'.
Has it ever really stopped?
300 tons of extremely radioactive water are being produced daily.
From Asahi Shimbun:
"Yauemon Sato, the ninth-generation chief of a sake brewery operating here since 1790, likens the crippled reactors at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant to "caldrons of hell."
In a recent interview with The Asahi Shimbun, Sato said the nuclear disaster "continues to recur every day," referring to the huge stockpile of radioactive water that keeps growing--and often leaks--more than four years after the core meltdowns."
You can read the full interview here.
The media keeps the news of the death of oceans quiet just as they speak only in closeted whispers about the effects on the western United States.
Levels in California are 1000 times higher than first expected.
Nothing is as expected and things are worse than first believed.
The problem with nuclear energy is that no one knows enough about it to safely use it. There are no solutions for leakages and meltdowns of the Chernobyl and Fukushima type. It is insane to use energy sources that you really do not know how to control properly.
In this world things are not done for the good of humanity but for money and profit and money blurs thinking and can cancel out morality.
2 comments:
It's always about the money. History teaches that. So does the Word of God. "Money is the root of ALL evil." That will someday end.ReplyDelete
Hi again Lemon. Carl
This is very scary. They cannot possibly clean this pot of nuclear muck. I am trying to stay away from most fish. Almost impossible, though. I try to check where it's from and stay away from Pacific Ocean fish etc...ReplyDelete
I read somewhere also that the Japanese gov't silenced all journalists on the Fukashima reactor meltdown story/info.
Others try to say that Ca waters were tested and there's so little in the ocean and that fish from Ca is fine. I'm not buying that drivel!
Seal were dying in Ca; fish dead; shrimp and the like down to very small numbers. Cesium in the water at elevated levels...Crazy....


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The knowledge and skill trusted by thousands
Relief and recovery from foot and ankle problems depend on the knowledge and skill of the foot and ankle specialist you choose. Over the years, podiatric physician Scott Shields, DPM, has helped thousands of people get out of pain, get past their problem and get back to their lives. In fact, most of our patients were referred by other patients who have come to trust Dr. Shields know-how, skill and dedication to each individual's best interests.
Individualized care designed for your best results
Dr. Shields became a foot and ankle specialist to make a difference in people's lives. With this in mind, he leads with his heart, personalizing everything he does to your needs and going the extra mile to ensure you get the best care possible. He listens carefully in order to understand your problem, lifestyle and goals. He ensures you are fully informed about your condition and treatment options, and will customize your treatment to you, because it's essential to getting the best possible results.
A conservative approach toward your best care and recovery
For foot and ankle problems, podiatric surgery is sometimes necessary. But Dr. Shields knows that surgery must be carefully considered. The fact is that many conditions can be well-treated without podiatric surgery, which is why he takes a conservative approach and avoid surgical intervention whenever possible.
But if surgery is the best choice, Dr. Shields is a highly skilled surgeon, using the latest techniques and performing most surgeries in the comfort and convenience of their fully equipped in-office surgical suite.
An uncommon – and welcome – healthcare experience
Dr. Shields and his staff at Total Foot and Ankle take pride in treating people with the same compassion, attentive focus and down-to-earth approach they would want for themselves. Their patients routinely tell them that they appreciate the different kind of healthcare experience they had. From podiatric surgeon Dr. Shields to the certified podiatric assistants to the support staff, everyone there is friendly, warm, personable, approachable and accommodating. They believe in fostering meaningful relationships, starting with treating you like family.
Dedicated to excellent care, optimal results and your unique needs
The dedicated professionals at Total Foot and Ankle are driven, always striving for the utmost in podiatric excellence. With a strong sense of duty and right, Dr. Shields stays abreast of the latest methods in order to provide optimal care. In fact, he and his staff strive to earn your trust and confidence by committing themselves to leading-edge care, excellent results, fastest possible healing, responsiveness and total devotion to your best interests.


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English assessments at The Welcome Centre (St. Thomas Church) every Saturday from 2 – 5 pm. and Thursday from 1 – 3 pm.
We offer beginner courses, English for life courses, writing workshops, speaking courses, Key, Preliminary, First, Advanced, Proficiency, Business English and IGCSE English as a second language.
- ESOL English for life courses
Our ESOL Skills for Life courses are aimed at people living and working in Jersey who need English to 'survive' and function in an English-speaking environment. These courses start at total beginners level and progress to an Intermediate level of English.
- Cambridge Mainsuite Courses
We offer ESOL language courses such as Cambridge English: Key, Cambridge English: Preliminary, Cambridge English: First, Cambridge English: Advanced, Cambridge English: Proficiency which are all widely recognised internationally.
We also offer IGCSE English as a Second language.
- Cambridge Business Courses
In addition, we run Cambridge English: Business courses which focus on the learning of English in a professional and business context. These are internationally recognised business qualifications which are very popular as a means of gauging the language level of potential employees.
Venues and times
We hold our ESOL courses both at Highlands College and at our partnership venue, The Welcome Centre, St. Thomas Church, St. Helier. Courses run throughout the week and all day on Saturdays.
Gill Daley (Mornings only): 01534 608 640
Andrew Rouillard: 01534 608 549
Jo Gueno: 01534 608 549


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This week's SIU Law Dog is Cedar, who belongs to 3L Tim Geiger. Tim also contributed photos of two other dogs. Happy was Law Dog the week of June 25. Timber will appear later this summer, so stay tuned.
For information on submitting your dog photo, go to Law Dog of the Week. We will feature each SIU law dog whose photo is submitted. To see photos of all previous Law Dogs of the week, visit our Gallery of SIU Law Dogs, which you can find under Related Links in the sidebar.


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OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada will fall into recession if Washington does not reach a deal by year-end to avert the so-called fiscal cliff, but the Canadian government and central bank could provide extra stimulus if necessary, policymakers said on Wednesday.
Unless the White House and Congress agree on how to cut the U.S. budget deficit, a $600 billion package of tax increases and spending cuts kicks in automatically at the end of 2012 and would threaten U.S. economic growth.
"Were the entire fiscal cliff risk to become reality, the effect on U.S. GDP, according to the Americans themselves, would be 4 to 5 percent, which would put the U.S. economy into recession quite quickly and the Canadian would follow shortly thereafter," Finance Minister Jim Flaherty told reporters in Ottawa.
Canada's economy recovered from the global recession faster than that of the United States, but it remains heavily reliant on trade with its neighbor, which buys three-quarters of its exports.
Bank of Canada Governor Mark Carney said policymakers would have several options to protect Canada from fiscal calamity south of the border.
"We can provide stimulus on the monetary side, the government could take measures, other things could happen, but we don't need to do that in anticipation of the Americans not coming to an agreement, an agreement that is in their own interest," Carney told the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in an interview.
"We're going to watch this closely; we'll react if necessary but we're not going to react to a hypothetical at this stage," he said.
Carney said President Barack Obama has a "strong mandate" to engage his opponents on the fiscal cliff issue, helped by the Democrats holding onto a majority in the Senate.
The central bank's forecast of 2.3 percent economic growth in the United States next year assumes a drag of 1.5 percentage points from fiscal tightening on the expectation some kind of bipartisan deal is struck. But Carney said that prediction was highly uncertain.
As he headed into a November 4-5 G20 meeting in Mexico City on Monday, Flaherty warned for the first time about a potential recession.
He also said he was confident that whoever won Tuesday's presidential election would succeed in brokering a deal with Congress, but not without some brinkmanship.
"They may not deal with it until the 11th hour and the 55th minute, but I expect that they'll do it just as they dealt with their banks in 2008," he told reporters.
Reporting by Louise Egan; Editing by Janet Guttsman and Steve Orlofsky


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Palin in the Straw
This video is so incredibly surreal. Sarah Palin is being interviewed by a reporter (after pardoning a turkey) while a guy slaughters turkeys in the background. But the most hilariously incongruous portion of the interview starts at 1:49 and goes through to the end. She talks about needing a little levity in her job, especially given all of the criticism she's gotten. Then she laughs that she'll probably get criticized for doing this, too. As a man covered in turkey blood, struggling with a dying turkey, stares creepily into the camera from the background.
Labels: Sarah Palin, surreal


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23. Exploring the different neighborhoods
One of the true joys of living in Paris is having the time to explore the different quartiers at a leisurely pace. Some times a museum visit takes me to a neighborhood I've never visited before; other times, it's a search for a shop selling something that's not readily available near me. I've taken tours, both with professional guides or just with a trusted travel book in hand, and enjoyed them all. Whether it's the wide boulevards in the busy 9th arrondissement or the quiet alleyways of Belleville or Butte aux Cailles, there's always something to see and learn. Maybe it's a shop window, a historical marker, an unusual building facade, or just someone in a crazy getup.
Personally, I find that exploring always stimulates the appetite. What better excuse to try a restaurant like Lao Lane Xang II, serving up delicious Thai-Vietnamese fare on Avenue d'Ivry in the 13th or Le Josselin near Montparnasse for some authentic Breton crepes? Just remember to wear comfortable shoes, and to pack your map and your umbrella. Keep your eyes peeled and you'll be ready for whatever Paris throws your way.
Friday, March 13, 2009
25 Things I Love About Paris: #23
2 comments:
- Carolyn said...
Fantastic and I agree!
I've made a note of the Thai-Vietnamese place - am so eager to explore Asian restaurants in Paris.
- March 13, 2009 at 11:12 AM
- Starman said...
I love how all of the neighborhoods are unique unto themselves.
- March 13, 2009 at 6:39 PM
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Hi. I'm Jon Jagger.
I help software teams improve their effectiveness.
I built cyber-dojo, the place teams practice programming.
I'm based in the UK. I've worked in 22 countries. If you don't like my work, I won't invoice you. Hire me
Gus and the breakfast police
So Gus had just one sausage. And Odette was not allowed a fried egg either - but could have scrambled egg. I thought for a moment and, when it was my turn, I said - "I'll have the maximum I can have of everything please." I got one piece of bacon, one scoop of scrambled egg, one scoop of beans, one scoop of mushrooms, one of those reconstituted potato croquette things, two pieces of toast, two individually wrapped "bricks" of butter, two plastic containers in the shape of a miniature thumb-sized bath containing marmalade, and... a sausage. I walked over to where Gus and Odette were sitting and joined them. I gave the sausage to Gus, explaining that I didn't want most of the food - but I did want Gus to have two sausages.
The point of this story is not to whine about the conference. It was a really excellent conference. The breakfast staff usually serve students which may have something to do with the somewhat draconian rules. The point is that overly rigid rules foster bureaucracy and generally end up self-defeating. The intention behind the rules, to avoid waste, is laudable. But rigid rules and their associated lack of trust in both the servers and the served simply creates more waste. A system like that invites people to live down to its expectations.
3 comments:
Brilliant post Jon... I'm mad at myself for missing AgileOTB.ReplyDelete
I loved the post because , firstly, it was entertaining. I could totally imagine that scene and the potential for radical responses from Gus when faced with that limitation.
More than this though, I loved that it made me emerge questions that may have some relevance to other things going on around me.
At what point do well-intentioned controls become over burdensome?
How might communication and expectation setting/management have been designed into the whole sausage incident? What difference might it have made?
If something is not valuable to anyone, why does it persist?
The question of trust you bring up is also very interesting for me. Is this lack of trust real (i.e. broken system) or perceived (ok system, badly communicated) or non-existent (y'all got a jobsworth serving that sausages).
Thank you for sharing and the pondering continues.
A familiar tale. For me the lesson is that it is perfectly possible for the breakfasters to collaborate to improve their experience in spite of the rules - as you amply demonstrated. Don't moan about the rules, find the way around them!ReplyDelete
Hi Matt,ReplyDelete
I agree. Unfortunately the rules are often harder to work around than in this case. And lots of people don't actively try to work around them - they meekly accept them.


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text: The Proposed Quality Competency Framework for the Future Quality Professional Ian R McKay FCQI CQP CQI Competency Project Lead 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 1 The CQI Definition of Quality 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 2 A Definition of Competency • The ability to do something to an acceptable standard • Acceptable to Employers • Acceptable to Professional Body • Acceptable to Individual • Based on Knowledge and Experience 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 3 The CQI Competency Project 2012 •The CQI has initiated a project to articulate the role of Quality Professionals and to establish a relevant and up to date Quality Competency Framework during 2012. •The framework will be delivered as a web based tool for both professionals and organisations to establish requirements for competence, assess competence, support learning and development and for career management. • The competencies will • Be applicable to all sectors: private, public and not-for-profit • Be applicable to all levels of quality professional from strategic to tactical, and for nonquality professionals • Capture the expanding scope of quality management into areas (such as ethics, sustainability and security) and external forces ( such as globalisation) • Provide a tool for employers and CQI members to assess competence and inform professional development • Provide a basis for improving access to the Experiential route to Chartered membership of the CQI 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 4 The Quality Profession and Competence Organisations that achieve sustainable success include a focus on quality at the heart of their strategy. Today's organisations want quality professionals who are able to help them address issues such as: • Globalisation of the supply chain – increased risk • A risk averse society's emphasis on corporate responsibility – protecting reputation • Moving from compliance to effective/ efficient processes – waste and cost reduction • Changing Markets – competitiveness, agility, continuous improvement and business change This means adding a broader range of business knowledge and skills to the traditional competencies focused on product and service quality. The QCF includes competencies such as: • Business Management, Commercial and Financial Understanding • Performance Measurement and Improvement • Organisational Governance • Continuous Improvement and Change Management • Risk and Opportunity Management • Systems Thinking and Process Management • Integrated Assurance, including Corporate Social Responsibility, Safety, Security and Business Continuity etc.. It also includes the personal competencies to lead, advise, coach and influence the organisation that are crucial to successful delivery of the quality role. Quality professionals who exhibit the competencies set out in the QCF will be able to deliver the visible performance improvement and associated assurance that supports sustainable success in any organisation. 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 5 The Quality Management Competencies Based on Plan, Do, Study, Act and aligning with the principle Quality Management models such as ISO 9000 and The Business Excellence Model, the diagram to the right is a way to establish the competency set. The required competencies can be identified under these four key areas of Quality Management. 4. DRIVE STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVEMENT The Competencies will be aimed at an approach based on learning, innovation and improvement. Their objective is to provide the Quality Professional with the ability to assure the sustainability of the organisation through performance improvement and at the same time provide confidence to all stakeholders that current goals are being achieved and that compliance to all stakeholder's requirements, whether Customer, Legal, Regulatory or Internal, is being maintained. 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 1. DEVISE QUALITY STRATEGIES, PLANS AND GOALS Learning 2. DESIGN AND DEPLOY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS 3. PROVIDE INDEPENDENT ASSURANCE 8 Quality's Role in the Organisation The role of the Quality Profession is to drive the cycle of Quality activities at all levels and in all parts of the organisation, integrating these at organisation level into an independent view of performance and compliance that managers and other stakeholders can use for assurance and decision making. It doesn't take away the responsibility for everyone to manage quality in their part of the organisation. Quality activities in other parts of the Organisation such as Functions, Projects Departments or Processes 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 9 Proposed Quality Competency Framework (QCF) • The QCF will comprise three competency areas: 1. Quality Management - the knowledge and skill needed to do the job 2. Behavioural - behaviours required to fulfil the role successfully 3. Contextual - your own sector and organisation • Each competency area will comprise a number of relevant competency sets • Each competency set will comprise the individual competencies relevant to that area • Individual competency descriptions will support assessment of competence level 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 10 Proposed Quality Competency Framework (QCF) • Assessment will be based on both Knowledge and Experience • Assessment will be aligned to the Quality Body of Knowledge and CQI accredited courses and qualifications. • There will be four levels of competency, aligned to the four CQI qualification levels: 1. Associate 2. Practitioner 3. Member 4. Fellow • The QCF will be designed to support creation of competency profiles for quality roles such as: • Quality Technician / Quality Administrator / Quality Support Officer etc. • Quality Engineer / Advisor / Technician / Customer Service Advisor / Compliance Officer etc. • Quality Manager / Customer Service Manager / Improvement Manager • Quality Director / Business Improvement Director / Head of Quality 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 11 CQI Membership CQI Associate (ACQI) For those who have an active interest, are actively engaged in or considering a career in quality management, and for all CQI Certificate and CQI Diploma students. Associate membership provides the full range of CQI knowledge and development benefits. - INTEREST CQI Practitioner (PCQI) For those actively practicing quality as part of their job role or those specialising in specific aspects of quality, such as inspection, quality control, quality assurance, systems management, audit, business improvement, supplier quality management, certification, service quality, regulatory compliance. - 2 YEARS CQI Member (MCQI CQP) For those professionals who have quality as a key discipline or as the focus of their work. The Member (MCQI) grade will recognise your professional competence and put you on equal terms with other chartered professionals, increasing your status and potential for career progression. - 5 YEARS + SENIOR POSITION CQI Fellow (FCQI CQP) This is the highest grade of professional recognition offered by the CQI. Fellow (FCQI) is a chartered grade providing you with Chartered Quality Professional (CQP) status, and signifies that you have demonstrated a substantial achievement or made a personal contribution to furthering the profession of quality. - 5 YEARS PLUS SENIOR POSITION + PORTFOLIO + EMINENCE 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 12 Quality Management Competency Area - Topics 1. Delivering Quality Strategies and Plans and Goals – including:• Understanding the Concepts of Quality, its History and Development • Focusing on Customer s and Stakeholders • Embedding Quality in Organisational Strategies • Establishing Quality Policies, Objectives and Targets • Establishing a Culture of Quality • Understanding your Organisation's Vision, Mission, Values and Purpose • Understanding your Organisation's business model and plans • Dealing with specific Regulation and the Law affecting your Organisation • Influencing Externally on behalf of Your Organisation • Understanding Your Organisation's Partnerships • Planning to Achieve Quality Outcomes • Developing and Deploying Supply Chain Quality Strategies. •Managing Supply Chain Relationships and Interfaces • Leading the Quality Function and Quality Professionals 2. Design and Deployment of Management Systems – including:• Understanding the Principles of Governance and Management • Design of Management Systems • Management of External Certification •Measurement, Metrics and Analysis of Business Performance • Employing Systems Thinking • Quality Requirements in Standards, Regulations and the Law • Quality Requirements in Customer Contracts and Contract Documents • Defining Quality Requirements in Supply Contracts • Process Mapping and Management •Techniques for Product and Service Quality Control • Designing and Implementing Effective Process Control • The use of Statistical Techniques • Establishing Management Review and Factual Decision • Document Management and Control 15/101/2013 3. . Providing Independent Assurance – including:• Assuring Quality Throughout the Product or Service Lifecycle • Assuring in specialist domains (e.g. software) • Independent Assessment, Audit and Investigation for organisational learning and improvement. • Risk and Opportunity Management • Human Factors in error prevention • Establishing Compliance and the Management of NonConformance • Assessment of Supplier Capability • Delivering Assurance in the Supply Chain • Assessing Organisational Health • Measurement, Metrics and Analysis of Business Performance • Data Analysis, Information Management, Review and Reporting 4. Business Improvement – including:• Improving for Business Benefit • Business and Financial Understanding • Risk and Opportunity Management • Measurement, Metrics and Analysis of business performance • Tools and techniques for Process, Product and Service Improvement • Improvement of Supplier and Supply Chain Capability • Establishing Continuous Performance Improvement • Managing Change QP Role and Competency Version 7 13 The Quality Management Competency Area In order to encompass the breadth and range of future Quality Professional roles the following 7 competency areas are proposed for the Quality Management Competency Area:- 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 14 The Personal Competency Area Delivering the role of Quality Professional requires the full range of behavioural competencies that any other profession would need. The role requires a particular focus on leadership and relationships with others in the organisation. The following 5 competency sets are proposed for the Personal Competency Area 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 15 Sector and Organisation – The Contextual Competency Area These are quality management competencies specific to the organisation and sector Sector 1 Specific Competencies Organi sation A Organi sation B Organi sation C Sector 4 Specific Competencies CQI Special Interest Groups will co-ordinate organisations to establish consistent specific competencies for a particular Sector. These will be referenced from the CQI core framework. 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 CQI Core Competencies Sector 2 Specific Competencies Sector 3 Specific Competencies 16 Contextual Competency Set To allow assessment of the Quality Professional's competence in the context of his/her own organisation and sector the following five generic competency areas are proposed for the Contextual Competency Set 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 17 EXAMPLE ONLY Levels Level 4 Fellow Level 3 Member Level 2 Practitioner Level 1 Associate 15/101/2013 Has successfully delivered all competencies on behalf of an organisation Has successfully delivered most competencies on behalf of an organisation or significant organisation unit Has successfully delivered some of the competencies on behalf of an organisation or organisation unit Has the demonstrated knowledge of the competencies and supported delivery of some in part of an organisation QP Role and Competency Version 7 18 Assessment of Competency using the QCF Body of Quality Knowledge Professional and Career Goals Quality Competence Framework Curriculum Vita 15/101/2013 Learning and Development Plan QP Role and Competency Version 7 19 Introducing the Quality Competency Framework (QCF) 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 20 CQI Competency Project Timeline April – Planning - Complete May / June – Key Stakeholder Engagement - Complete June / July / August – Design and Development – In Progress June / July / August – Wider Engagement – In Progress September / October – Finalise Detailed Design of Competency Framework November / December – Approval and Launch Planning Q1 2013 – Pilot Launch and Implementation Briefings and Communications activities ongoing throughout 15/101/2013 QP Role and Competency Version 7 21


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I've been hesitant to blog about my travels last summer. I had originally planned a long couples trip for Hubby and me to Portugal (all on award tickets and award hotel rooms, of course). The kids would all be away at summer camp during the whole trip. He loves Port, I love new places, win..win, right? WRONG.
Hubby and the two youngest boys are avid soccer fans and LUCKY for me, the Copa …> > read more
For Thanksgiving this year, we found ourselves with plenty of things to do in Oklahoma City. It was very difficult to narrow the list down to 5 things. All of these take place in the downtown/bricktown area. So if you can't get a cheap car rental, you could walk or Uber the whole time. Some of the items on the list have subcategories, oh well, here goes:
While planning our Thanksgiving weekend in Oklahoma City, we found a lot of choices when deciding where to stay. We lucked into 5 free tickets to the NBA Thunder vs. Brooklyn game for Wednesday night, Thanksgiving Eve. Once again, letting family and friends know we'd gladly take tickets they couldn't use, paid off. We'd been to an NFL game in Kansas City just weeks earlier by utilizing our family and …> > read more
Hubby is a HUGE Pittsburg Steelers fan. So whenever the Steelers play anywhere in the vicinity, we try to take advantage of the opportunity to attend a game. That's how we found our entire family visiting Arrowhead Stadium last weekend.
We have lots of family and friends in Kansas City. Luckily we received 5 club level tickets to the …> > read more
While spending Thanksgiving in New York City, we decided to take on the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, so here is my review.
In all my previous visits to New York City, I had never seen the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall. Even with my three boys on this trip, I thought the Christmas Spectacular show would be the best show to see them. The boys didn't even know what …> > read more
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with tween/teen boys…is a little different.
Let me preface this by saying that my boys have never really watched much of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on television. In 2013, I sat in front of the TV watching the parade and the boys would filter in and out occasionally when I mentioned a cool float or balloon. I was anticipating this trip a year ahead of …> > read more
Hubby and I have been lucky enough to experience America's Cup spectating in two different countries.
And let me just say, we are not sailors. I wouldn't even know where to start.
We don't live remotely near a coastline.
Maybe that's what sucked me in? The talent and expertise required for this expensive competition makes it all the more thrilling. Or maybe it's the gorgeous weather and a quick trip to the host …> > read more
College football season is in full swing, and it got me thinking about traveling to bowl games. I have planned a lot of vacations around bowl games and the Cotton Bowl is no different.
For those who don't know, the Cotton Bowl game does not actually occur in the Cotton Bowl Stadium. The Cotton Bowl actually takes place in AT&T Stadium …> > read more
Let me preface this post by saying that Hubby is a sports fanatic. Sure, I like sports, some more than others, but maybe just not so many of them. Even before we got married we used spectator sports as a negotiation opportunity.
Hubby: I want to see the Pittsburgh Steelers play this year.
Me: What city are they playing in that we can travel …> > read more


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Pluribus Games
Welcome to Pluribus Games. You wont find much information here, just our current projects and a little information about us. Feel free to drop us a line if at the contact below if you need further information.
For the curious, We have five projects in progress.
The first two projects are the linux and OSX ports of the massive multiplayer game, A Tale in the Desert. These projects are complete and in a maintenance mode. For those living under a rock for the last few years, Pluribus Games is now responsible for the business operations and ongoing development of A Tale in the Desert.
The third project is the development of a new massive multiplayer game called "Hope". Stay tuned here for details and links.
The fourth project is the support and maintenance of client code for a new bitcoin game called Dragon's Tale. Please note, that we are not responsible for Dragon's Tale, nor have any involvement in its day to day operation. Please contact eGenesis (http://www.egenesis.com for further information.
The fifth project is still under wraps until formally announced. Stay tuned here for details and links.
We are a small game development startup that started out porting code to the Linux and OSX platforms in 2001. Recently, we have been asked to take over the business operations and further development of A Tale in the Desert.
Pluribus Games, LLC is currently owned and operated by Ronald McCormick.


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For the ninth year in a row, Movie Dearest takes a look back and celebrates the year that was with a salute to the best in film, television and the stage with the 2015 Movie Dearest Awards, a.k.a. the "Dearies"! And the winners are...Movie of the Year: Carol
Out director Todd Haynes has dazzled with gay-themed period pieces before including Velvet Goldmine and his masterpiece Far from Heaven. It is maybe for this reason that Carol, his latest, was tragically but somewhat predictably ignored by the diversity-averse Academy in the Best Picture and Best Director categories (criminally, Haynes has never been nominated in the directing category). Yes, Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara are both nominated for their pivotal performances as two very different women living in the closeted 1950's who fall in love with each other. And Phyllis Nagy was nominated for her screenplay adapted from Patricia Highsmith's pseudo-autobiographical novella The Price of Salt. However, Haynes' coup de grace here was to create a period-perfect lesbian romance that utterly and permanently negates — thankfully — such previous Sapphic melodramas as The Children's Hour, The Killing of Sister George and Rachel, Rachel. Carol deservedly swept our recent GALECA Dorian Awards and has similarly earned our Movie Dearest kudos. - CC
Man of the Year: Tom Hardy
As hero or villain or somewhere in between, 2015 was a big year for Tom Hardy. First he deftly stepped into the title role (Mel who?) in Mad Max: Fury Road, last year's most thrillingly satisfying blockbuster. He followed that with not one but two mesmerizing performances as the real life twin gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray in Legend. And he ended the year playing a nefarious fur trapper who puts Leonardo DiCaprio through hell in The Revenant. The result: his first Oscar nomination for the latter, four enigmatic characters you can't take your eyes off of and the title of Movie Dearest's Man of the Year. - KH
Women of the Year: Jane Fonda & Lily Tomlin
We loved them together in 1980's comedy classic 9 to 5 but it took 35 years to reunite the legendary ladies Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin... and in a gay-themed sitcom no less. The erstwhile Judy and Violet play Grace and Frankie in the Netflix fave, an odd couple of golden girls who's lives are upended when their husbands leave them... for each other. But TV wasn't enough for Jane and Lily in '15; Tomlin earned rave reviews and a Golden Globe nomination for playing a lesbian Grandma, while Fonda stole the show in her brief but Oscar buzz-worthy star cameo in Youth. Now if only they can get Dolly Parton to guest star on Grace and Frankie, all our gay dreams will come true. - KH
New Stars of the Year: Kitana Kiki Rodriguez & Mya Taylor
Between The Danish Girl, 52 Tuesdays and Tangerine, not to mention Amazon's popular series Transparent, 2015 was acclaimed as the year trans-interest storylines finally became mainstream. Filmmaker Sean Baker, armed primarily with his iPhone and a minuscule budget, was the one to dramatize the real, everyday struggles of trans women living on the mean streets of Los Angeles. Baker had two secret weapons: trans actresses Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor, both fierce and funny in equal measure as Sin-Dee and Alexandra, the no-bullshit characters they portray in the witty, vital Tangerine. - CC
TV Show of the Year: Orange is the New Black
Three seasons in, and Orange is the New Black is gayer than ever. With its multiple plot lines and back story-heavy flashbacks, Netflix's hit comedic drama (or is it a dramatic comedy?) is the definition of "binge-worthy". The desperate, disparate residents of Litchfield Penitentiary run the gamut from a lovable loon called Crazy Eyes (multi-award winner Uzo Aduba) to Sophia, the transgender hair dresser (Laverne Cox) to Kate Mulgrew as a flame-haired Russian named Red. At the center of all this madness is WASP-turned-bisexual inmate Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), who found herself this season juggling two femme fatales (Laura Prepon and Ruby Rose) and a thriving illegal used-panties ring. Drama or comedy, Orange is gold. - KH
Stage Show of the Year: Fun Home
The Tony-winning musical smash Fun Home dramatizes one of the odder stories to ever grace the Broadway boards: a lesbian cartoonist's coming of age in a household dominated by her closeted gay mortician father. And it's all true. Composer Jeanine Tesori and lyricist/book author Lisa Kron brilliantly adapted Alison Bechdel's graphic novel memoir, while Michael Cerveris gave a stunning tragi-comic performance as Bechdel's conflicted father, who ultimately committed suicide. Its a serious show to be sure but at least one song, "Come to the Fun Home" (the title is a shortened form of "funeral home"), is a 1970's Brady Bunch-esque/Jackson Five-ish delight. Brave, insightful and deeply moving, Fun Home should not be missed either on Broadway or when it begins a national tour this year. - CC
Documentary of the Year: Best of Enemies
As enthralling and eye-opening as its subject matter, Best of Enemies looks back at the infamous live television debates that pitted leading conservative William F. Buckley, Jr. against Gore Vidal, the liberal, bisexual author of Myra Breckinridge, during the 1968 presidential race. If it sounds rather dry, then you don't know how wittily venomous these two were to each other; their mutual loathing practically oozed off the screen, culminating in the notorious "crypto Nazi"/"queer" exchange that signaled the beginning of the end for intellectualism in America. Years before trashy talk shows, the Buckley/Vidal debates were "must see TV", and Best of Enemies is Movie Dearest's "must see" Documentary of the Year. - KH
Foreign Film of the Year: The New Girlfriend
Gay filmmaker François Ozon has shown a knack for women's stories with his previous, acclaimed films Swimming Pool, 8 Women and Potiche. His latest, The New Girlfriend, continues this successful run but with a twist: one of its leading ladies is a man. Initially sad but ultimately life-affirming, it explores the unique friendship forged between a deceased woman's best friend and her cross-dressing widower-husband. These characters are beautifully played by, respectively, Anais Demoustier and French heartthrob Romain Duris. The plot gets a little melodramatic toward the end (name me a French film that doesn't) but Pascaine Chavanne's costumes and Pascal Marti's cinematography are gorgeous, especially in the film's recently released Blu-ray transfer. Who doesn't need a new girlfriend from time to time? - CC
|Art by Andrew Rae for Delve
DVD of the Year: Electric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films
Since both of us at Movie Dearest came of age during the rollicking 1980's, the cheesy cinematic spectacles wrought by Israeli-born producers Yoram Globus and Menahem Golan hold a special place in our hearts as well as our (homo)sexual development. In addition to the exploitative Death Wish series and numerous Chuck Norris karate epics, the pair produced such homoerotic epics as Masters of the Universe, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace and several films starring Jean-Claude Van Damme as a sexy cyborg. Mark Hartley's entertaining documentary on them and the short-lived studio they founded revels gleefully in the good, the bad and the ugly. Heck, we'd give the DVD a Dearie Award for the extensive trailer gallery alone featuring Van Damme, Dolph Lundgren and other 80's hotties in their shirtless, greased up, pec-tacular glory. - CC
The Neil V. Cohen Award for Campy Film of the Year: First Period
With all due respect to the vampire mockumentary What We Do In the Shadows and the insane "lost" 80's action flick Kung Fury, we here at Movie Dearest must crown First Period the campiest movie of 2015! Our dearly departed friend and fellow critic Neil Cohen surely would have memorized each catty line and adored every low budget frame of this John Hughes-meets-John Waters high school hilarity. First Period stars two adult men (Dudley Beene and Brandon Alexander III, who also penned the script) playing Maggie and Cassie, a pair of misfit teenage girls who just want to be popular, make out with boys and win the school talent show, not necessarily in that order; think of it as a "very special" episode of Beverly Hills 90210 as written by Charles Busch. Co-starring gay faves Cassandra Peterson, Jack Plotnick and Judy Tenuta (as "Madame Mulva"), how can you lose? Watch it now on Netflix! - KH
We hope you enjoyed this year's Dearies and thank you for visiting Movie Dearest in 2015!
By Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine, and Kirby Holt, creator and editor of Movie Dearest.