text:
– Tim Costello
1 An educative task
The research of Rulla, Ridick and Imoda has always been directed towards a practical educational task, especially the preparation of educators capable of offering an in-depth formation for future priests and religious. Franco Imoda's work Human Development. Psychology and Mystery shares a similar purpose: «The aim of this book is not to solve all problems, or to provide an exhaustive manual of psychological, philosophical or theological anthropology (…) it aims rather to invite critical thought and to forge a better definition of the educative task as it relates to the process of human development».[1]
To define the educative task and to propose pedagogical principles is one thing. To apply these principles to concrete situations is quite another. In response to directions set by the Second Vatican Council, the Gregorian University developed programs specifically oriented towards the preparation of seminary and religious formators. The Institute of Psychology, established in 1971, and the Interdisciplinary Centre for the Formation of Seminary Educators, established in 1996, offer a systematic and intensive preparation for the educators – «formators» – of future generations of priests, religious, and consecrated lay persons.
The experience of teaching in these programs and offering personal accompaniment to their participants makes a strong impact. The extraordinary diversity of situations from which the participants come and to which they will return as formators makes a striking impression: a diocesan seminary in Mexico, a novitiate in Korea, a monastic community in India, a seminary with 900 students in Nigeria, a training program for the Focolare Movement in Italy, a small formation house for clerical religious in Australia.
The wide diversity of institutional situations and cultural contexts within which these future formators will work raises many practical questions. The educative and formative theory formulated by the authors mentioned above has been applied to an extraordinarily wide range of situations. The theory has been verified not only by the processes of scientific validation but also by the light it has brought to specific questions regarding religious and priestly formation in many parts of the world during a period of nearly forty years. This chapter addresses one question of contemporary interest, viz. the integration of different educative roles within the process of seminary and religious formation.
2 The Church desires an integrated formation
2.1 The formation ideal
Building on foundations established by the Second Vatican Council and developed in the post-conciliar period, Pope John Paul II has formulated a comprehensive vision of priestly and religious formation. This vision is set forth especially in two apostolic exhortations which are the fruit of two assemblies of the Synod of Bishops. The first document Pastores dabo vobis (1992) gives a detailed presentation of priestly formation in all its aspects; the goal, the constitutive components, the setting, the persons involved and their respective responsibilities. The second document Vita consecrata (1996) locates the consecrated life within the mystery of Trinitarian love. The document then identifies the formative processes necessary to prepare candidates to live the evangelical counsels as a sign of ecclesial communion and as a manifestation of God's love in the world.
The approach to priestly and religious formation in these documents is dynamic, integrative, and holistic. First, formation is dynamic because its essential framework is relational and developmental. Every vocation is rooted in a relationship between God and the individual who is called by God. The dynamic of «call and response» requires an anthropology which explains not only the desire to respond to God's call but also the obstacles and difficulties human beings frequently experience as they seek to live out their religious ideals. Secondly, formation is integrative. The Holy Father identifies four components of formation – human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral – and discusses each in detail. These components have given rise to new formative roles (formator, therapist, counselor, academic adviser, pastoral supervisor) or new orientations to traditional roles (rector, novice master, spiritual director, confessor, and teacher). Those responsible must coordinate their respective roles through an explicit orientation towards «the specific finality which alone justifies the existence of the seminary […] the formation of future priests, pastors of the church».[2] The failure to recognize the need to take active and explicit measures to bring about this coordination inevitably results in formation programs that are compartmentalized, lacking in cohesion, and poorly integrated. Thirdly, formation is holistic because its aim is to touch «the whole person, in every aspect of the personality, in behavior and intentions».[3] Furthermore, the processes of initial and ongoing formation are closely linked as parts of the same journey of faith whose single aim is to bring candidates, professed religious and ordained priests to live their vocation from a profoundly interior motivation and personal conviction.
One of the important contributions made by Pope John Paul II has been to incorporate more systematically into the Church's anthropology of vocation and formation certain developmental perspectives drawn from the human sciences. This leads to a consequent reflection on the kind of preparation needed for the educators who will be responsible for translating these formation ideals into institutional structures and pedagogical methods. The Directives concerning the preparation of seminary educators published by the Congregation for Catholic Education in 1993 confirms the need for educators capable of helping candidates to resolve spiritual and human difficulties at a profound level. These educators and formators «should be sufficiently prepared as not to be deceived or to deceive regarding a presumed consistency and maturity of the student. For this, "common sense" is not enough. An attentive and refined examination from a good knowledge of the human sciences is necessary in order to go beyond appearances and the superficial level of motivations and behavior, and to help the seminarian know himself in depth, to accept himself with serenity, and to correct himself and to mature, starting from the real and not illusory roots».[4]
2.2 A problem of roles and boundaries
The ecclesial documents on formation often present paradigm situations in which institutional roles and responsibilities are clearly delineated. The documents already cited, for example, identify within the major seminary the following roles: the bishop, the rector, the vice-rector, the spiritual director, the seminary educators (formators), the professors, the coordinator of pastoral activities, the prefect of studies, the librarian, and the business manager.[5]
In real life, however, bishops and major superiors have to balance the resources required for formation with other pastoral needs. This often results in compromise solutions where the ideals proposed by the ecclesial documents cannot be realistically achieved. After returning to their dioceses, religious provinces, or ecclesial movements, those who have trained as formators are not uncommonly asked to assume multiple roles and diverse responsibilities within the formation structure. For example, the same person may be asked to assume the roles of teacher and spiritual director, religious superior and pastoral supervisor, spiritual director and bursar, therapist and teacher, rector and provincial councillor, and so on.
Combining roles may be a common-sense response to the problem of limited resources, but it also raises important questions about confusion of responsibilities and possible abuse of power. Can the teacher who must evaluate a student's academic progress also be spiritual director to the same person? Can a spiritual director, after a period of time has elapsed, accept a role in external forum decisions about a former client? Can a therapist and client live together in the same community? Is it appropriate for a formator (therapist, spiritual director, or teacher) to develop a friendship relationship with a person who is a student or client? What is the relationship between spiritual direction and psychological therapy, and the other instruments of human formation? Why stress the importance of boundaries when the desired goal is to integrate the different elements of formation?
Questions such as these will be less evident in large institutional settings with adequate resources, numerous personnel, formal policies and procedures, and clear lines of responsibility. But the reality in many parts of the Church, especially where vocations are numerous and resources are limited, is rather different – and questions such as these are very real. Beyond the many specific questions, there is one fundamental question which serves to draw forth some helpful principles in determining possible responses to the many concrete situations that arise. The fundamental question is this: when formators are asked to assume multiple roles and diverse responsibilities within the formation structure does this represent a creative response to the reality of limited resources, or does it create a dangerous confusion which is counter-productive to the goals of religious and priestly formation and perhaps even harmful to the good of individuals?
3 Fences, relationships, and boundaries
3.1 Good fences make good neighbors
A well-known American proverb states that «good fences make good neighbors».[6] Like many expressions of folk wisdom, including the biblical parables, the proverb is built more on ambiguity and paradox than on philosophical logic. Yet it captures an important insight into human beings and their complex and sometimes contradictory ways of relating with each other.
A great deal can be at stake when building fences and walls. Is the purpose of a wall to keep someone in or to keep someone out? The proverb means one thing when applied to the physical fences that set boundaries between individuals in rural settings; it takes on a more dramatic meaning when applied to walls and fences between states, whether those boundaries are physical (Kashmir, East Jerusalem, Berlin, the Great Wall of China) or political (policies regulating the movement of immigrants, refugees, and workers).[7]
So what is the meaning of the saying «good fences make good neighbors»? Like all proverbial wisdom the saying is open to diverse interpretations and applicable to different situations. Commentaries on Frost's poem, for example, refer variously to boundaries, barriers, tradition, individuality, community, property rights, communication between neighbors, and so on. As an expression of psychological wisdom, the proverb can have two possible applications. First, with reference to personal relationships the proverb could be applied to the personal boundaries that mark out the line between where we cease and others begin. The development of healthy ego boundaries, as part of the overall process of human development, produces a sense of personal identity which allows us to describe and define our relationships with others and with the external world in general. Secondly, with reference to professional relationships the proverb could refer to the fiduciary trust that governs the therapist's way of relating to the client who comes for treatment. Setting and maintaining proper boundaries, for which the therapist rather than the client holds responsibility, is integral to the healing process and therefore constitutes a serious and sacred duty.[8] In both of these examples, then, we could say that «good psychological fences make good neighbors».
If this proverb sheds light on the nature of psychological and professional boundaries, it also raises as many questions as it seems to answer. When and why do good fences make good neighbors? When and why should fences be built? When and why should we take down walls and boundaries? Then, there are some further questions which relate more specifically to the formative processes. What kinds of boundaries are needed to preserve the integrity of each of the components of formation? Should one person assume multiple formative roles? What are appropriate relational boundaries between formator and students? How should overlapping roles – for example, between spiritual direction and pastoral supervision – be managed? To better pursue questions such as these we need to move beyond the world of folklore and proverbial wisdom and consider concepts taken from the psychological literature.
3.2 The nature of professional relationships
In the course of many centuries society has developed structures for responding to the basic needs of people. Certain professions such as medicine, law, religion, teaching, and psychotherapy have been designated to protect and preserve our minds, our bodies, our souls, and our relationships with each other. The fundamental importance of these basic human needs is reflected in the privileged status that society bestows upon professionals, which allows them the authority and respect needed to act for the common welfare.
Doctors, lawyers, clergy, teachers, and counselors deal with deeply personal matters concerning people's lives. Mental health professionals, for example, provide a therapeutic context within which their clients make themselves vulnerable as a means of resolving inner conflicts and difficulties relating to their psychological functioning. The client's trust, and consequent vulnerability, is protected by law and by ethical codes of practice. Even though payment is normally expected, the relationship between professional and client is more than an ordinary business deal between two parties. The professional relationship is based on a covenant of «fiduciary trust» which is «a special relationship in which one person accepts the trust and confidence of another to act in the latter's best interest. The parties do not deal on equal terms. The fiduciary must act with the utmost good faith and solely for the benefit of the dependent party. The client becomes dependent on the trustworthiness of the fiduciary and becomes vulnerable in the sense that he is less likely to question what the professional person does».[9]
The fiduciary relationship shapes the interaction between the «expert» professional and the «vulnerable» client. It is based on the implicit understanding that the professional person accepts responsibility for the welfare of the client, places the client's interests before his own, avoids any action harmful to the client, respects the client's privacy, avoids conflicts of interest, and will work within the context of a clear set of ethical («hallowed») principles.
There are some significant differences between personal and professional relationships. A personal relationship, between two friends, for example, has no purpose beyond itself, serves the needs of both parties, and creates an environment in which both parties can share common interests, pastimes, and beliefs. This is a relationship between equals, based on personal trust, with boundaries that are implicit, informal, and somewhat vague. By contrast, a professional relationship between doctor and patient, for example, has a clear and explicit purpose directed primarily towards the needs and welfare of the patient. A mutual sharing of interests and opinions is irrelevant to the goals of the relationship which, furthermore, is unequal in power and status. The fiduciary trust of the professional relationship requires boundaries that are explicit, formal, and clear.
The ministry of forming future priests and religious places the formator in a position of trust analogous to that of the professional. This means that seminary and religious formators have a professional responsibility towards their candidates and students. If the term «fiduciary trust" does not appear as such in ecclesial documents, the concept with all its consequences is clearly present. Thus: «the task of formation of candidates for the priesthood requires not only a certain special preparation of those to whom this work is entrusted, one that is professional, pedagogical, spiritual, human and theological, but also a spirit of communion and cooperating together to carry out the program […] For this ministry, priests of exemplary life should be chosen, men with a number of qualities: human and spiritual maturity, pastoral experience, professional competence, stability in their own vocation, a capacity to work with others, serious preparation in those human sciences (especially psychology) which relate to their office, a knowledge of how to work in groups».[10]
Among the responsibilities of the professional person – whether doctor, lawyer, teacher, psychologist, or seminary educator – are two tasks which are particularly relevant to the present discussion: setting appropriate boundaries, and avoiding conflicts of interest.
3.3 Setting appropriate boundaries
The concept of psychological boundaries has its origins in the psychodynamic theories of attachment and detachment which seek to explain the developmental process of individuation. Individuation takes place through a complex set of relationships, beginning with the unique bond between mother and child, and continuing within the family. This corresponds to the first parameter of human development, the self confronted by the other, which creates a life-long tension since «to become oneself as person means […] becoming individual, alone and unrepeatable, but at the same time means inserting oneself progressively in a world of relationships».[11] One of the valuable contributions of Franco Imoda is to place this aspect of the developmental process within the context of the human «mystery».
Each person learns about boundaries largely from the experience of living within a family. According to S. Minuchin the maintenance of balanced psychological boundaries within the family structure, particularly between parents and children, is crucial to healthy functioning.[12] Boundaries are like a «membrane» that surrounds each individual and each subsystem in the family. Like the membrane around a cell, boundaries need to be firm enough to ensure the integrity of the cell and yet permeable enough to allow communication between cells.[13] Healthy boundaries define family roles, acknowledge differences in the developmental stages of family members, and enable parents to meet their adult needs in the marital relationship rather than through their children.
Family boundaries can be distorted in different ways and to different degrees, though usually unconsciously. At one extreme is the enmeshed family which has difficulty providing sufficient personal privacy to family members thus blocking the development of autonomy and individuality. Parents tend to be over-involved and overprotective of their children, with greater priory given to family life and togetherness than to individual interests or relationships outside the family. Members of the enmeshed family tend to be emotionally fused, undifferentiated and dependent. At the other extreme is the disengaged family which fails to develop a sense of intimacy and communication. Parents tend to be detached, emotionally distant, and consumed by personal interests or psychological survival. Relationships within the family are tense, and often characterized by lack of protection, support, and concern. A feature common to both enmeshed and disengaged families is the presence of unhealthy or pathological boundaries. The diffuse boundaries of the enmeshed family, arising from exaggerated patterns of attachment, produce confusion about roles and responsibilities within the family. The rigid boundaries of the disengaged family, rooted in exaggerated forms of detachment, hinder healthy patterns of communication and affective expression.
One of the features of healthy family functioning is the presence of appropriate or clear boundaries. This provides a helpful analogy for understanding one aspect of professional roles and relationships within the formative process. Whereas the boundaries within family life operate for the most part spontaneously and unconsciously, the boundaries which define the interaction between professional and client must be conscious and purposeful. To illustrate: the successful achievement of therapeutic goals requires an environment within which the process of change and healing can take place. This has been likened to a «holding environment» in which the client can suspend temporarily his normal critical faculties as a means of identifying and working through unconscious conflicts. Therapeutic environments, however, do not occur spontaneously; they must be formed, maintained, and protected by the therapist as part of his fiduciary responsibility to the client.
Setting proper boundaries is central to the healing, educative, and formative task. What precisely constitutes a «proper» boundary will vary according to the nature of the professional relationship. The boundaries appropriate to the confessor are different from those of the teacher, the doctor, or the seminary educator. The boundaries necessary for psychotherapy are stricter and less flexible than those needed for teaching. Freud formulated some specific guidelines for setting boundaries in the therapeutic relationship, advice that still forms the basis for present-day views about the proper conduct of other professional relationships. These are the principles of informed consent, non-exploitation of the client, therapist neutrality, avoidance of dual agency, relative anonymity of the therapist, payment of coherent fees.[14]
Are these fixed and invariable principles always to be followed, or guidelines which usefully raise relevant questions and areas of potential concern? R.S. Epstein believes that «the role of keeping boundaries is best seen as a working paradigm, like navigating a boat by compass. Although it is impossible to be pointed in exactly the correct direction at all times, by continually observing changes in heading, one can steer the boat back onto the proper course».[15] This can be useful advice, also, for dealing with some of the specific questions raised earlier about boundaries within the formation process.
3.4 Multiple role relationships and conflicts of interest
The question of multiple role relationships has received much attention within professional circles partly because of wide public and media interest in cases of sexual involvement between professionals and their patients, clients, or students. The extensive literature, stimulated by the ethical committees of many professional bodies, has focused on a number of related issues including: the ethical aspects of multiple relationships, the priority of the client's welfare and interests, and the impact of multiple role relationships on professional boundaries.
Multiple role relationships (also called dual or overlapping) occur when those who have a professional relationship with a client enter into another kind of role or relationship with the same person. These roles may be concurrent as, for example, when a teacher goes on vacation with a pupil, or consecutive as, for example, when a spiritual director employs a former client to be his secretary. Other examples of dual, multiple or overlapping relationships are: entering into business relationships with clients, delivering professional services to family members, entering into professional relationships with employees, socializing with clients or students, accepting friends as clients, accepting or offering gifts, asking favors from clients, conducting therapy outside a professional setting.[16] More relevant to the present discussion are the dual role relationships created by combining the responsibilities of teacher and counselor, therapist and supervisor, spiritual director and teacher, formator and friend, community superior and therapist, and so on.
There is a wide diversity of opinion among psychologists about the ethics of multiple role relationships. Some adopt a strict position emphasizing the potential problems inherent in assuming multiple roles: impaired objectivity, errors of judgment, possible conflicts of interest, the danger of client exploitation, and boundary blurring. Studies show that psychologists and counselors can be exceptionally skilful at rationalizing their own unprofessional behavior.[17] A common antecedent to sexual misconduct especially on the part of male therapists is a pattern of increasing self-disclosure of personal information. Other writers take a more critical stance towards current ethical codes which are based on the assumption that dual relationships are always wrong. The emphasis on professional distance tends to exaggerate issues of power, to favor an objectification of the therapeutic relationship, and to create a vertical hierarchy in the relationship. These writers claim that sometimes the maintenance of therapeutic distance is neither possible nor beneficial, especially in small, rural, or special interest communities. If client welfare remains primary, there may be circumstances when the therapeutic relationship can also provide opportunities for role modeling.[18]
Multiple role relationships are unethical, not per se, but when they could reasonably be expected to impair the objectivity, competence, or effectiveness of the professional in his dealings with the client. In this respect, it is helpful to distinguish between crossing and violating boundaries. Boundary crossing occurs when the professional changes his role or relationship consciously and purposely to benefit the client. Boundary violation, which is not confined to sexual relationships, is an exploitation of the client in order to benefit the therapist and is always a serious breach of the therapeutic contract.[19]
The complexity of the issues and diversity of perspectives means that the debate about dual and multiple relationships is far from settled. On certain matters, however, there exists a recognized degree of consensus. First, certain kinds of multiple role relationship should always be avoided and can never be justified. Thus, for examples: sexual intimacy, entering into business deals, and any situation that could compromise client confidentiality. Secondly, multiple role relationships cannot always be avoided nor is every multiple relationship necessarily harmful to the client's interests. In the teacher-pupil relationship, for example, which does not involve the same emotional intensity as the therapy relationship, socializing on a casual basis should not be automatically excluded even though the teacher should do so with prudence and caution.
4 Integrating human and spiritual formation
4.1 Returning to the original question
The starting point of this discussion was a practical question about combining different formative roles in one person because of the limited resources available for initial formation within dioceses, religious congregations, and ecclesial movements. Is this a creative solution to the demands of reality? Could this be a way of realizing the desirable goal of an integrated formation which the ecclesial documents propose? Or does this create confusion for formators and candidates, the blurring of boundaries, and undermine the goals of formation?
The discussion of fences, boundaries, conflicts of interest, and professional relationships has introduced ideas and concepts from a broader ethical discussion. These concepts may help to bring clarity to some of the concrete questions about an integrated formation, the boundaries between the different components of formation, and the conditions under which different formative roles may be assumed by the same person.
4.2 Integration upon what basis?
The goals of priestly and religious formation are best realized in formation programs that are dynamic, integrative, and holistic in character. For pedagogical reasons, the ecclesial documents have identified four constitutive components: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. The challenge for educators and formators is to bring about a harmonious integration of these components – the framework within which formation takes place – in order to promote the holistic growth, human and spiritual, of the candidates.
This harmony will be brought about especially by relating the components of formation, each role, each formative activity, and each institutional structure to the fundamental goals of seminary or religious formation. What are these goals? The goal and purpose of the seminary has been clearly stated by Pope John Paul II: «More than a place, a material space, [the seminary] should be a spiritual place, a way of life, an atmosphere that fosters and ensures a process of formation so that the person who is called to the priesthood by God may become with the sacrament of orders a living image of Jesus Christ, head and shepherd of the Church».[20] Similarly, for the consecrated life, «the primary purpose of religious formation is to help candidates to the religious life and young professed, first, to discover, then, to deepen and assimilate that in which religious identity consists».[21]
For both seminary and novitiate, therefore, the essential aim to which every aspect of the formation program must be directed is the profound inner transformation of the candidate who is called to be a transparent image of the priestly and evangelical values revealed in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ.
4.3 Tasks of the formator
The first task of formators is to immerse themselves deeply in the mind and heart of the Church since the training of future priests and religious is a ministry undertaken in the name of the Church. In the processes of selection and formation the candidate places his vocational future in the hands of the formators. Candidates have a right, based on the bond of fiduciary trust, to know that religious superiors and formators will faithfully implement the Church's vision, laws, and formation procedures. Bishops and superiors have a serious responsibility to ensure that future formators are given the systematic preparation, required by the Church, necessary to undertake this ministry.
The second task of formators is to operationalize the goals of priestly and religious formation, that is, to devise pedagogical, formative and, if necessary, therapeutic strategies capable of helping the candidate to internalize the core values of his vocational calling. These educational strategies must be capable of addressing both the conscious and unconscious dimensions of the candidate's life if they are to attain the desired goal. An integrated and holistic formation «presupposes that the students will be at the same time formed as men, as Christians, and as priests. Therefore, plans for priestly formation should have three aims, answering the need to form personalities which are integrally human, Christian, and priestly».[22]
The third task of formators is to coordinate three basic formative activities which are common to each of the components of formation, though with different emphases, methods, and modalities. These basic formative activities are proposing, understanding, and internalizing the core vocational values of priesthood or the consecrated life.
Proposing core vocational values presupposes a common understanding among the educators and formators about what these ideals are. While theological discussion and personal opinion have their place, ultimately the values from which the Christian, religious, and priestly vocation derive their meaning are objective and normative. These values, in other words, are neither created nor determined by man but are proposed for our free acceptance in the obedience of faith.[23] The formator will use a range of pedagogical methods to propose vocational ideals to the candidates: liturgy, retreats and spiritual exercises, teaching systematic themes, talks, community celebrations, and especially the personal witness of the formators.
Understanding what has been proposed requires a personalized response which takes into account the capacities of each individual. Concerns have been expressed over many years regarding the limited and sometimes deficient faith knowledge of those entering seminaries and novitiates.[24] An accurate and ongoing assessment of the candidate's understanding will help the formator choose the most suitable pedagogical and formative methods, which might include: propaedeutic studies, guided reading, written assignments, questions and answers, class presentations, careful selection of visiting speakers, and encouraging the candidate to bring the material to personal prayer and reflection.
Internalizing the values which have been proposed and understood is the third formative activity. These human and revealed values will transform a person's life only to the extent that they have been personally assimilated and internalized. Experienced formators, spiritual directors, and teachers testify almost universally that this is the most difficult, delicate and elusive phase of the formation process. The testimony of seminary educators finds scientific confirmation in the theory and research of Rulla, Ridick and Imoda who also propose a formative instrument – vocational growth sessions – as a means of helping candidates address the resistances and blocks which are rooted in the unconscious dimension of human life and which can limit the person's capacity to live fully his vocation.
4.4 Instruments for human and spiritual formation
For each of the components of formation – human, spiritual, intellectual, pastoral – the seminary educator must find instruments and devise interventions capable of advancing the overall goals of the formation program. Such interventions, properly used, can make a powerful contribution to the integrated and holistic growth of the candidate. The coordinated use of pedagogical instruments requires a good understanding of why, how, and when each should be used and by whom. Formators must actively set in place the appropriate boundaries, demanded by any professional relationship, which are needed to make these pedagogical and therapeutic instruments efficacious. The absence of such boundaries tends to reduce formation to an endless series of uncoordinated experiences, haphazard interventions, or the use of blunt instruments for unclear reasons. This brings about confusion, disappointment, and frustration for formators, candidates, and major superiors.
Spiritual direction, vocational growth sessions, and pastoral supervision are three pedagogical instruments oriented largely though not exclusively towards the spiritual, human, and pastoral formation of candidates. Difficulties sometimes occur because these instruments, while having their own character and integrity, are also characterized by overlapping areas of interest. This, in turn, can lead to boundaries between formators that are blurred or rigid, thus creating confusion and conflict in the student. The coordinated and integrated use of such instruments for the benefit of the candidate may be assisted by a brief comparative analysis of each along a variety of dimensions: the specific focus, the goal, the raw material, and the instruments.[25]
a. Spiritual direction. The specific focus of spiritual direction is the candidate especially in his relationship with God. The goal is to help the person develop this relationship, to attain a deeper union with God, to follow Christ more consistently, to grow in charity, and to deepen the life of virtue. The raw material of spiritual direction is religious experience which embraces «feeling, mood, thought, desire, hope, will, bodily gestures and attitudes, activity, and direction of one's life».[26] The instruments are prayer, sacraments, catechesis, and the discernment of spirits.
b. Vocational growth sessions. The specific focus of vocational growth sessions is the candidate in his desire to understand and overcome the inner conflicts that block his capacity to live fully his human and vocational ideals. The goal is to increase the person's degree of inner freedom and therefore the capacity to internalize his objective vocational values. The raw material of vocational growth sessions is thoughts, feelings, desires, relationships, memories of past experiences, underlying needs and defensive conflicts as they are experienced in daily life. The instruments are the structured interview, projective tests, the therapeutic alliance, controlled regression, interpretation of transferences, and the optimal frustration of those inner forces which are contrary to the person's ideals.
c. Pastoral supervision. The specific focus of pastoral supervision is the priest, religious, or seminarian in relationship to his ministry or work. The goal is to develop greater levels of professional competence, to grow in personal confidence, to increase effectiveness in pastoral ministry, to become more aware of unhelpful patterns of relating, and to make oneself accountable. The raw material of pastoral supervision is drawn from events relating to the workplace and pastoral ministry, relationships with authority figures and colleagues, and particular interventions with clients. The instruments are the pastoral journal, the pastoral log, case studies, the verbatim, role play, and written reflections.
5 Conclusion
At the end of the discussion, the question of combining formative roles remains a matter that must be decided according to concrete circumstances but in the light of the wisdom enshrined in established principles. First, certain formation roles should never be combined, such as rector and spiritual director, confessor and therapist, major superior and formator. There exists an inherent conflict of responsibilities in each of these combinations which makes it impossible for one person to fulfill both roles at the same time. Second, combining formation roles solely on the grounds of pragmatic need runs the risk of compromising the integrity and the goals of the formation process. The random accumulation of roles and responsibilities in one educator is likely to create distorted boundaries leading to negative results – disengaged or enmeshed modes of relating – for both formator and candidates. Third, insisting on a strict demarcation between every formative role suggests an exaggerated, even rigid, adherence to theoretical principle without acknowledging that the different formation roles have diverse characteristics. The characteristics specific to each role can be illuminated by identifying goal, focus, raw material and instruments proper to each. Such an analysis indicates that roles within the formation process are not necessarily always in dialectical tension with each other and, given proper safeguards, certain roles could be combined with others in the one educator.
The question of the proper ordering of formative roles arises from the Church's desire to provide candidates for the priesthood and religious life with a formation that unifies rather than compartmentalizes their lives around the person, the teaching, and the ideals of Jesus Christ. This has encouraged many efforts, particularly following the Second Vatican Council, to develop educational programs that are based on an anthropology which embraces the human as well as the spiritual dimensions of human experience.
A parallel interest can also be detected in recent decades within the field of mental health both in Europe and in North America. An increasing number of mental health professionals are acknowledging the significance of spirituality and religious faith, and are seeking appropriate ways to address clients' spiritual concerns within psychotherapy. The impetus for this concern, ironically, is the growing recognition that «integralist" forms of religious faith, whether Muslim or Christian, simply cannot be ignored. The first national convention of the Italian Association of Catholic Psychologists and Psychiatrists (AIPPC) was held at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome on 4/5 March 2000.[27] Against the background of rigid historical boundaries that have separated the human sciences from religion, the purpose of the gathering was to promote a critical dialogue between psychiatry, psychology and theology. The present discussion is an example of the fruit that arises from such a dialogue, based on an interdisciplinary vision, and which brings diverse perspectives to the complexity of the pedagogical task.
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John Paul II, Vita consecrata (25.03.1996).
Kameguchi K., «Chaotic states of generational boundaries in contemporary Japanese families», in Cusinato M. (ed.), Research on family resources and needs across the world, Edizioni Universitarie di Lettere Economia Diritto, Milano 1996, 235-242.
Koocher G.P. – Keith-Spiegel P., Ethics in psychology. Professional standards and cases, Oxford UP, New York – Oxford 1998.
Mieder W., «Good fences make good neighbors. History and significance of an ambiguous proverb». The twenty-first Katherine Briggs memorial lecture, November 2002; http://www.looksmarthowto.com/p/articles/mi_m2386/is_2_114 (accessed 29.10.2005).
Minuchin S., Families and family therapy, Harvard University Press, Cambridge Mass. 1974.
Schank J. et al., «Ethics of multiple and overlapping relationships», in O'Donohue W. – Ferguson K. (eds.) Handbook of professional ethics for psychologists, Sage Publications, London 2003, 181-193.
Sperry L., Spirituality in clinical practice. Incorporating the spiritual dimension in psychotherapy and counseling, Brunner-Routledge, Philadelphia 2001.
[4] Congregation for Catholic Education, Directives concerning the preparation of seminary educators 57.
[5] Cf. John Paul II, Pastores dabo vobis 65-69; Congregation for Catholic Education, Directives concerning the preparation of seminary educators 43-47.
[7] Cf. W. Mieder, «Good fences make good neighbors. History and significance of an ambiguous proverb». The twenty-first Katherine Briggs memorial lecture, November 2002; http://www.looksmarthowto.com/p/articles/mi_m2386/is_2_114 (accessed 29.10.2005).
[8] Cf. R.S. Epstein, Keeping boundaries. Maintaining safety and integrity in the psychotherapeutic process, American Psychiatric Press, Washington DC 1994, 17-20.
[9] S. Feldman-Summers, «Sexual contact in fiduciary relationships», in Gabbard G.O. (ed.), Sexual exploitation in professional relationships, American Psychiatric Association, Washington DC 1989, 193-210.
[12] Cf. S. Minuchin, Families and family therapy, Harvard University Press, Cambridge Mass. 1974, 53-56.
[13] Cf. K. Kameguchi, «Chaotic states of generational boundaries in contemporary Japanese families», in M. Cusinato (ed.), Research on family resources and needs across the world, Edizioni Universitarie di Lettere Economia Diritto, Milano 1996, 235-242.
[16] Cf. G.P. Koocher – P. Keith-Spiegel, Ethics in psychology. Professional standards and cases, Oxford UP, New York – Oxford 1998, 177-189.
[17] Cf. Koocher – Keith-Spiegel, Ethics in psychology, 172-174; J. Schank et al., «Ethics of multiple and overlapping relationships», in W. O'Donohue – K. Ferguson (eds.) Handbook of professional ethics for psychologists, Sage Publications, London 2003, 181-193.
[18] Cf. G. Corey – B. Herlihy, «Dual/multiple relationships. Towards a consensus of thinking», in The Hatherleigh guide to ethics in therapy, Hatherleigh Press, New York 1997, 183-194; Schank, «Ethics of multiple and overlapping relationships», 184.
[19] Cf. T.G. Gutheil – G.O. Gabbard, «The concept of boundaries in clinical practice», in American Journal of Psychiatry (1993)150, 188-196.
[21] Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, Directives on formation in religious institutes 6.
[23] Cf. T. Costello, Forming a priestly identity, Editrice Pontificia Università Gregoriana, Roma 2002, 235-236.
[25] Cf. L. Sperry, Spirituality in clinical practice. Incorporating the spiritual dimension in psychotherapy and counseling, Brunner-Routledge, Philadelphia 2001; W. Attard, «Forming helping relationships. A comparative overview of four distinct yet related frameworks», in Catholic Vocations Ministry Australia Spring 1998, 5-8.
[26] W.A. Barry – W.J. Connolly, The practice of spiritual direction, Seabury Press, New York 1982, 41.
[27] Cf. T. Cantelmi – P. Laselva – S. Paluzzi, Psicologia e teologia in dialogo, Edizione San Paolo, Cinisello Balsamo (MI) 2004, 141-144; T. Cantelmi – S. Paluzzi – E. Luparia (edd.), Gli dei morti sono diventati malattie. Psichiatria, psicologia e teologia in dialogo, Edizione Romana di Cultura, Roma 2002.


text:
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By Jeff Bater
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Director Richard Cordray asked President Donald Trump Oct. 30 to support an arbitration rule after its rejection by Congress.
The five-paragraph letter made an unusual personal appeal for Trump to veto the congressional resolution against the rule.
"You and I have never met or spoken, but I am aware that over the course of your long career in business you often found it necessary to go to court when you thought you were treated unfairly," Cordray wrote. "Of course, most Americans cannot afford to do this on their own, so they have to band together to be able to fight companies like Wells Fargo that opened millions of fake accounts or Equifax when it allowed sensitive personal data to be breached for more than 145 million Americans."
Senate Republicans Oct. 24 pushed through a reversal of CFPB restrictions on mandatory arbitration in a 51-50 vote. Vice President Mike Pence was called in to cast the tie-breaking vote on H.J. Res. 111, which was sent to the White House. The Senate's move followed a similar vote by the House in July.
The White House issued a statement after the Senate vote saying that by repealing the rule, "Congress is standing up for everyday consumers and community banks and credit unions, instead of the trial lawyers."
The CFPB rule finalized in July restricts banks and other lenders from forcing customers to resolve disputes through arbitration, potentially making it easier for consumers to sue their banks in class actions.
To contact the reporter on this story: Jeff Bater in Washington at firstname.lastname@example.com
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Michael Ferullo at email@example.com
Copyright © 2017 The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
With the acquisition of Infineon's wireless unit, Intel
Intel, whose chips power over 70 percent of the world's PCs, has struggled to produce those low-power-consuming processors that are vital for smartphones and tablet PCs.
In late August, Intel agreed to buy German rival Infineon Technologies AG's wireless unit for $1.4 billion -- a move that will help Intel diversify away from its core business of producing microchips for PCs and secure better footing in the smartphone market.
Intel is the market leader in providing chips for desktops and laptops, but by bagging the wireless unit of Infineon, the chip giant is making a giant leap into the smartphone processor market, which is currently dominated by Qualcomm, Texas Instruments
Qualcomm is known for its wireless modem chip sets, which are primarily deployed in 3G smartphones, while Intel has been working on its Atom chips for netbooks and tablets.
With the Infineon acquisition, Intel hopes to cash in on Infineon's key client, Apple
Qualcomm, which competes with Broadcom, Freescale, Marvell, MediaTek and Texas Instruments, sells its Snapdragon integrated chip that comes bundled with a cellular baseband -- the chip that handles voice and data communications -- and an application processor.
The Snapdragon processor has been deployed into over 120 devices, including smart phones and tablet computers, and Snapdragon customers include phone makers like Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and LG, which favor integrated chipsets because they simplify the phone manufacturing process.
Currently, Infineon doesn't make chips. Customers who use Infineon's radios buy processors from other suppliers, and phone makers do the integration themselves. Intel could bundle its Atom chips with Infineon's cellular baseband to offer an integrated chip. Intel would be able to improve the security features of its chips using expertise for McAfee, another of the comanies it owns. But analysts say it will take some time for Intel to make this bundled chipset.
Potential Downside to Qualcomm Stock
"We don't see Intel posing a significant threat to Qualcomm in the short term. However, there could be an 8% downside to our $48 stock price estimate for Qualcomm if Intel manages to snatch a significant share of the mobile chipset market by the end of the forecast period," stock analysis firm Trefis said.
Qualcomm dominates the CDMA mobile phone chipset market with a market share of 69 percent as of last year. Due to increasing competition from MediaTek and Texas Instruments, Trefis expects Qualcomm's share to decline over the next few years, reaching 60 percent by the end of the Trefis forecast period.
"There could be a downside of 8 percent to the $48 Trefis price estimate for Qualcomm's stock if its CDMA market share declines to 50 percent by 2016, instead of the 60 percent that we currently forecast," Trefis said.
Apple factor
In the Intel-Qualcomm rivalry, Apple could play a significant role as the gadget maker currently buys PC processors from Intel and iPhone chipsets from Infineon.
Following the Intel-Infineon deal, Apple may want to diversify its supplier base to reduce dependency on a single supplier.
"At least in the short term, this could be a net positive for Qualcomm," Trefis said.
Moreover, Qualcomm could make big bucks if Apple's iPhone comes to Verizon, which uses Qualcomm chips.
Rumors have been doing the rounds that the iPhone will come to Verizon's CDMA network next year from AT&T's GSM network. AT&T currently uses network technology that works with Infineon's chips.
"The logical choice for this kind of phone is a Qualcomm chip, since Infineon's wireless unit doesn't offer chips for CDMA technology," Barclays Capital analyst Andrew Gardiner said.
But there could be one roadblock for Qualcomm: If Apple chooses Qualcomm chips for its CDMA iPhone, it will have to redesign the iPhone to gel with the Qualcomm's components.
For Apple, it may not make sense to entirely overhaul the phone once again for iPhone 5, so it may revert back to Infineon.
International Business Times, The Global Business News Leader
This article has been lightly edited. Intel and Nokia are Motley Fool Inside Value recommendations. Apple is a Motley Fool Stock Advisor selection. The Fool owns shares of and has written puts on Intel. Motley Fool Options has recommended buying calls on Intel. The Fool owns shares of Marvell Technology Group and QUALCOMM. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. True to its name, The Motley Fool is made up of a motley assortment of writers and analysts, each with a unique perspective; sometimes we agree, sometimes we disagree, but we all believe in the power of learning from each other through our Foolish community. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.


text:
Traumphantasie - Piano Original
April 8, 2015
The temps are finally going up again, and despite my rather crazy schedule until the summer, I wanted to squeeze this one out. I wrote this one within a relatively short period of time compared to my other pieces, mostly inspired by the opening theme.
The title "Traumphantasie" is literally "Dream Fantasy" in German. It's named both after the dream-like ethereal feel of the main theme, as well as my idea of escaping the daily doldrums to something that exists outside of our everyday life, a world of fantasy.
As always, thank you for listening!
If you loved it as much as I hope you would, and you feel like being awesome, you can download the MP3 file for "Traumphantasie" to listen on-the-go: (free, of course) here.


text:
Solution Delivery
Project Planning
Requirements Analysis
Quality Assurance
Roles and Responsibilities
Change Management
Integration Testing
Improve quality with David Bowman's information management guidelines for integration testing
This site is designed for Information Technology professionals who need to improve quality and require guidance and direction to help teams consistently produce error free results.
It provides information management guidelines for integration testing.
What is quality assurance testing?
The objectives of quality assurance testing is to ensure that all software components meet requirements and are ready to transition to production.
Should focus on testing a set of components that is expected to move to production as an integrated build to ensure that it performs to specification; and
Should certify that the solution meets specification.
Entrance Criteria
Configuration Management Area Responsibilities
Should ensure that a configuration management process has been established and documented to handle requested changes to project documentation;
Should ensure that a code migration process has been documented and arrangements made to accommodate testing;
Should ensure that a build schedule has been established and documented;
Should ensure that the build schedule includes periodic planned builds for defect fixes while in test;
Should ensure that a turnover package is documented and that all code changes are identified and made available to the release management and test team;
Should ensure that the turnover package includes database changes, install scripts/instructions, structure changes, etc;
Should ensure that code to be tested is locked-down and ready to be moved into the test area; and
Should ensure that the testing environment is base-lined and updated with the release baseline i.e. the code and program versions in the test environment should equal the production environment.
Project and Business Area Responsibilities
Should ensure that test team members have been involved in project meetings since analysis;
Should ensure that at least one test team member is on all applicable project communications lists;
Should ensure that the requirements specification has been base-lined, is under configuration control, and has been made available to the test team for review;
Should ensure that all design documentation has been base-lined, is under configuration control, and has been made available to the test team for review;
Development Area Responsibilities
Should ensure that independent code reviews and review checkpoints have been completed and documented;
Should ensure that unit test results have been documented and reviewed by the test team;
Should ensure that unit test defects have been fixed, validated or otherwise properly finalized, and documented;
Should ensure that system test results have been documented and reviewed by the test team;
Should ensure that system test defects have been fixed, validated or otherwise properly finalized, and documented;
Should ensure that a development team representative from each subject area has been identified and assigned to support the integration testing effort, and is listed in the test plan;
Should ensure that all needed support files e.g. account lists, flat file inputs, ini files, etc. have been identified and provided where applicable and are part of the turnover package;
Defect Management Responsibilities
Should ensure that the defect management process has been documented and implemented;
Should ensure that all project team members have been trained in, and have appropriate access to, the defect tracking tool; and
Should ensure that a defect manager has been identified, allocated, and trained.
Test Area Responsibilities
Should ensure that test plans are completed and approved;
Should ensure that test cases and test scripts have been completed and approved; and
Should ensure that integration test cases have been traced to business and system requirements through a requirements traceability matrix.
Support Area Responsibilities
Should ensure that a unique integration test environment has been reserved and is under configuration management control;
Should ensure that the test environment has been verified as accessible and functioning, including connectivity to all applicable systems;
Should ensure that all applicable test tools have been installed, verified as functional, and that user guides and documentation are up-to-date;
Should ensure that proper user id's and permissions needed for testing have been obtained and verified;
Should ensure that test data has been received and pre-tested for validity;
Should ensure that deployment and installation instructions have been successfully executed and validated;
Should ensure that points of contact have been assigned for their various component responsibilities and are listed in the project test plan; and
Should ensure that all applicable service agreements are in place and updated if needed, including clear ownership of incident resolution.
General Management Responsibilities
Should ensure that any training required by the test team has been completed;
Should ensure that any waivers or exceptions to the above have been documented and approved; and
Should certify that integration testing may proceed based on a recommendation by the integration test lead.
Test Cases
Should be created by the integration test lead;
Should be recorded in the project test management tool e.g. HP Quality Center;
Should ensure that one or more test cases are created for each component included in the release;
Should specify the steps needed to execute the test and the expected results of each test.
Test Data
Should be created by a production support development team;
Should be extracted from production data;
Should be a sub-set of production data;
Should be augmented by the test team as required to test module interaction, unique and/or negative conditions;
Should be retained in the staging environment so that the same data can be re-used as new components are developed; and
Should be based entirely on pre-approved test data i.e. testing should be based on augmented production data but should not involve testing with live production data.
Test Scripts
Should be created by a test script developer;
Should be stored in the project test management tool;
Should be used by the integration tester; and
Should be retained for regression test purposes.
Test Execution
Should be performed by integration testers in the the integration test environment.
Test Data
Should be created as part of the test data acquisition plan;
Should be based on a sub-set of production data; and
Should be augmented as appropriate to ensure adequate testing of all specifications.
Should be identified, and recorded in the project defect management tracking tool, e.g ClearQuest;
Should be assigned to the Project Manager who should determine impact on project deliverables, approve/reject change; and create and manage change requests as appropriate to ensure that requirements are changed, reviewed, and approved before commencing technical analysis design, build, test and deploy;
Should follow the project solution delivery methodology e.g. analysis, design, build, and review checkpoint process, before they are are certified ready for re-testing in the integration test environment; and
Should be monitored by the Project Manager to ensure defect resolution.
Test Results
Should be stored in test management tool as an attachment to the test case.
Exit Criteria
Should ensure that any updates to test documentation have been completed and are under configuration management control;
Should ensure that test cases have been executed according to the test plan and any deviations have been documented and approved;
Should ensure that all required test types have been completed;
Should ensure that all defects have received a final disposition i.e. open, closed, postponed, invalid or duplicate;
Should ensure that select test results have been reviewed by the quality assurance test team;
Should ensure that all closed defects have an assigned a defect root cause;
Should ensure that sign-off has been obtained from designated stakeholders indicating test completion; and
Should ensure that other test completion and validation conditions, as specified in the project test plan, have been met.
The objectives of quality assurance testing is to ensure that all software components meet requirements and are ready to transition to production.
This site provided information management guidelines for integration testing.
Return to Software Testing Life Cycle from Integration Testing
©David Bowman 2009-2017 All Rights Reserved


text:
BalletHub / Topics / Students / how many hours do you take a week?
hi. im 14 and my dream is to become a professional ballet dancer.
right now im taking a ballet class mondays through fridays and pointe class twice a week. it all adds up to about 10 hours a week, plus rehearsals on the weekend. is this how much everyone else who wants to become pro is taking? there arent other good schools in my town, so this is as much as i can take for now.
Thats a good amount of time for ballet classes. I take about the same but am in my senior year and about to turn 18. I dont know if ill make it to be a pro but thats okay because i really want to go to college to study to become a marine biologist! :)
But I go to a "pre-professional" school that is very disciplined and has great teachers and thats as much that is offered. We dont have any guys, so theres no pas de deux class. If you want to get more serious, theres boarding schools like Harid or SAB that have year-round programs that have great training and will also have lots of classes. My friend left our school and is at SAB now and she loves it :)
yes thats a lot. my school only offers ballet classes on monday, tuesday and friday. but a couple teachers just moved so we're short teachers!
i like my teachers so i dont know if id want to leave, but a doing ballet all day seems great!! :)
Well remember just because there are boarding schools for ballet doesnt mean they dance all day. you still have to go to high school and some offer home schooling.
If you're in the most advanced class, try asking if you can also take an intermediate class (if it isn't at the same time of course). You can still learn a lot by taking classes below your current level. A lot of getting better in ballet is based on repeating a step correctly to get it in your body.
That's a very reasonable amount of hours. Keep up the great work! :)
I am 11 and i also want to be a professional dancer. i take 12 hours a week, and can land a double pirouette on pointe. i went on pointe 5 months ago. i am now taking my first partnering class in which we are learning shoulder sits, whip turns, and double pirouettes holding passe at the end. you may know that NYCB (new york city ballet) came to washinton DC performing a piece called the most incredible thing and i was in one of the kid roles. is this a good emount? am i a good dancer?
I'm a beginner :)
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.


text:
The more you'll be using your imagination, the better you'll be at using it.
The more imaginative you are, the better chances you have to become rich.
It's a starting point, not the end of it. Even the best ideas without action will never make you rich.
« Ideas, the product of the imagination, are the starting point of all fortunes. »
- Napoleon Hill
Idea are the starting point on the road to fortunes.
As you get an idea, start to take action. Some will work well and some won't. The more you'll do, the better you'll get and the better your result will be.
Playing games could help you build your imagination. But gaming is only a training, you'll still have to use that imagination to build something real of you want any fortunes.


text:
MINES and Mining Development deputy minister Fred Moyo has been dragged to the Labour Court by a former employee at his Lennox Gold Mine in Mashava over $80 000 in outstanding salaries and allowances.
Chipadza Averoni Chadenga, in a matter filed under case number 278/06/16, accused Moyo of dithering over his dues, which accumulated over the past nine years, when he was a security manager at the mine. The case is set to be heard on Friday.
Chadenga claims he was promoted to be mine security manager in 2011 and was entitled to a $1 500 monthly salary.
Instead, Chadenga said he was given amounts ranging from $20 to $50 before he resigned in 2014 in frustration.
Chadenga is also demanding overnight and night shift allowances, saying he also guarded gold being transported from the mine using traditional weapons.
Moyo, through his lawyer, Wellington Muzenda, is said to have made unfulfilled promises to pay Chadenga, leaving the latter with no option, but to approach the courts for recourse.


text:
This year we ended up with a big gap between Roo's actual birthday and his birthday party. This was lucky as he was ill on his birthday and needed a bit of time to recover. We had a return to the bowling alley for this year's party and it was a big hit.
Day 289
Day 289
The rest of the week has been a little less exciting. We are still trying to find our groove with school and work.
Day 290 - Bear's hair. I have been wanting to do some blowing hair shots of ages. You know that I love a sense of motion in pictures! I needed a pretty high shutter speed to capture the movement, which of course meant that I needed to bump the ISO. I want to re-visit this idea. I would love to get hold of a big fan. Like industrial strength.
Day 291 - Photobomb!!
Day 292 - Sometimes I look at my recent photos and question why they are so dark and moody? Are my children unhappy? Why am I capturing these moments? I compare my photos from last year and notice that they are not as light and happy in mood this time around. I worry about not capturing as many loving family moments or evidence that we are a happy family that has fun together. And then I remember that I made a conscious decision to work with darker moods and learn how to accept shadows into my work. I'm still working on those things. They feel important.
Day 293 - My husband likes to keep this hanging where we can see it. Interesting times!
Day 294 - I was really struggling to find a photo on this night. In the end I put a glass up to the lens and took a photo of this dog on our screen saver. There really is a time and a place for that square crop.
Day 295 - These were really taken with the idea of using it for a composite. I hadn't decided what I want to do with it yet, but I am starting to see some potential for this kind of work.
This is the end result.
Day 296 - Bedtime shots with a tired little Bear. I am really missing Alien Skin, but my trial has ended.
Day 297 - Lensbaby in the park. It was so nice to get the kids and my camera out to the park this weekend. This is such a great time to take of year to take outside photos because the sun is lower in the sky by the time we get out. I fancied a change so I brought the Lensbaby. It is so frustrating to miss the focus so often but the cool effects often make up for it.
It is exciting to think that I will hit the 300/365 mark this week. On the home stretch now.


text:
Altmann's Darth Vader Helmet
Darth Vader - Version 1
Though a quality helmet, Altmann's Vader just doesn't
quite look right. I've recently been sent these excellent pics from Mick
in Australia (it was you Mick wasn't it?).
However, whatever way you look at it,
the proportions are not quite correct, most noticeable in the dimensions
of the face, and the way the dome extends at the back.
When looking at Altmann's Vader above, the dimensions
clearly demonstrate that it was crafted from an original sculpt, as
opposed to being molded directly from an original screen-used version.
(above)comparison-20thC (ESB) copy
Vs The Altmann's V1 Vader
He's completely reworked the face, repainted and replaced
the eyes, grills and tusks and has produced a helmet which looks very
convincing. The Chest armour and shoulder bells are his own work too.
Altmann's "Version 2"
Darth Vader Helmet
The dome looks quite thin suggesting its plastic rather
than fiberglass but can't confirm - I literally only have these photos.
Either way an interesting development from Altmann's who used to have a
Southern Hemisphere License to produce Star Wars Helmets


text:
Today I sat down to try and find a piece of software to record screen captures. I needed to record some screen actions for a client as a quick tutorial. I had a couple of options; Set up a video camera and record the screen (Messy!) or find a freebie!
I searched the 'net and found this: http://camstudio.org. I downloaded the program and had it working within 5 minutes. The video file was created and emailed within 10 minutes. So much easier and cleaner than any other options. While the program isn't exactly packed with features it works, and it works well.
The program is totally free to use, unless you wish to offer the author a donation! If I use this software for anything else, a donation will be sent.


text:
Online Safety
Can I block countries from seeing my profile?
Yes, you can block Countries, States or Provinces from viewing your profile.
Fraud Awareness
There is no way to tell if someone tipping is fraudulent, but there are things you can look for to protect yourself that will help keep it to a minimum and also benefit your fellow performers.
My show was recorded and uploaded
Whether you broadcast or post images online you run the risk of someone reposting your content.
Maintaining your privacy
There are a number of things that you should take into account when camming.
Keeping your computer safe.
While this article applies to all operating systems it deals specifically with Windows as it represents the Operating system used by the majority of our members.


text:
Last week i installed Google's Pagespeed on a CentOS/Apache 2.4 webserver to provide clients with a faster loading website. Although this seems to really help with a lot of sites, I am noticing one big drawback. The sites which have Mod_Pagespeed enabled have a significant increase in bandwidth usage. Where they used to generate around 100mb to 200mb of bandwidth a day, i am now seeing traffic easily going over 1000mb. This is of course a result of a Pagespeed setting that I probably have not set correctly.
i already am tinkering with some of the Pagespeed parameters and at the moment have it setup like this:
- What setting am i missing that is causing the 10 fold of bandwidth usage.
- How can i exclude the Serf traffic from ramping up the bandwidth tally.
- Is anybody else seeing this trend when using the combination of Cloudlinux/DirectAdmin/Apache/Pagespeed?
Kind Regards,


text:
Netherbird are a melodic black metal band from Sweden, and have been together since 2004. Their third album The Ferocious Tides of Fate is released via Swedish label Scarecrow Music Group.
The first track Elegance and Sin is heavy with melancholy. It makes you feel as if your spirit is departing really, really slowly from your body. But before long, it builds up into something really fucking furious, smashing all of your senses. There's a lot of substance in this track and it keeps me captivated. It does come to a point where it's very quiet and minimal, and there's some really stunning, haunting guitar work which transports me elsewhere. It then throws itself into something faster once more. Though I ought to mention that every transition is smooth and impressively faultless.
Så Talte Ygg makes me feel as if I'm walking to a lonely market square to watch a hanging in the rain. The vocals are demonic and satisfyingly eerie, helping to conjure this impressively haunting atmosphere.
The vocals in Ashen Roots are fucking devilish. It takes on something of a different tone and is a refreshing change. I have to say that I really admire the diversity within the vocals. It's bloody excellent to have a band who are willing to experiment and move off the well trodden path. They are doing things differently and it works. Some really quite epic guitar work feeds into the song, bulking it up and making it even more substantial. This track takes on quite an epic feel at times, especially towards the end. It feels quite majestic and massive. They manage all the shifts with such ease. They move from ferocity to an almost calm epicness then back to a brutal savagery, and it all feel as if it's a natural transition for them.
Shadow Walkers has a mid paced intro which feels quietly magnificent, though you can tell that it is building into something. It's catchy and melodic and has me by the throat. There's a real quality to this track. It feels real and complete and keeps me hooked. The outro is quite lengthy, but that just adds to the atmosphere. There's a stunning violin section at the end which adds a touch of welcomed folk beauty.
Along The Colonnades has a slow, creepy intro, one that penetrates deep into your bones. Again, this track takes a different turn, which only proves further their ability to diversify and experiment. The track gradually builds up, but doesn't have quite the same gripping power as the other tracks did. I find myself wanting more to happen. It does begin to pick up just after the mid-way point, and becomes a feast for the ears.
The final track Of The Setting Sun has quite an epic intro. It feels slightly chaotic. But there's a lot of experimentation going on, which makes for a satisfying listen. It's a strong, solid ending.
This album was an experience I'll want to repeat time and again. Really looking forward to their next release.


text:
Psychic Reading Experience:
Over 30 years professional Psychic Reading experience
Psychic Gifts:
Psychic Reading Specialties:
Emotional well-Being, Family / Friends Issues, Life Coaching, Tarot Cards, Life Destiny, Love / Relationships, Career and Finance, Past Life Interpretation, Path finding, Spiritual Growth
Psychic Reading Tools:
Tarot Cards
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Caring, Inspirational, Compassionate, Straightforward, Thoughtful, Wise
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More About Clairvoyant Psychic Marilyn
Hi… If you are reading this Bio… And you decide to read with me… We have things to share.
I am Clairvoyant, Empathic and I read the Tarot.
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The Riverblade Developer's Blog
Welcome to our developer's blog. We hope that this forum provides an insight into us, our products and how we develop them. Please feel free to write to us if you have anything to add to any of the posts here.
Current Entries |
Archives |
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What is your returns policy?
We hope you are delighted with your order. However, if it's not what you were looking for, just send it back to us within 14 days and we will gladly refund or exchange it for you.
Our address is:
Bernie & the Beanpole
Orchard House, Main Street, Ufford, Stamford, PE9 3BH
Just fill in the returns form that you can download here and send it back to us. Any returned item is your responsibility until it reaches us, we therefore advise that you get proof of postage and use a parcel or delivery service that insures you for the value of the goods.
Once we have received your returned item we promise to process it as quickly as possible, however please note it can take up to 28 days from the date of receipt. Should you have any queries about the status of your return, please email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Please be green and re-use the original packaging if possible!
What if my item is faulty?
In the event of any products being faulty, we will cover all costs of postage and either refund or exchange the item for you. Please email firstname.lastname@example.com to arrange a return.
Can I cancel or amend my order?
Unfortunately once an order has been placed, we are unable to make any changes or cancel it. If you do change your mind, please wait to receive the parcel and return it back to us using the procedure above.
When will I be charged for my order?
We will charge your card when the items in your order are dispatched.
What payment methods do you accept?
We accept all major credit cards online via PayPal.
Will I be charged VAT?
All prices on the site are quoted in pounds sterling (£) and are inclusive of UK sales tax (VAT). The current rate of VAT is 20%.


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SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- AeroVironment Inc. filed late Thursday with the Securities and Exchange Commission to raise up to $115 million in a initial public offering. Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Friedman Billings Ramsey are leading the deal's underwriting. Monrovia, Calif.-based AeroVironment, a developer of small unmanned aircraft systems, has applied to have its shares listed on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "AVAV."
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Here at the Mortal Engines Fanon Wiki, we aim to ensure that everyone has fun while creating content. Despite this, all users are bound to certain rules both inside and outside of their articles, which everyone must abide by in order to create a fun, closely-knit community. As such, this Wikia has several sets of guidelines that need to be upheld. Reading all of these rules is required, in order to ensure that nothing you do violates our content guidelines and that you do not offend any users, as such acts may result in you having your rule breaking content deleted or perhaps even you being banned from the Wiki should you break multiple rules repeatedly. For more information on the punishments of breaking these rules, it is recommended that
We Are Not Affiliated With Philip ReeveEdit
Despite the fact this is his universe, we are not in any way connected to Philip Reeve, the publisher Scholastic or the Universal Pictures film of the same name. All characters used in his books or any other medium which he has endorsed do not belong to us and we do not claim ownership of them. Any works placed on this site are not intended with intents of breaching copyright laws, and we receive solid proof that the creator of the setting wants us to remove anything, then we are legally obliged to do as such. Use or mention of characters should cause no harm overall, but content must not breach any laws when dealing with content ownership.
If Writing Fan Content, Use Proper Spelling And GrammarEdit
As many people view and critique articles with the intention of helping the author improve, it is strongly recommended that anything you place on the site uses proper spelling and grammar. Articles that are majorly unreadable due to spelling and grammar errors will no doubt be criticized for this, and no one except the user is obligated to fix it. However, due to this being for the main part a minor issue, an article will not be deleted for this reason with the exception of specific circumstances. Additionally, there is no standard of English used on this site, so articles may use British-English, American-English, Australian-English, or any other type of dialect.
What Is Deemed An 'Acceptable' Article?Edit
An article should be a minimum of two decent sized paragraphs, or a third of a page in a Microsoft word document (Size 12 font at most). An article with less than this may be deleted (Depending on spelling, grammar and obviously length). Small articles create clutter around the wiki, and such a thing will not be tolerated for very long unless they are clearly marked with the Stub Template.
Follow CanonEdit
All members of this site are required in all of their content, to ensure that no existing Mortal Engines content is contracted. For example, there is to be no saving of canon cities such as London from disaster, needless destruction of canon cities such as Murnau or the breaching of the great Shield-Wall of Batmunkh Gompa.
What Is Canon?Edit
All publications and works written by Philip Reeve that are established to be set within the Mortal Engines universe, including: (NB: The short story Urbivore is not regarded as canon).
- Mortal Engines
- Predator's Gold
- Infernal Devices
- A Darkling Plain
- Fever Crumb
- A Web of Air
- Scrivner's Moon
We Are Not A Gossip CenterEdit
This one is pretty simple to understand. If you want to talk to someone, use their talk page. Redundant articles made simply for the purpose of socializing will be deleted, and repeated breaking of this rule will result in warnings and possible banning. If you desire to create something which can result in community input, than make a blog for that purpose. Keep socialization of the mainspace.
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This means that not only are you going to get a permanent ban for posting pornographic videos, you are also going to get a temporary ban for post scenes with sexually explicit content in your Fan Fiction. Sexual references in your content or alluding to sexual scenes is fine, as long as no detail is added. Should you post explicit enough detail in your content, you may receive a warning ban for your actions. Sexual references will be given some leighway due to each person having a different idea of how far such things can go before being explicit, but this is the extent of getting off for breaking the rule.
We Are Not WikipediaEdit
This is a Fan Fiction site, where you can create guns, stories, swords, weapons, vehicles, characters, and the like. We are not a Mortal Engines encyclopedia, so please do not create articles on already existing canon content. If you really have the desire to put more information into canon content, go to the Mortal Engines Wikia, which can be found here.
We Are Not A Gateway To AdvertisingEdit
If you are a person with intentions to spam this wiki in order to gain revenue for products or to simply degrade the overall wiki quality, then you can expect a ban which will range for several months. Should the links be malicious, then the ban will be a permanent IP block, the most serious block you can receive. It will stop anyone in the general vicinity of you from being able to edit forever. That is the consequence you will bring upon yourself for an attempt to harm others. Joke sites are not malicious, but viruses and spyware are.
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Mutation (also called genes) are inherited from parents to offspring or spliced to an egg.
For each species there is a mutation chart that shows which mutations you can splice and what it costs. You have to research mutations before you can splice them.
The mutations are inherited dominant recessive, which means that only the most dominant genes are inherited.
Some pets don't have any mutations, but some can have even 8 mutations.
How does this work?Edit
- You breed a generated pet with a spliced pet.
- The offspring will not show the mutation (no mutation is dominant), but will carry the gene for it. This means the mutation can show at their offspring again.
- You breed two pets with mutations on the same part of the body (for example two different tails):
- The pet shows one of the visible mutations
- One or both of the genes of the parents are inherited and the dominant one is visible. This is the usual case.
- The pet shows another mutation
- A gene for either parents' visible mutation was not given to the offspring. Another mutation gene, that was not visible in the parent, was inherited. There are two possibilities now: either both parents carry the same gene, so that a recessive gene shows up, or both parents inherited different (less dominant) mutations of which the more dominant one shows up.
- This can even happen if the parents show NO mutation or the visible mutation is nowhere to see in the pedigree chart.
- The pet shows one of the visible mutations


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Here's a little doodle of a concept in a new story I'm working on. I threw in a gray tone just to see how it'd look. Art making is so chock-full of decision making and I think my decision-maker is burnt out... what will come next? Stay tuned...
Labels: sea, sketchbook
1 comments:
- dissertationconsultant said...
I have gone during your blog post Art making is so chock-full of decision making , it was actually very informative. I absolutely share your views to my close friends keeps up the good work going,
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- December 18, 2012 at 6:06 AM
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Still/Born – Trailer
Movie Trailers 601 views
|Still/Born – Trailer
Mary, a new mother gives birth to two twins but only one of them is alive. While taking care of her remaining child, Adam, she suspects that something, a supernatural entity, has chosen her child and will stop at nothing to take it from her.
Directed by: Brandon Christensen
Starring: Christie Burke, Jesse Moss, Rebecca Olson
About: Review Junkies
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