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If you want heaven and earth moved, check your basics.
It's a rite of passage for parents to help their kids with math homework. My daughter brought home her fair share, and it wasn't long before I discovered my basic math skills were pretty rusty. I found myself sneaking away from her at the kitchen table, back into my study, where I would hop onto the internet and type "how to convert a fraction into a decimal." I would try to learn it quickly, and then, of course, explain it to her wrong.
She eventually moved on to algebra, and chemistry, but I stayed stuck in fifth grade.
This is analogous to the Christian life, because the single biggest issue among us lies in our not moving on. We want to grow, but without learning certain basics. Prayer is one of those basics. You'll find among struggling Christians an anemic prayer life that only exists at meal times, bedtimes, and severe crises.
Prayer is even more challenging than Bible study. Prayer disengages from informational pursuits, and takes you to a place where you're interacting with the person you just learned about.
If you want your relationship with God to flourish, you need to learn the basics of prayer. And if you have already been introduced to these fundamentals, you'll need to keep applying them to avoid falling into atrophy.
"Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he finished, one of his disciples said to Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught His disciples" (Lk. 11:1).
The disciples requested a prayer class—a refreshing change, because we often avoid the subject, finding it hard, heavy, and unrewarding. Other than His own example inspiring them, Jesus had not initiated the topic . He had not launched into proofs that prayer is worthwhile, that it can help regulate blood pressure, and "the family that prays together, stays together." He hadn't been trying to sell prayer as something good for them. Apparently, they had already come to believe in its intrinsic value.
In fact, every real disciple understands prayer as good, and beneficial, though not easy. They must have sensed the difference between the prayers of the Son, that flashed from earth to heaven, with sanctified, unadorned simplicity, and their own struggling, insipid words, that seemed weighted to the ground. Finally, at a deciding moment, one of them said to Him, "Teach us to pray." At length, we all come to this point, tired of prayers that fall flat.
2 And he said to them, "When you pray, say: "
Jesus begins with what to say, because words elude us when addressing God. If you ever want to silence a room full of chatter, just ask if someone would like to lead in prayer. He instructed them to say, therefore, "Father, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come. 3 Give us each day our daily bread, 4 and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.
And lead us not into temptation."
Notice this is the shorter version of the Lord's prayer, with the longer one occurring in the Gospel of Matthew. Which then, should we memorize? That question may be a bit misguided, because these words were never meant to remain a perpetual recitation. Whenever you encounter recorded prayers in the Bible past the gospels, you never see this prayer recited verbatim, although you can find strands of its deepest thoughts occurring everywhere. These words were more likely meant to function as a flexible scaffolding for us. We are to grow into it and develop our prayers out of it.
Each phrase taught by the Lord presents itself as a portal, or heading. We find concerns for the glory of God, and His kingdom, our daily needs, and forgiveness of our sins. There is mention of forgiving others who have offended us, and petitions for navigating around temptations. These are major growth areas, and will require thousands of prayers over a lifetime. As our understanding and sentiments mature, so will our words, and expressions.
Until such a time though, Jesus told the neophyte disciples to "say" these words. He put phraseology in their mouths, like a mother bird puts worms in a baby bird's mouth.
When studying prayer in the gospels, we typically (and rightly) pay attention to the Lord's prayer, but He follows this lesson with a word about not giving up. Those who enter prayer life are prone to wear out, and become disillusioned, saying things like, "This doesn't work," and many similar cynical remarks. Even those of us who have prayed for years find ourselves vulnerable to ill feelings.
In verse 5, Jesus provides an illustration:
5 And he said to them, "Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 7 and he will answer from within, 'Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything'?
If this illustration follows the general contour of prayer, then at the end of verse 7, it has begun to feel like God has said "No. Don't bother me." It seems that's the end. But Jesus says it's not.
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
Even though the friend wouldn't get out of bed in the name of friendship, he would do it because the person asking had become a nuisance. Jesus is not trying to say that God is like this reluctant friend, who doesn't really want to help you. No, He wants to encourage you to continue in your prayer, making room for the possibility of delay. You may have to wait for an answer, even if you use beautiful, anointed, soaring words.
Although other parts of the Bible explain why delay happens, here at this time and in this passage, Jesus does not explain it. Nor would an explanation have been likely to help the disciples at their current level of maturity.
Try explaining to a four-year-old why they have to wait till next week before you'll take him to the ice cream shop. No matter what explanation you provide for the delay, he probably won't say, "Okay, that's reasonable." As a kid, it drove me crazy when I told my mother I wanted something, and she said in a coy tone, "Well, you know Christmas is coming up." Especially when she would say this in October. Why would I have to wait? A grownup has all the power and all the money. Therefore, in my young mind, no matter what they would say, the only real reason for delay was meanness.
At some point, you'll arrive at a similar place of frustration with God. You'll feel as though, like in Jesus' illustration, you're beating on a door with no response, while God slowly swings his feet out of the bed, plods downstairs, and by the time He answers the door, years have gone by. At those times, we're most conscious of the need to learn how to pray.
"And I tell you, Ask, and it will be given to you" (v. 9a)
Spoken this way, it looks like asking and receiving are instantaneous. True, there are places in the New Testament where people asked of Jesus, and He gave on the spot—the blind man who said he wanted his sight, for instance. And of course, right here in Luke Chapter 11, the disciples asked for a teaching on prayer, which he provided right away. In all of those instances and many others, Jesus answered immediately. I'll grant that He was physically present. However, I've had prayers answered in a week, sometimes in thirty minutes, sometimes in as little as five. Regardless, it all starts with asking. If you don't ask, you won't receive.
"Seek, and you will find" (v. 9b)
In saying this, Jesus introduces a more prolonged time frame. Some answers take longer. In the meantime, the prayer itself refuses to go away. It is stuck in your heart, lodged there, and so, as you pray and wait, prayer takes on a seeking, navigational dimension. James and John approached Jesus, wanting to sit on His right and left hand in the kingdom. This was far more complex than asking for sight, or a lesson on prayer. Their wish was ambitious, and in some sense, good, but their understanding was off. They were likely thinking Jesus would go to Jerusalem, drive off the Romans, and then, as king, set up Israel as head of all nations. There was no suffering, or cross in their way of thinking, and certainly no maturity needed.
Jesus told them that positions in the kingdom were up to the Father's discretion. Then He asked them if they could drink the cup from which He drank. They replied, "We are able" (Mt. 20), without having any idea what they were saying. These boys wanted to be quarterbacks, but they needed to pull off their helmets, take a knee, and learn some things about God, the nature of their request, and themselves.
Their prayer for kingdom glory would certainly be answered, but not before the death and resurrection of Christ. The founding of the church with its myriad lessons, and a rigorous apostolic ministry still lay ahead as intense proving grounds for these good-hearted, but naive young men. James would be the first among the twelve apostles to be martyred. The last surviving one, John, would be banished to a desert island. In the next age, we will no doubt see God's large response to their prayer, eclipsing their initial, childish understanding.
"Knock, and it will be opened to you" (v. 9c).
Having gone on with the Lord a certain distance, you may have arrived at a place where all that is needed is a knock. Only a thin door stands between you and the answer to your prayer. For years, we prayed for oversea missions. Then, one day, I woke up in a hotel room in east Africa. I had gotten to the very door. I prayed one last prayer for the transmission of the Word, and stepped through it, into a resounding "Yes!" from God.
You've probably had this happen to you. You asked, and sought for the spiritual benefit of a friend, and that person finally agreed to read the Bible with you, over coffee. You were in the car, on the way, and all you needed is just one final knock. When you arrived, you found your friend more than receptive to the Word.
Ask, seek, and knock, Jesus said,
10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
But He further strengthened His case for not not giving up, by adding some basic theology.
11 What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; 12 or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"
Somehow, though you are radically fallen, and your every thought rotates around your pleasure, and convenience, your kids still get fed, diapers get changed, clothing and shelter are given, and they survive to adulthood. You still manage to give good gifts. God, on the other hand, is better than you, even on your most responsible, affectionate, generous days. He is willing to give up to and including, the greatest gift of all, the Holy Spirit. He gave us His Son, and broke Him on the cross, so the Spirit could flow out of that broken Son to everyone who wants Him, and asks for Him. After such selfless giving, the Father would want to know what it was you said He was "too mean" to give you.
Remember what kind of God it is you're praying to.
Before my daughter was born (and needed help with homework), I went to college. I had to take some placement exams. The results showed that in high school, I had somehow learned more about bass fishing than math. I placed at the 99 level, which meant remedial skills were needed. It was a slow upward climb through pre-algebra, algebra, trigonometry, and pre-calculus. I completed my math track with flying colors. During the whole time, I was using basic skills at an almost unconscious level, because I was in the math matrix. Then, having finished, I didn't touch another mathematical concept for some ten years straight.
That's when my daughter started asking me for homework help. Though I had been a top student, I realized how disuse of my skills had led to the worst kind of atrophy. It is this way for musical instruments, and foreign languages, too.
If you stay in the prayer matrix, you'll employ all the basics of prayer without even realizing it. It will be normal to utilize the Christ-provided scaffold of words, as well as asking, seeking, knocking, while utilizing good theology.
Take stock of where you are in your prayer experience. Maybe you need to stop wishing and start asking. Or, maybe you've entered a seeking phase of prayer. This typically involves long term issues like our children. During this protracted season, you'll learn a great deal about God. You'll also learn that you should pray for their second birth before their perfect church attendance, their love for the Word, before their Christian behavior. You might even learn some things about yourself, and how your concern for your child might be attached to your own pride.
And maybe you're in the final leg of prayer, where you're right on top of an answer—don't forget that last knock.


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Editorial: Community should rally to help kids succeed in learning without classrooms
Now that online-only schooling is a certainty for Columbus students in the fall, the challenges students will face are clearer. So are the ways the community can help.
Columbus Superintendent Talisa Dixon's Tuesday announcement that school buildings will remain closed for the beginning of the year was prudent, given the stubborn rise in COVID-19 cases in Ohio, and especially Columbus. But it will mean extra barriers to success for many students.
The "summer slide" — a loss of knowledge and skills during the months school is out — is a concern in the best of times, especially for children in homes without the educational resources, such as books, computers and trips to museums that better-off kids can take for granted. This year, like just about everything else, it's worse.
The slide started early, when schools had to switch to online instruction in March with almost no planning or preparation of the students. Kids and parents struggled with online lessons, many children participated only sporadically and most people in education agree that academic achievement suffered.
Now we know those students will be without the benefit of classrooms for at least the first quarter of the school year. Especially for younger children, the lack of a warm and enthusiastic welcome from a new teacher, and of the certainty and reassurance that comes from seeing that teacher every day, likely will have an effect on learning.
And when school restarts and academic demands grow, so will the need to help the most at-risk students avoid falling behind. The most urgent priority must be to ensure that every student has a device on which to learn and access to the internet.
Dixon is promising that this will happen by the Sept. 8 start of the school year. We're glad she asked the city for help and that city officials said yes.
Mayor Andrew J. Ginther and councilmember Elizabeth Brown announced July 22 that $7 million of the city's $157 million in CARES Act funding will go to buy 20,000 Chromebook computers for Columbus students. Along with the 20,000 that the school district bought when schools suddenly closed in March, Dixon said, that will allow every student to have a device for online learning.
We hope this is only the beginning of outfitting students with the tools they need to prepare themselves for 21st century jobs. Devices and hotspots will fail and will need to be replaced. As the district embarks on a newly designed online curriculum, unforeseen gaps and challenges surely will emerge.
This is one education problem that unquestionably can be solved with money, and we hope to see businesses locally and nationally step up to help — not only with education but also the "wrap-around services" that provide meals and other forms of support for students and their families.
A recent analysis by Oxfam, a Britain-based anti-poverty organization, found that, even as the pandemic has stoked bankruptcies and job loss, some of the largest, wealthiest U.S. companies — those producing essential goods and services, including tech — have received "pandemic profits" above and beyond normal, to the tune of an astounding $85 billion.
Some of those companies no doubt would like to contribute to solving problems such racial and social inequities in education. But making progress on complex issues is hard. Providing millions of American kids with devices, software and internet service — today's equivalent of textbooks — would be an easy way to make a difference.
They can do that by contacting the district's Department of Engagement, which was established to "link, align, and grow our district's school, home and community resources to maximize student achievement and growth." Find it online at www.ccsoh.us/Page/7090.

subset: commoncrawl


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Abaqus Guide
Getting Started with Abaqus on HORNET
Written by Kewei Li
Jan 12, 2012
Updated on Nov 28, 2012
The Abaqus FEA 6.12 (Simulia, Providence, RI) has been installed and configured on the new School of Engineering HPC (code name: Hornet) recently. To use Abaqus on Hornet you will need first load the Abaqus module using this command:
module load abaqus/6.12
Then, load FORTRAN compiler if you intend to use subroutine with your simulation:
module load intelics/2012.0.032
To submit a job to Abaqus through LSF, run this command:
Abq6122 job=job-1 user=code.f cpus=2 que=standard:fslocal
where "Abq6122" is the command to invoke Abaqus FEA 6.12, "job-1" is the file name of your input file (job-1.inp), "code.f" is the file name of the user subroutine, "cpus=2" will request two CPUs to run current job and "que=standard:fslocal" will allow Abaqus to run the simulation in a local file system.
The simulation will most likely run on another compute node. The simulation result files will be copied back upon completion. To run ABAQUS in a shared file system, "que=strandard:fsshared" should be used instead.
Note: At this time, the Abaqus script written in C++ has not been tested.
If you have any questions or problems, please create a ticket at https://ets.engr.uconn.edu/helpdesk/support/createticket


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Latest Headlines
Kaduna NNPP Chairman, Legal Adviser Sacked for Alleged Anti-party Activities
UN, EU Take Message on SGBV, Harmful Practices to Traditional, Religious Leaders
NiMet Alerts Six Northern States on Thick Dust Haze
Firm Adopts PFS' Solution for Accounts Reconciliation, Business Growth
Emma Okonji
Financial technology company, Fast Credit has adopted Clirec, an integrated account reconciliation solution developed locally by Nigerian Software Company, Precise Financial Systems, to ease its financial reconciliation issues.
The CEO of FastCredit, Emeka IIoelunachi, said the adoption of Clirec would put an end to the company's reconciliation nightmare.
He explained that "Clirec is a financial reconciliation solution that has assisted the company to ensure the integrity and completeness of data used in reconciliation exercises and the confidentiality of results of reconciliation."
He added, "We are growing our portfolio significantly but we have always had reconciliation challenges because finance is about keeping the proper record. Imagine serving the entire Nigeria Police Force and the army of Nigeria's civil service. There is a need for good reconciliation system to ensure that loan disbursed each month and the loan repayment has been collected with the appropriate record."
According to him, "We needed an automated solution to deal with the bottleneck we were experiencing in our reconciliation processes. We had different proposals and we reviewed them. At the end of the exercise, we chose Cleric from PFS because Clirec meets our needs.
"We are working with PFS and the relationship has been wonderful. Our reconciliation system has been significantly improved. Now, we spend less time and less human resources. These are costs saving for us".
The Deputy Managing Director of Precise Financial Systems (PFS), Mr. Philip Ayeni said: "Fast Credit, as a leading microfinance institution is already actualizing its vision of creating value that deeply impacts the Nigeria financial ecosystem. And it will continue to achieve this by relying on CLIREC, a newly implemented auto-reconciliation solution that validates the integrity of reports of its influence in the society.
"PFS will continue to support the financial sector with world-class products like Clirec to ensure the industry attains the global standard. As an indigenous firm, our solutions are running thousands of computers and serving numerous clients in Nigeria and 30 countries in Africa.
"Working with Fast Credit has been a good experience. Fast Credit is a trailblazer in the deployment of technology that suits its target market. I am not surprised considering the company's market positioning to be one of the leading Fintech company in the economy".
Aside Clirec, PFS' other cutting edge environmentally friendly solutions include an integrated account reconciliation solution; cheque and e-payment processing, security and remittance solution; end-to-end outward and inward cheque clearing solutions, among others.


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Regulation of membrane release in apoptosis.
Journal Article (Journal Article)
Apoptosis is a fundamental process of cell regulation whereby cells execute one or more biochemical programs leading to cell death. Several mechanisms have been evaluated and suggested to play roles in the regulation of apoptosis, including the activation of phospholipase A2 (PLA2), usually measured as release of 3H-labelled arachidonic acid (AA) from prelabelled cells. The current study was aimed at examining the role of PLA2 in regulating apoptosis in response to several inducers (such as vincristine and etoposide) in lymphoid cell lines. Cells were labelled with [3H]fatty acids and the released radioactivity was characterized. These studies indicated that the AA release assay did not reflect release of non-esterified fatty acid via activation of the PLA2 pathway. Rather, studies using TLC and electron microscopy showed that AA release reflected a previously unsuspected shedding of a heterogeneous population of membrane vesicles and fragments, probably as components of apoptotic bodies. Further studies demonstrated that this process is an integral part of apoptosis. Overexpression of Bcl-2 or the addition of caspase peptide inhibitor benzyloxycarbonyl-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-fluoromethane prevented the characteristic morphological changes of cell death, and completely inhibited the release of membrane vesicles and fragments. On the other hand, release of membrane vesicles and fragments was caused by various inducers of apoptosis, as measured by release of either 3H-labelled AA or palmitic acid. Thus the present study demonstrates that the release of membrane lipids during apoptosis defines a new assay for apoptosis and has allowed the investigation of the mechanisms regulating formation of apoptotic bodies.
Full Text
Duke Authors
Cited Authors
- Zhang, J; Driscoll, TA; Hannun, YA; Obeid, LM
Published Date
- September 1, 1998
Published In
Volume / Issue
- 334 ( Pt 2) / Pt 2
Start / End Page
- 479 - 485
PubMed ID
- 9716508
Pubmed Central ID
International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)
- 0264-6021
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
- 10.1042/bj3340479
- eng
Conference Location
- England


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Bianca Andreescu has high hopes for Canadian tennis team at Tokyo
Although not involved, tennis star will watch teammates live out gold-medal dreams
Bianca Andreescu grew up watching tennis at the Olympics, envisioning herself one day competing for Canada with a gold medal on the line.
While she won't be in Tokyo when the Olympic tennis tournament kicks off this weekend, the Mississauga, Ont., native will watch on TV as her teammates attempt to live out her gold-medal dreams.
Andreescu, the 2019 U.S. Open winner, pulled out of the Olympics earlier this month.
She called the decision "difficult," and "disappointing," but one made with her physical and mental health in mind amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
And at 21, she hasn't given up on her Olympic goals.
"I know I'm going to have hopefully another two Olympics in me because I'm feeling really confident about what I have to offer to myself and to the world," Andreescu said on a Zoom call with The Canadian Press.
"I've been watching [the Olympics] ever since I was little, picturing myself in their position. So I'm really, really hoping it can become a reality."
Andreescu said the ongoing pandemic was the "main reason" she decided to skip the Tokyo Games.
WATCH | Bouquet of questions with Bianca Andreescu:
She was impacted both directly and indirectly by COVID-19 this year, testing positive for the virus in April and missing the Madrid Open, and having her routing and training schedule thrown off by self-isolation and pandemic restrictions at other tournaments, including the Australian Open in February.
Andreescu will next compete at the National Bank Open in Montreal, which begins Aug. 6. She won the event, then called the Rogers Cup, the last time it was played in 2019.
Andreescu said she has high hopes for Canada's tennis team in Tokyo, which features 18-year-old Leylah Annie Fernandez, ranked No. 72 on the WTA Tour, and world-No. 15 Felix Auger-Aliassime, both of Montreal.
WATCH | How Bianca Andreescu faced down Serena Williams before U.S. Open final:
Fernandez opens her women's single's tournament on Saturday (Friday night ET) against No. 46 Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine. Auger-Aliassime, 20, takes on two-time Olympic champion Andy Murray of Britain in his first-round match.
Andreescu has known Auger-Aliassime since they were 12 years old, and she's trained with both him and Fernandez over the years.
While Auger-Aliassime is still looking for his first ATP title after appearing in eight finals, Andreescu said she feels he's on the cusp of breaking through. His quarter-final run at Wimbledon this month, his best showing at a Grand Slam, is a testament to that.
"I have no worries about him," Andreescu said. "I'm sure he can continue to do well and even better, and I really think he has the potential to win a Grand Slam."
WATCH | Andreescu, Oleksiak want to be roomates at Olympics:
Andreescu will also keep a close eye on the swimming competition in Tokyo, where good friend Penny Oleksiak of Toronto aims to defend her 100-metre freestyle gold medal — one of four medals the then-16-year-old won at the last summer Games in 2016.
Andreescu remembers watching Oleksiak's impressive Olympic debut in Rio five years ago, and while the two didn't know each other then, Andreescu said it was inspiring to see the breakthrough performance.
"I [was] watching her and I was like, 'holy crap, I want to be like that. I want to do that,"' Andreescu said with a laugh. "So it's super sad that I can't be there, but I'm definitely going to watch her and cheer her on."


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Video in animazione, motion graphics e design
In the end of 2019, I was approached by BSPKN to animate a video that would help them in the rebranding of Simap.
I loved the idea of using hands as main characters because they are always connected with the concept of "doing".
I used just a bit of gradient, trying to maintain a fresh and green look - and keeping the right space for Simap's strong blue.
Scroll down for some early style frames!
Client: Simap
Production and Script: Bespoken
Design, Animation and Sound Design: onice
I loved the green one!


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Responsible investing
Read about the approach to responsible investing that guides the decisions of the Public Service Pension Board of Trustees and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation.
Environmental, social and governance
Responsible investing plays an important role in the management of funds for BC's Public Service Pension Plan. Companies that do a good job of managing environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters are believed to have less risk and perform better financially over the longer term.
The Public Service Pension Board of Trustees (board) and its investment manager, British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), are signatories to the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI). The PRI signatories are an international network of investors working together to put six responsible investing principles into practice. These investment principles are founded on the belief that an economically efficient and sustainable global financial system is necessary for creating long-term value. Each year, PRI signatories participate in a periodic assessment of progress. This is a valuable tool used to benchmark the board's responsible investing practice against others. A standardized methodology is applied and each signatory is provided with transparency and assessment reports.
BCI, with the support of the board, embraces responsible investing through three core activities:
- Integrating ESG factors into investment analysis and decision making
- Active ownership
- Actively participating in the capital markets
BCI ranks among the top-performing investment managers globally in using the principles for responsible investment. BCI collaborates with other investors and organizations such as the Canadian Coalition for Good Governance, CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project), the International Corporate Governance Network and the Investor Network on Climate Risk.
In 2016, BCI also expanded its role in responsible investing through involvement in the 30% Club, as a member of the steering committee, which advocates for companies to enhance gender diversity and as a member of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board which promotes standards of sustainability reporting.
External links for Responsible investing
BCI's Responsible Investing Annual Report
ESG Engagement: Public Equities Priorities and Process
BCI Responsible Investing page


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Several months ago, I was privileged to present a paper at a regional meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society. There is nothing quite like the amassed scholarship of these conferences, the gathering of minds eager to pursue knowledge and discuss the finer points of theology, biblical interpretation, and Christian praxis. Of course, it would not truly be a meeting of evangelicals (evangelicals gathered at a Southern Baptist seminary, to wit) without some disagreement over the role that history plays in the tasks of theology.
View original post 208 more words


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The Business of Fashion
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
Agenda-setting intelligence, analysis and advice for the global fashion community.
LONDON, United Kingdom — Sfumato, an Italian term meaning "to evaporate like smoke," is an oil painting technique pioneered by Leonardo Da Vinci, in which the artist blends one tone into another to blur the outlines of an image. Today, the style is present in the Meisterstück Sfumato, a leather goods range that includes business bags, laptop cases, belts and small leather accessories. One could easily assume that this is a collection by an Italian luxury accessories house. In fact, it is the latest offering from Montblanc, the German manufacturer of upmarket fountain pens.
In recent years, fashion brands such as Christian Lacroix, Paul Smith and Lanvin have dabbled in stationery, offering notebooks, pens and cardholders alongside their fashion lines. But now, luxury stationery brands like Montblanc, which is part of the Richemont group, are crossing over into fashion accessories.
In 2014, Milan-based notebook company Moleskine introduced its first collection of wallets, passport holders, messenger bags, backpacks and briefcases. Named 'myCloud,' the collection's tagline is "Created for our mobile lifestyle. Inspired by the digital cloud. Made for the moving world." At Smythson, a British manufacturer of luxury stationery and diaries founded in 1887, change was ushered in by Samantha Cameron, wife of UK Prime Minister David Cameron. During Cameron's tenure as creative director, which ended in 2010, Smythson launched fashion accessories including $3,000 python-skin handbags and collaborated with British designers including Jonathan Saunders, Erdem and Holly Fulton.
Why are stationery specialists turning to fashion accessories?
"It's our way to get the flavour of the season," said Xavier Rougeaux, chief commercial officer at Smythson. "We're not a trend follower but we believe that it's important to create newness. A couple of seasons ago, we collaborated with British illustrator Quentin Jones. We wanted to offer our core customers something that was more seasonal, so they could get a fashion take on our otherwise classic products. It's important for us to work with fashion designers and artists who give us that flair of the season."
Moleskine products | Source: Moleskine
"We are a lifestyle brand, or as we prefer to call it, 'mindstyle.' Our approach is to equip our customers with a set of tools. We are simply creating things that we think are interesting for our customers," said Maria Sebregondi, co-founder of Moleskine.
"After writing instruments, we went into leather goods, naturally, as a form of protection for the writing instruments," said Jérôme Lambert, chief executive of Montblanc. According to Lambert, the move was an effort to expand the company's product offering, rather than a direct attempt to target the fashion consumer.
Indeed, even without extensions into fashion, stationery sales at these companies are healthy. In 2014, Moleskine's paper collections (which include notebooks, diaries, journals and digital notebooks) made up the majority of the company's sales. At Montblanc, writing instruments accounted for 45 percent of the company's 2013 turnover of $830 million. Today, three main categories — writing instruments, leather goods and watches — represent 90 percent of its overall business, explained Lambert.
For Montblanc and Moleskine, extensions into leather goods are a means of driving brand awareness. "It was part of the willingness of the company to be present at a global geographical level," said Lambert, speaking of Montblanc's acquisition by Dunhill in 1977, which triggered its expansion beyond fine pens into luxury goods such as jewellery, bags, sunglasses, fragrance and watches. "Introducing new product categories at that time created an opportunity for Montblanc to increase its worldwide presence and platform."
According to Lambert, customers would purchase leather goods from a stationery specialist like Montblanc "because it's made in Italy, because of the quality of the leather, because of the quality of the construction. At Montblanc, we bring consistency across all our products. If you think about it, we first developed leather in 1926. We opened our first store in 1990. The relationships with our clients have been established throughout time."
Montblanc's Meisterstück Sfumato | Source: Montblanc
"We want to satisfy our core customers but we also want to reach new people," said Sebregondi of Moleskine's fashion product lines. "We've been trying to expand our product offering and distribution in department stores worldwide, such as Selfridges and Harrods, so that our presence is wider. But, wherever we are, the type of Moleskine customer remains the same: the kind of creative professional who is always looking for something that is inspiring."
"All our new products complement the Moleskine notebook but they are also great designs in itself. The bags itself look good, especially our myCloud bag line, but the fabric is also more functional and has longer wear," she added.
On the other hand, Smythson's leather products — which have been part of the company's offering for many years — outweigh its stationery business. "I think the perception that Smythson is mainly a stationer comes from the success of our diary and notebook business. You would be surprised to hear that almost 80 percent of our business today comes from leather goods," said Rougeaux. "The very nature of fashion collaborations means that they're treated like limited edition pieces, so we often sell out very quickly. Every time it has been a success."
In 2013, Smythson's cemented its links to fashion when it joined the official London Fashion Week schedule, alongside British fashion brands such as Preen, Mulberry and Margaret Howell. "It's an opportunity we took because we thought it was important to showcase the brand, not only to our clients, but to present it in a more relevant way to the fashion industry," said Rougeaux. "[Smythson] really deserves to be part of the British fashion week, because of who we are and because of the luxury of our products."
Could full fashion lines be on the cards?
Not at Smythson, according to Rougeaux. "Innovation has always been very important for the brand and there are new categories we could expand into, but there are no plans for Smythson to expand into ready-to-wear," he said. "It's a matter of staying true to who we are and I think our clients appreciate that we've hardly changed over the years."
Lambert agreed: "We don't want to feel forced to extend further into fashion collections. At the moment we are more focused than ever on our three main categories."
Moleskine's Sebregondi, however, didn't rule out the possibility: "There's a lot to do and there are many opportunities. A Moleskine jacket one day — why not?"


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Taking an environmentally sensitive approach to pest management
Timber rot is a sporadic but also devastating disease of tomato that can cause significant plant and yield loss if cool weather and high humidity prevail for a longer duration. The increasing number of greenhouses and high tunnels that grow tomatoes year-afteryear has made the disease much more prevalent today, compared to decades ago.
Timber rot (sometime called "white mold") is a stem rot disease that is caused by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum. The latter has a wide host range of over 300 crops and frequently vegetables such as beans, cabbage, lettuce, sunflower, carrots, cucumbers, peas, pumpkins and squash. A number of common weeds such as lambsquarters, pigweed, Canada thistle, and wild mustard also are susceptible and can serve as a source of infection.
Symptoms of timber rot mostly begin as water-soaked areas from the stem axils or instem joints, either at or above the soil level. The fungus enters from at the soil level if senescent tissue is present Once established, the disease progresses from these areas. In time, the stem becomes covered with white "cotton-like" fluffy mycelium and girdled; later, the watersoaked area becomes dry, discolored (bleached appearance) and hard; and the plant (eventually) wilts, collapses, and dies.
As the disease progresses, hard, grayish-black sclerotia about the size of a plump grain of rice develop. Sclerotia are hardened masses of mycelium containing food reserves. Their role in the life cycle of the disease organism is to detach from the host and remain dormant (in the soil) until environmental conditions favorable for infection occur.
Slicing the diseased stem longitudinally reveals these embedded structures, making positive identification fairly easy.
Timber rot infection usually does not occur until after flowering has begun. At this time soil moisture usually is high and soil temperature low because of the shading provided by leaves. Under this combination of cool, moist conditions, the abovementioned sclerotia produce mycelium that infect the stem of the plant.
These sclerotia also produce sexual spores called ascospores from structures called apothecia (cup or little mushroom like structures). Ascospores of timber rot are windborne and can cause infection within several days after landing on the leaf of a plant. Again, cool (e.g. 60-70o F), moist conditions favor infection.
Timber rot in greenhouses and high tunnels that produce tomatoes year-after-year is problematic because of the buildup of sclerotia in the soil from diseased plants of previous crops. Crop rotation along with less favorable environmental conditions makes timber rot on outdoor tomato plantings much less of a problem. Control of timber rot should follow an IPM approach. First, rotating tomatoes with non-susceptible crops can reduce disease inoculum. Unfortunately, this is not an option for most greenhouse or high tunnel tomato growers. Even then, the fact that this fungus attacks a broad range or crops makes the smart rotation option very difficult. For field plantings, however, rotating grasses like corn or small grain will help slow down the inoculum buildup.
Deep plowing (e.g. at least 12 inches) can help to reduce disease severity by reducing the number of sclerotia at the surface of the soil. However, disturbing the soil through tillage will reduce the effectiveness of this practice by bringing the sclerotia back up to the surface.
Strict sanitation is helpful in managing the disease. This includes carefully removing and destroying diseased tissues and plants, thereby reducing the number of sclerotia allowed to remain in the soil to infect next year's planting. Also, maintaining a "plant free zone" around the perimeter of the greenhouse is recommended. This practice will make it more difficult for ascospores from infected host species surrounding the greenhouse to enter. Additionally, it helps control insect entry into the greenhouse.
Pyraclostrobin (Cabrio®) and fluxapyroxad + pyraclostrobin (Priaxor®) are two materials labeled for the suppression of timber rot on tomato for field plantings only. Both are labeled use on a number of crops for the control of a wide variety of fungal diseases.
For greenhouses that already have an established history of timber rot, the beneficial fungus Coniothyrium minitans sold under the brand name of Contans® holds a promise. This biocontrol agent colonizes the soil of a greenhouse and feeds on timber rot sclerotia in the process. According to label directions, Contans ® should be applied at least three months prior to planting to allow the fungal organism to destroy sclerotia in the soil. Since Contans® is a living organism, proper storage conditions, handling, and proper timing of its application are needed to maintain its effectiveness. For any further information as to the rate and frequency of applications, growers are highly encouraged to read and follow the label of this product.
Currently, there are no varieties of tomato known to be resistant to timber rot.
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REVISED: November 16, 2015


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Keeping up appearances can be exhausting.
I've mentioned this in previous posts, but I still clam up when I'm in certain settings and I have to explain what I'm doing with my life.
This was no different this week when I had to accept an award for my position at the job I no longer work for.
Wait, what?
Yes, you read correctly.
I, along with my former boss, received the Women's Business Center of Excellence award from the Small Business Administration.
This means that I got all fancy to attend a luncheon with important people and I had to give my "elevator pitch" during small talk.
I had already rehearsed it in my head before going to the event because I knew it was going to happen.
People were going to ask me what I was up to now.
I told them I moved back home to Baltimore and I'm working part-time at a small, woman-owned business. I'm also spending my time volunteering, building my brand and plotting my next moves.
It was interesting to see which parts of the "pitch" resonated with different people. A couple people said they had contacts in Baltimore and that it might be good for me to follow up and see if anything sticks.
Another woman was more interested in the type of work I'm doing part-time. It even turns out that one of her clients is the owner of a haircare brand that I use!
(By the way, I don't think I've told you readers where I'm working! It's a natural, organic and vegan beauty boutique called Kacadas. We educate our customers on the benefits of using clean products for their beauty and personal care.)
Anyway, so I somewhat survived the whole "what are you up to now?" questioning and managed to enjoy the rest of the event.
But let me tell you—this is an area that I still struggle greatly with.
I was talking to my friend the other day to just vent and get his advice about how I'm feeling.
He said that a lot of people like me who are ambitious struggle with chasing our persona. We have this idea of who we want to be but it may not align with where we are today. We can feel the call on our lives but it's hard to embrace where we are right now.
Not where I was 6 months ago. Where I am right now.
And the reality is, right now, I am not a business coach. I am not coaching anyone with their business or teaching classes. I have not picked that back up. (And maybe I won't pick it back up for another few years. Who knows?)
The reality is, right now I'm living back at home with my mom. I am not living on my own, in my own place, like I was in Virginia.
That's just not my current reality.
The reality is that I don't have a full-time job with benefits.
The reality is, I don't know where life is going to take me 5 months from now.
The list goes on.
But all of this is okay!
Why do I feel like I need to have all of these boxes checked off?
I'm only 26 years old. I'm allowed to start over. I'm allowed to take a breather.
You see, I'm constantly coming up against my ideal version of myself. This is the "superwoman" persona that I throw on from time to time—cape and all.
I'm not sure who constructed her.
But I do know that always trying to be her is hindering me from embracing who I really am. Today. Currently. Presently.
So, back to the award ceremony…
It was a reminder of the great work I did and the great work I'll continue to do.
Something I said in my latest podcast interview was along the lines of this: "I am the constant. Change out the degree. Change out the coworkers. Change out the position. I remain."
It's not about titles and positions and possessions and statuses.
All of that fades.
What remains is my identity in Christ—who God says I am. What God says about me.
And guess what?
God could care less about these worldly things!
Look at what Scripture says in Matthew 6:
"Do not store up for yourselves [material] treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal; for where your treasure is, there your heart [your wishes, your desires; that on which your life centers] will be also.
To me, this is a charge to live a lot more simply than I've been living. Throw off the added weight and pressure of meeting certain standards. They don't define me.
Now, by no means am I saying that I'm lowering my standards of excellence. All I'm saying is that I'm allowed to be human. I'm allowed to explore. I'm allowed to take time for myself to recover from burn out.
And because I know what my patterns of being are, I have to check myself and my intentions. Meaning: I have to make sure I'm not throwing up a post just to boast. I have to make sure that there's something deeper that I'm revealing about my story and God's glory.
I don't want anyone to think that I've "made it" on my own.
No. I need Jesus every single hour of every single day.
Do you see my dilemma, now?
This isn't typical table talk conversation. But it's my truth and sharing it makes me feel more authentic.
So, no, I don't talk like this with everyone. I'm not this transparent 100% of the time. I watched popular researcher and speaker Brene Brown's talk on Netflix entitled "The Call to Courage" and she said this very powerful quote: "Vulnerability does not equal disclosure."
This means that being vulnerable doesn't mean you have to disclose all the nitty gritty details of your life with someone. No. They have to earn your trust.
I've gotten a system going where I know which messages will resonate with which audiences. (Still struggling with my brand, though, as I mentioned in my last post. Advice still appreciated!)
For instance, I posted about the award on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, but each post had a different caption.
But this blog is the place where I really get super transparent. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my following is so small. Not many people are reading it yet. So it's more like a public journal.
Did you know that we write our most honest work when there's no audience?
My whole goal with this writing/sharing style is to show the behind-the-scenes process of my public successes.
The thoughts I battle. The things that are hard for me and maybe not hard for others.
This is the "inner voice." It's not the outer persona.
I'm working on making them synchronous. Harmonious. One.
It's a process, though, like everything else in life.
All in all, the point of this post was to show you that I'm still in a weird place with defining my relationship to my work, my calling, etc. I guess that's the whole point of the blog in general.
If you're new to the blog, feel free to look around!
Comment your thoughts below!
Until Next Time,
P.S. Don't forget to listen to my podcast interview on Pieces of Hers.e.l.f here!


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The survey found more than seven in ten Houstonians believe their local economy has bottomed out and is stable or getting better. That's slightly higher than the national average.
Houstonians are also more confident about their personal finances than their counterparts around the country. Gina Luna is Houston region chair for JPMorgan Chase.
"Consumers have made a lot of progress in securing their financial positions. They've done things like pay down their credit card debt and put themselves on budgets, and so they're spending less on everyday items."
Luna says that's likely to encourage more local spending on big-ticket items.
"Houston consumers are really optimistic about making some significant investments — like 51% saying, in the next five years, they'll buy a new car vs. 38% nationwide."
Roughly six in ten Houstonians believe the national economy is stable or growing, matching consumers nationwide.
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9 a.m. to 1 p.m. San Marcos Farmers Market, 111 East San Antonio Street adjacent to the Historic Courthouse. Following the Vision SMTX Community Meeting, the City of San Marcos invites the public to participate in an interactive Vision SMTX Comprehensive Plan Rewrite pop-up public input booth to provide input on the goals and vision for the future of San Marcos. This event will include information and activities from the Community Meeting on September 15. A virtual survey option will also be available. For more information, visit www.visionsmtx.com or email@example.com.


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JUST IN: UBA provides N5billion for #COVIDー19 relief Support across Africa.
Pan-African lender, United Bank for Africa (UBA) Thursday said it would earmark $14 million (around N5 billion) to strengthen the campaign against the covid-19 scourge in Africa.
A statement from the bank this morning said the largesse is crucial in providing aid to Nigeria alongside 19 other African nations by means of " Supplying relief materials, critical care facilities, and financial support to governments." UBA has presence in 20 African countries.
The fund will be apportioned as follows:
• N1 billion (USD2.8 million) to Lagos State Government in Nigeria
• N500 million (USD1.4 million) to Nigeria's Federal Capital Territory, Abuja
• N1 billion (USD2.8 million) to the remaining 35 states in Nigeria
• N1.5 billion (USD4.2 million) to UBA's presence countries in Africa
• Free Telemedicine call centre facility
The bank proposes to put in place a medical facility in Lagos, where it is headquartered, which will include beds for isolation and ICU equipment.
It will run and manage this in collaboration with Avon Medical Centre, a subsidiary of Heirs Holdings.
In the same vein, UBA will make available a physician-led telemedicine platform, designed to "provide direct access to medical advice to citizens, in compliance with social distancing requirements."
Tony Elumelu, chair of the UBA group said "this is a time when we must all play our part. This global epidemic must bring citizens, governments and business leaders together – and quickly. As we see a rapidly increasing number of cases of the coronavirus in Nigeria and Africa, the private sector has to work hand in hand with various Governments, in stemming the spread of the global pandemic.
"We commend the efforts of governments and we are keen to partner and contribute our resources to the collective effort, that will ensure the response to the pandemic is swift and effective."


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Thursday, 2 November 2017
Comfort Me With Apples
I am the ancient apple-queen,
As once I was so am I now.
For evermore a hope unseen,
Betwixt the blossom and the bough.
Ah, where's the river's hidden Gold!
And where the windy grave of Troy?
Yet come I as I came of old,
From out the heart of Summer's joy
I do love this tapestry by Pre-Raphaelite Edward Burne Jones - he stitched it to accompany the Pomona poem written by his friend William Morris.
This autumn seems to have been a good one for the apple harvest.
In his Lake Wobegon books, author Garrison Keillor describes the churchgoers in his little Minnesota town as all being both good, and generous gardeners. In the summer months, they arrive on Sundays with bags of tomatoes, seeking to pass on their excess harvest to others. But as they're all doing it, nobody is keen to take the produce. Consequently, they try and offload their glut by stealth. GK describes waking up to find 'bags of Christian tomatoes' left anonymously on the front porch!
Here at United Church Ferndown, we are similarly blessed by green-fingered benefactors- at the moment, it's cooking apples. The huge box was there again on Sunday - with a roll of bags beside it. Unlike GK's fictional Lutherans and Catholics, our congregation received the fruit with joy. It was heartening to see so many people leaving after coffee time, each clutching bags containing 4 or 5 apples. Some fruit had slight blemishes or bruising, but that's easy to remove.
Once we got home from church on Sunday, I prepared my fruit, and discovered I had enough for three little puds [so one went to Jim-next-door, who has a sweet tooth, and always enjoys a home-made treat]
I cheated with the custard, and made up a sachet of Lidl's instant sauce. I'd picked up a 'no-added-sugar' one, we've not had that before. Pleasant, but a surprisingly almond flavour, when I was expecting vanilla.
I have some little "Charlie Bigham" pie dishes - these are the perfect size for individual apple crumbles. CB's pies are very tasty, and you do get the lovely dish with them - but they usually retail around £7.50 -£8 for two. That's way beyond what I would pay for a pie. But I discovered that the Waitrose at South Mimms Services on the M25 stocks them. SM is midway between The Manse and Cornerstones, so we almost always stop there en route to and from Norfolk. Three times now, I've gone in to the shop late in the evening just as they are closing and picked up a pair of pies for around £2.50. Passing on this tip to anyone else who may travel that way! You can also buy the empty dishes [overpriced] on eBay, or find them sometimes in Charity Shops in posh High Streets.
Sometimes I think it would be lovely to have my own apple trees producing bumper harvests - but then I realise I'd probably end up like Diane Keaton, in the film Baby Boom, where she ends up working 24/7 in her steamy kitchen producing dozens of jars of applesauce.
Do you grow your own apples?
What is your favourite way of cooking them?
Do you have an unusual recipe to share?
5 comments:
I AM the Ancient Apple Queen. My boss has a huge apple orchard and I'm in charge of picking,packing,stewing them all. If I see another apple this side of Christmas, I shall despair. I have one tiny apple tree in my garden which I bought in Lidl about 4 years ago for £3.99 and it's been a bumper harvest this year! I so loved that film 'Baby Boom'! This year I tried making Apple Butter (it's not really butter but it is smooth and creamy and great on toast) and it is delicious. I think I got the recipe from Sarah Raven's seasonal cookbook. I shall check and get back to you.ReplyDelete
Diane Keaton!! Love her. Have you read any Garrison Keillor? Everyone tells me he's very good but I have never got round to himReplyDelete
NanaGoGo - never made apple butter, sound great though. We too have a Lidl tree, about 4 years old, not had any bumper harvests yet! NM, I love GKs books, although his first Wobegon is definitely the best. You'd appreciate his gentle humour regarding offbeat churchgoers!ReplyDelete
Our apple trees don't produce now; they don't get enough sun. We've had them at another property, and this year my brother gave me many large Wolf River apples. I had applesauce and apple butter, and I've loved both! Your little pudding bowls are adorable.ReplyDelete
Apple pie is a favorite and apple jam. In fact, daughter is visiting this weekend and she asked if I had any apples to make a pie - will be going and buying some apples, tomorrow, I think.ReplyDelete
Always glad to hear from you - thanks for stopping by!
I am blocking anonymous comments now, due to excessive spam!


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CRISPR/Cas9 is relatively simple to implement, as the researcher fully controls the experimental design of the tools, from the sgRNA sequence to the Cas9 protein.
Let's quickly look back to the basics… CRISPR Associated Protein 9 (Cas9) functions as part of the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) genome editing system.
In this system, a single guide RNA (sgRNA) sequence targets a site of interest in the genome while the Cas9 protein performs a double stranded DNA cleavage at the targeted genomic location. CRISPR/Cas9 system can be widely used to express or silence a gene, create mutations and variants… into the genome of the host cell.


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In an effort to find new ways to advance female entrepreneurs, Google for Entrepreneurs is committing $1 million in aggregate to 40 startup-focused organizations, with their new program #40Forward. Startup Grind is proud to be one of those organizations!
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Meredith started out with a successful career in the film industry, then founded three brand management and business strategy agencies in the fast-paced fashion industry, opening showrooms across the US & Canada, all before the age of 27.
Meredith is the Creator of women's speaker series, Founders Collective, a dedicated tech startup mentor, founding Advisory Board member to RAW Beauty Talks, and seed investor to multiple women-founded businesses.
Her work has been recognized by CTV, BC Business, Techvibes, The Sun, The Province, Startup Canada, the Globe & Mail and Woman of Worth Awards among others. Watch Meredith on CTV News
With deep global experience leading trends & scaling brands rapidly from zero to millions of dollars in revenue, she's built her career on spreading ideas and knowing "The Next Big Thing" when she sees it.
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Pinot suffering from lung infection
Issued on:
Rome (AFP) –
French rider Thibaut Pinot has been discharged from hospital but is suffering from a lung inflammation, his Groupama-FDJ team said on Sunday.
"This is what explains his high fever during the stage (Saturday) while he didn't have one in the morning," the French team said.
Pinot saw his hopes of Giro d'Italia podium finish dashed on Saturday's penultimate stage.
The Frenchman began the stage in third overall, but suffered a spectacular collapse and later withdrew from the race.
The 27-year-old started the 12 km-long climb to the Saint-Pantaleon pass among the main peloton, but crested the summit 21 minutes later and finished the stage 45 minutes in arrears.
He spent the night under observation in hospital.


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Wednesday, March 1, 7pm-9pm – CIC Miami, 1951 Northwest 7th Avenue, Miami
Enjoy an evening of Middle Eastern Faire and topical discussion on Intersectionality in Fourth Wave Feminism, as part of the Helen & Meyer's Supper Club Series. All profits benefiting UltraViolet , a powerful and rapidly growing community of people from all walks of life mobilized to fight sexism and expand women's rights, from politics and government to media and pop culture. UltraViolet works on a range of issues including health care, economic security, violence, reproductive rights, racial justice, and immigration by putting the voices of all women, especially women of color and LGBTQ women, front and center. Tickets are $30 per person.


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Unlike Phoenix from the ashes : Republican constructs of the First World War in Weimar Germany 1918-1920
File Type:PDF
Item Type:thesis
Citation:Vanessa Ther, 'Unlike Phoenix from the ashes : Republican constructs of the First World War in Weimar Germany 1918-1920', [thesis], Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of History, 2010, pp 366
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Ther TCD THESIS 9193 Unlike Phoenix.pdf (PDF) 353.1Mb
This thesis seeks to examine the utilisation of the legacy of the First World War in republican press and propaganda as a central focus of the new state's foundation narrative. Assessing the role of the war in republican attempts to establish its legitimacy to govern and its implications for the identity of Germany's first democracy, this comparative study evaluates the coverage of war-related issues in a broad range of republican press sources between 9 November 1918 and 6 June 1920. In order to contextualise these 3,626 newspaper and journal articles in their related party-political framework, this research furthermore assesses 327 political leaflets as well as selected contemporary pamphlets, monographs and novels to explain the republican failure to come to terms with the trauma of war.
Author: Ther, Vanessa
Advisor:Kramer, Alan
Qualification name:Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Publisher:Trinity College (Dublin, Ireland). Department of History
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text: Kaitlin Oki is mixed-race Japanese-American genderqueer farmer and food sovereignty advocate, who currently practices farming at the Cloverleaf Farm, a small-scale organic fruit farm in Davis, California. Kaitlin's interest in agriculture takes root in her observation that the average person's relationship with their food ranges from broken to traumatic, with ramifications that impact their body, lifestyle, culture, politics and planet. She aspires to create opportunities for everyday people to break free of the oppressive chains of the food system, heal from the trauma imposed by systems of oppression, and reclaim their relationship with food, farmers, community and environment. Kaitlin champions cooperatives and land trusts as a viable method for organizing communities and coalitions to challenge the dominant capitalist paradigm, reclaim community-based control of the economy, and uplift BIPOC voices and foodways. When Kaitlin isn't farming or fighting for food justice, she is often cooking for friends, eating, drinking, sniffing fermenting food experiments, or otherwise expressing her primary love language of food.


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A new standard has arrived. Indulge in our stylish agenda to hold your most coveted planning accessories. This agenda is refillable and reusable so you can style your planning system as often and as uniquely as you like!
Inserts + accessories sold separately.
U.S. Shipping Only. Shipping is free on orders over $99 This is shipped from Paper Standards and not from Girlboss. Returns are accepted within 30 days of shipping for undamaged products in their original packaging. Please contact email@example.com with any questions about returns.
How many untouched or half-finished notebooks do you have on the go right now? Maybe it's time to switch over to something customizable and refillable. This vegan croc notebook can be filled (and refilled) with sheets ranging from budget trackers to wellness check-ins and goal-setting checklists. Now, you get to build a planner you'll love to use.
Shay has always been in love with stationery and created her first planner in 2017. "The onset of the pandemic motivated me to turn my vision into a full brand. I began creating tools that allowed planning to feel less like a chore and more like a self care experience," she says. Shay doesn't believe in a "one size fits all" approach to stationery. That's why her collection is fully customizable and refillable. "It gives each individual the ability to use planning inserts that work best with their lifestyle. Each person is more likely to stick to a planning routine if they are able to curate their own planning system."
"I was blessed with an amazing network of supporters from day one. My launch day was a great success as I had a great range of products to start off with. Since then, the growing community of people who experience increased wellness due to planning has been my greatest accomplishment."


text: In recent years, Abattoir Fermé has become one of Flanders' leading companies. In Moe maar op en dolend the spectator is locked into a small anteroom of the subconscious where there is no logic and dreams turn into dark nightmares. De Morgen newspaper described it as 'Twin Peaks served neat'.


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- Accordion (17)
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It is interesting to me to reflect on what I like and what I dislike. The likes of a person mark him off from others. The likes show whether the person is governed by emotions or not. They also show the inner self. I have many likings and dislikings. These likings and dislikings give me both pleasure and pain. Pleasures do not last long. Soon life becomes dull and boring. Then come pains. My first liking is tea. Tea is my best companion. My likings range from tea to passing time in idleness. I like to read books. All sorts of books can give me pleasure. I pass hours after hours reading books. I am a bit unsocial so. I find that books are to my windows in the outer world. They give me everything. They teach me everything. Books are an indispensable part. To talk to my friends is my another liking. Though I am naturally shy still I like to talk to my favourite friends. Spending hours with them, talking about everything or talking not at all – are the greatest joy of my life. When darkness eclipses my mind, I go and seek my friends. It is not possible to like all the things in the world. I dislike the narrow-minded people. I dislike the intolerable traffic jam, the ever-increasing terrorism, the heavy loss of lives and so on. I also do not want to meet new people or see new faces. Still, I am happy with the troubles I have – I don't want to enlarge them. My likings and dislikings are all a part and parcel of my life.


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> JDN Monocrane Pty Ltd
JDN Monocrane Pty Ltd
Wire ropes and cranes
JDN Monocrane Pty Ltd
JDN Monocrane Pty Ltd are a company based in Regency Park in the Australian state of South Australia. Their main business areas are wire ropes and cranes.
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Andy has been a long time Tomei Technical Trax LSD user. He uses our LSD's on most of his cars. Especially on his competition cars ("Cars" is mentioned because he has many competition cars, Lucky guy!!)
タグ: australia
Insider News: CyberEVO's Shakedown at FSW
Yesterday, the CyberEVO was at Fuji Speedway for it's shakedown preparation for the WTAC.
Video: D1NZ – ATTACKS AUSTRALIA!
A War is Brewing in the Southern Hemisphere!
Tomei User: JZZ30 Soarer in Australia! – Peter Horniak
Here we have a Soarer, down under, packing a tuff Tomei Technical Trax 2 Way LSD.
Tomei User: Silvia S14 in Australia – Braden Mace
Here is another nice ride that sports some Tomei Powered Products. This special Nissan Silvia S14 (200SX) is from the land down under, Australia.
Video: TARZAN'S Winning Lap of CyberEvo at 2010 WTAC in Eastern Creek
Like the title says. Enjoy!
Video: TARZAN'S Winning Lap of CyberEvo at 2010 WTAC in Eastern Creek
Like the title says. Enjoy!
Media: WTAC Tomei Cusco Subaru in MODIFIED Magazine
For the best post coverage report, get your copy of Modified Magazine NOW!
WTAC Video: Tomei Subaru WRX STI In-Car Time Attack Australia
Fresh from TheOctaneReport
"On board in-car video from the Tomei Cusco Subaru Impreza WRX STI at the 2010 World Time Attack Challenge in Australia. Driven by Eiji "Tarzan" Yamada. In this video, the racecar fires up, does a warm-up, and then hits its time attack laps at Eastern Creek Raceway."
by Joey Leh
-Click to play and select "720p" for HD quality.
WARNING!: Chinese Made Copies of Tomei Fuel Pressure Regulators
This is the first and long awaited announcement of the fake copies of Tomei Powered products that are being sold around the world these days. Read for more important information
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How important is the ride? Have you been on it before? If we hadn't gotten FPs and couldn't RD, we probably would've skipped it. I had ridden it, but no one else in my family had. My kids ended up preferring BTM over that, and Space Mountain over all.
I would try to modify it to earlier, and also watch for a prepark opening at Be Our Guest. My teens didn't enjoy getting up early every day, but they did. Usually by 6:30.
Disney Star Wars Resort
Tampa Web Design
Disney World Resorts Info


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Instructions: The above form must be completed to create a quote. Once your quote is displayed you can change any of your selections; your quote will be adjusted accordingly.
Buttons Bros is the most trusted source for customized pins in Canada. We offer a wide range of customized pin sizes and shapes as well as the lowest price you will anywhere online in Canada. Customized pins make a great promotional product, giveaway, or wearable. We take pride in offering the highest quality customized pins and being to produce them faster then our competitors. Please take a look at our customized pin size selection and prices.
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All of our buttons, magnets, and stickers, are produced in our facility in Canada. This enables us to print and ship orders fast, while maintaining the highest level of quality control. We are proud to be a Canadian company that manufactures in Canada.
Being a Canada's premier custom buttons manufacturer, we are able to print and ship orders across Canada to meet almost any deadline. We offer fast production times and a variety of rush shipping options.
Upon placing your order, our customer service rep's will send an artwork proof for you to approve before we move into production of your order. This ensures you have a chance to preview your design and correct any mistakes in your art file.
Button Bros has been producing custom buttons in Canada since 1969. We were the first major producer of pin-back buttons in Canada and have grown to be Canada's largest button manufacturer.


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Wrapper: Ecuadorian Sun Grown
Binder: Nicaraguan
Filler: Nicaraguan
Size: 5 x 50 "Robusto"
Body: Medium
Price: $10.00 MSRP
Number of cigars smoked for review: 2
Accompanying Libation: Water
Today we take a look at the Guantanamera (Miami) 310 Maduro.
This is a brand new blend from Guantanamera Miami Cigars.
There is a Cuban cigar company by the same name and there was considerable litigation involved. The companies make two totally different types of cigars: "Cuban Guantanamera Cuba features only machine-made cigars, Corporacion Habanos' version of Guantanamera is known as an affordable cigar. The blend is mild with a slightly harsh/tannic aspect to it.
"On the other hand, the United States brand produced by Guantanamera Cigar Company is a premium long-filler hand rolled cigar."
The blend uses 5 year aged leaves and then the cigar is aged an additional 3 years in Miami.
Their web site is Guantanameracigars.com. The company is owned by Jose Montagne.
The 310 Maduro comes only in the robusto size.
This is a solid cigar. The wrapper is very oily and a dark coffee bean in color. Seams are very tight. There are very few veins. The triple cap is nearly invisible. Upon close examination, the triple caps are ½" tall. Very unusual. The wrapper is as smooth as glass. The cigar band is simple but classy.
I get a big huff of hay at the foot. Along with chocolate, spice, floral notes, coffee, cedar, along the shaft. The freshly clipped cap exudes rich, earthy tobacco, and cinnamon.
Smoke billows like a forest fire upon torch to foot. A blast of pepper ensues. Then comes the chocolate and cream. There is a bold touch of leather and earthiness. Cinnamon mixes with the spiciness. A new element of freshly cut grass climbs aboard.
The strength begins at medium body.
The draw is spot on. I'm impressed with the way the Guantanamera 310 Maduro is packed. It feels light in the hand yet not a single soft spot and it is turning out to be a very slow burner.
The char line is nice and even but needs a single minor touch up.
A newly added sweetness and fruitiness appears. The Guantanamera 310 Maduro has a meaty savory quality.
The Guantanamera 310 Maduro finds itself taking a big step forward as the second third begins. The spiciness is definitely black pepper. It was a little mix at first of both red and black.
Coffee is now noticeable. This has the noticeable effects of a Nic puro taste profile. The Ecuadorian Sun Grown wrapper gives the profile an extra kick in the sweetness department. The chocolate becomes a richer, deeper, cacao dark chocolate flavor. It is intense and I can almost taste the cocoa powder on my lips.
The sweetness surges and becomes more definitive: summer fruit, raisins, and cane sugar.
The strength is just about medium/full. By the halfway point, I expect the Guantanamera 310 Maduro to reach that goal.
After 40 minutes, I reach the halfway point.
It is here that the Guantanamera 310 Maduro finds its complexity and balance.
The char line has done fine since that early touch up.
Here is the order of flavors: Sweetness, chocolate, cedar, creaminess, spice, cinnamon, leather, and fresh grass.
The Nicaraguan binder and filler with an Ecuadorian wrapper maintains my interest in the blend. It is almost as if the Guantanamera 310 Maduro is on a learning curve. With each passing moment, the cigar finds new places to go. There are subtle nuances that defy definition. The cigar is excellent more because of the sum of its parts rather than one or two flavors.
Even the char line and ash sharpen their swords as the cigar progresses.
Cinnamon along with the pepper (Now red pepper), make a leap forward in line…dragging with them some extra creaminess.
The meatiness and savory qualities return. The butcher must have his thumb on the scale.
The ash is hanging tough and when I try to rid the cigar of it so it doesn't fall into my lap, it won't budge. I shall pay for this later.
And then it gently disembarks the mother ship quietly into the ashtray.
The entire list of flavors is emboldened at this point. The long chewy finish is great. Each flavor takes its turn at the front of the line with each puff and each sip of water.
The Guantanamera 310 Maduro is at the point where it leaves me wanting more when this one is finished.
The chocolate, fruitiness, creaminess, sweetness, and spiciness are at warp speed now. What a great cigar.
I want to thank Johnny Piette of Prime Cigar Co. here in Milwaukee for introducing me to the Guantanamera brand.
This last third alone is worth the $10.
The strength ratchets back to medium+ body instead of medium/full.
The Guantanamera 310 Maduro finishes beautifully without a hint of harshness or heat. And no sign of nicotine.
Sure. $10 is a lot to pay for a cigar. But nowadays, it seems to be the norm for high premium blends. Actually, $10 seems to be the starting point. The average price of an exceptional boutique, or regular production, cigar tends to be in the $12.00+ range.
The Guantanamera 310 Maduro is a special cigar. I have no issue in paying $10 for this cigar without equivocation.
I've smoked several Guantanamera blends thanks to the good folks at Guantanamera Cigars. And I've found each one exceptionally tasty and excellent blends. Jose Montagne ain't fooling around. These blends are well thought out and painstakingly designed and developed.
This is a well thought out blend. It is heady and delicate at the same time. There is a nice counterpart between the spiciness and the sweet factors. The strength is not overwhelming but enough to give you a slight kick in the seat of your pants.
While I tend to shy away from most cigars I consider expensive, it has become a base fact that nowadays boutique blends just happen to start at the double digit range with very few exceptions. So casting aside my budgetary restraints, this is a cigar I would love to have in my humidor. I believe that extended rest will make them even more exceptional.
I've reviewed the Guantanamera DUO Double Maduro and that was a fantastic cigar.
Orders can be made over the phone at their retail location, and headquarters, at 786-618-5142. Ask for Erik. He's the man. Address: Guantanamera Cigars 1465 SW 8 Miami, Florida 33135. You can get an idea of their line by going to two web sites: Absolute Cigars and Cigar Cabana. At the moment, the 310 Maduro is only available by calling Erik. Tell him the Katman sent you.
Categories: CIGAR REVIEWS


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Having been on both sides of the studio owner/studio client equation over the years, I thought I'd take a moment to give songwriters a little insight into how to handle themselves when it comes to their interactions with professional recording studios. The more aware you are as a studio client, the more smoothly your session will go and the better the results. I've put together a list of a few things to think about before you go into your next demo session at a professional studio.
In order to get what you want when it comes to your song demo, it helps to articulate what that is. In other words, if you're interested in demoing your song to pitch not only to publishers, labels and artists but also as a finished master to pitch for film and TV opportunities, say so. This will help the studio find you the right singers and musicians and have them sign the necessary releases in advance which is much easier than asking the studio to track everyone down after the fact. If you're not sure what your options are, there's no harm in saying so. Any professional studio will be able to walk you through the various possibilities.
Things in the studio can get intense very quickly. Before the demo singer is in the booth or the musicians are tracking on your song, it's always a good policy to ask the producer/engineer (often the same person) when it will be appropriate to give your input. Sometimes it can be distracting if you, as the songwriter, weigh in before everyone has had a chance to get settled and comfortable with their performances of your song. Believe me, everyone in the studio wants you to be thrilled with the final product and will eagerly listen to your input but, as with most things, there's a time and a place for this. My recommendation would be to take notes on any questions or comments you might have so that when it's your time to talk, you'll be prepared.
I know this sounds obvious but having your song demoed can be a very emotional thing. Just take a deep breath and remember, as I mentioned above, everyone in the studio wants you to be happy with the end result but the more polite and clear you are the better the likelihood that you'll get what you want. For example, it's just as easy to say "could we please review the verse melody on the rough recording. I think there are a few spots you might be missing" as it is to say "you sang it wrong."
There is nothing, in my opinion, that can sour a relationship between client and studio faster than the studio having to ask repeatedly for a payment which is past due. In the same way that the studio has to deliver your finished recording as promised, it is your obligation as the client to understand what the terms are and to honor them. It's not complicated but failing to do so can result in a bad reputation among the industry professionals involved. Believe me, making it in the music business is hard enough without adding a reputation for being a slow or late payer to the mix.
In the end, a good relationship with your chosen recording studio is of real value when it comes to getting not only great recordings of your songs but also enjoying the process along the way. Nothing I've mentioned above is complicated or difficult to do but it does require being thoughtful and prepared in your approach. If being treated as a professional is your goal, acting like one is a great start.
Good Luck!
Thank you Cliff. This is very helpful.
The guide to recording professional demos is great info. I will sit down and read slowly to learn from it.
Thanks Cliff!


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Fatboy's Colour Blend blankets have been created in collaboration with designer Carole Baijings and the traditional Dutch quilt manufacturer AaBe. AaBe has been making woolen blankets since 1811, and the Colour Blend blankets represent Baijings's modern interpretation of the manufacturer's classic product, checkered blankets. Known for her colour expertise, Baijings has selected shades that not only match beautifully but also create new colours when the shades cross – hence the name, Colour Blend. The blankets are made from pure New Zealand wool and woven and dyed in Italy using all natural dyes.
Climate-compensated deliveries
Colour Blend blanket, clementine
- Material
- 100% pure new wool
- Colour
- Pink, brown, green, orange
- Length
- 185 cm
- Width
- 130 cm
- Care instructions
- Dry clean only.
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Contact our Customer Service:
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Carole Baijings is an Amsterdam-based industrial designer known especially for her exquisite eye for colour. Prior to founding her own studio, Baijings worked at the Scholten & Baijings design studio with Stefan Scholten from 2000 to 2019.View all products
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