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When Marvel Studios started producing its own films with Iron Man in 2008, many in the industry and the public at large were quite sure that they would fail. Headlines famously accused the comic book company of delving into its “second-tier superheroes” in order to compete with the likes of Batman and Spider-Man at the box office, and few could have predicted just how successful the studio’s new venture would be—or that Iron Man was only the beginning. The tag at the end of the Iron Man credits introducing Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury kicked off one of the more ambitious feats in recent film history, beginning a series of interconnected movies that featured different lead characters inhabiting the same cinematic universe. This culminated in the 2012 team-up film The Avengers to the tune of $1.5 billion. Marvel Studios is now no longer just a production company; it’s a brand.
As with any successful brand, imitators followed. Other major studios are aiming to mimic Marvel’s success with their own interconnected universes, and just recently Warner Bros. announced release dates for nine untitled DC Comics adaptations that will surely all connect to one another. However, this new approach to franchise filmmaking—ostensibly treating movies as episodes in a TV series—may actually be robbing us of more creatively satisfying superhero adaptations.
While Iron Man was the beginning of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the full scope of Marvel’s plans for its upcoming superhero adaptations really started to take shape in Iron Man 2, which is regarded by some as one of the studio’s bigger misfires. The film was of course the highly anticipated sequel to the surprise hit Iron Man, and while it pulled in a worldwide total of over $620 million, creatively the film was rather unsatisfying.
The principal culprit for the disappointment of Iron Man 2 was the film’s preoccupation with setting up the MCU as a whole, as the seeds for S.H.I.E.L.D. had to be planted, Scarlett Johansson’s Black Widow needed to be introduced, and a backstory involving Tony Stark’s father, Howard Stark, was meant to tease the past origins of some of the Marvel elements. Iron Man 2 had trouble standing on its own as a self-contained story due in large part to the fact that Marvel was more concerned with setting up future MCU films.
Though the studio found commercial success again with Thor, Captain America: The First Avenger, and of course The Avengers, these films also suffered from some of the same constraints that bogged down Iron Man 2 (who can forget the “cut & paste” approach to introducing Jeremy Renner’s Hawkeye in Thor?), and the issues continued in its Phase Two set of films. In effect, as Marvel became more comfortable with how it was building the Marvel Cinematic Universe, its films began looking more and more like TV episodes.
In the television landscape, the writer/showrunner is king. Since the showrunner is the one constant throughout a show’s run, the purpose of the director is to execute what’s on the page in a manner that’s in keeping with the agreed-upon aesthetic and tonal approach of the show. TV directors must ensure that one episode doesn’t look or feel too different from the others lest they risk breaking the illusion that the show’s characters exist in a single, cohesive, week-to-week TV universe.
This is not dissimilar to how Marvel approaches each of its feature films. In fact, directors like Alan Taylor and Joss Whedon have been forthcoming about the fact that they were handed very specific story beats, characters, and set pieces that had to be executed in their respective films. Marvel is, in effect, the “showrunner” of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, responsible for breaking the story (and possibly even acts) of each of their films before signing a director to execute said vision. This of course ensures that every Marvel movie has strong connective tissue with the films that precede and follow it, but it also puts creative constraints on the filmmakers.
It’s hard not to think of Edgar Wright and the upcoming Ant-Man when considering Marvel’s increasingly TV-like approach to its films. Wright signed on to write and direct an adaptation of the Ant-Man in 2006, which was around the time that Jon Favreau was preparing to shoot Iron Man, and thus predated the MCU. As the filmmaker returned to Marvel last fall in order to start prepping Ant-Man in earnest, creative differences began to arise between Wright and Marvel, which led to Wright departing Ant-Man earlier this year.
Looking back at the recent string of Phase Two Marvel films and their inherent sameness, the split between Wright and Marvel almost seems inevitable. More so than any other Marvel filmmaker thus far, Wright is an auteur. He has a very specific approach to his films—both visually and structurally—that would have felt out of place in the MCU. Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man would not have been Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man; it would have been Marvel’s Ant-Man, and bringing in a talent like Wright to essentially “blend in” by shooting an episode in a larger series would have been a waste of his talents.
This is why approaching movies like television is ultimately a bad idea. Yes, we get to see familiar characters inhabit each other’s films, but the tradeoff is that none of the films are really filmmaker-driven. Aesthetically, every Marvel movie feels the same. Yes, you can call The Winter Soldier a “political thriller”, but in the end it just feels like a Marvel movie. You can call Guardians of the Galaxy a “space opera”, but it too ultimately feels like a Marvel movie (right down to the now-signature climactic aerial battle). When filmmakers are only allowed to draw within very strict lines, it feels like we’re being denied some truly promising adaptations.
Moreover, when each film leads right into the next, stories doesn’t really end. Every Marvel movie concludes in the “To Be Continued” style of a two-parter on TV—except in this case it’s an “undetermined-number-parter” that could go on for decades. There’s a reason that Iron Man, Iron Man 3, and Guardians of the Galaxy are the Marvel movies that feel the most singular—they have the least to do with the rest of the MCU as a whole, and thus are freer to tell a (mostly) standalone story. One could argue that Guardians of the Galaxy has a lot of James Gunn in it, and while its true that the film’s excellent sense of humor and musical flourishes are in line with Gunn’s sensibilities, from a story and visual perspective the film is still very much in line with the “Marvel Movie” standard.
Now other studios are taking a cue from Marvel and developing their own interconnected universes. When Warner Bros. announced nine release dates for untitled DC Comics adaptations, it was clear that what they were really announcing was their own DC Cinematic Universe.
We’ve only seen one movie in this series of DC films thus far, Man of Steel, so it’s tough to know exactly how Warner Bros. will be approaching its own universe. Zack Snyder is directing the second film, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, as well as Justice League, so there will be a rather established aesthetic for the DC Universe, but will filmmakers be allowed to express their own styles in other DC films? Will Wonder Woman and Aquaman have the same gritty yet bombastic aesthetic as Man of Steel and presumably Batman v Superman?
Moreover, will these films stand on their own as close-ended stories, or will WB be taking the Marvel approach and treating them as episodes? Since Warner Bros. seems to be a more director-friendly studio, I’m hoping that they’ll give their filmmakers more freedom when it comes to these DC adaptations, but if they’re really trying to ape what Marvel has done, we could see another TV-like approach to superhero adaptations. Warner Bros. could be the FX to Marvel’s ABC.
And given how successful Marvel has been thus far, who could blame them? Look, Marvel deserves respect for sticking with its ambitious plan, but it’s frustrating to see some of their properties being constrained by the inherent sameness that “the plan” requires. Look no further than Edgar Wright’s Ant-Man as evidence of what kinds of movies we’re being denied. If a filmmaker has a really great take on a Thor movie or a Captain America movie that doesn’t easily fit within the story and aesthetic constraints of the MCU, it cannot exist. Instead, what we get are episodes in a larger series that start to feel same-y due to the fact that they all have one showrunner: Marvel. Again, there’s a reason that “third act aerial battle” has become a frustrating staple of the MCU. When it’s Marvel Studios that is breaking out the story beats and set pieces instead of a filmmaker with a unique vision for his or her specific film, things start to get familiar.
Marvel isn’t likely to deviate from this plan in the near future, so now all eyes are on Warner Bros. and their DC Universe. Will we simply see the flip side of the coin—a series of interconnected superhero movies that are po-faced and dour? Or will the studio allow exciting directors to put their own spin on the material with a unique tone and aesthetic while maintaining loose connective tissue between films?
I understand that comics fans may be loving Marvel’s approach—it’s essentially executing the comics format on a massive scale—but I really think we may be losing some truly inventive and fresh adaptations as a result. Just think if Warner Bros. had told Christopher Nolan that he had to arc out a series of films when he started Batman Begins. With The Dark Knight, Nolan tells a singular, mostly close-ended story. He’s not introducing villains as Easter eggs to appear in future movies; he’s not keeping characters alive just so he can use them in other sequels; and he’s not trying to ensure that his film connects to whatever other DC characters might be used at a future date. As a result, we get one of the best superhero movies of all time.
Approaching films as television drowns out the singularity of each feature. We’re not only being denied unique, filmmaker-driven takes on properties, but we’re being robbed of complete stories. In this moviegoing climate dominated by reboots, sequels, and franchises, we’re inundated with movies that are either setting up a trilogy or an overall interconnected franchise. This denies us the satisfaction of a genuine ending for a lot of these films, which, you know, is kind of an important part of storytelling. With Marvel unlikely to waver, the onus is now on Warner Bros. to give us movies, not episodes.


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One of the most influential sitcoms of all time -- focusing on the escapades of bus driver Ralph Kramden (Jackie Gleason), his wife, Alice (Audrey Meadows), and wacky neighbors Ed and Trixie Norton (Art Carney and Joyce Randolph) -- began as a series of skits on Gleason's live variety shows in the early 1950s. CBS aired a regular run of the show during the 1955-56 season, and a comedy legend about the foibles of marriage and friendship was born.
Summary of Season 6 (1953) - 1 disc
Each of these "lost" episodes of "The Honeymooners" -- the 1950s sitcom following squabbling Brooklynites Ralph and Alice Kramden (Jackie Gleason and Audrey Meadows) and their best friends, Ed and Trixie Norton (Art Carney and Joyce Randolph) -- originally aired as a short sketch on "The Jackie Gleason Show." This volume contains "Move Uptown" (1954), "Lucky Numbers" (1953) and the featurette "History of the Lost Episodes: The First Season."

domain: library


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Read A WRINKLE IN TIME NOW!
What’s the rush?, you say.
We all know that it’s important to read a book before you see them movie. The movie bearing this title is being released on March 9, and that is coming soon! The movie trailer looks stunning, and I expect that this movie (unlike the previous movies of this title) will be a blockbuster. The cast alone will bring thousands to the theaters: Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling are the witches. Zach Galifianakis and Chris Pine also have lead roles. The visuals in this movie about other worlds and other dimensions look stunning, as well, and will have children and adults overwhelmed with wonder. I say all this because I really think the movie will be an exquisite event!
But I believe the book is even more important, and potentially more beautiful, because it is created in the mind, thanks to the prophetical descriptions by Madeline L’Engle. In the 1950’s, she wrote about further dimensions, using scientific and descriptive language. She invented worlds that are unlike anything children have pictured before. And before they allow movie makers to create these worlds for them, I implore you to let your child’s imagination do the work.
You have probably heard the analogy that when a book becomes a movie, you are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. Imagine everything that is under that waterline—that is what cannot be expressed in a 90 min movie. The hours your child spends reading A Wrinkle in Time will be spent in creation and imagination. They will form these new worlds and dimensions in their minds, and the movie will add to their already-created places, instead of the movie creating these places and having their brains extract that information when they read the book. Let the movie enhance the book rather than having the book add to the movie.
A Wrinkle in Time is the beginning of science fiction for children. It is a must-read for all children, and now with the upcoming movie, it is even more important that they read or hear this book now! I would usually recommend this book for 11 and 12-yr-olds. If your children are younger, and you plan to see the movie, I would encourage you to read the book as a family. This will enable you to have fascinating family discussions after you see the movie, as there will certainly be additions and many subtractions in the story.
Here is my promise to you: I have A Wrinkle in Time in stock now. I will not run out! I want everyone to read this book before they see the movie. If you come in, and I am out of stock ofA Wrinkle in Time, I will give it to you for free. Once Upon a Storybook will be having a discussion night comparing the book and movie at the end of March (which will give everyone plenty of time to see it!). I can’t wait to hear the kids’ reactions! See you after the movies!
*Free book offer applies until Monday, March 12, 2018.


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[photo: a group of young people in the middle of their demonstration. a banner in the back reads, “stop criminalizing lgbtq youth and youth of color. NC heat.” other signs read, “nc heat push back against push out.” and “change my life don’t chain it.”]
****40 HOURS TO GO****
What is YOI?
Short answer: YOI is a popular education leadership development program for high school age students. We provide trainings on the policies that impact young people and how to organize to create change. In the past 3 years, over 100 Triangle teens have participated in our trainings and we have helped to mobilize hundreds of young people to speak-out in support of equity in public schools.
Youth of color, LGBTQ youth, and poor and working class youth are under attack in public schools. Wake County has one of the highest suspension rates in the country. In Orange County students of color are 17x more likely to get suspended than white students for non violent crimes, such as cell phone use. What’s the solution? Student Power! When young people identify and name their problems, and are offered the tools, resources, and space to create solutions - the result is transformative. In the legacy of SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) and following Ella Baker’s leadership development models, the Youth Organizing Institute believes in elevating the collective voices and power of young people.
We will train 15 Triangle-based youth, ages 13-18 in a popular education-style curriculum that focuses on political education & leadership development.
We will establish a year long inter-generational mentorship program for graduates.
We will strategize and plan to launch a campaign for a MORATORIUM on Out of School Suspensions
We will Put the Brakes on the School-to-Prison Pipeline.
To meet our goals we need your help!
- Funds donated will help us:
- Increase the number of students we can accept into the summer program
- Enhance our summer program by taking a trip to the International Civil Rights Museum and Beloved Community Center in Greensboro
- Develop peer education around the school-to-prison pipeline and school push-out,
- Sustain our campaign for a Moratorium on out of-school suspensions by providing stipends to youth organizers.
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domain: politics


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Before we begin, make sure you read a little about the Law of Attraction Basics so you have a better understanding of what I mean by raising your vibrations to manifest quicker.
If you already know what I’m talking about, let’s dive right in!
So, what does “high vibration” even mean? Like I mentioned in my LOA blog, everything has vibrational energy. A physical item, your feelings, your emotions, every single thing in your life has vibrational energy. So having a high vibration is important for manifesting what your heart desires. It means you are feeling amazing, you are laughing, smiling. You are happy and free and you feel on top of the world. You are motivated to follow and achieve your dreams. You are in alignment with everything you want to attract in life.
Having a low vibration means feeling unmotivated, depressed, feeling guilty, getting down on yourself. When we are in this low vibrational state, it is much harder to manifest what we want. You will continue to manifest what you DON’T want because that is what you are giving your energy to. You know those days where NOTHING seems to go right and one thing after another keeps happening? It is because you are in a low vibrational state.
Here are my 10 tips for raising your vibrations so you can achieve anything you want in life!
1. Meditate – This has been a game changer for me. Meditating allows you to become aware of your thoughts and slow them down. Think of it as organizing your thoughts into folders. Meditating reduces stress and anxiety, helps you stay in the present moment, makes you become more self-aware, lengthens your attention span and SO much more!! There are plenty of apps and guided meditations on YouTube.
2. Show Gratitude for Everything – Showing gratitude helps reinforce all of the things that are positive in your life and helps you realize what is really important. Gratitude also makes us less self-centered because we start putting our attention on others. Showing gratitude will make you a much happier person because you become more aware of all the awesome things you really have. I have a gratitude journal and I write down at least 3 things everyday.
3. Be Present – “If you are depressed you are living in the past. If you are anxious you are living in the future. If you are at peace you are living in the present.” This quote is so true. Stop missing out on what is happening all around you because you are too busy dwelling on the past or future. Being present allows you to notice things you normally wouldn’t like synchronizations or opportunities you may have missed.
4. Learn to Replace your Negative Thoughts – This one is definitely tricky. One thing I have starting doing is every time I say something negative I stop and re-say the sentence in a positive way. The more you do that the more your brain will naturally start thinking positive thoughts. You don’t realize how much negative thoughts really impact your mental health until you make this change.
5. Research your Manifestations – The more you are doing to achieve your goals the happier you will be and the higher your vibration will be! Researching and planning out your manifestations puts you in perfect alignment with your manifestations and you will be able to attract what you want much, much quicker.
6. Be More Self-Aware – What makes you tick? What do you love? What do you hate? By being more self-aware you learn who you truly are and what you truly want out of life. The more you understand specifically what you want, the quicker you will manifest it. Listen to your intuition!
7. Take Care of your Body – Eat foods that nourish your body and make sure you are moving your body. If you are eating shitty food, well, you’re gonna feel shitty as well & that will lower your vibration. Remember to find balance that works for YOU and never restrict yourself from the things you love. Moderation is key. It’s fine if exercise isn’t your thing but simply moving your body is so important. Go on daily walks, do yoga, garden, anything that you love to do and that get’s your body moving!
8. Set a Daily Intention – Or a weekly one if that’s easier. Having an intention automatically sets you up for a great day! It allows you to focus your energy on one specific thing. I write my daily intention on a post-it note and leave on my computer at work where I see it everyday. My daily intention today was ‘Be Present’.
9. Clean up your Space – I don’t know about you, but if my house is messy my life is messy. Having a clean environment instantly puts me in a better mood and motivates me to achieve everything life has to offer.
10. Stay Happy and Positive – No. Matter. What!
“Negativity… it can only affect you if you’re on the same frequency. Vibrate higher.”

domain: psychology


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As Maine's coronavirus infections continue to dip, the club scene is starting to revive after a long dormancy.
The three lighted dance floors and return of '80s night at Bubba's Sulky Lounge in Portland will represent a milestone of sorts on Friday.
Long-time bartender Christine Arsenault said the phone is constantly ringing with people asking when Bubba’s will reopen.
“It’s time for people to start dancing again. The time is now. Don’t wait,” she said. “Who knows what will happen in six months.”
In other coronavirus-related news:
The seven-day rolling average of daily new cases in Maine has dropped over the past two weeks from 141 new cases per day on May 25 to 72 new cases per day on June 8.
The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday reported 65 new infections and no new deaths.
The Maine CDC reported that 734,632 Mainers, or 54.65% of the population, is fully vaccinated.

domain: geography


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I think this is an important story to tell. However, I never liked or even warmed up to the narrator/protagonist in the story, which for me detracted from my enjoyment of the book.
I recently learned on NPR about the Depression-era librarians on horseback in Appalachia. I was so proud of those gutsy women! This children's book brings out part of the story, told through the eyes of a small boy whose home in Kentucky is visited by the librarians. I wish the book had been longer, or that there existed a book for adults on the subject. It's a story that is crying out to be written!
I fell in love with this book! It really touched me. I read this book to my son and I read it to him in a country voice based on the dialogue of the book.
I really liked this story. I had no idea there were pack horse librarians in the 1930's. Interesting story!
There are no age suitabilities for this title yet.
There are no summaries for this title yet.
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Last night I finally completed a task that I have been struggling to get around to all summer. Well, since last Fall really. I finally hauled all of the planters with dead plants and weeds from my rooftop patio down 5 flights of stairs and to the garbage. By myself. It was hot, tiring, sweaty and dirty and I am proud of myself.
I have lived in my condo for 6 years and I have never managed to get the rooftop patio in a state I am happy with. I live in a rainforest. For 3 months of the year it is hot as Hades on the roof and there is no shade. The rest of the time it is cool and the rain pours down until even the moss grows moss. I’m not sure what kind of plants grow in that kind of environment but nothing I have ever planted has survived.
I have never been able to really get a vision of what the space could be. Plus, the patio is in bad shape – the railing is rusty and the decking needs replacing. But, as the decision on what to do with the rooftop patios is linked to what to do about the aging roof which means the whole building gets to vote, it’s taking time to sort out. I kept thinking that when I get a new patio, I’ll have a vision of how to pull off this tiny rooftop Garden of Eden.
Each year I spend money on new plants, soil and planters, drag everything up there and hope I can pull off the kind of rooftop garden that you see in magazines or on Pinterest. Each year, I try to remember to water each day and usually when I go on holidays everything is dead by the time I get back. I don’t spend much time up there despite the wonderful view. It’s hard to sit up there and relax on a nice summer evening surrounded by all that death and failure.
Last fall, after another summer of wasted money and greenery-turning-brown, I decided I was done. It is my space and if I don’t want to grow stuff in planters, then I don’t have to. If I am a life-giving gardening failure then so be it. Growing plants may be what I’m supposed to do but I am not having fun. And life is too short and comes with enough un-funness on its own that I don’t need to add to it.
Lo and behold, as soon as I mentally swept all the plants and expectations away I suddenly could feel a vision for the space start to emerge. What about some outdoor art? Or sculpture? A stone fountain? Some lanterns or fairy lights? A pile of beach treasures clearly designed by Mother Nature to revel in the sun and the water? I started to find and buy artwork I liked. I started seeing things indoors in my condo that would be perfect outdoors. But first, I had to get rid of all those heavy planters and soil and dead things. By myself.
They say many hands make light work. I’m not sure if that’s true but at least it gives you someone to complain with. Subconsciously, I kept hoping someone would come along to help me with this annoying and difficult task. But, I have company coming this weekend and it’s hot here so if I want a nice space to sit on a summer evening then I had to accept that this task was going to be a one-woman job.
And so, I pulled on my big girl boots and got to work. It took many trips but it got done. And, afterwards I hung some of the art and placed a few items where I think they should be. There is still a lot to do. But, my vision is well on its way to becoming real. I sat up there last night, in its stripped down and clean state, watching the sun set and the stars come out. I saw a few falling stars since the Perseid meteor shower is happening in the night sky here right now. It was peaceful and wonderful and I was happy.
Turns out, all I needed to do was sweep aside what I thought was expected of me so that I could see my own vision. And then put in some of my own hard work to realize it. I’ve got a long way to go still but I’m excited about what the future space will hold.
Outdoor art by Lori Dee of Inside Out Art –
Table with shells and a sky spirit –
Dragon in the sun –
Beach treasures –

domain: hobby


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Bruges seems like a medieval fairy story land.
One in every of Belgium’s most celebrated historic cities, this capital of Western Flanders as soon as served because the industrial coronary heart of Europe in the course of the Center Ages. A day journey to Bruges is an excellent addition to your Belgium journey itinerary.
Town’s compact dimension and egg-shaped perimeter make it conducive to aimless wandering. Don’t be scared to get misplaced in its feudal streets; you’re assured to come across meandering canals, topped steeples, and hidden parks.
I took a day journey from Brussels to this UNESCO World Heritage Web site to uncover the its well-known Gothic allure.
(To your go to to Brussels, learn: Uncover child pleasant actions in Brussels.)
Right here is an summary:
Day journey to Bruges: Methods to get there from from Brussels
- It solely takes a bit of over an hour to achieve Bruges through a direct-line practice from Brussels. Trains run nearly each hour.
- When you arrive at Bruges station, exit the principle exit, cross the road and hold a left. The historic district is lower than a 10-minute stroll away.
- An grownup weekend round-trip ticket prices roughly €15 and normal weekday fare prices nearly €29. Tickets can simply be bought the identical day from a kiosk or ordered on-line.
To not miss highlights in your day journey to Bruges
This itinerary is for guests who plan to reach by 10:00 within the morning.
I like to recommend beginning on the metropolis’s heart: Markt Place. This public sq. lies within the shadows of the town’s well-known belfry tower and is a orientation level for a stroll. The stair-step, brick facades of the outdated guild halls at the moment are houses to buzzing eating places.
The blocks surrounding the Markt are full of retailers and cafés catering to vacationers. Sure, it’s crowded right here, but it surely’s a enjoyable spot for people-watching and options some well-preserved samples of Brick Gothic structure.
On the Mark you can too journey again in time, and expertise the medieval Bruges, as you might have one other spotlight, the…
Expertise medieval Bruges up shut within the Historium and immerse your self in fascinating scenes from 500 years in the past. Uncover the unimaginable structure and storied retailers within the Historium’s themed halls.
Mixed movies with particular results and stage units carry the previous to life. With a VR headset, you possibly can even expertise interactive 360° movies and see medieval Bruges up shut.
A spotlight is the Historium Tower, which affords you a panoramic view from a peak of 35 meters. Stroll by bathhouses and backyards as they could have appeared 500 years in the past. Video shows carry forgotten locations to life and allow you to discover the world as should you have been there your self.
A go to to the Historium is an unforgettable expertise for anybody who needs to expertise historical past up shut.
From right here, it’s a brief stroll east to the Burg, the town’s different historic important plaza.
Within the ninth century, the Burg grew to become the municipal base of operation of Flanders.
You’ll be amazed at what there’s to find in Burg Sq.. Whereas the Market Sq. is the guts of Bruges, the Fortress Sq. is its soul. This has been the middle of energy for hundreds of years, and even immediately the town authorities is headquartered within the 14th-century Gothic city corridor.
The city corridor, additionally known as Stadhuis, was inbuilt 1376. Inside you possibly can admire the attractive Gothic corridor, adorned with its work from round 1900.
Surrounding this magnificent and majestic sq. are monumental buildings that characterize the cityscape. Every of them was constructed over the centuries and displays the architectural type of the interval. Right here, you’ll discover quite a lot of structure: the Gothic City Corridor, a Courtroom of Justice constructed in the course of the Renaissance, the Baroque period Deanery, and Romanesque Basilica of Holy Blood.
A helpful architectural information gathered in a single place!
It can take you from the Basilica of the Holy Blood to the Freiamt and the Provost’s Workplace, permitting you to totally expertise the fantastic thing about the Fortress Sq..
Basilica of Holy Blood
When you’re visiting the Burg, the Basilica of the Holy Blood is price a fast gander. For those who need to imagine it, it homes a sacred relic: “A vial mentioned to comprise drops of blood from Jesus Christ.”
Within the Higher Basilica, the relic of the Holy Blood is displayed for guests to venerate day-after-day from 14:00 to 16:00. There’s additionally an exhibition each Friday morning from 10:15 to 11:00.
Although constructed within the twelfth century, the higher chapel was renovated within the nineteenth in a Victorian Gothic type illuminated with stained-glass home windows and colourful murals. The decrease chapel, nevertheless, retained its austere Romanesque roots.
The Basilica of the Holy Blood and the Museum are open each day from 10:00 to 17:15. On Fridays, Sundays and holidays, the Higher Basilica just isn’t accessible between 10:45 and 12:15 as a result of Mass, until you want to attend Mass.
Admission to the Basilica of the Holy Blood is free, whereas admission to the Museum prices 5 euros. Kids below 12 have free admission.
Burg 13, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
You’re standing on what just isn’t solely essentially the most photographed sq. in Bruges, but additionally a spot of historic significance.
The Rosary Quay, or Rozenhoedkaai, was as soon as a market the place rosaries have been offered.
At this time it affords a panoramic panorama that has impressed many artists to arrange their easels and seize the idyllic picture. You may watch them at work and perhaps even take dwelling a hand-painted picture of Belgium’s most well-known panorama.
You’ll even have an excellent view of the lodge from the film “See Bruges …. and die”, the place the principle protagonists stayed and jumped out of the window.
Let your self be enchanted by this particular place and benefit from the postcard view of the hustle and bustle on the water, on the bridge and within the alleys.
Uncover why Bruges is nicknamed “The Venice of the North.”
Go away the Markt and Burg and cross south to expertise the town’s trademark waterways. Throughout medieval occasions, the canals served because the artery of Bruges, connecting it to commerce on the North Sea.
Observe the canals away from the crowds to uncover some quaint facet streets and greet the swans.
Chocolate lovers take notice! A candy shock awaits you off the overwhelmed vacationer monitor at Choco-Story Bruges.
This chocolate museum is a real temple for chocolate lovers from all around the world.
Right here you possibly can study the whole lot about cocoa and chocolate, from recipes to the historical past of this candy delicacy. You may even meet the specialists who make Belgian chocolate! You’ll have the chance to speak to specialists in regards to the well being advantages of chocolate.
In a captivating Fifteenth-century wine bar, you’ll find out how cocoa is reworked into the scrumptious confection. It’s also possible to browse an in depth library of the whole lot you want to learn about chocolate.
Have you ever ever questioned how the Mayans made their cocoa drink? At Choco-Story Bruges you’ll lastly discover the reply to this query, in addition to many different thrilling details about chocolate.
Immerse your self within the very important transformation of cacao into chocolate, study in regards to the historical past, geography and botany behind it, and uncover secret recipes.
For these for whom the very phrase “chocolate” brings a smile to their face, a go to to Choco-Story Bruges is a should.
- Self-guided audio tour of Choco-Story Bruges
- Dwell chocolate making demonstration & chocolate tasting
- Personalised audio information obtainable for kids in all 11 languages
- Seek the advice of an in depth library of works on cocoa and chocolate
- Speak to specialists about chocolate
Chocolate Workshop at Choco-Story Bruges
Put together for an hour of candy creations and uncover make your personal irresistible chocolate treats. Below the steering of an professional chocolatier, you’ll study new expertise and apply the artwork of chocolate making.
Along with the workshop, you’ll have the chance to go to the Choco-Story Museum, the place you’ll be taken on a culinary journey by the historical past of chocolate. Be amazed by an interesting demonstration of how chocolate is made and style the Belgian chocolate creations that can enchant your senses.
This enjoyable workshop offers you an unforgettable expertise and an opportunity to deepen your love of chocolate. So don’t hesitate and enroll now to create your personal candy delights and spend an unforgettable day on the Choco-Story Museum.
The museum has a candy and academic allure and affords many alternatives for interactive experiences. The workshop is relaxed and there’s loads of scrumptious chocolate to take dwelling.
Period: 1 hour
The Church of our Girl
On this church you possibly can uncover a world of inventive treasures.
Do you know that Bruges is dwelling to a Michelangelo treasure? The altarpiece within the church’s massive chapel enshrines a white marble sculpture of a sorrowful Madonna and Youngster created by Michelangelo round 1504. It was initially designed for the Piccolomini altar in Siena Cathedral. The sculpture was bought by the Moucron household of Bruges retailers and dropped at Bruges.
Within the choir of the church you possibly can admire the spectacular Ardour Triptych by the court docket painter Margaret of Austria, in addition to the mausoleums of Charles the Daring and his daughter Mary of Burgundy from the Fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.
The church additionally stands out for its 115.5-meter-high brick tower. This makes it the world’s second tallest brick tower.
Along with the Belfort and the Sint-Salvatorskathedraal, characterizes the “skyline” of Bruges. The inside of the church has been restored to its former glory.
Open Monday via Sunday from 9:30 am – 5:00 pm. Mariastraat, 8000 Brugge, Belgium
As you discover your approach south, cease for a wholesome, vegetarian lunch at De Bron.
Diners have a selection of mounted menus based mostly off portion dimension: soups, small, medium, and huge plates. Your waiter will assist clarify the menu in English. Most substances are regionally sourced and there’s additionally a good selection of natural beers.
To enter the restaurant, you’ll have to make use of the buzzer on the entrance door then enter by the door on the precise.
Katelijnestraat 82, 8000 Brugge, Belgium. www.eethuisdebron.be
And if shouldn’t focus that a lot on a wholesome lunch, and as an alternative wish to discover out in regards to the secrets and techniques of Belgium fries… then I like to recommend you:
Yeaph… French Fries are literally not French, however Belgium. Those who got here up with the concept ‘simply’ spoke French, what can occur in some components in Belgium. 🙂
When you like “French” Fries, then go to the Frietmuseum in Brugge.
Within the coronary heart of Bruges, in a historic constructing relationship from the 14th century, an thrilling perception into the historical past of potatoes and French fries awaits you.
Get sensible tips about make the proper crispy fries and take a look at them your self with quite a lot of scrumptious sauces.
Discover interactive reveals and let your children tackle the position of a French fry prepare dinner – an unforgettable expertise for younger and outdated alike.
When you’re a real fry fan, the Friet Museum in Bruges is the place to be. Immerse your self on the earth of those golden delicacies and uncover why Belgium is legendary for its fries. Right here you possibly can order scrumptious fried potatoes and sauces, discover the historical past of the potato and replenish on attention-grabbing details about French fries.
The modest Friet Museum is the proper place for an unforgettable day trip in Bruges.
Books and Brunch
This can be a chill spot to get caffeinated or munch on hearty salads, sandwiches, and sweets. It additionally doubles as a cool bookstore the place it’s straightforward to lose time perusing the printed phrase.
Open Monday via Friday from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm. Garenmarkt 30, 8000 Brugge, Belgium. www.booksandbrunch.be
Take a detour by the secluded gardens of Astridpark on the best way again to the town heart. Catch some contemporary air from tranquil spot on the grassy garden and watch the exercise across the gazebo and pond. This can be a good location for a picnic if the climate is sweet.
8000 Brugge, Belgium
Bruges Beer Museum and Beer Tasting
If that doesn’t sound like the precise afternoon exercise… Style totally different Belgium beer at Bruges Beer Museum.
Be taught in regards to the well-known and scrumptious Trappist and Abbey beers, the brewing course of, girls and beer, and meals pairing.
The Bruges Beer Museum affords a novel expertise that goes far past the idea of an strange museum. Right here you will discover interactive applied sciences that immerse you on the earth of beer, and naturally the scrumptious beer itself!
Take a self-guided tour and get an inside have a look at how beer is made, take part in a enjoyable quiz, and end the expertise with a refreshing beer within the bar.
Belgium’s beer tradition is famous, and the Bruges Beer Museum is the proper place to immerse your self on this world. Take a guided tour of the brewing course of, find out about substances and uncover the fascinating historical past of Trappist and Abbey beers. It’s also possible to discover ways to pair totally different beers with meals and expertise the historical past of girls and beer first-hand.
The museum additionally has one thing for the little ones: The Youngsters Tour is an entertaining story in regards to the Bruges Bear that may be learn or listened to in ten totally different languages. An ideal alternative for the entire household to find the Bruges Beer Museum!
Good to know: The venue supplies audio splitters for the blind and visually impaired with an escort. The hearing-impaired can expertise the identical tour as different guests by watching footage on the iPad Mini in Flemish signal language.
- Admission to the museum
- Beer tasting (3 samples of 15cl) (non-obligatory)
- Use of a pill with headphones for every customer over the age of 4
- Particular audio tour for kids
The Belfort Belfry is the tallest constructing within the outdated district. It used to carry municipal archives and function an commentary put up.
You’ll have the chance to climb the Belfry, an 83-meter-high Thirteenth-century tower that’s one in all Bruges’ three iconic landmarks. Climbers might be rewarded with unspoiled views and an up-close have a look at the carillon with 47 melodious bells. On the climb up, there are a few flooring with reveals in regards to the tower’s historical past and mechanics.
Along with the towers of the Church of Our Girl and Saint Salvator’s Cathedral, it types an imposing backdrop. When you’ve climbed the 366 steps, you’ll be rewarded with a panoramic view of Bruges and the encompassing space. Alongside the best way, you possibly can cease on the Treasury, which as soon as housed the magistrates, the town seal and the town treasury.
Upstairs, you will discover the spectacular music roll that controls the carillon. From the tower room you possibly can even see the piano on which the carillon is performed immediately. The carillon within the tower consists of 47 bells and is performed by a metropolis carillonneur. Particular carillon concert events will be heard in the course of the summer season months.
The Belfry is an impressive instance of medieval structure that displays the significance and self-confidence of cities and residents. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Web site since 1999, together with 55 different belfries in Belgium and France. This historic landmark of Bruges is to not be missed.
Beware, it may get loud up there when the bells ring! A restricted quantity of tourists are allowed up at a time, so count on a little bit of a wait.
Open day-after-day from 9:30 am – 6:00 pm. Admission: adults € 10,00; seniors and youth below 26 years € 8,00. Markt 7, 8000 Brugge, Belgium. www.visitbruges.be/en/belfort-belfry
Behind the Liebfrauen Church you’ll uncover the Bonifatius Bridge – a well-liked picture motif!
You can be amazed by the Boniface Bridge in Bruges. It might be one of many youngest bridges, but it surely symbolizes the town in a beautiful approach. There’s a mysterious environment right here and there are quite a few romantic and improbable views vying in your consideration.
Whatever the time of day, this can be a place of magical attraction that you just should see.
The encompassing panorama is solely enchanting and nearly fairytale-like. Proper subsequent to the bridge is the Resort Bonifacius, whose wood façade is so uncommon that it appears to have been taken straight from the tales of “The Lord of the Rings” or “The Hobbit”.
Shut by is the Gruuthuse Bridge, on which stands the white home of Arents – the one bridge in Bruges with a constructing on it.
Da Vinci’s Gelateria
You deserve a reward in any case that strolling and climbing. From the belfry, head a few blocks northwest to Gelateria Da Vinci’s to take pleasure in some luxurious, home-made gelato. When you get your dessert, seize a concrete seat within the close by sq. and luxuriate in.
Open Monday via Sunday from 11:00 am – 11:00 pm. Geldmuntstraat 34, 8000 Brugge, Belgium. www.davinci-brugge.be
Get Misplaced within the Aspect Streets
I spent the remainder of my afternoon exploring the quiet streets within the northern part of Bruges. The neighborhood and parks right here felt extra residential and canals narrower and extra intimate. When you have further time and power, wander to the jap boundary of the town to view among the metropolis’s outdated windmills. It was the proper finish to my day journey to Bruges.


This 1970 Honda CB350 is simply a beautiful example of easy to ride, start and enjoy scoots that toppled lethargic British and American motorcycle industries. These vintage Japanese bikes are difficult to find in decent shape as they were considered “throw away” bikes by many folks and they didn’t use the finest materials at that time, along with so many heavy handed riders who seized the engines trying to keep up with the old school iron bikes. This bike has survived with the typical war wounds but continues to provide smiles mile after mile!!
Getting close to completion, this all original Honda CB500 is putting up quite the struggle to remain in a stagnant state. Tires, brakes, exhaust, electronic ignition, valve service, carbs cleaned and fuel tank sealed has made it run beautifully, sometimes. Number four carb has too much damage to repair and a replacement is on the way…
This CB160 was customized by an amateur builder who did an outstanding job of making it look like a million bucks, but who lacked the skill to make it run and ride like it should.
That’s where G6 came in!! We replaced the pistons with 0.5 mm oversize and cleaned up the valve train, fixed several wiring issues, stopped oil leaks and adjusted the front forks correctly, cleaned and corrected many carburetor problems, then gave it a perfect tune-up to cap things off. Now this sweet ride runs as well as it looks!! And it’s an absolute blast to tool around on!!! Starts with one kick and settles into a perfect idle within a minute or so. Although I never took it over 3,000 RPM/40 MPH for a short break-in ride, it’s performance is remarkable, boasting 16.5 HP from it’s power plant!!
“Some people have all the fun” said Honda’s ads from 1966.


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I must admit to wondering what the hell a series with the slightly dubious name of Solty Rei may be about. But MVM's latest major title is not as s weird as its title suggests.
The story follows a hardbitten bounty hunter called Roy Revant
who plies his trade in world still recovering from a cataclysmic disaster known
as the Blast Fall. Resemble technology, a sophisticated form of cybernetic
repair and enhancement, has become the saviour of many of the survivors who have
replaced lost body parts with Resemble equivalents. However, such
technology is always open to misuse, and much of Roy's work involves hunting
down criminals who have used Resemble technology to enhance their bodies or
conceal weapons. However, criminals aren't the only thing Roy is hunting.
The Blast Fall separated him from his daughter, and his life mission is to find
her, if indeed she is still alive. His life is a bit monotonous, but
things get a little complicated when one dangerous bounty is stopped by a
green-haired girl falling on him. The girl has no memory of who she is but
demonstrates immense strength and power, and latches on to Roy as a parent
figure. Roy for his part wants nothing to do with her, but as you would
probably expect his rough demeanour hides a heart of gold, and he eventually
names her Solty and takes her in. Now Roy has to continue his search for
his daughter with the added problem of an impressionable, super-powered
surrogate following him everywhere and getting into trouble...
I must admit that Solty Rei wasn't exactly what I was expecting. The design of the lead character hinted at a kind of cyber-noir thriller with a rough diamond private investigator negotiating the seedy backstreets of a Blade Runner-esque city. The main character is called Roy Revant for god's sake, I mean, how cool a name is that? Visually it kind of lives up to the billing, with interesting design, some gorgeous backgrounds, cool characters and good action scenes. The music is good and the storyline solid enough, whilst the balance of
action, drama and comedy is relatively well handled. However, scratch below the surface and you discover a strangely familiar feel.
For all of its Blade Runner-esque setup and promising
style, it is just another anime series in which a hardbitten professional ends
up with a mysterious, super-powered and underage female sidekick. This
kind of dynamic has been done numerous times before - ADV's Noir,
Madlax and Najica Blitz Tactics spring instantly to mind - and the
harder edge the series initially has quickly gives way to by-the-numbers comedy
drama. It's disappointing really, at the start Roy is chasing down
super-powered Resembles across the city's rooftops, and by the end of the volume
he's dealing with comedy villains and a completely
unnecessary swimming pool episode. It's not badly done, it's just you've
seen it so many times before that it feels pointless and predictable.
There are a few glimmers of hope for future volumes however. Roy's search for his lost daughter is a refreshingly serious aside to the rest of the story, and mystery of Solty's past and current situation are still to be revealed. The animation isn't bad, and despite the familiarity of the story it is still entertaining to watch. However, you are always left with the nagging suspicion that it's not as good as it could have been. It's frustrating to see solid story elements relegated to the sidelines in favour of daft side stories about stealing
diamonds and the like. However, it's heartening to see that even these throwaway stories hint that not everything is as it seems in the city. A few references to a hidden underclass of people left homeless and without hope by the Blast Fall and an unspoken suggestion that someone is trying to create 100% Resemble agents lurk in the background, and the series may have some decent mileage if it starts to explore these elements.
Solty Rei vol 1 is an entertaining if somewhat throwaway volume that hints at more than it delivers. The central partnership of Roy and Solty is reminiscent of Ido and Gally in Battle Angel Alita, but by toning down the darker elements of the story in favour of comedy and formulaic filler it lacks the impact of Yukito Koshiro's cyberpunk tale. If Solty Rei had concentrated on what sets it apart rather than attempting to grab the teen audience it may have been a lot more interesting. As it is though this DVD is an enjoyable sci-fi actioner and with six episodes on the disc you get plenty of value for money, even if it does punch under its weight. Not bad, but strangely average.
Not bad, the usual trailer and clean opening and ending sequences are joined by a 15-minute talk by the English dub director in which he discusses how he cast the roles in Solty Rei. It's quite interesting, although you are unlikely to listen to it more than once.

domain: entertainment


text:
There is something so special about a Bluebell Wood in Spring. I love capturing the myriad of blues set against the new lime leaves on the trees. I created this painting using moss, leaves and twigs dipped into acrylic paint and applied to the canvas.
|40 x 30cm
|Number in edition:

domain: artistic


For a young man who has been able to legally drink alcohol in his own country for less than a month, Noah Lyles is not afraid to be bold with his grand plans.
Only injury and the vagaries of the global athletics calendar – which mean the Americans have no major championship this year – have prevented Lyles from already becoming a household name, for it seems almost inevitable that it is going to happen sooner rather than later.
Lyles will line up at the Birmingham Diamond League on Saturday as the fastest man in the world this year over both 100 metres and 200m, running 9.88sec for the former and a quite incredible 19.65sec for the latter.
Had he not picked up an injury at the United States trials last year, the chances are he would have walked away with a world 200m title that was won in a relatively pedestrian 20.09sec.
Those times alone are enough to stake his claim as the next big thing in the sport, but it is his effervescent personality, evident before and after he routinely beats the world’s quickest sprinters, that has led to suggestions he could do even more than that by transcending athletics in the same way Usain Bolt did.
Lyles regularly shows off dance moves from popular video games and YouTubers on the start-line, he backflips in celebration and when racing on May 4 – also known as Star Wars Day – this year he wore R2D2 socks and swung a make-believe lightsaber to mark his victory. He also customises his own shoes, raps original songs and in February had the word “Icon” tattooed just below his rib cage as a statement of what he wants to become.
This is not arrogance, just the natural exuberance of a 21-year-old who thrives on showmanship, with the athletic ability to back it up – a man who genuinely cares about the sport.
“Me, my mum and brother [400m runner Josephus] always talk about transcending the sport and making it better known,” he says.
“Track and field in America isn’t that big until the Olympics comes around and I want to change that.
“I’ve got a lot of kids come up to me and say they’ve only heard my songs and they’ve never seen me run. At first, I get upset, but then my mum says, ‘well you can’t get be upset, that means you’re transcending the sport’. And I’m like, ‘you know what, you’re right’.
“Hopefully I can keep improving on that and get a huge fan base from kids, who might not know I do track but just like what I do.”
It is an impressively grand outlook from someone who has long looked destined for big things.
The eldest son of two hugely talented 400m runners, Lyles won Youth Olympic 200m gold in 2014 before claiming the World Junior 100m title two years later and only missing out on the United States Olympic team by one place while still at high school. Last year – his first full season as a professional – he became only the fourth teenager to break 20 seconds for the 200m.
Even now, Lyles’s lack of physical maturity is immediately apparent in his beanpole-like physique that he admits he is longing to fully develop.
“Everyone has their special talent when it comes to running – I have a unique ability to have a lot of endurance and be able to hold my top-end [speed] for longer than most can,” he says. “I believe that’s one of my strongest abilities.
“I don’t have big bulging muscles. Although it’s harder for me to get those first few steps out than some of the other guys, who might even be a little bit more mature than me, having had time to develop their body, I can’t rush something that can only happen through time.
“I just have to wait for my body to develop more and more and hope that my muscles get stronger and stronger.
“Until then, I’m going to keep working on my technique, hoping I can put together a perfect race overall.”
Talk has already turned to just how fast he is capable of going. More naturally suited to the 200m, he has spoken of joining the elite band of sprinters – alongside Bolt, Yohan Blake and Michael Johnson – who have gone below 19.50sec.
In Birmingham, his attention will turn to the 100m, where he faces one of the toughest line-ups compiled this season, including compatriot Christian Coleman, who won world silver last year, former world champion Blake, and Britain’s European gold and silver medallists Zharnel Hughes and Reece Prescod.
Lyles believes he can go close to 9.85sec in that race, but he dreams – literally – of going much, much faster.
“I had a dream in 2016 and, I was preparing to run the semi-finals and the clock flashed 9.41sec,” he recalls.
“I ran up to my mum and said, ‘Mum, I just ran 9.41sec’, and she was like, ‘That’s nice, Noah’.
“I didn’t even feel like I was pushing in the race. It’s funny how you can take things from reality and put them into dreams.
“I do think I can run 9.41sec. I don’t know when it’s going to happen but I’m going to try my best and do everything in my power, to make it happen.”


text:
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
Editing, Day 15--Character Motivation
Welcome back, BGs. Hope y’all had a rockin’ fourth. We were at our home in Coeur d’Alene. I’ll tell ya, nobody can do Fourth of July quite like Cd'A.
Over the weekend, Cara had a question about including enough information about her character in the first 50 pages of her wip without slowing the story. Cara, that's really a question as to how to handle backstory. Check the archives here. I have this vague recollection of talking about backstory in February. If not, we can tackle that subject later. It's rather a big one.
And now—back to our AS.
We left off talking about the moment of change in Christy’s life—how she will decide to fight for herself. I told you about the “book in my head”—the way I may have written the story up to the point of this scene and what Christy would have suffered from Vince. Remember, as the author of our AS told us, Vince has burned her apartment, beaten her numerous times, stalked her, and generally won’t let her lead her own life without him. He’s now followed her here to her sister’s ranch.
I’m going to run the two paragraphs leading up to the change moment. These are the last paragraphs we rewrote.
Vince eased a wad of rope out of his jacket pocket. Let it dangle between his fingers, his eyes turning to slits. With an almost bored sniff, he planted his feet wide apart and began pulling the rope, inch by roughened inch, through his fist. Chin raised, he looked down upon Christy, smug, satisfied, distaste at her weakness curling one corner of his mouth.
“I have some special plans for you, girl.”
Here are the next two paragraphs according to my last rewrite of the scene.
She had to save herself. Do something. Her eyes darted, looking for a weapon.
Straw bale. Horse comb. Saddle soap bottle.
Now, of course, these paragraphs have hardly any character motivation for change other than the first line. The original AS had more than this because the author sensed intuitively that the scene required it. I took it out during our rewrites for sentence rhythm, etc., knowing we’d need to put CM back in, but in a different form. So here’s my rewrite for this section. Remember that Christy is on the ground, cradling her bleeding nose, as Vince plays with the rope.
Christy’s blurry eyes took in the taunt of his movements, the calculation upon his face, and she knew. From that first slap six months ago, her destiny had been set, hardened in the concrete of Vince’s twisted “love.” Her black eyes, the bruised arms hidden in long sleeves, the sore ribs. His spewed and vile words, aimed like poisonous arrows at her soul. Flames licking at her apartment, scattering her life treasures and her spirit to bitter ash. The stalking, the anger and jealousy. Now he’d followed her here.
Acid trickled through Christy’s veins.
She could imagine his focused planning, devoid of all conscience, wrapped in the rationalization of his warped justice. His search for the right length of rope, the stealth of his approach, his steely-eyed lurk as he awaited the perfect moment. Deserving as she was of his punishment, he would deny her a swift death. He’d want her to linger, suffer, to sputter her last breath in a plea for mercy.
Vince snapped the rope taut between his fists and leered.
Blades of pain knifed at Christy’s nose. Blood pooled in her cupped fingers, ran down the back of her throat. She lowered her hand and blinked watery eyes at the violent red in her palm. Shuddering, she wiped the mess on her jeans, smearing scarlet. She stared at the streaks. They screamed to her of all that he’d done—and what was yet to come.
Vince kicked her in the thigh. “Get up.”
Christy drew in a breath, and her gaze began roaming. Around herself, on the ground, near the barn door, looking for something, some makeshift weapon, anything to save herself. She saw a bale of straw. Horse comb. Saddle soap bottle. Boots.
Christy summoned every ounce of strength and resolve left in her. She would have one chance. Only one. Her muscles gathered, tightened, ready to spring. “Okay, Vince.” Whispered words of feigned defeat.
She rose slowly, head down, eyes on her target. Halfway to her feet, she lunged for the shovel. Grabbed its handle with both hands—and swung with all her might.
I’ll stop there.
You may notice numerous things about this passage. You may not agree with everything I’ve done. This is first draft writing, so I’ll probably look at it myself tomorrow and want to make changes. Even so, the concepts I’ve tried to follow would remain the same. One thing might particularly stand out to you. In this rewrite, there’s no sentence that tells of Christy’s decision to “take no more.” Her actual second of choice to save herself is not mentioned. Why in the world did I leave that out?
Tomorrow I shall attempt to explain myself.
Read Part 17


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(ChemotherapyAdvisor) – Scientists at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) have completed a systematic testing of all pair-wise combinations of the 100 small molecules currently approved as oncology drugs in the United States to discover whether any combinations may be effective in certain cancers, according to a presentation at the 24th EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium on Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics in Dublin, Ireland, November 7.
“A total of 300,000 combination experiments were required to evaluate 5,000 pairs of combinations in each of the NCI-60 cell lines,” noted Susan Holbeck, PhD, a biologist in the Division of Cancer Treatment and Diagnosis at the NCI.
The NCI-60 panel of human cancer cell lines—derived from nine different types of cancer—has been extensively molecularly characterized, including molecular profiling for many analytes, such as mRNA, microRNA, DNA sequence, protein expression, NDA methylation, and metabolites. “This provides a framework in which to investigate why a particular drug pair is active in one cell line, but not in another,” she said.
“Many groups are focusing on ‘rational’ combinations; i.e., making scientific inferences about which pathways it might make sense to block simultaneously with different drugs. We took a step back, and took an approach that tests all possible drug pairs. This allowed us to test not only the rational combinations, but also to explore drug pairs that otherwise would likely never be tested together,” including determining whether toxicity of specific combinations would require lower doses, which in turn “may not fully engage the targets,” she noted.
Results of xenograft testing identified some novel combinations that had improved activity over the most active dose of the single agents. “These results are promising, but we need to repeat and confirm them. There will be many more leads than we can possibly follow through on,” Dr. Holbeck said. “Once these data are published, the dataset, and tools to analyze it, will be made available on our web site for all to utilize as they wish.”
Prof. Stefan Sleijfer, scientific chair of the EORTC-NCI-AACR Symposium, from Erasmus University Medical Centre, The Netherlands, commented: “This study is interesting because of the use of combinations of drugs already approved and on the market, which were tested in cell lines that have been well characterized in terms of genetic profiles. If confirmed, this study will form a basis for future clinical trials on such combinations in well-defined patient groups.”
All data generated from the project is freely available at http://dtp.cancer.gov.
Abstract (select abstract #27):

domain: health


Kratom is under attack in Georgia! Please use this form to contact The Georgia House Rules Committee and urge them to AMEND HB 1160 to require the kratom study committee to look at the potential positive effects in additional to the potential negatives.
HR1160 was heard on 3/6 and 3/8 in the Georgia House Special Rules committee. The bill was passed out of committee on 3/8 with a do-pass recommendation and now heads to the House Rules Committee where it’s currently waiting to be scheduled for a hearing and possible work session.
The bill’s sponsor, Representative Dwayne Hill, testified before the committee in support of the bill.
Rep. Hill mentioned that he’s been speaking with a local coroner who was informing him about the recent “deaths associated with kratom.” The coroner also pointed him towards the recent FDA statements made by Scott Gottlieb.
Several questions were posed to Rep. Hill that indicated this is not the first time members of this committee have heard about kratom. The last time kratom was brought up in the Georgia legislature, they received “an outpouring” of opposition from kratom consumers and ended up not taking any action.
Rep. Jonathan Wallace called Rep. Hill’s coroner claims into question by asking if other drugs were included in the deaths that were reported. Hill admitted that they were, and went on to say that all the cases contained levels of kratom that were higher than the other drugs, therefore we should ban it. In referring to people who use kratom, Rep. HIll stated:
“If they are taking one, they are taking two. If they are two, they are taking three,” seemingly attempting to paint all kratom consumers as people who are addicted and thus don’t deserve access to safe alternatives to prescription opioids.
House Committee member Scot Turner asked about the recent public comment period when the DEA attempted to emergency schedule kratom in 2016. Rep. Hill said that he “has not seen any reports on what they have accumulated from those comments.”
It is clear that the authors of these bills have zero intent to study any of the potential positive effects of kratom, and thus we need to OPPOSE HB 1160 and its companion bills outright.
CALL TO ACTION: Please use this form to contact The Georgia House Rules Committee and urge them to AMEND HR 1160 to require the kratom study committee to look at the potential positive effects in additional to the potential negatives.


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Economist Diane Whitmore Schanzenbach discussed major policy issues including poverty, education, health and income support and how these policies impact children’s long-term outcomes. Her recent work focuses on tracing the impact of the Food Stamp Program and early childhood education on February 9 in the Pugh Hall Ocora.
Schanzenbach is the Director of the Hamilton Project and a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and she is an associate professor in the School of Education and Social Policy at Northwestern University. The event is free and open to the public.
Co-sponsors: Robert F. Lanzillotti Public Policy Research Center and The Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies

domain: sociology


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‘Reformation Day’ Nope!’
‘The Reformation’ is a misnomer if ever there were one, for in fact there was no ‘one’ Reformation any more than there was just one Reformer. ‘The Reformation’, when used by students and the general public, usually refers to the Reformation of Martin Luther which commenced at the end of October in the year of our Lord, 1517.
Even then, though, Luther’s intent wasn’t as earth-shattering as later ages took it to be. For Luther, the placement of a series of theses in Latin on the Church Door at Wittenberg Castle was nothing more than an invitation to debate. In other words, Luther didn’t see his act as the commencement of a revolution; he saw it as an academic exercise.
‘The Reformation’ is, then, little more than a label derived from historical hindsight gazing mono-focularly at a series of events over a period of time across a wide geographical landscape. Each Reformer had roots sunk in fertile ground and their work was simply the coming to fruition of generations of shift in the Roman Catholic Church.
Hence, it would be more appropriate to speak of ‘Reformations’ in the same way that we now speak of ‘Judaisms’ and ‘Christianities’. The Reformation was no monolith.
Who, then were the Reformers who gave birth to the Reformations most closely associated with them? They were Huldrych Zwingli, Martin Luther, and John Calvin, in just that order.
In 1515 while he was Pastor of the village Church in Glarus, Huldrych Zwingli began to call into question the dependence of the Church on the teachings of the Scholastics. He also questioned the value of the Vulgate for preaching and began earnest study of the Greek New Testament. There, memorizing the letters of Paul (in Greek) he discovered the Gospel which would come to feature so prominently in his Reforming efforts: Salvation is by grace, through faith, and not through works as proclaimed by the Scholastic theologians. By 1519, when he moved to Zurich to become the Pastor of the Great Minster, Zwingli was already well on his way to Reforming the worship of the Church and the administration of the ‘Sacraments’. In short order, within a few years, the Mass was abandoned and replaced by the ‘Lord’s Supper’ and the fixation of the Church on images was denounced and those images removed in due course.
Zwingli’s Reformation was carried out with the cooperation of the City government, which is why Zwingli, along with Luther and Calvin, were to be known to history as ‘Magisterial Reformers’. Not because they were ‘Magisterial’ but because each had the support of their city’s magistrates.
North of Zurich, in Wittenberg, Luther’s Reformatory efforts were coming to full steam around the same time. In 1520 he broke with Rome irrevocably with the publication of his stunning ‘On The Babylonian Captivity of the Church’. From there, there was to be no turning back. And here we must remind ourselves that at this juncture Luther was not dependent on the work of Zwingli, nor was Zwingli dependent on the work of Luther. Both were pursuing reform along parallel tracks, separately.
Further to the West of Switzerland a decade later John Calvin, an exile from France, a lawyer by training and a theologian by training and desire, began his own efforts at Reform. Several years after Zwingli’s death and long after Luther’s demise Calvin plodded away in Geneva attempting manfully to bring that raucous city to heel under the power of the Gospel.
Each of these Reformers were ‘Fathers’ of their own Reformation. Each was, originally, independent of the other and in many ways they tried very hard to retain that independence even when their common foe, the Church of Rome, was the target as their common enemy. Each contributed to ‘The Reformation’ in their own unique way.
If, then, we wish to honor their memory and their efforts, it behooves us to set aside our preconceptions or our beliefs that ‘The Reformation’ began on October 31, 1517. It didn’t. It began in 1515 in Glarus. And it began in 1517 in Wittenberg. And it began in Geneva in 1536.
Happy Reformations Days.

domain: history


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Some of the most important professionals in your children’s lives are their teachers and their doctors. Parents depend strongly on the skills and knowledge that these professionals bring to their jobs.
Teachers often have an opinion about what the doctor should do, and doctors often have an opinion about what the teacher should do for a child. It can be a real problem for parents to sort it all out, particularly since some medical professionals are not supportive of schools and school staff, and our culture gives doctors a much higher level of respect than teachers.
Experienced teachers have seen lots of children with various medical problems, and they can be very accurate in referring families for medical concerns. But all they should do is state the reasons for their concern and the symptoms they observe, and then make the referral. Teachers cannot make a medical diagnosis.
It is also inappropriate for principals, school psychologists, and guidance counselors to make medical diagnoses. And nobody at a school should ever tell you that your child needs medication. That’s actually against regulations! It is appropriate for school staff to give you their observations and their concerns, but after that any decision about medication is just between you and your doctor.
By the same token, experienced doctors have seen lots of children with developmental problems, and they can be very accurate in referring families for educational concerns. But all they should do is make the referral to the school by calling or writing a note to the teacher, the principal, or the Child Find Coordinator. It is inappropriate for doctors to write “Billy Brown needs an IEP” or “Amanda Smith is learning disabled” or “Josh Jones needs speech therapy” on a prescription pad. Doctors do this all the time, and parents often think they have a doctor’s order for services.
Doctors give orders in medical settings, but they cannot order a school to do anything. I’ve never met a doctor who understood the disability guidelines or the legal process for determining eligibility for special services at school. A doctor’s order does not supersede or replace those guidelines or that process.
Doctors provide important information for determining eligibility for services, and any medical information must be considered in educational decisions, but it is just one piece of a comprehensive evaluation.
When doctors suspect developmental disorders in children, they use medical and psychiatric guidelines to arrive at a diagnosis. The guidelines for these diagnoses are not the same as those used by school psychologists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and educators when determining eligibility for school services.
Educators must use the federal law (IDEA: Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and state regulations to determine if children are eligible for special education services. IDEA defines the disabling conditions that can be addressed through special education. Eligibility has three prongs: the child has a disability, the disability adversely affects the child’s educational performance, and the child requires special education services in order to receive a free and appropriate public education. All three criteria must be met for a child to be eligible for special education services.
Educators also use Section 504, another federal law, to determine if a child with a disability requires “reasonable accommodations” to participate successfully in regular education.
Doctors often refer parents to private agencies for evaluation in situations in which the school system is able to provide the necessary evaluations at no out-of-pocket cost to parents. Parents may prefer to have their children evaluated privately, but they should know all the options before making that decision. Just because something costs money doesn’t mean it is better! I have seen many sloppy, low quality private evaluations over the years, and many excellent ones provided by school personnel. And remember – the school evaluations are not actually free. They are paid for by your tax dollars.
Doctors make diagnoses. Educators determine eligibility for services. Doctors use medical diagnostic guidelines; educators use IDEA and Section 504. A doctor’s diagnosis alone does not make a child eligible for special services at school.
Just as school staff should never demand that a doctor give your child a diagnosis or medication, doctors should never demand educational services or an IEP.
Doctors and school staff must respect each other’s knowledge and expertise, and understand that the medical system and the educational system have different rules and procedures. Medical and educational professionals should focus on providing the information and expertise necessary to help you know your options and make the right decisions for your child.


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The one bedroom, two bathroom home at 370 N.W. 76th Ave. 304, Margate was sold on Nov. 27, 2018 by Ken and Frances Gargano Flore for $80,000. The buyer was Vincent Hernando.
In 2014, the property tax paid for this property was $957.74, which is 1.2% of the sale price of the home.
The last time this home sold was Aug. 24, 2018. It last sold for $44,000.
This property is one of 80 sales in Margate in November 2018.

domain: finance


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QBE Foundation announces 2017 charity partners
The QBE Foundation, the charitable arm of Australia’s largest global insurer, is delighted to announce its charity partners for 2017.
This year’s partners will see the Foundation building on existing relationships with four renewing partners - Brainwave, Camp Quality, The Big Issue and The Kids’ Cancer Project. Two new charities – Assistance Dogs Australia and Foodbank – have been awarded partner status for the first time in 2017.
In another first, one charity – The Kids’ Cancer Project – has been awarded a multi-year partnership, signing on for three years, during which time the Foundation will continue its support of an anti-cancer drug trial and other initiatives.
QBE Foundation Chairperson Sally Kincaid said all partners would help the Foundation achieve its objective of helping people in our community overcome disadvantage, strengthen their abilities, and live more independently, successfully and productively.
"The charities selected represent a wide range of causes across the country and we’re so incredibly proud to getting behind them and the work they do.
"Through appointing a select group for an annual partnership, it gives us the structure to build a relationship and really get to know the charities and their goals. It also allows our people to get involved, whether that be through volunteering, attending events, or sharing in the success stories when we work together to achieve great outcomes.
"We decided to consider multi-year partnerships for the first time this year. We recognise that certainty of funding is a challenge for the not-for-profit sector, so this allows us to commit to longer-term projects."
Ms Kincaid also announced all charity partners would have the opportunity to participate in the QBE Match Day event at the Sydney Swans, where QBE is a principal partner.
"We launched this initiative last year and it was hugely successful, providing a wonderful opportunity for us to give back to the hard-working people within the charities, as well as their beneficiaries, to have relaxing day out at the football."
Ms Kincaid said the charity partners were a very important part of the Foundation’s work, but also supported a wide variety of causes through other activities.
"Our people play a huge part in the work we do to support the community. The Foundation selects the charities we wish to work with in partnership for the year, but we also have a number of other programs in place for our people to get behind the cause that matter to them.
"They can apply for local grants up to $10,000, donate through workplace giving, have their own fundraising efforts supported by QBE through employee matching, and everyone is given the opportunity to participate in staff volunteering, which is hugely popular and a great team building exercise."
QBE charity partners are provided with a one-off donation between $50,000 and $100,000, and a 12-month commitment of support from the Foundation. They also offer QBE employees volunteering opportunities throughout the year, allowing our people to provide more than just financial support to those in need.
To be considered as a charity partner, organisations must be a registered charity and are required to complete an application form detailing their funding sources and the project for which they are seeking support. Charities that align with the QBE Foundation’s philosophy and objectives are invited to submit their applications for partnership between June and September each year.
For further information please contact:
Senior Communications Specialist
QBE Australia & New Zealand
Mobile: 0435 688 785
About the QBE Foundation
The QBE Foundation supports charities that help people overcome disadvantage, strengthen their abilities and live more independently, successfully and productively. Launched in 2011 to coincide with its 125th anniversary, the Foundation formalises QBE’s long history of supporting communities.
The objectives of the Foundation are:
- To make a difference in key areas that align with QBE’s vision and values.
- To drive employee engagement by developing networking and a strong team-based culture.
- To maximise the return and impact for any collection, distribution and allocation of philanthropic resources.
QBE’s corporate responsibility mirrors our insurance role in the community where we are uniquely placed to assist people when they find themselves in need through accident or misadventure.
For more information visit https://www.qbe.com.au/about/community/foundation

domain: news


Cheers and Jeers (Dec. 22, 2015)
Cheers: Lodi OKs cameras for police officers
Lodi joined many communities across the country in approving body cameras for its police officers.
Lodi City Council approved $20,233 last week for the purchase of cameras. Grant funds will be used for the balance of the cost.
In San Joaquin County, Lodi joins Stockton, Manteca, Tracy and Ripon as communities with police body cameras. The San Joaquin Sheriff’s Office is testing and soon is likely to join those law-enforcement agencies.
Cheers: Raffle a huge success
Touchdown, San Joaquin County nonprofits!
The eighth annual Super Bowl Raffle, run by the Spanos family and the Community Foundation of San Joaquin, raised a record $507,000 to help local charities.
There were 50 total prizes, including six grand prizes donated by the Spanos family — two Super Bowl tickets and $2,000 in cash.
The Super Bowl will be played at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara this season.
“We’re very happy with how things turned out,” Dea Spanos Berberian said.
Jeers: A brutal day
A homicide in Stockton — the 46th of the year. A homicide in Lodi. Charges against a sheriff’s deputy’s wife, and expected against the deputy, in the death of their 12-year-old adopted daughter.
All of that happened on one day last week. It’s tragic and depressing.
Life must be valued. Those who have such little regard for life that they’ll take it away from another human being must be punished.
The community aches at more and more of these types of incidents.
A couple of days earlier, citizens gathered for a vigil against gun violence. Five hours before that, a teenager had been shot and killed in northeast Stockton.
Cheers: Job well done
Brenna Butler Garcia was a strong leader for the San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
She joined the agency in 2012 and served as its chief executive. Earlier this year, she received the Athena Young Professional Award — given to women who excel in business and leadership at a young age.
Last week, it was announced Butler Garcia will leave her post on Jan. 8 to become marketing manager for the Western States Petroleum Association, based in Sacramento.
We congratulate her on this career opportunity. While this leaves an important position to fill at the chamber, it also creates an opportunity.
“We’re just looking for the next bright star out there,” said Sylvester Aguilar, chamber board president.
Cheers: Working for children
The concept makes so much sense: a bill of rights for children.
Last week, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors directed staff to help create such a concept in conjunction with the Children’s Alliance.
That alliance comprises governmental agencies and non-profits from throughout the county.
The need is immense: Between 2012 and 2014, the number of families living in poverty increased by 14 percent. The agencies also are concerned about domestic assault cases involving children.
All involved have rightly made this a priority.
Cheers: Mock trial lessons
San Joaquin County’s legal community always has had impressive outreach efforts. The annual mock trial for fifth graders is an excellent example.
Students gathered at the courthouse last week to take over all the roles in a trial — judge, lawyers, jurors, defendant and more.
The case involved the “Big Bad Wolf” from children’s literature. Ultimately, students found him not guilty in the death of two little pigs.
But the real winners were the students collectively. They received a lesson on many facets of the legal system.
“They get up here in a real courtroom, and alone, they present their part of the trial,” said Supervising Civil Judge Barbara Kronlund. “I truly marvel at how the students, after four short hours of work with us in their classroom, manage to execute their roles so well at this tender age.”


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Stocks witnessed positive trend in early hours of trading on Monday as some investors are showing their buying interest on sector-wise issues.
Following the previous day’s big fall, the Dhaka Stock Exchange (DSE) and the Chittagong Stock Exchange (CSE) saw upward trend, but trading activities remains low.
After 30 minutes of trading, DSEX advanced more than 14 points while the CSE All Share Price Index (CASPI) of port city’s bourse gained 10 points at 11:00am when the report was filed.
DSEX, the prime index of the DSE, went up by 14.75 points or 0.33 per cent to stand 4,403 points at 11:00am.
Two other indices also saw positive trend till then. The DS30 index, comprising blue chips, rose 4.84 points to reach at 1,497 and the DSE Shariah Index gained 4.52 points to stand at 1,016 points till then.
Turnover, the important indicator of the market, stood at Tk 642 million on DSE when the report was filed at 11:00am.
SK Trims & Industries was the most traded stocks till then with shares worth Tk 60 million changing hands, closely followed by LafargeHolcim Bangladesh, SS Steel, Oimex Electrode and Orion Infusion.
Of the issues traded till then, 160 advanced, 54 declined and 62 remained unchanged on the DSE trading floor.
The port city’s bourse – the Chittagong Stock Exchange – (CSE) also saw positive trend till then with CSE All Share Price Index- CASPI-advancing 10 points to stand at 13,422 points, also at 11:00am.
The Selective Category Index – CSCX – also rose 7.0 points to stand at 8,137 points till then.
Of the issues traded till then, 31 advanced, 14 declined 11 issues remained unchanged with Tk 32 million in turnover.
© 2020 - All Rights with The Financial Express


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Dr Joe Abbey, a renowned economist and the Executive Director of the Centre for Economic Policy Analysis (CEPA), on Wednesday noted that the current political terrain in Ghana is scaring off foreign investors, making them feel insecure about the future of their investments.
He said the uncertainties that characterised the financial indiscipline in the last 18 months of an election year and the huge government spending often led to inflation and the fall in the purchasing power of the cedi against the dollar and other foreign trading currencies.
Dr Abbey, who was proving a point as the Chairman of the Institute for Democratic Governance’s (IDEG) third reflection seminar on Political Transitions in Accra on Wednesday said the situation led to high cost of doing business.
He said investors are worried and needed assurances that their businesses would be insulated from the challenges of economic mismanagement that often characterised an election year.
Dr Abbey suggested that the Bank of Ghana (BoG) should come up with a package that would give investors assurance of stability of the national economy.
He also urged the BoG to place measures in place to cut down on undue government spending to prevent inflation and lower the cost of doing business without disruption.
The seminar which was under the topic: “Economic Management during Political Transitions: Perspective of Former Finance Ministers,” was part of efforts by IDEG to enhance Ghana’s democratic governance process and provided a platform for past Government Officials who served in the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MoFEP) to share their experiences, from which the nation could draw lessons to improve upon future transition processes.
It was attended by participants from the Ministries, Departments and Agencies , traditional institutions, development partners, the academia, private sector, civil society organisations (CSO’s) and the media.
Dr Abbey said it was clear from the country’s recent history that institutional vacuum that was characteristic of Ghana’s transition politics had had negative effects on the management of the economy.
He indicated that in almost every election year the incumbent government had indulged in excessive or inflationary spending and generally managed the economy in accordance with what it regarded to be politically rational.
He stressed that the political management of the economy becomes worse during transition elections when an incumbent government was likely to be voted out.
Dr Abbey said during such periods the fiscal accounts of the State are managed without prudence and with less transparency.
He said such poor economic management during an election year and particularly during transition elections had resulted in considerable economic instability, distortions, policy constraints and the loss of investor confidence in the immediate post election years.
He said Ghana could not boast of a credible transition devoid of personal hatred and vengeance between the victor and the vanquished.
Dr Abbey advocated the strengthening of the Civil Service to make it more efficient and responsible to handle the transitional process of the country.
Although he commended the call for the passage of the Transition Bill which would set the guidelines for the process, he noted that it would not be a panacea for a peaceful process unless the personalities involved changes their negative attitudes towards each other”.
Dr Abbey stressed that it was important that Ghanaians became modest in their undue pressure on governments to increase their spending as the consequences could be detrimental to the socio-economic status of both the people and the development of the country.
According to him a World Bank study had already revealed that government on an election year spends about one and a half per cent higher of than its national income on political arrangements, which leads to further weakening of the economy.
He called for a swift action and advocacy by CSO’s to correct the challenge and further hold politicians accountable for their vague promises that often lead to untold pressure and fulfillment by the public.
Dr Anthony Akoto Osei, a former Minister of State at the MoFEP in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) Administration from 2004 to 2008, said his party did not inherit any precedent in political transition and therefore had to struggle to find its own way through.
He admitted that that the challenges faced during transitional period had nothing to do with politics but was a typical negative Ghanaian cultural attitude that needed to change in order to achieve peace and order in the country’s democratic process.
Dr Osei pointed out that the absence of a transitional system gave room for political vengeance, mistrust and exhibition of sudden hatred even among old friends.
He supported the strengthening of the Civil Service to handle the transition in order to prevent the confrontations and tensions that often ensued between a winning party and the vanquished during the transition process and bring about peace, continuity and sustained development.