UPDATED: October 2016
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Menlo Park is responsible for building and maintaining a community bike network that enables most bicyclists safe, convenient and comfortable (“stress-free”) …
(1) access to all popular destinations within our city and
(2) connections to neighboring ones.
A best-in-class bike network can be in-place within the next five years (2021-2022) with key elements installed within the next two. (Note: this is ambitious given that no major additions have been made during the past 15 years.)
So how well is Menlo Park carrying out its responsibilities?
Read my assessment (and recommendations) …
and make up your own mind.
What Bicyclists Need & Want
Bicyclists generally prefer the most direct route to a destination but will take alternatives to avoid streets perceived as either unsafe or too stressful (uncomfortable). However, bicyclists have a limited willingness to go out of their way to find more acceptable riding conditions. If the shortest route that avoids high-stress links involves too much of a detour, cyclists generally either take the higher stress more direct street or simply choose to ride in a vehicle rather than on a bike. Bike riders who commute, do chores, shop, and travel to destinations such as schools and parks are very sensitive to detours. They will accept detours, but only if short and necessary to avoid unsafe and stressful streets. Bicyclists who ride for fun and exercise have different preferences and expectations. They value the features of individual bike routes, are usually less time-constrained, enjoy a variety of different routes, and therefore, more tolerant of detours.
Contemporary bike network designers (1) classify bike riders according to their capabilities and willingness to ride in different types of environments and (2) classify riding environments according to three primary factors – convenient, safety, and comfort (stress). A bike network can include streets with different types of facilities, e.g bike lanes, signage and street markings, separate bike paths, and suitable neighborhood streets that lack bike facilities. The overall goal is to enable most bicyclists to ride to popular destinations and encourage them to do so.
General Assessment of The Menlo Park Bike Network
Despite the popularity of local bike riding Menlo Park has NOT demonstrated a strong commitment to building a first-class community bike network.
- The city lacks the most basic north-south and east-west bike corridors most bicyclists need to ride to popular destinations.
- On many streets popular with bicyclists, riders must share vehicle lanes with much faster motorists, e.g., University, Menlo, section of Ravenswood near El Camino. This is situation is stressful and unsafe for both and negatively impacts vehicle circulation. Painting “sharrows” is a poor substitute for suitable bike lanes.
- Critical existing bike network problems were identified in the Menlo Park Comprehensive Bike Plan (2005) and again in the more recent in city Specific Plan (2012). Unfortunately, the city bike network plans have not been updated to reflect current needs, planned commercial developments on El Camino and the major advances in U.S. bike network design during the past five years.
- Menlo Park significantly lags more bike-friendly Peninsula cities like Palo Alto. For example, “new bikeways“ would roll out alongside one of the busiest stretches of Embarcadero Road in Palo Alto as part of a road-improvement project that the city’s Planning and Transportation Commission heartily endorsed Wednesday night.” In contrast, no new streets have been added to the Menlo Park bike network for over a decade.
- There appears to be a lack of strong bike advocacy on the city council and commitment to greatly improving the quality of the Menlo Park biking environment
- The city evaluates individual bike improvement projects in a piecemeal fashion, e.g., El Camino Corridor Study and the Oak Grove bike corridor, rather than with the “systems” approach preferred by bike-friendly cities.
- Too often the city makes decisions without the assistance of bike network design professionals who could provide needed advice and analysis. City staff and the bike commission lack the experience and expertise that is essential to design complex bike networks and evaluate potential impacts on motorists, pedestrians, property owners and businesses.
Recent City Bike Planning Activity
- In early 2015 a transportation consultant determined the technical feasibility of adding bike lanes to El Camino Real and the City Council directed city staff to investigate specific issues relating to a possible year-long field trial. In May 2016 the City Council to proceed with a trial and re-allocated resources to other city projects.
- In 2016 the city bike commission proposed a field trial of new bike lanes on University between Middle and Live Oak and on Oak Grove between Crane and Middlefield and in July launched a study of the feasibility of a permanent installation. As of October the next City Council review is now expected in December 2016.
- In the spring of 2016 the bike commission recommended that the current plan to add bike lanes to Middle between University and Alma be scrapped and replaced by a bike route that would require bicyclists to cross this highway several blocks south at Cambridge. The original route would serve Nealon Park and the Safeway Plaza, cross El Camino at Middle, cross Middle Plaza (500 ECR) on the east side and then continue under the train tracks to Alma. As of October the City Council had not reviewed , the city had not yet taken any action on this recommendation.
- In January 2016 the city announced it had received a commitment from OneBayArea to fund most of the $500, 000 needed to improve the Valparaiso-Glenwood bike corridor between Elder (west side) and Laurel (east side). This work will be completed in 2016.
- In May the City Council decided not to pursue the idea of adding bike lanes along El Camino, a subject of the multi-year, El Camino Real Corridor Study. Read my letter to the City Council.
- In July the City Council approved a study of the desirability and feasibility of building an Oak Grove bike corridor between University and Laurel. It agreed that the City should use the services of Alta Planning & Design, a highly respected bike network consulting firm that worked on Menlo Park’s Comprehensive Bike Network Plan in 2005. A needs assessment will be conducted in August and September and reviewed by the City Council in October.
=> View City Bike Network Planning History (Past Decade) and Current Bike Commission Perspectives.
My General Perspectives
Menlo Park needs to greatly accelerate its investments in it community bike network.
- Create clear strategic policies that demonstrate its commitment to building a first-class bike network that provides convenient, safe and “stress-free” routes to ALL popular destinations.
- ALWAYS utilize a systematic approach to designing its bike network, one based on contemporary methodologies for evaluating needs and solutions.
- ALWAYS Leverage the expertise of bike network design professionals whenever planning and designing new improvements.
- ALWAYS perform a sound impact analysis when evaluating proposed major improvements.
- ALWAYS establish reasonable success criteria when performing field trials and making actual bike network improvements.
- ALWAYS conduct a rigorous public outreach program to educate residents and genuinely solicit feedback.
Strategic Priorities Recommendation
Menlo Park should establish two primary strategic priorities for its bike network.
- Eliminate the unsafe and stressful conditions that currently exist on streets already popular with bicyclists AND motorists, ones where bikes must share lanes with heavy and faster vehicle traffic because there currently are no bike lanes. Examples: Menlo , University, and Ravenswood Avenues.
- Complete the creation of a core bike network grid that provides convenient east-west and north-south connectivity that is safe and comfortable (stress-free).
The preferred new bike facilities should be “protected bike lanes” (also now called “cycle tracks”) which consist of dedicated bike space separated from vehicle lanes by buffers and physical visual guides, e.g., flexible posts between intersections and driveways.
(Fortunately, the two strategic objectives can be accomplished by adding protected bike lanes to an overlapping set of streets.)
Priority 1: Eliminate Existing Unsafe and Uncomfortable Bike Conditions
Menlo Park has a number of streets popular where bicyclists and motorists legally enjoy equal rights regarding the use of a single vehicle lane. Most streets are marked with “sharrows”, large symbols that combine a chevron and bike rider. Unfortunately, sharrows offer no protection and little comfort for either bicyclists or motorists.
Many motorists and bicyclists do not understand what sharrows mean so these bicyclists still ride too close to parked cars rather than in the center of the vehicle lane and these motorists expect the bicyclists to move out of their way.
Given the prevailing shortage of patience and prevalence of distractions these situations encourage frequent motorist-bicyclist conflicts.
The following streets are heavily used by motorists who regularly travels much faster (25+ mph) than bikes (10 to 15 mph). This large speed differential makes most bicyclists uncomfortable, and the vehicle traffic flow is significantly reduced when there is not sufficient space to pass bikes. (Note: motorists are required by law to allow at least three feet.)
- University Avenue between Middle and Santa Cruz Avenue. (sharrows)
- Menlo Avenue between University and El Camino Real. (sharrows)
- Ravenswood Avenue between El Camino Real and Noel. (sharrows)
- Middle Avenue between University and the Safeway shopping plaza. (no sharrows)
Priority 2: Build A Core Bike Network Grid
Most bicyclists want “good options” for our families and ourselves to ride to ALL popular destinations within Menlo Park and in neighboring communities. Good options means the available routes are convenient, safe and stress-free (comfortable). Given the popularity of biking in our area our city government should view our expectations reasonable and understand why so many residents are disappointed by our city’s failure to eliminate the most glaring and long recognized problem in our community bike network, the lack of “good” east-west bike corridors that enable us to cross El Camino without unacceptable detours. Until this is provided we will continue to drive our families and ourselves to local schools, offices, stores, parks, paling fields, restaurants, residential complexes and the gym, swimming pools, library, train station, and civic center. (Note: most elementary school students attend neighborhood schools on their own side of El Camino. The following places attract large numbers of users, e.g., students, employees, customers.
Elementary Schools: Oak Knoll, Encinal, Laurel (Upper & Lower Campuses), Nativity, Peninsula, St Joseph’s, Menlo School, Sacred Heart Schools=> young riders with and without adult companions
Middle Schools: Hillview, Nativity, Peninsula, Menlo School, Sacred Heart Schools=> Young riders without adult companions
High School: Menlo-Atherton, Menlo School, Sacred Heart => teens/young adults
Retail Businesses: Safeway Plaza, Draeger’s, Trader Joes, Walgreen’s, Cafe Barrone, Pete’s and Starbuck’s (Downtown), Le Boulangerie, Victoria Station, Wells Fargo
Bank Branches: Wells Fargo, Republic, BOA, Union Bank
Residential Complexes: Station 1300 (ECR), Middle Plaza (500 ECR), Sharon Heights,
Parks & Recreational Facilities: Burgess, Nealon, Flood, Gym, Swimming Pools, Tennis Courts
Government Services: Library, Civic Services, Train Station, Post Offices, VA Menlo Park Division
Offices: Cornerstone, 800 ECR (Schwab), SRI, Alma Station, Facebook, East Menlo Industrial Parks
Neighboring Communities: large residential apartments, downtown shopping districts, office parks, Stanford University, Stanford Shopping Center
Most Popular Menlo Park Destinations – Maps
The bike infrastructure information on the first map comes from the San Mateo County Bike Map.
Blue = Bike lanes Yellow = Bike Routes (lines separate bikes and vehicles) Orange = Recommended routes (no separation of bikes and vehicles)
Poor Bike Access To Popular Menlo Park Destinations
Gaps in the existing bike network force bicyclists to either accept long detours, ride on streets that cause discomfort, or simply abandon bikes for cars. The table rated how well the existing bike network serves bicyclists who want to travel to popular destinations. Good means existing bike facilities are acceptable. Fair means they are acceptable but with undesirable detours. Poor means that unacceptably long detours are required. A more comprehensive analysis would consider actual detour distances, intersections, traffic controls and vehicle cross traffic and could be performed by a bike network design professional.
In the chart above…
- North refers to neighborhoods located between Valparaiso and Santa Cruz on the west side and between Encinal and Oak Grove on the east side.
- Central refers to neighborhoods located between Santa Cruz and Middle on the west side and between Oak Grove and Ravenswood on the east side
- South refers to neighborhoods located between Middle and Creek on the west side and between Ravenswood and Willow on the east side.
A Natural Menlo Park Bike Network Grid
In July 2008 Menlo Park adopted a Vision Plan for Downtown and El Camino Real that includes “greater east-west connectivity, town-wide” and “an integrated, safe and well-designed pedestrian and bicycle network” as primary city objectives.
The two main problems are:
- The lack of convenient, safe and comfortable routes for crossing El Camino.
- The lack of convenient, safe and comfortable access to Downtown from both sides of El Camino Real.
Menlo Park has a small number of streets that are natural places to build a bike network grid with convenient, comfortable and safe east-west and north-south bike corridors. These would enable access to schools, downtown, and all popular destinations on either side of El Camino Real. Many of the elements are already in place but significant “gaps” now exist.
Blue lines => Existing bike lanes Orange = Existing bike routes
Green and purple lines =>either new bike lanes, cycle tracks or cycle paths
North-South Travel (Existing)
- The Alameda de Las Pulgas has bike lanes and is a popular bike connector between Stanford, Sand Hill Road, Valparaiso, and points beyond.
- The San Mateo -Wallea is a bike route and is a popular connector between Stanford, Bay Laurel, Middle, Santa Cruz and Valparaiso.
- University has only “shadow” street markings and is a popular bike connector between Creek, Middle, and Menlo.It has no bike lanes.
- Alma has bike lanes and is a popular connector between Palo Alto, Willow and Ravenswood.
- Laurel has bike lanes and is popular bike connector between Palo Alto, Willow, Ravenswood, Oak Grove, Glenwood and Encinal.
- Middlefield has bike lanes and is popular connector between Palo Alto, Willow, Ravenswood, Oak Grove, Glenwood, Encinal and Redwood City.
North-South Travel Gaps
- University should have bike lanes to protect current bicyclists and encourage more usage.
- Bike lanes on Garwood Way, 1300 ECR and Oak Grove between ECR and Alma are needed to create a Alma-Garwood bike corridor between Willow, Ravenswood, Oak Grove, Glenwood and Encinal that parallels El Camino and Laurel.
East-West Travel (Existing)
- Valparaiso has bike lanes between The Alameda and Laurel
- Encinal has bike lanes between Laurel and Middlefield.
- Santa Cruz has bike lanes between Avy and University.
- Ravenswood has bike lanes between Laurel and Middlefield.
- Willow has bike lanes between Alma, Laurel, Middlefield and part way to Highway 101.
East-West Travel Gaps
- Menlo and Ravenswood should have a combination of bike lanes and bike paths to protect current bicyclists and encourage more usage. Together this connector would become the central east-west bike corridor between University, El Camino., Alma, Laurel and Middlefield.
- Middle should have bike lanes from Olive to the Safeway shopping center and eventually to Alma (via a bike tunnel under the tracks).
- Oak Grove should have bike lanes between El Camino and Laurel.
Universal Bike Access To Popular Destinations
The recommendations that follow would improve the convenience of riding to every popular destination.
Students could travel to ALL schools located either across El Camino Real or on the same sides as their homes – safely, conveniently and comfortably.
My Specific Recommendations
- Do NOT invest in bike lanes on El Camino Real. A small percentage of bicyclists will use them, the “confident and courageous” along with inexperienced ones who should not ride on this busy highway. The majority of bicyclists would view riding in these bike lanes as unsafe and too stressful especially given convenient alternatives.
- DO invest in a much improved bike corridor on Menlo and Ravenswood Avenues and on street approaches like University Avenue between Middle and Menlo. This corridor would include a separate bike path on City property that runs roughly parallel to Ravenswood between Alma and Laurel Streets. And in the future this cycle path might be extended to Middlefield Road if SRI supported this improvement.
- Add bike lanes on Garwood Way between Encinal and Oak Grove and on Oak Grove between El Camino Real and Laurel. Most of these improvements will be funded by Greenheart as part of the Station 1300 development project.
- Add bike route signs on Alma between Ravenswood and Oak Grove and bike crosswalks at the Ravenswood-Alma intersection.
- Add bike route signage to Middle between Olive and University; possibly upgrade to buffered bike lanes in the future after Middle Plaza is completed.
- Do NOT invest in an Oak Grove Corridor between University and Middlefield. Bike lanes already exist on Valparaiso, and Menlo Park has received funding for improvements on Valparaiso and on Glenwood Avenues between El Camino and Laurel. Valparaiso and Glenwood are the natural place for a bike corridor at the north end of the city.
Specific Network Design Challenges
One reason Menlo Park does not have a first-class bike network is the existence of places where adding bike facilities is not simple. That means good solutions are not obvious to most people. However, professional network planners and designers encounter difficult situations on a regular basis and know how to deal with them. They can tailor solutions that optimize the Menlo Park bike network. I believe the following ideas warrant careful consideration.
Challenge 1 – University Avenue Cycle Tracks
These bike facilities (formerly called protected bike lanes) would run from Middle to the intersection with Menlo Avenue and provide a better approach to downtown AND crossing El Camino. Street parking spaces would be eliminated and the vehicle lanes narrowed.
Challenge 2 – Menlo Avenue Cycle Tracks
Ideally these would be two-way bike facilities installed only on the south side of Menlo Avenue. This would minimize the loss of street parking spaces, and bike riders would cross paths with vehicles only when entering side streets when riding in the direction of Santa Cruz Avenue. Signage and street markings could encourage bicyclists to enter and exit Menlo only at stop signs, e.g., at Crane and Doyle.
Challenge 3 – University Cycle Path (Santa Cruz to Menlo)
A cycle path would separate bikes and vehicle and enable bike riders to travel between Santa Cruz Avenue and Menlo Avenue. This could be a two-way bike path along the sidewalk in Fremont Park and bike riders could share the short section of sidewalk between Fremont Park and the Menlo intersection.
Challenge 4 – El Camino Real Crossing At Ravenswood
Continue the two-way bike lanes on Menlo across the south side of the intersection. Include signage and green lane markings. This would bicyclists riding west on Ravenswood to avoid encounters with motorists making right turns. The bike lanes would terminate near the sidewalk on the south side of Ravenswood.
Challenge 5 – Ravenswood Bike Lanes Between El Camino and Alma
Continue the two-way bike lanes along the Ravenswood sidewalk until reaching the pedestrian gate for the train. Allow bicyclists to share the short section of sidewalk between the gate and Alma. Provide yield-to-pedestrian and 5 mph max speed limit signage. Mark this section of the sidewalk with green paint.
Challenge 6 – Ravenswood Cycle Path
Transition to a two-way cycle path that starts near the library, crosses under the oaks on City property, passes behind the X, and reconnect with Ravenswood at Laurel. This enables a complete separation of bike and vehicle on a beautiful path. (Note: Perhaps SRI would enable this cycle path to be extended to Middlefield in the future.) Ravenswood already has bike lanes between Laurel and Middlefield Road.
Challenge 7 – Potential Impact of High Speed Rail
The implementation of high speed rail would require the reconfiguration of Ravenswood between El Camino and Laurel to accommodate an underpass. However, this event should only impact the bike lanes between El Camino and Alma as any underpass should include bike access to a cycle path between Alma and Laurel. Therefore, the uncertainty surrounding the timing of high speed rail and the design of an underpass should NOT impede the installation of bike facilities the other section of a Menlo-Ravenswood bike corridor. Their value will NOT change.
Contemporary Bike Network Design
In 2012 a new approach to designing bike networks was introduced with the publishing of Low Stress Bicycling And Network Connectivity and this methodology is now widely used by professional designers of urban and suburban bike networks in the United States. The central philosophy and approach leverages the extensive experience of the Dutch who are recognized as world leaders in bike network design.
The new design methodologies make a number of key assumptions about bicyclist behavior and best design principles.


Here’s the 4th edition of the Weekly Finesse, compiled by your host One Phat DJ, featuring Roberto De Carlo, Audio Jackerz, Dave Doyle and a classic Z Record track.
This is what soulful house is all about. That infectious bass-line combined with quality production and great vocals make this a firm favourite from GoGo Music.
I’m not normally one for commercial remixes but Dave Doyle has a real knack for adding some handbang house fun to everything he touches (remember his remix of Beverley Knight’s “Moma Used To Say” in Finesse 39?). Just try not to move your ass to this remix of Bluey Robinson.
Talk about a disco reprise? Audio Jacker and How2 Groove have come up trumps on this fun-tastic jackin’ remix of the disco sample. Great vibes as part of an excellent 3-track “Dance Dance Dance” EP from the guys.
This classic disco house track from 2000 has been dug out of the Z Records archives and re-released in digital format. Excellent hooks and uplifting vocals have made this one of my favourites for the week, if not the month. Also available on Beatport.


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Inspiration Friday (but posted on Saturday).
I am sure most people have seen this video by now. But it's so adorable and so filled with truth that I had to re post here. Watch and smile!!
There are so many aspects of life that make it beautiful and I love digging through reality and finding the dreams that so many of us have. If something or someone has inspired you, please email me! We can share some smiles. firstname.lastname@example.org
In addition to the video: I watched the movie October Baby this week and fell in love with the sound track. A faith based movie with some beautiful music.
One of my favorites: Mandi Mapes, Enjoy! and BE INSPIRED!!!!

domain: artistic


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California Wine Country Getaway
Editor’s Escape I love wine. Although I strive to learn more about wine traits, styles and etiquette, I’m certainly no expert. A few years ago, friends of mine and I began a quarterly wine club. We thought it was a great way to increase our wine knowledge and have fun at the same time. After […]Read more
6 Great Places in the Carolinas for a Magnificent Martini
National Martini Day is June 16, so we thought we’d share some of our favorite spots in the Carolinas to celebrate. Remember, no matter where you enjoy a cocktail, always make sure to designate a driver if you plan to drink! North Carolina Bittersweet, Raleigh At Bittersweet you can have your cake and drink it, […]Read more
3 Reasons to Love Charlotte SHOUT!
Coming in under the wire on the last day of Charlotte SHOUT!, my family and I spent a Saturday exploring a few of the festival’s events. As a result, I will definitely file this one under “One day is not enough!” Charlotte SHOUT! is produced by Charlotte Center City Partners (and in partnership with Blumenthal […]Read more
5 Reasons for a Highlands, N.C., Getaway
Editor’s Escape Situated in the mountains of western North Carolina and in the Nantahala National Forest, Highlands is an ideal respite from a harried schedule. I experienced Highlands, North Carolina, a couple of winters ago when my husband surprised me with a weekend getaway for our anniversary. Our visit coincided with a fantastic snowstorm, which […]Read more
Your Weekend Guide to Charleston, S.C.
Editor’s Escape A quick getaway to Charleston, S.C., is always an easy decision for our family. It’s one of my favorite places, so I’ll never pass up an opportunity to get down there. Boasting everything from historic tours and sundrenched beaches to eclectic dining options and varied accommodations, it’s not surprising that Charleston was recently […]Read more
Fun in Fort Lauderdale
Editor’s Escape Recently my husband and I participated in one of the Celebrity Edge inaugural sailings, detailed in “Top 5 Reasons to Sail the Celebrity Edge.” The cruise left from Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Neither of us has spent much time in the area, so we just had to add a couple of […]Read more
A Weekend in Beech Mountain
Editor’s Escape Winter activities are plentiful in the mountains of North Carolina, and if you seek a snow-filled weekend, Beech Mountain is a good bet. Skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, ice skating — there’s lots to keep you busy here. Situated in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, Beech Mountain has a peak elevation of 5,506 feet, […]Read more
Top 5 Reasons to Sail the Celebrity Edge
Editor’s Escape Everyone’s talking about the latest and most innovative ship from Celebrity Cruises — Celebrity Edge. If a cruise is on your list of New Year’s travel resolutions for 2019, here are five reasons to make it happen! 1. Magic Carpet This distinct orange, glass-enclosed, moving platform is situated off the side of the […]Read more

domain: geography


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Release Date: 8th May 2014Genre: Romance/ Suspense
Published by: The Writers Coffee Shop
Being I like the author and her writing style I fell into this book right away. It goes between two stories until about half way and then blends them both. This athlete, Jeremy, who is a big football star is sickening. He is an abuser of all woman. There is really something mentally wrong with him. I enjoyed the authors perception of someone who borders on multiple personalities. So he thinks that he can do whatever he wants and the legal team will be cleaning it up. Up until now he has been difficult but this last rape and assalt makes his lawyer Sam regret his work. A once very passionate lawyer just wants to throw Jeremy in jail. I cant blame him but his partnership is on the line.
The author fabulously creates terror when Jeremy is trolling strip clubs and bars looking for a new one night stand. I was on edge and fascinated at the same time. It shows the part of the athletes we all can hate. Believe me you will hate them after this. What happens when you pay someone millions, they get endorsements, the get advertising and then they get untouchable. They are worth more to the “team” and the laywers then justice.
Kali Jorgensen is the head instructor at Rainwash Ranch in Horse Canyon, Utah, leading cattle drives for celebrities and CEOs. This was a very interesting plot twist. Get out and away from the media to focus on the case. When they are attempting damage control and the secretary suggests this I was like OK BINGO that is new and different. I was not at all happy that they put Kali and her three girls in danger at their ranch. She has a great back story that will make anyone fall for her. She is a true American rancher who lost her husband in the war.
A truly captivating story! It is like big city meets little cattle driver who has a lot to protect.There is a lot of raw gritty scenes in here so if you are offended easily then beware. I loved it, the descriptive writing style and the characters.
Alexandra Allred is a former national and professional athlete turned adventure writer turned humorist and novelist. She’s often been called the next Erma Bombeck with a grudge. Her annual Christmas letters, which have frequently made the news, could make the Grinch weep with joy. For a taste of holiday glee, see Blog.
She Cries is a very personal novel for Allred as many of the horses featured in this book are based on horses she has known and loved, including her beloved Star.
Allred writes for Waxahachie Daily Light newspaper, continues to testify in Washington D.C. on behalf of children with asthma and our need for clean air, and she’s never too far from her gym in Midlothian, Texas. You can always drop her a note at her Email Address.
Connect with Alexandra Allred on:

domain: literature


By Kay del Rosario
One group has the most vested interest as Singapore charts a new way forward – the youth.
They are the so-called ‘Generation COVID’ who face unique challenges after the pandemic has changed the workforce and workplace.
NTUC Assistant Secretary-General Desmond Choo rallied for these young Singaporeans during his Budget Debate speech in Parliament on 1 March 2022.
“Generation COVID are the future leaders of Singapore. We need to address their anxieties and worries. And importantly, work with them to fulfil their potential to the fullest,” he said.
Mr Choo highlighted their concerns on three aspects: jobs, education, and changing aspirations, and called on the Government to consider several measures to help the youth.
The shifting skills landscape may force many younger Singaporeans to take on more significant skills upgrade.
Supporting a second subsidised diploma or degree will make a positive impact on their career transition.
“Currently, every Singaporean enjoys one bite of the cherry – one subsidised diploma and/or degree per person.
“With a shrinking cohort of Singaporeans every year, there is already capacity within the IHLs [institutes of higher learning] for people seeking a career reboot,” said Mr Choo.
He also asked to expand the reach of SkillsFuture, as ‘Generation COVID’ will greatly benefit from this.
“This is especially for those who have graduated but find themselves unable to tap on growth opportunities due to a mismatch of skills,” he said.
He suggested lowering the minimum age for SkillsFuture and increasing subsidies for targeted SkillsFuture courses that support young Singaporeans to venture into growth economies.
Technical skills can be acquired at educational institutions or academies. Soft skills, such as career management and interpersonal skills, are better gained from the sharing of experiences.
Mr Choo called for structured mentorship in today’s workplace to assist youths in navigating the professional workspace.
“Mentorship will be especially valuable for ‘Generation COVID’ youths from lower- and middle-income families.
“Some might not have easy access to mentors unlike their better-off counterparts,” he said.
Mr Choo suggested creating national centres of excellence for mentorship that can accelerate and boost the impact of mentorship.
Furthermore, he urged the Government to consider the possibility of a one-stop centre dedicated to young workers that houses career counselling, mentorship, internships and employment opportunities.
He said: “I can imagine that even the approach to career navigation might be quite different if it primarily serves younger workers.”
To address the changing values and aspirations of youth today, Mr Choo emphasised the need to understand ‘Generation COVID’s’ views on a deeper level.
He proposed creating safe spaces for them to candidly share their thoughts, views and hopes for Singapore.
“What is their desired workplace, and work culture? What is the new compact with our younger workers?
“NTUC is working towards a deeper understanding of the aspirations and needs of our younger workers,” said Mr Choo.
Mr Choo also called for greater strides to tackle mental health issues
“I believe we can spark more conversations on mental health on the national level, normalising mental health issues across the nation and also within workplaces,” he said.


It wasnt coded in VB i coded it in CT the icon is not changeable even for me since i prevented reopening
No, I meant with my own program. O well.
btw, I really don't think this works. I use the highest recoil guns with low recoil setting... Drags like all the way down.. like the p2000 assault rifle thing(i think) + lowest setting drags it to the floor in 2 shots.. Or am I doing somehting wrong?


Music for the Mayflower
Click HERE to buy this on amazon.co.uk
This programme has been drawn together to mark the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower, and is based enterprisingly on music taken in part from music books thought to have been taken to America by the pilgrims and to have been used by them in the early days of the colonies. Perhaps predictably for a group of puritans, books of psalms feature heavily, and Henry Ainsworth’s 1612 Book of Psalmes Englished both in Prose and Metre and Richard Allison’s The Psalmes of David in Meter, the former recording just the psalm tunes by way of music, the latter featuring settings ‘for fowre voyces’, both provide material for the programme. Fortunately for the colonists (and for us), a third book, The golden garland of princely pleasures compiled by Richard Johnson provides slightly more racy secular material, in the form of lyrics and sonnets about England’s historical Queens and Kings. The balance of the programme is made up by carefully chosen songs from the period referencing sea travel and the colonial experience. The choice of material is intriguing and revelatory, and it is easy to imagine the pilgrim fathers gathered on deck in quieter moments during their epic voyage joining in song, or later taking a break from the arduous task of building their colonial towns with some communal singing. The singers and instrumentalists of Passamezzo steer a cautious line between ‘refined’ and ‘naïve’ performance style – I could only wish that they might have taken account of the considerable body of scholarship devoted to the pronunciation of 17th-century English, both in ‘old’ and New England. This is particularly noticeable in the contribution from actor Richard de Winter, which would surely have benefited from a nice 17th-century New England twang! Having said that, the singing is always pleasing, the scoring imaginative and plausible and the playing consistently sympathetic. This is a very enjoyable CD and a suitably evocative celebration of a seminal historical moment.
D. James Ross


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- Shopping Bag ( 0 items )
Doody's Review ServiceReviewer: Gary B Kaniuk, Psy.D.(Cermak Health Services)
Description: Noting that school-based prgorams that target obesity in children are often ineffective and may contribute to unhealthy behaviors to lose weight, this book presents a conceptual model for understanding both obesity and eating disordered behaviors and reviews evidence-based school interventions to combat this problem.
Purpose: The authors state that this book "shares how schools can build a positive environment that enhances student health through encouraging intuitive eating and mind-body attunement," in order to help "develop a plan of action that addresses EDs (eating disorders) and obesity concurrently, filling a noticeable gap in the literature left by books that treat EDs and obesity independently of one another."
Audience: It is targeted at school personnel. Catherine Cook-Cottone, an associate professor at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York, does research on eating disorders; Evelyn Tribole is a registered dietitian who counsels individuals with eating disorders; and Tracy Tylka, associate professor at The Ohio State University has published extensively in the areas of body image and eating behavior.
Features: An introduction notes the need for school personnel to understand obesity and eating disorders and uses four case studies to illustrate students and their struggles with diet, especially within the context of school and home. Part I considers healthy and intuitive eating, defined as "a strong connection with, understanding of, and eating in response to internal biological cues of hunger and satiety as well as low preoccupation with food." The authors also discuss the 10 principles of intuitive eating. Other topics include the quantity and quality of food, as well as the reasons behind food choices. The next part explores "the healthy student approach," which consists of intuitive eating and nutrition, healthy physical activity, and mindfulness, self care, and emotional regulation. Part III describes school policies and prevention efforts that help empower students and teach healthy self-esteem. The book addresses the importance of screening students at risk, referring those who need treatment to professionals who specialize in eating disorders, and supporting students reentering school after receiving inpatient treatment. The book ends with an outline of federal school food policies, including ESEA (2010) and the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The book contains five appendixes: Definitions of Uncommon Disorders of Eating, Children's Eating Attitudes Test, Intuitive Eating Scale for Adolescents, Body Appreciation Scale, and Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionaire-3 (SATAQ-3; Adolescent Version). It also includes specific resources on healthy eating for school personnel to review. This book is easy to read and provides school personnel guidance on efforts they can implement. The figures and tables are extremely helpful in clarifying the text.
Assessment: This helpful book provides ideas on healthy eating for school personnel to implement in their schools. It introduces the "Healthy Student Approach," which is a holistic way of addressing obesity. Given the poor eating habits of many students, the book helps school personnel guide these young people in making better choices.

domain: library


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domain: psychology


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By Cyprian Ntiamba Obi Ntui
It was the writings of Karl Marx, the un-acclaimed father of Communism that exposed the demonic side of capital and led to the splitting of the world into two antagonistic camps – Communists and Capitalists – in the nineteenth century.
That Communism crumbled like a pack of cards nearly another century later is not to say that Karl Marx was wrong at his stigmatization of crude capitalism.
Rather, Communism could not stand the test of time because of the reality that conscious effort, struggle and the exertion of the human will are natural preconditions for human progress.
Indeed, no individual or group can move forward simply by folding their arms and sitting down and waiting for manner to fall from heaven. Nor can man ever become so ingenious as to create a world where mankind can live and enjoy the good things of life without laboring for them.
Indeed, a life of blissful ease is not given to man in this mortal life ever since the fall of Adam. The earth was cursed for his sake and it is from the sweat of his brow that he must eat daily until he dies.
The argument notwithstanding, the reality of man’s negative use of financial power, and the ravages it causes are quite much evident in the world today.
Who, except the blind, does not see how multi-national conglomerates, interest groups and individuals still use money to create complicated problems for human society to keep grappling with while at the same time, big businesses keep enjoying a steady profit? This they do with politicians knowingly or unknowingly colluding with them to keep the obnoxious products in place.
The world celebrated another anti-tobacco day last week. The same international community marks anti-cancer, anti-malaria, anti-racism, anti-this and that days and so on and so forth year in year out. But as the years go by, no one sees any tangible changes.
Absurdly, the world never sits back to reflect deeply about the primordial role that capital and politics play in watering down all efforts by civilized humanity to make the world a better place for all.
We think less about how we use capital to promote life styles that ruin the lives of many that are vulnerable either because of their naïvety or just because of their being uninformed.
Who is that person who can look deep and see far enough to perceive the damage caused by those who commercialise the use of preservatives even by children?
Rather than insist on teaching children what is right and enforcing it, we encourage them to resort to promiscuous lifestyles so long as they do not get pregnant. Then later in life when they want the children, they never come because they have rendered themselves sterile.
Why is humanity so shy at telling the young about what is right and trying to impose it? Why do we choose remedial methods which are but shortcuts that expose them to more complications or even loss of their dear lives? Can we even fathom the types of diseases that come from encouraging the vulnerable to resort to the use of various forms of contraceptives?
Why are illnesses like fibroses and growths becoming so common? Why are we unable to attribute the explosion of all forms of cancers to capitalists who want to promote their businesses by encouraging the gullible to consume just anything they produce?
And what about our politicians who, for the sake of their careers, rely on these money bags to finance their programmes while they close their eyes to the havoc their products and base values are causing on humanity?
Who can fathom the overall impact of the abuse of alcoholic beverages as the disease spreads from one generation to the other, in a family, community and nation? And how many politicians can accept that there is a link between social problems and the profiteering activities of brewers and or distillers of these beverages?
How many are they amongst us who, on seeing a mad man on the street ruined by one addiction or the other can link that man’s predicament to cut-throat capitalism? When the United Nations and the World Health Organisation are doing their best to safeguard the health of humanity and nothing seems to work, how many are they in the world who can see the hand of vindictive capital?
How many have the eyes to see how Chief Executive Officers of multinational corporations keep trying to blindfold the ignorant so that they stay put on their addictions while the trades of the latter keep flourishing?
Is it not the arrogance of capital that gives a voice to homosexual groups who see nothing disturbing in mounting pressure on humanity to elevate all forms of waywardness to the rank of universal acceptability?
For a world that worships the god of money, anything is acceptable so long as it either brings profit or so long as the promoter is a man with capital. But since man does not live by bread alone, dirty money will always have short legs that run short and soon are no more.
The Continental Radio Station (CRS) is an online radio station run by African media savvies targeting the African and world audience.


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I watched the short movie Mute. It stars Emily Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch) and Dylan Neil (Dawson's Creek ; Sabrina the Teenage Witch).
It is about a young girl, whose sister, tries to kill her in a car accident, leaving her deaf and mute, all her sister can steal her boyfriend.
I give this short movie 3/5 stars.
This short film was directed by Emily Hart's older sister, Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina The Teenage Witch).

domain: entertainment


ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Tiger Woods, conspicuously enchanted by his improbable return to his sport’s oldest course, on Tuesday offered a forceful rebuke of the players, past and present, who’ve aligned themselves with the rebel Saudi-backed LIV Golf series.
He chided Greg Norman, the main champion-turned-LIV chief executive, for pursuits that aren’t “in the perfect interest of our game” and backed his effective banishment from this 12 months’s British Open at St. Andrews. He said young players who were defecting from the PGA Tour had “turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position.” And he forged doubt on whether LIV’s model — 54-hole, no-cut tournaments for players making guaranteed money — would allow golf and its top players to thrive.
“I can understand 54 holes is nearly like a mandate whenever you get to the Senior Tour — the blokes are a bit bit older and a bit more banged up — but whenever you’re at this young age and a few of these kids — they are surely kids who’ve gone from amateur golf into that organization — 72-hole tests are an element of it,” Woods, 46, said during a news conference two days before the Open’s scheduled start on Scotland’s coast.
“I just don’t see how that move is positive in the long run for a whole lot of these players, especially if the LIV organization doesn’t get world-ranking points and the main championships change their criteria for entering the events,” he added.
Woods avoided explicit condemnations of current players who’ve joined LIV in exchange for staggering sums, including Sergio García, Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson and Patrick Reed, in addition to an array of less distinguished golfers.
But he pointedly questioned Norman, who has grown so divisive in golf that the R&A, the Open’s organizer, acknowledged over the weekend that it had not invited him to Tuesday’s dinner for past Open champions.
“I do know Greg tried to do that back within the early ’90s,” Woods said of Norman’s quest to challenge golf’s long-established order. “It didn’t work then, and he’s attempting to make it work now. I still don’t see how that’s in the perfect interests of the sport.”
Woods also embraced the R&A’s exile of Norman, who had previously called the choice “petty.”
“Greg has done some things that I don’t think is in the perfect interest of our game, and we’re coming back to probably essentially the most historic and traditional place in our sport,” Woods said. “I think it’s the precise thing.”
Woods’s case against LIV got here as he prepared for what he acknowledged Tuesday could thoroughly be his final Open at his favorite course.
“I’m not going to play a full schedule ever again,” said Woods, who has undergone an aggressive rehabilitation effort since a automobile wreck in February 2021 that led doctors to contemplate a leg amputation. “My body just won’t allow me to try this. I don’t know the way many Open Championships I even have left here at St. Andrews, but I wanted this one. It began here for me in ’95, and if it ends here in ’22, it does. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t. If I get the possibility to play another, it could be great, but there’s no guarantee.”


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Professor Glenda Elizabeth Gilmore’s book, “Defying Dixie, The Radical Roots of Civil Rights 1919-1950,” creates full-color mosaic portraits of the great men and women who took on the horrific task of fighting for civil rights at a time and place when fearsome lynchings and race riots were common occurrences.
BALTIMORE – “Its an eye-opener.” That’s how my 17 year old grand- daughter, Erin, reacted after viewing “Girls Rock,” a recently released documentary film by Shane King and Arne Johnson about the Rock & Roll Camp for Girls in Portland, Oregon.
If anything ever smelled of cronyism and favoritism it was the recent decision by the Federal Reserve to set up a special bargain basement where cheap loans are now available to Wall Street kingpins largely responsible for screwing up our economy.
BERKELEY, Calif. CHICAGO MICHIGAN ST LOUIS
Scanning the room at my first teachers union event, I could see that I was one of the youngest teachers in attendance. It got me thinking about my generation and possible explanations for its lack of representation. Were new teachers reaping the benefits of a union contract without understanding the decades of struggle that produced it? Was the union leadership resistant to change or out of touch? Were new teachers wary of unions or simply too overwhelmed by the demands of the job to come to a union meeting?
A disturbing study released last week by the RAND Corporation says about 300,000 service members and veterans — nearly one in five of the 1.6 million U.S. troops who have served in Iraq or Afghanistan — acknowledge experiencing major depression or post-traumatic stress disorder. The study also says some 320,000 troops have returned with signs of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, which may be hard to recognize or to distinguish from psychological injury.
The workers at American Axle are doing all they can. Their cause is just, they are united in battle and unions from all over are coming to this plant on the Detroit-Hamtramck border to lend support. For seven weeks now, 3,650 workers have been on strike, resisting a very profitable company’s efforts to drastically reduce their wages (by as much as 50 percent) and benefits. However, the balance of forces in this fight is anything but even and they sure could use some help from high places.
Dueling ballot initiatives dealing with the same subject — reforming the government’s ability to take private property under eminent domain — will share center stage in California’s June 3 statewide primary election. Though the official titles given propositions. 98 and 99 by the state attorney general are very similar, their intentions and effects couldn’t be farther apart.
Despite strong resistance from labor and civic organizations in both the United States and South Korea, President Bush and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak vowed to push through the stalled Korea-United States Free Trade Agreement (KORUS FTA).
CHICAGO — Last month 80,000 jobs were lost throughout the country and the unemployment rate jumped from 4.8 to 5.1 percent. It was the third consecutive month of job loss. The private sector alone lost 98,000 jobs in March, the fourth consecutive decline. The number of unemployed people in the U.S. grew by 434,000 to 7.8 million.

domain: news


Your Guide to the Best Dressed Celebrities at TIFF 2016
It’s official! The 2016 Toronto International Film Festival is on, a...
It’s official! The 2016 Toronto International Film Festival is on, and we’ve got all the top style news from inside the big event. See the best of the best of red carpet arrivals, press conference looks and after-party ensembles right here, and choose your favourites. Plus, if you love all the couture gowns and million dollar gems, stay tuned for more—we’ll be updating this story daily with all the TIFF styles you can’t miss. Already, this year’s festival is proving that while New York Fashion Week may be on, some of the best fashion is happening north of the border. Translation: you can expect more jaw-dropping looks on your favourite actresses and models to come.
Click through all the best looks from the festival as they happen in real time, right here.
- Jennifer Garner at the Wakefield premiere
- Gina Rodriguez at the Deepwater Horizon premiere
- Kate Hudson at the Deepwater Horizon premiere
- Michelle Williams at the Manchester by the Sea premiere
- Abigail Pniowsky at the Arrival premiere
- Amy Adams at the Arrival premiere
- Jessica Rothe at the La La Land premiere
- Callie Hernandez at the La La Land premiere
- Ryan Gosling at the La La Land premiere
- Emma Stone at the La La Land premiere
- Anne Hathaway attends the Colossal premiere
- Lupita Nyong'o at The Vanity Fair and Tiffany & Co. private dinner
- Scarlett Johansson at the Sing premiere
- Natalie Portman at the Jackie premiere
- Olivia Wilde at the Colossal premiere
- Michelle Williams at The Vanity Fair and Tiffany & Co. private dinner
- Brie Larson at the Free Fire premiere
- Jennifer Hudson at the Sing premiere
- Reese Witherspoon at the Sing premiere
- Tom Ford at the Nocturnal Animals premiere
- Rachel Weisz at the Denial premiere
- Amy Adams at the Nocturnal Animals premiere
- Ziyi Zhang at The Magnificent Seven premiere
- Charlotte Fisher at the TIFF Soiree
- Haley Bennett at The Magnificent Seven press conference
- Riley Keough at the American Honey premiere
- Alix Angelis at The Magnificent Seven premiere
- Elizabeth Hammer at the Free Fire premiere
- Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves at the Sing premiere
- Sasha Lane at the American Honey premiere
- Bryce Dallas Howard at the Nocturnal Animals premiere
- Playing Truth or Dare with Apothic
For the latest in fashion and beauty, pick up a copy of The Kit’s paper edition found inside The Toronto Star, The Vancouver Sun and Montreal Gazette on Thursdays, and Edmonton Journal, Calgary Herald and Ottawa Citizen on Fridays.
In Toronto, look for The Kit Compact, our monthly beauty and style pop-up mag, the first week of every month.


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Drawing in the gallery
As a sideline to my normal practice — whatever that is — I make drawings of paintings while stood in front of them. It slows me down and allows me to focus on a work, or a detail, for much longer than I would if were just walking through the space. Taking photographs and buying postcards doesn’t have the same effect. I do those things too, of course, but making a drawing is intimate and special.
This blogpost is an attempt to pass on some of what I’ve learned about drawing in a gallery. It’s not the only way to go about it, and it isn’t for everyone, but I hope that after reading it you feel that it might be something you want to try.
Why draw in the gallery?
Drawing directly from works of art is an excellent way of developing your technical ability while being held to account by another work. When I spend time with a work it usually results in me gaining a deeper understanding of how that work is constructed. Composition is a complex subject — and much of it can be intuitive — but by copying a work, more is noticed. I recently made a quick drawing of a Morandi at Tate Modern and was captivated by the way he showed the light that fell in between objects. These small areas are as important as the objects that form the putative subject matter. By drawing the work I understand a little bit more about the way Morandi went about making his pieces. I don’t think that this is I something could have learned in theory; it took the act of drawing to reveal it.
Morandi on Tate website: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/morandi-still-life-n05782
Why not draw from images in books or on the internet?
It’s a good question and while there are many reasons why working from the actual piece is preferable to working from a reproduction, two will have to suffice here: scale and selection. Most works are larger than any printed version or any computer screen. When you’re with a work you can move back and forth to see more detail which can alter the way you draw. Looking becomes active, not passive. The second reason — selection — is more subtle. When walking around a large gallery something will probably catch your eye. It might not be the ‘signature’ piece or anything obvious. Dora Carrington’s Farm at Watendlath (in Tate Britain) stopped me in my tracks and I felt compelled to make a quick drawing. Although galleries are curated there is, I think, a greater chance for a discovery that has resonance than when leafing through a book looking at ‘great’ works.
Carrington on Tate website: http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/carrington-farm-at-watendlath-t04945
What to draw?
Though I wouldn’t stop anyone drawing anything, some works of art are easier to draw than others. Well, not easy exactly, but they lend themselves to drawn reiteration moor readily. Making a careful transcription of a Jackson Pollock kind of misses the point, but trying your best to capture the variation in tone on a figure in Caravaggio is worth the effort. When I do this, I tend to gravitate towards figurative work, but exploring the rhythms of an Arshile Gorky would be interesting.
In most galleries it’s usually easy to find some quiet corner or an unregarded picture to focus on. Don’t draw anything too big or detailed as it will overwhelm you. Pick a bit of a painting that intrigues you and deal with that. It might be a single figure, or a face, or some other part that’s easily isolated. If you do tackle a more complex piece, try concentrating on the rhythms and plot them out without getting sucked in to the detail. At the Picasso 1932 show I made a drawing of one of the large paintings and, in doing so, spotted that it contained an ‘extra’ profile, that echoed another in the picture. By drawing it, I slowed down enough to see it.
Picasso on WIKIPEDIA: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nude,_Green_Leaves_and_Bust
Keep it simple and convenient. If you’re out for a whole day you probably won’t want to carry a large pad and a box of equipment. I use either an A4 or A5 clipboard with sheets of a paper I particularly like. I use a soft (4B) propelling pencil and various erasers and stumps. Using a propelling pencil means that I don’t have to worry about stopping to sharpen anything and it creates next to no waste. (Muji even do a model that uses almost all the lead). I keep all of this in a small box that I velcro to the clipboard, which means I’m not trying to hold five things and a pad in my non-drawing hand. It’s probably best to avoid using anything that needs water, though I am fond of the brushes that have a reservoir in the handle and can be used with water soluble coloured pencils. Great for notes about colours but a bit fiddly.
Make it easy to hold the surface on which you’re working: get a pad that presents a simple flat surface — something spiral bound is ideal. Small, bound notebooks can restrict your movement and force you to use only part of the page and forcing them open for protracted periods can give you cramp. Standing for an hour or so in front of picture to draw it can be tiring. It’s tough on the hips and the feet, so don’t make it hard on the hands, too. Sometimes the staff have offered me a seat, but I’ve always declined. Most pictures — especially the smaller ones — would end up distorted if I sat below the height at which they were hung.
First of all, give yourself plenty of time. It helps to be on your own or with someone else who is also drawing. I can easily lose a couple of hours with two or three drawings, and still feel that I’m not spending long enough. The great thing about places like Tate or the National Gallery, or any number of local galleries, is that they are usually free. Go in with the intention of finding something to draw and don’t worry about the rest of the gallery. You wouldn’t go in a library and try to read everything.
You’ll have your own approach to drawing of course, but a few things are worth mentioning:
• Start generally and then work towards any detail. That way you can make progress relatively quickly and people will leave you alone.
• Stick at it. Allow yourself time to explore the image you’re studying.
• Be prepared to edit out stuff. Some effects achieved in paint are impossible to mimic in graphite. You’re probably already editing out the colour so don’t worry about ignoring, for example, complex patterns on material.
• Stop whenever you feel you’ve got what you need or if it’s getting out of control. It’s hard to do major revisions when standing up, so take it steadily and be prepared to move in and out to find out what’s going on. You may find that you have to stand aside if a large group suddenly appear, especially if the subject is small.
By the way, I often find that the first thing I draw is a ‘throwaway’ and it’s only the second or third one that works. I don’t know why, but eyesight and lighting might play a part in it. Don’t pack it in because something doesn’t work. Persevere, as you are likely to improve.
It can be intimidating to draw in such a public space, especially in amongst a group of art lovers. I feel this too, sometimes. I usually have headphones on so don’t really notice what’s going on around me. Headphones also mean you can legitimately ignore people if you want. In my experience, people tend to only say nice things. Don’t initiate any conversations. Occasionally people will say something or ask if they can take a photograph over my shoulder. If this happens, say ‘yes’ and enjoy it.
I encourage you to take this on as there’s not much risk and lots to gain. Making art can be a slow process and ought to involve a lot of looking. Not seeing, but looking. Standing in front of a painting for an hour is difficult, even if it’s complicated and / or something you love unreservedly. But an hour might not be long enough for you to draw a small part of the same painting.

domain: hobby


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We’ve added May’s Desktop Calendar – Visit our “Downloads” page for a full-size image. This month it’s the Niagara Wine Region – Good Earth Food & Wine – Beamsville, Ontario … we hope you like it!
Celebrating its 25th Anniversary in 2013, Cuvée is the annual celebration of outstanding Ontario VQA wines and culinary delights over an entire weekend (usually the end of February/beginning of March). The weekend long event started in the Fallsview Casino Resort on Friday night with the Grand Tasting Gala that featured the winemakers’ favourite wines, along with a select group of Niagara’s most renowned chefs treating everyone to sampling plates of their signature dishes – created at live cooking stations. With more than 40 of Ontario’s wineries taking part along with a number of local restaurants it was an evening of intoxicating aromas and delights to the taste buds.


Latest Weather Blog
Pleasant conditions before and after a stormy Friday afternoon
A cold front will bring a better chance of rain on Friday. Heads up—try to get outside this weekend, as it could be one of the last without high heat and humidity until next fall.
Today and Tonight: Clear skies and lower humidity will last through Thursday. Look for highs in the low 80s followed by lows in the low 60s.
Up Next: By Friday afternoon, warmth and humidity will surge northward from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of another cold front. This boundary will be more potent than the last and will bring more coverage in rain. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will roll across the area on Friday afternoon and evening. One or two storms could bring gusty wind and downpours, mainly Friday afternoon. Behind the front, we will get one of the last periods of comfort before summer heat and humidity arrive. Temperatures will be reduced to 10 degrees below average for a pair of mostly sunny afternoons in the mid to upper 70s. Sunday morning lows will be in the low 50s with a few isolated pockets in the upper 40s north and east of the city.
The Mississippi River: At Baton Rouge, major flood stage continues with a level of 40.5’ as of Wednesday morning. The river is expected to fall slowly over the coming weeks. The high water is primarily an issue for river traffic and river islands, although some inundation will continue for a few spots north and south of Baton Rouge that are not protected by levees. Unprotected low-lying areas will be flooded and agricultural operations will be impacted on the west side of the river. The grounds of the older part of Louisiana State University's campus become soggy. This includes the area around the Veterinary Medicine building, the Veterinary Medicine Annex, the stadium and ball fields. The city of Baton Rouge and the main LSU campus are protected by levees at this level.
A surface high pressure system overhead will move toward the Florida Peninsula by Friday. As this occurs, a period of return flow will result in rising dew points. However, the short duration of southerly winds will keep deep moisture abated. Upper level winds will not be very favorable for tornadoes. That said, available ingredients are limited for a cold front set to approach Friday afternoon. There are a few things working for the severe weather potential though.
Daytime warming will lead to enough instability to combine with frontal forcing for a line of rain and thunderstorms to develop and the Storm Prediction Center will carry a 2/5 risk for strong storms with gusty wind and downpours, mainly northwest of Baton Rouge. A needed one to two inch drench could occur for some before precipitation shuts down by daybreak Saturday. Skies will clear from north to south but some pockets of atmospheric moisture could leave patchy clouds through the weekend, especially near the coast. Behind the front, rather pleasant, spring conditions are anticipated for the weekend. A deep, upper level trough will follow the front into the Eastern United States delivering unseasonably cool and dry air. This feature will allow for chilly conditions on Sunday morning with lows dipping into the upper 40s and low 50s. Gradually warming temperatures are pegged for early next week, with no rain in the forecast through Wednesday.
The WBRZ Weather Team is here for you, on every platform. Your weather updates can be found on News 2, wbrz.com, and the WBRZ WX App. on Apple and Android devices. Follow WBRZ Weather on Facebook and Twitter for even more weather updates while you are on the go.
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Respond to Review of Itadaki-Zen
Review: I enjoyed my lunch here, it was a little quiet, but the food was good. The noodles tasted fresh and home made. I didn't feel it was overpriced. The waiter seemed shy and we didn't get exactly the right tea ordered, but this wasn't a problem for us. The Sushi was lovely.

domain: food


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Mariah Carey's long-delayed new album, The Art of Letting Go, finally has a new release date of May 6. Moreover, Mariah is ready to unleash a new single, "You're Mine (Eternal)," which will premiere on Wednesday (2/12). The single was written and produced with Rodney Jerkins. Mariah will stop by MTV on Wednesday at 7:50 p.m. ET/PT to debut the music video for the song and partake in an interview with MTV correspondent Sway Calloway. An extended interview will air online at 8 p.m. on MTV.com.
Mariah's new album was originally due last July, but she delayed it and then had to recover from a shoulder injury she suffered while filming a music video last summer. The album has already been previewed by the songs "#Beautiful" featuring Miguel, and "The Art of Letting Go," which was released in November.
Check out Mariah's two-minute teaser video for her new album below:


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|Slot Machine Type||Video Slots|
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SONORA, Calif. — Officials were investigating a report Wednesday that 20 people were injured when a tree fell at a summer camp near Yosemite National Park.
State fire spokesman Daniel Berlant said he had received the report but had no further details.
Camp officials were assessing the situation, but Gregg Rubenstein, director of finance for Camp Tawonga, said he did not have additional details about the severity or number of injuries. However, he said no children were among the injured.
There are about 300 campers and 150 staff at the facility. The camp website indicates there are sessions for students in 2nd grade through 10th grade.
The camp is located in a remote area of Tuolumne County on 160 acres in the community of Groveland in the Stanislaus National Forest. Its offices are based in San Francisco.


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The inmate accidentally released by the Scioto County Jail is back behind bars and Sheriff Marty Donini is apologizing for the mistake and promising to find out how it happened.
Sheriff Donini reported that Michigan police arrested Talleon Brazil, 31, of Detroit, Michigan over the weekend.
Brazil, who was doing time in Michigan for carjacking, assault, drug, and weapons charges had been transferred from Michigan to the Scioto County Jail to face drug charges in Scioto County. He was booked into the Scioto County Jail and appeared in Common Pleas Court on January 16. Brazil was appointed a lawyer and entered a not guilty plea. The court set bail at $50,000 and scheduled another hearing for February 4th.
Bond was posted for Brazil on January 21. Sheriff Donini says an officer at the Scioto County Jail failed to notice that Brazil was an inmate serving a 15 to 40-year sentence for 2010 crimes including unarmed robbery, carjacking, felony firearms, possession of weapons by a felon, and delivery or manufacture of a controlled substance. A holder was placed on his record that should have made him ineligible for release to anyone but the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Michigan Department of Corrections officials said he was picked up by members of his family and driven back home to Detroit. Scioto County notified MDOC of the mistake and filed a motion to revoke his bond on Friday. Brazil was arrested over the weekend at a home in Detroit.
Sheriff Donini apologized for the incident and said that he was conducting an internal investigation to find out how the mistake happened. He also said that once the investigation is complete, any employees found to be responsible for the error will be disciplined.


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These Skinny Chocolate Muffins are dreamy and chocolate-y. Bursting with bits of melted chocolate chips making this healthy breakfast as enjoyable as eating a brownie.
Raise your hand if you like to start your day with brownies! I know I do. Unfortunately, it’s not always a healthy option. Which is where these Skinny Chocolate Muffins come in. These muffins are completely healthy. No oils, no refined sugars, no eggs, made with whole white wheat flour. They may be skinny, and healthy, but they are absolutely bursting with chocolate! These chocolate muffins are now my favorite way to start my day.
These muffins are made super moist by using unsweetened applesauce and greek yogurt in place of the oil. I also replaced sugar with agave nectar. If you don’t have this on hand you could also use honey, or maple syrup. Each of these muffins is only about 95 calories. And I can think of no better way to enjoy 95 calories than with these muffins!
Using mini chocolate chips ensures that you will have a little bit of melty chocolate in each bite. Which is what makes these skinny chocolate muffins so fudge like. The recipe calls for 1/4 a cup of chocolate chips, but you can feel free to add just a smidge more. Shh..I won’t tell.
If you make this recipe make sure you take a picture and share it on Instagram with #houseofyumm ! I love seeing your creations! Follow me for more pictures of food, and the occasional child also. Click here!
I hope you enjoyed the recipe and will follow along on my cooking adventures:
More Breakfast Recipes from House of Yumm:
More Muffin Recipes from my blogging buddies!


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Why Are The Polls Different?
This US presidential political season there seems to be extra disparity in the polling data coming out. Personally, and this is just a theory, I think the US presidential race polls are swinging wildly in short time frames because the 2 major candidates are so odious that a number of people are vacillating on who they like less on any given day. That is strictly opinion but there are real reasons why the polls show disparity.
First and foremost the various polls use different criteria to determine “likely voters”. Using anything from self-reporting to 7 question indexes pollsters frame how likely someone is to vote. Another issue is cell phones. Most polls include cell phone users (Gallup, NY Times , NBC etc) some do not (Rasmussen, Public Policy).
The big outlier this year has been the LA Times Poll which consistently favors Trump by 4-7 points it seems. It uses a methodology that asks respondents on a scale of 1-100 how likely they are to vote for a particular candidate and puts that data into a formula to determine probable voting. There is weighting in the poll that many think skews to Trump. Maybe you should just average all the polls? The folks at 538 don’t think that idea is too helpful. They more reason that you should search for bias and note it in your estimation of accuracy. If you want to dig deeper go here for more in depth study of the polls.
Just remember polls can be wildly wrong, ask the Brexit poll followers about that.
UPDATE 10.27.16: And just when we thought there were innocent explanations for poll differences Wiki Leaks had to come out and expose the DNC folks of encouraging “oversampling” to skew polls. Its a simple proposition, you oversample demographics that skew one way and the resultant poll skews that way as well. ABC has been tagged as using obvious oversampling to come up with Hillary leading by 10-12% in recent polls.


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OTHER WRITINGS :- Table Talk; The Task; Translation of Homer.
BOADICEA.- Queen of the Iceni (Norfolk and Suffolk), rebelled against the Romans, but was conquered by Suetonius Paulinus.
In despair she committed suicide, A.D. 61.
WHEN the British warrior Queen,
Bleeding from the Roman rods,
Counsel of her country's gods :
Sage beneath the spreading oak
Sat the Druid, hoary chief,
Full of rage and full of grief :
• Princess ! if our agèd eyes
Weep upon thy matchless wrongs, 'Tis because resentment ties
All the terrors of our tongues.
“ Rome shall perish-write that word
In the blood that she has spilt ; Perish, hopeless and abhorr'd,
Deep in ruin as in guilt.
Rome, for empire far renown'd,
Tramples on a thousand states; Soon her pride shall kiss the ground
Hark! the Gaul is at her gates !
“ Other Romans shall arise,
Heedless of a soldier's name; Sounds, not arms, shall win the prize,
Harmony the path to fame.
“Then the progeny that springs
From the forests of our land, Arm'd with thunder, clad with wings,
Shall a wider world command.
“Regions Cæsar never knew
Thy posterity shall sway; Where his eagles never flew,
None invincible as they.”
Such the bard's prophetic words
Pregnant with celestial fire, Bending, as he swept the chords
Of his sweet but awful lyre.
She, with all a monarch's pride,
Felt them in her bosom glow;
Dying, hurl’d them at the foe.
6 Ruffians, pitiless as proud,
Heav'n awards the vengeance due :
Shame and ruin wait for you.”
the Winter Walk at Noon
HERE is in souls a sympathy with sounds, And as the mind is pitched the ear is pleased With melting airs or martial, brisk or grave; Some chord in unison with what we hear Is touched within us, and the heart replies. How soft the music of those village bells, Falling at intervals upon the ear In cadence sweet, now dying all away, Now pealing loud again, and louder still, Clear and sonorous, as the gale comes on ! With easy force it opens
all the cells Where
memory slept. Wherever I have heard A kindred melody, the scene recurs, And with it all its pleasures and its pains.
Such comprehensive views the spirit takes,
The boy's neglected sire! a mother too,
The night was winter in his roughest mood; The morning sharp and clear. But now at noon Upon the southern side of the slant hills, And where the woods fence off the northern
blast, The season smiles, resigning all its rage, And has the warmth of May. The vault is blue Without a cloud, and white without a speck The dazzling splendour of the scene below.
Again the harmony comes o'er the vale ; And through the trees I view the embattled
tower, Whence all the music. I again perceive The soothing influence of the wafted strains,