It would be an understatement to say that when Robert “Bob” J. McCann joined UBS just under two years ago, the situation at the firm was incredibly complex. The Zurich-based parent company UBS AG suffered losses of $52 billion in the credit crisis, got hit by an international tax-dodging scandal related to customers' Swiss accounts, and the Americas division was caught peddling impaired auction rate securities. When McCann came on board in the fall of 2009, pledging to save a sinking ship, nervous clients in the Americas were pulling their assets — $13.06 billion alone in the fourth quarter of 2009. And UBS financial advisors, severely demoralized, were taking flight. FA turnover reached a heart-stopping 17.7 percent when McCann reported for duty.
But some 20 months into his job as CEO of the U.S. wealth management division, McCann says he is ready to declare a small victory in the turnaround he and his top management are orchestrating for the business. In the first quarter of 2011, UBS Wealth Management Americas recorded its first quarterly profit in a year. (Registered Rep. went to press the day before UBS' second quarter earnings came out.) FA productivity and satisfaction are way up. And McCann is supremely confident about the future — predicting much bigger profits ahead on an annualized basis.
“I said it two weeks after I came here, and I still believe it. This business is capable of making $1 billion a year in pre-tax profits within three to five years,” McCann says. That gives him just over three years to fulfill his pledge. Rochdale Securities analyst Dick Bove thinks the odds favor McCann hitting his $1 billion target as the wealth management industry picks up worldwide. “McCann is an expert who understands this business like a pro,” Bove says.
The first quarter did mark an important turnaround for UBS Wealth Management Americas: That $119 million pre-tax profit comes on the heels of a humiliating loss of $33 million in the previous quarter. But some positive trends had already begun. The division reeled in $8.4 billion of new money for the quarter, or $3.9 billion in net new client assets, excluding interest and dividend income, and that marks the fifth straight quarter of improving net new client assets. Total client assets managed by UBS Wealth Management Americas now sit at $761 billion, its highest since the first quarter of 2008.
Meanwhile, the number of financial advisors rose by a modest net 15 in the first quarter to 6,811. And yet, overall attrition, at 4.3 percent, dipped to its lowest level since before the credit crisis erupted in 2008, according to UBS. Even better, perhaps, in a recent J.D. Power survey of investor satisfaction, UBS Wealth Management Americas was the only U.S. wirehouse to score above the industry average of 772 points, out of a total of 1,000 points. At 778 points, UBS was up 19 points from 2010.
Despite — or perhaps because of — this improvement, the UBS brokerage house, purchased by UBS from PaineWebber for $10.8 billion in 2000, can't seem to shake off persistent rumors that it's on the block, being dressed up for an eventual spin-off by its Swiss banking giant parent. Many suspect it wants out of its troubled investment. Wells Fargo spokesman Tony Matera said there was absolutely no truth to growing rumors that Wells is in talks with UBS about a deal.
McCann, too, rebuts the rumors to Registered Rep. but offers an explanation that sounds a little bit like a caveat. “Not true,” he says. “If you say to me, are there people that would like to buy this business, I would imagine that there are a number, especially since the business today is better than it was about 20 months ago.”
But McCann adds that if there have been talks he has not been privy to them. And if it really were on the block, you would think he might have played some role. “In the entire time I've been here, I have not been a part of any conversation with anyone about selling this business. We made it clear since November 2009 when Oswald Gruebel (CEO of parent UBS AG) announced his strategic plan, that every part of UBS is an important part of the business and the future.”
At the heart of this turnaround story are the FAs at UBS. If they had continued to defect, and to take their clients with them, the wealth management division would have been in serious danger. McCann, who once ran the brokerage business at Merrill Lynch (and who hired a coterie of top ex-Merrill executives who then joined his “renewal” team), doesn't need to be reminded. “There would have been no turnaround if we couldn't convince the advisors that this was a place they wanted to be,” he says. “So we made it a place that people want to work again. The numbers bear it out.”
Bob Mulholland, former co-head of the Americas region at Merrill, a popular manager in his time with the “thundering herd,” and hired by McCann as head of the advisor force at UBS WMA, compares his early days at UBS to combat. “I can't say it was a pleasurable experience to come into work every day,” he says. His tune has now changed. “I smile when I see Paula Polito's FA satisfaction surveys. When you know FAs are on your team, you know you've turned it around,” Mulholland says, referring to internal surveys by the Americas' chief marketing officer that show a huge surge in FA work satisfaction. An FA comp incentive program, known as Growth Plus, contributed to that satisfaction, Mulholland notes.
McCann looks with pleasure, too, at FA productivity today at the UBS brokerage. It's shot up from $595,000 per advisor in the second quarter of 2009 (just before he joined), to $855,000 in the first quarter of 2011. Meanwhile, invested assets per advisor at UBS have jumped from $81 million in the second quarter of 2009 to $112 million in the first quarter of this year.
By contrast, in the first quarter of 2011, revenue per FA at Bank of America/Merrill Lynch (including its online brokerage Merrill Edge) was $908,000, a bit above the UBS average. At Morgan Stanley it was $767,000 and at Wells Fargo, $650,000, according to internal research by UBS reviewed by Registered Rep. and confirmed by the firms. The same research shows UBS had more invested assets per advisor than Bank of America's $96 million, Morgan Stanley's $97 million or Wells Fargo's $73 million.
McCann makes no bones about his goals for FAs — $1 million in average annualized revenue per FA. The brokerage today is focused heavily on high-net-worth investors ($1 million to $10 million in assets), and ultra-high-net-worth (think $10 million-plus). “I'm very outspoken about this,” McCann says. Marty Halbfinger, an FA with UBS on Park Avenue in Manhattan, thinks McCann's goal is realistic. “The growth will come from the increasing confidence clients have in our firm and the FAs,” says Halbfinger, whose 15-person team manages $2.5 billion in client assets. “It's an exciting place here,” he says. “The nail-biting days of two or three years ago seem like a lot longer ago.”
On FA headcount, McCann wants to grow it to 7,000, including an additional 400 financial advisors as well as 170 rookies in 2011. “I have to be competitive on compensation when I recruit. But I guarantee you I'm not the most aggressive recruiter,” says McCann. He doesn't want UBS to be a large-scale player like his peers, seeing benefits in its smaller size including more flexible management.
Turning the Corner
The UBS Americas brokerage business is certainly not out of the woods. If it does not reach its financial targets as outlined by McCann, the game changes. The possibility that Swiss parent UBS AG would sell or spin off the business, a rumor that has long been denied, would become a much more realistic possibility, according to Alois Pirker, an analyst at Aite Group. “Its cost structure is a big issue,” he says. “Cost efficiencies are the key. With under 7,000 FAs, I can't see UBS achieving the same economies of scale as competitors like Merrill.” McCann, who announced in April 2010 that the division is targeting profit margins of 15 to 20 percent within three to five years, acknowledges that there is room for improvement. First quarter of this year, the business had margins of 8 percent.
Pirker at Aite is skeptical that McCann can hit his $1 billion pre-tax profit target. “How can he do it? More assets? Higher quality assets?” he asked. “And it's going to be tough because of the cost pressures with the size of his business.” Bove, however, thinks McCann has a strong chance of succeeding, especially now that Wall Street is on the mend and because he has already positively shaken up UBS.
McCann is undaunted. In the past 12 months, he and his team have ruthlessly cut costs, shuttering offices, consolidating regions, trimming layers of management and overhead. It also scaled back event sponsorship. In April 2010, McCann also hired chief operating officer, Anita Sands, a Ph.D. in atomic and molecular physics, to propel technology-driven productivity. (For more on Sands, see page 36.)
And McCann sees growth from various sides of the business — from stronger cross-selling of investment banking activities, products and offerings of parent UBS and from UBS Bank USA, its own bank for customer deposits and loans. McCann said Bank of America generates 35 percent of its revenues from banking-related products compared with 12 percent for UBS Wealth Management Americas. (Bank of America declined to confirm the revenue it generates on this side of its business.)
UBS has also stepped up its focus on partnerships — teaming up FAs who have complimentary expertise to fill in gaps in their service and product offerings. The idea is to capture clients' assets that could be lost to competitors, or that sit on the sidelines away from UBS. Mulholland notes the number of partnerships among clients with a net worth of $10 million or more has jumped from 29 in 2009 to 350 last year.
To be sure, improving market conditions and the economy have also cooperated to lift UBS in the Americas. Will how that continues help set the course for the UBS brokerage, I ask? McCann nods in agreement. But he wants you, reader, to know he was always an optimist — or maybe he has the luck of the Irish — from the moment he stepped into UBS.


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Understanding the aesthetics of bandish presentation
A free online workshop by Padma Talwalkar
In the context of Indian art (classical) music performance, the main objective is to portray the personality of a raga in an unambiguous manner, with maximum aesthetic effect. A good composition, often referred to as bandish, helps achieve this. Basically, bandish holds within its structure, elements that can be improvised upon, and hence, serves as an edifice upon which the architecture of a raga can be sculpted.
It becomes imperative, therefore, for a performer to understand the various modalities that could be adopted in the exploration of bandish. Some exploratory techniques are no doubt gharana-specific (school/style-specific). Nevertheless, there are facets that lie beyond the gharana framework, which are crucial for enhancing the overall effect of a raga presentation.
Groomed by stalwarts like Gangadhar Pimpalkhare, Mogubai Kurdikar and Gajananrao Joshi, Padma Talwalkar’s music is an eclectic mix of Jaipur and Gwalior traditions. Today, she is regarded as one of the outstanding female vocalists and a senior guru.
With a focus on khayal bandishes of Gwalior and Jaipur gharanas, this lecture-demonstration will attempt to highlight some essential aesthetical concepts that are beyond the confines of gharana ideology; and need to be adopted to enhance the overall aesthetic effect of a raga performance.
WE CARE ABOUT YOUR SAFETY: –

domain: artistic


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A wanna-be director is given 48 hours by a producer to find the best groan of pain, worthy of an Oscar, as the only condition to back his film.
Keep an Eye Out2018
Keep an Eye Out
Police officer’s at a station must solve a murder case.
A young actor suddenly wakes up in the middle of the shooting of a movie he doesn’t understand.


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Travel is not just a word, it is a recurring emotion, a hunger to explore more & experience more as we have got only one life. So, this time we planned to go to Jammu (another beautiful state of India). When we talk about jammu, the first thing that clicks in anyone’s mind is the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi. Thus, we decided our first stoppage to be katra.
Firstly, we checked up the covid guidelines (RAT/RT-PCR report/Vaccination certificate) set by the state government along with the mandatory online yatra ticket through https://www.maavaishnodevi.org/ website. You just require a government ID proof (Aadhar card, Pan Card, Voter ID etc.) and the yatra ticket will be generated directly from shrine board at zero cost. Then we started our journey from New Delhi Railway Station and boarded Vande Bharat train at 6 in the morning and reached Katra by 2 p.m. The train covered major stations like Ambala Cantt, Ludhiana Junction, Jammu Tawi and finally Vaishno devi Katra. The synchronicity in the emotions, vibes and excitement of each and every fellow passenger made the ride more beautiful and memorable. To get rid of our travel exhaustion, luckily we found a decent and affordable place named ‘Hotel New Chintpurni’ to stay in.
At around 6 p.m. we begin to ascend towards ‘BHAWAN’. The weather was good and quite chilly in the night time. The chants of ‘JAI MATA DI’ will give you enough power to overcome your fears and fills you with strength, pleasure, joy and above all blessings of Mata (mother). You would find yourself to be automatically connected to the essence of the holy place. We continued our trek with timely halts to refresh our energy and enthusiasm. It started raining heavily when we were about 4 kms away from the bhawan. We covered that distance barefoot thinking god might be testing us in the final acclivity. After reaching in the vicinity of the sanctum sanctorum, we first put all of our stuff in a locker as things like wallets, belts, mobile phones etc. were not allowed inside the bhawan premises except the prasad and cash. There was a huge crowd of devotees everywhere for the DARSHAN of MAA. We did darshan in the early morning at around 4 o’ clock and the view and feelings at that time were really indescribable. The spirituality, devotion and the faith in MAA will awaken your inner spirit. We were totally mesmerized during the darshan.
Thereafter, having a small break for food, we moved towards Bhairav Nath Temple as there is a saying that your yatra would not be completed if you won’t visit Bhairav Baba Temple. It was another 4 km stretch of steep slope. It was raining the whole time, but we did not stop as we wanted to complete our journey in one go regardless of any obstacles. This whole 14 km expedition was worth experiencing. Finally, our journey was successful and a memorable one too. Afterwards, we descended back to our hotel with lots of happy and joyful memories.
Our next destination was Patnitop, a hilltop tourist location nearest to katra. We booked a cab from one of the travel agency in Katra. Patnitop offers a no. of treks, temples and certain gardens to enjoy the vacation with your loved ones. We encountered the following major attractions of patnitop:
- Kud Town and Market: We got to know from locals that patnitop’s PATISA is a famous sweet that everyone talks about. So we bought the sweet for our friends and family.
- Skyview Point: It offers various outdoor activities like zig-zag zipline, tubing sledge, magic carpet, gondola ropeway etc. We did gondola ride and came across with the enthralling landscape of patnitop.
- Mahakali Temple
- Apple Garden
- Children’s Park
- Patnitop Park
- Nag Temple
- Shani Dev Temple
A few wonderful pictures from our trip:
We spend our last night in one of the patnitop’s hotel and returned back to katra in morning to board a direct bus to New delhi taking all the blessings, experiences and memories of lifetime with us. We wrapped up another beautiful and spectacular trip on a really sweet note.
Approximate budget breakup per person is as follows:
- Vande bharat Train fare from Delhi to Katra: Rs. 1300
- Auto fare from Katra Station to Hotel: Rs. 50
- Hotel Price in Katra: Rs. 700-900/night (exclusive of food charges)
- Travel package (round trip from katra to patnitop): Rs. 4000 (Inclusive of one night stay, sight seeing and cab price)
- Gondola ride cost: Rs. 900
- Bus fare from Katra to New Delhi: Rs. 900
Our total expenditure on this trip was approximate Rs. 8k per person. The above mentioned prices are according to our travel experience. It may vary with respect to hotel and travel choices one may make.
Hope you find this blog interesting and till then stay safe and stay happy!

domain: travel


Senior Policy and Research Manager, Policy Connect
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE
From train stations that lack step-free access to uneven pavements, city places and spaces are strewn with barriers that can stop disabled people from participating fully in society.
The lack of accessibility can make it difficult to do things non-disabled people might take for granted — such as meeting with friends; using healthcare, education and other key services; and finding a job.
How technology can help
From artificial intelligence (AI) and big data to the Internet of Things, new technologies promise to make cities more accessible. Traffic lights can be fitted with Bluetooth technology so that people with reduced mobility can activate them via a smartphone app. Digital apps connected to city infrastructure can update users in real time about broken-down elevators and other obstacles they may encounter on their journey and then suggest alternative routes. Extended reality (XR) smart glasses can help visual-impaired people find their groceries on shop shelves unaided.
Technology companies are leading the way in many of these groundbreaking innovations. Google has developed digital tools to help residents navigate city streets by crowdsourcing information about accessibility. The Dutch company Cyclomedia uses 3D mapping technology and AI to provide city administrators with data to repair damaged pavements and create a long-term strategy for accessible streets.
Making sure smart cities work for everyone will require leadership from policymakers.
However, smart cities also pose a significant challenge for disabled people. Like many technologies currently on our city streets, smart city interfaces often rely on devices such as touchscreens and key fobs that are inaccessible to many disabled people. In 2016, New York City was successfully taken to court for installing new information terminals throughout the city which were inaccessible for blind and visually impaired people.
Making sure smart cities work for everyone will require leadership from policymakers. Governments need to ensure smart cities are accountable. They need to establish laws and regulations so that people’s data is used securely.
Ensuring technology works for everyone
National governments and local authorities must be proactive in assuring smart city technologies are aligned with the priorities of inclusive urban living. Transport for London has demonstrated how this can be achieved by requiring developers who wish to benefit from their open data policy to get accessibility training so they can ensure that the new technologies they create can be used by everyone.
Finally, policymakers must make sure locals are actively involved in decision-making as their cities change around them. Disabled residents should be given a voice to help shape the future of their neighbourhoods.


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Problems and disputes in the workplace can arise for a wide variety of different reasons. In some cases, workplace issues may necessitate a deeper investigation. Employers should be ready to take proactive measures to protect their business interests and to ensure the workplace is free from unlawful discrimination, harassment, and other barriers to success. By working with an experienced, neutral attorney and facilitating a timely and independent investigation, companies may be able to effectively resolve issues and avoid costly and time-consuming litigation.
At Marshall Forman & Schlein LLC, our top-rated Franklin County workplace investigation attorneys have the skills and experience required to conduct comprehensive investigations on behalf of employers. To set up a strictly confidential consultation with our experienced Franklin County workplace investigation lawyers, please call us at our Columbus law office today.
As a general matter, workplace investigations are initiated following disputes or allegations of potential misconduct on the part of an employee, a supervisor, or the company. An investigation may be warranted as a purely precautionary measure or it may be necessary due to accusations of serious wrongdoing. The most common types of workplace investigations in Franklin County pertain to:
For a workplace investigation to be worth the time and expense, it must be done the right way. In fact, a sloppy or biased investigation could actually cause even more problems for an employer. Employers in Central Ohio need to know how to take the proper steps to protect their interests through a careful investigation. Specifically, six tips for conducting an effective workplace investigation are as follows:
1 – Be proactive — quick action helps;
2 – Always remain objective;
3 – Avoid overly aggressive tactics;
4 – Keep careful and well-organized records;
5 – Be thorough; and
6 – Maintain strict confidentiality.
Finally, for employers in Franklin County, there can be significant benefits to conducting a fully independent workplace investigation. This is perhaps the most important tip of all — it is generally best to bring in an independent investigator. By bringing in an outside workplace investigation lawyer, employers will be in a better position to resolve disputes and/or potential legal matters.
At Marshall Forman & Schlein LLC, our skilled Ohio employment law attorneys have extensive experience conducting independent, comprehensive workplace investigations on behalf of employers. To schedule a private initial consultation, please contact our law firm right away. With an office in Columbus, we conduct workplace investigations throughout Franklin County, including in Dublin, Grove City, Hilliard, New Albany, Upper Arlington, and Worthington.
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I must say that this Law Firm was very responsive, informative and very concerned about my situation. Thank you for being so compassionate (Attorney Robinson).
The staff at this firm are incredibly kind! They also got back to me very quickly which I appreciated! Helen Robinson was absolutely wonderful and incredibly professional! She was clear and concise and answered every question I had with honesty. She made sure to explain everything in a way I…
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Attorney Advertising. This information is designed for general information only. The information presented should not be construed to be formal legal advice nor the formation of a lawyer/client relationship. Past results and testimonials are not a guarantee, warranty, or prediction of the outcome of your case, and should not be construed as such. Past results cannot guarantee future performance. Any result in a single case is not meant to create an expectation of similar results in future matters because each case involves many different factors, therefore, results will differ on a case-by-case basis. By providing certain contact information herein, you are expressly authorizing the recipient of this message to contact you via the methods of communication provided.

domain: law


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Comforting Copycat Bob Evans Chicken & Noodles is one of our favorite slow cooker recipes. With thick, amish noodles, it’s pure comfort food!
We love eating out together as a family. To put away phones and simply sit around a table in a restaurant (and have someone else serve you!) creates in me a satisfying, peaceful sigh. It’s so good.
But when you have a family of 5, it can often get expensive to eat out often. And sometimes sickness keeps you home. It’s in those times when it can be fun to recreate a favorite restaurant recipe together as a family.
Bob Evans Chicken & Noodles is one of my favorite restaurant meals because it is so comforting. Thick Amish-style noodles, shredded chicken, rich buttery broth and just a few basic veggies. And better yet? It’s made in the slow cooker. Fix & forget. So there’s nothing at the end of a long day preventing you from relaxing with your family.
Plan for about 7 hours on low or 4 hours on high for cooking this soup. But please note….don’t add the noodles until there is about an hour left in cooking. Otherwise they will get too soft.
Add the chicken, chicken broth, and butter to a slow cooker. Really? 1 stick of butter? Yes. Just do it. It makes the broth so rich and flavorful.
Then cut up the celery, carrots, and onions. We use yellow or white onions. We’ve used red onions in a pinch, but they do have a much stronger flavor. Add them to the slow cooker.
Add your pepper and salt. Now this can be to taste. The broth will have salt and if you use salted butter that will also add salt. You can wait to add salt to each bowl at the end if you are limiting salt intake.
Let it simmer in the slow cooker for 4 hours if you put it on high, or 7 hours if you put it on low.
With 1 hour remaining, remove the chicken and shred it with a fork.
Then put the chicken back in and add the noodles. We like to buy Amish noodles (we’ve done both wide and thin cut) or you can buy frozen Reames homestyle noodles. If you buy those, follow the instructions on the back of the package you buy for how long to cook them.
The noodles will be ready in about an hour.
**Scroll underneath the recipe for serving ideas and substitutions.**
Add the chicken broth, chicken, butter, carrots, celery, onion, pepper and salt to the slow cooker.
Cook this on low for 7 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
Remove the chicken and shred it with a fork.
Return the chicken to the slow cooker and add the noodles to cook for another hour.
The calories shown are based on the recipe serving 10, with 1 serving being just under 2 cups of soup. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**
Yes! We often use stock instead of broth. And you can also use chicken bouillon cubes in a pinch. Use one cube per cup of water for a deliciously rich broth.
Can you use frozen vegetables?
Yes. We almost always use fresh vegetables, but you can use frozen mirepoix or mixed vegetables in this recipe. Note: If they are finely diced you may want to wait to add them so they don’t end up mushy.
What other noodles can you use?
We’ve used dry Amish noodles, egg noodles and frozen Reames noodles in this recipe. You can also use pasta of any kind if you’d like.
Does this recipe keep well?
As the soup sits, the noodles will continue to absorb liquid and thicken. The second day it will be more like a stew than a soup, but it is still delicious.
Other Chicken Soup Recipes
If you love homemade soup with chicken, try one of these other recipes:

domain: food


Quadrature Phase Shift Keying (QPSK) is a digital modulation scheme that represents two bits of data per symbol. In QPSK, four different phase shifts of the carrier signal are used to encode the binary data. Each phase shift corresponds to a specific combination of two bits (00, 01, 10, and 11).
The term “quadrature” refers to the use of two carriers that are 90 degrees out of phase with each other. The QPSK modulation constellation diagram typically illustrates the four different phase positions.
Here’s a basic breakdown of how QPSK works:
- Mapping Bits to Phase Shifts:
- 00 is represented by a 0-degree phase shift.
- 01 is represented by a 90-degree phase shift.
- 10 is represented by a 180-degree phase shift.
- 11 is represented by a 270-degree phase shift.
- Each symbol represents two bits of information.
- The carrier signal is modulated with the appropriate phase shift based on the two-bit data.
QPSK is used in various communication systems, including satellite communication, digital television, and some wireless communication standards. While Quadrature Phase Shift Keying provides a higher data rate compared to Binary Phase Shift Keying (BPSK), it is more susceptible to noise and interference than higher-order modulations like 16-QAM or 64-QAM.


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Purpose: To identify a cohort of women treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and mastectomy for whom postmastectomy radiation therapy (PMRT) may be omitted according to the projected risk of local-regional failure (LRF).
Methods and materials: Seven breast cancer physicians from the University of California cancer centers created 14 hypothetical clinical case scenarios, identified, reviewed, and abstracted the available literature (MEDLINE and Cochrane databases), and formulated evidence tables with endpoints of LRF, disease-free survival, and overall survival. Using the American College of Radiology appropriateness criteria methodology, appropriateness ratings for postmastectomy radiation were assigned for each scenario. Finally, an overall summary risk assessment table was developed.
Results: Of 24 sources identified, 23 were retrospective studies from single institutions. Consensus on the appropriateness rating, defined as 80% agreement in a category, was achieved for 86% of the cases. Distinct LRF risk categories emerged. Clinical stage II (T1-2N0-1) patients, aged >40 years, estrogen receptor-positive subtype, with pathologic complete response or 0-3 positive nodes without lymphovascular invasion or extracapsular extension, were identified as having ≤ 10% risk of LRF without radiation. Limited data support stage IIIA patients with pathologic complete response as being low risk.
Conclusions: In the absence of randomized trial results, existing data can be used to guide the use of PMRT in the neoadjuvant chemotherapy setting. Using available studies to inform appropriateness ratings for clinical scenarios, we found a high concordance of treatment recommendations for PMRT and were able to identify a cohort of women with a low risk of LRF without radiation. These low-risk patients will form the basis for future planned studies within the University of California Athena Breast Health Network.
Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

domain: medical


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The Chesapeake Science and Security Corridor (CSSC)’s epicenter is Harford County, MD, home to Aberdeen Proving Ground (APG). Inside the gates of this 100+ tenant Department of Defense (DoD) Research, Development, Test & Evaluation (RDT&E) megabase are six Centers of Excellence including C5ISR, and the highest concentration of advanced degrees on a U.S. military installation. Outside its gates, more than 150 defense companies stand at the ready to support a military-critical mission in readiness and resilience. And between them now lies an impending, evolving certification compliance in cybersecurity that impacts acquisition, teaming, performance integrity and the future of doing business with the federal government. Here is how a community in northeastern Maryland is collaborating to address this requirement.
But First, What is CMMC?
Developed by the DoD, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is a process to protect DoD and industry- critical data and assets from exploitation often described as ‘securing the supply chain.’ However, critical data on unclassified systems are vulnerable, and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) such as funding, personal, export controlled, critical tech data, etc. is being exploited. “There is concern that existing self-assessment cybersecurity requirements (e.g., DFARS 252.204-7012 and NIST SP 800-171) in DoD/Industry partnerships are not adequately protecting CUI. Consequently, DoD developed the new statutory CMMC process through which companies will be required to obtain third-party assessments to certify their level of cybersecurity maturity,” says Glenn Gillis, Senior Partner with BDCS. DoD has set up the CMMC Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB) to define, develop, train, implement and oversee the accreditation process. Future DoD contracts will require CMMC at specific levels for an awardee and their entire subcontracted team. Contracts with CMMC requirements will be phased-in; near-term on selected new contracts and significant contract option execution, and by FY2026, a requirement for all new DoD contracts.
Maryland Leverages Resources for its Defense Industry Base
As the state ranked 4th in defense spending, Maryland businesses play a key role in the defense industrial base. With twice as many federal labs as any other state and over 20 military facilities including APG, it is no surprise that Maryland nationally ranks number one for STEM job concentration and for high-tech’s share of all businesses. The state is renowned for its defense RDT&E, providing the full life cycle of many critical defense technologies. With thousands of in-state defense contractors, from a two-person business operation to a corporate headquarters such as Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman Mission Systems, the demand for cyber compliance is high. With grant support from the DoD Office of Local Defense Community Cooperation, Maryland, for the third consecutive year, offers the Defense Cybersecurity Assistance Program (DCAP), designed to aid small to mid-sized companies in tackling this important but costly requirement. “To that end, we must all play our part in helping those further down the supply chain with less resources yet with the innovative talent that drives tomorrow’s technologies,” says Lisa Swoboda, Senior Director, Military & Federal Affairs for Maryland Commerce. In addition to compliance assessments and technical assistance offered within the DCAP, Maryland also offers the Buy Maryland Cybersecurity Tax Credit, an incentive for qualified Maryland companies to purchase cybersecurity technologies and services from a qualified Maryland cybersecurity seller. “We hope to see more companies take advantage of these programs that aim to protect our nation’s assets,” added Swoboda.
The Maryland Manufacturing Exchange Partnership (MD MEP) is partnering with the Maryland Department of Commerce to administer the DCAP. The program has helped nearly 100 companies since inception and 100 more companies are in the queue to receive assistance and support in 2021. Results show participating businesses realized more than $500M in economic impact and retained 3,000 Maryland jobs. MD MEP Executive Director Michael Kelleher stated, “In partnership with the Maryland Department of Commerce, the Department of Defense, MD MEP and most importantly industry partners, DCAP has enabled hundreds of manufacturers to improve their cybersecurity posture, comply with the often difficult and costly requirements of cybersecurity, and remain competitive in the market. We look forward to continuing the program and creating opportunities for organizations to share knowledge, resources and best practices into the future.”
Professional Organizations Educate and Facilitate
Not having the appropriate level of CMMC at time of award will impact the industrial base and DoD’s ability to meet its mission requirements. So local professional organizations are working to bring awareness and actions to the community to insure preparedness for the CMMC implementation.
“The Army Alliance has also been supporting the Maryland Cyber Security Council, established several years ago to educate and support legislation implementing security measures across state infrastructure.”
“The Aberdeen Chapter of the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) and several other associations actively worked with the APG-Army Contracting Command (APG-ACC) to offer a symposium with subject matter experts from Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) and Army to discuss the importance of CMMC; what implementation should look like; and when companies could expect to start seeing the requirement in requests for proposals (RFPs),” shared NDIA Chapter President Dave Lockhart. A point emphasized during the symposium was the fact that companies could charge cost of implementation to Government contracts as an allowable expense versus an unfunded mandate, which was a major issue prior to the government rollout of the implementation plan. NDIA, other local associations and content-specific companies are working in conjunction with ACC-APG, to educate companies, large and small, about CMMC, its benefits, costs, and implementation challenges. The symposium hosted in 2020, along with an Armed Forces Communications-Electronics Association (AFCEA) small business program session in March 2021, provided local companies with a rich source of information as they begin to consider the how, when, and why to implement CMMC. Companies in the area are being made aware that, beginning in 2024, CMMC will be included in APG-ACC managed contracts, giving both industry and government ample time to prepare and comply.
“One of the Army Alliance’s objectives is to support the growth and sustainment of mission and workforce to the Aberdeen Proving Ground community. We are partnering with local professional and academic organizations to educate the local defense and commercial community regarding application and implementation of the Cybersecurity Maturity Model,” says Army Alliance President Tony Lisuzzo.
The Army Alliance has also been supporting the Maryland Cyber Security Council, established several years ago to educate and support legislation implementing security measures across state infrastructure. This will benefit the security of State contractors, and help avoid future losses due to cyber breaches. “The concept of a CMMC framework arose in response to a series of high-profile breaches of DoD and local government information,” added Lisuzzo.
“In the case of CMMC and its attendant regulation, the DoD, USD Acquisition and Sustainment (A&S), spent a significant amount of time working with industry and interested associations to understand issues, concerns, and challenges with implementation. USD A&S in conjunction with the Services, particularly contracting offices at local posts and stations, did industry outreach to try to ensure industry understood the emerging requirement and associated timeline for implementation,” stated Lockhart.
The Implications of Doing Business
CMMC must be viewed from the perspective of internal implementation in a particular company and external implementation as part of a Government-contracted effort. “Each company will have to look at its processes and practices for protecting specified information and make adjustments as necessary – the internal implementation will be similar for companies large and small, with the difference in cost and complexity, a function of size and organizational structure. However, most contracts are not performed by a single company; in most cases a company will provide a solution to a U.S. government problem with a series of partners,” says Lockhart. The CMMC guidelines place an additional requirement on the Prime to ensure that it and its subcontractors are CMMC-compliant. For a company with a few subcontractors, there is one level of complexity; for a company with thousands of subcontractors, CMMC compliance verification gets to be infinitely more complex and costly. Large companies will have to figure out how to implement both CMMC and a process of ensuring the certification of one-to-many subcontractors. The greater the number of subcontractors, the greater the complexity to CMMC implementation and cost to the Prime Contractor. This leads to higher contract costs to the company and potential delays to contract award as the Prime works to get subcontractors compliant.
The Cost Factor
Final accreditation guidelines are still under development with certification costs comprised of four components: non-recurring engineering costs, recurring engineering costs, contractor support, and C3PAO assessment. Even for small entities, these projected costs are impactful.
There are potentially substantial costs devoted to creating organizational readiness for companies seeking CMMC certification as well as those offering CMMC readiness services. “Organizationally, businesses will devote staff resources towards internal analysis and remediation,” says Toby Muser, CEO MNS Group. “As an example, organizations that need to certify at CMMC Level 3 due to CUI and are currently using Microsoft Business Accounts like Office 365 will need to migrate on GCC or GCC High, an increase per license of 200-400% over Office 365,” he added.
After an internal review, a third-party review from a Registered Provider Organization (RPO) can provide a Gap Analysis or Pre-Assessment to facilitate a successful CMMC Assessment from a Certified Third-Party Assessor Organization (C3PAO.) Costs start at $6,000 and increase determined by the number of locations and complexity of the organization. Assessors will study and test the company’s procedures and policy, and verify they are repeatable and being followed by the company.
Technology companies that register as a RPO will invest $5,000 yearly to be on the CMMC-AB Marketplace: $1,000 to apply, and at application approval, a Year-One Certification fee of $4,000. Annual maintenance is $5,000. The training and test cost for each Registered Practitioner (RP) is $500 per employee, valid for one year. Organizations that apply for C3PAO pay a $1,000 application fee, with a $2,000 activation fee. Annual maintenance fees are $2,000. CMMC Certified Professionals (CCP) and CMMC Certified Assessors (CCA) have fees associated with training through certified CMMC Licensed Training Provider (LTP), with annual fees depending on level of certification. C3PAO’s must also pass an assessment of their own network equivalent to the level of assessment they wish to perform on Organization Seeking Certification (OSC).
Insights for the Contractor & Provider
Regarding CUI, subcontractors should look to their Prime for insight. There may also be clauses in a contract that dictate further controls and restrictions on data such as ITAR or NOFORN. A good starting point for OSC’s is the DoD Mandatory CUI Training. This training details how to identify CUI, how to properly handle it, and how to mark CUI yourself.
“In CMMC, the security practice domains are met and the OSC passes or the security practice domains are unmet and the OSC fails.”
The greatest impact for companies will be when to make the investment or when to allocate funds to become CMMC compliant. There are infinite resources, and the challenge is when and to what extent a company implements CMMC, understanding that the resources – funding and people – will not be available for some other opportunity, thus becoming an opportunity cost issue. While the Government has provided interest with lead time before compliance becomes mandatory on all Government contracts and, most importantly, has determined that the cost of compliance can be charged as an allowable cost, there are many companies who may be engaging with the government for the first time. The question becomes when do they implement: In advance of a contract or after winning? “This is going to be a dilemma for many companies, particularly those who do not do the majority of their business with the U.S. Government,” added Lockhart.
“There’s a theory… going around that says network security and cybersecurity can be treated like boxes to check off and then never thought about again. But that is far from the truth,” says Musser. “The vigilance required to keep your data, systems, and networks secure is an ongoing concern.”
CMMC is not a score; it is a pass/fail. This is a departure from other frameworks where Plans of Action and Milestones were used. In CMMC, the security practice domains are met and the OSC passes or the security practice domains are unmet and the OSC fails. If the CMMC Certified Assessor determines the security practices were unmet, the OSC will need to remediate those areas within a specific time period. It is at the Lead Assessor’s discretion whether to allow the OSC to remediate any deficiencies. “There may not be a way to remediate AND show maturity. In the case that remediation is indicated, CMMC-AB has allowed 90 days” says Musser.
“When it comes to Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC), many companies only have one Registered Practitioner (RP). However, by the end of February, MNS Group had 8 RPs in place. We’re extremely proud of this accomplishment and what it means not only for our business but also for the increased safety, security, and integrity of the client partners undergoing this certification,” stated Musser. The RPO certification signals that a consulting firm is invested in the CMMC space and has committed to cybersecurity best practices.
“Even the most cyber-sophisticated company, the journey towards CMMC certification can be a long and complicated one. Fact is CMMC certification is a heavy lift. RPOs are experts in the CMMC framework and play a vital role in ensuring contractors meet and maintain their desired CMMC level,” said Kernan Kelly, IT Solutions Consultant with MNS Group.
“Once client partners understand that truth, we see an increased investment in funding, people, and efforts to maintain that level of protection. It means organizations are being truly proactive, taking steps to ensure the integrity of their data,” Musser noted.
Determining Compliance Level: Company vs Product?
Enclaves can be made for departments that create or possess CUI as part of their work on a DoD contract. It is important to note that CMMC evaluates an OSC at the company level. Proper processes and controls need to be in place to ensure proper CUI flow within the organization. During the CMMC Assessment process, the lead assessor will work with the organization to determine the scope of the assessment. If the lead assessor agrees that the OSC is protecting CUI flow within the organization and enclaves, the assessment may proceed.
Understanding the Impact of DoD Mission Success
The greater defense community understands and values APG as the center of gravity for Army C5ISR and that industry is deeply embedded in those efforts. It requires a collaborative community —government, industry, and academia— to be in-sync to achieve the necessary level of compliance. Academia will play a key role in developing and enhancing the workforce to address and maintain compliance; DoD organizations must promote and ensure institutions have the accredited resources needed.
At Harford Community College (HCC), the County’s hub for cybersecurity education and training, information technology staff is being introduced to the CMMC concepts. As an academic institution doing business with Aberdeen Proving Ground, they are already positioning themselves to meet cyber quality standards. “We look forward to moving into the second phase of assisting local defense contractors in their efforts to be certified in CMMC,” remarked Dr. Theresa B. Felder, HCC President.
Under the CMMC-AB construct, there will be several distinct roles for organizations and individuals: developing CMMC curriculum, providing CMMC training, conducting accreditations, and selling CMMC support ‘tools.’ The DoD’s CMMC approach is being looked at as a model for adoption by other Federal organizations.
A significant amount of work over a limited period of time needs to be invested by companies and organizations in order to prepare for an assessment and accreditation. A holistic approach among government, industry, and academia is a strong first step and collaboration is key. In the spirit of the African proverb, “It takes a village to raise a child” … it takes a defense community to meet DoD cybersecurity compliance!

domain: news


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The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will change more than just healthcare and insurance rates; Obamacare is crawling into bed and impacting America’s marriage rates. At least according to Real Clear Politics columnist, Diana Furchtgott-Roth’s new article, “Hello Healthcare, Goodbye Marriage.”
How will the new healthcare law impact marriage trends?
“The health insurance premium credits in the new law are linked to the poverty line, resulting in new and steep marriage penalties.”
The article continues to explain:
“The penalty extends also to single mothers. Say Sally is a single mother earning $43,710, putting her and her baby at 300% of the poverty line. They would be eligible for the health insurance premium assistance credit.
But what if Sally wants to marry Sam, the father of her child, who earns $43,320, and is at 400% of the federal poverty line? Their total earnings, at $87,030, would exceed the 400% poverty line for a family of three ($73,240). Married, they would no longer receive help with their health insurance premiums, despite both earning the credit when unmarried. In order to keep her government health insurance benefit, Sally could only marry someone earning less than $30,000.”
I wonder if our legislators realized the far-reaching impact of the new law when they signed their approval. Or, is Congress now in the business of discouraging marriage and incentivizing lower-earning unions?

domain: finance


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The UN is bracing for a mass movement of 900,000 people who are expected to flee if the government launches a large-scale offensive in Syria's last rebel-held region of Idlib.
Cavusoglu on Friday said Turkey was ready to cooperate with anyone in the fight against terror groups in Syria, but criticised the Damascus regime for using the presence of jihadists groups to legitimise a possible operation in Idlib. Those views echoed statements made by Russian President Vladimir Putin in Berlin in August, who said: "We need to strengthen the humanitarian effort in the Syrian conflict".
The presidents of Turkey, Iran and Russian Federation met in Tehran last week but did not agree a ceasefire that would prevent an expected offensive. It is up to parties to the conflict and the Governments that support such parties to protect the civilian population in Idlib and across Syria.
Still, a meeting of presidential aides from Russia, Germany, Turkey and France devoted to Syria will take place in Istanbul on Friday.
The Assad regime has twice been targeted by United States air and missile strikes after previous alleged chemical attacks, and U.S. officials have in recent days said additional action would follow if Assad uses the banned weapons in rebel-held Idlib.
"Should we see three million of the people headed to the Turkish border, this is a scenario that by far outweighs the capacity of all the humanitarian organizations put together", he said.
It came amid rising global concern that a looming Syrian government assault against rebels in the northwest province of Idlib would be a "bloodbath". "We will continue our efforts on worldwide platforms as well", he said.
"The safety and protection of some 2.9mn civilians residing in Idlib and surrounding areas is at risk".
However last week Erdogan and Putin failed to agree on a ceasefire at a three-way summit in Tehran which also involved Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.
German Foreign Minister Maas warned that a large-scale military offensive by the Syrian regime would lead to a humanitarian disaster in Idlib, which is home to more than 3 million civilians.
The Turkish military, which is deployed across an arc of northwest Syria near Idlib with its rebel allies, has also set up 12 observation posts around Idlib this year.
In the provincial capital, Idlib city, and in towns including Kafranbel, Dana, Azaz, Maaret al-Numan and al-Bab, demonstrators filled the streets after noon prayers and chanted against Assad, raising the tri-color green, white and black flag that has become the banner of Syria's 2011 uprising, activists said. The U.N. has warned that a battle will spark a humanitarian catastrophe. "We have seen it in use before, and we strongly advise that it does not happen in this enclosed area, where the population has, I think, nearly doubled by the influx of evacuees and IDPs from other parts of the country".

domain: politics


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Eri Hashino, Ph.D.
Ruth C. Holton Professor of Otolaryngology-HNS
Professor of Anatomy and Cell Biology; and Pharmacology and Toxicology
Ph.D., Nagoya University (1991)
Neural Differentiation from Embryonic and Somatic Stem Cells.
Research in my lab investigates the mechanisms by which cell-intrinsic transcription factors and extracellular signals cooperatively instruct pluripotent stem cells to differentiate into neurons bearing phenotypic and functional properties of inner ear sensory neurons. Since the vast majority of these sensory neurons use glutamate as a primary neurotransmitter, my lab has been primarily focusing on identifying factors that promote glutamatergic neuronal specification during stem cell differentiation. In order to assess both in vitro and in vivo functional properties of stem cell-derived neurons exhibiting a glutamatergic phenotype, my lab, in collaboration with other on-campus investigators, is taking interdisciplinary approaches, including cellular/molecular biology, biochemistry, cellular electrophysiology and imaging, MRI and animal models.
Epigenetic regulation of neuronal differentiation from pluripotent stem cells: T cell leukemia 3 (Tlx3) is a member of the Tlx family of homeobox transcription factors and is selectively expressed in cranial sensory ganglia, including spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs), during early embryogenesis. We recently found that Tlx3 promotes selective activation of glutamatergic marker genes, which is accompanied by enhanced post-synaptic transmission, in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) only after these cells are committed to a neural lineage. These results demonstrate that Tlx3 is a context-dependent fate selector that confers ESC-derived neurons with a glutamatergic neurotransmitter phenotype. The primary goals of this study are (1) to elucidate the epigenetic mechanisms underlying context-dependent functions of Tlx3 on neuronal subtype specification, and (2) to assess both in vitro and in vivo properties of ESC-derived neurons expressing Tlx3.
Somatic stem cells as delivery vectors for inner ear therapy: The goal of this project is to establish and validate a robust, safe and long-lasting delivery method using somatic stem cells as vectors to transport biologically active molecules into the inner ear. Somatic stem cells, such as mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), represent a promising source of material for autologous cell transplantation therapies. While these stem cells can be used to replace damaged cells in the inner ear, our recent study has demonstrated that transplanted somatic stem cells exhibit remarkable abilities to identify and migrate towards damaged spiral ganglion neurons in the inner ear. This property makes somatic stem cells a unique tool to deliver therapeutic agents selectively to damaged cells in the inner ear. We are currently establishing stem cell lines stably expressing high-level BDNF. These stem cells releasing BDNF will be transplanted into the cochlea of an animal model of auditory neuropathy. Migration and engraftment of these stem cells will be monitored by a high-resolution microscopic-endoscope-based imaging system and MRI.
Modeling neurodegenerative disorders using patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cells: In collaboration with Dr. Jason Meyer (IUPUI Biology), we are establishing iPSCs derived from patients suffering from Type I Usher Syndrome. Usher Syndrome is the most frequent cause of hereditary deaf-blindness in humans. It is characterized by severe to profound congenital hearing impairment, vestibular dysfunction and progressive retinitis pigmentosa. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying the auditory and visual impairment are poorly understood. We are making progress in generating Usher Syndrome patient-derived iPSCs, which will be then cultivated to differentiate into sensory hair cells in the inner ear and photo receptor cells in the retina. These stem cell-derived hair cells and retinal cells will harbor the same genome predisposed to Usher Syndrome, and thus serve as a potent model system to investigate disease-specific pathogenesis and potential phenotypic rescue.
Kondo T, Matsuoka AJ, Shimomura A, Koehler KR, Chan RJ, Miller JM, Srour EF, Hashino E. (2011) Wnt signaling promotes neuronal differentiation from somatic pluripotent stem cells through activation of Tlx3. Stem Cells 29: 836-846.
Hashino E, Fritsch MH (2011) Embryonic stem cell-derived neurons for inner ear therapy. In: C. Atwood (Ed.), Embryonic Stem Cells - Recent Advances in Pluripotent Stem Cell-Based Regenerative Medicine, INTECH, Rijeka, Croatia, pp.189-202.
Ma P, Vemula S, Munugalavadla V, Chen J, Sims E, Borneo J, Kondo T, Mali RS, Ramdas B, Li S, Hashino E, Takemoto C, Kapur R (2011) Balanced interactions between Lyn, p85α regulatory subunit of class IA phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase and SHIP is essential for mast cell growth and maturation. Mol. Cell. Biol. (In Press)
Koehler KR, Tropel P, Thiele JW, Kondo T, Cummins TR, Viville S, Hashino E. (2011) Extended passaging increases efficiency of neural differentiation from induced pluripotent stem cells. BMC Neuroscience. (In Press)
Yang Z, Kondo T, Voorhorst CS, Nabinger SC, Ndong L, Yin F, Chan EM, Niemeyer CM, Kratz CP, Flotho C, Hashino E, Chan RJ (2009) Increased c-Jun and reduced GATA2 promotes aberrant monocytic differentiation induced by activating PTPN11 mutants. Mol. Cell Biol. 29: 4376-4393.
Kondo T, Sheets PL, Zopf DA, Aloor HL, Cummins TR, Chan RJ, Hashino E. (2008) Tlx3 exerts context-dependent transcriptional regulation and promotes neuronal differentiation from embryonic stem cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 105: 5780-5785.
Romand R, Kondo T, Cammas L, Hashino E, Dolle P (2008) Dynamic expression of the retinoic acid-synthesizing enzyme retinol dehydrogenase 10 (RDH10) in the developing mouse brain and sensory organs. J. Comp. Neurol. 508: 879-892.
Kondo T, Johnson SA, Yoder MC, Romand R, Hashino E. (2005) Sonic hedgehog and retinoic acid synergistically promote sensory fate specification from bone marrow-derived pluripotent stem cells. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102: 4789-4794.
Romand R, Krezel W, Fraulob V, Messaddeq N, Kessler P, Bianchetti L, Cammas L, Hashino E, Dolle P (2011) Retinoic acid deficiency impairs the vestibular function (Submitted).


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This week, in honor of many kids going back-to-school, we’re running a sale on all our ebooks! It’s been awhile and I thought this was a good excuse!
If you’re new around here and haven’t heard about our ebooks yet, then you should! We have 7 different ones and all of them are awesome in their own way.
This was my very first ebook, released almost two years ago! If you’re brand-new to real food and just not sure what to do, this book can help. It details baby steps, what to have in your kitchen (both food and equipment), what to do about dairy and grains, why fat is healthy, and lots more! Some people think of it as Nourishing Traditions-lite. :) If you’re also struggling because real food seems “weird” and your family doesn’t want to eat it, you’ll love this book. It contains recipes for family favorites like cheese sauce, pizza, French fries, meatloaf, spaghetti sauce, sausage gravy, and more. There are no weird ingredients and all the dishes are recognizable. Enjoy! Normally sells for $6.95.
Pregnant? (Me too!) If you’re struggling with what to eat and how to be healthy, and not sure what to do with all the crazy “rules” surrounding pregnancy diets, this book is for you. It’s full of practical tips on how to eat a healthy diet, and there are only two rules: skip the junk, and eat lots of super foods. The book contains 30 recipes that are full of super foods — up to 7 per recipe! Plus they are delicious for people of all ages, including chicken and wild rice soup, maple nut granola bars, chicken marsala, garlic-butter salmon, and lots more. Normally sells for $8.95.
Are you grain-free or on GAPS? This book is perfect. It explains a bit of the why and what of grain-free and the GAPS diet, then it has 30 entirely grain-free recipes. 27 of them are GAPS-friendly (a few include potatoes). Enjoy chicken with tomato-cream sauce, spicy marinated beef strips, garden vegetable soup, vanilla and chocolate white bean cake, and more! Normally sells for $7.95.
Who says you can’t have your cake, and eat it too? Most desserts are filled with white flour, white sugar, vegetable shortening, and lots of yucky preservatives. With this book, you’re getting only whole grains (or grain-free options), real butter, and sucanat, maple syrup, or honey. It’s all wholesome ingredients, so you don’t need to feel bad about indulging! This is one of my favorite books, with recipes like soaked eclairs (LOVE those), cinnamon rolls, carrot cake, lemon cake, strawberry yum-yum, and lots more. So delicious! Normally sells for $7.95.
Do you need some comfort food? Fall’s right around the corner, so it’s time for some curl-up-in-your-PJs, stick-to-your-ribs type food. The only problem is that most comfort food is full of white flour, white sugar, canned soups, and just plain junk! But not this book. You’ll find healthy versions involving real cream, butter, eggs, whole grains, and even grain-free options! This book is perfect for blustery winter days or even holiday celebrations. You’ll find recipes like roast turkey, roast beef, stuffing, mashed potatoes, chicken pot pie, chicken and dumplings, and lots more. Enjoy your comfort food and feel healthy after too! Normally sells for $9.95 (and contains 42 recipes!).
Not sure what to feed your baby or toddler? This book can help. The first half contains many details about breastfeeding, what to do if you can’t breastfeed (and why that happens), theories about introducing solids to babies, when to introduce different foods, and more. The second half is filled with baby and toddler-friendly recipes, like guacamole, baby custard, pate, pigs-in-a-blanket, peanut butter chocolate chip granola bars, popcorn chicken, soaked tortillas, quesadillas, and lots more! Many of the recipes make quick or freezable lunches for older kids or adults too! Normally sells for $8.95.
Take advantage of the final, fresh tastes of summer with this book. If you want to eat locally and seasonally, this is your book. It’s full of light, fresh flavors that perfectly take advantage of summer’s bounty. Here, you’ll find chicken, spinach and strawberry salad, lemon sherbet (no need for an ice cream maker!), sweet onion poppy seed dressing, roasted garlic dressing, cheddar bacon dip, tropical punch, pita chips, fruit salad with poppy seed dressing, peach upside down cake, and more! Normally sells for $7.95.
This book is a collaboration between me and 7 other awesome bloggers, all of whom were, at one point, contributing writers here (some got too busy!). It contains over 70 amazing recipes that are specifically friendly for those newer to real food. It contains recipes like English muffins, soaked garlic-rosemary bread, slow cooker cheeseburger meatloaf, apple crisp, gluten free pumpkin cake, and lots more! It is a wonderful book and an asset to any collection. It sells normally for $9.95.
Do you have allergies? Not sure which book is most appropriate for your family’s needs? You can see an allergy-friendly comparison chart, which allows you to see which books are free of which common allergens, and which have GAPS-friendly recipes in them. Make sure the book you choose will work for you!
Want to save even more? Spend $20 or more and get an additional 10% off! This is through our “bundle” deals, and you can always get this discount!
Today’s discount is 30% using code BACKTOSCHOOL, and it runs through next Sunday, 8/26. Take advantage now so that you don’t miss out! Choose all your favorites to save even more.
Another Great Deal
Last week, Mandi of Life…Your Way released a new ebook! It’s called Easy. Homemade. The purpose of the book is to teach you how to make your own homemade pantry staples. It has over 60 awesome recipes, like seasoning mixes, apple butter, chocolate syrup, ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, peanut butter, tomato paste, buttermilk, applesauce, and lots more! This is such a practical book for those looking to replace the cans and boxes that fill many pantries. It’s a great guide to stepping out and making more from scratch…easily!
The best part? Through tomorrow, the book sells for just $0.99 (this is an introductory price only!). Take advantage, because it’s incredibly affordable and a can’t-miss book!
Which books will you add to your collection?
Like what you’ve read? Subscribe so you never miss a post! You can also follow us on Facebook or Pinterest. Thanks for reading!


text:
Infogrames goes Gothic
The sequel to JoWood's role-playing game will be published internationally by Infogrames.
Although Gothic II is already out in Germany, the role-playing game's US release has been in doubt because of recent business shifts at the Austrian publisher JoWood. Today JoWood announced that it has signed a deal with Infogrames to handle the international marketing and distribution of Gothic II. Infogrames will handle the game in all territories except Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, where the game has sold 100,000 copies since last November.
New US and European release dates have not yet been announced. For more details on Gothic II, check out our previous coverage of the game.
GameSpot may get a commission from retail offers.


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June 23, 2003
Albany-This Dougherty County truck is on the road just about every night wiping out mosquitoes. Donell Mathis is in charge of the bug killing operation. He knows when it's working.
"Ok, I'm not finding any larva at this point," Mathis said, while dipping his larva scooper into a small pool of water.
That tells him a lot about his mosquito control program.
"The chemicals are working," he said. "The guys out to do the job are doing a good job."
Halfway through 2003, there have not been any human cases of the West Nile. But that doesn't mean the threat is not still there.
"It needs to build up in the bird population before it becomes available to get over into the human population," said Rose Marie Kelley, a state entomologist.
But people are not helpless. There are a lot of things you can do to protect yourself from West Nile, like avoiding standing water from being around your home and wearing insect repellant with Deet.
"Mosquitos are a community based problem. They need a community based solution," Kelley said.
But it's the community participation that needs a boost.
"I would love to have great participation to pour out standing water around homes," Mathis said.
Because that helps keep the mosquito population low. "Being in an area like this with five acres of water behind us, we should be eaten up with Mosquitos, but were not."
And it's his job to keep it that way.
posted at 11:25 p.m. by firstname.lastname@example.org


Former United States President Barack Obama was all praise for Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse when the duo met during the NBA Cares Day of Service. Nick Nurse has been winning plaudits for guiding the Raptors to second in the Eastern Conference. Nick Nurse and his coaching team will also be on the sidelines during the NBA All-Stars 2020, coaching team Giannis.
In a video posted by NBA Canada on their official Twitter account, Barack Obama can be seen greeting Nick Nurse. When quizzed by Barack Obama on how he has been, Nurse replied by saying awesome, something the former US President agreed to. Barack Obama said that he has been ‘awesome’ throughout the current NBA season and congratulated him for his work. Barack Obama also had a candid chat with Kyla, who presumably is Nick Nurse’s daughter during the visit.
Nick Nurse is one of the favourites to win the NBA 'coach of the season' award this term. Nurse had to deal with the high-profile departure of Kawhi Leonard while the injuries have not helped the Raptors case. However, Nurse has brushed all concerns aside and his Raptors side sit second in the Eastern Conference at the NBA All-Star break. Nick Nurse and his coaching staff will be on the sidelines for Team Giannis during the NBA All-Stars 2020 and is a testament to the fact he has been ‘awesome’ like former US President Barack Obama said.


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I stayed at this hotel with my parents for five days in August. I'll keep it brief...
Bedroom- nice, comfortable bed
- Arrived at 930am (had an early flight). 5 hour wait to check in, not offered a coffee or anything
- 1 hour wait to be served in the lounge bar
- No porter to help with luggage
- Pubic hairs in the bathtub
- Squashed flies on mirror and bathroom wall
- Extortionate price for hotel meal (48€/pp): cold, poor food
- Hotel restaurant decorated like a cheap 90s wedding
- Too many members of staff surly and rude, to the point of ignorant
- Hotel very far from city centre- this wasn't really stated beforehand
- Small but loud themepark located in grounds of the hotel, open until 2am- never mentioned beforehand
- Staff did not know currency conversion rates, nor did they have the initiative to check them online
- Wi-fi was poor and often did not work in bedrooms
This is an expensive hotel, in an impressive location. Unfortunately, the staff, the low standards and the overall experience were less than what we had hoped for.
Think twice before you book this hotel, may be a caravan would be better!
- Official Description (provided by the hotel):
- Located 2 km from the city centre of San Sebastian and close to the historic monument Palacio Miramar and Naval Museum. Restaurant, bar, meeting rooms. Swimming pool and parking facilities. Stunning views over the city. ... more less
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Booking.com, ACCOR, Odigeo, Agoda, Hotels.com, TripOnline SA, Expedia, Ebookers, HotelsClick, getaroom.com, Evoline ltd, 5viajes2012 S.L. and Cancelon so you can book your Mercure Monte Igueldo reservations with confidence. We help millions of travellers each month to find the perfect hotel for both holiday and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
- Also Known As:
- Mercure San Sebastian Hotel San Sebastian - Donostia
- Mercure San Sebastián Donostia
- Mercure Hotel San Sebastian


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- Wayne, West Virginia, 25570
- Southern Rock, Blues, Heavy Metal
- Instruments Played:
- Drums, Bass Guitar, Acoustic Guitar, Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Harmonica, Mandolin
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Active over 1 month ago


Leading the “Race” with her latest single, Brazil Hill is closing 2021 with an undeniable banger.
The multitalented buzzing star is on the rise with no intentions of back peddling now. Her roots deeply embedded in Mobile, Alabama soil, Brazil is quickly becoming a household name. After a phenomenal two-year run, gifting us with singles like “U” and “Beat It”, the predictions for Brazil in the forthcoming year are looking mighty bright.
The RichPoint Music frontrunner makes her epic return with a track that could never disappoint. “Race” is just one of those singles you catch a vibe to; a fun hip-hop offering for the masses. Check it out below; now available on all digital platforms.


Colorado, Virginia, New Mexico, and other states are now in play.
She reintroduced herself to the American people Monday, with a focus on family and public service.
Citing hardship to women during the economic slump, they argue for legislation to strengthen protections against wage bias.
At Democrats' confab in Denver, much musing on how 'new media' are changing politics – and everything else.
In many ways she would make history as first lady.
Five hundred strong, Netroots workers in the Big Tent near Denver's Pepsi Center gain camaraderie – and affirmation.


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Much has been written about the American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, as that organization arrives in Salt Lake City for its national conference. ALEC supporters focus on the organization’s founding principles — support of free markets and limited government. Those principles are laudable, and I accept them as authentic.
Critics, however, note that ALEC’s process undermines fundamental aspects of our country’s representative democracy. ALEC, they say, puts corporations, lobbyists and politicians in private meetings away from the public eye. This is done in an effort to discuss legislative agendas and to develop “model” legislation, without registering these activities as lobbying and without acknowledging the source of the resulting model legislation.
Critics like Common Cause also question ALEC’s 501(c)(3) status, which allows ALEC to claim the status of a bipartisan charity entitled to receive tax deductible contributions from its corporate and foundation donors and sponsors. The argument continues that this tax advantage (a tax expenditure that, in other areas of the government budget, ALEC diligently fights against) is inappropriate for an organization that is so clearly not bipartisan — evidenced by the fact that only one out of 104 leadership posts in ALEC is reported to be held by a Democrat.
Finally, other critics suggest that ALEC crossed a line when it started promoting a social agenda (e.g., voter ID, school vouchers, stand your ground, etc.) that extended beyond ALEC’s original principles. This is often cited by corporations and legislators discontinuing their ALEC support or membership.
To these criticisms, I would add another — the issue of context. In other words, I would suggest that the identity of where our bills come from matters and greatly impacts how we view the purpose and intent of those bills. ALEC and its supporters charge that any ALEC bill goes through the same public process as any other bill. That is, on its face, true. However, with 800-900 bills being passed in each 45-day legislative session, the majority of which are pushed through in the closing two weeks of the session, one can easily see that the legislators themselves have precious little time to understand the plethora of bills that they are being asked to consider, let alone the general public having the time to do so.
The context in which a bill is proposed can be determinative of an individual’s reaction to that bill. For example, if a soccer mom meets with state senators to request a ban on guns within 1000 feet of her child’s school out of a concern for her child’s safety, that will resonate with members of the pubic in a certain way. If, however, the NRA meets with the same senators to eliminate that same no-gun zone, whether in the name of protecting our 2nd Amendment rights or simply to increase NRA membership, that will resonate in a very different way.
Neither is wrong and both would be matters of public record and discussion. But when an ALEC bill comes through the senators’ offices without being identified as such, the public is left to trust, as it should and often does, that the senators have only their constituents’ best interests in mind. Again, context matters.
The issues surrounding ALEC are serious and deserve serious discussion. These are not left and right or liberal and conservative issues — they are issues critical to good, transparent government of the people, by the people and for the people and are issues critical to the successful 236 year history of our representative democracy.
Founder, Alliance for a Better UTAH
See the OpEd in the Deseret News HERE


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Scandals like the college admissions scandal in the US highlight a very important point, parents are stressed out, worrying that they aren’t doing everything correctly to get their children into the ‘perfect’ universities. And the children are stressed because of all the pressure put on them.
Perhaps because of myths about what is involved in raising successful kids, snowplow parents clear all obstacles from children’s paths; helicopter parents hover, overseeing every aspect of their kids’ lives; and tiger moms pressure their kids to achieve perfection, both in school and out.
But parents need to pause, step back and consider what it really takes to raise successful, happy, confident kids. The Washington Post interviewed 60 successful entrepreneurs and their parents to find out, and in the process discovered these five common misconceptions.
Success in school predicts success in life.
Parents think their kids have to get into a top college to be successful, so they put pressure on their kids to get good grades. They don’t realize that kids who excel in one area – which is often outside the classroom – will be fine.
This can compensate for less-than-stellar grades. Many entrepreneurs weren’t appreciated in school because they have a different learning style; they often don’t like to “color within the lines.” When Benny Blanco was in kindergarten, his mother got a call from his teacher each week complaining about him not sitting in the circle. Eventually, Blanco’s goofy charm won his teacher’s heart.
He started producing songs in high school and is now one of the country’s leading songwriters, with 27 top-10 songs and 100 million albums sold.
Pursuing a passion won’t earn a living.
Be supportive of what your child loves. Parents believe their kids have to follow the same path that worked for them: Get good grades in everything, go to a good college, get a good job. That may work for some. For others it doesn’t.
They study subjects they hate, are miserable in college, graduate loaded with debt and can’t find a job. “Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon Chu was making little movies from fourth grade. Although at first his mom was upset, when she realized how important it was to him, she became his biggest supporter.
Even if a career doesn’t flow directly from their high school passion, the grit and confidence kids develop by getting really good at something they love will hold them in good stead.
Children whose parents help them will turn out better.
Children who are given responsibility learn they can do important things. Children who are trusted to fix their mistakes gain confidence that they have the skills to succeed.
Esther Wojcicki raised three successful daughters: Anne founded 23-and-Me, Susan is the CEO of YouTube, and Janet is a pediatrician. Esther’s motto is: “Everything you do for them is one thing they won’t learn to do for themselves.”
Esther told me that when her kids were little, “The 2-year-old had to come down and get me when the 6-month-old was crying. It taught them responsibility from a very young age.” Letting kids solve a problem by themselves equips them to tackle challenges when they’re grown up.
It is easy to tell which young kids will become leaders.
Certainly, some future entrepreneurs have been taking charge since their days on the playground. But just as many didn’t blossom until much later. Jenna Arnold wasn’t popular in high school and told her mom, “I can’t take these girls anymore. I’ve found an international exchange program and I’m going to Spain.”
Her mom let her go. Today, Jenna is the co-founder of ORGANIZE, the US’s top registry for organ transplants. Ellen Gustafson was bullied as a child and called Big Bird for being tall. She co-founded FEED projects and the Summit Institute and is a leader in sustainable food systems.
Entrepreneurs choose their careers to make money.
Successful companies are often founded to make a difference in the world. If entrepreneurs don’t believe in what they’re doing, how will they survive the 18-hour days, the funding worries and the uncertainties of the marketplace? Blake Mycoskie founded TOMS, which has given away millions of shoes.
Method co-founder Eric Ryan started his cleaning products company because he didn’t think the available choices were good for the environment. They care about contributing to the world and didn’t make important choices based solely on money.
I know it’s tough, but parents need to let go. The kids will be all right, even if they don’t get into Harvard or Georgetown. Watch them. See what makes their heart sing, then support them as they pursue that.

domain: sociology


Rodolfo Benítez denounced the existence of nuclear arms and the danger they represent to the world.
Geneva.— On August 16, Cuba called for a nuclear-weapons-freeworld at the UN headquarters in this city, highlighting the need for multilateral negotiations regarding the prohibition and total elimination of such arms.
Rodolfo Benítez, head of Political Affairs at the Cuban Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Multilateral Affairs department, stated the island’s position during a session of the UN Open-ended Working Group on nuclear disarmament.
During the meeting, the Cuban diplomat stressed the island’s firm commitment to nuclear disarmament as a top priority, reported Prensa Latina.
Benítez denounced the existence of nuclear weapons and the danger they pose to the world, noting that the issue represents one of the major challenges to humanity’s survival.
In this regard, he stated that the use of nuclear arms can not be justified under any security model or doctrine.
Thus, Benítez proposed the adoption of a mechanism aimed at prohibiting nuclear weapons as a first step toward their complete elimination over time and under strict supervision.
The Working Group sessions will conclude on Friday, August 19, on which date participants should approve a report scheduled to be reviewed during the upcoming 71st Regular Session of the UN General Assembly.
Written by Prensa Latina (PL), Periodico26.cu
August 17, 2016


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New Delhi, 28 May-2014(PTI): Narendra Modi is the ‘centre’ of all attention after becoming India’s Prime Minister. If his charisma and vision led to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s historic win in the Lok Sabha elections, he has proven to be equally influential in the fashion world. He has not only brought in a new political wave, but also a fashion tsunami.
In the highly dynamic fashion world, where style statements change with the seasons, Modi’s wardrobe is simple yet classic. There is nothing literally exceptional in Modi’s fashion choices yet his style quotient is swaying the masses. Modi who loves to wear khadi, khadi silk and linen fabrics has had the penchant for luxury brands and amongst these is his the premium luxury brand Montblanc.
His Prime Minister post was inducted with a lavish star studded ceremony on May 26. It witnessed the presence of international dignitaries like Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, and Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Several Bollywood actors were also present at the function: Hema Malini, Shatrughan Sinha and Vinod Khanna contested the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections on a BJP ticket, other celebrities like Salman Khan, his father Salim Khan, Anupam Kher and Madhur Bhandarkar also attended the ceremony.
He left no stone unturned in making this historic moment extravagant. He had exclusive and elite designers bidding to design his outfit for the grand ceremony. Such that he even signed his registrar with a ‘Mont Blanc’. Who knew that an ordinary tea seller would end up being a style icon and the ambassador of many brands.


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Well My daughter was full of attitude for Halloween! A month ago she chose a witch for her costume and so like a good mom, I went and bought the fabric and started cutting. A few days before Halloween she decided she wanted to be a Vampire instead. I had already made the pettiskirt and the corset so I decided I would just add fangs and a little blood. No that did not do it! I put the fangs on her and she said she didn't like them! so then I put a little blood on her face and it scared her! she started screaming like it was real blood and she was the one bleeding! So after cleaning her face I had to make a last minute trip to Walgreen's to find the last witch hat in town! She did not want her picture taken and looks like Wednesday Adams with her sour little face. Jacob was fine but he Had to have the zombie costume from Kmart (daddy bought it for him not me!) so that is not mommy made. Over all I did get a few smiles! I think a nap before trick or treating would have been helpful!
Gyros at home!
7 years ago


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Two page week just wrapped up at Sketch Support, so it’s time to share my layout. Head on over there to get a free copy of this two-page sketch & check out what the rest of the creative team came up with.
Supplies - patterned paper: Sweet Caroline by My Mind's Eye, Basic Grey, Echo Park, Cosmo Cricket; letter stickers: Thickers by American Crafts, Authentique; chipboard embellishments: Bella Blvd; journaling spot: My Mind's Eye; ink: Tsukineko
Variation #1: I really toned down most of the embellishments. The patterned paper was busy enough that I didn't want to add too much! I did keep a few of the "label" spots. I also omitted the "word" & just kept my title on the left.
Variation #2: For my journaling block, I cut a calendar journaling spot in half (& kept the rest to use later), inked the edges, & overlapped two of the areas.

domain: design


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Thrillers/detective stories > The Silence of the wave
Thrillers/detective stories The Silence of the wave
- Price: £8.99
- ISBN: 9781908524232
- Availability: Limited Stock
A woman on the run from her past. A child on the run from reality. A man on the run from himself.
Carofiglio confronts the dark side of the human soul in this captivating story of fall and redemption. Every week, Roberto Marias crosses Rome on foot to arrive at his psychiatrist's office. There, he often sits in silence, stumped by the ritual - but sometimes crucial memories come to the surface.
He remembers when he was a child and used to surf with his father. He remembers the treacherous years he spent working as an under-cover carabinieri, years that taught him how cynicism and corruption are not merely external influences, but also exist within us. He has lived an intoxicating and crushing life, but now his psychiatrist's words, the hypnotic strolls through Rome, and a meeting with a woman named Emma - who like Roberto is ravaged by a profound guilt - are beginning to revive him.
And when eleven-year-old Giacomo asks Roberto to help him conquer his nightmares, Roberto at last achieves a true rebirth.
|Series||Thrillers/detective stories||Title||The Silence of the wave|
|Publication Date||September 2013||Authors||Gianrico Carofiglio / Howard Curtis|
|Inspection Copy||No||Delivery||Limited Stock|
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You are here
Doctors Deny Lesbians Insemination on Moral Grounds
A lesbian couple denied IUI sued Dr. Douglas Fenton and Dr. Christine Brody at the North Coast Women's Care Medical Group for discrimination in 2001 and settled earlier this month for an undisclosed sum after eight years of litigation.
Although this may not be the first time a patient has been denied medical care for personal reasons, Benitez's case demonstrates the narrow path doctors often walk between providing the best health care services and adhering to their own moral, ethical or religious beliefs.
"In general, religious beliefs or gender orientation should not interfere with the rights of an individual to reproduce," said Dr. Sherman Silber, director of the Infertility Center of St. Louis at St. Luke's Hospital in St. Louis, Mo. "If a doctor doesn't want to care for a patient, the doctor has a right to decide who he or she is and isn't going to take care of. But that conflicts with the discrimination issue." Read more.


(ATTN: UPDATES with passage of bills by parliament in paras 3, 9-11)
SEOUL, Dec. 31 (Yonhap) — The speaker of South Korea’s National Assembly outlined his ultimatum to resolve the electoral system standoff, political sources said Thursday.
The ultimatum given to the heads of the ruling Saenuri Party and the main opposition Minjoo Party of Korea earlier in the day makes it clear that unless a resolution is reached by midnight, when the current electoral system becomes null and void, the speaker will have no other recourse but to ask a committee under the National Election Commission to tackle the critical impasse.
National Assembly Speaker Chung Ui-hwa has urged the two rival parties to reach a settlement, but negotiators have not been able to bridge the gap, despite the next parliamentary race looming just around the corner on April 13.
The deal breaker so far has been the difference on how to elect proportional representatives, with the ruling party pushing for reduction in the numbers of proportional representative seats.
The Constitutional Court had ruled that the way the 300 lawmakers were elected to office violated “equality of votes” rule and must be corrected. The country’s parliament is made up of 246 district seats, directly by constituencies and 54 proportional representative seats that are picked from support given to parties by voters.
Parliamentary insiders said that the special committee is expected to come up with a compromise early next month, with the plan to be reviewed by the parliamentary standing committee in charge of administrative affairs.
Chung is expected to put the reform bill on redrawing the electoral map to a vote on Jan. 8, which is the last day of the current session of parliament.
“Today’s meeting between Chung and the heads of the rival parties was not meant to resolve differences,” a Saenuri party official said. He pointed out that it was designed to highlight what actions will be taken down the road.
Besides failing to reach a middle ground on the electoral system, lawmakers were unable to tackle labor related laws and bills aimed at fueling growth in the service sector, easing rules that can allow industry-wide restructuring and anti-terrorism legislation. Lawmakers, moreover, delayed passage of a bill calling for improved human rights in North Korea.
On the other hand, they did pass minor laws that include rules governing online voting and providing more support in dealing with contagious diseases, harmful car emissions and emergency rescue operations.


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Never give up, Harvard Business Review
“I’ve always repeated the mantra “never, never, never, never give up.” These words of Winston Churchill’s have rallied me for years; they are a core tenet of our family motto, and hang, framed, on the wall just inside the front door of our home. But I’ve started to wonder if not giving up is sufficient. (…)Dreaming is at the heart of disruption. Whether we want to disrupt an industry or our personal status quo, in order to make that terrifying leap from one learning curve to the next, we must dream. The good news is that the causal mechanism for achieving our dreams is always, always, always showing up: and as we show up, our future will too.”
R (Relationship) related
“His love for himself is so strong he does not need to gain the acceptance of others by trying to be something he is not. His strength is not physical so much as it is in the clarity of his mind and emotions. These are character strengths that a woman not only admires, but feels safe with. (…)When a man is distant emotionally or physically from her it may bring up feelings of loneliness, or fear of a break up. Seeking this type of emotional safety can lead to emotional drama.(…) By discouraging him to do other things she is increasing their time together. It is possible the man ends up feeling guilty for having done the “wrong” thing that caused her to be upset. (…)A woman can choose to wait for a man with the character and integrity that she respects and wants. But as she waits she should prepare herself as well. Being with a man of integrity will not be like being with other men. He will be seeking a partner that will treat him with the same level of unconditional love with which he treats himself. If she brings her judgments, fears, and emotional reactions to the relationship, he may decide that he would rather be with someone else.”
“We talked a lot about embracing uncertainty, especially because all of us were surrounded by doubt and fear as graduation loomed closer and our futures were seemingly blank. I learned not to interpret the future as empty, but as open, full of possibilities, full of opportunities waiting for me to be the key player. We often interpret the unknown as bad or scary, but it is all in the viewer’s perception. Just as you can choose to see the glass half full instead of empty, so can you choose to view the future as brimming with possibilities instead of emptiness.”
TED’s best for the week:
How do we learn to embrace our vulnerabilities and imperfections so that we can engage in our lives from a place of authenticity and worthiness? How do we cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection that we need to recognize that we are enough – that we are worthy of love, belonging, and joy?
“Vulnerability pushed, I pushed back. I lost the fight, but probably won my life back.”
Book of the week!
Thomas Mann – The Magic Mountain
While combining opposed principles: intellect and sensibility, spirit and nature, intrinsic and extrinsic, the main character of this novel succeeds to gain important cognition about the essence of life. “Death is just a moment in life and nothing more” says Hans Castorp paradoxically, in a near death experience. Thus, spiritual education, abundance of mythological allusions and ironical inversions accompany this masterpiece of realistic yet grotesque narration. As we see in the selected quotes below:
“Passionate—that means to live for the sake of living. But one knows that you all live for sake of experience. Passion, that is self-forgetfulness. But what you all want is self-enrichment.”
“Who then was the orthodox, who the freethinker? Where lay the true position, the true state of man? Should he descend into the all-consuming all-equalizing chaos, that ascetic-libertine state; or should he take his stand on the “Critical-Subjective,” where empty bombast and a bourgeois strictness of morals contradicted each other? Ah, the principles and points of view constantly did that; it became so hard for Hans Castorp’s civilian responsibility to distinguish between opposed positions, or even to keep the premises apart from each other and clear in his mind, that the temptation grew well-nigh irresistible to plunge head foremost into Naphtha’s “morally chaotic All.”
Here’s a short clip, part of a movie that was made based on the book (from 1982):
Person of the week!
“In twenty years I’ve never had a day when I didn’t have to think about someone else’s needs. And this means the writing has to be fitted around it.”
“Always remember that when a man goes out of the room, he leaves everything in it behind… When a woman goes out she carries everything that happened in the room along with her.”

domain: psychology