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Transparent Yb3+, Er3+ and Tm3+ co-doped nano-glass-ceramics 32(SiO2)9(AlO1.5)31.5(CdF2)18.5(PbF2)5.5(ZnF2):3.5(Yb-Er-TmF3), mol%, have been prepared where co-dopants mostly partition in nano-crystals Pb1-x(Yb3+,Er3+,Tm3+)xF2+x embedded in the glass network. The Yb3+ ensures high absorption at 980 nm telecommunication pump wavelength and further phonon-mediated energy transfer to Er3+ and Tm3+ co-dopants. Er3+ and Tm3+ radiate overlapping emission bands from their lowest energy levels, with similar lifetime of about 9 ms, which cover the range between 1.50 to 1.70 µm. The lifetime of all higher levels of Er3+ and Tm3+ dopants is shorter than 70 µs due to short inter-dopant distances in the nano-crystals resulting in fast energy transfer to their lowest levels.
© 2007 Optical Society of America
Broadband infrared emission of rare-earth dopants is of primary importance in several high tech areas such as optical amplifiers and laser sources operating in the wavelength range of the extended telecommunication window of 1.2 to 1.7 µm [1–10]. The most successful dopant has been the Er3+ due to its efficient radiative transition 4I13/2→4I15/2, Fig. 1(a), with long-living lasing level 4I13/2, which occurs at about 1.53 to 1.56 µm and coincides with the wavelength minimum of optical loss in currently used telecommunication optical fibres (C-band) [1–4 and refs therein]. The Tm3+ dopant has also been considered for optical amplification in telecommunication fibres at wavelengths from about 1.45 to 1.48 µm (S-band) corresponding to the 3H4→3F4 transition of the Tm3+, Fig. 1(a), however the terminating level 3F4 has very long life-time preventing efficient population inversion for the 3H4→3F4 transition [3,4 and refs therein].
Since the actually available telecommunication window expands now from 1.2 to 1.7 µm , a search is carried out for broadening the amplification band of Er3+, [4–8 and refs therein], increasing amplification gain of Tm3+ [3,4], or using infrared emission bands of other rare-earth dopants, e.g. of Ho3+  or Dy3+ [10 and refs therein]. An 1.55 µm emission of Er3+ broadens when doped in low phonon energy hosts, such as fluoride [5–8] and tellurite  glasses and oxyfluoride nano-glass-ceramics [5,7,8] but may suffer from a prolonged lifetime of the feeding level 4I11/2 of the Er3+ (Fig. 1(a)). Perhaps the most suitable option to decrease the lifetime of the feeding level 4I11/2 of the Er3+ is the co-doping with another rare-earth dopant, i.e. with Ce3+, which accepts the energy from the 4I11/2 of the Er3+ and thereby quickly depopulates the 4I11/2 .
Yb3+ is known as useful co-dopant both for the Er3+ and Tm3+-dopants due to the unique high absorption cross-section transition 2F5/2←2F7/2 of the Yb3+ (Fig. 1) coincident with a traditional pump wavelength of telecommunication systems at 980 nm [2–4]. The excited Yb3+ ion efficiently transfers the energy both to the Er3+ and Tm3+ co-dopants [11,12 and refs therein], which consequently emit.
In this work we show that Yb3+-Er3+-Tm3+ co-doped oxyfluoride glass-ceramics 32(SiO2)9(AlO1.5)31.5(CdF2)18.5(PbF2)5.5(ZnF2): 1.5(YbF3)1.0(ErF3)1.0(TmF3), mol%, provides overlapping emission bands of the Er3+ (4I13/2→4I15/2 transition) and the Tm3+ (3F4→3H6 transition) resulting in an entire infrared emission band covering range between about 1.5 to 1.7 µm with a common lifetime of about 9 ms. Contrary and fortunately, the lifetimes of all higher levels of the Er3+ and Tm3+ have been found to be shorter than 70 µs due to efficient energy transfer to the 4I13/2 of the Er3+ and 3F4 of the Tm3+, which may result in high population inversion of these known lasing levels 4I13/2 of the Er3+ and 3F4 of the Tm3+. This has a potential for optical amplification/lasing of this nano-glass-ceramics at the wavelengths range from about 1.5 to 1.7 µm, which covers a substantial part of the available extended telecommunication window of 1.2 to 1.7 µm . The mechanism for the efficient energy transfer between excited levels of the Yb3+, Er3+, Tm3+ co-dopants has been discussed by comparing the room and low temperature emission spectra and lifetimes of the dopants in the nano-glass-ceramics and its precursor glass.
The precursor oxyfluoride glass 32(SiO2)9(AlO1.5)31.5(CdF2)18.5(PbF2)5.5(ZnF2): 1.5(YbF3)1.0(ErF3)1.0(TmF3) mol% has been prepared by melting the batch consisting of the respective oxides and fluorides at about 1000°C for 1 hour . The melt has been quenched in air atmosphere into the brass mould. The corresponding nano-glass-ceramics (GC) has been obtained on heat-treatment of the precursor glass at about 440°C for 30 minutes. The alternative procedure for preparation of GC consists in irradiation of the precursor glass by tightly focused laser beam (direct laser writing) resulting in local heating of the glass and precipitation of the GC in the irradiated areas .
On the heat-treatment of this precursor glass, the rare-earth dopants nucleate the size-restricted growth of nano-crystals of nearly cubic β-PbF2 [5,7,9,10] to the fixed diameter of about 8 nm, as measured by means of transmission electron microscopy (TEM) , x-ray diffraction (XRD) [7,9,10]. Since the dopants nucleate the growth of the nano-crystalline phase , these nano-crystals are very heavily doped with rare-earth atoms and may thereby form stoichiometric compound of tveitite type, e.g. Pb1-xLnxF2+x [5,10]; where Ln stands for a rare-earth ion, e.g. Yb3+, Er3+, Tm3+, and x≈0.3 , which has a structure similar to the face centered cubic β-PbF2 [14,15]. Thus, we assume that the actual chemical composition of the nano-crystals may approach the Pb3(Yb-Er-Tm)1F9, where the ratio of Yb:Er:Tm probably nearly follows the ratio 1.5:1:1 corresponding to their ratio in the batch. The super-ionic phase transition observed in the β-PbF2 and tveitite-type crystals near to 440°C  does obviously help in diffusion of F- ions into the Pb1-xLnxF2+x nano-crystals for required charge compensation since the valence of Ln3+ substitute is higher than of Pb2+. It suggests that the heat-treatment of the precursor glass should be carried out at about 440°C, which actually corresponds to the nano-crystallization peak in the differential thermal analysis (DTA) curve of the precursor glass [7,10].
3. Results and discussion
Figure 1(b) shows room temperature absorbance spectra of the GC and its precursor glass; some absorption bands corresponding to the Yb3+, Er3+and Tm3+ dopants have been post-signed. It is seen that the broad absorption band, 2F5/2←2F7/2, of a characteristic shape of the Yb3+ at about 0.98 µm dominates the absorption spectrum pointing out its use for optical pump. This band masks a substantially weaker and narrower absorption band 4I11/2←4I15/2 of the Er3+, which is also present at about 0.98 µm [2–8]. Other characteristic bands of the Er3+ and Tm3+, post-signed in Fig. 1(b), are also present in the absorption spectrum indicative that all dopants have been quite well dissolved both in the precursor glass and corresponding GC. Also, a characteristic change in the shape of the absorption bands with nano-ceramming of the precursor glass can be seen in Fig. 1(b), e.g. for the band 4I13/2←4I15/2 of the Er3+  and for the 3F4←3H6 band of the Tm3+  indicative that in the GC the dopants partition in the nano-crystalline phase of β-PbF2 type [5,7–10,16] making the yttrofluorite type nano-crystals [10,14,15]. The percentage of rare-earth dopant in the nano-crystalline phase in this GC has been estimated to be as high as about 90% [8,9].
Figure 2(a) shows steady state room temperature emission spectra of GC and precursor glass when excited at 900 nm, i.e. at the high energy onset of the absorption band of the Yb3+ (neither Er3+ nor Tm3+ absorb at this wavelength, e.g. [7,16]). We see in Fig. 2(a) that in addition to the emission band of the Yb3+ (1.0 µm) and weak emission band of the Tm3+ (observed only in GC at 1.2 µm), the spectrum is dominated by the broad emission band covering in particular the range between 1.5 to 1.7 µm and consisting of the overlapping emission bands of the Er3+ (1.55 µm transition 4I13/2→4I15/2), and Tm3+ (the 1.64 µm high-energy shoulder of the transition 3F4→3H6 ). The shape of the bands of the Er3+ and Tm3+ co-dopants is similar to the shape of the respectively single Er3+ [7,8] and Tm3+  doped glasses and GC’s of the same host chemical composition. Of special importance/interest here is a high energy shoulder of the Tm3+ band at 1.64 µm, which increases drastically in GC compared to the precursor glass, as it has been noted also for the single Tm3+-doped GC . The weak shoulder at 1.60 µm belongs to the emission band of the Er3+ . The response function of the spectrometer has been taken into account in this work, while we used for detection of emission a liquid nitrogen cooled photomultiplier and InSb photodetector. A stronger emission of the Tm3+ at 1.64 µm than of the Er3+ at 1.55 µm may be practically useful due to higher optical loss of the telecommunication fibres at 1.64 µm compared to 1.55 µm . We found the ratio of these bands of the Tm3+ and Er3+ can be adjusted according to the purpose by changing the ratio of Tm3+ to Er3+ in the batch. Actually, current attempts to broaden the amplification band of existing telecommunications focuses on use of the L-band of telecommunication fibres, especially at about 1.58 to 1.65 µm [2–4], this range is covered by emissions of the Er3+ and Tm3+ in GC shown Fig. 2 (a).
The excitation spectra for the 4I13/2→4I15/2 (measured at 1.505 µm) and the 3F4→3H6 (measured at 1.640 µm) emission bands of the Er3+ and Tm3+, respectively, are shown in Fig. 3 for the GC (a) and for its precursor glass (b). A very important result is seen in Fig. 3(a) that the excitation spectra are the same for these emission bands of the Er3+ and Tm3+ in GC. Moreover, the lifetimes of these two bands of the Er3+ and Tm3+, 8.8 and 9.6 ms, respectively, are also similar in GC (see Table). Therefore the entire band in GC between 1.5 to 1.7 µm behaves as a band of single dopant pointing out that it could be used as a single emission band for optical amplification/lasing in the extended telecommunication window.
Remarkably, such a good emission performance of the Er3+-Tm3+ couple, Fig. 2(a) can be achieved only in the case of GC, while in the precursor glass the lifetimes (1.1 ms for the Er3+ and 6.1 ms for the Tm3+, see Table) and excitation spectra, Fig. 3(b), of the Er3+ and Tm3+ differ substantially. The difference in excitation spectra, Fig. 3(b), is seen in particular at about 463 and 680 nm, where the absorption spectrum of the precursor glass is dominated by absorption bands of the Tm3+, the 1G4←3H6 and 3F3←3H6 transitions, respectively, Fig. 1. The difference in excitation spectra and substantially longer lifetime of the Tm3+ in the glass point out that energy transfer between co-dopants is suppressed in the precursor glass, while it is reinforced in the GC, as seen from Fig. 3(a), where the excitation spectra for Er3+ and Tm3+ are identical. Therefore, we conclude that a substantial shortening of distance between co-dopants takes place in the GC compared to the precursor glass, in agreement with [5,7,17]. While in GC, the most of rare-earth dopants are trapped in nano-crystals, in the precursor glass, the dopants distribute homogeneously across the entire glass network.
An interesting implication can be drawn from the low temperature (77 K) emission spectra of GC presented in Fig. 2(b). Here we see that the energy transfer between Yb3+, Er3+ and Tm3+ co-dopants has been vanished even in case of GC, because individual pump of each of the dopants (in 980 nm absorption band for the Yb3+; 522 nm band for the Er3+; and 463 nm band for the Tm3+) results in emission mostly from the same co-dopant, which was pumped. The lifetimes for the Er3+ (6.8 ms) and Tm3+ (12.0 ms) also differ substantially at 77 K in case of GC (see Table). Therefore, we conclude that the energy transfer between Yb3+, Er3+ and Tm3+ co-dopants is quite suppressed at 77 K even in GC, and this indicates the importance of vibronic contribution to the energy transfer at the room temperature. We suggest that the phonon, which mediates the energy transfer between the co-dopants is a 140 cm-1 “ungerade” (asymmetric) vibration au  typical of PbF2 crystal ( and refs therein). While this phonon vibration is well populated at room temperature (300 K=210 cm-1), it is almost completely frozen at 77 K (77 K=54 cm-1). A vibronic contribution of this “ungerade” phonon mode to the intensity of optical transition of rare-earth dopants in this GC host has been noted earlier, e.g. in  for the case of the Ho3+. Other typical vibrations of PbF2 are higher than 210 cm-1 (i.e. a dominating symmetric vibration t2g at 240 cm-1) and could not substantially contribute to the energy transfer at room temperature. Also, the “ungerade” asymmetric vibration induces more efficiently a dipole-dipole interaction of Van der Waals type between the co-dopants, which allows an energy transfer between co-dopants, e.g.  and refs therein.
The lifetimes of the 4I13/2→4I15/2 (1.55 µm) transition of the Er3+ and of the 3F4→3H6 (1.64 µm) transition of the Tm3+ in Yb3+-Er3+-Tm3+ co-doped and in Er3+ and Tm3+ single doped samples with similar doping level are compared in the table. A simple correlation between lifetimes of the Er3+ and Tm3+ in co-doped and single doped samples is absent indicating that it is the energy transfer between Yb3+, Er3+ and Tm3+ co-dopants, which defines lifetimes of the co-dopants in co-doped samples.
The Er3+ and Tm3+ co-dopants seem to play an important role in mutual depopulation of their higher energy levels. This has been confirmed by measurement of lifetimes of majority of the upper levels of the Er3+ and Tm3+ using time-resolved up-conversion luminescence spectroscopy. The lifetime of all levels was shorter that 70 µs. Apparently, the lifetimes of the feeding levels of the Er3+ (4I11/2→4I15/2, 0.98 µm transition) and Tm3+ (3H5→3H6, 1.2 µm transition) are also shorter than 70 µs, as seen from the Table. This has a positive impact on the population inversion of the lasing levels of the Er3+ (4I13/2) and Tm3+ (3F4).
Yb-Er-Tm co-doped GC has a potential for emission/light amplification devices in the tunable wavelength range from 1.5 to 1.7 µm. 9 ms lifetime of the lasing transitions of the Er3+ (4I13/2→4I15/2 transition) and the Tm3+ (3F4→3H6 transition), which overlap and cover the 1.5 to 1.7 µm range, and very short lifetime of their upper feeding levels, indicate that population inversion for those lasing levels may be achieved in GC. Short-length chip amplifier/lasers due to high doping levels of pump co-dopant Yb3+ and emitting co-dopants Er3+ and Tm3+, and high pump cross-section for the Yb3+, may be possible.
References and links
1. G.C. Thomas, B.I. Shraiman, P.F. Glodis, and M.J. Stephen, “Towards the clarity limit in optical fibre,” Nature (London) 404, 262–264 (2000). [CrossRef]
2. E. Desurvire, Erbium-doped Fibre Amplifiers: Materials, Devices and Applications. (Wiley, New York, 1994).
3. P.C. Becker, N.A. Olsson, and J.R. Simpson, Erbium-doped Fibre Amplifiers: Fundamentals and Technology, (Academic, San Diego, 1999).
4. S. Sudo (Ed.), Optical Fibre Amplifiers: Materials, Devices, and Applications. (Artech House Inc., Boston, 1997).
5. G. Dantelle, M. Mortier, D. Vivien, and G. Patriarche, “Influence of Ce3+-doping on the structure and luminescence of Er3+-doped transparent glass-ceramics,” Opt. Mater. 28, 638–642 (2006). [CrossRef]
6. A. Mori, Y. Ohishi, S. Sudo, A. Mori, T. Sakamoto, K. Kobayashi, K. Ishikano, K. Oikawa, K. Hoshino, T. Kanamori, Y. Ohishi, and H. Shimizu, “1.58 µm broad-band erbium-doped tellurite fibre amplifier,” J. Lightwave Technol. 20, 794–799 (2002). [CrossRef]
7. V.K. Tikhomirov, D. Furniss, I.M. Reaney, M. Beggiora, M. Ferrari, M. Montagna, and R. Rolli, “Fabrication and characterization of nanoscale, Er3+-doped, ultratransparent oxy-fluoride glass-ceramics,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 1937–1939 (2002). [CrossRef]
8. V. Rodriguez, V.K. Tikhomirov, J. Mendez-Ramos, and A.B. Seddon, “The shape of the 1.55 µm emission band of the Er3+-dopant in oxyfluoride nano-scaled glass-ceramics,” Europhys. Lett. 69, 128–134 (2005). [CrossRef]
9. K. Driesen, V.K. Tikhomirov, C. Görller-Walrand, V.D. Rodríguez, and A.B. Seddon, “Transparent Ho3+-doped nano-glass-ceramics for efficient infrared emission,” Appl. Phys. Lett.88, art.073111 (2006). [CrossRef]
10. V.K. Tikhomirov, K. Driesen, and C. Görller-Walrand, “Low energy robust host heavily doped with Dy3+ for emission at 1.3 to 1.4 µm,” Phys. Status Solidi (a) 204, 839–845 (2007). [CrossRef]
11. J.F. Suyver, J. Grimm, M.K. van Veen, D. Biner, K.W. Krämer, and H.U. Güdel, “Upconversion spectroscopy and properties of NaYF4 doped with Er3+, Tm3+ and/or Yb3+,” J. Lumin. 117, 1–12 (2006). [CrossRef]
12. F. Auzel “Upconversion and Anti-Stokes processes with f and d Ions in Solids,” Chem. Rev. 105, 139–173 (2004). [CrossRef]
13. V.K. Tikhomirov, J. Koch, D. Wand, and B. Chichkov, “Fabrication of buried waveguides and nano-crystals in Er3+-doped oxyfluoride glass,” Phys. Status Solidi (a) 202, R73–R75 (2005). [CrossRef]
14. S. Hull, “Superionics crystal structures and conduction processes,” Rep. Prog. Phys. 67, 1233–1314 (2004). [CrossRef]
15. D.J.M. Bevan, J. Strähle, and O. Greis, “The crystal-structure of tveitite, an ordered yttrofluorite mineral,” J. Solid State Chem. 44, 75–81 (1982). [CrossRef]
16. M. Mattarelli, V.K. Tikhomirov, M. Montagna, E. Moser, A. Chiasera, S. Chaussedent, G. Nunzi Conti, S. Pelli, G.C. Righini, L. Zampedri, and M. Ferrari, “Tm3+-activated transparent oxy-fluoride glass-ceramics: structural and spectroscopic properties,” J. Non-Cryst. Sol. 345&346, 354–358 (2004). [CrossRef]
17. Y.H. Wang and J. Ohwaki, “New transparent vitroceramics codoped with Er3+ and Yb3+ for efficient frequency upconversion,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 63, 3268–3270 (1993). [CrossRef]
18. C. Görller-Walrand, K. Binnemans, and K.A. Gschneider Jr., and L. Eyring, ed. (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1996). v.23, p.121.
19. A.V. Bazhenov, I.S. Smirnova, T.N. Fursova, M.Y. Maksimuk, A.B. Kulakov, and I.K. Bdikin, “Optical phonon spectra of PbF2 single crystals,” Phys. Sol. State 42, 41–50 (2000). [CrossRef]

domain: chemistry


The power button on my red freedom earbuds appears to be stuck and as a result they will not turn on. I can charge them but when I try to turn them on nothing happens. Before this happened, the earbuds would randomly turn off. I tried doing a firmware update after which the earbuds stopped working and wouldn’t turn on.
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domain: finance


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I swear to you, Tyrese has probably got to be one of few Black male celebrities that Black women could care less and a hell that he’s now off the market. Quiet as its kept, most Black women don’t want his ass! I for one just can’t get into Tyrese. It’s something about his attitude that just completely rubs me the wrong way, with his borderline ugly ass.
I for one always thought Tyrese was into white girls. I think that has been part of my issue with him. Quiet as its kept, I still believe he prefers a more European aesthetic, nonetheless Tyrese has married who he deems to be his “Black Queen”. The internet was all in a tizzy when news broke that Tyrese referred to his new wife Samantha Lee as his Black queen. Well, by all units of measurement, Samantha does qualify to be called “Black”. According to Tyrese, Samantha is Ecuadorian, Jamaican and African-American. My side-eye game is so strong right now as I stare up at this rich white letty. This bring ups another point that we will argue on another day, but the whole relationship between looking black and what it means to be black. Geesh, being Black in America can be so complicated sometimes.
A source close to the couple tells us the missus’ name is Samantha Lee — a New Jersey native who got a Master’s degree in social work at the University of Georgia. We’re told she’s put her education to work on serious issues — fighting sex and human trafficking and counseling for inmates. She’s also handled cases for the Division of Family and Children Services in GA.
She’s accomplished and well-paid — we’re told Samantha lives comfortably on a hefty salary.

domain: sociology


Market Commentary - Week Ending 1/27/2018
- Healthcare stocks lead the market to fresh new highs
- International emerging markets continue to outpace other markets around the world
- The economy remains strong but slipped below the 3% desired growth rate in the fourth quarter
Monkeys and Market Predictions
No different than if a bunch of monkeys were trying to predict how the market would perform in 2018, some Wall Street strategists do get it correct. If enough try, some just get it right. This issheer luck. The inability though of strategists to predict the market has nothing to do with their intelligence, work ethic, or education. The challenge is that there are simply an infinite number of unknowns that can dramatically impact the market that cannot be predicted or foreseen.
Let’s consider just some of the recent evidence. The U.S. stock market, as measured by the S&P 500, is already up an incredible +7.4%. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal this week, the average of the 20 Wall Street strategist predicted the S&P 500 would end this year at 2850 or about a +6.5% gain for the year. We closed the week above 2872 obviously already exceeding the average forecast!
Source: Wall Street Journal 1/24/2018
Of course the market could go down between now and the end of the year and these strategists could be proven correct but some of these strategists aren’t willing to bet on that. Some are revising their estimates higher now. For example, the strategist at one of the country’s largest brokerage firms, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, had thought the S&P would close 2018 at 2800 but has now revised that to 3000 citing “sentiment may be most relevant for the S&P 500 over [the] next year.” This behavior further demonstrates that their forecasts are based on very little and instead extrapolate the recent past into the future. A monkey throwing a dart randomly at extrapolated numbers from the past could just as easily make such predictions. Instead, what I think most investors would find of most value would be the ability to forecast significant turning points when something very different from the recent past is expected in the future. That simply doesn’t happen. The most bearish strategist forecasts stocks would be flat in 2018.
2017 forecasts provide further evidence of these strategists’ inability to predict the market. The average of 16 of the most respected Wall Street strategists forecast a market gain of +4.0%. It was the most bearish forecast in 17 years! Instead the market surged more than +19%. The most bullish estimate was for a gain of +10.1%. The argument in their support is that nobody thought the market would rally like it did…nobody could have seen it coming. But that’s what they are supposed to do…see it coming!
The following graph shows the difference between the average forecast each year and the actual return. These strategist are consistently wrong and by vary wide margins!
The market is an uncertain place and big money is at stake for every investor. I think this drives investors’ desire for market forecasts in an effort to provide some comfort about what to expect. Unfortunately, the cold hard truth is that it is simply unpredictable in the short-term. On the other hand, it has proven very predictable long-term…it goes up! Furthermore, it is proven that the more diversified an investor’s portfolio, the more likely the outcome of a positive returns and certainly returns with less volatility.
The strategist will continue to provide forecasts that will sound well-researched and logical. In spite of how they sound and how well they are presented, it is simply random luck that it will be anywhere close to right…little different than a monkey throwing a dart at a dartboard. Choose to think and invest long-term.
Market Performance Summary
Source: S&P Compustat, www.yahoo.com/finance for Commodities
Notable Market Headlines
Again, stocks continued their record setting run but this week was even better than the last as every sector of the market and every major asset class moved higher! U.S. large stocks, measured by the S&P 500, surged higher by +2.2% and are now +7.4% year-to-date. The Dow Jones Industrials have done slightly better for the year with a gain of +7.7% and the NASDAQ even better up +8.6%. It has been an incredible start to 2018 but, as noted in this blog a couple of weeks ago, it’s not unprecedented.
Small U.S. stocks have been lagging behind in 2018 and did so again this week by a large margin gaining only +0.6% and higher year-to-date by +4.7%. The general view is that investors believe the new U.S. tax plan tends to benefit large multi-national companies more so that it does smaller domestically focused companies.
Again, every major market sector was higher this week with Healthcare stocks surging +3.8% and higher by +10.6% for the year. The only sector in negative territory year-to-date are Utilities but they did reverse the trend this week with a gain of +2.0%. As the accompanying graph shows, the Consumer Discretionary sector is the second best performer so far in 2018 helped by stocks such as Netflix (NFLX) gaining +43.1% (see below for more on Netflix) and traditional retailer Kohl’s (KSS) up +26.1%.
Source: S&P Compustat
It has been a globally synchronized stock market rally with International Stocks performing extremely well also. Developed country stocks are higher by +7.0% year-to-date including this week’s gain of +1.5%. A couple of standout countries are Italy’s markets up +13.1% for the year and Spain’s by +10.6%. Emerging markets are doing even better with the average surging +3.3% for the week and higher by +10.5% in 2018. The emerging market star for the week was Brazil’s market surging +6.4% to a record higher influenced by the conviction of the former President on Wednesday.
All three major alternative asset classes gained for the week including real estate higher by +1.4% which is a reversal of the trend since the start of the year. As interest rates rise, or at least the expectation of higher interest rates, there could be downward pressure on this group. Commodities continued to surge gaining +2.8% for the week and now higher by +9.5% year-to-date. This continues a strong trend that started in mid-2017. Gold gained 1.3%...an investment that could benefit long-term from higher interest rates and higher inflation if it materializes.
Bonds did inch higher by +0.2% for the week, pushing yields slightly lower, but prices remain down year-to-date by -0.9%. Potentially having a huge impact on bonds long-term was the, as expected, final Senate approval of the new Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell. It is believed that his views are generally similar to those of current Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s which is expected to result in multiple rate hikes in 2018.
Winners and Losers by Sector
Source: S&P Compustat
Netflix (NFLX), the leading provider of internet television, reported stellar earnings driving its stock higher for the week by a phenomenal +24.6%! The company added 8.33 million new subscribers in the fourth quarter, the highest ever and better than Wall Street expectations. The company went on to say the first quarter is shaping up better than expected.
Netflix stock is up a stunning +43.1% for the year following a great 2017 gain of +55.1%. 2017 and 2018 are not entirely unusual for this stock though as it has been the best performing stock in the S&P 500 since its initial public offering in May 2002 with a cumulative gain of +17,733%! This tops the performance of other leading technology stocks during the same time as the accompany graph shows.
Source: S&P Compustat
Intel (INTC), the global leader in the computer chip business, reported fourth quarter earnings that exceeded Wall Street estimates by 20% on a 4% increase in revenue to $17.1 billion. The company has had some recent bad news regarding its chips and security that brought its stock price down. This week, though, it surged to new recent highs up +11.7% for the week. In spite of this gain, the stock remains below its 2000 high more than 17 years ago by 34%.
Whirlpool (WHR), the household name in home appliances, reported fourth quarter earnings that were somewhat disappointing but hinted at improvements in profit margins going forward. Expected to help the company is the new tariff on washing machines making foreign made competitors machines more expensive. Whirlpool’s stock gained +11.0% for the week but remains below its 2015 high.
Apple (AAPL) stock fell -3.9% while the rest of the market had one of its best weeks in recent memory. The stock has gotten off to a disappointing start to the year with a gain of just +1.3% as compared to the tech-heavy NASDAQ up +8.6%. This stock did outperform the NASDAQ in 2017 but investors may be showing some concern about the number of iPhones sold during the holiday shopping quarter.
United Continental (UAL), one of the nation’s largest airlines, reported strong earnings for the fourth quarter. At the same time the company said it will be growing its capacity by 3.5% - 4.5% in the first quarter. This is apparently spooking investors with the stock dropping -13.0% for the week. Other airlines fell in sympathy including American Airlines (AAL), Delta Air Lines (DAL), and Southwest (LUV).
Economic Indicator - Reported
The first estimate of for fourth quarter Gross Domestic Product (GDP) came in below estimates at 2.6%. This was below the 3.0% growth rate in the second and third quarters but still remains above the 2.0% level generally experienced since 2000. The economy is considered to be healthy and growing even after being the third longest expansion in history. Optimism for continued growth is high as consumer spending and business investment is strong fueled in part by the reduction in Federal tax rates.
The headlines for Durable Goods Orders, orders placed with U.S. manufacturers, came in far above expectations at +2.9%. When excluding the volatile transportation sector the gain was just +0.6% as economists had expected. The was generally a good report but some weakness exists in orders for computers and communications equipment.
New Home Sales declined -9.3% in December to an annual rate of 625,000 which was far below economists’ estimates of 683,000. This report though is in comparison to November which was a record month during this long economic expansion suggesting that December’s report was still relatively health. Existing home sales were similar with November being a record month since the current economic expansion began but were lower in December.
Economic Indicators – Upcoming
The January employment report will be the economic highlight of the week with estimates of the economy adding 176,000 jobs and the unemployment rate remaining unchanged at 4.1%. This 17-year low unemployment rate suggests the economy is at or near full employment which has been expected to put upward pressure on wages that has yet to materialize. Average hourly earnings are up +2.5% year-over-year through December and are expected to inch higher in January.
The Case-Shiller Housing Price Index for 20 large cities is expected to have increased by +0.6% in the most recent month for a gain of 6.4% year-over-year. A combination of rising home prices and a rising stock market have resulted in a tremendous increase in wealth for many Americans in 2017.
There are host of other reports expected. Fourth quarter Productivity is estimated to have improved by +1.1% which is believed to have kept cost pressures contained. Consumer Confidence, a government survey, trended sharply higher in 2017, reaching multi-year highs, and is expected to have improved again just slightly relative to the prior month’s reading. On the other hand, Consumer Sentiment, a survey done by the University of Michigan, has flattened out a drifted lower in recent months. Economists estimate that it will also up slightly from the prior month.


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Review of Blanca
Blanca is the brainchild of Chefs and long time friends Tomi Bjorck’s and Samuel Cole.
Finnish Chef Tomi Bjorck is no stranger to the restaurant industry, gaining success operating 5 restaurants in Helsinki and Stockholm (BW Restaurants), not to mention his TV show appearances and the numerous cookbooks he has written. While his business partner and fellow Chef Samuel Cole, who originally hails from Woolongong, has worked alongside some of the local greats at Quay, Bentley and Glass Brasserie, not to mention also working in the kitchens of Bjork’s BW Restaurants.
They’ve come together at Blanca to create what they call a ‘blank canvas’ to share the fusion cuisine they have developed while travelling the world with us here in Australia, or rather in Bondi to be exact.
The minimalist decor of the restaurant certainly provides a blank canvas with its monochrome colour palette and clean Scandinavian lines. The food is encouraged to be the star.
Speaking of the food, the menu is a fusion of European flavours with Japanese cooking, utilising the best Australian produce. The dishes are designed to be shared and they’ve created a number of Tasting and Group Menus to make it easy for you.
The menu starts with their Snack selection, where you might like to order the Blanca black bun with crispy soft shell crab, xo mayo and spicy red cabbage. They then move on to their fresh/raw/cured menu with such options as Kingfish sashimi with horseradish creme, aojiso dressing, grilled cucumber pickle and daikon. Their mains are divided into seafood and meat/poultry dishes such as Poached red claw crayfish with burnt vanilla butter, black garlic, leeks, hazelnuts and kombu or perhaps Pork ribs and miso caramel is more your style. They also offer a selection of vegetable dishes as well as sides and desserts.
In terms of the drinks, they’re offering a bespoke cocktail menu, including Japanese Whiskeys, a wine selection featuring local and international drops as well as a range of Sakes.
We think Blanca is a great spot for groups and couples alike. We love their minimalist, relaxed approach and innovative menu.
Address: UG 4, The Hub, 75-79 Hall Street, Bondi Beach
Hours: Tues – Thurs – 5.30pm – late, Fri – Sun – noon – late, Mon – closed
Phone: (02) 9365 2998
Images courtesy of Blanca.

domain: food


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The Kit Plug DXRK II (Drum and Loop Kit) WAV MiDi
FANTASTiC | 15 December 2018 | 198 MB
Inspired by the Dark trap sounds of Travis Scott, the DXRK II Kit is bound to take your production to the next level. Just like the first release of the DXRK series, DXRK II is loaded with dark ambient loops and drum that are mixed by some of the best in the industry.
Includes Professionally Mixed:
•40 Melody Loop's
•High Quality .WAV format!

domain: artistic


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Like deep Parma violets or blue lavender, Old Violet is a wonderful 18th Century colour inspired by the colours of ancient Rome. Beautiful on its own or paired with red for a little Parisian boho.
1 litre is enough to cover approximately 13 square metres (140 square feet). After painting, seal indoor furniture with Chalk Paint® Wax. On floors, seal with Chalk Paint® Lacquer. Take a look at our Tips & Techniques section for more information and to help you get started.
Please note that paint colours will vary depending on screen settings. We cannot guarantee that paint colours will exactly match the colour you see on screen. If you are in doubt, please order a Colour Card or sample pot first.

domain: hobby


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Councillors discuss erosion and flood risks in Selsey Leading councillors discussed the flood and erosion risks in Selsey at a Cabinet meeting at Chichester District Council on Tuesday 10 October.
Preliminary work has provided information on the potential risks to the exposed Selsey peninsula, which has a long history of coastal flood and erosion risk.
Many of the seawalls, which were constructed in the 1950s, are reaching the end of their design life and due to the sea level rise - caused by climate change - the level of protection provided by the existing defences will decrease over time.
Early feasibility work has identified the need to look at options for future sea defences and this work is being led by officers at Coastal Partners. Further work will involve building a detailed business case for the Environment Agency - the organisation that considers funding for new sea defences - through an application and bid process. This will be reviewed and discussed by cabinet members in the new year.
Chichester District Council is one of five local authorities along the south coast which has joined together to form Coastal Partners. This is a team of engineers, surveyors, project managers, environment and finance experts who centrally deliver a coastal management service across Chichester and 246 km of connected coastline.
"The work that we are doing through our coastal management service, Coastal Partners, is vital in helping to inform us of the risks and options relating to the sea defences at Selsey," says Cllr Jonathan Brown, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environmental Strategy at Chichester District Council.
"We're seeing more extreme weather events, which could impact on our sea defences and increase the risk of flooding, which is why it is so important that we are all able to plan and prepare. Managing future coastal flooding and erosion is a key priority.
"The coastal defences for Selsey involve a number of elements, including seawalls, rock revetments, groynes and beach. Over the last decade the council has undertaken a very successful programme of beach management through shingle replenishment, and Environment Agency funding is currently in place to continue these works until March 2026. We plan to approach the Environment Agency for further funding so that we can continue with this work, until a future solution is agreed upon.
"The preliminary work we have already carried out has enabled us to update our plans to show how we would respond in different scenarios, including detailing the roles and responsibilities of the different partners and landowners involved. Working with the residents of Selsey will be a key part of this, including making sure that they are well informed of the risks and how to respond in an emergency."
Residents are encouraged to find out how they can help to protect against flooding. This includes signing up for flood warnings through Gov.uk(opens new window); making a flood plan with Gov.uk's guidance(opens new window); and protecting their property. An article on this will be included in the winter issue of the council's 'initiatives' magazine. People can also find out more about Coastal Partners and the response they provide to flooding(opens new window). They can also find out frequently asked questions about Coastal Partners work in Selsey(opens new window).

domain: geography


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June 16, 2021
UNITED WAY TO RECOGNIZE “FOR THE LOVE OF COMMUNITY”
ANNUAL MEETING AND CAMPAIGN CELEBRATION
Clarksville, TN — United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region invites the community to its 2021 Annual Meeting and Campaign Celebration on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, at the Wilma Rudolph Event Center. Held each year to recognize campaign achievements and honor volunteer leadership, the luncheon’s festivities will also include the election of local officers and board members for the 2021-2022 campaign year.
The event will recognize United Way volunteers, contributors, workplace partners and partner agency programs dedicated to fighting for the education, health and financial stability of local residents. Presentation of campaign awards is a highlight of the event, including the legendary Ben C. Parks award and the Robert R. Welch Foundation award. Numerous other campaign achievements and volunteer awards will also be presented throughout the event, including thanking those partner agencies and community partners who have been a tremendous help to UWGCR during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Annual Meeting and Campaign Celebration is open to the public and community members are encouraged to attend. The event begins at 11:30 am and will include lunch. To make a reservation, please contact United Way of the Greater Clarksville Region at (931) 647-4291 by June 30, 2021. The cost for the event is $30 per person or $250 to sponsor a table. Table sponsorships include reserved seating for eight guests, publicity promotion, and recognition at the event.

domain: news


Summary of a recent webinar presented by Prof. David Fletcher on how to take advantage of the powerful python-based expression language now available in Ansys Fluent. Examples shown included the use of expressions starting from scratch, plus examples showing how to convert your existing CFX CEL into Fluent expressions.
Guest blog by ECU-Racing on how the team uses CFD simulation to drive aerodynamic design improvements, explaining how CFD simulation results provide help identify problematic aspects such as flow separation, undesirable flow structures, and poor use of flow energy which can then lead to new ideas which can be tested in CFD to improve the overall flow around the car.
Learn how recent developments in Ansys provide a new “optical CFD” workflow to help more accurately simulate the complex interactions between the flowfield and electromagnetic fields in the Electro-Optics / Infra-Red (EO/IR) range. This helps engineers to improve their simulations of flow field phenomena around fast-moving vehicles and improve the performance of EOIR sensor signals for tracking hypersonic vehicles.
Prof. David Fletcher guides us through the key new features of interest in Ansys 2021 R2 for CFD, including some important new usability enhancements. This blog contains a series of short summaries with content tailored to particular physics / applications / topics of interest.
Ansys CFD tools in 2021 have taken another large step forward with the availability of a new product, named “Ansys CFD-Pro” - which provides our customers with the right tools to tackle a range of common CFD applications at a significantly more affordable price than the full Ansys CFD Premium package, but still using the same modern Fluent workflow, meshing technology, and core Fluent solver that has been trusted by our customers worldwide for many decades.
We look at recent improvements in Fluent's GUI and expressions which help streamline workflows for HVAC applications, such as those involving flow balancing, temperature monitoring and control. We apply this to an example involving two types of air handling unit for cooling a room containing heat-generating equipment.
In order to improve pump efficiency, pump designers require fine-grain insights into complex fluid dynamics within a pump to help them identify areas that can be refined to reduce losses during pump operation. In this example, we look at the workflow to improve an existing pump’s design without requiring the original CAD drawings – instead using scanned data of an existing pump design.
For the times when your CFD simulation is diverging or not behaving as expected, we offer a helpful checklist to systematically troubleshoot what is going wrong and successfully tackle the most challenging CFD problems.
Engineers are continually under pressure to improve the performance of their products and often look to gain an edge using optimisation techniques - trying to reduce drag, increase lift (or downforce), or reduce pressure drop. Rather than relying on intuition to make geometry changes that are often constrained (using a parametric CAD approach), you can now use the new Adjoint solver to compute localised sensitivity data (related to your objectives) and optimize your design semi-automatically.
Caravan owners are well aware that the speed they drive at and the shape of their caravan can greatly affect fuel consumption.
In partnership with Caravan World magazine, we've taken a closer look into the performance of caravans with the aid of CFD, including some less obvious factors that can help shave off the drag on your caravan and improve fuel consumption.


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Selena Gomez Back To You Lyrics
Press the button below to start downloading the song get. MP3 file get below just as a demo, please buy the original cd get to include the singer to be capable of giving his best work.
Most of us don't hold track get mp3 format with your machines, we all merely locate coming from some other solutions along with existing this for your requirements. We have been definitely not liable for that which you usually are getting since we are just as engines like google, any possibility of the activity of downloading MP3 files will likely be liable completely.

domain: entertainment


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Keepsake Box M-97
9-3/4" x 5-11/16" x 2-9/16"
Mediterranean Olive, Lacewood, Honduras Rosewood
Finish - Machine polished acrylic lacquer finish
Liner- Rawhide leather bottom liner
Solid brass hinges
Chain top retainer
This box is made of shop sawn thick Mediterranean olive veneer laminated over alder, with Honduras rosewood ends. Top inlay is lacewood.


Most films don't come with a written manifesto. Then again, digital horror flick Unfriended isn't most films. Seen entirely through a computer screen, Russian director Levan Gabriadze's US debut follows a few teenagers' group Skype session as it's haunted by the ghost of a friend who cyberbullied into suicide after a cruel video was posted online. Since its theatrical release this past Friday, parts of the internet have dismissed this new "screenmovie" format—like Paranormal Activity's security camera setup before it—as an experiment that won't stick. Others, however, compare the film to the genre-creating found footage format of The Blair Witch Project.
Producer Timur Bekmambetov, who directed Russia's highest-grossing film of its time, Nightwatch, as well as cult-classic American films including Wanted and Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter, disagrees with both comparisons: “Unfriended is more than found footage,” Bekmambetov tells The Creators Project via Skype interview during an on-set break from his in-production feature, a remake of Ben Hur. “We are dealing with another reality. In the internet we are not the same as in real life. We are different.” As Gabriadze, Bekmambetov, and screenwriter Nelson Greaves began exploring this new world, a new set of filmmaking guidlines took form, eventually resulting in The Screenmovie Manifesto.
According to Bekmambetov, who provided the manifesto to The Creators Project, its main pillars are as follows:
1. The Unity of Place - "The setting is virtual reality in general, and one specific computer screen, belonging to one character."
2. The Unity of Time - "All the action takes place in real time—here and now, while the film is put together by means of in-frame montage without any visible transitions, as if shot in one continuous take."
3. The Unity of Sound - "All the sounds in the film originate from the computer."
Facebook messages, online forums, infuriating internet glitches—there are plenty of tools at your disposal, but everything must happen on a single screen. Everything that happens on-screen must be a believable for a single online session—no deep research montages like in NCIS. Finally, scored by a Spotify or iTunes playlist, dialogue captured over Skype, and sound effects coming from built-in mics or glitches come together to build a fully beleivable sound bed.
Following these rules, Bekmambetov explains, makes a story honest to the digital experiences that define our day-to-day relationships—and doubly so for teens coming of age alognside Web 2.0+. But if this is the secret to Unfriended's success as a film, why does he want to share it with world?
Simply put, it's to make the world a better place.
“I really believe it's a better world when people share, when people collaborate, not compete," he says, jokingly admitting that he's revealing his Communist USSR upbringing. "In the physical world money means everything. Money and how powerful you are. But in virtual world, it means nothing. People are uploading millions of videos on YouTube, and they're not asking to be paid for that. They're not looking for money. They're looking for likes and friends. It's a totally different mentality… I think it's better.“
With at least three other screenmovies in the works based on his manifesto—including a fantasy called Wizard of OS, and a comedy called How Old People Use the Internet, Bekmambetov wants to not only tell the stories of the virtual world, but outfit a new generation of filmmakers with the tools to follow suit. He acknowledges that his manifesto isn't set in stone, but he's excited to see it change. “I'm sure that there is a lot of filmmakers, they will—we will change these rules. We will do something. We will try to do something different but for now this is what I believe in.”
In reaction to the mild backlash the film has received, Bekmembatov thinks little of it. “I think it's scary because it's new for us," he says. "But we will figure out how to deal with this world. It will be new moral codes and new values.”
One final piece of advice he gives to young filmmakers comes from a viral video he and his team created for Wanted. "It's successful only if it's real, if you're honest. I think YouTube and internet raise the bar for honesty. You cannot lie anymore. Otherwise nobody will re-post it, because it's fake." In the case of Unfriended, we're not reposting, we're buying a ticket—but the principle remains the same: authenticity is king.
Click here to download the full text of The Screenmovie Manifesto. Unfriended is in theaters now.
For more inspiring stories of fearless filmmaking, watch the first episode of The Creators Project's Art World series, A New Wave of Iraqi Cinema:


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11. Victims of crime usually feel that they have been wronged, and are likely to feel anger and hurt about that. They may feel vindicated in part by the conviction of the offender â€“ ie by his being held accountable through the courts â€“ but the sense of vindication is considerably lessened where the offender has not admitted the offence. True vindication comes by having the offender acknowledge his responsibility for the offence and for the harm done to the victim. The power of an apology, truly felt, is an aspect of vindication. Payment of restitution or is another aspect. Acknowledging that the victim was not responsible for the offence, and that s/he is right to feel wronged and hurt, also serves to vindicate a victim….
15. Zehr reports that victims often feel that â€œcontrol has been taken away from them â€¦ – control over their properties, their bodies, their emotions, their dreams.â€ He notes that involvement in their own cases as they go through the justice processes can be an important way to return a sense of empowerment to them. However, those processes are still largely beyond their control. And even after an offender has been convicted and sentenced, many victims are left grappling with the emotional aftermath of the offence in their lives….
18. Focus rightly points to the need for information about the legal process. However, more urgent and valuable to victims is the sort of information that comes best from offenders. Because the court system is not inquisitorial, this information is not asked of offenders at court. Victims at restorative conferences will typically have several questions they want to ask of offenders. There is no compulsion to provide answers, but offenders usually do….
….23. Victim impact statements go some way to allowing victims to â€œtell their storyâ€, but they have severe limitations. First, the story is told to the court, not to the offender who needs to hear it. Secondly, they are often prepared by a police officer and not even signed by the victim, so there is no guarantee they are what a victim would want to say. Thirdly, they are often not current at the time they are presented and may capture only the initial and naturally angry response of the victim. They need to cover the progress that the victim has made since the offence occurred.
24. The function of a victim impact statement, as the name suggests, is to inform a court of the impact of the offending on the victim. They do not give victims an opportunity to â€œhave their sayâ€. They are not designed as a therapeutic process, or to inform the court of the victimâ€™s views on sentencing. These objectives are far better achieved in a restorative setting, where the truth can be told in a more personal way, and where views on an outcome can be more informed by information about both the offender and the offence, and can benefit from the encounter between victim and offender.
Read the whole submission. Thanks to Judge FWM McElrea for alerting us to this discussion.
Your donation helps Prison Fellowship International repair the harm caused by crime by emphasizing accountability, forgiveness, and making amends for prisoners and those affected by their actions. When victims, offenders, and community members meet to decide how to do that, the results are transformational.Donate Now

domain: law


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|4/30/2014 10:32:00 AM|
Bonnie James named Leavenworth's Distinguished Young Woman
|Normally, the Distinguished Young Woman of Leavenworth is announced after a program at Cascade High School in front of a packed house. But this year, it turned out a bit different. |
For the first time in over 30 years, there were not enough girls to have a program. In fact, only one girl had signed up. But the DYWL Committee would not be deterred. The Leavenworth program had to be cancelled, but perhaps there could still be a Distinguished Young Woman of Leavenworth.
"We didn't have enough contestants to hold a program in Leavenworth. We had Bonnie James who was interested in competing, and we thought she would be a great Distinguished Young Woman," said Rhona Baron, DYWL Chair. "We took a new option, which was to support her in training for the at-large competition. The at-large competition is held for students that live in communities that don't have a full program."
It is not necessarily a detriment to compete at-large, Baron said, pointing out the last DYW winner was an at-large entry. The at-large part is not a competition, per say. To qualify at-large, you have to achieve a qualifying score.
The contestants are accessed in the same way. Everything has to be up to speed, Baron said, because they have to be up to the caliber of all the winners from around the state.
"We had the option as a board to not support Bonnie and not have a DYW at all. She could have competed at-large, but we could have said there aren't enough people. We're not going to do it. We really did not want that to happen," she said. "The position is so important in the community and such an honor and good way to earn scholarship money."
Even though the outlook may have looked bleak at first, with no local competition, James was assured early on she could continue, even though she was the only candidate.
"When we first found out I was the only one from Leavenworth wishing to compete, Rhona talked to us about at-large and how we could do it that way," James said. "There was really no question whether I was going to be able to do it."
Her cousin, Ashley Ells, was the 2012 DYWL. James was going to miss out on the big program night in Leavenworth, but it didn't matter.
"It would have been great to be up there," James said. "It would have been great practice to go in front of a group. But either way, it's just a great experience and really fun doing this program."
Normally, Baron practices with the candidates around 11 times before the program. For James, there were six practices. Since she was the only contestant, Baron said she got a lot of personal attention.
Over the six weeks, Baron said they worked on everything, talent, self expression, interview and being on stage.
"All of that stuff in the six weeks rose dramatically. We were thrilled. She was thrilled to be able to get that kind of coaching," Baron said. "She is great. She was the only one and decided it was worth for her to go through the training. She was so enthusiastic about going through the training and being the DYW. It could not have happened to a better person."
The at-large competition was to take place in Pullman, but since there were only two at-large candidates, it was decided the program would be online instead. James ended up coming to Baron's house, where they set up FaceTime.
"A panel of judges was there. She was there. They did her interview. They watched her talent. They watched the self expression. She had to wear what she would wear during those times. Everything was really closely timed," Baron said. "The interview is always 10 minutes. The self expression question was in the exact format you see on stage here in Leavenworth. The talent has to be 90 seconds or less. I think the whole thing took 45 minutes."
For James, doing the program online took the pressure off. She felt more relaxed in a setting she knew well, the studio at Baron's house. That made her very confident going in.
Normally at the local competition, the judges compile the score right away. In this case, Baron and James had to wait 10 agonizing days to find out if she achieved a qualifying score. Baron said she was nervous because they didn't hear, but James was not sweating too much.
"We were very confident I was going to get it. That was never really a big concern. But it was suspenseful waiting for that," James said.
Finally the news came in, James had the qualifying score, and she was officially Leavenworth's Distinguished Young Woman.
"I was relived. I made that milestone and was going to state, Leavenworth's Distinguished Young Woman. I was really excited and relived," James said.
First duty for James comes at Apple Blossom, walking alongside the Autumn Leaf Festival Association float. Then, she will be at Maifest in Leavenworth. She is also booked to perform at the Ellensburg DYW. Baron calls James a "fantastic singer."
To date, she's earned nearly $2,000 in scholarship money. In August, she'll represent Leavenworth at the DYW State Competition in Pullman. James could not be more excited.
"I am nervous and excited. I can't wait to meet everyone and my host family. I really can't wait to go over and do the best I can and represent Leavenworth," James said.
In terms of bringing back the local program next year, Baron is confident there is enough interest to allow it to continue.
"People have asked why we didn't have as many this year. There's a couple theories about it. Next year, it sounds like there is going to be a lot of people again. Last year, we had 14 people interested and 10 on stage," Baron said. "Next year, we understand there will be a lot again."
Ian Dunn can be reached at 548-5286 or firstname.lastname@example.org.
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BC Liberal leader Kevin Falcon stands ready to serve in the legislature after winning the Vancouver-Quilchena by-election on Saturday.
While the results won’t be official until May 4, the first count showed Falcon had a commanding lead. He got just 59 percent of the vote — about twice as much as the second-place candidate. Jeanette Ashe of the BC NDP finished with just over 24 percent.
The Vancouver-Quilchena seat became vacant when former BC Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson resigned after the NDP secured a majority in the 2020 provincial election.
Driving has been in the hands of a BC Liberals since 1991 and is considered one of the safest for the BC Liberals. It is common for a seated MLA to offer their seat to a leader who currently has no driving experience.
This is a story in development on CTV News Vancouver, check back for updates.


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He gets paid in cookies and Lunchables.
See more funny childhood lols on Parenting FAILs!
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It's Me! It's You!
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It's so simple to make these little floral ornaments using our easy-to-follow fabric hearts pattern. They can be filled with dried lavender if you want them to be scented. Hang them from handles and hooks for a seriously pretty effect.
Fabric hearts pattern
- Print out the template above and enlarge it to your desired size, then place it on your fabric and cut out two fabric heart shapes. We chose light floral fabrics for a pretty yet funky effect.
- Pin your two fabric pieces with the right sides together, then stitch around outer edge, taking 6mm seam allowance and leaving a gap for turning through.
- Snip seam allowances to stitching at the point of the V. Turn right side out and fill with polyester filling or dried lavender.
- Sew up the gap in stitching. Fold a 30cm length of ribbon in half and stitch to top of heart to form a 10cm-long hanging loop. Your beautiful heart is ready to hang!


The empire has no clothes. Be the boy who dares to speak the truth: there is no democracy. All around you, the courtiers are clapping and cheering, but their trembling hands are showing. They are terrified to admit the truth. There is no democracy in the US empire; rich people and corporations run the show. Study after study has shown this. The courtiers of power have been applauding the empire for so long, they’re afraid to speak the truth. But you cannot afford to let yourself be fooled. The empire has no clothes. There is no democracy in the Unites States.
TheRealNews on Jan 1, 2018
Low interest rates, “quantitative easing,” and the mitigation of antitrust laws led to more mergers and acquisitions in 2017, but that’s only going to fuel greater wealth inequality and tighten the corporate grip on the political system, explains economist Michael Hudson.
Have the Republican greed-hound toadies gone too far? How much are the American people going to take before they replace the reckless Republicans in the next election? Low and middle-income Americans are bracing for the likely passage of a Trump-supported tax bill that deviously redistributes even more of the people’s income to the richest one percent (including a big tax cut for Trump) and the unpatriotic giant corporations.
Capturing the wisdom and the beauty of Donald J. Trump in just one statement escaping from his charming mouth:
“Our military has never been stronger. Each day, new equipment is delivered; new and beautiful equipment, the best in the world – the best anywhere in the world, by far.”1
Lawmakers use War Powers Act to finally question legality of U.S. involvement.
The bill introduced by a bipartisan group of House members last week to end the direct U.S. military role in the Saudi coalition war in Yemen guarantees that the House of Representatives will vote for the first time on the single most important element of U.S. involvement in the war—the refueling of Saudi coalition planes systematically bombing Yemeni civilian targets.
Updated: Sept. 19, 2017
The Real News Network on September 14, 2017
A documentary special reveals how climate change science has been under systematic attack; the multi-million dollar campaign allowed a climate change denier to be elected president (a new version with updated content and music).
A story that appeared in the leading inside-Washington political journal The Hill last week bore a headline that ought to send a chill down the spine of anyone who believes in democracy: “Half of Republicans Would Back Postponing 2020 Election if Trump Proposed It.” Read the report’s opening 90 words and let them sink in:
It’s Party Time on the Titanic–and Screw the Slobs in Steerage
“So let us not talk falsely now, the hour is getting late.” — Bob Dylan, “All Along the Watchtower”
Introduction: The Party to (Literally) End All Parties
Without hyperbole, this article will make a case for organizing a political movement—appropriately called “Indispensable”—that could literally save civilization. So, I wish to state my thesis up front, so that crucial thesis doesn’t get lost amid my arguments and documentation supporting it. That would be the worst conceivable case of readers—by a writer’s own fault—not seeing the forest for the trees.
Before recommending a practical way to reverse the devastating impact of Congressional Republicans’ attempts to strip tens of millions of Americans of health insurance coverage, and the non-stop anxiety and dread that comes with such cruel and vicious legislation, note the impact of having gerrymandered (the politicians pick the voters) Washington rulers.
Updated: July 31, 2017
Both houses of Congress have now passed big new sanctions bills by veto-proof majorities, in fact with near unanimity. The vote this week in the House of Misrepresentatives was 419–3 on a bill to sanction Russia, Iran, and North Korea as punishment for primarily imaginary crimes, despite the sum total of the global legal bodies having asked the United States to judge these crimes, skip over a trial, and move right ahead with punishment being exactly equal to the number of principled opponents of war employed on Capitol Hill.
Updated: July 21, 2017 (added another video report and a Take Action link)
TheRealNews on Jul 19, 2017
A bipartisan Senate bill would make boycotting Israel punishable by up to 20 years in prison. But a new pushback from groups including the ACLU could help stop the ‘draconian’ measure, says Josh Ruebner of the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights.
The unraveling of a society’s institutions, stability and reasonable order does not sound alarms to forewarn the citizenry, apart from economic yardsticks measuring poverty, jobs, wages, health, savings, profits and other matters economic.
“We work for the moral and traditional values which Socialists neglect and despise….”
It’s their strutting. That detestable image of the strutting that links them, the strutting and prancing Fascists and their swaggering and parading military cousins, up front for their conveniently concealed corporatist controllers. A strutting and swaggering couple they are, Fascism and the entrenched class of war. Their distorted visions of gallantry and nation come so naturally to both. The spick and span generals, employers of mercenaries and killers, chin in, chest out, and their majors and their colonels (especially the generals in the offices and the majors in the tents), thick chests covered with ribbons and medals and rows of multicolored decorations—awarded for killing. And the political Fascists! Defiant chins thrust forward, hard fists clinched, swaggering and prancing and strutting across the stages of piazzas nations and continents—in support of the killing.
by Gaither Stewart
Writer, Dandelion Salad
May 14, 2017
I read a Facebook post by an American Liberal comparing the refusal of the French Far-Leftist Jean-Luc Melanchon to choose between Emmanuel Macron and the rightist Marine Le Pen as President of France to the Left’s rejection of the German Social Democrats on the eve of WWI, resulting, ultimately, in the emergence of Naziism. He cited other similar cases where Communists of the 1920s and 1930s who refused to distinguish between the far right and those “insufficiently to the left”, ie. Social Democrats, thus paving the way for the fascist right and the rise of Hitler and Mussolini. He cites also the case of Fausto Bertinotti in Italy who withdrew his support for the center-left government of Romano Prodi and paved the road for the disastrous return to power in Rome of Silvio Berlusconi. This indeed sad history is compared to the choice (non-choice) between Clinton and Trump. And thus the nightmare of Trump in the White House.


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You don't have to go far to experience the views of the of the Brecon Beacons National Park. With a decking area to the front and a firepit to the back that offer amazing sights any time of the year.
For such a small village, Pandy has a lot to offer.
All of the amenities are just a short walk away through, and allow you to see parts of the sublime scenery of the Offa's Dyke Path.
If you wish to venture further afield, than the beautiful Pandy, the market town of Abergavenny sits just six miles away, a town that offers a castle, musuem, churches and much more.
A bijou sheperd's hut set in an incredible part of Wales, a perfect romantic getaway destination.
This property has a kitchen/diner and a decking to the front. to the rear of the property is a firepit next to a running river. situated in the iconic welsh countryside, this delightful cabin is a must-stay for a romantic couples weekend away.
Equipped with an electric blow heater, electric hob, fridge, wifi. fuel, power and starter pack for firepit inc. in rent. ben linen and towels inc. in rent. off road parking for 1 car. lawned garden to rear with firepit and furniture, decked area with furniture and lawned area to front. one well-behaved pet welcome. sorry, no smoking. shop and pub 1 mile.
note: property accessed via four steps. note: drop down bed needs to be put away in order to use the sitting area. note: care to be taken as river to rear of property. note: adults only, no children.


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Blog & News
We had great fun creating this festive holding page for Mint at mintmotion.co.uk. Mint used their expertise in 3D graphics to create a large red snowflake that has crashed into a wintery scene. The finishing touch was to add some falling snow and a countdown until christmas. Their full site should be coming in the new year.
Bethel Baptist Church Pontyclun asked us to improve their website bethelpontyclun.org as it hadn't had any attention since 2005, was looking dated and wasn't doing it's job very well any more.
The goal is for Bethel to not just have a website with static information about their weekly activities and programmes, but...
At the end of August Cardiff’s Welsh language initiative, Menter Caerdydd, launched their new website at www.mentercaerdydd.org.
We really enjoyed working on this project with Brandmind, who did a great job on the design. We created a customised web application for Menter Caerdydd to not only manage their bilingual website, but also to manage their 2000 strong contacts including publishing and delivering branded email newsletters.

domain: design


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These days the craze to acquire wealth has attained epic proportions with people going through unconventional means to earn top dollar albeit with minimal effort and shorter timeframes. From the legal to illegal activities, people have found unique and sometimes scary ways to not just earn a living but to attain a certain level of luxury. The most complicated and time consuming ventures tend to attract the most financial rewards for those involved however; there are recorded cases of people who achieved considerable wealth either through innovation, sheer luck or risk taking. If you want to hit the middle class level or higher, you may have to consider unconventional and less popular ways to make it big within the shortest possible time. Here are some of the things people have done to achieve financial prosperity.
10. Ovarian Eggs Donation
Egg donations are becoming very popular in recent times. Women who are sterile or have certain medical conditions have turned to IVF’s to aid them in the birth process. As controversial as this medical procedure has become, it continues to gain popularity and acceptance. As long as there are women with birth challenges and fertile women who are willing to sell their eggs for this system will continue to flourish.
Some issues bordering on safety have remained a burning issue to the public and within medical discourses. But, the lure of quick cash has not scared some from donating. The average cost of donating ovarian eggs per procedure in the U.S on average is about $8,000 per procedure. However, depending on the donor’ qualification and the amount of eggs produced this number is variable. Compensation also heavily varies from country to country.
9. Sperm Donations
The demand for sperm donors has remained relatively high with demand consistently on the rise. Just like ovarian eggs donations for women, men are also able to donate their sperm for a fee. Payment ranges between $800-$1000 monthly. Some collection centers pay more when the potential donor meets certain physical and health requirements. Other clinics pay donors between $80- $100 per visit.
8. Blood Donation
One of the oldest forms of donations, blood donations initially were undertaken for charity, but gradually became more business oriented. In the U.S for example, the FDA sets certain guidelines to protect the practice of blood donations for cash. Blood samples with more poundage and plasma attract higher remunerations than samples with less. Donors in the US, UK and many other European countries earn an average of $20-$50 dollars each time they donate blood.
7. Room Rentals
Gradually becoming very popular in the UK, homeowners with real estate in attractive locations can rent out a part or their house to tourists or foreign visitors who desire a comfortable lodge, but do not want to stay in hotels. People with houses at the heart of city centers or houses close to major access highways collect an average of about $150 per night. This way wealth is accumulated over a short time period.
6. Release a Viral Video on Social Media
V-loggers (video bloggers) can earn some cool cash by simply uploading personal videos online. The average pay per 1000 views is about $7 which may not be a lot of money; but when you consider the little effort put into uploading these videos and the potential amounts you can earn from it then v-logging may not be a bad idea. In 2012, the ‘’Charlie bit my finger’’ video amassed over 800million views on Youtube and earned over a hundred thousand pounds sterling. That’s quite a fortune to earn when you are only just having fun.
5. Blog for Fun
Blogging is one of the most popular ways of amassing wealth in modern times. Blogging for profit was made popular with the rise of the internet. Bloggers earn money by placing ads on their websites. If you have something you are passionate about and will do for free even if you don’t get paid, doing it online could give you the fulfillment you long for along with the extra cash.
Bloggers earn varying sums depending on the niches, blog size and market spread. Average earnings range between $3.50 daily to thousands per month. A few have been able to make it big time earning tens of thousands monthly while doing what they would have done anyway even without the pay.
4. Publish a Book
Amazon didn’t become one of the world’s largest online retail store by selling what people had no demand for. Millions of e-books are sold in Amazon and other online retail stores yearly. If you have a great idea relating to just about any topic and you feel people will be interested in learning from you why not put your ideas in words. Your thoughts can be read by people in countries far away from yours. With the internet, you don’t need to market by hand and you are not limited by geography and distance. You write down your ideas in E-book form and the internet helps you connect your readers. Book publishing has become very easy and profitable for authors.
3. Game Testing
Online video games are developed and released into the internet market in their thousands each year. With over one billion video game players in the world and about 150 million players in the US alone, the gaming industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Before these games are released into the market, developers select gamers who test their games before they are released into the market. This is done to sample opinions and to make corrections and modifications before general release. Volunteers are paid for these testing.
2. Surveys & Questionnaires
Companies in different industries and geographical locations constantly send out questionnaires to sample opinions of consumers in order to improve their goods and service delivery. These questionnaires and surveys take less than 5 minutes to about 40 minutes to fill in depending on the survey’s nature and they compensate volunteers for their time.
1. Invest in Stocks
One of the time tested ways of amassing wealth is to buy traded stocks of quoted companies. Many people have seen their financial fortunes transformed overnight simply because they bought a stock for next to nothing at some point and watched it grow. You don’t need to engage in the day to day running of the business usually, but you get to earn a portion of the company’s profits in proportion to what you invested.
There you have it! Take a few of these ideas and get out there to make your fortune!

domain: economics


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Mixing & Mastering Engineers who worked with DBrave
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Recording studio owned by Agony Lords frontman Jesus Bravo (Lordbrave) one of the best metal bands in Mexico . more than a decade of experience working with the best bands of the genre all over the world , one of the best producers of extreme music in Mexico and latin america.
Recorded and mixed with artists such as: Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Katie Mac, Youth Club, Sean Mc Gowan, Indian Queens, Beckie Margaret, Beach for Tiger, THOMA, Dan Parker, Owen Williams, MG Boulter, The Trusted, and many more.
"An 80s pop master." I can provide NATURAL sounding vocal tuning and editing. Also, I am a vocalist, and keys/synth player. If you are looking for vocal arrangements and/or analog synth flair, you have come to the right place.
I have produced for major recording artists from Motown, Def Jam Island, and other various labels. I'm an independent company called SmuveClassHits Productions which provides live instruments as well as studio-quality.
"Robert is an amazing mixer. He pays attention to details and listens to suggestions. He was extremely patient and dealt with the project in a professional manner. It was a pleasure working with him and I hope our path..."
"Andrew works quickly and communicates well to finish your job. He sent over test masters quickly and even gave me a couple of different ones, which went a long way in my decision to hire him. He did an excellent job,..."
"Francois is a great musician, guitarist and bass performer, very creative who put his soul, his top notch technique and experience to my rock song. He also remixed and mastered the song and the result is perfect. Besi..."
"The care and thoughtfulness of Blush's work is evidenced by the passion in her performance. Her melodic choices, harmonies, ad libs and vocal arrangements are otherworldly. She is easily one of, if not THE most, talen..."
"Tom is a very skilled engineer who delivers professional and creative work. He managed to complete work as per requirements in a very short time with excellent results. Great communication also. Highly recommended!"
"Very professional, great top line writer and clean beautiful vocals. She delivers as promised and in excellent audio quality. I would definitely work with Natalie again. Thanks."
"Leo works hard and he's patient. He never leaves you wondering what's going on with your project. He did a great job of interpreting what I, the artist, wanted in order to fulfill my vision for the sound of my song...."
"Dan did a stellar job. actually did more than i had expected him to. awesome."
"Lonny is an amazing guitarist. His musical skills and passion brought my song to a whole different dimension. Working with Lonny was easy, he understood what I was looking for and nailed It !!!!!!!!!! Lonny will be do..."
"After Eric I won't look for another engineer. His mixes are beautiful and flawless. Not only are his skills exceptional but he is professional, polite, and prompt. Eric is also very willing to offer suggestions and..."
"Thank You JVH Productions for the great sound and quality on my song your mix gave the music lots of justice. Keep it Blazing"
"I tried Leo on one song and he definitely came thru. I came back to him for the next song and once again he performed well. Most of all I like his people skills. It is easy to communicate with this man! "


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Enesco Disney Traditions Zero and Dog House Statue
A ghostly Zero emerges from his graveyard dog house in this supernatural scene from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” A thorny vine pattern heightens the spooky mood, winding around the platform base. This stone resin figurine stands 5” tall. Measurements of Product 5 in H x 3 in W x 3.75 in L
Enesco Disney Traditions Zero and Dog House Statue .
Item is brand new (never opened) and comes direct from Enesco. The box is in Good Condition.
Shipping Included! Shipped in a sturdy box with padding inside to ensure quality of item.
Thank you for considering collectorZown, to take a look at our reviews click here.
We Also Recommend


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Cervinia is a unique Alpine ski resort located in Italy. It is one of the best ski resorts in Europe for intermediate skiers.
The PowerVision S1 is a great gimbal and an excellent accessory for those who shoot on the phone and looking for smooth and cinematic footage.
If you are planning a trip to Northern Italy and want some inspiration, luckily for you, we put together a list of the most beautiful lakes in the north of Italy.
While long-distance travel can be uncomfortable, there are measures that you can take to make your next trip easier on you.
The London Pass saves tourists money and time and can be a good deal if you know how to take advantage of it, so, is the London Pass worth it?
Planning a short trip to Cornwall and searching for an amazing Airbnb in Cornwall for your holiday? We compiled a list of Cornwall's cottages by the sea in this post.
Scotland is home to some of the most striking landscapes in the UK. This travel guide features the best places to visit in Scotland and helps you to plan your trip to this beautiful country.
Planning a trip to the Isle of Skye in Scotland? In our travel guide, you will find the best places to visit on the Isle of Skye and the top things to do on this Scottish island.
Gran Canaria is known for its volcanic landscapes, sandy beaches and local cuisine. In this travel guide, you will find the top 15 things to do and see in Gran Canaria.
Planning a trip to the beautiful Island of Rhodes? Here is our guide to the best things to do on Rhodes Island and the top places to visit.
Planning a short trip and searching for a fantastic luxury place to stay in Sussex? We compiled a list of Sussex's best lodges and cabins with hot tubs in this post.
If you are planning a trip to East Sussex in England and want some inspiration. Lucky for you, we put together a list of the most beautiful places to visit in East Sussex.
If you are planning a trip to the Dominican Republic and want some inspiration. We put together a list of the most beautiful places to visit in the Dominican Republic.
Planning a trip to Belize? In this travel guide, I cover all you need to know before visiting Belize.
Here are 14 fun facts about Scotland including interesting facts about Scottish food, culture and people.
We were robbed by a policeman in Mexico. Unfortunately, what happened to us is not rare in Mexico, we want to share our story to help you to deal with the corrupt Mexican Police and avoid a similar situation.
Looking for glamping pods with hot tubs in Wales? Here is a list of the best places for glamping in Wales.
Here are 14 fun facts about England including interesting facts about English food, people and culture.
This is our bicycle touring gear list for cycling in Europe. We came up with this list after going on a bike tour through a few European countries.
Are you looking for a romantic holiday in Cancun and want to ditch the kids? Here is the list of the best adults-only all-inclusive luxury resorts in Cancun.
Passionate traveller, I take any opportunity to explore the world. Here's where I share my adventures.
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Why A Westernised Approach To Addressing Domestic Violence Doesn’t Serve South Asian Communities In Australia
Content warning: This article discusses domestic and sexual violence in a way that may be distressing to some readers.
At least half of all women in Australia have experienced sexual harassment, abuse or violence. That’s 1 in 2 that has been sexually harassed, 1 in 3 that has been physically abused and 1 in 5 that has been sexually abused. Let that sink in. With #FiredUp, Refinery29 Australia makes an ongoing commitment to spotlighting this serious and pervasive issue with the goal of dismantling gendered violence in Australia.
With one woman a week, on average, being murdered by her current or former partner, and 1 in 3 women having experienced physical violence since the age of 15, domestic violence is devastatingly rampant in Australia. As a nation, we've begun speaking about the issue more and more, but many communities often feel disconnected from the mainstream conversation, which is something Kersherka Sivakumaran noticed happening within her own South Asian community in Australia.
The data analyst from Sydney has been aware of domestic violence infiltrating the lives of families from Indian, Sri Lankan, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and other sub-continental communities, all while the issue's been continually swept under the rug and seldomly discussed and addressed.
In a culture that faces a myriad of issues that can be linked to domestic violence — such as strict gender roles, dowry abuse, migration and citizenship, extended family structures and stigmas around mental health — westernised approaches to speaking about and addressing domestic violence are often not culturally sensitive or successful in engaging South Asian communities.
"I realised the creative arts is such a great medium to use," Sivakumaran tells Refinery29 Australia.
"It's not just culturally appropriate, but also something that just runs through our blood," she says, explaining that food, music, dance and fashion are intrinsically significant parts of South Asian cultures.
Sivakumaran worked with experts in family domestic violence in South Asian communities to put this production together.
She says one barrier many South Asian people face in reporting domestic violence is the disconnect between cultural values and speaking up about the topic — and a more "westernised" approach from domestic violence support providers doesn't always take this into account.
"A barrier for South Asians is that [moving out for example] is very much a conflict with our cultural community and family values, because a lot of people live with domestic violence and choose to stay together, or choose to separate but still want to participate in that community," she says.
"And I think there's so much judgement around that decision — as if you're a bad person for still wanting to participate in a community. So that was where the idea came from: can't we tell our stories and raise a conversation without having to shame, judge or alienate someone?
Sivakumaran says the show "prioritises inclusivity by designing and adapting our approach to work with community cultural values rather than against them."
Kittu Randhawa is the founder of the Indian (Sub-Cont) Crisis & Support Agency (ICSA), a NGO for the South Asian community in Australia. As a case worker, Randhawa regularly speaks to South Asian women who've faced domestic violence and have turned to ICSA for support, helping connect them with mental health professionals and support providers. She also provides training to first responders, like police, on culturally sensitive approaches to dealing with domestic violence victims in South Asian communities.
"Unfortunately, most people in South Asian cultures will have seen some form of domestic violence," Randhawa tells Refinery29 Australia.
However, she says not everyone's necessarily aware of the various forms of domestic violence or that it's actually happened in their household. After the first round of Behind Closed Doors shows took place in May this year, Randhawa reflects on seeing South Asian audiences leaving the events with a greater understanding of how domestic abuse can manifest.
"A challenge within South Asian communities is that there are so many stereotypes of domestic violence. So while the west has done a really good job of making people aware, they haven't put it in context [for these communities]," she says.
"Most people [after the show] said, 'Oh my God, I didn't know the word for that. I didn't know that's what's been going on,'" she explains.
Since launching ICSA in 2014, Randhawa has researched what the domestic violence sector in Australia does to support victims. One of the key findings has been what Sivakumaran mentioned earlier, that often the first advice provided to victims is to leave their partner. But it's communicated in a way that leaves South Asian women feeling deterred from taking further action because the advice is at odds with their cultural values.
"The default response is to keep you safe, move you out of your home, or move the partner out of the home. That's considered the new norm," she says. "It's meant to move the perpetrator or the offending partner away, but that still doesn't always suit our communities," she says.
Many women don't want to leave home because divorce is considered a taboo in their community, they don't want to separate their children from their father, or they are financially dependent on their partner. Randhawa and Sivakumaran don't say leaving a partner and prioritising safety is a poor recommendation, but rather acknowledge why this advice is harder to digest for some South Asian communities, at first.
"Rumours usually circulate that 'she was of bad character' [and] that is why
she is separated without any proof."
she is separated without any proof."
Kaur is a Brisbane mental health social worker who's completing a PhD examining family violence within Indian migrant families in Australia.
She also mentions that dowry-related abuse is prominent within South Asian communities, and victims are reluctant to report this "due to shame, stigma and fear of being deported back to India".
Last month, a new report found more than 15 per cent of South Asian women (born in Australia and overseas) reporting domestic and family violence were affected by dowry abuse.
This report, called 'Dowry Abuse and South Asian Populations in Australia', was compiled by Western Sydney University and City of Parramatta, with research from Settlement Services International and ICSA.
A dowry is a payment of money or an exchange of property or gifts from a bride's family to her husband upon marriage. Dowry abuse is "any act of coercion, violence or harassment associated with the giving or receiving of dowry".
While the dowry system is illegal in India, it remains a widespread practice there and in Australia. Melbourne psychiatrist Manjula Datta O’Connor has seen many South Asian women who are victims of dowry abuse come through her practice.
"I'd find these women were in an extremely high state of anxiety and hypervigilance," O'Connor recently told The Guardian. "They haven’t slept [properly], often for months. They haven’t eaten properly for months. They were anaemic."
Since speaking about this issue and actively campaigning against dowry abuse, O'Connor has faced backlash from within the South Asian community for being vocal about domestic violence.
She told the publication that "the patriarchal structures of our community were dead-set against me because they thought I was shaming the community by naming dowry abuse specifically, and that they wanted it to be left alone".
"But I was of the opinion that it needs to be named, otherwise the women themselves will not recognise it and the domestic violence service providers will not know it and the police will not know what to do."
"We received backlash," Chawla tells Refinery29 Australia, explaining a lot of blame was particularly placed on his mother. "People are blaming my mum for the actions of a male perpetrator who murdered her daughter. And to me, that never makes sense."
As well as facing backlash from people within the South Asian community stemming from "internalised misogyny and internalised racism", Chawla says he and his family were also criticised by people outside of their community.
"There's this perception that violence against women in South Asian communities is just to be expected. The way that these issues are often talked about is thinly veiled in racism."
Chawla agrees with Randhwa that South Asian women can struggle to navigate the mainstream system because of cultural differences.
"Whether it's emotional, psychological, financial, economic, social or spiritual abuse... these issues in South Asian communities are generally really multi-layered," he says. "I think, in mainstream Australian society, we're not creating enough space for those concepts to be understood.
"White support workers aren't across the dynamics of how violence is perpetrated within specific communities. And I think that's at the broader detriment of victim-survivors as well as the men who do seek support to change their behaviour," he continues. "If they're not being approached in a way that is culturally appropriate, then it's not going to lead to long-term outcomes for the community."
There's this perception that violence against women in South Asian communities is just to be expected. The way that these issues are often talked about is thinly veiled in racism.
So how can this be addressed? Chawla says, "it has to be an open dialogue" between the family violence sector and culturally diverse communities.
"I think that those who work in the sector need to be open and receptive to faith-based leaders, community leaders and others educating them about the community," he explains. "There's a need for us to work together to embed intersectionality at the foundation.
"I think a lot of these systems have been developed for a specific audience in mind and then we tack on cultural awareness of cultural sensitivity after the fact.
"And while that's welcome, and it's good that we have that, that's why we're seeing — whether it's my sister Niki or Dr Preethi Reddy or others — these women being impacted in ways that are horrible and harmful."
If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual or domestic violence and is in need of support, please call 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732), the National Sexual Assault Domestic Family Violence Service.