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It would probably help me appreciate this if I’d read Lovecraft’s original story, but on the other hand, I don’t really ever want to read Lovecraft, so there’s that! LaValle rewrites one of Lovecraft’s short stories, partly from the point of view of a young black man. Unsurprisingly, it comments on racism in the US both modern and longer entrenched: that part is easy enough to appreciate, even for an outsider. The response to Lovecraft is a bit beyond me: I don’t know if Black Tom is a character from Lovecraft or invented for the purpose, even.
It doesn’t feel like a novella about a character or a place or even an event, in the end: it does feel very much like a response — to the original, and to the world. I enjoyed that, though I imagine plenty of people will be complaining about stupid SJWs, etc.
There are some genuinely icky-squicky bits (well-written, but difficult to read) and moments of horrid claustrophobia, along with the awful and all too familiar treatment of people of colour by the police, which is equally horrifying. It’s well written, but I feel like I’m missing the point through not knowing the original.
A long-time love of mine, I reread this because I wanted the Werther’s Originals taste/feel of the book, because stresss (which is over now, hurrah!). The main charm for me lies in what came of it later, along with the paternal and knowing tone of the narrator. The narrative voice has always felt warm to me — cognisant of the characters’ faults, and sometimes gently pointing them out, but always with a deep good-naturedness. And then, of course, there’s the world: perhaps not quite fully realised by the time of writing The Hobbit, but stretching out before and beyond it, even if the brushstrokes are broad.
There are many things tone-wise that don’t quite fit with The Lord of the Rings, and the text itself was revised to fit in with the later material — but so cleverly, playing with the textual history of the story, tying together the real with the imagined. I love all the things Tolkien did with creating texts within his stories: that too is part of what makes his world real, that there are books and histories that are relevant to the world… there are few people who do it quite as well, and it’s always a delight.
Of the story itself: a rather ordinary middle-class hobbit, comfortable in his world of small social engagements, good food and convenience, ends up swept into an adventure involving trolls, goblins, magic rings and (in the end) a dragon. He’s the most clearly delineated of the characters, with many of the dwarves being mere thumbnail sketches: nonetheless, it works (with one or two dwarves picked out for slightly more detail here and there to keep them from being entirely props, and Gandalf being the enigmatically fascinating sorcerer of somewhat unknown motive in the whole affair). It’s definitely pitched more at children, though there’s something about the tone that I think makes it a delight at any age. As a fantasy book, taken alone, it’s not all that astounding. It mingles some lore together, barely hinting at the more cohesive and seriously built world Tolkien would later introduce to us.
In the end, it’s a typical quest story — it’s Tolkien’s world and his narrative voice that make it for me.
I haven’t read any of McClellan’s longer work yet, so this novella from Tor seemed like a good point to jump in, really! It’s set during a war in a fantasy setting, with very familiar attributes — there’s propaganda, there’s airplanes, everyone’s running short and coaxing coffee out of months’ old grounds… but there’s also wizards, of at least two kinds: shapeshifters, and those who can cast illusions. We don’t get some big overview of the war: it’s fairly tight in to a little squad who have been taking losses, fighting hard, and living right on the edge. They get a chance to do a risky mission to get some supplies so they have food and maybe even coffee. And, predictably, it goes wrong.
It feels like there’s a lot more room for story in this world, whether that be an extended version of this story or a series of novellas. It’s not terribly unsatisfying on its own, because there is a kind of end to the immediate plot, but there’s so much more in the world that we don’t get to see, so much more for the characters to do, that it doesn’t feel like a stopping point (more just a pause). There’s room for awesomeness, but it feels like it’s mostly potential right now — an opening act, rather than a story in itself.
One Way was, in the end, too like a grimmer version of Death of a Clone for me to really enjoy. Even though I’m fairly sure neither was trying to copy the other, the similarities made One Way less enjoyable, mostly because it was the second one I read, and partly because it was rather darker in tone. I’ve seen comparisons with The Martian, but again, I think it was darker in tone than that, and less fascinated by the technical minutiae.
The book follows Frank, a convict who killed his son’s drug dealer in a pre-meditated fashion, and went to prison for it. He’s offered a way out by a company who are trying to build a base for NASA on the moon: he and several other convicts must ship out to Mars, there to spend the rest of their lives, and build the base. It’s cheaper than robot labour for them, and it’s a way out for Frank and the other convicts, so of course they say yes. They go through some gruelling training, but only six months of it (which should probably be a hint right there about how expendable they are, but they don’t seem to twig that fact), and then off they go.
Once they’re woken up from cryosleep on the other end, though, people start to die. As each team member finishes their job and becomes expendable, there’s an equipment failure, a weird leak in the hab… and there’s Frank, slowly realising that these deaths really aren’t accidents.
It’s not a cast particularly designed to arouse sympathy: they’re not out and out bastards in everything they do, but you know that each of them killed people, and each of them is capable of some terrible things. The camaraderie between them is fragile, and so is the reader’s willingness to root for them. In the end, I was mostly sitting back to see how each one of them died and when, without really caring much about the outcome. Not ideal!
It’s not a bad idea for a novel, but peopled with such generally terrible people, it’s not something I found particularly compelling either. And I never believed in the promise of a second chance that Frank was offered: it was too obviously too good to be true. That left me feeling like it was just going through the motions, and I was glad to be done.
It took me ages to get round to reading this, but it turned out to be pretty delightful once I finally did, and I want to read more set in the same world. (Good thing there is more!) It’s basically around (I think) 18th century Europe, only with magic, and it’s set in a Ruritania-like fictional European country, with mixed European elements to the language and culture. The two main characters are two rather different girls: one girl from a well-off but not noble family, and one girl with no family name who serves the nobility as a swordswoman. The general cultural attitude toward women is somewhat straitlaced, and Margerit is headed for a dancing season and then marriage as quickly as possible, despite her scholarly tendencies — while Barbara is an oddity and not exactly socially acceptable, though protected by the patronage of the baron she serves.
Of course, the Baron has it in mind to meddle, and the two girls are quickly thrown together after he dies, leaving his title to an annoying relative but all the non-ancestral lands — and his wealth — to Margerit, his goddaughter… along with Barbara, who remains in service and thus can be more or less given to Margerit through the terms of the will.
As the story unfolds, it slowly becomes apparent that there’s a deeper game going on, with political implications — and also that Margerit is more remarkable than those around her thing, as she’s able to see and manipulate the ‘mysteries’ by petitioning the saints. There’s a solid and satisfying story there even without the relationship that develops between Margerit and Barbara. In itself, the romance is a fairly slight story, with the standard impossibilities and misunderstandings and lack of communication: it kept my attention because of the larger story within which it plays out.
It’s a fascinating take on the usual ‘medieval European fantasy’ type setting (although not quite medieval, I know), and I enjoyed it. It mostly steers clear of tarring any character with too black a brush, though I found it weird that Margerit’s cousin is quickly forgiven by her for attempting to sexually assault her, and I wasn’t entirely keen on how often the threat of rape and abduction arose (often just to explain why Barbara would need to stay so close to Margerit, I think). Some of the side characters are fascinating, and I’ll be glad to see more of them in the other books, particularly Antuniet.
Overall, as a fantasy novel alone it’s not groundbreaking, and as a romance alone it’s probably too focused on the other plot. Taken together, and with the fact that it’s a lesbian romance, it turns into something quite absorbing.
I wanted and expected to love this story. It’s a queer retelling of Beauty and the Beast, based on Vietnamese folklore with sci-fi elements as well, and dragons. There’s even a sci-fi library that I really want to exist. I pre-ordered it, requested it on Netgalley, and generally waited on tenterhooks. How did I find it? Well.
It opens promisingly enough: Yên, the daughter of a healer, is traded to a dragon in exchange for her healing powers. It’s clear they live in a post-apocalyptic universe, with viruses wracking the human population and contagion spreading from person to person. As a failed scholar, she’s just not valuable to her village, and so she’s traded away in order to save one of the leaders’ daughters. Off she goes to live with Vu Côn, the dragon, to look after her children — and it turns out that Vu Côn lives in a palace made by those who wrecked the world and disappeared, and the children aren’t any ordinary dragons.
After the start, though, I rarely felt like I understood what was happening or why. Or rather, I could give you a running summary for the whole story, but I felt all adrift; I didn’t know why things were happening, I didn’t catch the undercurrents, and the relationship between Vu Côn and Yên came completely out of nowhere from my point of view. I do like a story where I have to work for it, where I have to figure out where I stand and how this world is different to ours, but I don’t think that was the problem. It was more the characters and their motivations that never worked for me (or when they did, it was only for a few pages). The setting itself was fascinating, but. But.
I seem to be fairly alone in that, looking around at bloggers I trust, which makes me almost reluctant to admit that I just really did not get it. And it makes me reluctant to give this a poor rating, but… my ratings have to be my ratings, not how I think I ought to rate a book.
It’s clear there’s plenty here that’s enchanting other people, and in many ways I’m an aberration. I’ll be passing on my copy to my sister and seeing if it ticks her boxes!
I didn’t know much about this book or author before I started the book — I’d seen the books around a bunch and ended up just getting it from the library on a whim. I’m really not impressed, and I’m actually giving up without finishing the book, so you should take that for its worth in considering the book itself!
The book opens with a mysterious little scene in which a young veiled woman is thwarted at an auction in obtaining a painting she wants. The first chapter then appears totally unconnected in time (and possibly in place as well), as a young girl called Cynthia plays on the front porch of her parents’ house and goes over to deliver a parcel to their mysterious new neighbour, a Miss Hatfield. Miss Hatfield invites her in for lemonade and cookies, and trying to be polite, Cynthia goes in. Very quickly, she’s aged up to being an adult (apparently gaining more vocabulary as she does so — anyone bothered explaining to Caltabiano that language is acquired by exposure, not simply age?) and given something that makes her immortal. She’s told that she’s the seventh Miss Hatfield, an immortal and unhappy group of women blessed with immortality, and cursed to leave behind their lives. Almost immediately after that, despite her resentment, Cynthia is sent out to retrieve — aha! — the painting mentioned in the prologue.
Although things happen quickly, it doesn’t feel fast-paced. Instead, it feels like the kind of story a child tells: this happened and then another thing and another thing and then this and then another thing and and and and… The explanations barely hang together, and what could be fascinating (for example, the clock) is skimmed over. Cynthia is shockingly accepting of her fate, and does things whether they make sense or not. For example, she’s mistaken for being someone’s granddaughter and just… plays along, feeling trapped because… I don’t understand why.
The story has very little internal logic and doesn’t hang together well, and then, worse, Cynthia ends up in a romance. This is an 11-year-old girl who has just been aged up using vague magic means, adding barely hours to her sum total experience of the world (for all that Caltabiano seems to think that will automatically improve her vocabulary and make her an adult). Romance is not at all appropriate, geez.
So here’s where I get off. This book and the sequels are being summarily handed back to the library without me bothering to read a single word more.
Rebel of the Sands is set in a world that’s part fantasy Wild West, part Arabian desert, with the sharpshooting smart-talking djinn-folk to prove it. It’s a reread for me, so I can go on to read the other two books: it’s not a book I’d class as one of my top reads ever, but I found it solidly entertaining, and I’m interested to see how the trilogy builds on this start. It’s decidedly young adult in tone and level, which I know is a turn off for a lot of people, but I take my fun where I can find it, and Rebel of the Sands was definitely fun.
It opens in the town of Dustwalk — or rather, at a shooting contest in the nearby town of Deadshot. Amani is dressed as a boy, and she plans to win a shooting contest, earn some money, and finally get away from her life in Dustwalk, a life that has been shadowed by the fact that her father was clearly not from Dustwalk and the execution of her mother for killing her adoptive local father. She has at least one friend in Dustwalk, a fact which I assume is going to become relevant later on, probably in a way Amani will regret. Tamid has to use a crutch to get by, and has a tendency to be overly serious, but he accepts her (more or less) for who she is, and even bravely offers to marry her to help her get out of a repugnant marriage. In this book, he’s kind of wasted, because Amani is only too quick to leave him behind when trouble starts.
She travels across the desert with Jin, an enigmatic boy who nonetheless (and unsurprisingly) has ties to the rebellion going on at the time. Slowly, he persuades her towards where she’ll meet others in the cause, where she could be an asset for a particular reason that isn’t her sharpshooting…
In many ways, it’s a typical story, and more so because of the romantic tension between Amani and Jin. The desert-setting helps to make it feel a little fresher, though the caravan travel section isn’t exactly unique, for all that.
In the end, it’s not a standout story that I’ll never forget. It’s entertaining, though, and I don’t regret the reread to bring myself back up to speed.
Annihilation is the first book of the Southern Reach trilogy, and a reread for me. It’s a really, really weird trilogy, which always reminds me of the Strugatsky brothers’ Roadside Picnic. I seem to have forgotten a lot of the finer detail of the trilogy, and the extent to which we ever receive explanations, but this particular book stays really clear in my mind. It’s something about the tone, the matter of fact calm of the biologist, the illusion of objectivity that her narrative gives.
Annihilation records the twelfth expedition into Area X. The team is made up of a biologist, a psychologist, an anthropologist and a surveyor — along with a linguist who actually backs out of the expedition before they cross the border. And Area X is… a pristine wilderness filled with uncannyness. You can’t take in anything high tech, people don’t report back — or if they do, they come back changed, riddled with cancer in the case of the eleventh expedition, oddly amnesiac and lacking in affect. The objective of the missions is to work out what’s happening, what Area X is, how it came about, and try and get some understanding of a phenomenon that seems to have no rhyme or reason.
As usual, everything goes awry. The psychologist turns out to be hypnotising the group; the anthropologist quickly dies; they see things which make no sense — words written in fungi, colonised with living creatures; villages decaying faster than they ought to; a lighthouse which has clearly been the site of intense struggle, even a battle… and one by one, the group come apart. The biologist no less than the others, though as the narrator she gives a kind of illusion of calm objectivity, of careful and unbiased observation. As the story unfolds, you learn how much she holds back from the reader as well, and that shapes the story profoundly…
It’s well written in the sense of handling an unreliable narrator well, and also in the sense of creating a truly weird, uncanny landscape which sounds beautiful, undisturbed, and yet…
I really enjoy these books, though they leave me with a sense of creeping unease. I’m looking forward to rereading the second and third as well. If you find this one frustrating, well, the others don’t take quite the same format — if you’re intrigued by the world, you might want to give the second one a try too. On the other hand, Vandermeer’s class of weird might just not be your thing.
It’s taken me so long to read this, and not for lack of wanting to. I even had it started for far too long and just stalled on it. Admittedly, that’s because it’s very short on one of the main characters of the previous books: the Great Detective archetype, Vale, hardly appears at all apart from at the beginning and end, and doesn’t play any part in the major action of the book. Still, it’s a great romp, as ever, this time taking Irene and Kai to a world with little magic, where they have to navigate through Prohibition era Boston and New York. The dragons also feature heavily, and the issue of Kai’s family finally really comes to a head. The next book is definitely going to have to be different; that might be a good thing, in terms of changing up the plotline and keeping things fresh.
But I’m getting ahead of myself. In The Lost Plot, Irene discovers that another Librarian is violating the Library’s neutrality by working directly for a dragon, in a matter of dragon politics. That interference can’t be tolerated by any of the parties, so Irene is sent by Library security to figure out what’s going on and fix the situation — and as usual, all the blame will fall on her if she fails. Chasing the errant Librarian, Kai and Irene end up in a Prohibition-era USA, swapping smart talk with mobsters and dodging the cops as best as they can. Since dragons are involved, Kai has to be especially careful: at some point, he’s going to have to make a choice about where his loyalties lie.
As I said, it’s a romp in very much the same vein as usual for these books. I’m not sure how I feel about the development of Kai and Irene’s relationship in this book: I feel like there’s been a bit too much will-they-won’t-they with both Irene and Kai and Irene and Vale, and honestly I was at a loss for how it was going to turn out. Now it has turned out, at least for now… I’m a bit disappointed. I did always feel that both potential relationships were a bit of a distraction: I just wanted the three of them, all together, all working on their problems, and all trusting each other. An intense relationship, perhaps, and one that didn’t have to become romantic — it was just pushed that way, almost as if the author can’t see any other way for it to turn out.
Anyway, it’s an entertaining read, though I think my favourite of the series is The Masked City. I’m interested to see how the events of this book will change the pattern for the next book. For one thing, Irene’s going to need a new student…


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Declining Arctic sea ice over the last several years is a reflection of our changing climate. The loss of sea ice reverberates through the earth system affecting Earth’s radiation balance, ocean temperatures and circulation, and marine and terrestrial ecosystems. A new study forecasts a 92% chance of a record low extent of Arctic region sea ice.
CU-BOULDER Research Group Forecasts 92 Percent Chance of Record Low Arctic Sea Ice Extent in 2007
“During the first week in July, the Arctic sea ice started to disappear at rates we had never seen before,” said Drobot, who leads CCAR’s Arctic Regional Ice Forecasting System group in CU-Boulder’s aerospace engineering sciences department.
“We have been seeing a sharp decline in thicker, multi-year ice that has survived more than one melt season,” said CCAR Research Associate James Maslanik. “This has been replaced in many areas by a thin, first-year layer of ice as well as by younger, thinner types of multi-year ice. The thinner ice just does not have the mass to withstand the effects of warming climate.”
Read article at EOS News
TPE Link – Climate Change: Global Warming, Evidence for the Oceans; Global Warming and Arctic Habitats
Image: Polar bear on ice floe. Courtesy NOAA

domain: geography


Let's be honest, sometimes mesh panels just don't cut it. That's why AFTCO developed Yurei with Air-O-Mesh super breathable fabric throughout the entire shirt, now for women's! When you are faced with warm climates, high humidity and otherwise sticky situations, Yurei provides all day comfort, breathability and sun protection. Yurei AIR-0 MESH® features AFBLOCK UPF 40 sun protection, AFCOOL quick dry moisture wicking, AFGUARD 3M stain release, thumb loops and antimicrobial treatment for odor control. Add in a full hood and face mask and you will be protected from anything those fishing days will throw at you.
This shirt I just found way too hot to wear in my south florida environment. I’ll save it for chilly weather but yikes!, it is definitely not comfortable in warm weather. As a side note, I ordered a men’s shirt, same style and found it not to be as warm as this one. I don’t know if the fabric is slightly different, but over all the men’s was a winner!
My wife’s thoughts: “Really like the material. It’s nice to have a shirt that properly fits a female. No need for a Buff - it’s built in. Love that. Only problem - no drawstring on hood, so it falls down in strong wind.”


Earlier today, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences announced its nominees for the 57th annual Grammy Awards, which will be televised live on the CBS Network on February 8, 2015 at 8 pm ET. To be considered eligible for the 2014 award season, songs and albums must have been released between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ today confirmed that its all-new short Frozen Fever, which welcomes Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and Olaf back to the big screen, will open in theaters on March 13, 2015, in front of Disney’s Cinderella, a live-action feature inspired by the classic fairy tale.
Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, and produced by Peter Del Vecho and Aimee Scribner, with an all-new original song by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Frozen Fever marks the first project reuniting the Oscar®-winning original team from Disney’s Frozen.
Freshly baked and opened at the Walt Disney World Resort’s Contemporary Resort is their annual gingerbread display, this year dedicated to the phenom Frozen. The gingerbread ice castle stands 17 feet tall and is located on the 4th floor Grand Canyon Concourse. In addition to Anna, Elsa, Olaf, Kristoff and Sven, the display features 14 ‘hidden Olafs.’ Frozen-themed merchandise, desserts and gingerbread treats also are available for purchase at the ice castle kiosk.
Ingredient fun facts:
- 423 lbs. of chocolate
- 514 lbs. flour
- 212 eggs
- 67 lbs. spices
- 35 lbs. sugar syrup
Last weekend, Frozen songwriters Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez held a benefit show for the lower school at Poly Prep in Brooklyn. Joined by stage veteran Kerry Butler and her husband — and ‘Sesame Street’ head writer and puppeteer — Joey Mazzarino, along with a spectacular Olaf puppet, the Oscar Award-winning pair led an audience of mostly students through the process of writing the music for one of the most successful animated films in history.
Walt Disney World today unveiled some of its plans for the 2015 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival (March 4 – May 17, 2015).
- New topiaries include Anna and Elsa re-recreating the finale scene from Frozen, while other brand-new Disney character topiaries will include Chip and Dale taking a star turn in two whimsical front-entrance ‘Goofy About Spring’ floral vignettes. Topiary Goofy and friends will be in on the fun.
- Fresh new menu items will debut at the festival’s Outdoor Kitchens where, for the third festival year running, guests can taste garden- and spring-inspired tapas-sized food and beverages and have their complimentary Garden Passports stamped as they stroll the World Showcase promenade.
If you have your DVR set to record the ‘Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade,’ you may want to take a few minutes to reprogram it. ABC has confirmed what has already been reported at both the Walt Disney World Resort via it’s Very Merry Christmas Party map and the Disneyland Resort — which is filming its half today — that the annual holiday program will in fact be dubbed the ‘Disney Parks Frozen Christmas Celebration.’ The official program description is as follows:
Season four of ABC’s fairytale drama ‘Once Upon A Time’ has been boasting the tagline ‘Once has been Frozen‘ as it already introduced several mainstays from the popular Disney animated film – Elsa (Georgina Haig), Anna (Elizabeth Lail), Kristoff (Scott Michael Foster), Hans (Tyler Jacob Moore) — and even Sven.
When the all new Frozen short, ‘Frozen Fever,’ was announced at the tail end of the tail end of the television special, ‘The Story of Frozen: Making An Animated Classic,’ speculation ran rampant that it would be attached to Disney’s live action Cinderella despite only being told it would arrive in ‘spring 2015.’ It was always our assertion that not only this would not be the case, but it hinted at a still possible home video release of a 3D Blu-ray for Frozen which we originally anticipated for this month (prior to the Sing-Along edition announced for November). While we were put on blast for being the site that cried wolf, new evidence points to this possibility.
Amazon has begun listing Disney Frozen CineStory Volume One with a release date of November 25, 2014. The 376 page softcover title is being published by Joe’s Books and is one of several new titles featuring Disney characters. The official publisher’s description is as follows:


A novel about Vivian, a young Irish girl sent by rail from a New York City tenement to Minnesota in the early 1900s. She was one of thousands of abandoned children sent to live with rural families for a better life. But not all ended up in loving homes.
Facebook and Linked-in are two of the most popular on-line social networks, but there are now millions of others catering to all ages and a myriad of interests. A look at the growing appeal of on-line social networks and their value to members in the profit and not-for-profit worlds
- Amy Worley Director of Digital Marketing, H&R Block, Digital Tax Solutions
- Manuel Hernandez president, Diabetes Hands Foundation www.tudiabetes.com www.estudiabetes.com
- Andy Carvin senior product manager, NPR Community, NPR Digital Media
- Gina Bianchini co-founder, Ning
- Josh Bernoff Senior VP, Idea Development Forrester Research (www.forrester.com) Co-author of Groundswell
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The following is a press release from The Arc of the United States. It discusses a new law which will change the wording in many governmental uses from “mental retardation” to “intellectual disability”.
E-Newsletter Issue Date: Monday, October 11, 2010
On Friday afternoon, President Barack Obama put his pen to work signing the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 into law, delivering brief remarks on the impact of the law on people with disabilities and celebrating Rosa’s Law. The law, which was enacted by the President on Tuesday, substitutes the term “intellectual disabilities” for “mental retardation” in many federal laws.
Self-advocates William Washington (The Arc’s national office receptionist), Jill Egle (Co-Executive Director, The Arc of Northern Virginia) and Jeremy Jacobson (son of The Arc’s Chief Development and Marketing Officer Trudy Jacobson) joined Paul Marchand, Director of the Disability Policy Collaboration, to represent the intellectual and developmental disability community whose advocacy resulted in this bill.
Nine-year-old Rosa Marcellino, for whom the law was named, was in attendance with her family and received a hug from the President. Also in attendance were the bill’s sponsors, key policy leaders and musician Stevie Wonder.
Rosa’s Law was passed by the Senate earlier this year and passed the House in September. Self-advocates and The Arc have led the effort to get the bill enacted as part of a nationwide effort to remove the stigma of the “r-word.” The majority of states have altered their terminology by replacing the term “mental retardation” with “intellectual disability” in state laws and in the names of state agencies that serve this population.
Changes in terminology are another stepping stone toward realizing a more inclusive society. The Arc was instrumental in the passage of Rosa’s Law by galvanizing support across the nation and through vigorous advocacy. “We have achieved another historic milestone in our movement. We understand that language plays a crucial role in how people with intellectual disabilities are perceived and treated in society. Changing how we talk about people with disabilities is a critical step in promoting and protecting their basic civil and human rights,” said Peter V. Berns, CEO of The Arc.
The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act increases accessibility for people with sensory disabilities to modern communications, such as internet access over smart phones. The Arc also advocated strongly for this legislation and celebrates its enactment.

domain: news


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Monday, May 30, 2016
Large Ensemble Music Spring '16 (Part II)
The Invisible Hand" that he recorded with Greg Osby and Jim Hall) and "Quemando Velas" (Burning Candles). Both are ballads, the Hill composition retaining the spare quality of its original, a striking melody for flugelhorn with Klein's arrangement built right off the melody. The latter piece begins immediately after the previous song, the melody carried by the alto and tenor saxophones but notice the echoes behind the front lines as well as Monder's shimmering accompaniment. The melody shifts to the brass, quietly pushed forward by percussion. The delicacy of the music is matched by the emotional content, there's a feeling of peace and contentment as the song slowly concludes.
"V" is a work that demands your attention and rewards the listener many times over. Like the previous recordings of Los Guachos, the seamless blend of melody with harmony, the way the Argentinean rhythms permeate so much of the music as well as the impressive ensemble arrangements, all those factors and more illustrate the artistry of Guillermo Klein. Highly recommended!
For more information and to sample the album, go to sunnysidezone.com/album/los-guachos-v.
His new CD, "Andy Jaffe Nonet + 4: Arc" (Playscape Recordings) looks backwards even as it moves forward. The impetus for the program came from a semester that he spent teaching and performing in Taiwan. Played by an impressive ensemble that includes the reed section of Kris Allen (alto saxophone), Jimmy Greene (tenor and soprano saxes), Bruce Williamson (bass clarinet, soprano sax), and Tom Olin (tenor, soprano, and baritone saxes) plus the unorthodox brass section of Wallace Roney (trumpet) and John Clark (French horn). Besides the leader on piano and all arrangements, the rhythm section consists of his son Marty Jaffe (bass) and Jonathan Barber (drums). The "4" alluded to in the album title is the Interesting Quartet from Taiwan composed of Wei-jun Hwang (first violin), Wei-hsin Liu (second violin), Chiee Yeh (viola) and Jiro Yeh (cello) who appear on four of the nine cuts.
The album includes two lovely ballads, "In Case This Is Goodbye" and "Now Then", both new works. The title of the former gives the piece its emotional foundation, the melody, colored by the strings and the deep sounds of the bass clarinet, its heart, and the soloists its true expression. Allen's alto rises high above the rhythm section whereas the strings accompany the excellent soprano solo. Clark's solo is so understated but powerful while Marty Jaffe's bowed solo is pleasingly melodic. The strings return for the piano solo with an arrangement that leads back to the opening theme. The album's final track, "Now Then", is lovely with fine percussion from Barber, sweet underpinning from the bass clarinet and other reeds while the French horn plays the theme and has the first solo.
Roney shines as a member of the ensemble plus his expressive set as a soloist. He fires on all cylinders on the highly-swinging "Brainworm" (Barber is the driving force here) and during a lengthy solo on "Fleurette Chinoise" (Greene's soprano solo on this track is wonderfully playful). Roney's muted solo and ensemble playing on the title track also stands out.
"Arc" is a collection of pieces that contain so many delightful elements, from melodies that sing in one's ears to arrangements that fill out the sound without cluttering the aural landscape to solos, many of them short, that are creative and direct. Andy Jaffe Nonet + 4 is a long-awaited gem from this classy composer, arranger, and first-class pianist.
For more information, go to andyjaffe.com.

domain: artistic


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March 7, 2006
WINTER PARK, FL - Junior Jeff Williams tossed seven strong innings and Matt Godusky broke the game open with a key three-run double as Saint Joseph's (1-10) upended Boston College (8-2) at Alfond Stadium to earn the team's first win of the season, 6-2.
SJU built a 2-0 lead with single runs in the second and fifth innings. Senior Greg Mason scored the game's first run when he led off the second with a double. He later scored on a single by sophomore Jeremy Jakubowski. SJU added another run in the fifth on a solo home run by sophomomre Mike Blahusch.
BC cut the lead in half with a solo home run. The lone run charged to Williams. He went seven strong innings scattering four hits and striking out four, while walking just one, to earn the win.
The Crimson and Gray answered back and took control of the game in the bottom half of the frame, scoring four times. With one out, sophomore Jereme Scott singled and stole second. Andrew Heineman and Tim Smith then walked to load the bases. The eagles then coaxed a strikeout, but a passed ball advanced all of the runners and gave SJU its third run. Adriano Petrutz then walked to reload the bases, before Godusky smacked a three-run double down the right field line.

domain: game


GRUNDOBURST 400S additional application is good news for Wessex Water
TT-UK LTD of Bedford has recently collaborated with Wessex Water to solve a problem they had when replacing pipes for dirty water.The obstacle they faced was when working on sewerage pipe replacements in a domestic setting with limited access. Traditional equipment was too large and cumbersome to negotiate along narrow back alleyways of the terraced properties.
Wessex Water used the GRUNDOBURST 400S ( the result of this collaboration) to burst out 6” pitch fibre sewer pipes & replacing in 2 metre lengths with 180mm screwed Demco PE pipe SDR11 gravity sewer pipe at a property in the village of Broughton Gifford, Wiltshire, which had no rear or side access.
The job ran through the property owners back garden and in to the neighbours back garden where the exit pit was dug out. The pipe bursting of approximately 55 metres in soil conditions of sandy clay was completed in record time of only two and a half hours from start to finish. Wessex Water was extremely pleased with the results.
Prior to using the GRUNDOBURST 400S, traditional hand dig methods were utilised in nearly every case where space was confined. Situations like this had meant that in some cases out-buildings, garages and greenhouses were having to be dismantled or demolished and then re-assembled or re-built altogether; adding higher, unnecessary extra costs to the projects.
The other problem they faced was that even if the units could negotiate the terrain, they were faced with not being able work from a manhole due to the size and power of the equipment needed to do the job.
The GRUNDOBURST 400S can be easily dismantled within ten minutes in to six smaller, more manageable sections. This means that dual application is possible with either manhole or larger pit launch. Placed in position the rig is quickly and easily re-assembled either above or below ground and then lowered in to position by a lightweight portable lifting gantry.
Dependant on conditions, pipe sizes can range from ND50 to ND250 up to approximately 100 metres in length. Extension hoses can be laid down paths, alleyways and even through properties with the operational Bursting Rig located 100 plus metres away.
Armed with the same power as its bigger brother the GRUNDOBURST 400G, the smaller modular 400S can use either 700mm or 500mm QuickLock rods (500mm ideal for limited space within a manhole) and still deploy 27 tonnes of forward thrust and 40 tonnes pull back.
This makes it the ideal solution for pipe replacement in areas with restricted access. After job completion the rig is quickly dismantled with the added benefit of easy clean, wash down of individual sections.


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APAX 2021: Sessions on Demand
In 2021 the Australian Performing Arts Exchange was delivered online from 7 – 10 September. Scroll down to watch key sessions from the program.
Artist, Artistic Director, CEO, thought-leader. If there’s anyone who can speak to what a thriving arts organisation looks like, and what a thriving sector could look like, it’s none other than Yaron Lifschitz, Artistic Director & CEO of CIRCA.
APAX 2021 wrapped up with our annual State of the Art address.
Presented by Alana Valentine, Playwright, Screenwriter and Librettist.
Using outcomes from an Australian Council Research Project (2019-2022) and investigating the impact of arts and cultural engagement in regional Australian communities, Thriving Communities examines two community-initiated projects to illustrate how creative and cultural activities maintain social connection, avoid potential social fragmentation, support wellbeing and allow communities to thrive. The session builds your tool kit in articulating the value of what you do and the role the performing arts must continue to play in communities in these critical years to come.
Presented by Dr Sandra Gattenhof and Dr Donna Hancox, with Peter Ross.
A New Approach is an independent think tank, championing effective investment and return in Australian arts and culture. Their evidence-based series of Insight Reports explores why and how governments, philanthropists, communities, businesses and individuals invest in arts and culture; what benefits and impacts this generates; and how we can ensure this investment is relevant and effective. The reports provide data analysis, expert commentary and evidence-based recommendations that are not bound by government, jurisdiction, funding mechanism or artform.
Presented by Kate Fielding, A New Approach.
The discussion in this timely and practical session centres around creating work and finding audiences, taking a specific look at queer work and CaLD stories, and how genuine audience engagement and attendance is attracting younger, diverse people on and behind the stages (and also in our audiences). Joanne Kee and Dino Dimitriadis share how this authenticity has lead to sold out seasons, and is building new audiences.
Presented by Joanne Kee and Dino Dimitriadis.
In this session, Liza-Mare Syron presents her leadership research on Indigenous Language Revival in Play Texts, exploring the complex and deeply important role of theatre in the revitalisation of native languages.
Presented by Liza-Mare Syron.
BlakForm is a groundbreaking career development platform supporting established First Nations dance makers, enabling them to drive the development of their work to reach more audiences and communities locally, nationally and globally.
Presented by Merindah Donnelly, Trudy Gunston, Joshua Pether, Paul McGill.
If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that everyone who works in the arts sector is an advocate for what we do, whether that is a formal position we can take or not. So how do we use our positions to advocate and articulate the value of what we do? Particularly in regional communities how can arts leaders tell their story? Beyond the economic impact and the number of bums of seats, how do we make better cases and count what counts?
Presented by Helen O’Neil (Chair, PAC Australia), Nicholas Pickard and Francesca Valmorbida.


It's easy to dismiss Henry Weingarten's Astrologers Fund as a joke. After all, Nancy Reagan was laughed at for consulting an astrologer during her husband's presidency. And the daily horoscope in the newspapers isn't terribly enlightening.Still, the moon affects the tides from thousands of miles away and the sun creates most of the weather on earth. So, why can't the movements of the planets and the stars affect financial markets, too? For instance, earlier this year Weingarten predicted there would be a major downdraft in the stock market on Aug. 28. It was the last total lunar eclipse, a technical and astrological convergence that culminated with the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbling 280 points to test the 13,000 level. Coincidence? Maybe. But it was enough to make me want to find out what Weingarten was predicting at his conference on Sept. 11, the day of the solar eclipse. The Astrologers Fund isn't a mutual fund. It's an institutional fund that manages money for high-net worth individuals and institutions. Weingarten declines to say how much he has under management. According to the fund's Web site, it returned 17% in July, 26% in August and was up 9.7% for the first two weeks of September. However, these are unaudited results. Weingarten's head isn't solely in the stars. He uses a combination of technical analysis, fundamental analysis and astrological charting to make predictions on the direction of commodities, currencies and stocks. The New York money manager says that when all three converge, a major market move is usually in the works. And most of the time, he can determine its direction, he says. "We use all the standard fundamental and technical tools, but astrology is most important," says Weingarten. "That's what makes us unique and allows us to capture market surprises most people don't see. It's out-of-the-box thinking." But he adds that if something is overwhelmingly undervalued on a fundamental basis, "I follow that. It depends on the situation." Weingarten is also a gold bug. In ordinary times, that would be another strike against him. But these aren't ordinary times. Since 2001, when he first recommended that his clients buy gold, the yellow metal's price has surged more than 250%. In early June, Weingarten predicted a major move up in the price of gold, but said that it needed to test support first. He said to watch June 27. That day, the price of gold fell $5.70 to $642.85, its lowest point in three months. It's been rallying ever since.


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I am so sorry for the lack of posts this week but I have unfortunately been stuck in bed with Tonsillitis which has meant everything has taken a back seat whilst I've had endless duvet days and Prison Break marathons, lol.
I thought I would make my first post back a good one and its a YouTube video/post combined. If you didn't know I posted my first YouTube video last week (see here) and am now loving this different aspect to blogging.
One of my current celebrity obsessions is Gigi Hadid, I love her cool, effortless and chic style. Gigi seem's to be everywhere at the moment and when I heard she was going to be in the music video for Calvin Harris's new song 'How deep is your love' I knew she was going to look stunning. Gigi usually keeps her makeup minimalist and simple, emphasizing her natural beauty but when she posted the below look to Instagram account taken from the music video I knew this was the look I wanted to recreate.
Patrick Ta was the artist who worked on Gigi for the music video and he has worked with various other artists including the Kardashian/Jenner's. I have followed Patrick on Instagram for ages and his work is flawless, check him out here.
This look I recreated is a super smokey matte eye, with glowing bronzed skin (no contour) and a nude glossy lip. The key to the eye is to gradually layer the colour and blend, blend, blend - until your arm falls off haha!
Here is a list of the products I used to recreate this look:
Urban Decay Original Primer Potion
Mac Tete a Tint Eyeshadow (not online but any warm caramel shade) w/ Crown Brush Deluxe Crease
Urban Decay Naked Basics 2 - 'Cover' w/ Dior Eyeshadow Brush
Maybelline The Nudes Palette - Last shadow on op row w/ Crown Brush LG Angle Fluff Brush
Naked Basics 2 'Undone' w/ Crown Brush Angle Shadow
Crown Brush Pro Blending Crease Brush
Clinique Moisture Surge Mosturiser
Mac Strobe Cream mixed with Makeup Forever HD Foundation #35 w/ Bobbi Brown Full Coverage Face Brush
Maybelline Eye Eraser Concealer in Light w/ Primark Stippling Brush
Illamasqua Translucent Powder w/ Mac 150 Large Powder Brush
Ben Nye Banana Powder w/ Real Technique Expert Face Brush
Mac Sharon Osborne Mineralise Skin Finish Duo w/ Real Technique Blush Brush
Milani Baked Bronzer in 04 Glow w/ Crown Brush Tapered Blush Brush
Makeup Studio Eyeshadow Lumiere in Ivory Gold w/ Crown Brush Pointed Blender
Smashbox Limitless Eyeliner Pencil in Onyx
Ardell 101 Lashes
Maxfactor False Lash Effect Mascara in Black Waterproof
ModelCo Lip Enhancer Illusion Lip Liner
Gerard Cosmetics Shimmer of Hope Lip Gloss
I hope you enjoyed this video and look I have recreated! I love making these makeup video's, so if you have any requests of looks you would like to see please leave me a comment below :)
Please dont forget to subscribe to me on YouTube and follow me on Bloglovin!
Hope you have all had a wonderful weekend :)
Chat to me on Twitter
Follow me on Instagram


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When I was twenty-two and living in New Orleans I dodged a hurricane with a long weekend in Austin. I had been working at a restaurant on Magazine Street when we received word that it was going to make landfall. Staff was giddy. This was pre-Katrina. Every year you had five or so major hurricane warnings, and they always amounted to a bit of heavy rain and maybe some moderate flooding. You hit the grocery store (which is also the liquor store, bless you, Louisiana), park your car on the neutral ground (that grass-covered median in the center of the road), and have some friends over. Hurricane parties were de rigueur and often lasted a few days. The news was being typically hyperbolic in their presentation of the story and now the city was urging businesses to shutter for a couple. We’d all just been given a vacation.
I was headed out to join some of the staff for drinks when my friend Sarah approached asking if I’d be interested in making the 9 hour trip to Austin. A friend in the back of the house had some buddies there who would let us crash on their couch/floor. The two of them were going to leave town once he finished breaking down the kitchen from the night’s service. I went home to pack a bag and an hour later they were picking me up.
We got to the city as the day was starting, and set to taking it all in with the unlimited energy of early twenty-somethings. We day drank, saw the bats under the Congress Avenue Bridge, waded knee-deep at Barton Springs Pool (nobody had thought to bring a bathing suit), and ate all of the tacos. Saw something at the Alamo Draft House that none of us were sober enough to follow. The Doves happened to be playing so we went to a show. We didn’t sleep. Two days later we drove back towards New Orleans with just enough time to get our friend to his day shift. Austin had won me over.
When J and I were discussing leaving Pittsburgh, Austin had been a highly ranked prospect. Now I was excited to introduce him to the city I had been crushing on all these years. Excited to see how it had changed. Beia was just as eager to show us around. The last time I had seen her, weeks away from moving here, I had told her about my soft spot for the city. Now two years later, Austin had fully ingratiated itself to her, and she was persuading me to reconsider a move.
We three woke up and went to breakfast, which was awesome. If you had told me gluten-free pancakes were to give me a food coma, I would have said fuck you. One of my sisters is celiac, in a strange turn of events which is, at least in the legendarium of my family, squarely upon my young nephew’s shoulders. Believe you me, little dude and I have had The Talk: “Once, young one, your mother could Pong beers with the best of them, but now tis only cider she sips. But seriously, you’ve said “hi” a dozen times already, and you should brush up on your vocabulary. This schtick of yours is going to stop impressing everyone in this family five minutes ago.” In any case, Tapioca flour banana pancakes – ain’t nothing wrong with that.
We started with a late breakfast at Picnik, which is exactly the grass-fed, organic, gluten-free, cold-brewing, ashwagandha adding cliché that Austin’s detractors bemoan. It’s bright and airy, servers are informed and gracious, there are hot pink dragonfruit margaritas, breakfast foodstuffs, the coffee is amazing. If you can hate on anything after a meal there, you’re the bad roommate. Beia went home to steel herself for an evening of being hospitable and we headed out to explore the town.
We chatted a bit more after breakfast before leaving Beia to a pre-shift nap, a tradition both revered and respected amongst our people. Y had found a really quaint and lovely park to take a short and relaxing walk through before hitting a small campaign’s worth of spots in the city. The short and relaxing walk, due to our shared unrelenting and stubborn nature, became anything but. We allowed ourselves to be painted into the corner of a long and angry walk through the underbrush, because reasons.
Mayfield Park and Preserve is a small, wooded park with a few short trails and a creek running through it. Twenty-three acres of nature tucked away in the middle of the city. However, its diminutive size was no help in preventing us from losing our way. Despite being a half hour hike, max, from the edge of the park in any direction, our arguments as to the best way out mimicked the day’s increasing barometer, eventually exploding into a blistering silence. We trudged our way through the brush, the lilting sounds of people actually enjoying one another’s company eventually piercing the stillness between us. We caught sight of a trail, made our way up a hill, and vacated the woods.
A very long half hour later J and I had backed down enough to take a walk around the preserve’s ponds and garden. The appearance of two white peacocks among the muster felt like a sign to try to stop ruining each other’s day. With delicately balanced sensibilities, carefully chosen words, and the reckless optimism that neither party would shove the other over, we made our way up to the Mt. Bonnell Terrace to look down at the Colorado River cutting its way through the city.
As tempers cooled and boundaries were re-established or firmly demarcated, we managed to find a modicum of peace in the neighboring peacock gardens, where the universe reminded us we were on the trail with a few white peacocks. Which we wouldn’t really talk about for another few hours because we were still re-living our recent search for Dr. Livingstone, I presume, and way too cranky to talk metaphysics.
Despite the latent crank factor, we still found enjoyment in both geographic and personal surroundings with a handful of hugs at the top of Covert Park (which is anything but, amiright) and the HOPE outdoor gallery, which is a sort of graffiti playground on an abandoned industrial lot. It was inspiring to see groups of kids sprint around with spray cans and wild, creative eyes, about to engage in some victimless crimes.
I was reminded of Buddhist mandalas, watching the layers of paint develop over masterpieces, and seeing the tell-tale traces of their eventual obliteration. There was an artist off to the side, engaged in surrendering a piece of themselves to the abyss, and we both wondered how long the hard work would stay unmolested before the winds of change blew it away like so many grains of sand.
The HOPE Outdoor Gallery is a park which repurposes the foundation of a demolished structure as the canvas for large-scale graffiti murals. We arrived to swarms of young people running around, paint cans in hand. They tagged walls and expressed themselves amongst the wreckage in varying degrees of ability, but with a singular enthusiasm. It was a scene as vibrant and frenetic as the work itself and we wandered through its rubble alcoves, taking it in.
The dynamic backdrop is especially photogenic and as the only space of its kind in the country, a general point of interest. A tour bus pulled up, regurgitating its contents of forty or so business-casual convention attendees onto the street. They obediently followed their guide to the park’s entrance. J and I were crestfallen at the thought of the group engulfing the park. However, the guide muttered a couple sentences about the HOPE’s history and herded his sheep back on to the bus. Off to the next sight.
Tempers more than sufficiently cooled by this point, we headed towards downtown and Commerce street to see the bat colony wake up and take flight. We parked and grabbed beers nearby, snacking on some fried green tomatoes before taking a slug of bourbon from our car bar and hoofing it up the road. The sight of the bats emerging was magnificent. Austin, more than any other major city I’ve been to, is in tune with and firmly married to nature. The hillsides are a solid and vibrant green, and the whole city is rife with native grasses, agave, and cacti. To observe a massive colony of bats take to the skies from the middle of a major American city is nothing short of pure magic, and something I never expected to see in my life.
We headed further South across the river to catch the twilight exodus of the Congress Avenue Bridge bat colony. With an hour to kill before dusk, we stopped for beers to smother any residual hostility. Then added a few shots of trunk bourbon for good measure. We followed the parade of people making their way toward the river to catch the spectacle. We waited. The bats emerged from the bridge amassed in wafting waves. They form a stream a million and a half strong, clouds of helpful little pest eradicators drifting miles in every direction. We watched for the better part of an hour until just a few floundering stragglers remained.
Afterward, we sought out one of the Moon Towers, an old throwback to an age where electrical illumination was an animal we humans were only just beginning to yoke. Our quota of silly pictures filled, we headed to Luke’s Inside Out for some sandwiches great enough to write about, let alone eat. Jesus, were they good.
Anything worth doing is worth doing right, and arguing done right is an exhausting endeavor. Both a bit spent, we made our way to Luke’s Inside Out to indulge in the restorative powers of beer and sandwiches. Luke’s is an unassuming food truck parked between a bar and a cafe. You can have your meal delivered to either bookending establishment. Its menu is small, specializing in sandwiches that are reworked versions of Italian and Asian classics.
One could be forgiven for looking at the modest setup, the sriracha aioli listed as an ingredient, the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives logo decal affixed near the order window, heralding the seal-of-approval from American cheese enthusiast and recently electrified human troll doll, Guy Fieri* himself, and think you were about to be treated to Hawaiian barbecue dusted onion rings slathered in Donkey Sauce™. One would be very wrong. Despite the appearance of 2010’s trendiest condiment and a celebrity endorsement from the man responsible for Dragon’s Breath Chili, Luke’s is putting out some badass food. Their flavors are complex, the quality of ingredients elevated, the compositions seemingly ready to burst and yet somehow managing to retain their structural integrity. If I seem wistful, it’s because I am. I yearn for that sandwich.
Not understanding what we were signing on for, we turned down Rainey Street. Driving through the horde of pre-gaming singles stumbling into their next terrible decision only highlighted the fact that we were in no mood to have any part of that. We stopped to pick up some mead and a few beers for the house and went home to enjoy them peacefully, like the old people we are unapologetically becoming. After a bit of conversation, Beia’s roommate, Monster, decided J was worthy of catering to his head-scratching needs, and with J otherwise occupied I went to bed.
We headed back to base, Y falling out cold in fairly short order, and my anxiety still hovering like an Eldritch horror in the skies of my mind. We both know this sort of adventure, this pursuit of the happiest life, isn’t easy, intellectually, but that knowledge will never change the difficulties of the hard moments. With the two of us being especially attuned to our feelings, the dry comforts of intelligence crumble to dust in short order when faced with the hot winds of raw emotion.
*Descriptions of Guy Fieri that didn’t make it into this post:
1. An anthropomorphized Hawaiian shirt, laundered in Jägermeister, riding a crotch rocket
2. A Mountain Dew-stained albino grizzly rollerblading in a tutu
3. A bloated, brocean pufferfish
4. Your ex-roommate, Chad, who shows up after twenty years to embrace you with a tire swing full of nachos (and not the $200 he still owes you). Fucking Chad.


By Pierre Brouard
Do we still need an International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia (IDAHOT), to draw attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex people and all other people with diverse sexual orientations, gender identities or expressions, and sex characteristics? If this year’s events I attended are anything to go by, the answer is a resounding yes.
May 17 annually commemorates the World Health Organization’s decision in 1990 to declassify homosexuality as a mental disorder, and IDAHOT is now celebrated in more than 130 countries, including 37 where same-sex acts are illegal.
The theme for this year was “Justice and Protection for All”, as in many places around the world LGBTQIA+ people still face injustice and live in fear and danger. While in some contexts there has been progress in justice, in others there has been a rise in authoritarian and fascist regimes, with a worrying increase in attempts to whip up moral panics and to scapegoat and target LGBTQIA+ people.
I was part of an IDAHOT effort co-ordinated by the Alliance Française in Pretoria – each year it convenes a small team, made up of embassies, high commissions, NGOs and the University of Pretoria (UP: the Centre for Human Rights and the Centre for Sexualities, AIDS and Gender) who work together to run IDAHOT events.
The first I attended was at the Market Theatre on 15 May, a performance of Born Naked sponsored by the Dutch and Irish embassies, followed by a Q and A with the performers and the director. It was a tribute to Thapelo Makhutle who was brutally murdered in Kuruman in 2012 and the piece very movingly reflected small town life for people who challenge gender norms. It somehow managed to be uplifting and tragic at the same time. Because we knew the outcome, the performance evoked tension in the audience, the dramatic ending providing both release and immense sadness.
The Q and A showed that there is meaningful work happening in many contexts to build a more inclusive South Africa, but some cynicism was expressed about the power of our laws to bring justice. There was also an intense debate about who gets to tell the stories of queer people and the politics of representation – this is a debate which needs further airing.
My own Centre organised a panel discussion at UP on 16 May, asking panelists to reflect on whether ‘hearts and minds work’ changes community attitudes, or if legal reform could offer more protection for queer people. While there was no easy consensus it did seem that a combination of grassroots mobilization and assertive and persistent legal work – as described by the OUT LGBT Wellbeing panelist – was desirable. Geoffrey Ogwaro of the Centre for Human Rights spoke to ways in which LGBTIQA+ activists formed support networks in contexts of state oppression, as was his experience in Uganda. Is it strategic to “tone down the gay” when our lives are at stake, he asked?
Finally, an event on 17 May at the Alliance Française, with the participation of the French and German embassies, and the Canadian and Australian High Commissions, effectively used short film screenings and a panel discussion to showcase trans stories of daily challenges. Supported by the NGO Iranti, and the SA Human Rights Commission, the event again suggested justice and protection for all remains an elusive goal, even in South Africa.
For the Sexuality and Gender Division (SGD) of PsySSA, there is a clear take-home message: our work needs to go beyond the therapeutic space and we need a public psychology which has a clear social justice agenda. While queer people are being harmed every day, in streets, schools, clinics and workplaces, we need to address all phobias and prejudices. A more inclusive and welcoming society is good for everyone.
Pierre Brouard is the deputy director of the Centre for Sexualities, Aids and Gender at the University of Pretoria and a member of the Sexuality and Gender Division of the Psychological Society of South Africa


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A print of New York/United Air Lines, c. 1950, by Joseph Feher.
Rather than focusing exclusively on the impressive cityscape, Joseph Feher juxtaposes the urban with the pastoral. The foreground is dominated by a picturesque rendering of the Gapstow Bridge over the Pond in Central Park. Behind it stand several Fifth Avenue landmarks, including the Sherry-Netherland Hotel, the Savoy-Plaza Hotel (replaced by the GM Building in 1968), and the Squibb Building, as well as a sliver of the celebrated Plaza Hotel. The plane at the upper right is a Douglas DC-6 that United Air Lines brought into service in the late 1940s. Known as the “Skymaster,” it was an updated version of the DC-4 and was the main competitor to the Lockheed Constellation used by other airlines.
Measures 17 x 11 inches. Ships rolled.

domain: history


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Rebecca Ferguson, Collabro and Blue confirmed for Pride in London
10 June 2015
Pride in London, the annual festival championing the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT+) community in London, has confirmed that singer & song-writer and MOBO-nominated artist Rebecca Ferguson will be performing on the main stage in Trafalgar Square during Pride Parade Day.
Also performing will be 2014 Britain’s Got Talent winners Collabro – who’s second album was released last week and is currently number two in the charts – and boy-band Blue. Together, they form part of an entertainment line-up of over 30 acts including, singers, dancers, speakers and special guests who will entertain the 10,000 strong audience in Trafalgar Square during the afternoon and early evening of Saturday 27th June 2015.
The announcement follows last year’s record-breaking Pride in London, which saw 2014 Eurovision winner Conchita Wurst perform to the crowds.
The theme of this year’s Pride Parade is ‘Pride Heroes’, celebrating individuals who have contributed to LGBT+ rights over the years.
Participants and members of London’s LGBT+ community, including its straight allies, are being asked to nominate their own Pride Heroes, from the famous to the unsung, and to share their suggestions via the hashtag #PrideHeroes.
Rebecca said: “I’m so excited to be performing on the main stage in Trafalgar Square for this year’s Pride in London festival. Pride is such an important part of the city’s annual event calendar – an opportunity for everyone to come together, regardless of gender or sexuality, and celebrate the freedoms we all enjoy and the equality that generations have campaigned for.
“My #PrideHeroes nomination goes to Elton John. Apart from being such a brilliant and inspiring musician, he’s often spoken about how music can be so powerful in bringing people together irrespective of their age, race, sexuality, or religion and he’s done so much to campaign for equality for the LGBT+ community worldwide, in the past, present and for generations to come – not to mention the amazing work done by the Elton John AIDS Foundation. He’s a true Pride Hero.”
#PrideHeroes follows the success of last year’s award winning #FreedomTo campaign which ran across social, digital, OOH and PR channels, driving record-breaking attendance to the event and helping to change attitudes towards LGBT+ people.
2014’s Britain’s Got Talent Winners Collabro, who this week saw their second album reach number two in the charts, commented: “We are really pleased to be performing at Pride this year to celebrate a year full of victories for the LGBT community. Everyone deserves the right to love who they want and we hope our music brings people together no matter their sexuality or what sex they identify with, or if they identify with one at all.
“Our #PrideHeroes nomination goes to Stephanie Hirst for the amazing courage it has taken her to be her true self despite having had to leave her job as a radio presenter because of prejudice. She has campaigned tirelessly this year for the right for people to be able to identify with whatever sex they choose – a true inspiration and someone vital to the LGBT community during times of rapid change”.
Speaking about their forthcoming performance at Pride in London, Blue commented: “We are thrilled and excited to be performing at Pride London in Trafalgar Square this year. We have been lucky enough to have performed at several Pride events in recent years across the UK and abroad but nothing will beat the feeling of being on stage at home in London. We are proud of the work Pride in London do bringing the whole community together regardless of age or gender. ”
Blue also announced their #PrideHeroes: “Our #PrideHeroes nomination goes to Elton John, a man who not only has played an integral part of our career with our greatest hit to date, “Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word” but whose charity work and commitment to LGBT causes is an inspiration to us as a band and to many people worldwide.”
Pride in London is a week-long festival, from 20th to 28th June, celebrating all aspects of the LGBT+ community. Last year more than 750,000 people came to Pride in London and 30,000 people joined the annual Parade, which is one of the city’s biggest one-day events, second only to the London Marathon, and one of the world’s biggest LGBT+ celebrations. This year’s Parade takes place on Saturday 27th June, alongside the festival in Trafalgar Square and activities in Soho.
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domain: entertainment


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From thrilling Indian movies to critically acclaimed TV shows of recent times, here are five shows and movies you need to check out this Sunday on Amazon Prime Video, SonyLIV and MX Player:
5 best shows and movies on Amazon Prime Video, SonyLIV and MX Player
1. Fleabag – Amazon Prime Video
A show about a woman from London who hits all the bumps in her life. She is scarred from her past but is unapologetically herself. How she tackles certain situations and at the same time keeps a conversation going past the fourth wall with the audience is what makes Fleabag a special show.
2. Aashram – MX Player
Bollywood actor Bobby Deol has attained a form of cult status in India’s pop culture right now. With frequent posts on social media, Deol keeps trending from time to time. Aashram starring Deol is a crime drama about a godman who takes advantage of his followers. Aashram also features Tridha Choudhury, Anupriya Goenka and Chandan Roy Sanyal in pivotal roles.
3. Raazi – Amazon Prime Video
Alia Bhatt stars in one of her best performances to date as Sehmat, an undercover Indian spy who got married to a Pakistani family. While she is focused on her job, it gets more and more difficult as doubts start to arise and her cover is under threat. Raazi, directed beautifully by Meghana Gulzar, keeps the audience at the edge throughout the film.
4. Rocket Boys – SonyLIV
An inspiring tale of excellence, relive the true story behind two of India’s biggest scientific minds Dr. Homi Bhaba and Vikram Sarabhai. Aiming to put India at the top in the global scientific society, these two young men are focused on their respective projects. In Rocket Boys, this story is brought to life beautifully. Starring Jim Sarbh and Ashwak Singh in lead roles, Rocket Boys is a great watch and should definitely be on your list.
5. Lucifer – Amazon Prime Video
Directed by Prithviraj, Lucifer starring one of the biggest actors in the country, Mohanlal was shot as a tribute to the stellar career of the actor with moments that truly make you ecstatic. The slow-mo entries, the engaging soundtrack and the adrenaline-filled moments are weaved decently around a story just good enough to keep you hooked. Mohanlal is Stephen, a father/mentor figure in Kerala’s aching political environment which left a huge vacuum after the Chief Minister’s death. As the fight for succession gets ugly, Stephen needs to sort this one out on his own.
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Prepare for total blackout, BCM warns
“Prepare for the blackout.”
That is the word from Buffalo City Municipality to metro residents as the country takes stock of Eskom’s meltdown.
But big business energy users in the metro will most likely continue to enjoy a respite from load-shedding due to sweetheart tripartite contracts with the municipality and Eskom.
As the power utility introduced stage 6 load-shedding across the country for the first time this week, municipalities scrambled to rejig local rolling blackout schedules.
Despite Eskom chief operating officer Jan Oberholzer stating in a radio interview that load-shedding would not go beyond stage 6 and that there was no panic within Eskom’s Megawatt Park headquarters, two economists told the Dispatch: It is now time to panic.
The chief economist at the Efficient Group, Dawie Roodt, said: “At a certain stage we need to start panicking. It is time to prepare for the eventuality of a national blackout.”
Economists.co.za’s Mike Schussler said that while Eskom might not be in panic mode, “the rest of us are”.
“They are not telling us everything either, I believe, and that is what makes me panic.”
Both economists agreed the country could expect continuing negative ratings from international agencies.
“We are in crisis now,” said Schussler. “This is bad for ratings, it’s bad for growth. This makes it impossible for Eskom to pay off its debt.”
Roodt said the negative impact of Eskom’s successive failures in the last quarter of 2019 could drop economic growth to zero — the economy grew by just 0.3% for the first nine months of the year.
Schussler proposed business rescue — the same approach adopted to recently to address SAA’s woes. He said that, along with renegotiating coal contract prices and prices from independent power producers, Eskom’s workforce needed to be culled. Only once Eskom was able to make an operating profit would it be possible to configure a debt reduction programme.
Roodt warned that “Eskom is not SAA” and “all sorts of bad things” could happen if the utility was placed under business rescue. “Eskom is seriously big, with massive debt. Creditors can all decide to call up their loans in the event of business rescue.”
Trade unions learnt a sharp lesson when their strong-arm bargaining tactics failed to move the government at SAA last month, but Roodt said he did not have much confidence in the government’s willingness to take similar tough steps at Eskom.
In BCM, while the metro wants residents and businesses to prepare for a full-blown blackout, it remains committed to agreements with some big businesses, including Mercedes-Benz and its suppliers, who are largely — if not entirely — shielded from the impact of load-shedding.
On Tuesday, BCM spokesperson Samkelo Ngwenya said: “Certain industrial areas, we are able to isolate them. It’s important to keep the lights on in those businesses.”
Residents, however, should prepare for the worst.
“Safety is the priority. Have a source of light if it gets dark, charge cellphones, take care of little children, be courteous when driving and the traffic lights are not working. We are all in this together.”
He said that on Tuesday night some residents had no power for up to six hours.
Ngwenya said the metro’s security risk management strategy would factor in the possibility of total blackout during the festive season. This was decided after Monday’s sudden announcement of stage 6 load-shedding, he said.
Border-Kei Chamber of Commerce executive director Les Holbrooke said most businesses who could afford it had already put in generators.
President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier cut short his trip to Egypt and rushed back to SA to deal with the energy crisis.
He had landed in Cairo on Tuesday morning for bilateral talks with Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
Ramaphosa is expected to meet with Eskom’s board. He was kept appraised of the load-shedding situation while out of the country.
“The president has been in constant communication with the minister of public enterprises Pravin Gordhan and the leadership of the electricity utility on the state of the national grid and on the work being done to address the current crisis,” the presidency said.
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Rhode Island Center for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, The (RICBT)
A group psychotherapy practice that strives to offer state-of-the-art, scientifically-informed treatment for a wide range of adult mental health concerns. Helps individuals with many different issues, including depression, anxiety, panic, shyness, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), recent and past trauma, grief and bereavement, low self-esteem, anger, eating disorders, and relationship problems. In addition, RICBT helps individuals with personal growth work, coaching them on improving work performance, family life, and relationships. We offer individual, couple, family, and group therapy. Uses treatments (cognitive therapy, behavior therapy, and CBT - an integration, as well as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy [ACT], and Dialectical Behavior Therapy [DBT]) that have been shown by research studies to be effective and we help set measurable goals so that signs of progress are clear to all. Strives to create therapeutic relationships that are personal and collaborative, and that enable discussion of even the most difficult issues. Group workshops are an important aspect of the practice. They help individuals learn concrete strategies and tools, while also getting support from peers.
List of Services
- Anger Management
- Bereavement Counseling
- Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
- Mental Health Care and Counseling
AskRhody search engine funded by a CMS Real Choices Grant and the RI Dept. of Human Services.

domain: health


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Girard Medical Center RTFA
Girard Medical Center RTFA is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - 19122. Girard Medical Center RTFA can be contacted at 215-787-2000 x2468.
Girard Medical Center RTFA allows Self-Payment or Cash Payment, Medicaid Coverage, Private Insurance for Alcohol and Drug Treatment for these treatment approaches: Individual Alcohol Counseling, Group Therapy, Cognitive/Behavior Therapy. The environment that they provide these services in are: Inpatient Drug Rehab, Residential Rehab Facility.
These programs are offered for these types of care: Mental Health Care. They provide a number of special programs including: Persons with Co-Occurring Mental and Substance Abuse Disorders, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Or Transgender (LGBT) Clients.
We can help you find the right treatment facility that best fits your overall needs and financial requirements.

domain: medical


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Fast, easy read.
@ samsan_31i think that that was the point. she wanted something to be missing so that way more people will be interested in the books more. i left off with book 10 because i thought it was boring but i just picked them back up and i love them once again. i really like how she always ties them all together in the end. you think that she is getting off topic then bam it all works in the end.
A pretty good addition to the series and the story of the kidnapping is well-contained to just this book. Unusual ending, though.
yeah, i felt the same way. Her books are all amazing, but they are cliffhangers. The ending was really weird to me, it didn't really fit it to me.
i love this series so much all the books were beyond amazing and Kate Brian kept giving us a lot of awesome information, but the end really disappointed me a lot. In the end it really felt like something was missing.
There are no age suitabilities for this title yet.
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domain: library


Skype launches on Windows Phone
The Microsoft VoIP service finally makes it out of beta on Redmond's own phone platform
It’s been in beta on Windows Phone since February, but now Microsoft-owned VoIP service Skype has finally been officially released on the Windows Phone Marketplace.
It serves up the usual Skype features – calling, video chat and instant messaging, plus cheap-rate calls using Skype Credit – all wrapped up in the Windows Phone Metro interface.
Still, we can’t help wondering if the different branches of Microsoft are actually talking to each other. How else to explain the fact that only one Nokia Windows Phone – the Lumia 900 – actually features the front-facing camera needed for making Skype video calls? If Microsoft’s official Windows Phone hardware partner isn’t supporting its own VoIP service, it’s facing an uphill struggle.
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Starokostiantyniv, Ukraine, is a small town located in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast region. Despite its size, the town has been making strides in expanding its internet access, thanks to the efforts of satellite providers such as Starlink and TS2 Space.
Access to the internet has become increasingly important in today’s world, as it provides individuals with access to information, education, and job opportunities. However, many areas in Ukraine, including Starokostiantyniv, have limited access to the internet due to their remote locations.
This is where satellite providers come in. By using satellites to provide internet access, these providers can reach areas that are otherwise difficult to connect to the internet. Starlink, for example, uses a network of satellites to provide high-speed internet access to areas around the world, including rural areas in Ukraine.
In Starokostiantyniv, TS2 Space has been working to provide internet access to the town’s residents. The company has set up a satellite dish in the town, which provides internet access to local businesses and residents. This has been a game-changer for the town, as it has allowed residents to access information and services that were previously unavailable to them.
The expansion of internet access in Starokostiantyniv has also had a positive impact on the town’s economy. With access to the internet, local businesses are able to expand their reach and connect with customers outside of the town. This has led to an increase in business activity and job opportunities in the area.
The role of satellite providers in expanding internet access in Starokostiantyniv is just the beginning. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that more and more areas in Ukraine will have access to the internet through satellite providers. This will not only benefit individuals and businesses in these areas but will also help to bridge the digital divide between urban and rural areas.
However, there are still challenges that need to be addressed in expanding internet access in Ukraine. One of the biggest challenges is the cost of internet access. While satellite providers offer a solution for areas that are difficult to connect to the internet, the cost of satellite internet can be prohibitive for many individuals and businesses.
To address this issue, the Ukrainian government has launched a program to provide subsidies for internet access in rural areas. The program provides subsidies to individuals and businesses to help offset the cost of internet access. This has helped to make internet access more affordable for many people in rural areas, including Starokostiantyniv.
In conclusion, the expansion of internet access in Starokostiantyniv, Ukraine, is a testament to the role that satellite providers such as Starlink and TS2 Space can play in bridging the digital divide. While there are still challenges to be addressed, the progress that has been made in Starokostiantyniv is a step in the right direction. As technology continues to advance, it is likely that more and more areas in Ukraine will have access to the internet, providing individuals and businesses with new opportunities for growth and development.


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City Of Ice
Number of Pages: 544
Dimensions: 7.13 × 5.31 (inches)
Montreal has been damaged by political uncertainty overseparatism, and violent turf wars leave the police forcestruggling to keep the city safe. Even Sergeant-Detective ÉmileCinq-Mars appears to have been compromised. How has hemanaged to penetrate Montreal’s criminal elite? Who are hisinformants? And who is the young female operative he seemsso desperate to save from the clutches of the mob?

domain: law


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So great to see all the pretty Doilies that have used in your creations. Here we have a couple more projects to inspire you this month.
The card above is from Beth who placed an image sticker onto vellum and then fussy cut. The background is made up of the doily and the negative bits left over from a Cheery Lynn die. The sentiment is all the way from N. Ireland given to Beth by her sister.
Merry decided it was time for a bit of origami so has used this wonderful tutorial here for the Doily Doves. Merry then threaded the doves and beads onto white cotton to create a lovely hanging decoration.
Merry thought it was time for a change around here too and asked Lynn at Lynn's Designer Digitals to come up with a new banner for us. Don't you love how Lynn has included the wonderful works of our Design Team. I hope you like our fresher look. Be sure to pop on over to see what Lynn is up to as she is very helpful and a wonderful price too. :-)
You will find our current challenge #20 - Use a Doily here.
Remember we have a wonderful prize on offer from Cardmaking Online.....a $25.00 gift certificate.

domain: hobby


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See Waterfront Restaurant & Bar
About this Business
See Waterfront Restaurant & Bar is located at The Wharf. It is rated 3.3 by 30 Zomato users. Serves…
Is this your business?
Claim listing is the best way to manage and protect your business.
Restaurant and Cafes
Red Brick Cafe

domain: food


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International Yoga Day in 2022
International Yoga Day celebrates yoga, an ancient physical, mental, and spiritual practice.
Top Tweets for International Yoga Day - in 2022Updated
Popular 2022 News for International Yoga Day in IndiaUpdated Prime Minister celebrated International Yoga Day with fellow Indians
sangbadpratidin.inInternational Yoga Day Live: PM Modi Leads Yoga Celebrations at Mysuru Palace
thequint.comInternational Yoga Day 2022: PM Modi leads Yoga Day celebrations from Mysuru
indiatimes.comInternational Yoga Day Maldives: Prophet Remark Row: Protesters Attack Yoga Day Event In Maldives


With so much attention being given to Denver foreclosures and the underwater homes, much of the good news has been overlooked for the past few months. And while we’re not in a full blown housing recovery, we have been seeing a slow uptick in housing data and prices for homes throughout the Denver metro area.
THis article in the Denver Business Journal highlights two important points: 1.) Year over year prices have decreased, but 2.) Month over month prices have increased 2 months in a row. This is very encouraging.
But Denver home prices rose 1.4 percent in May from the previous month, above the 20-city composite growth rate of 1 percent.
It was Denver’s second straight month-over-month price gain, and April’s 1.5 percent price rise from March was Denver’s first monthly gain in 10 months.
All but four of the 20 cities covered by the Case-Shiller report also saw monthly price rises.
We’re helping many investors take advantage of the high demand for rent and the lower property prices (especially on Denver HUD homes and foreclosures). if you’re interesting in talking more about investing in Denver Distress properties, give our team a call at 303-726-1874.


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Fashioned out of an old speakeasy, Paramount Room still exudes the weary cool of its jazz age predecessor. However, chef Stephen Dunne also keeps his kitchen refreshingly with the times, crafting a menu of pub-inspired seasonal eats that earned the restaurant a coveted Michelin Bib Gourmand rating and the praise of local gourmands at Chicago Magazine, Centerstage, and Daily Candy. Small plates of chilled oysters and steak tartare encourage socialable sharing, and entrees of cider-braised lamb shank, buttermilk fried chicken, and a bacon-wrapped filet embody new twists on old favorites. True to its origins, Paramount Room also houses a top-notch bar, where resident beverage manager Jacquie Armanetti and her team preside over a tap list of ever-rotating craft beers, suggest pairings from an extensive wine list and sling cocktails inspired by both Prohibition favorites and more modern mixology.
Toeing the line between corner bar and gourmet grill, The Point serves old-fashioned comfort food alongside vegan and gluten-free fare. The eclectic menu matches the decor, which effortlessly blends exposed brick and timeworn racing photos with sleek chrome light fixtures and sentient bar stools. Diners can plumb new depths with intriguing menu items such as the crab cake with caper remoulade, the vegan mushroom broth risotto, and the tilapia ceviche with orange and lime. Or they can rely on old standards such as the Point burger with cheddar and bacon or the chicken wings, which come in chipotle barbecue or gorgonzola-bacon. It's not all rib-sticking entrees, either. In her glowing review, the Chicago Reader's Julia Thiel praised the lineup of libations as well, saying, "The drinks menu is just as impressive as the food, offering a dozen beers on tap... another 20-odd in bottles and cans, plus a dozen wines by the glass, the same number of cocktails, and a good selection of spirits, particularly whiskey and tequila."
When native Italian Ciro Longobardo and renowned chef Tony Priolo teamed up to open Piccolo Sogno, they had modest aims. The restaurant's name translates to “little dream,” and theirs was to recreate the experience of Italian dining—a simple, neighborly affair—in Chicago. What began as a little dream has quickly turned into one of the most talked-about restaurants in the city, thanks to Priolo’s wide selection of regional Italian dishes and an open-air patio that earned the Chicago Reader's pick for Best Alfresco Dining in 2012. On warmer nights, a canopy of green and purple foliage traps the aromas of Priolo’s hand-tossed pizzas, Milanese pork loins, and Mediterranean sea bass. Though he spends much of his time on managerial duties, Longobardo’s contributions to the menu should not be overlooked. The vino specialist has curated a list of more than 400 Italian wines, each carefully chosen for its distinctive and complementary flavors. The knowledgeable staff can recommend one of these wines to pair with a homemade pasta dish or sip solo, either on the patio or amid the cerulean hues and sparkling chandeliers of the restaurant's luxurious dining room.


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Anahí Viladrich is a sociologist and medical anthropologist originally from Argentina. Her research and writing intertwines the field of migration studies, culture and health. As a full professor at the City University of New York, she combines her work as a researcher and teacher with her passion for mentoring younger generations of scholars.
From this author
Botánicas as “Invisible Pharmacies”: Afro-Caribbean Religions and their Role in the Latino Population of New York CityWednesday, September 23, 2020 - 14:30 0
Considered the “visible door to the invisible world” of Afro-Caribbean religions, botánicas are dispensaries that offer natural medicines, magical objects, and spiritual consultations...


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It’s been weeks now since I’ve had any good sleep. I say sleep, but I reckon I could word it better, I suppose I should say rest. I never really sleep. I rest between the night and the dawn, do you know those hours? That secret time that sits and breathes after the last quiet call of the nightbirds. That’s when I find a kind of respite. It is the quietude. It is when the Dreaming slips between the cracks and forms like dew across the brows of children. It’s when hawks fluff against the cold, when even the mole, even the weasel, lie still. The world nests and quiets and the grasshopper mouse curls in on her bed of cricket legs and spider hair. After all the nocturnals return to their dens to rest their ebony eyes and before the moose lifts his bulk from the steaming grass,— I.
I drop into the stillness.
But lately, no. Not even then. I’m struggling to remember my geography. I’ve misplaced my internal maps. Maybe you can understand. I realize my language is puzzling but that’s because I am not as relevant in your life as I used to be. Not only am I losing my place, I’m losing you too.
I listen to my heart. Yes, it’s beating and that’s a relief. Do you ever do that? Listen in the quiet, to your heart? The swooshing of the liquid as it moves through the valve in your chest. This is something we have in common. The heart. It is the center of things. It supplies the working parts.
If it’s ok, I won’t call you by your name. I’ll just believe you exist and you do the same for me. Don’t leave yet. Don’t quit me just because I sound strange. There are things you should know.
These mountains I carry are built from the stones of the beginning. They are waypoints to our existence. I have been running to catch up with you, I know you are busy. I know. If you will give me your hand I’ll take you to the place where the caribou are making tracks across the tundra, following the maps in their hearts to places that exist in their souls. They are carrying their antlers. They are magnificent. And I’ll allow you the fox that sleeps and then peeks with a single amber eye into the center of your eye and on through you to the thicket that grows in the backcountry of your DNA. I’ll show you the bones of your beginning, your peoples and your reasons of being, the source of the songs you might sing if you could remember. We will run across the ramparts where the howls of the wolves trigger howls from the pica. High on knife blade ridges, dropping to benches cradling glaciers, and we will be wild in our decent, where foot falls where hoof falls where paw falls through scrabbling shale. There will be no trail where I take you save that made by your memory at the passing aspens and the herds of turkeys, cloud-crowded skies and bristlecone thickets. Oh come now! And feel that burn in your chest! Yes, legs will ache from this chase. But there’s so much to feel, we’ve only begun, so cough! Cough and exhume the beautiful breath in your ribs and come on come on come on. I noticed the way you looked at your trappings, it’s fine, don’t beat yourself up. I’m not here to judge you, I’m here to explain where I come from and where we are headed. Tune your ears. Fix your smell. We are here in the surf, these are the waves that make all the thunder. Feel my gut, feel that movement? Whales, of course. They are singing, they are traveling, they are guarding my belly. It’s their home, so I’m sure you understand. They are spelling out stories down there in the dark, they are dancing and laughing and loving and dying, because that is the way of the whale. I would show you some stones and some stars and some plankton. Some pipefish and pillbugs and wild potatoes. Some Elders and bushdogs and dogbane and lichen and springs lined with mosses and laden with snails. I would make you cough butterflies and put bears in your belly and fill your head with otters and snakes. All of this so you’ll know me the next time we meet, because I’m dying and I need you to love me. Maybe I’ll live if you can help me remind you that I am still here. I am still here. I am the Wild. I am the Wild. I am the Wild and I am right here.

domain: literature


The gunners have ended 2017 with a draw against West Brom Albion after they make 1-1 draw with Albion after the hosts equalised in the last minutes of the match.
The gunners were welcomed today at the Hawthorns stadium by West Brom Albion as they were hoping to collect three points after having a good performance in the last few games but were stunned after Albion came defensive minded today and were very hard for Arsenal to crack up.
The gunners were quite very possessive in this match and finally made their breakthrough in the 83rd minute with Albion player McClean scoring into his own net but Arsenal were not able to hold that lead for a long time because West Brom Albion equalised after 6 minutes after they were awarded a penalty.( PICTURE: GETTY )
WEST BROM ALBION 1 VS 1 ARSENAL TALKING POINTS.
1. Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech has never saved a penalty in his Arsenal career.
2. The gunners have now made 5 draws so far this season.
3. The gunners have had an awful performance when playing away from home.
4. Arsenal have always been wasting most of their chances to get closer to the top four.
The gunners have dropped two points today but will be hoping to have a better 2018 year.
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