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It’s finally here! #PonyFest13! For those of you who’ve been hanging around the blog for the past couple years, you know what this means: my blog is being taken over by My Little Ponies for the next month. All the rules and prizes for the contest are below, but first we have two very special customs by the PonyFest customizer: Kalavista. You see, this year was the thirtieth anniversary of My Little Pony, so Kal made two beautiful customs to celebrate.
Kal has graciously agreed to customize this year’s winning pony as well. And based on her beautiful work, I think you’ll be happy with the results (click through to go to her DA page and see all her beautiful customs).
And now for #PonyFest13!
-either draw your own pony or use a template or the pony creator to make a pony based on your novel. Choose colors for the body, mane/tail, and eyes, as well as a symbol. Ponies can be earthers, unicorns or pegasi (no alicorns/unipegs please).
-all ponies must come from a full-length, original work (no fanfics). Unpublished novels are OK. Feel free to plug your published novel in the post if you are that lucky!
-it can be a pony based on a character, setting, or theme from your novel. You can make more than one pony, but they must be voted on as a whole, from the same book, and only ONE of those ponies will be customized.
-write up a short description of your pony(s), and a one sentence tag-line for the book.
-post the pony(s) on your blog by Sunday September 29th and reply here with the link to that post (please don’t link to your home page, the contest runs for a long time and you don’t want to make people scroll).
-from October 5th through 12th visit the other blogs and vote for your favorite pony!
-winner will be announced on October 13th!
-previous winners can play, but they cannot win the grand prize. In the case of a previous winner getting the most votes, they will win the books that have been added for this year and the second place winner will get entire prize pack, including the custom pony.
The winner (based on popular vote) will have their pony made into a real custom pony by Kalavista, plus receive a copy of her book, The Secret of Shadow! And this year the prize is even bigger, because the winner will also receive a copy of Spookygirl by Jill Baguchinsky, Angelfire by Courtney A Moulton, I’d Rather Not Be Dead and Pride, Prejudice and Curling Rocks by Andy Brokaw, SUPERPOWERED by Jamie Butterworth, and Ink by Amanda Sun (the first PonyFest winner!).
And for the first time, we’ll have a runner-up prize as well! The runner up will receive a copy of The Secret of Shadow by Kalavista, SUPERPOWERED by Jamie Butterworth, and I’d Rather Not Be Dead and Pride, Prejudice and Curling Rocks by Andy Brokaw.
The custom pony will not have clothes or accessories (no sculpty/clay will be used), so make a representation of the character, rather than a carbon-copy right down to their underwear. No Twice-As-Fancy symbols (symbols that cover the entire body), alicorns/unipegs, or sitting poses. Open to US/Canada residents only (you can still play, but only US/C residents can win the prize, sorry!).
Good luck everyone – I can’t wait to see all your beautiful designs!


Welcome to the project information page for the Shore Acres / Cedar Ridge Stormwater Improvement Project. This water quality improvement project is possible due to an approximately $300,000 grant from the Vermont Agency of Transportation. These improvements are the first to advance out of the Malletts Bay Scoping Study, a component of the Malletts Bay Initiative. This project is currently in the conceptual design phase. A Site Walk was held on Thursday, May 30, at 5:00PM with neighborhood residents and the next step will include the development of preliminary plans. View slides from the April 2019 Public Information Meeting.
There are five project areas for which the stormwater utility has funding to complete water quality improvements. The goal of the project is to remove phosphorus and other pollutants from stormwater before it reaches Lake Champlain via the Moorings Stream. Phosphorus is a naturally occurring element that is essential for plant growth, but in large quantities it can cause algal blooms and excessive growth of aquatic plants - this threatens the livelihood of fish and other wildlife species and the use of waters for recreation.
The next step will involve the development of preliminary plans, which are currently underway should be complete by the summer of 2020 when they will be presented to the public for additional feedback. Final plans are expected to be developed in 2021, and construction is expected in 2022. Additional public meetings will be announced at those times.


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Friday, October 24, 2008
Put Helen Hunt behind the camera, calling the shots. Put her in front of the camera to play an emotionally challenged woman. Assemble a small, but very recognizable cast around her and you have the beginnings of Hunt’s feature-length directorial debut. Then She Found Me is a genuine film about human betrayals, filled with the glitches of a first-time filmmaker, but carried by a story that empowers women and causes you to think.
Based off of the novel of the same name by Elinor Lipman, Hunt took on acting, producing, screenwriting, and directing roles for this film. This was a script that had taken her ten years to get to the screen. Clearly, there is a decent amount of care that went into this picture. But it paid off, with a perfect supporting cast played by Colin Firth, Matthew Broderick, and Bette Midler.
Hunt plays the schoolteacher April Epner, who has recently been left by her husband (Broderick) right before her adopted mother passes away and her birth mother (Midler) appears. Plagued with the need to give birth, April struggles with connections with people around her. Firth plays Frank, a single parent raising two children, who is enamored with April. When she tries to start a relationship with Frank, although still married to her husband, she finds out that she is pregnant—making for interesting doctors appointments. When she tries to start a relationship with her birth mother Bernice, she is constantly let down.
Described as a film about betrayal, it is also a film about different relationships with other people and with yourself, but within that comes the disloyalty between human beings. Written in a way that strays from the Hollywood formula, there are very empowering and real-life moments that are quite haunting. In fact, it is supposed to be a comedy, but not the kind of comedy one might think. Instead a light humor is laced throughout, lifting the burden of these intense emotions.
Hunt does an incredible job on both sides of the camera. Her character is a strong woman, but who wears her tragedies on her face and in her body language. Life is not easy for April, or anyone, and it becomes tangible on the screen. Midler is always a joy, bringing a spark and ferocity to Bernice that makes her lovable and despicable at the same time. The two male leads carry their roles perfectly, but the most beautiful scene in the film comes between April and her mother as she cries in the doctor’s office.
Then She Found Me is empowering for women in a way that is not often seen in films. Our female lead goes after what she wants, making mistakes along the way, but still representing a strong-willed woman that wants to be a mother, dealing with what “motherhood” means when she has been adopted herself.
Unfortunately, one might overlook this simple indie film and it could easily be considered boring with its chosen pace. But there are memorable moments that redeem the film. Hunt is clearly finding her voice as a director. On screen and off, there are slight hiccups that make the film short of seamless. That does not discredit all that she did right, but give her a few more films and she will have perfected her craft. As a first film, this shows promise and as an independent picture, Then She Found Me takes the everyday and makes it cinematic, which is never an easy thing to do.
The DVD extras that accompany the film include audio commentary from Hunt. Included are cast interviews with the lead cast. Most interesting is the extra is the entire cast featurette, explaining how they got into the project and what they think of it.
Written by Hombre Divertido
In 1968 Jack Webb was in the midst of his second run as police sergeant Joe Friday on the incredibly popular police drama Dragnet. Webb had originally created the program for radio and brought it to television in 1952 where it remained on the air for seven years. Webb brought Dragnet back in 1967, while also planning to launch a similarly themed program based on patrol officers. With Dragnet once again a ratings hit, Webb would launch Adam–12. Like Dragnet, it would be a huge hit and remain on the air for seven years.
Webb not only knew that people had an interest in police stories, he also knew the fundamentals of successful television: keep it simple, focus on endearing characters, and leave the audience wanting more. Adam–12 had all these characteristics, and is a television classic.
Released on September 30th from Shout Factory are all twenty-six original episodes from season two, and it is rare to find any non-serial television show on DVD that will leave you wanting to watch the next episode like this collection will.
Ten years before we were introduced to Jon and Ponch on CHiPs, we met veteran police officer Pete Malloy, played by the former star of the popular series Route 66 Martin Milner, and rookie Jim Reed, played by relative newcomer Kent McCord. Their chemistry was solid, as Malloy was a strong calming force for the enthusiastic and over anxious Reed.
Adam–12 lacked the jocularity, personal life stories, flying cars, athletic adventures, and general cheesiness that peppered episodes of CHiPs. Like Dragnet, Adam–12 was based on real police cases, and played well in that era. Watching it now, it is clearly dated when compared to current law enforcement based entertainment endeavors, but is reminiscent of a simpler time in the world and on television.
Yes, some of the supporting characters were a bit much, and anyone who has taken the Universal Studios Tour will certainly recognize every exterior shot on the show, but by the second season Adam–12 had truly hit its stride. The writing was consistent, and like Dragnet; the thirty-minute format was perfect for the current television landscape.
It is rare that the launch of classic television show on DVD would actually have bonus material that is detrimental to the release as a whole, but the extras here are just incredibly weak and actually have little to do with Adam–12. Photos of historic law enforcement sites and training facilities used by real police officers would seem to have limited appeal, and added legal information to certain episodes in a format that should have been titled “Cop-up Video” is nothing more than a distraction. The worst of the bonus material are the episodes that include commentary by real officers who basically point out how things would be handled differently now, or the errors made in police procedure.
Recommendation: Despite the weak bonus material, this is just good television that will be appreciated by young and old alike. A great addition to all collections.

domain: artistic


Apple has put a lot of accent on the 5G technology that’s built-in to the new iPhone 12 lineup. However, it has now surfaced that the iPhone 12 lineup might not be able to connect to 5G when the Dual SIM mode is enabled. If true, this could be a major setback for users that…
Apple removed the wall charger and the classic EarPods from the iPhone 12 packaging. More, any iPhone from the current 2020 lineup (11, SE 2, XR) is shipped in a thinner, smaller box that doesn’t include the above mentioned accessories….
The iPhone 12 lineup can be pre-ordered this Friday (October 16), starting with 5am PDT. If you want to make sure that you grab your 2020 iPhone on launch day, you might wanna set up an alarm and a countdown timer to make sure that you’re among the first that order….
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All Councillors and Wards
Maroondah City Council has 9 councillors elected by Maroondah residents in elections held every 4 years. Every year the councillors elect the mayor from within their group.
Find your ward and councillor
If you have any queries regarding your mayor and councillors, please contact our Councillor Support Officer on 03 9298 4462.

domain: sociology


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This is a NEW FEATURE. I will try to take you on a field trip every holiday. Starting with today, President’s Day.
Mark Bulwinkle introduced me to Susan Alexander who introduced me to Tom Tollefsen at the Quirky Berkeley Holiday Party. I am not name-dropping here, although I concede that I am capable of dropping names. I say this because the praise of Mark Bulwinkle is as high praise as exists in my world. He said that her home in Glen Ellen was “alarmingly charming” and that “her environment is very special and very real, not just food for the designer.com/ers.”
This is as good a place as any for this disclaimer – this post is long. I know it’s not about Berkeley. I know it is a field trip. But my oh my it shows two really hard-working and creative people and a quirky world that they have built. So – hang on!
Alexander’s directions to her home in Glen Ellen have you count the speed bumps (11) and then look for a sculpture in a wheelbarrow. Easy enough. There is a large pond or small lake that is maintained by a community association – dock and rope swing and small island in the center with a single tree – and enjoyed by a family of river otters. Otters!
The sculpture is not Just Any Sculpture in a Wheelbarrow – it is a Patrick Amiot “junk art” piece.
It was not made on commission, meaning that it is not as safe and happy as much of Amiot’s commissioned work.
There is a fence, gate, and art.
Among the pieces is a bright Bulwinkle.
There is a second Bulwinkle piece there:
Alexander commissioned this to hold the bungee cord that props the gate open.
Many of the pieces on fence are the work of the late Tracy Fitzgerald.
Fitzgerald helped establish the Sawtooth Art Studio on 8th Street between Parker and Dwight. I want to know more about her.
To the left of the gate is a piece by Linda Raynsford.
Raynsford is a Bay Area metal sculptor. She uses a combination of new steel and found material. She is all about spatial relationships between her objects and their settings.
Through the gate – a slope down to Sonoma Creek. Alexander’s house is on the left, the bunkie that Tollefsen designed on the right.
Alexander was born in England and raised in Canada. She has owned and operated three galleries, the Eclipse Gallery in Sonoma, Oberon Gallery in Napa and Outside the Lines Gallery in Glen Ellen. Today, her gallery is online. She has curated exhibitions, developed art seminars, taught art marketing and assisted collectors in building their collections. And she collects art.
Tollefsen is an architect. In a separate home nearby he has a collection of 8,000 books. Art, architecture, history. Etc. Tollefsen was raised in Altadena (southern California). He came to Glen Ellen in 1976. He met Alexander in Sonoma and she came to Glen Ellen in 1979.
They travel. They don’t watch television. They work very hard and the house and garden show it. They love what they do and what they collect and what they make.
They have two cats, sometimes inside, sometimes in the yard. Inside at night though. Cougars and coyotes = cats stay inside at night.
Stepping inside the house – a warning. For most of us, nothing in our lives has prepared us for the beauty and glory inside the house. It is a small, rustic house, but the art and colors define the house, not the adjectives small or rustic.
First, Mr. DeMille, a few wide shots. CLICK ON THE PHOTOS – they will pop out to full screen. YOU NEED TO DO THIS!
I asked them if there is a central organizing principle behind their collection. Very quickly they both said no, and then rattled off adages that described their philosophy:
Nature abhors a vacuum. (Thank you Aristotle) And perhaps sensing my Episcopal Academy education and my four years of Latin, Horror vacui, or something like that.
Nothing exceeds like excess. (Thank you Scarface).
Toute le monde!
In other words – there is always room for more. Their art is almost all figurative – emphasis on animism, which attributes a spiritual sense to plants and inanimate objects and embraces a belief in an organizing and animating supernatural power. Some of the art is indigenous art from South and Central America, Haiti, Africa, and Asia. Some is by artists that Alexander has represented. Some is from artists she has met. It is really something. Still in the living room, it is time for Mr. DeMille’s close-ups:
Before we see the bedroom and bathroom, let’s wander through the living room out onto a sun porch where Alexander has her desk.
Eight Bulwinkles on the sun porch. Eight!
On the lower left, note the colons, carved colonial African figures purchased from Dick and Beany Wezelman.
I don’t get invited into many bedrooms in my Quirky Berkeley wanderings, but when I do they tend to be doozies. And – that is Very Much the case here. Let’s start with the bed.
Welding sculptor David Friedheim made this bed. When he made it, he was working in Oakland. In 1999 he was a founding member of The Crucible, a school devoted to linking the arts,industry and community. He has since moved to Maryland. Amazing.
There used to be a second, small bathroom off the bedroom. It is no longer a bathroom, instead serving as a Place to Keep More Stuff. Alexander calls it her Bling Room – her jewelry is there. But mostly stuff.
The bathroom that remains is spectacularly quirky. It has been added to the Quirky Bathroom post. They call it the Chamber of Horrors.
I visited in the dead of winter. It was a sunny day, but, still the season of dormant plants. Even so, I can say that it was the neatest and most promising winter garden I have ever seen. It made me wonder if Chance the Gardener, a.k.a. Chauncey Gardiner, had been there.
There are two structures besides the main house.
First, an outdoor kitchen/potting shed near the large patio overlooking Sonoma Creek.
Tollefsen calls the second structure a “bunkie.” It is a term used in Canada for a small cabin, a term from Alexander’s youth and summers spent on the Georgian Bay. She wrote: “The cottage belonged to my uncle who was a professor at the University of Toronto. It was reached by boat and was on an island. No running water, outhouse and a little tiny cabin on the top of the island that my uncle went to be alone. It was a very special place which I loved.”
How perfect is this? It is screened in, with some colored fiberglass on sections of the wall and the roof. It is near the stream. All night – breezes and the sound of the stream. A place near the river, where Suzanne takes you down. Wow – so perfect! Magnificent is the word for it. Really magnificent!
Next to the bunkie is a piece of transformative sculpture.
It is the work of Joe Kowalczyk, an Oakland sculptor (obviously) who is a ceramics instructor at the Creative Growth Art Center and who manages a kiln repair business. Alexander and Tollefsen admire him. Who wouldn’t?
And now the garden, and the garden art. Many pieces, which I don’t identify individually, were made by artists at the Creative Growth Art Center in Oakland. It serves adult artists with developmental, mental and physical disabilities, providing a professional studio environment for artistic development, gallery exhibition and representation and a social atmosphere among peers.
Central to the garden is a huge, five-columned 21st century pergola designed and built by Tollefsen. It involves 2000 feet of PVS pipe. Tollefsen, a Burning Man veteran familiar with bending pipe for tens in the dessert, describes the math involved in making the curves on the pergolas as “pretty tricky.” I can see that.
The pati beneath has five colors of brick and mirrors the twin vortices of the pergola above. Tollefsen calls his pergola “Sizzlinghurst,” a nod to the famous garden at Sissinghurst by Vita Sackville-West and Harold Nicholson.
I didn’t get a good shot of the pergola which is too bad because the wisteria that covers it in summer is died back and you can really see the structure. Dang! This photo is obviously not from the dead of winter. It is from the summer.
Alexander sent me this photo of the more or less bare pergola.
Art within the garden includes:
A small John Abduljaami piece given Alexander by Amiot.
There are two more Amiot sculptures.
Again this is a non-commissioned Amiot sculpture, and thus a little less cheerful and little more chaotic than most of his commissioned work..
There is another Bulwinkle (who has been counting??):
Some gay and merry Tracy Fitzgerald people:
And a piece by Piper Snow.
Let’s leave the named artists and just wander.
The clown was a gift from Patrick Amiot.
There are two intertwining paths in the garden, one gravel and the other flagstone. They intersect at the camillia arch node, flow around the Turbo Garden, meet at another node, and end at the quatrefoil in the Mediterranean Garden..
Near the Mediterranean Garden is the Sixth Column.
“Sixth Column” sounds very political. It isn’t. The pergola took 5 columns. There was one left over. hey found a vent cap, painted it, wired it for light, and slapped it on. Sixth Column!
Above the slope from the Sixth Column:
They call this the 22nd Mission. Tollefsen launches into an oft-repeated story about there having been a largely unknown 22nd Mission and that this is indeed the mission bell from that unknown mission. And then explained that it is all styrofoam and not, in fact, an unknown mission bell.
I am proud, or at least aware of the fact that I have gotten this far in a post about Glen Ellen and not mentioned its most famous son, Jack London. There, though, I just did.
For me, Glen Ellen is not Jack London.
And it is not about a pretty little town that time sorta kinda forgot. It is Alexander and Tollefsen and the world of art and garden that they have built.
They have created magic. We mere mortals could not begin to replicate what they have done. But we can look at their world and be inspired and try to make our own worlds a little bit less rational and little bit more magical.
I will go back in the spring or summer and see the garden, report to follow.
My friend dallied over the photos. He was clearly moved. “That bunkie, with night breezes and the creek – yes, magnificent would be the word. I’d like to sleep there.”
On the whole, what was his impression of the house and garden?


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Shiptec China 2014 Taking Shape
In just under seven months’ time, marine professionals from China and around the world will gather for the opening of Shiptec China 2014 at the Dalian World Expo Center. Taking place October 21-24, it is the 11th holding of this increasingly important event, and the organizers have now confirmed many aspects of the forthcoming event.
With its leading role now well established thanks to the involvement of the Chinese government, Shiptec China 2014 has grown to be one of the most important platforms in China for the world maritime industry, especially for those who wish to consolidate business relationships and penetrate the local market. This year’s event will feature increased participation from those Chinese shipyards that have received over 80% of the ship and offshore platform orders placed in China. CSSC has confirmed its further participation in the exhibition, while CSIC, COSCO Shipbuilding, CSC Shipbuilding and China Shipping are coordinating with the organizers for their participation. These yards will present their capabilities in research and design of green ships and their competence for offshore drilling platforms, as well as their overall building capabilities.
Internationally, Norwegian Maritime Exporters, Holland Marine Equipment, the German Marine and Offshore Equipment Industries Association, the Danish Marine Group China and the Korean Marine Equipment Association are amongst those countries and trade organizations that will be attending the exhibition with the country pavilions.
Conferences, to be run in parallel with the exhibition, are an important part of Shiptec China. The key forums and seminars that are planned will reflect the current situation in the maritime industry. On the one hand, the objective is to better understand the upgrading and restructuring policies of the Chinese marine industry and explore potential business opportunities for the participants. On the other hand, new technologies will be presented to audiences from shipping and shipbuilding industries.
Topics to be covered include ship finance, ballast water management, vessel performance, arctic shipping, arctic design and the control of emissions. Innovation Norway is working closely with the organizers to host the Norwegian Technology Forum to facilitate further contact between the maritime industries of Norway and China.
Business-to-business meetings will again be organized for international exhibitors to meet with procurement managers from the exhibiting Chinese ship and offshore yards. The Gala Dinner will be the most important networking party for invited representatives from the exhibitors to get to know each other, exchange details with the VIPs from the yards and governments, and relax with Dalian seafood and beer. Visits to local shipyards are also being planned.
Over capacity is being cut by the state - no new docks will be permitted, while the acquisition and merging of facilities into the leading groups is in line with governmental strategy. Subsidies are being given to encourage ship scrapping and recycling so as to downsize the fleets, but higher expenditure is being made to develop high added value vessels and deep sea drilling facilities.
Meanwhile, the organizers took the opportunity of the holding of 17th Interim Meeting of the ASF Ship Recycling Committee, held on March 19 in Dalian, to invite ship owners’ associations, including the CSA, KSA, JSA, HKSA, NACS, FASA and MASA, to attend ShipTec China 2014. Attracting shipowners from the Asian countries is the primary goal of Shiptec China.

domain: news


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Ron Paul opposes the War on Drugs.
On November 20, 2008 Ron Paul said in a New York Times / Freakonomics interview:
“[…] the federal war on drugs has proven costly and ineffective, while creating terrible violent crime. But if you question policy, you are accused of being pro-drug. That is preposterous. As a physician, father, and grandfather, I abhor drugs. I just know that there is a better way — through local laws, communities, churches, and families — to combat the very serious problem of drug abuse than a massive federal-government bureaucracy.”
Note: This summary of Ron Paul’s position has been determined to be incomplete! Contact us to join RonPaul.com as a voluntary editor. Help us set the record straight and keep this page up-to-date.

domain: law


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An El Salvadoran child is interviewed by a U.S. Border Patrol agent after crossing the Rio Grande from Mexico into the U.S. to seek asylum on Apr. 14, 2016, in Roma, Texas.
John Moore/Getty Images
People will still be able to buy health insurance if they have pre-existing conditions, but its not clear how healthy the health insurance market would be under the GOP bill.
This image shows the 2017 NCAA Division I men's college basketball tournament bracket. Villanova took the overall top seed on Selection Sunday, with Kansas, North Carolina and Gonzaga joining the defending national champions on the No. 1 line for the NCAA Tournament.


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Bayer Leverkusen coach Roger Schmidt has praised Tottenham's Son Heung-Min before their clash in the Champions League.
Borussia Dortmund are top of their Champions League group, but with Madrid and Sporting snapping at their heels, three points are crucial in Lisbon.
Mauricio Pochettino is confident Eric Dier can play his game in different positions for Tottenham.
"It's a big plus for us [that Guardiola] knows them. He knows the team, the club, the stadium and he knows Messi," Gundogan said of Barcelona.
Tottenham forward Son Heung-Min says former Premier League stars Ruud van Nistelrooy and Rafa van der Vaart helped him to become a success in Europe.
Gladbach's Andreas Christensen has been ruled out against Celtic after picking up a gluteal muscle injury during a goalless draw with Hamburg.


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Delighted to have a poem commended in the Cafe Writers Competition.
The poem is called My Body is a Map of all my Journeys and is a meditation on the journeys a body takes over its lifetime and how life events can alter it. It also describes how we perceive our bodies and how we try and alter them. I’ll be reading it and another of my poems at the competition winners event on Monday 13th March at 7.30pm. It’s on Zoom, so contact Cafe Writers for the link. Hope to see some of you there, can’t wait to hear the winning poems!
Test tubes are remarkable objects, simple in design, robust enough to withstand acids and high temperatures and used every day all over the world. They are basic items of scientific equipment and yet they are also things of beauty. Over the centuries they have facilitated experiments leading to life-changing discoveries and as well as having a practical use, a certain alchemy takes place within them.
When I inherited a box of old test tubes I wanted to do something different with them. I felt torn between the scientist and the poet in me and then realised that there were similarities between the creation that can take place in a test tube and the creative process of producing a poem and I wanted the test tubes to somehow contain that alchemy of the poem. So I wrote a series of short poems about natural objects that also have a certain magic about them, how a feather facilitates flight for example or how wood shaving produced in the working of wood, once made a tree. Each test tube contains the scroll of a poem and an example of the object it relates to; a feather, a shell or a wood shaving. I also wrote an introductory poem In Which a Poet Considers Her Similarities to a Test Tube which is a playful introduction to the concept of this project. You can view the poem on my poems page.
I have been a stepmother for 30 years and a mother for 27 and this has inevitably found its way into my poems. People sometimes ask me what it’s been like to be a stepmother and how it differs from being a mother. The comparison I make is that it’s like wearing different shoes; as a mother I feel like I’m wearing my old walking boots; they’re comfortable, reliable, I feel in control and if there are mountains ahead, we’ll climb them together. As a stepmother I sometimes think it’s like putting on my party shoes, they feel a bit unfamiliar and edgy but also special and when the party goes well it’s exhilarating but they can also pinch and blister and sometimes you just want to take them off. Which stepmother hasn’t gone from being upbeat and positive to sobbing behind the bathroom door all within the space of a few hours?
For a long time, the experiences of being a stepmother were not discussed, we were consigned to the background, described as not being the ‘real’ mother and worse had to fight against the evil stepmother stereotype in fairy stories. The truth is that there are hundreds of thousands of stepmothers all over the country quietly making packed lunches, checking that homework has been done and remembering the P.E. kit; just trying to make it work on a day-to-day basis. Things have changed enormously since my early days of being a stepmother in the 1990’s and I was really impressed with a series of Radio 4 programmes recently by Katie Harrison called ‘You’re Not My Mum : The Stepmum’s Side https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0b5l9wc/episodes/downloads.
They were a refreshingly honest examination of being a stepmother today and brought back a lot of the situations and emotions I remembered.
Like a lot of writers, I write to try and make sense of things and the section at the end of my first poetry collection Auscultation contains a sequence of poems about my experiences as a stepmother. The first poem in the section Fairy tales and Step Monsters is an exploration of being a stepmother. The hesitation I felt about not doing it ‘right’, when now I realise I should have worried less and enjoyed it more.
I wish I’d held your hand more often.
it would have been easy.
I wish I’d worried less
and made a nest of my fingers
for it to curl inside,
it used to slip into mine anyway.
Then the sense of trying so hard to make everything work for everybody
me holding things together
while the glue dried.
and finally that feeling of being so closely connected to someone but there still being an almost invisible barrier because they’re not quite your own.
However hard I tried I could only see
you through a window, hear your voice
on the other side of a door,
touch your arm through your sleeve.
The full poem can be found on my poems page. The section goes on to describe the traumatic experience of going through a court case with my husband so he could get regular contact with his son. A situation where there were no winners and we were all left scarred. As I was writing, fairy tale themes and motifs wove their way into the poems, perhaps it was a way of counterbalancing the trauma of the emotions, perhaps it was the sense of surrealism I experienced at times.
It wasn’t thirteen fairies that sealed your fate
but a man in black robes, a king in his own little
castle and because those closest to you turned
on a spit of loss and hurt and jealousy.
The final poem in the section was written as a reconciliation. In the heightened emotions of a stepfamily situation the relationship between the birth mother and the stepmother can become fraught, but in the end;
The truth is, neither of us was evil,
we both laid a trail of breadcrumbs
for you back to our doors.
I would also like to make it clear that I write from my own perspective and how I experienced those heart wrenching few years; the joy of falling in love with a man who happened to have a little boy and then falling in love with that little boy too, who taught me so much and revealed a side I didn’t know I had. My stepson has his own poems to write and his mother and father theirs. We can only write most honestly about what we know and that is what I have done.
What an exciting evening we had; poems about animals, surgical instruments, being a step mother and morris dancing! Here is the link to the reading, I hope you enjoy. There is a poem about the death of an animal which a friend said should carry a ‘mascara warning’ as it made her cry, so be prepared for that one all you mascara wearers!
Here is a link to a couple of the poems from Auscultation
Roadblock, was Seren’s featured Friday poem at the end of June and is the story of an evening visit to an injured horse. Below that is a video of Miss Freak’s Whelping Forceps, a poem about the design of this specialist instrument and how men and women have different approaches and ultimately
in the feral hours where instinct loosens
itself from shadows, it’s Miss Freaks we reach for
It’s a collection of poems written over the last 8 or 9 years but I suppose really a record of 30 years experience as a veterinary surgeon, stepmother and mother.
Auscultation means listening and specifically, in medicine, listening to sounds that come from the body’s internal organs. I have spent 30 years listening to animals and their inner sounds but also the concerns of owners and the stories of how animals play a central role in many of their lives. I’ve heard stories of cruelty and horror but also of such love and empathy I have been moved to tears. The consulting room really is a privileged place and the role of a veterinary surgeon can feel like a balance between healer, confessor and counselor at times.
The language of animals; how to restrain, coax and understand them is a skill learnt over a lifetime and I am still learning. I am constantly in awe of animals, their ability to adapt to situations and interpret them, their stubbornness, playfulness and honesty and in the case of horses and farm animals, their sheer bulk and majesty too. There are also poems about euthanasia and ending an animal’s life, the part of the job that all vets dread. These are the animals that wake you in the dark hours and make you question what you do. It’s a sad fact that the veterinary profession has the highest rate of suicide of any of the professions and this is explored in a few of the poems.
Other poems in the book are about my childhood and my experiences of being a stepmother and mother and the rollercoaster ride that parenthood takes you on. Here, listening and being listened to are central themes too, how the voice of a child can be ignored and the damage that can do and how we interpret motherhood according to our own experiences. The last section in the book is about being a step mother, the joy and heartache that brought and how, in fairy stories, stepmothers are always portrayed as the evil ones. These poems are deeply personal and a record from my point of view and of course the situation for all blended families is different and highly nuanced.
There will be a launch reading on Zoom on 13th July. Do get in touch if you’d like to be sent an invitation.
We’ve all had our lives reduced in some way over the last year. Whether it’s a reduction in activity, work, or social life, a reduction in outlook or expectations, or a reduction by loss of someone we’ve known or loved. We’ve all got our stories to tell. How do you process it all? If you’re lucky you’ve got friends, family or animals, the latter have become even more important to us in the last year. I know of someone where taking the dog for a walk was actually a life saver. For me, of course, a major way has been trying to make sense of it through poetry. It brought home to me even more, how poetry isn’t a separate thing, it isn’t something that’s confined to that section of the bookshop you never go, or that part of your English lesson you used to think had no relevance to you. Poetry is all around us, part of everyday life; there are poems on buses and trains, there’s poetry in football chants, you can even make a poem from a shopping list. Poems are unique in the way they capture so much in a few lines. They can contain emotions, situations, history. Poems help us to make sense of things.
Many of my poems over the last year have inevitably been pandemic related. They’ve been reflections on what was lost and how life became unlike anything we’d ever experienced before. As restrictions start to ease, I find myself thinking about stepping back into the world again and how some things are going to feel strange at first. Monday is a real milestone because I’ll be able to openly do one of the things I have missed the most.
May 17th 2021
Prepare yourself for the possibility of unexpected touch,
this may occur in a variety of situations;
care homes, hospices, living rooms, pub gardens, the street.
Wear sensible footwear, there is a possibility you will feel off balance.
Be prepared for unexpected reactions;
laughter, held breath, sobbing.
Word exchanges are permitted,
these may take the form of endearments, expressions of longing,
Repeat as appropriate.
Repeat until your arms ache
until your face is wet with tears
until your empty arms are refilled and can hold no more.
What is the most important part of the poem? the title, the form, the rhyme scheme? The title certainly has to grab your attention, are we more likely to read a poem called A Martian Send a postcard Home ( Craig Raine) or Summer Sun for example? (apologies to anyone who has written a poem titled this..)
Once you’ve been grabbed by the title, you then read the first line and this is where the hard work of the poet begins because the first line has to hook you into reading the rest of the poem. If you’re not hooked you won’t read on and if you’re submitting poems to busy editors, the title and the first line is maybe all they’ll read, so it has a lot of work to do to make you have to stand out from the crowd.
So what are some fantastic first lines?
‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers – Emily Dickinson
‘Shit are we lost?’ – Debora Lidov, The Drama of the Gifted Hansel.
Wench, yowm the colour of ower town: – Liz Berry Birmingham Roller
Do not go gentle into that good night – Dylan Thomas
I took God with me to the sheep fair– Kerry Hardie, Sheep Fair Day
They’re all amazing in different ways, some jump straight into the action, some take you by the hand and lead you on, some express something in a way you’ve not thought of before and some set the tone or voice of the poem very firmly as in Liz Berry’s Black Country dialect.
Above all though, they press our curiosity button and make us want to read on.
It’s not the mistake you make, it’s how you deal with it that matters
This is a saying I used all the time at work and I found how people reacted to their mistakes was often a good judge of character. I preferred working with people who were open and honest; who, when they realised something had gone wrong, apologised for it and asked how they could do better in the future. rather than people who tried to deny or cover up their errors. It’s not easy when we’re embarrassed or ashamed but our reaction is a measure of who we are.
Recent events across the world involving people of power have shown their true character, even though we may have been pretty sure of it before. This is the poem that came out of events in recent weeks.
The photo? It’s a horse gag. Let us never be gagged.
The Measure of a Man
It’s not surrounding yourself with gimlet- eyed sycophants reclining on cushions in your own private echo chamber, it’s pulling out the barbs of critics from your skin, however hard they sting and seeing their truth; that is a measure of your humility.
It’s not indulging in the gluttony of the feast grabbing the tastiest titbits of wealth and supremacy, it’s in the modesty of taking only what you need and giving the rest to those without hope or privilege; that is a measure of your morality.
It’s not the self-delusion of seeing the world through the eyes of your own class or colour, it’s having the courage to walk unfamiliar streets and greeting those you meet openly and with enquiry; that is a measure of your understanding.
It’s not how you accept the responsibility of power put on it dazzling crown, wield its weighty sceptre, it’s how you step down from the throne and pass on those enticing burdens to waiting hands; that is a measure of your grace.
Do not go ungraciously history will remember you for it.
Great to be involved in this initiative from the Cambridge Writing Retreat. A poem every day in June. Honoured to be in the company of some amazing poets. Have a listen, post some feedback .Listen to the poem here
What makes a poem a poem? So many things that books have been written in answer to to the question! What is interesting me at the moment is the use of white space on the page. As Glyn Maxwell famously wrote in On Poetry ‘Poets work with two materials, one’s black, one’s white’ and it’s the interaction of the two that not only frames a poem but allows it to breathe. Even more than that, the white space has been likened to a musical score, giving instructions to the eye on how to read and the ear on how to receive.
Line breaks are an integral part of these instructions, the emphasis they bring to the word at the end of the line or the word at the beginning of the next is central to the construction and interpretation of a poem.
Holly Pester used a great example in her article in Poetry News Vol 109:2 Looking at ‘The other plum poem’ by William Carlos Williams
To a Poor Old Woman
They taste good to her
They taste good
to her. They taste
good to her
In four short lines, moving the line breaks has created a pattern of different meanings and emphasis and intensified the sensation within the poem. Wow, powerful things these line breaks!
Here’s one of mine, the title poem from the pamphlet and one where line breaks play a significant part in the reading and meaning of the poem.
The dogs that chase bicycle wheels
stare out of windows,
checking the boundaries
checking the boundaries.
They have territories to protect,
from the backs of sofas
to front doors,
whole worlds held in their flat eyes.
Postmen breach defences,
to be bitten, ripped and pissed on.
Straining to a point always
just in front of their noses,
clicking of bicycle wheels
tricking them into the frenzy of a chase
for the white scut of a rabbit.
Unceasingly they scout crowded horizons
for what is not there,


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domain: hobby


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File Name: government accountability and corruption as a global soietal problem .zip
- Transparency to curb corruption? Concepts, measures and empirical merit
- Transparent Governance & Anti-Corruption
- How Will the Coronavirus Reshape Democracy and Governance Globally?
Good governance is the process whereby public institutions conduct public affairs, manage public resources and guarantee the realization of human rights in a manner essentially free of abuse and corruption, and with due regard for the rule of law. The true test of 'good' governance is the degree to which it delivers on the promise of human rights: civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights.
Political corruption or Malpolitics is the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain. Forms of corruption vary, but can include bribery , lobbying , extortion , cronyism , nepotism , parochialism , patronage , influence peddling , graft , and embezzlement. Corruption may facilitate criminal enterprise such as drug trafficking , money laundering , and human trafficking , though it is not restricted to these activities. Misuse of government power for other purposes, such as repression of political opponents and general police brutality , is also considered political corruption. Over time, corruption has been defined differently.
Transparency to curb corruption? Concepts, measures and empirical merit
The new coronavirus pandemic is not only wreaking destruction on public health and the global economy but disrupting democracy and governance worldwide. It has hit at a time when democracy was already under threat in many places, and it risks exacerbating democratic backsliding and authoritarian consolidation. Already, some governments have used the pandemic to expand executive power and restrict individual rights. Yet such actions are just the tip of the iceberg. The coronavirus will likely transform other pillars of democratic governance—such as electoral processes, civilian control of militaries, and civic mobilization—and potentially reset the terms of the global debate on the merits of authoritarianism versus democracy. This article surveys this wide spectrum of effects.
Our modern understanding of business ethics notes that following culturally accepted norms is not always the ethical choice. Does that behavior become unethical, and is the person engaged in the behavior unethical? In some cultures, there may be conflicts with global business practices, such as in the area of gift giving, which has evolved into bribery—a form of corruption. In India and Mexico, for example, a grease payment may help get your phones installed faster—at home or at work. Transparency International tracks illicit behavior, such as bribery and embezzlement, in the public sector in countries by surveying international business executives. New Zealand, Denmark, Singapore, and Sweden have the lowest levels of corruption, while the highest levels of corruption are seen in most African nations, Russia, Myanmar, and Afghanistan. Even the most respected of global companies has found itself on the wrong side of the ethics issue and the law.
Transparent Governance & Anti-Corruption
Erwann Sabai and Dr. Chirok Han from University of Auckland for their valuable comments and to the following people: Dr. Shahid M. Alam of Northeastern University, Boston, for their intuitive comments; and Ms. However, the authors are responsible for any errors or omissions, which are of course unintended. Using panel data from the International Country Risk Guide corruption index, institutional quality and political stability indices and several state variables for developed and developing countries, this paper explores the linear quadratic empirical relationship between corruption and economic growth.
G20, and that there is no nation in the world where corruption is not an issue what- economic growth to a distortion of public expenses, and are an important corruption is not just a problem of corrupt officials but as well of companies and of the correlation between the level of voice and accountability and control of.
How Will the Coronavirus Reshape Democracy and Governance Globally?
The United States believes addressing corruption begins with countries around the world sharing a common vision and a strong commitment to taking effective, practical steps to prevent and prosecute corruption. To turn talk into action, the United States directly engages other countries, promotes internationally recognized standards, sponsors reform programming, and contributes to building the architecture for cross-border cooperation. To sustain this effort, INL engages in high-level diplomacy and reinforces the important role played by civil society, the media, and the business community.
Policymakers and researchers often cite the importance of government transparency for strengthening accountability, reducing corruption, and enhancing good governance. Yet despite the prevalence of such claims, definitional precision is lacking. As a consequence, approaches to measurement have often cast a wide net, in many cases tapping into the capacity of government institutions more generally, resulting in empirical findings that are ambiguous in terms of interpretation.
Metrics details. Corruption is recognized by the global community as a threat to development generally and to achieving health goals, such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 3: ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all. As such, international organizations such as the World Health Organizations and the United Nations Development Program are creating an evidence base on how best to address corruption in health systems. At present, the risk of corruption is even more apparent, given the need for quick and nimble responses to the COVID pandemic, which may include a relaxation of standards and the rapid mobilization of large funds. As international organizations and governments attempt to respond to the ever-changing demands of this pandemic, there is a need to acknowledge and address the increased opportunity for corruption.
Сьюзан! - позвал. - Меня осенило. Здесь шестнадцать групп по четыре знака в каждой. - О, ради Бога, - пробурчал себе под нос Джабба. - Все хотят поиграть в эту игру.

domain: politics


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And the saga of Duke Nukem Forever continues to drag on. After a development cycle just short of my life span, 2k Games has announced that Borderlands developer Gearbox will be picking up where 3D Realms left off. This comes on the heels of rumors that the game was still alive and actually going to release in our lifetime.
It has been very frustrating watching all this go down over the years with the game really running with the name Forever; which is exactly how long the development of the game has taken. 2k Games and Gearbox will be showcasing the game to the press at PAX, which is currently going down so hopefully more details will be released soon.
Here’s some pics of the Duke, courtesy of Eurogamer:
The Duke is set to release in 2011 for the PS3, PC and 360, and is currently playable for those lucky enough to be at PAX.

domain: game


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Frequently Asked Questions
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Some firms elect to give their contractors computers with their software pre-loaded. Whether you can give a contractor a laptop depends on your jurisdiction. The employee vs. contractor test varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction (and even from government agency to government agency). In some areas, where you have a balance of the factors test and a contractor working on confidential information, you can give them laptops as long as they pass the other tests. In a stricter state, that’s not going to fly, and they have to provide their own equipment. We prefer to comply with the more stringent tests as that’s the direction we think our federal laws are heading.
If you elect not to give your contractor a computer, there are a few ways to handle security to address your IT concerns, depending on your current setup. Some firms have extensive private cloud services with full-time monitoring, but many Woven Legal clients are not in that phase of growth. Instead, they have to use several methods to address IT and security concerns. There are pros/cons to each approach.
One, for example, would be to set up a remote computer that the contractor accesses via a VPN. This gives your contractor complete access to whatever they need on their device and gives you complete control to cut things off if needed. The downside to this approach is that it’s generally slower and isn’t going to be a great work platform for your contractor.
Another option would be to install some remote security monitoring software on their computer that would allow you to take control and delete your files as needed (what IT would do on a company laptop). The contractor would have to consent to this, of course, and it could be invasive of their privacy when they’re doing work for other clients.
Most team versions of professional software include a remote wipe feature that would allow you to wipe all files related to your firm when the computer connects to the internet. We would couple this with a policy of removing access and initiating a wipe before informing someone they are being let go.
A stolen laptop, regardless of who owns it, will give you the same issues. As long as it’s offline, any data on it is there. Even if you issue your contractor an office laptop, it can’t be remotely wiped until it accesses the internet and gets the command to do so.
Issuing a company laptop with monitoring software would address the issue of a contractor taking a file from a shared cloud drive. Obviously, on a personal laptop, wiping that drive does not wipe any files that may have been copied off of it onto a personal drive. But unless your company laptop is so locked down they almost can’t work, they’d have other ways to transfer files from your computer onto their own. This is where trust, personnel management, and good contracts step in.
Another security issue is to keep antivirus and backup software up to date and running. You could install company monitoring software. Even though you don’t have access to the contractor’s computer specifically, you know that virus protection is running, the software is up to date, and regular backups are happening. We have a couple of firms that provide this to their contractors, along with security training and testing.
In our experience, your data protection comes from a smart balance of technical protections, procedural protections, and good employee management. And when it’s not perfect, then there are backups and consequences to address any problems created.
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Frequently asked questions about Administrative Support
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they mentioned myself asking these inquiries forced your off he then went outside of the internet. The very next day he was using the internet again so I claimed sad. He explained this individual accepted my favorite apology but donaˆ™t want to keep in touch with any individual since he was a student in a bad mood. I managed to get that and explained him or her can havenaˆ™t communicate with your anymore all of those other night like he or she desired. A single day after he had been on the internet again and when I explained hey there the man went outside of the internet. He’snaˆ™t discussed in my opinion since and yesterday in an instant they blocked myself on myspace. It hurts such. I just now explained father and mother about him or her, I bought a phone to stay in contact with your as he got technique (a smartphone I didnaˆ™t get however) so whenever he was online i possibly could keep in touch with him though it had been the middle of evening. I taught him or her I became on the verge of relocate and tried to determine what doing but the man explained to me that going there clearly wasnaˆ™t an alternative at the moment (a great deal occurring). Maybe itaˆ™s him or her knowing it is hard to really make it manage and it possibly never ever will so he simply wanted to be by yourself, perhaps he got tired of me personally, maybe itaˆ™s something more important I just wanted he would tell me. I would personally comprehend and that I have earned discover rather than imagining itaˆ™s anything I did and in many cases whether its, We need understand! Iaˆ™ve undergone equivalent items before and dudes that never ever informed me and merely gone away are still during brain, asking yourself why these people have whatever did and generating me insecure, considering it was me personally. I just have one ex who had been straightforward with me regarding the reasons he or she wanted to break-up, ofcourse it actually was difficult but I could progress therefore was much simpler and more quickly overall. So why do lads execute this? They can have crazy at the time you tell them you may be scared might since aˆ?they usually are not like other people they would never harmed meaˆ™. They actually do the identical factor after they stop nurturing. Exactly why is it so difficult to deal with individuals with regard, itaˆ™s unlike I cheated or managed to do such a thing awful to have earned this. They create it hard to faith others sometime soon because all i will imagine is actually aˆ?they all declare the same just how does one realize exactly who i will believe?aˆ™
We donaˆ™t envision myself wondering all the questions I did pressed him off
Soaˆ¦ a person seem very younger. Donaˆ™t get me wrong, that willnaˆ™t cancel how you feel. Not long ago I have done sensation in that way, too and Iaˆ?m almost 60! LOL aˆ“ on ME!! Hereaˆ™s the deal: The chap just ended up beingnaˆ™t into you like that you were into him or her. Or males as being the situation is likely to be. You think that youaˆ™re jinxed, but Iaˆ™m relatively confident oneaˆ™re not. You simply always keep falling for the same kind of person aˆ“ emotionally un-available. While they reveal to you theyaˆ™re in aˆ?loveaˆ? and require one push here, these people actually arenaˆ™t completely ready for a severe relationship. Since the experience brings closer, the two pull even further, creating explanations. And sure, reasons are the thing that they’ve been. Forgot their particular cell phone? Please! Youths ask them to stuck to their fingers!! Would you ever really encounter this individual? Face to face? Or would be all of this union inside the virtual function? Should you found them, and had been romantic all of them, subsequently Iaˆ™d declare they were given the things they preferred hitwe ekÅŸi and moved on. Some males were inside joy associated with the chase. Once trapped, theyaˆ™re finished with an individual. Shallow, callous, you bet. But way too correct. Should you didnaˆ™t reach and union am aˆ? virtualaˆ? Iaˆ™d say these were too immature to help dedication. The thought of a aˆ?realaˆ™ commitment terrified them much which they were required to finish it before it began. No matter what, you are a lot better switched off. Take a look just for ACTUAL associations. NOT digital. Stop getting ARTICLE talks. If you shouldaˆ™re going to day, assert you’ll see (in a public spot in which itaˆ™s risk-free) for a true go steady. If you start to feel a phony vibe, pay attention to their abdomen. If this individual looks too good to be real, they possibly happens to be. And stop becoming hence taking. Sit-down and take the time to lay out what you would like. What YOUR objectives tend to be. How are things attending let some one know if a person donaˆ™t know? You will need to look for what you would like. The boys donaˆ™t appear to have any problem, these days do they? And donaˆ™t damage their key faith. If a person wishes above weaˆ™re ready to give, talk about little. People when mentioned, aˆ?If you donaˆ™t are a symbol of something, you will be seduced by anythingaˆ?. Determine what an individual represent. Adhere to it.
There are certainly SWEET lads out there who’re honest
Hey Catharina! I personally have a personal experience with virtually exact same kind of chap whilst you did but strongly recognize that a good number of boys just do this for enjoyment .They is selfish,rude and they dont also think about how many feeling .If it certainly makes you experience any benefit only keep in mind that as soon as declare that these are going to not be happy .i will clearly tell that you will be a pleasant girl and you also is required to have confidence in on your own and keep in mind that you are actually best off minus the person.He didnt are entitled to you in any way if in case that you have experienced a line of men exactly who crumbled in identical group I quickly would say you want to take a rest from a relationship and analyse the reason you constantly fall for this males along with next time ensure merely dont get really near any man without some criminal background checks.i did so similar and believe me Im strategy more joyful currently, hence only sit back take a seat and perform some evaluation concerning types of males you usually be seduced by and check out making some variations in the technique. I really hope this can help

domain: psychology


text:
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domain: finance


text:
Avenue d'Aquitaine 24480 Le Buisson de Cadouin
Sonate de Debussy
I. Prologue II. Sérénade III. Final
Adagio et Allegro de Schuman
Élégie et Papillons de Fauré
Sonate de Franck
1 Allegretto ben moderato 2 Allegro
3 Recitativo-Fantasia (ben moderato) 4 Allegretto poco mosso
A multi-faceted musician, Grégory Ballesteros is involved in a wide range of projects, at the crossroads of the arts and aesthetics. Trained at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et Danse de Lyon (piano, chamber music, pedagogy, music for the image), he is also developing a personal approach to improvisation and composition.
He collaborates with the company La Cordonnerie, the Colonie Bakakaï, the choreographer Yuval Pick and the Centre national chorégraphique de Rillieux-la-Pape, the Orchestre national de Lyon, the Orchestre de Mulhouse, the Orchestre de Bretagne, the ensembles Op-Cit and Accroche Note, as well as with many video artists, singers, dancers, actors and directors. He performs on many French stages: Festival Chopin de Bagatelles, Festival de l’Epau, Biennale Musiques en scène/Grame, Festival C’est pas classique de Nice, Nuits du Suquet, Abbaye de Royaumont, Septembre musical de l’Orne; and abroad: Finland, Italy, Germany, Canada, Brazil, Morocco, Bulgaria…
He has been invited to play alongside musicians such as Sabine Devieilhe, Alain Buet, Mathieu Romano, David Violi, the soloists of the Lyon National Orchestra and the Strasbourg National Orchestra… He has a special interest in contemporary music and works with composers such as François-Bernard Mâche, Philippe Hersant, Raphaëlle Biston, Helmut Lachenmann, Betsy Jolas, Jean-Luc Fafchamp, etc.
Grégory Ballesteros holds a certificate of aptitude and a master’s degree in teaching. He is a professor at the Ecole nationale de musique de Villeurbanne and also teaches at the INSA and the CNSMD in Lyon.
Nicolas Hartmann studied at the Conservatoire à rayonnement départemental d’Orléans, then at the Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris with André Navarra and Philippe Muller. In 1983 he won a virtuosity prize at the Geneva Conservatory and continued his studies in Cologne with Boris Pergamenschikow. After winning the Pablo Casals Competition in Barcelona in 1986, he became principal cellist of the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie, and in 1992 he joined the Orchestre National de Lyon, where he holds the same position. Nicolas Hartmann has performed as a soloist under the direction of Franz Welser-Möst, Emmanuel Krivine, Alexandre Lazarev, David Robertson, Thierry Fischer, Tibor Varga, Roy Goodwin, and has played chamber music with Emanuel Ax, Éric Le Sage, Joseph Silverstein, Jennifer and Alan Gilbert, Harvey de Souza, Boris Garlitzky, Emmanuel Pahud, Bruno Pasquier. Passionate about early instruments, he was a member of the Chambre Philharmonique, the orchestra founded by Emmanuel Krivine. Since 2001, he has been the cello teacher at the Orchestre français des jeunes.
Recently he played Dvorak’s quintet with Nikolaj Szeps-Znaider and Bertrand Chamayou in chamber music in 2021, and in the 22-23 season at the Lyon auditorium, he will take part in a show written by Alexandre Tharaud, including excerpts from Bach’s suites for solo cello.


Sikkim PSC Recruitment 2019: Apply online for 04 Food Safety Officer Posts in Sikkim PSC in Gangtok – Sikkim. Online applications are invited by Sikkim Public Service Commission on temporary basis in Gangtok – Sikkim from 02nd May 2019 to 04th June 2019.
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text:
Music Gear News
Musikmesse 2013: Paul Reed Smith Launch the P22 Trem at this year's show in Frankfurt
All the key elements of the original P22 such as its voicing, EQ, layout and feel as well as the re-designed PRS/LR Baggs piezo board have been kept in this new model with trem.
The P22 Trem also offers two output jacks giving guitarists the option of hooking the P22 Trem to either an electric or acoustic amp or directly into a soundboard. It is loaded with two uncovered 57/08 pickups, nickel hardware and has volume and tone controls as well as a 5-blade pickup switch and the PRS/LR Baggs Piezo system.
Available in a wide range of colours and finishes the P22 Trem looks set to start a new tradition in the already stellar legacy of Paul Reed Smith Guitars.
Posted on 12 Apr 2013 09:09 to category : Instruments News
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Cutting edge interfaces designed to bring the latest in audio recording technology, the pair have been produce professional grade audio quality upon every use
Palmer's popular pocket amp series extended with bass version
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Ashdown launch a powerful 75w stereo desktop amp system, John Entwistle pre and power amps and Retroglide 800 bass head.
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text:
LOS ANGELES, Nov 2, 2011/ FW/ — The famous Robertson Blvd in the heart of Los Angeles has a new tenant – Rebecca Taylor. As part of her retail expansion, the famed New York-based designer will open her first Los Angeles boutique.
Located at 107 South Robertson Blvd, the new Rebecca Taylor outpost is her free-standing store. Measuring 1,800 square feet, the new boutique will feature the full Rebecca Taylor assortment including accessories, limited-edition collaborations and interesting finds curated by the designer herself.
Continuing the celebration of the brands 15th year anniversary and launching with the west coast flagship, retail partnerships exclusive to the RT stores include Cosabella (undergarments), Chan Luu (Scarves), Claeson (T-shirts), and Vale (jewelry).
The new store design is in keeping with the brand’s ethereal yet bold aesthetic and is built around a soft, feminine color palette that contrasts modern materials like cast-resin in nude tones and muted metallics. The designer herself was hands on in selecting every component of the store from the sparkle concrete floors, custom shag rugs and seating in distressed gold leather to the slatted wood cabinetry and mixed metals in burnished rose gold finishes.
The architecture fuses timeless elements with modernism to produce a contemporary look that is fresh yet always feminine and beautiful. The walls and fixtures undulate in a series of soft curves that break from the traditional rectangular retail store and create a visually exciting space.
To celebrate the opening of its first west coast flagship store, Rebecca Taylor will be partnering up with some of the loyal Rebecca Taylor celeb fans to craft one-of-a-kind tote bags which will be silent auctioned off on site with 100% of the auction’s proceeds benefitting Dress for Success Worldwide-West.
Celebrities to participate include Rashida Jones, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Selena Gomez, Jessica Alba and Kristen Bell to name a few.
In conjunction with the LA launch, Rebecca Taylor also announces the opening of her first location in Orange County at Fashion Island Mall, joining the renowned shopping district with a 1,750 sq. ft. retail space at 567 Newport Center Drive. The store offers an extraordinary shopping experience, including private appointment selling and personalized customer service. The new retail location will bow in late Fall of 2011.


text:
Discussion in 'Project Logs' started by TheGreatSatan, 16 Aug 2007.
Was thinking the same thing
wow this project has such great potential. i love the concept...pity though coz i had a very very similar mod planned but was going to theme it on Diablo instead of any old devil....oh well back to the drawing board
Wow, I have been entirely too busy to Mod anything lately, but I do have updated pics.
Here's the Athlon XP system I will put in when I finish, but it's not staying. I've already had someone offer to buy the case from me when I'm finished. The buyer will be installing an Intel Quad Core system with 3GB RAM, 500GB HD, 8800 GTX, etc.
looking good. oh, and tell your friend to get a 8800GT instead.
Yup, the GTX is much better than the GT...
true. but its 2 timew more expensive and its not 2 times better...
So I finally have two days off in a row. This is the first time in more than 2 months since that has happened! On to modding!
I cut the [non-specific] windows out and added glass.
Bolted them down...
And added the foam.
Tomorrow [hopefully], I'll paint the flesh
I worked on the left yesterday
Then I attached the skull
There's much more to do, especially the front, so stay tuned in.
I love this kinda mod. I can't wait to see the final result.
I have a devil themed project of my own in the pipeline but it takes a different approach. The devil rocks!
More coming soon. I'm waiting for an order of clear acrylic lettering that says "DELL". I will mount it to the front of the case and back light it with red LED's.
I have more to do, but still don't know what to do with the skull. Any ideas?
I get it: Dell=hell.
So Compaq would be...Purgatory?
As for the skull, I'd fill in the area behind it a bit and have the 'flesh' creep onto it using yarn or tube acrylic paint to look like veins.
(I made another sentence that doesn't make sense.)
Dude this look awsome, can't believe this is the first I've seen this mod. Keep it up.
By the way I must agree with 'Cheapskate' and 'Dean MF' some ribbs type stuffs wold look wicked. :devil:
man this case is cool!!!!!!! what ya say about my mystery box 2.0????
My lettering came in:
Here's where it's going sorrounded by guts!
Time to do something with the skull. I will add LED's to the eyes. The ones I'm adding now may not be permanent, as I'm considering using bigger lights
I spent some time on opening the floppy bay.
And then adding the last of the foam to the front.
I also darkened the hand a bit. The razor blade is the only thing I could find in a pinch to keep the thumb out of the foam.
Looking awesome TGS!
Separate names with a comma.


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text: Le Giverny Bistro is located inside of the Emory Inn on Clifton Road. Whenever I travel, I make it a point to never eat at the hotel, always figuring that the food is subpar and the prices inflated. And yet when I'm home, one of my favorite places to eat is this unpretentious bistro inside of a hotel. The restaurant used to be located in a strip mall nearby, so maybe they figured this location was a step up. It's in a nice room with high ceilings. For dinner, guests look pretty casual. But oddly enough, during lunch a lot of professionals from Emory come here wearing business suits. Nevertheless, whatever you wear the staff is extremely kind and helpful and the food is as good as any French food in the city, at really reasonable costs. The fish dishes, in particular, have never disappointed. And I had a salad with fried brie that was a favorite.

domain: food


text:
holding that generally a protest before the Board, not an original action in court, is the proper vehicle to resolve disputes between automobile-dealing franchisees and automobile-supplying franchisorsSummary of this case from Nissan of N. Olmsted, LLC v. Nissan N. Am., Inc.
Decided February 9, 1993.
Appeal from the Court of Common Pleas, Franklin County.
Paxton Associates, Robert C. Paxton II and Patricia A. Jamison, for appellant.
Jones, Day, Reavis Pogue and Jeffrey J. Jones; and L. Joseph Lines III, for appellee General Motors Corporation.
Lee Fisher, Attorney General, and David B. Clouston, Assistant Attorney General, for appellee Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
Plaintiff-appellant, Staffilino Chevrolet, Inc. ("plaintiff"), appeals from a judgment of the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas granting the motions to dismiss of defendants-appellees, General Motors Corporation and the Ohio Motor Vehicle Dealers Board ("board").
In its complaint filed March 5, 1992, seeking declaratory judgment relief as well as preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, plaintiff alleges that it is a duly licensed franchisee of General Motors Corporation; that the board is required to administer, regulate and conduct proceedings pursuant to R.C. 4517.57 in any case wherein a franchisee files a protest against the proposed establishment or relocation of another franchisee in the relevant market area; that under the circumstances specified by statute, plaintiff filed a notice of protest pursuant to R.C. 4517.50(A); that the statutory notice issued in response by General Motors Corporation on November 14, 1991 was defective in failing to set forth the "specific grounds" for its proposed action.
While plaintiff acknowledges that it filed before the board a motion to dismiss, or in the alternative, for an indefinite stay order, which was denied, it further asserts in its complaint that it is entitled to declaratory judgment and injunctive relief until such time as General Motors Corporation sets forth the "specific grounds" for its proposed action; that the hearing before the board should be stayed until the notice provisions of R.C. 4517.50(A) have been met. Finally, asserting that it cannot properly defend itself before the board due to the improper notice it received from General Motors Corporation, plaintiff seeks in its complaint (1) a declaration that General Motors Corporation failed to invoke the jurisdiction of the board by failing to comply with the language of R.C. 4517.50(A), (2) an order dismissing the action before the board on the merits due to the defective notice at issue, and (3) preliminary injunctive relief prohibiting General Motors Corporation and the board from going forward with the proposed action and administrative hearing.
Both defendants ultimately responded with a motion to dismiss, contending that the pending administrative proceedings pursuant to R.C. Chapter 4517 preclude plaintiff's action for declaratory and injunctive relief. Pursuant to the recommendation of its referee, the trial court granted defendants' motions to dismiss.
Plaintiff appeals therefrom, asserting that the trial court erred in granting defendants' motions. While plaintiff concedes that pending proceedings in an administrative agency may preclude actions for declaratory relief in the common pleas court, plaintiff argues that the denial of its due process rights by virtue of the improper notice is an exception to the general rule.
R.C. 4517.50(A) allows a franchisee to protest a franchisor's attempts to establish a new automobile dealership or to relocate an existing new motor vehicle dealership in the statutory market area under the specific conditions set forth therein, and to seek a hearing with the board pursuant to R.C. 4517.57. In those proceedings, the franchisor must establish good cause for the proposed action in the market area at issue. Persons adversely affected by the administrative decision may appeal pursuant to R.C. Chapter 119.
Although plaintiff has protested General Motors Corporation's proposed dealership in the statutory market area and has further requested a hearing pursuant to R.C. 4517.57, plaintiff nonetheless has filed the present action seeking both declaratory and injunctive relief.
"* * * Ordinarily, a declaratory judgment is a remedy in addition to other legal and equitable remedies and is to be granted where the court finds that speedy relief is necessary to the preservation of rights which might otherwise be impaired. * * * Where, however, a specialized statutory remedy is available in the form of an adjudicatory hearing, a suit seeking declaration of rights which would bypass, rather than supplement, the legislative scheme ordinarily should not be allowed." (Citations omitted.)
Hence, "* * * it is always inappropriate for courts to grant declaratory judgments and injunctions that attempt to resolve matters committed to special statutory proceedings * * * [which is] tantamount to holding that courts have no jurisdiction to hear the actions in the first place. * * *" State ex rel. Albright v. Delaware Cty. Court of Common Pleas (1991), 60 Ohio St.3d 40, at 42, 572 N.E.2d 1387, at 1389.
In the present case, plaintiff clearly is in the midst of special statutory proceedings pursuant to R.C. Chapter 4517 which will allow it to challenge the sufficiency of the notice General Motors Corporation issued to it under that chapter. To the extent the board errs in resolving that issue, the appeal rights granted by R.C. Chapter 119 allow plaintiff the opportunity to correct any error.
Apparently recognizing the impediment the foregoing cases present to its action, plaintiff asserts that the constitutional nature of its due process claim with respect to the allegedly defective notice is sufficient to circumvent the general rule regarding ongoing special statutory proceedings as a bar to declaratory and injunctive actions.
When a party's sole claim is that the statute at issue is unconstitutional, the claim may be heard in a declaratory judgment action outside the statutory proceeding. See Fairview Gen. Hosp. v. Fletcher (1972), 63 Ohio St.3d 146, 586 N.E.2d 80. Since an administrative agency cannot determine the constitutional validity of a statute, an action in declaratory relief "is superior to the alternative administrative proceeding." State ex rel. Columbus Southern Power Co. v. Sheward (1992), 63 Ohio St.3d 78, 81-82, 585 N.E.2d 380, 383. However, in the present case, plaintiff does not contend that the statute at issue is unconstitutional. Rather, plaintiff contends that defendants failed to comply with the statute, thus depriving plaintiff of its constitutional due process rights. Hence, the exception to the general rule is inapplicable herein.
Given the foregoing, the trial court did not abuse its discretion in granting defendants' motion to dismiss. Plaintiff's single assignment of error is overruled and the judgment of the trial court is affirmed.
JOHN C. YOUNG, P.J., and WHITESIDE, J., concur.


For this post, I’ll go over the basic design of the fuel tank on the Earendel Sounding Rocket.
Step one in any design is the requirements, so here we go:
– 9.6 kg of Isopropyl Alcohol
– 220 psi tank pressure
– 2.5 x Factor of safety
– 3% Ullage (% initial gas) , 3% residual propellant (unburnt at the end)
– For a Sounding Rocket so cylindrical form factor
With these requirements, let’s get started with sizing the propellant tank. The first step is the volume of the tank. At a density of 785 kg/m^3, that gives us a propellant volume of 746 in^3 and a tank volume of 791 in^3. If we want a 4-1 cylinder, that gives us a 6.25″ diameter. But to match up with a standard composite tube of 6.02″ ID, we will choose 6.02″ as the ID. Now, for the endcaps, we choose a 60% ellipse as needing roughly the same wall thickness as the sidewall of the cylinder, as you can see in the chart below.
Now this gives us a tank with a 6.02″ ID wall, 25.4″ tall, with 1.8″ tall endcaps. You can see the rough size below and it looks pretty reasonable.
Now a stress analysis for the wall thickness. We will use aluminum 6061-T6 as it is common in 6″ pipes and tubes as well as rods for the endcaps. It has a 42 ksi ultimate strength, and a 35 ksi yield so we can just use the ultimate. The sidewall calculation is fairly easy with:
42 ksi / 2.5 = 220 psi * (6.02″ / 2) / t ==> thickness = 0.0394 that we will just round to 0.040″
For the endcap, using the modifier from SP-125 Fig 8-7 of 0.92 and equation 8-19, we get 0.0344″ for the ellipse thickness. Let’s just round that up to 0.040″ as well to give us margin on any discontinuities.
Now for attachments. There should be a bulkhead on both of the endcaps; let’s make it 2.5″ diameter as, from my past experience, that is about as small as is useful for multiple ports. We could also choose to machine ports directly into the tank. This is more expensive and harder to machine and clean, but with the benefit of less seals and a robust mount. So using our flat plate stress analysis, and assuming a bolt diameter of 3.0″, that gives us a thickness of 0.075″. The pressure load is good for 3900 lbf with the 2.5x FoS so that is either 20 #4-40 screws or 14 #6-40 screws or 9 #8-32. So we will just use 10 #8-32 screws.
And the last attachment is the endcaps, which we will use bolts for again. Since the stress area will be around 5.5″ after the bolts go in, that is a load of 13,100 lbf. We want around 20 bolts so that means we have to use 1/4-28 bolts, once again assuming we have Al-6061 bolts.
One word about aluminum bolts: The most common bolt is 7075-T73 or 2024-T4 which are OK for cryogenic service and are stronger than 6061. So we are being conservative with the bolt strength. Please double check your vendor though because some bolts are 3000 or 1000 series alloys which are very weak by comparison.
Now for the seals. There are two of them: the bulkhead and the endcap. We will use viton o-rings as they are cheap, available, and work very well. We will also use 1 O-ring per seal; there is no redundant seal, which is fine for our application, but sometimes frowned upon in high risk fault intolerant systems. I highly recommend the Parker O-ring handbook. In this case, I used it and will be using a face seal gland with a #38 O-ring on the bulkhead and a #160 O-ring on the endcap.
This is the end of the initial design. At this point, you will want to model the tank, check its weight, run a stress analysis, and see how it lines up and mounts with other structures in your system. Good luck, and be prepared for the inevitable redesign!


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On 1 January 2010, a ban on all production of the refrigerant came into effect, allowing only reclaimed or recycled R22 refrigerant to be used in air conditioning systems. The regulations also prevented the storage of virgin R22 for use after this deadline, requiring any R22 left unused at the end of 2009 to be returned for destruction at the owner’s expense.
Previously, R22 refrigerant was widely used in new air conditioning and industrial refrigerant plants, and these changes in legislation have affected any company with a large-scale requirement for R22 refrigeration – over 65% of the UK’s systems are still believed to be running on R22. Demand for the refrigerant has increased due to the on-going phase out, and prices are expected to rise dramatically.
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