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Registered Galloway cattle of outstanding genetic qualities.
Certified Black Galloway, America's finest grass fed beef is raised only on summer pasture and winter alfalfa hay. No finishing grain. No processed feed. No artificial hormones. No antibiotics. No carbon monoxide.
Kay's HomeFarm™, Inc., is a family owned cattle operation located at Kaehler's Mill Farm, 25 miles north of downtown Milwaukee near historic Cedarburg. At Kay's HomeFarm™, Inc., we produce flavorful, tender and lean meat without using synthetic hormones, maintenance antibiotics or processed feeds.


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We offer wages up to $12/hr, a $100 referral program, and Tuition Assistance - up to $12,000/year*! Visit http://www.archwaystoopportunity.com and speak to your…
mcdonald's | greenwood organization job near Miami, FL
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- McDonald's | Greenwood Organization - Miami, FL

subset: commoncrawl


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Bibiena, Galli da
or Bibbiena, Galli da gäl´lē dä bēbyā´nä [key], family of Italian artists of the 17th and 18th cent. Giovanni Maria Galli da Bibiena, 1625–65, studied with Francesco Albani and painted chiefly altarpieces, examples of which are to be seen in the churches of Bologna. His son, Ferdinando Galli Bibiena, 1657–1743, the most renowned of the group, became celebrated throughout Europe for his architectural views and theatrical designs and for his magnificent decorations for public and court festivities. He wrote several treatises on architecture. A master of baroque illusionism, he created an effect of depth by extending the set pieces of his scene designs beyond the proscenium arch. Francesco Galli Bibiena, 1659–1739, brother of Ferdinando, is celebrated chiefly as the designer of great European theaters. Other members of the family include Alessandro Galli Bibiena, 1687–c.1769, son of Ferdinando, a fresco painter and architect; Giuseppe Galli Bibiena, 1696–1756, second son and pupil of Ferdinando and, like him, renowned for his sumptuous decorations, designed principally for the courts and theaters of Vienna, Munich, Dresden, Bayreuth, and Prague; Antonio Galli Bibiena, 1700–1774, third son of Ferdinando, an architect and designer; and Carlo Galli Bibiena, 1728–1787, the son of Giuseppe, a painter and architect employed at many of the European courts.
See A. H. Mayor, The Bibiena Family (1940).
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2023, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
See more Encyclopedia articles on: European Art, 1600 to the Present: Biographies


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When we think of the efforts that were applied to the pursuit for landing on the Moon, I also would like to point towards the efforts of this initiative being forwarded today.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center announces the launch of the Moon Shots Program, an unprecedented effort to dramatically accelerate the pace of converting scientific discoveries into clinical advances that reduce cancer deaths.
The program, initially targeting eight cancers, will bring together sizable multidisciplinary groups of MD Anderson researchers and clinicians to mount comprehensive attacks on acute myeloid leukemia/myelodysplastic syndrome, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, melanoma, lung cancer, prostate cancer, and triple-negative breast and ovarian cancers — two cancers linked at the molecular level.
The Moon Shots Program takes its inspiration from President John Kennedy's famous 1962 speech, made 50 years ago this month at Rice University, just a mile from the main MD Anderson campus. "We choose to go to the moon in this decade … because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one which we intend to win," Kennedy said.
"Generations later, the Moon Shots Program signals our confidence that the path to curing cancer is in clearer sight than at any previous time in history," said Ronald A. DePinho, M.D., MD Anderson's president.
Six moon shot teams, representing the eight cancers, were selected based on three rigorous criteria: the current state of scientific knowledge across the cancer continuum from prevention to survivorship; the strength and breadth of the assembled team; and the potential for measurable success in reducing cancer deaths.
With "intent to cure" as the shared purpose, each moon shot team will focus on personalized treatment; informed prediction and real-time assessment of the effect of those therapies; effective prevention and risk-management strategies; significant advances in diagnostics and early detection; and reduced treatment-related side effects that are detrimental to patients.


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|Found footage helps a true-crime novelist realize how and why a family was murdered in his new home, though his discoveries put his entire family in the path of a supernatural entity.
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|Scott Derrickson
|Ethan Hawke, Juliet Rylance, Fred Dalton Thompson, James Ransone, Michael Hall D';Addario, Clare Foley, Rob Riley, Tavis Smiley, Janet Zappala, Victoria Leigh, Cameron Ocasio, Ethan Haberfield, Danielle Kotch, Blake Mizrahi, Nicholas King, Vincent D';Onofrio, Rachel Konstantin


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(HealthDay News) — Kyprolis (carfilzomib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat certain people with multiple myeloma who have already been given at least two prior therapies.
More than 21,000 people in the United States are expected to be diagnosed with multiple myeloma this year, and about 10,700 will die from it, the American Cancer Society estimates.
Kyprolis has been approved for people treated previously with bortezomib and an immunomodulatory therapy such as thalidomide.
Continue Reading
The most common side effects observed during clinical testing of Kyprolis included fatigue, low blood cell counts, low platelet counts, diarrhea, and fever. More serious but less common adverse reactions included heart failure and shortness of breath, the FDA said.
Kyprolis is marketed by San Francisco-based Onyx Pharmaceuticals.
More information
Medline Plus has more about multiple myeloma.


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Just Some Important Information about Rent to Own and Owner Financing
In today's real estate investing industry, the two terms that are being used by the people who are comprising this particular industry are owner finance and rent to own. These two terms are actually ways or methods that are recognized as both well-paid or advantageous and unconventional at the same time, and such are typically being used for the acts of investment property financing and home financing. The term owner financing can also be called as seller financing, and it is basically referring to a specific transaction that allows or enables the buyers to purchase or buy the house property in an outright manner without the undergoing a banking system; while the rent to own is actually referring to a specific transaction that is providing the buyers of the property to try or test-drive it first before deciding to completely purchase it.
For clarification purposes, the term rent to own is actually a certain type of documented transaction that is legally practiced and made for payment in a weekly or monthly basis and they have this privilege to purchase the property immediately, and some of the inclusions for this transaction include the consumer electronics, real property, home appliances, motor vehicles, and furniture. Rent to own can also be called as rent to buy and rental purchase; the owner financing, on the other hand, can also be called as seller financing and this term is also defined as an arrangement that is contractual and may vary depending on the circumstances, and some of the common contents of the arrangement include the schedule of payments, the interest rate, and the purchase price. The owner finance option is recognized as the easiest to understand financing option in the real estate industry and it means that the buyer will be the formal owner of the property while he or she is still making payments on it; while the rent to own option is giving the buyer a chance at new real estate markets.
The individual who wants to try their fate and luck in the industry of real estate investing should first familiarize themselves about these two options and erase or delete the option of using the traditional mortgages. Some of the common similarities between the rent to own and owner finance include the fact that it is letting the buyers own the residential property regardless of their credit status, they are also the best option in real estate or home financing, and lastly, the two financing options can also help the buyers to secure their financial standing in the future.


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I am trying to get an array of site users sorted by a custom meta value (an int).
I can query the users just fine and get them back to use in a foreach. I currently have the query results come back sorted already by display_name from the users table. I want it to sort by the custom usermeta value.
Any ideas on how to modify this query to get this done?
function get_all_top_members() {
global $wpdb;
$gather_users = "SELECT * FROM ".$wpdb->prefix."users ORDER BY display_name ASC";
$all_users = $wpdb->get_results($gather_users);
return $all_users;


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Figures from RightScale's latest State of the Cloud Report (free registration required) suggest "a strong interest in multi-cloud strategies" amongst respondents. The rationale for hybrid cloud (mixing a public cloud service like Amazon's with something running in your own data centre, colocation site or hosting facility) is reasonably well understood, but why might companies choose to use more than one public cloud and/or more than one private cloud?
Surveys. Along with the loathsome infographic, they have become the default tool of the lazy PR person. I get loads of them, pretty much every day. And, almost without fail, they are a shocking waste of everyone's time. Three out of the four people we gave some money to said our product was best. I don't care. And I'm definitely not going to write about it. Every now and then, though, one that's worth a little attention comes along. RightScale's latest State of the Cloud, released last week, is one of those.
The sample is relatively small (just 625) and, as Network World's Brandon Butler emphasises, they
came from a community to [sic] people that had somehow, some way interacted with RightSacle [sic] in the past — they had registered on the company's website, dropped a business card in a bowl at a trade show, or are a customer (although RightScale says only 30% of respondents were customers). The firm's VP of Marketing Kim Weins says respondents to RightScale's survey admittedly have some 'affinity' to cloud computing.
RightScale's analysis of respondent demographics bears this out, with over half (51%) describing themselves as being from 'Tech Software, Services, Hardware' businesses. The broader community of cloud-consumers in manufacturing, financial services, media and the rest is far less well represented.
The survey digs into a number of areas (see the Related articles, below), but it was the discussion of 'multi-cloud' that particularly caught my attention.
According to the survey, 77% of respondents from enterprises with 1,000+ employees (see Disclaimer for an important proviso) had some sort of multi-cloud policy. The majority of those (47%) are pursuing some form of on- and off-premise hybrid strategy, whilst 15% are employing multiple private clouds and 15% are employing multiple public clouds. Amongst enterprises with 1,000+ employees that are already using a public cloud solution, the numbers are even higher; 88% are pursuing a multi-cloud policy, with 53% opting for a hybrid approach, 22% for multiple public clouds, and 13% for multiple private clouds. In both cases, it is unclear whether respondents could describe themselves as using multiple public and multiple private clouds.
A hybrid approach, in which some computing is done on-premise (or in a long-term and highly managed co-location or hosting arrangement) and some is done in the public cloud makes an awful lot of sense. Some data may be deemed too expensive or too sensitive to routinely move in and out of the cloud. Some workloads are steady, routine, and highly optimised to run most cost-effectively in a supported, SLA-wrapped and tightly managed dedicated facility. Other workloads demonstrate dramatic peaks and troughs in usage, or require irregular access to resources which are too expensive to maintain — frequently idle — in-house. Even in the most regulated, paranoid or old-fashioned organisations, there are plenty of workloads for which a hybrid solution is ideal.
More interesting than the simple use of a hybrid solution is the suggestion that companies are using more than one public cloud, more than one private cloud, and perhaps more than one of both. There is, perhaps, a clear opportunity here for cloud management solutions (such as RightScale's, of course), but to really understand the nature of the opportunity we need to understand far more about why the trend we're seeing is occurring. There's insufficient data in RightScale's published results to be sure, but possible explanations include, one, some, or all of the following.
Eggs and Baskets
It's a conscious decision. Public clouds suffer outages. Private cloud providers get acquired, go bust, or change direction. To continue delivering core services to key customers, the modern enterprise is forced to spread its services across different solutions providers. The gradually increasing credibility of enterprise cloud solutions from HP, IBM, Microsoft and others may diminish this perceived requirement.
The Search for Features
It may be deliberate, but is more likely to be an accidental byproduct of something else. Different public and private cloud providers excel in different areas. They provide support for different virtual machine instances, their apis are better at some actions than others, they offer services in different jurisdictions, and with varying levels of support. The modern enterprise, in meeting a wide range of business requirements, will inevitably find itself selecting different clouds for different reasons. This is likely to continue for some time to come, despite the growing feature completeness of competing offerings.
The Departmental Power Grab
It may be deliberate, but is more likely to be an accidental byproduct of something else. The organisation has no centralised policy regarding the cloud. Different departments and divisions are pursuing their own formal strategies. Their differing requirements lead, almost inevitably, to the selection of different solutions. As the CIO attempts to reassert control, there may be scope for solutions providing a sensible view across these competing services. Alternatively, there may be an explicit move to consolidate, creating opportunities for those able to assist in migrating services from one provider to another.
Shadow IT
It may be deliberate, but is more likely to be an accidental byproduct of something else. The different solutions are being selected by individuals and small teams. They may be selecting those they've previously used elsewhere, or they may be employing a wide range of criteria from the frivolous to the robust. Differing requirements and perspectives lead to a wide range of overlapping services being selected. If the CIO attempts to reassert control, there may be scope for solutions providing a sensible view across these competing services. Alternatively, there may be an explicit move to consolidate, creating opportunities for those able to assist in migrating services from one provider to another.
Play Time
It may be deliberate, but is more likely to be an accidental byproduct of something else. Developers are casting the net wide, experimenting and exploring. The organisation may be littered with accounts for different cloud services that someone tried, explored for a while, and then moved away from. There may well be a large number of intranet-type applications that were built during the exploration phase, deployed to a cohort of internal users, and then simply left running.
It's unlikely to have been a conscious business decision. No one knew someone else had signed up for that other cloud. The person who did it left last year, and we're really not sure if there are some nasty dependencies in our upcoming product…
What do you think? Why are we seeing people using more than one public cloud, or more than one private cloud? Is it a trend that's likely to continue? Is it an opportunity, or a cause for concern?
I suspect that the vast majority of 'multi-public' and 'multi-private' responses are not the result of a conscious and explicit decision to use more than one cloud. Instead, they're simply a byproduct of the industry's current state of evolution. One cloud, today, is better for some things, and its competitor is better for others. Mainstream enterprise adopters need both those capabilities, and therefore end up having to use two clouds.
Potential adopters of multi-cloud, though, would benefit from a more considered exploration of the issues. There are good reasons to learn and use more than one cloud, but there is significant scope for increased complexity in following such a path. Cloud management providers like Enstratius and RightScale may diminish some of that complexity, but it doesn't go away altogether.
Multi-cloud should be a conscious decision.
Disclaimer: It is important to note that the RightScale survey does not identify the number of responses upon which analysis is being performed. The total number of survey respondents was 625, but subsequent discussion in their report appears to be based upon subsets of the whole. Figures on enterprise cloud usage, for example, are drawn from "organisations with a hybrid cloud strategy" (p.6). There is no information on the proportion of respondents classed as 'enterprise,' nor the proportion of those that may have a cloud strategy. The information that 29% currently run apps in a hybrid cloud may point to 29% of 625, or 29% of 3. Similarly, discussion (p.7) of multi-cloud implementation is based upon enterprise respondents with more than 1,000 employees! Unhelpfully, the descriptive text uses "all respondents," "all enterprise respondents," "respondents" and "enterprises" interchangeably. It would be useful if RightScale could provide explicit sample sizes next to each of their graphs.
Image of feet in a bed by Flickr user Nany Mata.
Related articles
- RightScale survey points toward preference for 'multi-cloud' deployments (zdnet.com)
- RightScale sees uptick in cloud adoption and multi-cloud use [GigaOM] (gigaom.com)
- Cloud adoption growing, but how big depends on who you ask (networkworld.com)
- RightScale State of the Cloud 2013: A New Industry Survey (rightscale.com)
- With Experience Comes Wisdom in Cloud Computing, Survey Shows (forbes.com)
- Survey Says: Multi-Cloud Usage Growing, DevOps on the Rise (datacenterknowledge.com)


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Can Democrats Get a New Party, Too?
The GOP isn't the only party in need of an overhaul. Liberals ought to be demanding big changes, too -- starting with campaign-finance reform.
It's obvious to any sane Republican that the GOP needs to remake itself. The brand "rich, white, and male" may be fine for a fraternity (in 1953). It's not so great for a political party today. If anything is certain about 2016, it is that the Republicans will survive only if the GOP becomes something more. Its followers, in other words, are about to get a new party.
But with Hillary Clinton seemingly poised to run for president and resume the Clinton dynasty's reign, here's the question Democrats need to ask: Can we get a new party too?
Our problem isn't the Republicans' -- we're not too exclusive. It's the opposite: We are wildly too inclusive. The Democrats are indeed a rainbow coalition, courting every hue of American society. But the leaders of the party believe that at our core, there must be a dark shade of green. For at least 20 years, conventional Democratic wisdom has been that we can do nothing unless we give pride of place to large-dollar funders of Democratic campaigns. This money, most Democrats would concede, may well be evil, but it is a necessary evil. And the trick, we've been told again and again, is to pass as much policy as we can, subject to the constraints of raising big money.
This position has never been completely uncontested. Indeed, as Mike Lux describes in his book, The Progressive Revolution, at the very birth of the (first) Clinton Administration, there were some who pressed the president to pursue campaign-finance reform before he tried health-care reform. That advice was rejected, and America got neither.
Instead the Democrats got rich. The Clinton Administration bent over backward to convince Wall Street that its populist rhetoric was just that -- rhetoric -- and that Democrats could bargain away sane financial regulations as quickly as Republicans. The result: a boom in Wall Street giving. And soon the same strategy was replicated across the big-money spectrum. Everyone understood there are things that Democrats had to say. But everyone who mattered understood that rhetoric notwithstanding, there were things that even Democrats would never do.
The consequence is a pattern of reform, or as we call it in the 21st century, "change," that is completely predictable. "Change" is stuff that either makes big money happy or that big money doesn't care to block. Welfare reform (how much do the poor give?), NAFTA (how much did the steel workers give, compared to the corporations supporting NAFTA?), or a "health-care reform" bill that passed only because of a $250 billion gift, as The New Republic estimated it, to big pharma and insurance companies.
This way of thinking about the "necessities" of modern political life is so obvious to mainstream Democrats that it follows the party whether it is in power or not. The Center for American Progress, for example, is the Democratic Party's most important Washington think tank. Its researchers have produced an incredible range of valuable work, mapping a progressive agenda for the party to follow. There is no better home for left-thinking policy wonks in D.C., and no more than a handful of institutions that have ever produced better left-leaning work.
Or at least, and possibly, depending upon whether it pays. For, as investigative journalists Ken Silverstein and Brooke Williams have documented in a series of recent articles, CAP's agenda is potentially vulnerable to a long list of undisclosed corporate funders. According to Silverstein, CAP staffers are "very clearly instructed to check with the think tank's development team before writing anything that might upset contributors." (CAP disputes Silverstein's portrayal.) In at least one case, CAP has acted as an undisclosed lobbyist for a corporate contributor. (Disclosure: Silverstein and Williams's work on think tanks has been funded in part by a research center I run.)
My point is not that these are bad people pushing bad policy. My point instead is just this: Democrats must recognize that we don't actually get very much from this bargain. Sure, we'll win some elections, including the presidency, and so a regular mix of not-right-leaning souls will have this democratic royalty bestowed upon them. But we won't get much actual policy. Or policy consistent with the principles of this party, if indeed there are any principles not yet auctioned off to big money.
The reason for all this should be obvious. In the 20 years since Clinton came to office, the nature of Congress has changed. Bill Clinton didn't do this on his own; Newt Gingrich was more directly responsible, by shortening Congress's work week to three days a week and sending members "home" (a.k.a. on the road to raise money) the rest of the time. But once Newt set the standard, Democrats followed very quickly. The work of a congressman shifted from governing to fundraising. The important fight was not to enact policy; the battle was to raise more money for the next war over the control of Congress. Indeed, just this year, Democratic leadership instructed incoming freshman congressmen that at least 44 percent of a nine-hour day was to be devoted to fundraising -- the largest chunk of their schedule by far, and that doesn't even count the fundraisers in the evening.
But as these members dial for dollars, they're not calling America. They're calling instead the tiniest slice of the 1 percent of America. Less than 100,000 people gave the maximum amount to even one congressional candidate from either party in 2012. That means less than 0.05 percent of us are even in the class of relevant "funders" for these congressional campaigns. And as Congress thus becomes dependent upon this tiny slice of us, it gives an even smaller slice an extraordinary power: It becomes trivially easy to collect enough relevant funders to block almost any change in government policy. The "economy of 'no'" quickly becomes the most effective economy to raise campaign funds. It thus in turn becomes the dominant economy of D.C.
So how do we Democrats ever win anything that we really care about, from climate-change legislation, to real financial reform, to health care designed to actually heal people rather than subsidize drug companies or protect insurance companies? These core Democratic objectives are off the table so long as big money funds campaigns. And any Democrat who tells you otherwise either thinks that you're a fool or is a fool himself.
You don't get to heaven by sleeping with the devil. And you don't get to govern by handing the keys to the republic over to interests who have no actual interest in governing. We need a party that stands for ideas. And first among those ideas must be to banish big money from center stage. A credible and unbendable commitment to changing the way campaigns are funded would not only inspire millions to join the party. It would also, and more importantly, make governing possible again.
There's no need to rehash the past. Maybe compromise was necessary. Who knows? What's clear today is that this compromise now gets us nothing. The aim of our party must be more than the regular coronation of democratic royalty. It must instead be to do something real. And nothing real will happen so long as big money funds our campaigns.


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When people talk about alternative fuels, electricity and hydrogen usually dominate the discussion. Yet there is an alternative to those alternatives that doesn't require exotic technology and is available right now. Compressed natural gas (CNG) can power an internal combustion-engined car with relatively minor modifications, with almost no difference in fuel economy or performance.
Don't jump the CNG fence just yet, though. Its green benefits could be offset by a dirty drilling process, and finding a CNG filling station, or a CNG-compatible car, could take some doing.
What is CNG?
Compressed Natural Gas is stored under pressure (which can vary depending on the application) while remaining in a gaseous state. It's different from Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), which is pressurized (and cooled) until it changes from a gas to a liquid.
The natural gas used as fuel is mostly methane, although smaller amounts of other compounds can be present. Like gasoline or diesel, it falls into the hydrocarbon family.
Natural gas comes from two major sources. It can be extracted as a byproduct of the crude oil refining process, or it can be mined directly from the ground. Oil wells sometimes produce natural gas, but the method that most people are familiar with is hydraulic fracturing (fracking).
Fracking involves freeing gas from porous shale rock with pressurized water and chemicals. It's both touted as a way for the United States to gain energy independence, and maligned as a hazard to the environment.
How does a CNG car work?
Remarkably like a regular car. The biggest difference is the fuel tank. Since CNG is stored as a pressurized gas, the tank is much larger than normal. The gas is stored at 3,600 psi, then reduced to 125 psi by a regulator before being shot into the fuel system. After that, it's good ole' internal combustion. The driving experience is reportedly identical to that of a conventional car, although filling up at the pump takes twice as long.
Despite coming from the same place, CNG is considered a green energy source because burning it emits fewer greenhouse gases than gasoline or diesel. The Environmental Protection Agency says natural gas can cut carbon monoxide emissions by 97 percent, and nitrogen-oxide emissions by 35 to 60 percent. It also produces fewer carcinogenic pollutants and leaves smaller amounts of particulate matter.
There's a caveat, though. Like electricity, natural gas may be clean, but the way it is produced may not be. In addition to concerns over fracking, a recent report in Nature stated that methane leaks from natural gas wells could increase pollution.
Natural gas does have a clear national security benefit. The Environmental Protection Agency says 87 percent of natural gas consumed in the U.S. is produced here, so it could potentially help lessen oil imports.
Natural gas is also cheap. A Department of Energy report covering September and October 2012 (the most recent data available) put the price of CNG at $2.12 per gasoline gallon equivalent (gge), compared to $3.82 per gallon for gasoline and $4.13 for diesel.
Drivers of CNG vehicles have to deal with range anxiety, although not as acutely as electric car drivers. Honda says a CNG -fueled Civic can drive 220 to 250 miles on one tank, which should provide more than enough range for daily driving. However, filling up may be difficult, depending on where you are.
According to the Department of Energy, there are 558 CNG stations in the U.S. Most of them are in California, Oklahoma, or along the Boston-Washington, D.C. corridor. Apps like Green-Driver ($1.99 on Google Play) or GreenFuel ($1.99 on the iTunes App Store) can help locate the nearest station.
Since most of these stations cater to fleet users, they may send you a monthly bill instead of allowing you to swipe your credit card onsite.
One possible solution is to install a home filling station, for around $5,000. You'll never be far from a fill-up, but these low-pressure systems can take hours to refill a tank.
Finding a car that will run on CNG
If you want a brand new car that runs on CNG, you have one option: the Honda Civic. On sale to the public since 2005, the Civic Natural Gas is kept in production primarily because Honda thinks it can apply the technology to hydrogen fuel cells. There are other options, but they involve some compromise.
First, the Civic. Available only as a four-door sedan, it costs $27,065, making it the most expensive iteration of Honda's compact. For that price, buyers get a 1.8-liter inline four with 110 horsepower and 106 pound-feet of torque, compared to a gasoline Civic's 140 hp and 128 lb-ft.
Buyers also get about the same fuel economy as a gasoline Civic. The Civic Natural Gas returns 27 mpg city and 38 mpg highway, according to the EPA. A regular Civic sedan with an automatic transmission returns 28 mpg city and 39 mpg highway. This green car is all about lowering emissions, not saving its owner money.
Drivers willing to mix their CNG with conventional fuels can also opt for a big truck. Ford, General Motors, and Ram offer bi-fuel versions of their F-Series Super Duty, Chevrolet Silverado,/GMC Sierra HD, and Ram 2500 HD, respectively. These trucks have two fuel systems, and can switch back and forth on demand.
Since CNG vehicles use the same fuel system components as regular vehicles, it's also possible to convert a gasoline car to run on CNG. That process costs between $2,000 and $4,000, according to the Department of Energy. Don't try to do it yourself, though: vehicle fuel systems are regulated under the Clean Air Act, so incorrect modifications could void a car's registration and lead to a big fine.
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Pelican Bay Human Rights Movement
The PBSP-SHU short corridor prisoner representatives have read, carefully considered, and hereby oppose the CDCR's March 1, 2012, the Security Threat Group Prevention, Identification and Management Strategy proposal (hereinafter proposal), based on the following reasons. Additionally, we do hereby present our counter proposal (attached hereto).
One, Summary of issues
Beginning in May of 2-11, the PBSP-SHU short corridor prisoners collective presented CDCR with a 'Formal Notice' of intent to go on a peaceful protest hunger strike beginning July 1, 2011, in order to expose for force policy changes regarding our subjection to 25 years of torturous human rights abuse in California SHU and Ad Seg. units. The Formal Notice included a list of "five core demands" and a "Formal Complaint" summarizing the facts and circumstances leading up, and supporting the basis for putting our lives on the line to stop the torture of our families and us.
During negotiations conducted in late July, August, and October of 2011 top CDCD administrators several times admitted, to PBSP-SHU representatives and to our mediation team, that the five core demands made by prisoners were reasonable. The CDCR made repeated assurances that the Five Core Demands would be addressed via meaningful substantive changes, responsive to the specific demands as soon as possible. The five core demands are summarized here for the purpose of clarity.[1]
1. Eliminate group punishments. Instead, practice individual accountability. When an individual prisoner breaks a rule, the prison often punishes a whole group of prisoners of the same race. This policy has been applied to keep prisoners in the SHU indefinitely and to make conditions increasingly harsh.
2. Abolish the debriefing policy and modify active/inactive gang status criteria. Prisoners are accused of being active or inactive participants of prison gangs using false or highly dubious evidence, and are then sent to long-term isolation (SHU). They can escape these tortuous conditions only if they "debrief," that is, provide information on gang activity. Debriefing produces false information (wrongly landing other prisoners in SHU, in an endless cycle) and can endanger the lives of debriefing prisoners and their families.
3. Comply with the recommendations of the US Commission on Safety and Abuse in Prisons (2006) regarding an end to long-term solitary confinement. This bipartisan commission specifically recommended to "make segregation a last resort" and "end conditions of isolation." Yet as of May 18, 2011, California kept 3,259 prisoners in SHUs and hundreds more in Administrative Segregation waiting for a SHU cell to open up. Some prisoners have been kept in isolation for more than thirty years.
4. Provide adequate and nutritious food. Prisoners report unsanitary conditions and small quantities of food that do not conform to prison regulations. There is no accountability or independent quality control of meals.
5. Expand and provide constructive programs and privileges for indefinite SHU inmates. The hunger strikers are pressing for opportunities "to engage in self-help treatment, education, religious and other productive activities…" Currently these opportunities are routinely denied, even if the prisoners want to pay for correspondence courses themselves. Examples of privileges the prisoners want are: one phone call per week, and permission to have sweat-suits and watch caps.
With respect to core demands #1,2,3,and 5, Policy and Practice of basis for indefinite SHU isolation averages(s) available for gaining one's release therefrom, and the progressively punitive nature of SHU/Ad Seg conditions, it's important to remember, many SHU prisoners have been held indefinitely, and subject to sensory deprivation, and every other abuse imaginable, that occurs in such hidden hell holes, for between ten to forty years and counting, solely bases on what CDCR-OCS refers to as their "intelligence system" i.e., debriefer allegations and innocent associational activity without ever actually being charged and found guilty of committing a criminal gang-related act.
Thus, the parties understood CDCR's intelligence system for indefinite SHU placement was one of the major issues of concern to the class of SHU prisoners and their families, subjected to such long term isolation and abuse, without being charged and found guilty of committing a criminal act by credible evidence, and after the due process such formal charges would require. The parties all understood that major, meaning, and fundamental, change away from the above referenced "intelligence" based system … to a "behavioral" based system. A system defined as one in which a prisoner who engaged in "criminal gang activity" that is supported by "credible evidence" will be subject to sanctions (Per CDCR, Title 15, §§ 3312-3315, et seq., i.e., rule violation reports, referral for prosecution, determinate SHU term, and corresponding loss of privileges—after receiving due process and being found guilty of the criminal act alleged). On March 9, 2012, CDCR issued a press statement and presented their proposed gang management policy changes (the Proposal) in response to our peaceful protest activity and related five de3mands and negotiation process referenced above.
Two. CDCR's Proposal Is Not Acceptable
The PBSP-SHU short corridor prisoner reps have read and carefully considered CDCR's March 2112 proposal and we hereby summarize our opposition to the proposal. This rejections is based upon the CDCR's failure to act in good faith, as demonstrated by the mockery made of our agreements (referenced in above section I), including Secretary Cate's delegation of the policy change process to the Office of Correctional Safety (OCS), who resorted to the same twenty-five years plus fear tactics of California prison gangs being the "worst of the worst" in order to propagate, manipulate, and promote their own underlying agenda, which is to increase the power, staffing, and money of the OCS office within CDCR. (See, e.g., Proposal, P.5, at last paragraph; "the continuing evolution of our existing intelligence network…"). It should be noted that the OCS is the gang intelligence/goon squad in charge of SSU/IGI units within CDCR. This propagandist-manipulative abuse of state power—includes the ongoing use of long-term sensory deprivation, designed to coerce prisoners to become state informants, while also making a ton of money from such SHU/AD Seg torture units.
The Proposal seeks to manipulate the law makers and the tax payers into allowing CDCR-OCS to significantly expand on the use of these SHU/Ad Seg units, via the creation of new criteria and classes of what they term Security Threat Groups (STG) involved in "criminal gang behavior" (See Proposal in general).
The CDCR-OCS is asking the law makers and tax payers to allow them to continue to violate thousands of prisoners human rights, including the use of torture with impunity bases on false propaganda scare tactics exemplified below.
The Proposal (and related CDCR press statement) begins with propaganda claiming California prison gangs are "the most sophisticated and violent in the nation—connected to major criminal activity in the community, and having influence on nearly every prison system within the United States" (Proposal pgs. 2,3,5 and Press Statement of March 9, 2012). They also claim their current torture practices, those utilized for over 25 years, "have been successful in reducing the impact of sophisticated gang members have in CDCR facilities" … "by removing them from the general prison population" (Proposal, p.2 at paragraph 2, 3). These are the same manipulative tactics used by OCS for twenty-five years. They've gotten away with it at a cost of hundreds of millions of tax payers' dollars, and with the destruction/severe physical-psychological damage long term subjection to torture units has caused thousands of prisoners and their loved ones outside prison. And all of this in the face of the facts and evidence to prove CDCR-OCS propaganda-manipulative statements are false. In spite of being subject to 25 to 40 years of extreme security surveillance by alleged gang expert special agents the majority of the prisoners classified a prison gang members have never been charged or found guilty of any criminal gang related acts! Moreover, a statistical study of the CDCR's practice during the twenty-five year period prior to imposition of the current policy of placing all prison gang affiliates in SHU and comparing this data with the current 25 year SHU policy will prove that CDCR general population prisoners have been significantly more violent and out of control since the current policy has been in place.
CDCR-OCS are directly at fault for this 25-years of madness that continues to take place in this state's general population facilities, including staff manipulating prisoners against each other to further the staff's agenda (a lot of riots or other violence is useful in supporting demands for extra hazard pay, overtime, etc.).
CDCR-OCS's gang management policy of the last 25 years is a one hundred percent failure, and their march 2012 proposed changes are not acceptable because they seek to increase the use of torture units and do not change the many of dealing with those classified as prison gang members at all, which is a blatant violation of the parties agreement(s) during the negotiation process last year. This is shown by reference to the following examples:
- The Proposal wants to change the classification of "prison gang member" into "security threat group I" member (STG-1 member), while continuing the current policy and practice of keeping these alleged gang members in SHU indefinitely, using the same alleged "evidence" that's been used for the past 25 years. The Proposal specifies that "… STG I members will remain in SHU indefinitely, until they successfully complete the debriefing process … or the 'step-down program' consisting of a minimum of four years to complete all four steps." Notably, it states, "…STG-I members will remain in SHU and will not be able to gain release to the general prison population via step down program based on IGI's confirmation of participation in criminal gang behavior." Confirmation requires "either (1) a guilty finding in a serious rule violation report and/or (2) any document that clearly describes the gang behavior and is referred to the institution I.G.I. for confirmation." Number 2 is in reference to "documentation" consisting of statements from confidential inmate informants/debriefers, staff's alleged observations, and other forms of innocent associational type behavior (See Proposal, at page 7, 17-25,3). This is the exact same process CDCR-OCS has used and abused for 25 years. This changes nothing for the prisoners classified as prison gang members, which is a majority of those in PBSP short corridor, most of whom have been in SHU for between 10 and 40 years already—without ever being formally charged and found guilty of a criminal gang act.
- The Proposal fails to make meaningful, substantive changes responsive to core demands 1, 2, and 3, (and does so unsatisfactorily re: Core Demand #5, e.gl. mockery of our request for weekly phone calls, no contact visits for step 3 and four, etc., etc.). We see no point in having four steps—each requiring a minimum of one year to complete. And the vague wording regarding the rest of the Proposal leaves much room for abuse and manipulation—which CDCR-OCS staff have a long history of doing. All of which makes CDCR-OCS proposal unacceptable.
Three, PBSP-SHU Short Corridor Prisoner Representatives
Based on CDCR's lack of good faith in the process of changing their illegal policies and practices regarding the use and abuse of long-term isolation/torture, and for the reasons briefly summarized above, together with our belief that the CDCR-OCS proposal is so blatantly out-of-step with what was agreed during negotiations between July through October of 2011, as to con statute an intentional stall tactic designed to prolong our subjection to those torturous conditions.
Therefore, we hereby respectfully present our attached counter proposal—to be implemented without further delay.
Date: 3-19-2012
Respectfully Submitted by:
Sitawa Nantambu Jamaa – Dewberry C-35671
Arturo Castellanos – C-17275
Todd Ashker – C-58191
Antonio Guillen – P-81948
[1] This version of the Five Core Demands was taken from http://www.change.org/petitions/support-pelican-bay-shu-prisoners-five-core-demands-hunger-strike


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International Orders - Customs, Duties & Taxes
Orders shipping outside the U.S.A. are typically subject to government taxes, duties and brokerage fees. This article explains DiscTech's international methods of shipment and international terms of sale.
- Brokerage fees are levied by the shipping company (e.g. FedEx) to cover the cost of processing the package through customs.
- Taxes are sales/usage taxes levied by the destination country's government. e.g. Sales tax, VAT, GST
- Duties are special importation taxes levied by the destination country's government for particular clasess of goods e.g. alcohol, cigarettes, R.A.M., steel.
- N.B. Very few countries charge duties on hard drives or networking products. The most common I.T. product type that is assessed duty is R.A.M.
There are three speeds of shipment:
Express methods include brokerage fees:
FedEx International Priority (equivalent to UPS Worldwide Express) - 2-3 business days to most urban destinations
FedEx International Economy (equivalent to UPS Worldwide Expedited) - 5-7 business days to most destinations
Non-Express do NOT include brokerage fees:
FedEx Ground (equivalent to UPS Standard) - 5-9 business days to most destinations
Most international orders arrive in 2-6 business days. Shipping costs vary greatly depending on your location. We offer highly reduced shipping rates by passing on our volume discounts to you. To get an accurate shipping quotation please add the item to your cart and begin checkout. Once you enter a shipping address and method, real-time rates will be calculated and displayed.
We ship from the United States with terms defined as "Free on Board (FOB), USA". This means that ANY and ALL fees (except shipping/transit) charges are your responsibility. You will probably be charged some mixture of customs fees (e.g. taxes, duties, processing fees, brokerage fees, etc.) upon delivery of your shipment. DiscTech has no control over these fees, nor any means to calculate them. If you are not familiar with the customs fees in your country, please check with your local customs office for more information.
The shipping charges you pay to DiscTech do NOT include customs fees, import taxes, brokerage fees, or duties. If you refuse to pay the customs fees when your order arrives, the shipment will be returned to DiscTech and we will be charged the customs fees plus return shipping costs. Therefore, we do not issue refunds for customs fees, shipping, or the cost of your order if you refuse to pay the customs fees. If you receive the shipment and refuse to pay the custom's fees, such that we are billed by UPS or FedEx on your behalf, we will bill you for these fees directly.
It is possible that the delivery of your order could be delayed due to customs processing. If your order does not arrive in a reasonable amount of time, you should check with your local customs office to see if they are holding the package for payment of fees. Also, some customs offices will send a separate invoice for your customs fees that could arrive several weeks after you receive your shipment. Please familiarize yourself with the customs laws in your country, BEFORE you order!


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Last night, I was the only member of the recognizable pageant media who attended the surprise 50th Birthday Bash of Rodgil Flores – the well-loved man behind Kagandahang Flores – which was held at Club One 690 in Quezon City. There was a visible outpouring of love from everyone who became part of his life as a beauty queen-maker, friend and loved one. The core team behind the event – led by Georgette Garrido, Kristine Caballero-Aplal, Gelbert Aplal and David Isaac Buenaventura – made sure that everything was kept in utmost secrecy up until the final reveal when the celebrant showed up at the venue unaware of what he will witness upon arrival (he was made to know that it was an important client meeting instead). He could not hold back the tears especially when an emotionally-made three-part video (which included Janicel Lubina who is currently in Brisbane for a project and Karen Agustin-Ostrea who is tied up with commitments as well) was shown detailing some of the individuals who have benefitted from his love, generosity and unconditional care.
Beauty queens spotted last night included Bea Rose Santiago, Angelia Ong, MJ Lastimosa, Parul Shah, Maggie Wilson-Consunji, Angelee Delos Reyes, Patricia Fernandez, Precious Lara Quigaman, Karla Henry, Kris Tiffany Janson, Athena Imperial, Camille Hirro, Janela Joy Cuaton, Ganiel Krishnan, Jaya San Jose, Mia Howell, Rachel Peters, Julian Flores, Abigail Cruz, Alexandra Faith Garcia, Gail Ventic, Kristine Estoque, Karen Ibasco, Brenna Gamboa and more. Mr. Gay World Philippines Organization Head Wilbert Tolentino (who was there with John Raspado and Bench Ortiz) was his usually generous self as he added a big amount to the already raised funds (whole-heartedly contributed upon by all previous titleholders and sponsors) for the future training of all KF beauty queen-aspirants. I won't mention the exact amounts anymore but it's definitely worth a lot.
Here are more photos from the event.
Keep on helping and training and loving our beautiful Filipinas! You are really well-loved by everyone.
Cheers! 😀


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Weymouth committee recommends against cat ordinance
WEYMOUTH – The town council's ordinance committee is recommending against a proposal to keep cats from roaming.
Under the proposal, made by Lorraine Nicotera of Commercial Street, cat owners would be required to keep their cats leashed or otherwise under their control when outside their homes. Owners would also have to clean up after their cats, and the town's animal control officer would be required to pick up stray cats.
"It's a leash law for cats," said Town Solicitor George Lane.
Members of the committee said they didn't see the need for regulating cat behavior.
"I don't believe it is a public nuisance at this time," Councilor Kenneth DiFazio, the chairman of the ordinance committee, said at Monday night's meeting.
Added Councilor Michael Smart, "I don't think it's enforceable."
Animal Control Officer Mike Parker told the committee than in his three years on the job he has received only three complaints regarding cats, and none involved cat droppings.
Parker also said that since state law does not set a limit on how long the town must hold on to a cat, the town would be responsible for its care and feeding for 30 days or more.
"It would put a large burden on the town, picking up stray cats" and caring for them, he said.
Parker also said collars for cats would pose a choking hazard for the animals.
Lane also questioned the wording of the proposed ordinance. He felt there were inadequate definitions of what constitutes a cat creating a public nuisance or a cat running at large. He also felt the proposed ordinance would be unenforceable.
"What would it take, a department of municipal cat enforcement?" he said.
DiFazio said he has received several emails from residents wondering why the council is wasting its time on such as proposal. He said he didn't consider it a waste of time to take a serious look at suggestions made by residents.
He expects the recommendation will be taken up at the next full meeting of the council.
Fred Hanson may be reached at email@example.com.


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Most of us are familiar with the cycle. At work, the pressure to be "always on," to meet deadlines, to serve the demands of colleagues or customers, or to deal with a difficult coworker can create stress that leaks into our personal lives. This stress can cause us to be impatient with romantic partners or kids or to neglect our duties at home, creating a vicious cycle of anxiety outside the office that makes work stresses even harder to face.
There are countless examples of couples driven to the edge by work-related stress. And psychological studies have shown that outside stressors — particularly stress at work — can push relationships to the breaking point. But they don't have to. The vicious cycle of work-home stress can become a virtuous cycle when partners learn to cope with stress together. We are social beings who tend to be happier when connected to others. Our romantic partner is, almost by definition, the person on whom we rely to provide support, and recent research has shown (PDF) that partners who practice dealing with stress together early on can actually strengthen the durability of their relationships over time.
Below are a few thoughts on how couples can cope with professional stress.
Listen and support. There's a time to question, challenge, or offer solutions. But often when helping a partner deal with professional stress, listening and support are most valuable. Research conducted by eHarmony, for example, found that partners who are supportive when their counterparts share bad events maintain relationship satisfaction and create an environment that leads to fewer arguments. And we've almost all experienced the benefit of a friend or partner simply letting us talk through our problems, encouraging us through active listening. Silence can be one of the most powerful forms of communication. And asking thoughtful questions can help your partner gain clarity and come to his or her own conclusions.
Recognize and respect different coping mechanisms. Partners often cope with stress differently. In our marriage, one of us likes to talk everything out as soon as possible after a hard day, and the other needs a little downtime after work to decompress. These aren't the most compatible coping mechanisms — and when we're both coping in our own way, we tend to drive each other crazy. Over time, we've learned to compromise. Recognize that you and your partner may have different ways of dealing with stress, and there isn't necessarily a "right" way of coping. Try to accept those differences and then find ways to accommodate one another. For example, let a partner who needs downtime after work have 30 minutes in front of the TV or on the treadmill, but ask that partner to agree to engage more later — over dinner or out for an afternoon stroll. Identifying and working with those differences can be essential to productively dealing with stress.
Kill comparisons. There are at least two types of comparisons couples make that can enhance rather than counteract stress. First, resist the urge to compare yourself or your partner to others professionally — judging your success relative to others. This can lead to doubt, inadequacy, and worry, and it's a poor substitute for internal motivation. Second, don't succumb to the temptation to compare stress levels with your partner. When you've had a long day and your partner is talking through his or her stresses, it's tempting to let your partner know just how much bigger and more important your own issues are. But that only creates tension. Learn to simply listen and offer help to your partner. And try to solicit your partner's help and empathy in your own stress without drawing direct comparisons or judging which is more important. Each partner is an equal, and all stressors are valid and important.
Be active together. One of our favorite activities as a couple is walking in the afternoons. When the weather's warm enough, we take our son out for a walk around the neighborhood, using the time to catch up and talk through our days. We find that getting out and getting active together is a great stress reliever. Even moderate physical activity can lead to lower levels of stress. Boston University's Michael Otto has noted, "Usually within five minutes after moderate exercise you get a mood-enhancement effect." And numerous studies have confirmed exercise as an effective way to enhance mood and fight depression. Exercising together kills two birds with one stone, allowing you to stay physically active and spend more time together.
Find time to cheat (on your job and your kids!). Remember, you are with your partner because you love them — you like to spend time with them, talk to them, and share with them. But often, partners get in a rut. Work piles up. The kids need chaperoning to soccer practices and school events. And the easiest thing to cut out is often one-on-one time with each other. We've noted elsewhere that downtime can improve physical and mental health, and we've encouraged couples to occasionally cheat on their jobs with their spouses. Similarly, we've received good advice from many friends that time together away from kids is just as important as time away from work. So find time to connect as a couple away from the office and outside the home. Make sure that in sacrificing for work and family, you're not sacrificing all the benefits of being a couple and the stress relief that comes with it.
Laugh together. John Gottman is perhaps the world's leading authority on marital success. In his "love lab" he successfully predicts which marriages will end in divorce approximately 90% (PDF) of the time after a brief observation. And he claims that shared humor is both a key way to strengthen a relationship and a key "repair attempt" for couples in conflict. Serendipitously, humor is also a key way to deal with stress: Studies have shown that laughter can alter your mood and soothe your stress response. Life's problems are hard, but when couples can learn to tease one another, to laugh, and to use humor to confront life's difficult issues, they may also manage their relationship and their professional anxieties better.
These are just a few ways in which couples can more effectively manage professional stress together. Each couple will have to find their own solutions, but learning to cope with stress together is a fundamental skill for thriving at work and at home.
This is the first post in a blog series on taking control of stress. Jackie and John Coleman are contributors to the HBR Guide to Managing Stress at Work.
Read the other posts here:
Post #2: When a Vacation Reduces Stress — And When It Doesn't
Post #3: The Best Way to Defuse Your Stress
Post #4: Reduce Stress by Pursuing Four-Way Wins


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*Individual results may vary
The staff was professional and took the time to get to know me and my needs.
I did not feel pressured into any services that were not needed. Upon arrival I was treated with respect and felt very comfortable. The office space was clean and professional. I highly recommend Yaletown laser centre, prices are amazing for the service and experience you will receive!*
Tracy Kingdon


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Tony Kanaan Wins His First Indy 500 Crown in 12 Tries
TV Guide
Brazilian racer Tony Kanaan captured the Indianapolis 500 crown on Sunday - his first win and 12th attempt at the prize.
Kanaan, well-liked among fans and a well-traveled driver, is the only competitor to lead the Indy 500 in each of his first seven races. He doused his face in milk after the race.
Memorial Day (and more) must-see movies
Twenty-one-year-old Carlos Munoz, in his first start, finished second, and defending IndyCar Series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay was third. Kanaan, 38, pulled ahead of Hunter-Reay with three laps left.
What did you think of the race?
View original Tony Kanaan Wins His First Indy 500 Crown in 12 Tries at TVGuide.com
Other Links From TVGuide.com


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电报群组(www.tg888.vip)_Penang cops nab 13 members of syndicate offering non-existent loan
,电报群组(www.tg888.vip)是一个Telegram群组分享平台,飞机群组内容包括telegram群组索引、Telegram群组导航、新加坡telegram群组、telegram中文群组、telegram群组(其他)、Telegram 美国 群组、telegram群组爬虫、电报群 科学上网、小飞机 怎么 加 群、tg群等内容,为广大电报用户提供各种电报群组/电报频道/电报机器人导航服务。
PENANG police have crippled a syndicate offering a non-existent loan, detaining 13 individuals in a raid on a luxury condominium in Perda on last Wednesday.
The group also allegedly committed mischief and issued criminal threats.
Penang police chief Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain said the success was the result of a raid carried out by a team from Penang CID at 12.45pm, following reports of mischief and criminal threats involving the syndicate.
"A police team initially raided the condominium after a tip-off on illegal moneylending activities, mischief by spraying paint and criminal threats carried out by a suspect living in the unit. But during the raid, they found nine men and four women there.
"Investigations showed that the syndicate used the condominium as a place to operate a non-existent loan syndicate by charging victims who wanted to borrow money from them," he told a news conference in George Town today.
He said based on investigations, the 13 suspects were members of a syndicate and their role was to contact the victims to offer non-existent loans. Each person was given a script to deceive borrowers.
Shuhaily said police checks found a total of 132 probe papers involving non-existent loans had been opened involving almost the whole country with losses close to RM2 million.
He said the syndicate's modus operandi was to advertise their loans through social media, such as Facebook and WhatsApp, and then communicate with the victims before tricking them by asking for a certain amount of payment as processing fees.
"There were cases where the amount of money needed to be borrowed by the victims were not given while those who got loans will be threatened, such as their house being spray-painted," he said.
He said based on investigations, the syndicate had been operating since last year and had moved within the luxury condominium in the past four months.
According to him, during the raid at the rented unit, police confiscated 27 units of mobile phones, laptops, a car and 10 notes with the victims' telephone numbers and account numbers.
"Three of the suspects, all aged 19 to 30, have previous records related to crime and drugs.
"All of them are now remanded for further investigations," he said, adding that they were being investigated under sections 427 and 420 of the penal code. – Bernama, June 20, 2022.


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Over eight hundred thousand US children are victimized by mental trauma each year and its effects destroy every faction of society, and it gets worse. The direct and indirect consequences reach astounding numbers annually in the US, it's out of control.
The old question of why we could once keep our doors unlocked and feel safe, what changed? The answer is "trauma" propagates, and it will continue unless we change our awareness to address it head on.
This site provides volumes of research data demonstrating, unquestionably, that trauma to children is the #1 cause to chaos in society. In fact over 70% of all rapes, murders, abductions, robberies, drug additions, social service dependencies and gang violence's are the direct result of childhood traumas.
The solution is simple once we take the time to understanding trauma. This touches each and every life, we all pay;
Lost Child: The child victim suffers from lost potentials to completely lost lives. The once happy and carefree child is now destined to self destruction or to the destruction of others. A life of hyper vigilance, aloneness and depression is ahead for those who internalize the pain.
Personal Safety: The later adult effects of severe trauma to children have been documented by government agencies, universities and various medical institutions. Each study consistently arrives at the very same conclusions; few victims who externalize will likely cause chaos in society, without knowing why.
Tax Consequences: Studies as early as in 2001 have reported direct and indirect costs of trauma to children, as later adults, to one-hundred billion in tax dollars. Today's numbers have reached two-hundred billion dollars and this number continues to grow.
Child trauma is an ever growing tsunami causing irreparable damage to society and the destruction to children's lives. The cost to tax payers is enormous which includes countless social programs to helping the now adult victims and an ever expanding justice system to manage inevitable lawlessness - all after the fact.
We simply miss the root cause; "Severe trauma to children". Caught early we can rescue the child, heal the trauma and return a child's life. The problem becomes in missing this opportunity. As a result, our costs are amplified by a thousand to administer programs that merely sustain already destroyed lives and to continue adding more law enforcement to protecting our personal safety. We can change this!
"Without your support,
it simply can't happen."
NCTSN is a excellent source to understanding child trauma though is unable to lobby due to receiving grant funds. Please help make a positive change.


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Exclusive: John Stamos Dishes His Return to General Hospital
Is John Stamos headed back to General Hospital for the soap's upcoming 50th anniversary? Execs are the ABC soap are mum on the matter but the star himself will spill the very juicy beans on the Monday, Feb. 18 episode of The Jeff Probst Show - and TV Guide Magazine has the exclusive clip!
During a sit-down with Probst, Stamos reveals he has indeed met with GH brass but was not thrilled to hear they want his popular '80s character, Blackie Parrish, to appear at the Nurse's Ball playing drums while Rick Springfield sings "Jessie's Girl."
"That's not gonna happen," Stamos tells Probst. "That's what I passed on." The actor goes on to say he's "indebted" to GH for putting him on the map and would happily return if given something meaty to do.
"Why don't we pull Blackie out of jail [where he's been for 30 years] and he has to reacclimate to life?" Stamos says. "He's never been with a girl! I would like to go on [GH] and do some acting."
So whaddya say GH? You've been challenged!
By the way, make sure you catch the full episode because Stamos even volunteers to be part of a "second wave" of GH favorites if something substantial can't be worked out in time for the actual anniversary. And Probst, who clearly wants to see Stamos jam with Springfield, tries to broker a compromise. It's talk-show gold!
Subscribe to TV Guide Magazine now!
View original Exclusive: John Stamos Dishes His Return to General Hospital at TVGuide.com
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idus octobres
- festival of Jupiter — all ides were sacred to Jupiter
- Rite of the 'October Horse' — one of the many rituals which makes the study of Roman religion so fascinating. On this day a race between two-horse chariots would be held in the Campus Martius, and the right hand horse of the victorious pair would be sacrificed by the flamen of Mars on an altar (in the Campus Martius, of course). After the sacrifice, people who lived in the Via Sacra neighbourhood would fight the people who lived in the Suburra for the right to the head. If the 'via sacranites' won, they'd display it on the Regia; if the Suburranites won, it would be displayed at the Turris Mamilia. Meanwhile, the cauda (tail – genitals) would be rushed to the Regia so the blood would drip on the sacred hearth; the Vestal Virgins also probably kept some of the blood for use at the Parilia on April 21.
- ludi Capitolini — a somewhat obscure day of games which was unique in its not being 'public' (in the sense of being put on by a magistrate) but rather the ballywick of a collegium of 'Capitolini'. Not much is known about what went on at these games save that an old man wearing the bulla of of a young boy was paraded about and mocked; there were possibly competitions in boxing and running as well.
- 55 B.C. — death of Lucretius
- 70 B.C. — birth of Publius Vergilius Maro, a.k.a. Vergil, a.k.a Virgil
- 1999 — death of Don Fowler, fellow of Jesus College, Oxford and frequent contributor to the Classics list almost from its inception, among other things, of course


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I've been a recruiter for a LONG time - long enough to have built relationships that have lasted beyond the decade mark. Despite the years of REALLY dedicating myself to knowing my candidates, and understanding what's important to them etc., I find myself haunted by the new catch phrase - "Candidate Experience".
The implication is that you need to make an effort to ensure that everyone who sends you a resume, comes away from the experience with a positive feeling about you.
Really? Is that possible?
Don't get me wrong, I do send back auto-response emails to acknowledge receipt of the resume. And, I do genuinely TRY to follow up with candidates to let them know why they're not being considered if they're not right for the position.
However, some days when a candidate who has worked 3-6 months in every fast food job they've ever had is sending a resume for a Plant Manager's position, you just want to email them back and say, "Really?? You KNOW that you're not qualified for this position"....but of course I don't.
I send the standard, "Thanks for submitting your resume for consideration. Unfortunately, your background is not in line with the requirements of this particular position...etc., etc." email.
Then there's the candidate who wants to argue with you about the fact that he or she is not qualified. Despite your relationship with the client, despite a lengthy discussion about exactly what they're looking for, the qualifications that they'll maybe budge a little on and the ones they won't, this candidate is confident that you're too dumb to understand that they WILL consider him. Frankly, it's rare that those candidates end up feeling positive about their contact with you.
And then, there are candidates whom I've known for a long time, think the world of, have a strong understanding of what they're looking for and why, but simply haven't been able to put them together with the perfect opportunity. Let's be honest enough to admit that no matter how much you like someone, you cannot dedicate hours and hours over weeks and months to nothing but their particular job search or you'll be broke!
So...what's the answer then to maximizing the "Candidate Experience"? I can only continue to do what I've done all these years. That means that some people will think highly of me - and some will not think much. Either way, while I'm totally committed to doing my best to connect exceptional people with exceptional opportunities, I will always be honest with you, even if that doesn't make your experience with me very positive.
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@Pam: Thanks for an awesome post. I think you hit the nail on the head here - unfortunately, candidate experience isn't a new concept or conversation, but as much attention and talk as this topic gets, nothing has really changed all that much for the average job seeker - or recruiter. I've always thought, to your point, candidate experience is kind of a misnomer, because everyone who's actually a candidate (as in still in process and viable) tends to have pretty good experiences. It's applicant experience that's the problem, and I think if you're not minimally qualified or even tangentially experienced for a job you apply for, then you don't qualify as a candidate and don't deserve anything other than maybe a perfunctory notice when a position is filled.
Looking forward to seeing more great posts like this from you - appreciate your perspective!
I love this post. Another area where recruiting really is like dating - hey you're a nice guy and all but me and you, it's not going to work out. Sorry, I just handed you a Shitty Boyfriend Experience. Oops.
The sooner we realize we're in the business of 95% rejection, the better off we'll all be. There's no excuse for being a jerk, but honesty (and transparency) is nearly always the best way to go.
LOL Amy - love the boyfriend analogy.
Thanks Matt!
Thanks, Pam.
"Candidate Experience"? What a ******* joke!
Nobody in charge cares- they don't have to. Either they didn't have to wade through the usual sea of **** to get hired, or they regard it as some sort of a perverse right of passage or hazing ritual.
If a company wanted to, they could pay a little over $2.00/hr for an offshore "Virtual Candidate Care Assistant" to make sure each and every candidate had a professional (if not actually pleasant) application experience, while simultaneously keeping us free to do our jobs.The fact that no one seems to have done this says a great deal to me. (I am sometimes answered with, "who do you think you are to tell what should be done?")
It strikes me as pathetic that the most action that has done is an *annual survey and contest among willing participants to see who will be awarded for doing what every company should do as a matter of course. (Imagine a survey and prize for not dumping toxic waste, or for not breaking any wage-and hour laws.) I have heard of no firm plans discussed to strengthen the effectiveness of this, or to go after the worst (non-participating) offenders. I recognize that change (particularly in Corporate America happens slowly), but I've no information that anything more significant in this direction is planned.)
No Cheers,
*I say that as someone who worked to finalize questions in the survey. There are firms there that are sincerely working to measure how they're doing so as to improve it, and I commend them.
Pam - I love this post and shared it out. Great points. Strong enough to make "candidate experience" junkies think twice...
Thanks Ryan!
Pam, it seems like you're a headhunter. And, if so, the candidate experience that everyone is talking about doesn't concern you. It's really an issue for corporate recruiters who get hundreds or thousands of resumes. Applicants send in a resume and never hear back from the company at all so they don't know where they stand. I imagine that, sometimes, even people who are interviewed and rejected are not kept in the loop so they, too, are left in limbo but, everything I've read about Candidate Experience really has to do with sending in a resume and never being told where you stand. Headhunters don't usually have to manage a huge number of resumes and while they might have difficulty giving feedback to candidates, they don't usually ignore them once they are in process.


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Alternative title: God dammit, Canada!
A few weeks back I highlighted one of those quirky 'statistical finding turned news story' articles that showed how very secular Canada is (despite stupidly forgetting to analyse it from a racial perspective). I would never want anyone to get the impression that somehow religion doesn't crop up in our public life. It absolutely does. It's just that, usually, when it happens, it's more bizarrely strange than anything else:
A case of what is being called possible demonic possession in Saskatoon has prompted local church officials to consider the need for an exorcist. CBC News spoke with a Catholic priest involved in the case, which arose in March, and agreed not to identify participants in order to protect their privacy. According to church officials, a priest was called to a Saskatoon home by a woman who said her uncle showed signs of being possessed by the devil. The woman believed a priest's blessing could help the distraught man.
This. Actually. Happened.
Now, the strange part of this is not necessarily that someone thought that a family member was possessed. That certainly is strange, but depending on a number of cultural and educational factors (we don't know anything about this family), it might not be so totally beyond the pale that someone believes in demons. The weird part is that the priest went along with it. Priests are not uneducated people, and anyone with a spoonful of brains knows to call for a psychiatrist when someone presents with symptoms of 'demonic possession'.
It gets stranger still, because it wasn't just one nutjob priest who took the idea of demons too seriously:
Bishop Don Bolen explained that the ritual of exorcism is a very structured exercise. He said it was not clear if the Saskatoon man was possessed or experiencing a mental breakdown. Church leaders in Saskatoon have been considering whether Saskatoon needs a trained exorcist. The last person in the city with formal training, Rev. Joseph Bisztyo, retired in 2003. Nor does the Regina archdiocese have an exorcist, so Bolen said they are looking to other locations.
This isn't a bunch of careful deliberation over the best way to reach out to the family in their time of need, nor is it a question of how best to address a clear case of mental illness… they're looking for a trained exorcist. I don't know how this could possibly be any weirder. In a country with comprehensive education in science, among a class of people who are ostensibly educated enough to know that demons aren't really actual physical things that inhabit people's bodies. But instead, we have an archdiocese going on an exorcist hunt.
Luckily, CFI is on the case:
Centre for Inquiry spokesman Justin Trottier says that scares him more than demonic possession. He says exorcisms have worsened existing medical conditions, caused bodily harm, and have occasionally resulted in death. Most cases of claimed demonic possession are, in fact, mental conditions that need medical treatment. "We have individuals performing essentially psychiatric, psychological or medical treatments of some kind," he said. "They're obviously not regulated by any real authority, and we don't quite know what they're doing."
Words fail me.
Hey here's a question. What do you call it when a school board, the law, religious groups and parents all agree on an issue? Apparently, you call it a fight worthy of extra security:
Extra security will be on hand when a public school board in southern Ontario takes a final vote tonight on whether to ban free handouts of Gideon Bibles. Based on previous votes, Bluewater District trustees are expected to put an end to the handouts to Grade 5 students by barring distribution of all non-instructional religious materials. The issue has sparked heated emotions, with some trustees receiving threats and hate mail.
Taking away Gideon Bibles? Oh shit… the Gideons must be pissed to get shoved out of the schools, thus missing out on the opportunity to convert all those impressionable youngsters. No wonder they need extra security – the Gideons are probably calling for blood:
The local chapter of Gideons International in Canada and some church elders have distanced themselves from those who accuse trustees of "unCanadian" and "unChristian" behaviour. Gideons International in Canada said the organization would take a ban with "complete acceptance."
Huh. Christians turning the other cheek. Who'da thunk?
So who's been getting all hot under the collar then?
The invective of those opposed to the ban unnerved some trustees of the Bluewater board, which has more than 18,000 students in 53 schools. Chairwoman Jan Johnstone said Monday that a recent article by The Canadian Press on the torrent of hate mail directed at trustees, some of it racist, prompted a new wave of correspondence.
Ah, yes. It's exactly the people you'd expect. The right-wing racist nutjob Christians who make the news because they shout the loudest over any perceived slight to their domination of the cultural landscape. Luckily, this time it seems they didn't get away with it:
This time, however, Ms. Johnstone said correspondents from across Canada and the United States were by and large "overwhelmingly supportive" of the pending ban.
The ban, incidentally, passed without incident.
One more story. So as odd as it may seem to pretty much everyone I've ever spoken to, Scientology actually has centres in Canada. In fact, there is a large facility right here in Vancouver. Is it just a coincidence that they used to film The X Files here, or is it a plot from Lord Xenu himself? No one knows*. Anyway, Scientology lives and breathes here in Canada, much to the chagrin of the Keller family:
In December, [Yvonne] Keller paid $10,000 to send her 22-year-old son Daniel to a Trois-Rivières treatment centre, which is part of the Narconon group. Its website does not make it obvious, however, Narconon uses the teachings of Scientology in its treatment facilities. It has former addicts in every Canadian city answering the crisis lines and doing intakes. Narconon has several facilities worldwide, but the main one in Canada is in Trois-Rivières.
A week after her son arrived at the treatment centre, Narconon staff rejected him from the program and put him on a bus back to Toronto, penniless and alone. Keller hasn't been able to get her money back and said her son is now back on the street.
This story is actually not so much strange as it is infuriating. Scientology is a fun cult to laugh at, with their extra-crazy beliefs and silly antics, but that overlooks the stories like this, where the CoS defrauds people of their money and puts them at risk of serious harm. The facility claims that they couldn't treat him because he was clearly psychotic (and they are set up to treat addiction, not other types of mental illness), but instead of calling the police or getting him admitted to hospital, or even calling his mom, they simply pocketed the money and put Daniel back on a bus. At least in the shameful light of publicity that the facility has received from this story, Yvonne Keller will be refunded her money. Frustratingly, there will likely be no other consequences to this story.
So yeah – Canada has religious problems and controversy, but ours is slightly… weird.
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*Actually, it is just a coincidence, and everyone knows.


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Courtesy photo
Courtesy photo
What did 100 motorcyclists from Colorado and across America have in common on June 6 and 7? They were all attendees at the MRF (Motorcycle Riders Foundation) Best of the West regional conference in Frisco. The conference, one of three that the MRF puts on each year, was hosted by ABATE of Colorado and was held at the Holiday Inn Conference Center in Frisco. MRF members from 24 states, from Washington state on the west to Washington, D.C. on the east, attended to hear presentations about motorcycle issues including the status of motorcycle only checkpoints, noise issues, intelligent transportation systems and rider responsibility among others.
The keynote speaker for the Saturday night banquet was State Representative Lori Saine of Firestone from House District 63. Saine spoke to the group about the government's role in our lives, what we as individuals can do to preserve our rights and freedoms and the importance of being involved in the political process as citizens of this state and great country. Saine has been serving in the Colorado State Legislature since 2012 when she was overwhelmingly chosen as the Republican nominee for House District 63 in 2012 and in 2014.
Saine was one of the conservative champions in the legislature, earning an A+ rating on the The Principles Of Liberty Scorecard on the main planks of the Republican Party platform and has earned the coveted House Champion award from the Colorado Union of Taxpayers for defending the taxpayers of House District 63.
The Motorcycle Riders Foundation (MRF), incorporated in 1987, is a membership-based national motorcyclists' rights organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. The MRF monitors and when necessary, sways federal legislation and regulatory action that pertains to street riders. The MRF concerns itself with what is going on in the arena of motorcycling safety education, training, licensing, and public awareness. The MRF provides members and state motorcyclists' rights organizations with direction and information to protect motorcyclists' rights and motorcycling.
The MRF sponsors annual regional and national educational seminars for motorcyclists' rights activists and publishes a bi-monthly newsletter, The MRF Reports. The MRF website is: mrf.org and the office in Washington, DC can be reached at: 202-546-0983. Jeff Hennie is the Vice President of Government relations and Public Affairs for the MRF and is a very effective voice for motorcyclists in Washington DC.
ABATE of Colorado, a Colorado motorcycle rights organization, was the primary sponsor for this year's Best of the West. ABATE members from all over Colorado provided assistance with the hospitality room, registration, parking lot security and food and beverages. Varying ABATE Districts provided the necessary help and funds to put on this year's conference. ABATE of CO, District One, had 18 members attending the conference from northeast Colorado with other members from the Front Range to Pueblo and the mountains also attending and helping at the conference.
ABATE which stands for "A Brotherhood Active Towards Education," is a non-profit, educational, charitable and safety oriented motorcycle rights organization.
ABATE District One and other areas will continue to promote rider education as well as member and public education to make the roads safer for those riding motorcycles as well as for motorists in general.
Protecting the rights of those who ride motorcycles is an ongoing and important mission of ABATE of Colorado as is the Rider Education classes that are being offered June through August at Morgan Community College in Fort Morgan and at the airport in Sterling. Those wishing to enroll in a class can contact the ABATE office at 303-789-3264 or go to the website at abateofcolo.org. Anyone interested in joining ABATE of Colorado, District One can contact Dave Cawley at 970-380-4232, Don Enninga at 970-768-5599 or going to the ABATE website at http://abateofcolo.org/.


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Washington Center Internships
322 North Conklin, 419-372-2451
The Washington Center Internship program offers internships in Washington, D.C., for students of all majors. Participating students work full time in their chosen fields in placements chosen to match individual interests and skills. While gaining valuable work experience in their career area, students can register for 1-15 hours of BGSU credit, per agreement with their academic department.
The program includes placement, orientation, evaluation, counseling, small group discussions, a lecture series, special events, and support services. Scholarships are offered, and housing is available if desired.
Information on the various opportunities is available in the Career Center's Cooperative Education and Internship Program office. Interested students with a minimum 2.75 GPA are urged to contact the coordinator at least six months prior to the term in which they would like to intern.
Updated: 03/07/2023 11:09AM


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Rome Film Festival (November 9 – 17) to feature "around sixty" world premieres and two new competition strands; Sandra Hebron joins selection committee; Business Street and New Cinema Network to continue.
New Rome Film Festival Artistic Director Marco Mueller is ringing the changes for the seventh edition of the Rome Film Festival (November 9 – 17).
This year's festival will feature two additional competitive strands: CinemaXXI (21st-century Cinema) and Perspectives Italy, while in a significant expansion organisers plan to showcase "around sixty" world premieres.
The festival will continue to exhibit largely at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, alongside some other venues in the Italian capital.
Mueller's selection committee comprising former London festival head Sandra Hebron, Marie-Pierre Duhamel, Enrico Magrelli, Giona Nazzaro, Laura Buffoni and Mario Sesti (documentaries) will scout titles for the main Competition, non-competitive section and CinemaXXI.
The Official Selection will comprise an International Competition, a choice of films Out of Competition, and the two additional competitive showcases. The International Competition will continue to include a maximum of fifteen films, while up to six works will be screened Out of Competition.
CinemaXXI is reserved for works that "reflect the continuous reinvention of cinema on the contemporary visual scene," and will host a competition showing feature films, medium-length features, and short films, for a maximum of fifteen films.
Perspectives Italy will take stock of new trends in Italian cinema, and will present a maximum of fourteen feature films and seven short films, all in competition.
The festival will host a programme of meetings with film professionals, conferences, seminars, and workshops for film projects and from November 14 - 18, the festival's regular film market, The Business Street (TBS), and its co-production market, New Cinema Network (NCN), will be held in the centre of Rome.
Alongside the Official Selection, starting this year the festival will host Alice Nella Città, the showcase of youth-oriented cinema, as an independent sidebar.
The films in the International Competition will be judged by an international iury of seven who will assign the Golden Marc'Aurelio for Best Film, the Best Director Award, the Special Jury Prize, the Best Actor and Best Actress Awards, the Emerging Actor or Actress Award, the Award for Best Technical Contribution, and the Award for Best Screenplay.
An international jury of five will present the CinemaXXI Award and also the Special Jury Prize to feature-length films competing for CinemaXXI, as well as the Award for Short and Medium-length Films in the same section, while a jury of five Italian film and culture personalities will decide on the following awards to films screening in the Perspectives Italy section: the Perspectives Awards for Best Feature Film, Best Documentary and Best Short Film.
An international jury of five film and art personalities will also select the Best Debut Film Award. All first feature films premiering in the various sections of the Official Selection will be eligible for this new award.
The following have been selected as consultants: Chen Zhiheng (China/Hong Kong/Taiwan), Deepti D'Cunha (India), Elma Hadzirdezepovic Tataragic (the Balkans), Sheri Jennings (United States), Babak Karimi (Iran), Diego Lerer (Latin America – Central America, and South America), Paolo Moretti ("out-of-format" works – CinemaXXI), Alëna Shumakova (Russia, and the Commonwealth of Independent States), and Tomita Mikiko (Japan).


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Madonna's Most Explicit Album Cover Yet Comes On The Eve Of Her 50th Birthday
If we saw our mother spreading her legs on billboards and in the window displays of old-fashioned CD stores, we'd probably either disown her, change our names or move to Mars. Unless, of course, she was Madonna. Then we might just have to put the poster up in our rooms. Madge is turning 50 this year, and she's not letting that stop her from putting out her single most explicit album cover to date. Even Erotica's open lips and Confessions On A Dance Floor's spread eagle from behind don't compare with the artwork for Hard Candy, which features the B12 shot lover posing as an S&M-inspired boxer (of sorts) waiting to "kick your ass" (just as Madonna promised the album would do). But just because Madonna's putting it all out there now doesn't mean her more suggestive covers weren't ten times sexier.
Take, for example, her three most provocative covers up to this point, 1983's Like A Virgin, 1992's Erotica, and 2005's Confessions:
We happen to think the lacy dress on Virgin is just begging to be lifted up, even if we can't even see the hem. And the close-up shot of Madonna's cherry-lined lips and false eyelashes on Erotica is somehow sexier when drawn in such exaggerated effect, like a page from Playboy coming to life. And then there's her last effort, the leotarded Confessions, which portrays her a disco-happy blonde redhead so enraptured with the music that she doesn't even have time to turn towards the camera. Judging from these three album covers alone, we think Madge is far sexier when she keeps it in her pants.


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Dancing's Derek Hough: I'm So Proud of Amy
Hey guys,
How'd you like Disney Week?
Thanks for all your votes and messages this week. They've really meant a lot to us, Amy especially. The waltz was a hard one for us, but we pushed through and I'm so proud of Amy and how well she did. We had our usual pep talk before we went out to dance and I just told her to really enjoy it. At the end of our performances, Amy is quick to criticize herself. As soon as we finish, she'll point out what she did wrong or say, "I was off-balance" or something. As I'm holding her, she'll say something in my ear. So I told her, "The moment after you finish the dance, when everyone's applauding, just soak it in and enjoy that moment. You're denying yourself that by immediately critiquing yourself. Enjoy it."
That's the one I really wanted to get through to her because the waltz was so difficult. I think part of it is Amy being a world-class athlete. Athletes are all hard on themselves and want to be perfect. I told her, "It doesn't matter if it feels terrible or you mess up. Just revel in that moment. We can always talk about the performance five minutes later, one day later, one week later, but you can never have that moment right after you finish back." We only have a month left if we make it to the final and I want her to really enjoy every second of it.
I know there's been some discussion about Carrie Ann choosing not to dock us on a lift because of Amy's circumstances. Both of us would've been fine had she penalized us, but I think there's a fine line in making that judgment. The particular lift Carrie Ann was talking about was when I was lifting her down the stairs. Walking up stairs is easier for Amy than walking down the stairs. When we were practicing it, we were doing it and it didn't look smooth and elegant, and it took away from the moment. So I said, "I'm going to gently lift you up and walk you down, so it looks better." I feel like that's not purposely doing a trick or doing a lift knowing you're breaking the rules or defying the judges, which I've done consciously. I feel like we were on the other side of the line. Neither of us wants the judges to hold Amy to different standards, but I think this was a very specific incident and a minor detail in the overall performance.
This week, we have the jive for Party Anthem Week. The jive was another dance I was worried about when the producers were telling me about Amy before the season because of the flicks and kicks. But it's going well so far. Amy is a rock star, as you know. I don't want to give away too much, but she's got all these different types of feet that allow her to do these amazing things. Every week, I'm just blown away at what we can do with them. The pair we're using for the jive is one we've used before. I'm also glad we have a lively dance. Firstly, the slower the dance, the more difficult it is for Amy, so the jive is a great change of pace from last week. The waltz wasn't stressful, but it was challenging. It's Party Anthem Week and we want to celebrate. This is the point in the competition where everyone starts to get tired and hit a wall, so I want to remind ourselves to go out there and have fun.
See you Monday!
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