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I had originally intended to review 'Memories' and 'Rasputin and other Ironies' in the same post, but that was only because I'd forgotten how uncontrollably enthusiastic I get about Teffi's writing. You can read how much I loved 'Rasputin' here, today it's time for 'Memories.'
Actually, the above paragraph is a bit disingenuous, I also realised that it would take me longer to really pin down what I thought of 'Memories.' I may feel familiar with Teffi's perfectly formed feuilletons and short stories, but this memoir is considerably longer and would demand a different kind of structure to these wonderful works. Also, the highly self-conscious Teffi I know and love from 'Subtly Worded' and 'Rasputin' appeared to be the perfect literary companion, but were the two of us going to remain friends after a full-length book together?
First things first, I love 'Memories.' I think it is an excellent memoir and a fitting showcase for Teffi's talents. I must confess though, this conclusion has been the result of reflection; 'Memories' is the first book by Teffi that hasn't won me from the opening page. In fact, I've realised that the reason this volume is possibly her best is because it's so challenging, the writer staying true to herself though all writing conventions are against her.
Teffi has already shown us that the traditional view of the Russian writer (philosophical, serious, spiritual and very male) is not wholly true. The real achievement of 'Memories' is that she is equally subversive with the genre of émigré literature. Such memoirs are not supposed to be funny. Those who escape are not supposed to be quite so flippant. Writers certainly aren't supposed to remain true to their bohemian, scatty, impractical pre-revolutionary selves. Throughout the book, I got the impression that Teffi did not want to write about her experiences as a refugee and exile, forced out of the cities that initially welcomed her as a celebrity, her publications a liability to herself and to those who performed them. Instead, she is determined to hold on to her established role as literary clown. A typical example is when she is one of many refugees crammed into a boat that they hope will take them away from the soon-to-be-invaded city of Odessa. Teffi is criticised by fellow passengers for failing to help out with communal chores and the appropriately punishing and demeaning task of scrubbing the deck is mentioned:
'Ah, Scrubbing the deck! My childhood dream!
As a child I had once seen a sailor hosing the deck with a large hose while another sailor scrubbed away with a stiff, long-handled brush with bristles cut at an angle. I had thought at the time that nothing could be jollier. Since then, I've learned about many things that are jollier, but that stiff, oddly-shaped brush, those rapid, powerful splashes as the water hit the white planks, and the sailors' brisk efficiency (the one doing the scrubbing kept repeating 'Hup! Hup!') had all stayed in my memory – a wonderful, joyous picture.
There I had stood, a little girl with blue eyes and blond pigtails, watching this sailors' game with reverence and envy, upset that fate would never allow me this joy.
But kind fate had taken pity on that poor little girl. It had tormented her for a long time, but never forgot her wish. It staged a war and a revolution. It turned the whole world upside down, and now, at last, it had found an opportunity to thrust a long-handled brush into the girl's hands and send her up on deck.
At last! Thank you, dear fate!
The scrubbing itself is laugh out loud funny and could easily fit into 'Three Men in a Boat.' It was hard to enjoy it though. Refugee flight is not supposed to be funny. Teffi shouldn't be able to focus on the hardships of her journey with such humour. The satire should be clearer (or easily absent) and not float temptingly almost out of the reader's sight. The reason I wanted to give myself a bit more thinking time before writing this review is that I still have difficulties with the tone of 'Memories.' I struggle with Teffi's choice of anecdotes and detail. I'm very disconcerted with her presentation of herself as the most incompetent and ineffectual political exile it is possible to imagine. On an emotional level, I find it hard to enjoy a book that so carelessly disrupts my expectations.
On reflection, therefore, I must conclude that Teffi is an even braver and more powerful writer than I had given her credit for in my enthusiastic responses to her shorter works. It's one thing to give the reader what they want, it's another to refuse to be cowed by conventions about what writing should be. I've heard it suggested that Teffi's lack of recognition during recent decades has been because the world took her at her own self-deprecating estimation. I think it may go further. Little as the world may have wanted to accept a superficial, impractical woman as the voice of Russian culture, I think it's even harder to accept a cheerful, positive and fearless émigré. I'm speaking for myself here, I found 'Memories' a personally challenging read because it was so determined not to pander to my preconceived expectations. Last month I raved about 'The Adventures of Mrs Seacole in Many Lands' because it unexpectedly provided me with a narrator who fulfilled all my unspoken requirements for a plucky, disadvantaged adventuress. This month's biography gave me far less immediate satisfaction, but has left me with an equal level of reverence for the writer's skill and bravery in confronting those who want to limit her to following others, rather than carving out a place in history for herself. Like every other book by Teffi, 'Memories: From Moscow to the Black Sea' is an absolute must-read and I can only look forward to more translations of her works becoming available in the coming years. Highly, highly recommended.


text: The surging price of bitcoin (among others) in 2017 led more than a few companies to hop on the cryptocurrency bandwagon with hopes of striking it rich almost overnight. Many of their initial coin offerings seemed dodgy from the outset... and it turns out they were. Bitcoin.com has conducted a study of ICOs tracked by Tokendata, and a whopping 46 percent of the 902 crowdsale-based virtual currencies have already failed. Of these, 142 never got enough funding; another 276 have either slowly faded away or were out and out scams.The number of casualties might be higher in practice. Another 113 ICOs have either stopped talking on social networks (a good sign interest has died) or have so few adopters that success is very unlikely. And the survivors aren't necessarily doing much better. Only a "handful" raised over $10 million, which left an uphill battle for the rest.It doesn't take much divination to understand why many of these virtual coins fell flat. Excluding the scams, a large chunk of them were targeted at niches like dentistry, freight trucking or real estate -- they were never going to attract broad audiences. Others, meanwhile, were me-too efforts that had no real advantage over pouring money into an established format, where prices were more likely to climb.

subset: commoncrawl


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Happy Body At Work has won the Workplace Mental Health Promotion & Wellbeing award, at the 2015 Mental Health Matters Awards.
ABC Organic Gardener Magazine May/June 2016 Issue
ABC Organic Gardener Magazine May/June 2016 Issue
Stroll through Mickey Robertson's dreamy kitchen garden, discover the secrets to growing and cooking artichokes with Annabel Langbein, let Peter Cundall show you how to grow spinach, and learn about year-round lemon care and mandarins. Plus, there's cool-season gardening jobs to do now, and recipes for old-fashioned quince and a homemade chook peck block.
Kitchen Garden Transformation
Former city girl and interior designer Mickey Robertson has turned her talents to the garden, creating a living masterpiece that is both bountiful and beautiful. Take a look!
The Art Of Artichokes
Annabel Langbein calls them the "gourmet's thistle", but however you refer to them, one thing's for sure – artichokes make a dramatic and stunning addition to any garden. Plus, Annabel's tips for harvesting and cooking this tasty veg.
Spinach – The Perfect Winter Plant
Peter Cundall's expert spin on growing your own organic spinach. It's delicious, nutritious and thrives in cold conditions!
8-Page Citrus Special
Lemons can be one of the most troublesome backyard trees to grow when it comes to pests and disease, but Justin Russell's season-by-season guide reveals how to have healthy, zesty fruit year-round. Plus all the juicy secrets on growing abundant, sweet mandarins – the basket-fillers of the citrus world.
Take The pH Test!
Penny Woodward looks at how to test – and adjust – the pH level of your soil, which is crucial for nutrient uptake and healthy plants. Plus Penny's guide to optimum pH levels for common fruit and veg.
The Meat Debate: To Eat, Or Not To Eat?
Weighing up the pros and cons of eating meat – for both the planet and people.
Quince Charming
Quince magically transforms from bitter and hard when raw to fragrant and delicious when cooked. Julie Ray's mouthwatering recipes show how to make the most of this oldfashioned fruit. Plus Max Allen's wine picks to match.
Chook Boredom Busters
Stop your hens from developing bad habits with Jessamy Miller's engaging and entertaining ideas, including how to make your own peck block.
PLUS: DIY cold frame + Tim Flannery on climate change + Timely winter gardening jobs and more!
ABC Organic Gardener magazine May/June issue on sale april 7
To arrange interviews or to obtain copies for promotional
giveaways, please contact:
Marija Beram
Publishing Editor, ABC Magazines
E: firstname.lastname@example.com
ABC's Organic Gardener magazine has a fresh new design
ABC Commercial has reached an agreement with Presto TV to license a range of popular ABC programs for the new TV stre
The Sydney Morning Herald published their list of 'Australian TV's most powerful and influential people', wi
Children around the world can now stream exclusive short form content from the world-class entertainers, The Wiggles,
Active Memory, the ABC's online brain training program, has won the Best Website or Online Services – Healthcare &
'MY SIDE OF THE STREET' – Single Out Now
ABC Commercial's Content Sales team is pleased to announce an exclusive SVOD partnership with Hulu and the quintessen
ABC Commercial is pleased to announce it has signed an agreement with Presto TV to license a broad range of ABC conte
At the Music Award Ceremony in Sydney on the 26th November celebrating the best of the Australian Music Industry, ABC
Virgin Australia and ABC Commercial have today announced an innovative new partnership giving passengers exclusive ac
ABC Retail has launched ABC Shop Mobile, a convenient and secure mobile optimised site which will allow customers to


text: Sandy Colombo This was exactly what I needed Thank you Jikara for the Aura-Soma consultation. This was exactly what I needed at the exact time I needed it. You are amazing and I have faith that you will be massively successful as you are already the light! By Jikara Liddy|2014-12-03T23:18:59+00:00December 3rd, 2014|Comments Off on Sandy Colombo Share This Story, Choose Your Platform! FacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditGoogle+TumblrPinterestVkEmail


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Glenn Walker is a writer who knows pop culture. He loves, hates, and lives pop culture. He knows too freaking much about pop culture, and here's where he talks about it all: movies, music, comics, television, and the rest... Welcome to Hell.
- Arrow
- Lost Hits of the New Wave
- Daredevil
- The All Things Fun! New Comics Vidcast
- The Cape
- The Following
- Bionic Nostalgia
- True Blood
- Doctor Who
- The Flash
- Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
- Agent Carter
- Avengers Assemble
- Age of Ultron
- Infinity
- Legion of Super-Heroes
- Jessica Jones
- Young Justice
- Guardians of the Galaxy
- Legends of Tomorrow
- Civil War II
- Luke Cage
- Supergirl
Monday, July 08, 2013
The Big Brother Racists
There is even a new twist with the eviction process, an added candidate, but none of it was really enough to catch my attention. It really comes down to cast. Cast someone I'll want to like, not a bunch of bland rejects from "90120" auditions. No one here clicked for me.
Then something happened, something both exciting, and fully explaining why I didn't like anyone. There wasn't anyone to like, except for a couple racists, whom are just built for the audience to hate. Trouble is, we haven't been privy to their hate until just recently. Now CBS has opened the doors to reveal these imbeciles to the world.
Houseguests Aaryn, and to a lesser extent, Ginamarie, have been showing their 'true colors' as they have made serious anti-Asian, anti-black, and anti-gay remarks about their fellow houseguests. Really? A twenty-two year old with views like this? I am shocked in this day and age. Are there really monsters like this still walking around in America? Thank the gods she has lost her job while in the house. At least someone is clear thinking.
Now I have a reason to watch "Big Brother" this season, and someone very specific to root against, boo, hiss, and wish misfortunes upon. Don't cry, Aaryn, maybe the neo-Nazis are looking for a new cover girl…
I cannot wait for Aaryn's exit interview …with Julie…
3 comments:
I think it is all a scripted scam like THE REAL WORLD is and other things. Past Big Brother house guests have talked about playing roles and doing what the producers want.ReplyDelete
Don't let them con you! Change that channel!!
(who does not think he is a robot or spammer)
Kevin, I think you're right. Sometimes the script will bring up a subject like the unequal way we treat other people to get people arguing and maybe seeing themselves in the mirror as racist. All the young people I know, are not racist, so I think's it's the show's producers trying to push up the ratings. Glenn send your post to the show's producers and see if they do something about it:)ReplyDelete
Kevin, what we see in the prime time version is heavily edited as with all reality programs surely.ReplyDelete
I have a source at CBS, a fellow Writer Circle member, who on previous occasions has verified the shenanigans on the show. She said at one point that the problem with the "Big Brothers," especially the American version, is controlling the houseguests. Remember that crazy bitch Chima?
And Marie, if this had been planned for the show, why wasn't it done on the prime time editions weeks ago when it started?
Please note, it was offended folks with the 24 hour feeds who pressured CBS to finally do something about this, and were demanding the network bring it to everyone's attention.


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- Details
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- Additional Information
SKU 00-09546 Filling weight 100 g
Surprise with this refreshing fruit blend! Tea is the gift of joy and indulgence. Rosehip peel, hibiscus, apple pieces, lemongrass and orange peel provide a fully fruity flavour. Perfect for kids and also adults that like to avoid additional flavouring. This harmonious blend of dried fruit makes for a citrussy infusion with a tart flavour. A must-try! Ingredients: rosehip peel, hibiscus, apple pieces, lemongrass, orange peel.


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Three Rivers Manufacturing is readying line expansions for two of its most popular models. The Neutron is the one-hand deploying, locking version of the Viator, and the Nomad slipjoint receives a sequel with the Atlas.
The Viator released at the beginning of the year, catering to users in need of a mid-size, high-performance slipjoint knife. But of course requests for a locking version came in. "Not all people are slipjoint fans, but everyone liked the way the Viator felt in hand and its slicey blade," says Marianne Halpern, Co-Owner of TRM. So in drawing up this variation the company incorporated both a titanium thumbstud and a liner lock.
Otherwise the design is mostly the same, save for a few subtle alterations. "There are differences in the clip screw hole pattern and handle scales (to accommodate for the thumb ramp), so Neutron scales aren't interchangeable with Viator scales," Halpern explains. However, she notes the Neutron will have a slew of handle color options, just like the Viator. Users can even choose whether or not they want the atom pattern machined into the show side scale. The steel has been upgraded to CPM-20CV, and every drop point Neutron blade is hand sharpened by custom maker and TRM collaborator RJ Martin. "I think adding the thumb stud and lock will get this design a lot of new fans," Halpern notes.
Photo Credit: knifenews.com
The Nomad slipjoint was the original TRM flagship offering for several years. However, Halpern says the diminutive slipjoint is officially retiring to make room for its sequel, the Atlas. "The original Nomad had a good life and has a lot of fans, but this will be the new Nomad model going forward."


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Are chelsea handler and ted harbert still dating dating a millionaire ettiquite
19-Dec-2017 02:16
Her stand-up comedy has also been televised on VH1's Love Lounge, Comedy Central's Premium Blend, and HBO's broadcast of the Aspen Comedy Festival.
She was a guest on Red Eye w/ Greg Gutfeld and The View, and she co-hosted The View on August 2, 2007, and September 5, 2008.
is an American comedian, actress, writer, television host, and producer.
Which means that Halbert, who may not have aired his grievances as publicly, may have to relive the break up when the tome hits bookstores on March 9.Breaking up is hard to do, especially when you're Chelsea Handler and Ted Harbert.And it's not just because the president and CEO of the Comcast Entertainment Group is technically Handler's boss over at E!Chelsea Handler and Ted Harbert have split after dating for four years. , where Chelsea hosts "Chelsea Lately" the rumor about the couple no longer being together is true.
continue reading Guess who's gracing on the cover of December's Playboy issue? The cover photo was revealed during 'The Jay Leno Show' when Leno made a semi funny joke about Chelsea's boyfriend's (Ted Harbert is 55 years old), putting him on the same level age with Hugh Hefner.Then, he got a job in the Bowmanville Zoological Park near Toronto.


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Fruit-shaped Trix!
General Mills has gone back and forth on what shape Trix cereal should be. When Trix first made its debut onto the cereal scene in 1954, they were tiny balls that came in three colors: orange, lemon and raspberry. More flavors and colors were added, but Trix kept its jizz ball shape until the early 1990s when General Mills truly switched shit up and turned the world upside/down by making them fruit-shaped. So Trix went from looking like something a giant raver bunny shat out after getting ass fucked by a rainbow to looking like something a giant raver bunny shat out after getting ass fucked by all of the Fruit of the Loom fruits. The fruit-shaped Trix looked like this in real life:
Mariah Carey is the fruit-shaped Trix of today, because in the 90s, nobody got Photoshopped more than fruit-shaped Trix did.
Fruit-shaped Trix didn't look like any fruit I've ever eaten. They look like fruit that was grown on the site of a nuclear attack and pumped up with all kinds of acid. So basically, they look like the kind of chemical-ridden fruits that General Mills juiced to make Trix.
In 2007, Trix decided to ditch their fruit-shapes and went back to the balls. Now, I love some balls in my mouth in the morning, but not all do. Many begged for General Mills to bring back not-really-shaped-like-fruit Trix. General Mills heard the pleas, and last month, they announced that they're making plans to bring back fruit-shaped Trix. They also announced that they're going to use artificial flavors and colors again (they stopped using that shit in 2016.)
Fruit-shaped Trix is today's HSOTD, because I'm happy for the people who for the past 10 years have been wandering through grocery store produce sections in a confused state while wondering, "Where is all the fruit?!" They look at an actual banana and think, "The fuck is that weird-looking thing?" Now that General Mills is bringing fruit-shaped Trix, they can finally get some real fruit back in their lives once again.
Pics: General Mills, imgur


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Research IT Infrastructure Development Group
In the IT Infrastructure group we create software and services for supporting researchers who are dealing with Quantitative Imaging Biomarkers. Some of the key components of our infrastructure:
Fastr is a pipeline framework for creating consolidated quantitative image processing pipelines. There is a strong emphasis on usability, reproducibility and provenance. It is an open source software written in Python and released under the Apache 2.0 license. The fastr documentation is good place to start learning about how Fastr can be beneficial to your image processing problems. You can check the code on https://bitbucket.org/bigr_erasmusmc/fastr
StrongR https://gitlab.com/bbmri/infra/strongr: StrongR is a novel way for enabling elastic scaling of batch processing in the cloud, allowing pipeline frameworks to exploit the benefits of cloud computing. Unlike traditional cloud-based setups, where one would deploy a static, temporary cluster, StrongR allows you to be truly elastic: it will create worker nodes when processing power is required, and shut them down when not enough work is available. In this case, cloud resources are only allocated when they are really used. Furthermore, it allows the upscaling of the processing whenever there is more demand for computational power. Finally, StrongR can interface with multiple cloud providers, allowing users to do processing in the cloud of their choice. StrongR is developed by Erasmus MC in BBMRI-NL2.0 WP3.


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Intel officials are pushing forward with the company's ambitious cloud efforts by collaborating with OpenStack distributor Mirantis to enhance the enterprise capabilities of the open-source cloud stack.
The giant chip maker, which last month unveiled its "Cloud for All" initiative, also is leading a $100 million fundraising round for Mirantis and its 4-year-old subscription-based version of OpenStack. Joining Intel in the funding round were Goldman Sachs and existing Mirantis investors August Capital, Insight Venture Partners, Ericsson, Sapphire venture and WestSummit Capital.
Mirantis has had a strong year, with broader adoption of its OpenStack software among businesses looking to gain efficiency and cost advantages with cloud computing environments—and use cases company officials can now point to—and support among investors; the company raised $100 million in Series B funding in 2014, led by $30 million from wireless technology vendor Ericsson. The partnership and collaboration with Intel is only the latest significant step for both Mirantis and the larger effort in the OpenStack environment, and gives a boost to the idea of using the technology in enterprise data centers, according to Alex Freedland, co-founder and president of Mirantis.
"It is good to see that Intel (which was recently voted a Platinum member of the OpenStack Foundation) is starting to commit substantial resources to the OpenStack ecosystem," Freedland wrote in a post on the company blog. "By making OpenStack an integral part of the 'Cloud for All' initiative, Intel (which owns 90-plus percent of the server market worldwide) sends a strong message to enterprise buyers that OpenStack and Intel-based commodity hardware will constitute a natural union."
Further reading
Enterprises are increasingly adopting private, public and hybrid clouds, and "they need choices in their infrastructure software," Diane Bryant, senior vice president and general manager for Intel's Data Center Group, said in a statement. "OpenStack is an ideal open solution for cloud-native applications and services, and our collaboration with Mirantis is well placed to ensure the delivery of critical new enterprise features helping to create of tens of thousands of clouds."
However, while OpenStack deployments have helped some businesses find value in their use of clouds, there are still issues that need to be dealt with, Intel officials said in a post on the company blog. IT managers have told them that OpenStack can be too complex, that it doesn't easily support traditional enterprise applications and optimizing OpenStack for deployment can be a time-consuming process.
"While IT organizations have benefitted from the added effort of deployment, the industry can do better," the officials wrote. "This is why Intel is working with Mirantis to tune OpenStack for feature optimization, and while this work extends from network infrastructure optimization to storage tuning and beyond, there are a few common themes of the work."
The initial focus of the collaboration will be to make OpenStack better at running the traditional enterprise applications, the officials wrote. Many businesses currently are deploying native cloud workloads in their environments, but the legacy applications are still critical to their operations and need high levels of reliability, uptime and infrastructure control.
The second focus will be of enhancing the performance of the stack by optimizing it for the Intel Architecture, including Intel's virtualization and cloud technologies. The final push will be to make OpenStack fully embrace software-defined storage and network resource pooling. There also will be work around support for big data and performance at scale, officials said.
Intel kicked off its Cloud for All initiative in July, with the goal being to "accelerate the adoption of highly efficient clouds for businesses and providers," Bryant said during a press conference at the time.
The first step was a partnership with cloud hosting provider Rackspace to establish an innovation center to create the world's largest cloud for OpenStack developers, drive enterprise features into OpenStack and significantly increase the number of developers working on the open-source cloud platform. The partnership is the first of 15 to 20 announcements Intel will make around its cloud initiative over the next year, Bryant and Jason Waxman, general manager of Intel's Cloud Platforms Group, said during the press conference.


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This is a beautiful, unsettling, imaginative 'exhibit' beneath the water's surface near Grenada. Take a look at the transformations and nature's way. Click on the images to gain full views.
UNDERWATER SCULPTURES BY JASON deCAIRES TAYLOR
Lush, sensual, bright and contrasting to the earth tones. The Hibiscus (in this instance Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) a pleasing flower. I wish there were more hardy varieties for the northern tier gardening. There are a very few, but none, I believe, like the red variety. Nectar loving birds feed from the Hibiscus, but hummingbirds less so.
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Creativity Coaching
By Barbara Bowen | Updated June 10, 2018
This creativity Consultant teaches that when it comes to creativity, the word discipline can present problems for our art career. Webster defines the word in these terms: a systematic method to obtain obedience; submission to rules and authority; punishment intended to train or correct. As a Creativity Consultant, I find that for my clients whether artists or in other ways deeply involved with the creative process discipline is like taking a dose of castor oil. Admonishing themselves into action, they "force it down" in order to accomplish our art career goals.
One of my tasks as a Creativity Consultant is to help my clients learn that discipline is born of resistance. In itself, resistance is not negative, and is certainly not a character flaw. In fact, it is an inherent link in the cyclical chain of one's creative process. In life, we all must find help through varying degrees of resistance in order to reach creative momentum, which carries us into that delicious natural high we call "flow."
Why then, does discipline so often fail us? Why does it bring on a tangle of inner conflict, stress and guilt that hinders momentum and flow, or even stops us in our tracks? I think it's because discipline is often applied in opposition to resistance. When we oppose our resistance, we compound tension and perfectionism. When we focus on outcomes in our art career, we miss the joy of creating in the moment. The discipline that was intended to bring mastery and success in our career, in fact, brings discontent and fatigue.
Since the word "discipline" is highly charged in regards to the creative process, I prefer to use the word "willingness" to help describe a new approach to art career goals. Willingness can be cultivated, with patience. It takes a little time, but the rewards are great, indeed, as we feel tensions loosen and the creative joy increased.
Here's how it works:
When resistance sets in, we choose to call upon the "awareness mind." The inner eye simply observes the resistance: non-judgmentally, creating a soft "container" for it. Like meditation in motion, the awareness mind accepts resistance with no struggle. Ironically, acceptance will loosen and melt it. We push nothing away. We gently shift our focus back to the task at hand, wasting no time in a draining struggle. The resistance is allowed to simply float off and dissolve on its own.
As we practice this shifting process, we notice resistance floating off more easily and more often. It no longer devolves into a pesky demon that gains control over our creative endeavors. Conflict, life stress and guilt begin to fade. Starting art career goals becomes easier. Resistance is replaced by more and more calm, and more flow. We begin to recover long lost pangs of creative excitement when we wake in the morning. We define the word "success" on our own terms, enabled to take action, focus, and let go of outcomes. We surrender and engage with our creative art form or other activity, moment by moment. If we stay loyal to this practice, one day we will notice that the discipline associated with our art career has become our willingness.
Next: Creativity and Spirituality
©2003 Barbara Bowen. All rights reserved.
Barbara Bowen is a New York based professional writer and photographer, and founder of Gateways Coaching. She coaches artists and other art career professionals in transition worldwide. ...
Creativity: Discipline or Willingness?
Creativity and Spirituality
Tempering the Inner Critic
Carl Jung and Gateways Themes
Dreams for Change
Creative Process: The Legacy
Enhancement through Repetition
Artist Presentation
Artist Support
Personal Renewal
Collective Renewal
Art Careers in Transition
The Need to Create
Creativity and Relationships
Tribute to Paul Newman
How the Fall Season Benefits Creativity
Creating and Fear
Creative Growth
Creative Process


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Free BySoft InternetPal Download from FilesPack.com!
BySoft InternetPal 184.108.40.2062By BySoft
BySoft InternetPal 126.96.36.1992 author's review:
Monitors Internet connection cost and bandwidth. Freeware!
InternetPal is 32-bit win95/98/NT/2000/XP program for monitoring Internet connection. Automatically monitors calls and detects connection types. It runs in the system tray. Detailed information about the connections is stored into the log file, and it can be showed in table or graphical form. Statistics shows number of connections, upload, download, connection speed, average transfer rate, cost, online time?
BySoft InternetPal related tags: dialup, online timer, bandwidth, cost, bysoft, connection, internet, connect, all tags
We respect the copyright policy of all the shareware and freeware demos on FilesPack.com and never publish any serial, crack, registration codes or keygen tools. BySoft InternetPal and all other software listed on our website, provided for free download. We do not publish download links to torrent files or rapidshare.com
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e-Timer 1.0
by e-Soft s.r.l.
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This piece of GreenBell and ProfKeane fan art is dedicated to wyattloughrie, anne-de-breuil, chateaugrief, dolly—spiral, and Regulas314 who celebrated their birthdays last week, Dragonprince18, lashesgem, and ScarletRed101 who celebrated their birthdays two days ago, and Aleksandra aka Skyrawathi and Miamelly who celebrated their birthdays yesterday. So, I hope you all had such fabulous, phenomenal, and grand birthday celebrations. I wish you a lot of love, prosperity, and joy in your lives as artists and as people. I would also love to dedicate this to all of the awesome GreenBell and ProfKeane shippers out there. Sit back, relax, and enjoy. Before Team Xtreme ended up being Townsville's greatest saviors, before their allies, The Phenomenal Four, aided them in keeping Townsville safe from evil while doubling that with wiping Citysville from crime, there was The Quantum Quartet consisting of Mr. Lucius Green who went by The Creature, Miss Sara Bellum who went by Mega Bellum, Professor John Utonium who went by PowerProf, and Miss Sandra Keane who went by Wonder Keane. They were academics heavily involved in science, education, politics, philosophy, and social sciences by day and superheroes during their breaks. Yes, I know Professor Utonium's PowerProf getup was created in order to spend more time with the Powerpuff Girls, thus fighting crime together, but where my headcanon is concerned, Mr. Green, Mrs. Bellum-Green, Professor Utonium, and Mrs. Keane-Utonium were, once upon a time in the 80's, Townsville's superheroes akin to the Fantastic Four before retiring the gig in the 90's to live their normal lives in their chosen professions. Yes, this type of passing the torch is also akin to The Incredibles, what with Mr. Green and Mrs. Bellum-Green being the Rowdyruff Boys' parents and Professor Utonium and Mrs. Keane-Utonium being the Powerpuff Girls' parents, because it does show the dynamics that these two families have when it comes to occasionally helping their children and grandchildren save Townsville and the world. Moreover, in my headcanon involving The Quantum Quartet, Professor Utonium is the one who creates the costumes such as his PowerProf getup, Mr. Green's Creature Cape, Mrs. Bellum-Green's Mega Bellum mask, top, gauntlets, and jet boots, and Mrs. Keane-Utonium's utility belt, headband, and jet boots and ensures that they are durable in every mission. He is essentially a combination of Iron Man's Tony Stark and The Incredibles' Edna Mode, thus making him the brains and the savvy technician of this quartet of older generation superheroes. Mr. Green aka The Creature is the gentle giant. He is compassionate, kind, and merciful towards his teammates and is a gentleman in every single way. However, if one were to be on his bad side, he would transform into a vicious demon complete with fangs and grotesque features and give that felon not only a well-deserved scare but also a willingness to run to the nearest policeman to turn himself in. Mr. Green or The Creature is quite akin to The Thing, in which he is a supernatural creature who bears a lot of humane qualities, in spite of his outwardly haunting appearance. Mrs. Bellum-Green aka Mega Bellum is the tactician who always ensures order and great teamwork within their group. She is an expert at hand-to-hand combat and she can effectively think fast on her feet. Her gauntlets are also used as shields to protect her from any attack. Mega Bellum is a combination of the Pink Sapphire and Wonder Woman considering that she is a magnificent combination of brains, brawn, and beauty. Mrs. Keane-Utonium aka Wonder Keane is the pacifist of this group who keeps the harmony going in The Quantum Quartet. Her utility belt is based on the subjects she teaches ranging from music to language and grammar to mathematics to values and principles. She would use these features in order to attack criminals and put them in their place, decode messages, decipher numerical codes, and receive emergency messages. Sure, her whole getup and skills are a combination of Wonder Woman and Batman, but Wonder Keane is akin to Mary Marvel in which she can combine strength, wisdom, and feminine charm to make her a complete package. There you have it, dear viewers. The Quantum Quartet in all of their dutiful glory and who still manage to look exceptional even in their 50's. I hope you all enjoyed this and I will see you all in the flipside. Take care and have a great spring. Mr. Green, Ms. Bellum, Professor Utonium, and Miss Keane from The Powerpuff Girls belong to Craig McCracken and Cartoon Network.
"Passa un anno intero Giorno dopo giorno Ci guardiamo indifferentemente Diventiamo estranei, l'uno all'altro Non facciamo niente per recuperare Tutti quei momenti, quegli istanti Che ci hanno fatto innamorare Noi restiamo ormai senza saper dire Una sola frase, una parola Balbettiamo appena qualche sì Non c'é alcun pensiero Che al cuore arrivi Dal tuo cuore muto Insieme al mio In attesa, non si sa di che Metti una sera come ogni sera Che si siamo a cena Noi due soltanto Alziamo gli occhi, e all'improvviso Sui nostri visi Non c'è più niente Non restiamo ormai senza saper dire Una sola frase, una parola Balbettiamo appena qualche sì Non c'é alcun pensiero Che al cuore arrivi Dal tuo cuore muto Insieme al mio In attesa, non si sa di che Metti una sera come ogni sera Che siamo a cena Noi due soltanto Alziamo gli occhi, e all'improvviso Sui nostri visi Non c'è più niente Metti una sera come ogni sera Che siamo a cena Noi due soltanto…" -Metti Una Sera a Cena, Originally sung by Milva, Music by Ennio Morricone, Lyrics by Carlo Carunchio and Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, From the 1969 film of the same name English Translation courtesy of Musixmatch: "An entire year passes Day after day We look at each other indifferently We become strangers, one for the other We don't do anything to revive All those moments, those instants Which made us fall in love? By now we don't know how to say Even one sentence, one word We barely babble a "yes" There is not one thought Which reaches the heart? From your silent heart With mine waiting For who knows for what Suppose an evening like every evening When we are at supper Only the two of us We lift our eyes and all of a sudden On our faces There's nothing left By now we don't know how to say Even one sentence, one word We barely babble a "yes" There is not one thought Which reaches the heart? From your silent heart With mine waiting For who knows for what Suppose an evening like every evening When we are at supper Only the two of us We lift our eyes and all of a sudden On our faces There's nothing left Suppose an evening like every evening When we are at supper Only the two of us…" This piece of GreenBell fanart, which is part of KatyGorl's Claim a PPG Pairing Month, is dedicated to corleonese1, WoodCraftsandWands, and Rainy–Artworks who celebrated their birthdays a couple of days. So, I hope you guys had a magnificent, grand, blessed, and exciting birthday. I wish you all of my love, joy, and prosperity in everything you do as artists and people. Come se dice in italiano, spero che voi avete un compleanno magnifico, grande, benedetto ed eccitante. Auguro a voi tutti tutto il mio amore, gioia e prosperità nelle tue vite che voi facete come artisti e persone. I would also love to dedicate this to the shippers of Mr. Green and Miss Bellum as a couple. It is a pretty rare couple, but I think it's plausible. Vi piace amici miei. Like I said, Mr. Green pairing up with Miss Bellum is rather unconventional but it makes for some interesting and awesome dynamics, especially when these two are the Rowdyruff Boys' parents and do a far better job at raising them compared to Mojo Jojo and HIM. As you can tell, they are married in my Team Xtreme headcanon, hence that is why Miss Sara Bellum is known as Mrs. Sara Bellum-Green, with Brick, Butch, and Boomer bearing the family names of Green. As you can tell, I have been playing with the idea of the Rowdyruff Boys having much better parental figures than HIM and Mojo combined. Miss Keane is a nice choice, but as you can tell, I'm a hardcore Professor Utonium x Miss Keane shipper. So, I was quite inspired by Sweatshirtmaster's and wyattloughrie's pictures of Miss Bellum being quite the awesome mother figure to Brick, Butch, and Boomer. My idea of Mr. Green, the supernatural-looking substitute teacher in the episode "Substitute Creature" and one of the most underrated side characters in The Powerpuff Girls, being a father figure to the boys came to my head like a flash of lightning, as I firmly believe that his brand of kindness, empathy, grace, and genuine, fatherly love would be of insurmountable benefit in terms of raising Brick, Butch, and Boomer to be the upstanding gentlemen and superheroes that they are today. Moreover, it is really clear who wears the pants in this off-beat yet interesting and loving relationship. That's right Mrs. Bellum-Green, given her experience with raising the boys and firmly establishing discipline and respect in her house. "Metti Una Sera a Cena" composed by the legendary Ennio Morricone has been a tune that has been an earworm ever since I was twenty years old. The singer who introduced me to this song was none other than Hayley Westenra. I've been a fan of hers ever since I was twelve years old and I think she is a fine classical crossover singer. So, I hope you also enjoy listening to this rendition as much as you enjoy the goodness and the flexibility that is GreenBell. Vi piace con ascoltare, amici miei. Metti Una Sera a Cena sung by Hayley Westenra I hope you all enjoyed this and as we say in Italian, a la prossima. Mr. Green and Miss Sara Bellum from The Powerpuff Girls belong to Craig McCracken and Cartoon Network.


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Sri Lanka's Presidential Election: How the General who ruthlessly defeated the Tamil Tigers has become the hope of Sri Lanka's liberals and Tamils
Clifford Bastin examines the background to today's Sri Lankan presidential election and explains the strange alliances which have formed.
The Sri Lankan President, Mahinda Rajapakse has called a presidential election for today (January 26), two years before his term finishes. In May this year the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were finally routed bringing to an end a thirty year conflict. It might be assumed that this remarkable victory would comfortably guarantee a second term for Rajapakse but he is facing an unexpected challenge from his former Army Commander, General Sarath Fonseka.
Other than presiding over a stunning military victory a number of factors point to a second term for the President. Rajapakse is a shrewd and seasoned political operator, a master of lowest common denominator politics. The state controlled press and broadcast media dutifully promote the President and denigrate his opponent. The independent media with certain notable exceptions is mostly pro-Rajapakse and if their inclinations are otherwise inducements or intimidation have brought them into line. The President and his immediate family wield virtually unchecked power over the institutions and agencies of the state. Three of the Presidents brothers hold key posts and many close associates and extended family members have been appointed to leading positions in state bodies.
The relentless and strident promotion of the President's accomplishments and virtues is striking. The cult of personality is apparent from the ubiquitous posters and hoardings, some of towering dimensions. Recently a new banknote came into circulation bearing the Presidents beaming image and that of conquering troops planting a flag, conflating victory with his leadership. On New Years day all mobile phone companies were ordered to send the islands 13.5m subscribers a presidential greeting. At no cost to the Rajapakse campaign and unrestrained by modesty or electoral propriety, the SMS ran:
As promised, I delivered a free and sovereign country. Wish all the very best for the future. Happy New Year: Mahinda RajapaksaThere is no doubting the President's impressive achievement in creating conditions in which the war could be won and disproving the commonly held belief that the conflict was unwinnable. The Tigers were a ruthless and determined terrorist organization, lavishly funded by the million strong Tamil diaspora. When Rajapakse won the presidential election of 2005 a Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) established three years earlier, was still in force. It had been littered with LTTE violations and the early hope of a political resolution had evaporated. Events however were moving against the Tigers.
The Tigers were weakened by an internal split which reduced their fighting strength by a third. The breakaway faction of eastern Tamils became allies of the government, working closely with the army and contributing both manpower and intelligence. The regime was successful at building relations with friendly nations notably Iran, China, Russia, Pakistan and Burma from whom they gained crucial financial, political and military support. In a post 9/11 world the LTTE were finding it harder to channel funds and arms shipments to Sri Lanka while Rajapakse was expanding and modernizing the armed forces. Sri Lanka is now proportionately the most militarized society in the region with the army, navy, air force, police and civil defence numbering 350,000 in a population of around 20 million.
Once hostilities resumed in earnest there were no half-measures. White van squads began operating and suspected LTTE operatives and sympathisers disappeared in increasing numbers. Dissenting voices in the media were muted by a series of abductions, assaults and murders. Despite occasional setbacks on the battlefield and a wave of terrorist outrages the momentum was with the Sri Lankan forces. In May 2009, on a narrow strip of territory in the east between the coast and a lagoon the remnants of the LTTE were killed or captured and the entirety of the senior leadership perished. The precise civilian death toll in this final phase is disputed, but was inevitably high, the UN estimates 7,000 fatalities.
After the initial euphoria had subsided and the victory parades were over, tensions quickly developed between the Rajapakse family and the former army commander. With no conflict to engender cohesion, injured sensibilities and bitter rivalries soon surfaced. The Rajapakses were concerned that their political hegemony might be threatened by an increasingly powerful military. At the end of the conflict Sarath Fonseka was appointed Chief of the Defence Staff, an apparent elevation but in fact the move weakened his control over the army. As his relations deteriorated with the government, the General opted to retire. He was offered a public servants role in the sports ministry, which he turned down as a humiliating slight. His personal security was drastically reduced, further evidence of what he considered degrading treatment. Fonseka was ordered to promptly vacate his official residence and when he did not do so, a large contingent of troops was sent to his home on the pretext of looking for army deserters.
In December Fonseka announced his candidature for the Presidency. It is unclear whether Fonseka's motivation is ego or a principled opposition to the government. He is promising to eliminate corruption and promote ethnic harmony, media freedom, and human rights. Fonseka has also announced his intention to abolish the Executive Presidency, which concentrates power in the hands of the President at the expense of Parliament. Many are indeed concerned that the present constitutional arrangement has led to a dangerous accretion of power in one office and has the potential to pave the way for autocratic and ultimately even dynastic rule.
The government has levelled corruption allegations against the General, claiming that in military procurement he favoured a company owned by his son-in-law. Cabinet spokesman Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa alleges that Fonseka became angry with the President's brother, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the Defence Secretary, when in August he refused his request for the purchase $222,392,635 of military equipment from China, Fonseka strenuously denies the accusation.
As Army Commander, Fonseka had made menacing pronouncements against the media. On January 2 2009, in an interview in the state-controlled Sinhala daily, Dinamina, while army commander, he called unnamed journalists "traitors" and referred to the "treachery" of the media. He claimed that the biggest obstacle to defeating the LTTE was the unpatriotic media. For some time Sri Lanka has been one of the most hostile country's in which to be a journalist. Six days after Fonseka's published comments, on January 8 2009 the Editor of the Sunday Leader, Lasantha Wickrematunge, was shot dead. The paper is best known for its investigations into corruption in high places and while unsympathetic to the LTTE was critical of aspects of the war's conduct.
Two days prior to Wickrematunge's assassination, the Sirasa television station on the outskirts of Colombo had been stormed and set alight. State media had specifically criticised Sirasa for giving disproportionate coverage to a suicide bombing in Colombo, diverting attention from a speech made by the President lauding the capture of the Tiger capital, Killinochchi on the same day. No progress has been made in finding the perpetrator of either crime which has been the pattern for all other attacks on the media. Reporters Without Frontiers has claimed that 30 journalists have fled Sri Lanka in the last year.
Ethnic minorities, especially Tamils and Muslims, will need some convincing that the General is the man to deliver ethnic harmony. His choice of language in an interview with the Canadian National Post in September 2008 was at best grudging.
I strongly believe that this country belongs to the Sinhalese but there are minority communities and we treat them like our people. We being the majority of the country, 75%, we will never give in and we have the right to protect this country. We are also a strong nation ... They can live in this country with us. But they must not try to, under the pretext of being a minority, demand undue things.Fonseka is personally without party affiliation but has garnered support from a broad and diverse coalition of opposition groups, campaigning under the symbol of the Swan. He is backed by the main opposition and centre-right United National Party (UNP). The JVP (translated as People's Liberation Front) a curious amalgam of Marxism and Sinhalese nationalism backs the general. The JVP was involved in violent insurrections in the early 1970s and late 1980s and recently fragmented when a number of its MPs joined the government.
The largest Muslim party, the Sri Lankan Muslim Congress (SLMC) supports Fonseka and has significant support amongst the 8% of the population who are Muslim. After much soul searching the Western Peoples Front (WPF), a small Tamil party has decided to campaign for Fonseka. The WPF is led by Mano Ganeshan, a human rights activist who has worked at great risk to himself on behalf of the families of the abducted.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) a coalition of four Tamil groupings was close to the Tigers. It represents lowland Tamils who form 12% of the population. To win the TNA's support Fonseka has pledged to repeal the state of emergency in place since March 1983, that gives powers to arrest and detain terrorist suspects without trial. He has offered an amnesty to captured LTTE cadres and to dismantle the High Security Zones in the north occupied by the armed forces. The government alleges that Fonseka has struck a secret deal to re-merge the Eastern and Northern provinces, a key demand of the LTTE.
The Tamil vote may be crucial. In the 2005 election a margin of only 2% separated Rajapakse and his UNP opponent Ranil Wickremesinghe. The LTTE had instructed Tamils in the North and East to abstain and in Tiger strongholds few dared disobey. This deprived the opposition candidate of vital Tamil votes that the UNP could normally have counted on in a presidential election and almost certainly opened the door for a Rajapakse victory. It is hard to estimate how exactly the Tamil vote may influence the outcome this time. The President is himself supported by some smaller Tamil parties. Many Tamils may abstain, unenthusiastic about voting for the army commander that led the military campaign against the LTTE and still less for the President who directed it.
The intense fighting that took place in the final stages of the war created around 280,000 Internally Displaced People (IDP) .They were housed in temporary camps run by the military and it is estimated that 100,000 are yet to be re-settled. Given the considerable displacement of the local population concern has been expressed that many will not be registered or possess an Identity Card enabling them to vote.
The main election monitoring NGOs have complained that the authorities have done insufficient to ensure the affected population will be able to exercise their franchise. The Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CAFFE), estimates that out of approximately 271,000 IDPs eligible to vote, only around 13,700 are registered. The wisdom of calling an election two years early is questionable when a proportion of the people that the government fought to liberate will possibly be excluded from the democratic process.
As is customary during a Sri Lankan election, a number of individual politicians have switched allegiance. Two UNP politicians who recently joined the Rajapakse camp were immediately rewarded with ministerial posts. S.B.Dissanayake, a national organizer of the opposition UNP has switched sides just as he did at an earlier election in 2001 when making a different calculation about the swing of the political pendulum. The former Captain of Sri Lanka's 1996 cricket world cup winning team, Arjuna Ranatunga, a member of the President's Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), is campaigning for the General.
A prominent Buddhist monk involved with the hardline and Sinhalese nationalist, Patriotic National Centre (PNC) has endorsed the General after previously supporting the President. At a media briefing the Dambara Amila Thera said:
There is no media freedom, there are no free and fair elections in the country and there are too many problems in the IDP camps. Over 50 people die every day in the IDP camps.The next day he found himself in prison accused of corruption.
Three parliamentarians of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) including a Deputy Minister have broken ranks with their leadership and are campaigning for Fonseka. The CWC represents Tamil workers of Indian descent who largely work on the plantations in the hill country and make up 5% of the population.
Hardly had Fonseka's candidacy been declared when the campaign became mired in a controversy that has yet to subside. In an interview published on December 13, in the Sunday Leader, the General reportedly said that in the final stages of the conflict Gotabayha Rajapakse had ordered that neither the LTTE leaders nor their families were to be taken prisoner, even though they were attempting to give themselves up. The government response concentrated less on rebuttal than on portraying the allegations as treacherous and sullying the nations image abroad. They represented a betrayal of Gotabayha, the President and the armed forces, that left them open to war crimes charges.
The failure to anticipate how his remarks would be exploited was indicative of the Generals lack of political experience. The resulting furore compelled Fonseka to hurriedly claim misrepresentation. The highly respected and senior journalist, Federica Janz, stands by her story. In his subsequent clarification Fonseka said that he had only heard from a journalist embedded with the army of attempts by the LTTE leadership to surrender and that while he was in charge of conducting the final operation no request to surrender had reached him and hence the army had never acted unlawfully.
The General Secretary of the ruling SLFP, Maithripala Sirisena, alleged that Fonseka has now become a pawn in the hands of some western nations "conspiring" to bring "regime change" in Sri Lanka. Fonseka has wryly observed that:
Before I handed over the nomination I was the best army commander in the world, but after that I was the country's number one traitor.The now infamous interview prompted the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions, Phillip Alston, to request that the government explain how senior LTTE cadres and family members thought to be surrendering, met their deaths on the night of May 17 and 18 2009.
The Rajapakse regime is certainly taking the challenge posed by the Fonseka candidacy seriously. The electorate have been offered a range of economic inducements. Petrol and bottled gas prices have been reduced. On orders from the President, import duty on wheat sugar and onions has been lowered to reduce prices of those staples. Rajapakse has claimed that he has received information that business men associated with the UNP were engineering a shortage in the rice market. Correspondingly he has ordered the importation of extra stocks at preferential rates to keep the price down.
Wages for public servants have been raised including the police and military. Pensions for service personnel have been increased substantially and the elderly are to be entitled to a 20% bonus on the interest they receive from their savings. Farmers are also enjoying the election time spree having seen the price of fertilizer reduced and rates for agricultural credit clipped. Fonseka is responding by making some similarly expensive promises that a fragile economy with a high level of public borrowing can ill afford.
With access to vastly greater finance, media advertising and hoardings supporting the President far outnumber those for Fonseka. Electoral law stipulates that hoardings and posters can be displayed only in the vicinity of party offices and at political meetings but the law has been flagrantly ignored. The Head of the Police has said that the President instructed the police to remove all illegal publicity from the streets before nomination day on the 17th December, but the illegal publicity is still in place.
The People's Action for Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL) is deeply unsatisfied that the law is being flouted. A police officer in the eastern town of Ampara has been transferred to Kilinochchi after acting on the orders of the Election Commissioner to remove illegal hoardings. The Commissioner has responded by ordering that no public servants be victimized at election time with transfers. The Election Commissioner, Dayananda Dissanayake, gave a fresh deadline of January 7 for the hoardings to come down, which came and went.
The Elections Commissioner now appears to have given up. He has told Inspector General of Police, Mahinda Balasuriya, that he will not be making any further requests to him to uphold election laws as the police have repeatedly failed to act. He has informed political parties not to notify him of any more complaints, given his inability to take action. The electoral contest has become rather like a boxing match, with Queensbury rules, but no referee to enforce them.
The President has been lavishly entertaining large groups of lawyers, farmers, artists, three-wheeler drivers and police officers, amongst others, at his official residence, Temple Trees. His ready bonhomie and common touch are well suited to such gatherings. The participants are entertained and in some cases transported at state expense, a practice Transparency International criticized in its report of December 31. This report revealed how state finance and property are being used in contravention of electoral law, by the Rajapakse campaign.
Key to understanding the potential for abuse is that the President has made inoperative the 17th amendment to the constitution. This amendment established the principle of an independent public service whereby appointments would be screened impartially by a Constitutional Council. This Council was also to nominate members of independent Commissions on elections, police, corruption and human rights.
The President has not appointed a Constitutional Council despite a statutory obligation and the Commissions are not therefore functioning. Accordingly all public appointees, including judicial, are the result of unrestrained presidential and ministerial patronage. At election time partisan place men naturally do their masters bidding. When coupled with the fact the four Rajapakse brothers head ministries accounting for two-thirds of the national budget, the extent of the familys control over the agencies of the state becomes apparent.
Transparency has documented a number of other areas of concern. The deployment of government sector vehicles and public buses as well as helicopters for election work has been widespread. Public institutions such as the Board of Investments, Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Urban Development and a state retail chain, Lanka Sathosa, have placed advertisements and hoardings supporting the Presidents campaign. Money has been channeled to the youth organization Tharunyata Hetak, (Youths Future) by public bodies such as the Bank of Ceylon and the National Lotteries Board. The youth organisation is headed by the Presidents two sons and has been spending considerable amounts on advertising in support of the campaign.
The state controls a number of TV and radio stations as well as newspapers. They often have office holders from the Presidents own party in key positions and all obediently communicate the Rajapakse message. A selection of headlines from the Daily News of January 5 demonstrates the point.
President sets exampleInvariably there is a photograph of the President on the front page and a host of upbeat pieces on the state of the nation along with articles decrying the Opposition.
Fonseka arms deal bared
Govt never kept people hungry
A chilling video showing the alleged execution of Tiger prisoners by the army and supposedly filmed in January was screened by Channel Four in August. The footage was dismissed by the government as a fabrication after the experts it had appointed examined it. However the UN Rapporteur, Phillip Alston has said that independent analysis by US experts confirms its authenticity. Abductions and disappearances, attacks on the media and high profile incidents such as the murder of 17 local aid workers of Action Contre La Faim, have created considerable international unease regarding Sri Lanka's human rights record. To assuage international opinion the government has set up enquiries but foot-dragging, obfuscation and studied incompetence ensure no culprits have been identified and apprehended.
The response of the Sri Lankan authorities to all accusations that its personnel have committed human rights abuses has been an automatic and blanket denial. The rejection of culpability and a refusal to bow to criticism from the international community, wins approval from large sections of the domestic audience. It should certainly not be forgotten that the LTTE perpetrated appalling crimes against their own people and against the civilian population of the island. However the government's failure to take seriously allegations of human rights transgressions perpetrated by elements within its own armed forces has allowed a culture of impunity to develop increasing the likelihood of further abuses.
The European Union appears to have lost patience with the government and is moving toward suspension of an important trade concession, the Generalised System of Preferences or GSP plus. This is granted on condition that human rights norms are fulfilled. Primarily it will impact on exports from the important garment sector, for which the EU is the biggest market. The President has responded with characteristic belligerence:
We will not be held back by threatened economic sanctions or withdrawn trade concessions by those who seek strategic interference in the national affairs of Sri Lanka.Instead, he suggested, relations would be strengthened with friendly nations like China who had not raised awkward questions regarding human rights and war crimes.
In the absence of credible opinion polls it is difficult to predict the election outcome but the incumbent has been shaken by the intensity of the contest. The General has undoubtedly rallied the previously demoralized and fragmented opposition. There is concern that the election and its aftermath maybe violent. Already rallies have been broken up and political offices burned. In Tangalle, a stronghold of the President in the south, a bus carrying Fonseka supporters came under machine gun-fire, killing one and injuring ten. Should the declared result be close and of dubious credibility, what Mahinda Rajapakse has termed the "emerging wonder of Asia" may be thrown into turmoil.
The Jaffna based group University Teachers for Human Rights (UTHR) has observed that the real issues facing Sri Lanka are being eclipsed by the squabble between the regime and the General about who can be considered the greater patriot and who deserves the major credit for achieving military victory. The UTHR believes the election should be about re-building trust between communities, devolving power and reforming the state in order to defend human rights.
Historically the Sri Lankan people have been poorly led by a self-serving political class, conspicuously unable to provide statesmanship and vision. It is hard to be optimistic that either candidate in this election can break a well established mould and deliver the reform necessary to nurture reconciliation, human rights, clean governance and development. It is earnestly to be hoped that this pessimism is misplaced as the end of the war has created a unique opportunity for the winning candidate to unleash the islands enormous potential. What has taken many by surprise is that in the aftermath of its bloody conflict that there is a fiercely contested election at all.
To read Clifford Bastin's previous reports from Sri Lanka, see Sri Lanka after the Tsunami.
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Dictionary.com chooses `existential' as word of the year
Published: Dec. 2, 2019 at 9:08 AM EST
Climate change, gun violence, the very nature of democracy and an angsty little movie star called Forky helped propel the word "existential" to Dictionary.com's word of the year.
The choice reflects months of high-stakes threats and crises, real and pondered, across the news, the world and throughout 2019.
Dictionary.com defines existential as "of or relating to existence."
See the full explanation of the word
Dictionary.com crunches lookup and other data to decide which word to anoint each year.
Copyright 2019 Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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Every commitment includes rights and obligations, and this also applies to those who acquire a debt. Know your rights as a debtor.
How many times have you received calls late at night or very early, from a collection office? Have you been insulted or threatened because you failed to repay a loan?
In theory that should no longer happen
In theory that should no longer happen, because the financial reform granted the National Commission for the Protection and Defense of Users of Financial Services (Condusef) powers to regulate the activity of collection offices.
However, the agency continues to detect bad practices in these, as it revealed that complaints against collection offices increased 224% in the first half of this year, compared to the same period of 2014.
Thus, in the first six months of the year, financial services users have filed 16,210 complaints. According to Condusef, the main complaint is that the person they call the offices constantly is not even the debtor.
Being a debtor does not eliminate the rights of people
The agency has insisted that while the person has acquired a commitment and no one examples from him, it is also true that being a debtor does not eliminate the rights of people. Today some offices resort to intimidation and unethical practices to recover the money owed to them. However, you should know that:
- A collector does not have the power to do anything other than charge you. He can't put you in jail, he can't. Be very careful because there have been cases in which these people enter the homes and take items, given the debtor's lack of knowledge that this is a clear search.
- You cannot impersonate a justice agency. That is, if they deliver documents that simulate court orders, they are committing a crime by usurping functions.
- They cannot break your locks or damage a property that belongs to you. Even when pasting notifications in your home, they are damaging the furniture.
- They should not receive cash. It should always be on the bank account, they are not authorized to receive the money, their job is only to collect.
- They cannot charge anyone else who has not signed the collateral or joint debtor. Do not intimidate any member of your family with it.
- It cannot enter your address.
What can they do?
- Negotiate debt payment
- Make offers and discounts with prior authorization from the financial institution
- Visit you at your home but in a polite manner
- They can call you in a polite manner
Any arbitrariness of collection offices must report it to the Condusef. This way you will be helping to purify these organizations and only those who respect the debtors' rights remain.


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October 28, 2011
Look At This Dog
We got sent this sign via my Facebook account. I know it is difficult to read so I'm going to post the caption here:
Look At This Dog
*Responds to the name Gilligan
*Last seen chilling in my back yard, srsly not giving a sh*#
*Plays by his own rules and apologizes to no man. Or dog.
*Will flip out if offered cheese, especially Kraft slices.
*Borderline obese. Ya know, from Kraft slices.
*Loves rolling in his own filth. But who doesn't?
*Has a gorgeous, flowing mane, akin to a majestic lion's.
*Not Lost – just wanted to show you how awesome my dog is.
Yes, I laughed out loud. So did Gretchen. We see Lost Dogs signs all the time and we keep an alert eye open for the missing. We've never found anyone and while that makes me sad, when I read this posting, I chuckled so hard my curls bounced. What a great family this dog lives with– to be so loved that they post signs all over telling everyone how lucky they are to live with such a silly, sweet dog.
So it got me to thinking — if I were to post signs of my dog-friends, what would I say? What do I need you to know in eight bullet points or less?
Great idea for a blog, Rubin.
Thanks, Gretchen. I thought so too, but I think I'll need your help.
Seriously? I think you know your friends better than I do.
Maybe, but do chime in if you feel like I'm way off base or you have something to add.
Okay, will do. Who shall we start with?
*Responds to the name Rosie, Rosalicious, Rose-bud, Rosie-Posie, and Wiggle bum
*Last seen poking her brother, Tyson (see below), with her nose, egging him onto play. (I'm not going to use any swear words, okay? Sounds like a plan.)
*Lives to chase cats though she rarely gets an opportunity, though trust me, she's tried.
*Is so treat driven that she'll do anything to receive a morsel (except if a cat is involved…then all bets are off).
*She's built like a tank, but is amazingly flexible. She can bend herself in half in either direction and has a break-dancing spin move that is the envy of the boys in our 'hood
*Takes 15 minutes to walk 3 blocks partly because she likes to pee on everything, but mostly because her nose is working over time and she knows that every leaf, blade of grass, and tree requires that she catalog its existence.
*Is gold like honey with sprinkles of white around her jowls. And you can't miss her because she walks like she's doing a jig.
*Not Lost — In fact, I doubt she would know how to get lost since she's not only attached to her brother, Tyson, but adores her family so much she'd never leave their sides (well, unless a cat races by then she might have a chance of getting lost).
How's that?
Perfect! I couldn't have said it better myself!
*Responds to the name Tyson, Ty-Ty, or Chicken Nugget (you know, like Tyson's chicken nuggets?)
*Last seen with his head in the toy box searching for the hedgehog that squeaks while his sister, Rosie, punches him with her nose.
*Lives to protect his older sister, Rosie. He has often defended her honor and has the scars to prove it.
*While he enjoys normal dog treats and snacks, often stops dead in his tracks to snag a blade of grass and munch on it for whole city blocks.
*The body of a gladiator, you'd never know he's kind of a nervous fellow. Still, he's the envy of all the boy dogs I know (including me!)
*A very well-behaved dog on a leash unless his sister sees a cat then he goes into Protection Gladiator and rises up on his hind legs like, well, like a Boxer (I mean, like a human boxer – dukes at the ready!)
*Short-coated, golden like a chicken nugget, with a black, black nose and muzzle and don't forget about those worried wrinkles etched in his forehead.
*Lost, sometimes, in his own worry, but an amazingly fun-loving guy and goofy as all-get-out if you give him half a chance.
Anything to add?
You're doing great, Rubin, keep going!
*Responds to the name Monty, Sir Monce-o-lot, Montague, Montego, and Stinky
*Last seen leaping up and barking at the cars splashing through the mud puddles
*Lives to smell other dog's heads (yeah, I know, I should be writing "butts" but trust me, this guy has a thing for other dogs and their heads)
*Has a special fondness for anything he finds in my bowl and is not the least bit particular though some foods disagree with him (remember his nickname is Stinky!)
*When recently coiffed, he looks like a show poodle, but that doesn't last long since he has a fondness for mud puddles. Cutest when he looks like a Muppet and is wearing his pooka shells!
*Has never learned to walk a straight line on a leash. He'd make a great swing dancer since he's always circling around and spinning in great arcs.
*His black and white spots throw people off. "What kind of dog is that?" they ask and we respond – "He's not a dog, he's a curly-coated Holstein Cow!"
*Never lost — he just sometimes looks like he is.
You nailed that one, Rubin. That's Monty down to the last curl!
Thanks. This is kind of fun!
*Responds to the name Paige, Pager, Pager-wager, Pokey-nose, and Ms. Betty Page.
*Last seen tearing through the woods on a cold, dark night sniffing out the scent of something very interesting and low to the ground!
*Lives to get her way — even when she can't, she still tries…and tries…and tries again. And then a few more tries after that.
*Has a special fondness for Chicken Jerky, a Honey Crisp apple, and Gretchen's socks (ew!)
*Sleek, svelte, and without an ounce of fat on her. A beauty!
*Loves kissing everyone she likes with her wet nose on their noses…or glasses…or ears…(remember, Pokey-nose is her nickname!)
*Has ears that are more expressive than Marcel Marceau's face…heck, more than his whole body!
*Never lost – she knows exactly where she is and what she's doing — it's everyone else who's confused.
Keep going…you're on a roll now, buddy!
(Who we miss very much — she's still working on healing that broken toe!)
*Responds to Woobie, Woobster, Woobs, and Woobie Woobie Woobie (said very excitedly!)
*Last seen weeks ago wearing a red cast and still smiling!
*Lives to make everyone happy!
*Is very particular about her treats though will do anything to be rubbed on her belly!
*Distant relative of Cousin It only not creepy in the least!
*Loves diving into the lake and letting her long locks float like seaweed all around her.
*Long, beautiful black and gray hair that flows like a cape and catches the breeze
*Lost? Not in her vocabulary. When you're with Woobie, you're found.
Are you a bit smitten with Woobie, Rubin?
*Responds to Roux, Roux-Roux, Roux-ster, Roux-o-licious
*Last seen (and mostly heard) with her tongue out and a wild look in her eye hoping we come by for a walk and a visit.
*Plays without rules, with free abandon like there's no tomorrow!
*Has been known to dream of licking peanut butter out of the jar instead of just her Kong toy.
*Thunder thighs! Seriously. If she were any taller, you'd swear she was a horse!
*Loves racing around like crazy and then refusing to walk home because she's too tired.
*Wolfhound is in there for sure, but the other mix (or mixes) are a mystery. She's a Wolfdle!
*Not lost, just momentarily uncertain of where she is and where she should go next.
Wow Rubin, that was amazing.
Ya think? I mean, I know we haven't seen Woobie or Roux this week, but I threw them in there because I kind of miss them.
I think they would be honored to be included. But remember, you saw Gemma too!
Oh yeah! She came by for a visit! I know we don't walk her anymore, but can I make a poster for her?
Of course you can — it's your blog after all!
Oh and you have photos still…I saw them when you were trying to clean out the photo album. Can I use one!
You bet!
*Responds to the name Gemma, Gemster, GEMMA!!!!, and Gem
*Last seen turning her butt into any dog who looks like s/he would want to play (which was me the other night!)
*Believes every rule ever written was to be broken…by her!
*Flips out over ears. Yep, you heard me right. She loves to chomp on ears — mine in particular!
*I'm not saying she's chunky, but she sure knows how to throw her weight around.
*Loves barking at dogs behind fences — it's safer than barking at them face to face.
*Is Irish red and like anyone who knows redheads, she's got a feisty, fiery dog-a-nality to match (but I love her!)
*Lost? You couldn't lose her even if you tried (though I'd never!) – she's everywhere at once!
Whew, that made me tired. I think my paws may never recover.
Good job, Rubes! Why don't you call it a week.
Sounds like a plan! Have a great weekend everyone!
Wait! You need to write one for yourself.
I can't write my own…you have to write it!
Alrighty…let's see…
*Answers to Rubin, Rubinator, Ruby, Rubes, Rubinations, Rubric, Rubicon, and Mr. Curly Butt
*Last seen chasing a squirrel up a tree
*Has a play drive as strong as his prey drive.
*Has recently acquired an appetite and has learned that all good things come from human pockets.
*Looks big and burly but is fine-boned and delicate (but don't let anyone know!)
*Loves being off-leash especially if near water or his friends
*Since he has hair he can either look like a curly Muppet (see Monty) or a Meerkat if he's been to the groomer. He prefers the Muppet look, except when it's time to get combed out.
*Lost is a state of mind and that's not a state he wants to visit (yes, he's a Momma's Boy)…
HEY! Wait just one minute…
You said I could write it.
Give me back that keyboard.
Have a great weekend everybo…


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Spring is finally here! When it starts to get warm like this, lots of folks start thinking about getting outdoor projects started. Fences or decks might need a few new boards, there are areas crying out for a coat of paint, or it may be time to dig that new herb garden.
With all these projects comes the possibility of injury. If you are unfortunate enough to sustain an injury like a cut, burn, or animal bite, you definitely want to consider getting a Tetanus Vaccine. It has been said that stepping on a rusty nail will give you Tetanus. Although rust itself won't cause Tetanus, it does provide a favorable habitat for it to thrive. Clostridium Tetani is the bacteria that causes Tetanus and can be found in soil, dust, or animal waste. Even the most trivial wound could have contamination.
The rule of thumb is you should get a Tetanus shot every 10 years. Tetanus is nothing to fool around with. It can be deadly! If you injure yourself, check with your physician. If he or she prescribes a Tetanus shot, then come see us at one of our six ProHealth locations in Pensacola, Gulf Breeze, Milton, Ft. Walton, Santa Rosa Beach or Crestview. Walk-ins are always welcome.
Photo "Garden Sign Stock Photo" by Simon Howden provided by freedigitalphotos.net.


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Nothing is harder than anything else. Some things just take more time.
— Jan Cicle (my first art teacher)
In my last post, I debunked the myth of perfectionism. But why do we struggle to be perfect? Why do we want is so badly?
Artists have a desire for their work to be validated, to have somone tell us they like it. I think everyone wants to know that they are on the correct path in their life. We hate regrets. So, when someone sees a piece of our work and says that it's beautiful, or even better, wants to spend their hard earned money to own something we've done, we score the reward emotionally. Our body releases a chemical that makes us happy. We long for this!
Unfortunatelly, that is an evil that works against us. Our brain marks that moment. We forget about the journey that lead us up to that moment, about the tools we used to make that success, and about the new tools we gained along the way. All that matters now is that chemical moment of joyful satisfaction.
It's time to remember that our work doesn't need justification. Just do the work and get it out there. Not only is that the perfect formula for success, but it keeps us walking our path.


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I ended my previous post with a stitched photo of the tip of the Heroes Hill National Park. It was huge, right? These mountains are formed by the constant movement of the Earth's lithosphere popularly known as the Plate Tectonics Theory. Sometimes, this happens around a river. That's when the battle between earth and water starts.
As the mountain slowly begin to rise, the river continues to flow over it. Over time, millions of years actually, a winner is determined. This was the case with Abra River versus the mountain ranges that borders Abra and Ilocos Sur. It's obvious who won, isn't it?
The mighty Abra River that starts in Benguet has built enough power after flowing over 170 kms in the Cordillera mountains to constantly erode the rising mountain. When something like this happens, a water gap is formed. In this case, it is called the Vigan Gap. It is also known as Banaoang Gap and is about 9 kms long cutting through 3 tall mountain ridges.
The view deck offers a dramatic view of the Abra River highlighted by the old and new Quirino Bridge. According to the Tourism Office of Vigan, the view deck is also known as the "Gabriela-Diego Silang Memorial Park". I clarified that I am not referring to the Gabriela Silang Park located in the Old Pideg Pass just right after the turn off Heroes Hill. The Tourism Officer explained that it is in this view deck or watchtower where Diego Silang proposed his marriage to Gabriela. The emotional statue of Diego hugging Gabriela from the back facing the river is just totally opposite to the fierce and angry Gabriela on a horse and wielding a sword in the park near Abra Tunnel.
As I made my way to the bridge, I saw a sign pointing to an adventure zone. It is a 2-way zipline located between the bridges. I tried going up the 5-storey platform but only managed to reach the 2nd level because I chickened out. LOL! The zipline is probably almost a half-kilometer long and you should be able to endure dangling for a while above the river on your return trip because you'll stop short of the landing. Some will come to attach a line to you so you can be pulled back to shore.
The Old Quirino Bridge is still strong and steady but it is not passable during heavy rains when it gets submerged. It even collapsed once so a newer, taller, modern Quirino Bridge has to be built. It was inaugurated December 30, 2010.
It's already 1:30 PM and I headed to Vigan City, the capital of Ilocos Sur. I learned from my research prior to the trip that Vigan Hotel is one of cheapest hotels in this Wolrd Heritage Site so I was delighted that it's the first thing I saw when I entered the city proper. The single P395 fan room is not available so I booked for the double P495 room instead. I didn't expect much, and I'm prepared for a little "discomfort". When you've ridden a motorcycle for 12 hours over 400 kms, you really won't think about comfort that much.
I took a bath and prepared for my Vigan Tour. You'll need at least 2 days in Vigan to see the major tourist spots; I have 7 hours. Lucky for me, I have already been here with Laguna Moto Club in 2010 so I can skip some of the tourist spots.. Actually, I've skipped a lot. My Vigan Tour coming up next.


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Watching the NHL Draft Lottery has become a beloved yearly tradition. What sort of face will NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly make this time when the Oilers "inexplicably" win it? How sad will this year's top prospect look when he finds out he's doomed to wallow in a sea of other top five picks on bottom five teams? Which team's fans will we all laugh at on Twitter when they drop to a worse lottery spot?
Okay, it's not actually that exciting. To be perfectly honest, we all just expect the Oilers to pick first overall again, and ruin whatever 18-year-old prodigy is unfortunate enough to be ranked highest this year. Remember how optimistic Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Nail Yakupov were? Yeah. It's sad.
In light of all this, and the fact that the Oilers are terrible (and thus eligible for a top spot yet again, though Toronto fans are licking their lips), here's an idea: let's change it up. Let's do something drastic. Let's end the pattern of tanking that makes this lottery so predictable and dumb.
Here are four ideas better than the draft lottery that are guaranteed to make things loads of fun for everyone–or, more specifically, to prevent Edmonton from picking first overall ever again.
IDEA 1: Relegation (well, sort of)
While the playoffs are going on, and the good teams are playing for the Stanley Cup, why not have a relegation-style bracket to determine the draft order? Much like the playoffs, the regular season would determine the seeding, and the team that wins at losing gets the first overall pick. You could even call it March Sadness, in April.
Plus, it means more hockey for everyone. Why not?
ODDS OF EDMONTON WINNING: Low. They might still finish top 10, but this still makes a first-overall finish a lot less likely–because it requires winning.
IDEA 2: Random Animal Selection
We've seen this before, with Paul the Octopus making World Cup predictions, or numerous March Madness brackets selected by cats or whatever. Why not the NHL draft? Let's make it completely random. "Borrow" Zenon Konopka's rabbit out of the Minnesota locker room and put 30 pieces of lettuce on 30 NHL logos; the order Hoppy eats them in – there's your draft order.
ODDS OF EDMONTON WINNING: Low. Lower than relegation, but then again, Edmonton seems to already have a lottery rabbit's foot.
IDEA 3: Hunger Games
This could go one of two ways: either the teams not in the playoffs participate, or everyone participates. I prefer the former because it's more punitive. We drop 14 NHL GMs into a survival situation and the last one standing gets the first overall pick!
Of course we'd have to find 13 new GMs every year…but maybe that's not such a bad thing.
ODDS OF EDMONTON WINNING: Not bad. I don't know, Peter Chiarelli's pretty scrappy. The odds might be in Edmonton's favor here.
IDEA 4: Chaos Draft
For the vindictive among us, this is the best of all four ideas. Here's how it works: during preseason, teams "draft" another team that they think is going to finish first overall in the standings that year. Teams cannot pick themselves. Whatever team you select, wherever they actually finish, that's your draft pick.
Can you imagine the drama, how catty it would get? "Oh, that's what you think of us? Well, good luck doing any trades in Winnipeg, buddy!" What if a team purposely tanked just because it was drafted by one of its rivals? Can you imagine how pissed Leafs fans would be if they'd selected the Habs this year? The hilarity alone would make this pretty worth it.
ODDS OF EDMONTON WINNING: Extremely low. Well, since they can't pick themselves…
Sarah Connors is a hockey writer with plenty of other ideas up her sleeve. Ask her about them on Twitter.


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|Lava Style
|Usage Type
|Element Type
The Lava Style is an advanced chakra nature. Lava Style is a combination nature of fire and earth-based chakra to create a torrent of lava that can melt away almost anything.
This chakra nature can also manipulate other related materials such as lime, which is an alkaline powder, rather than molten rock.
When Roshi's Lava Style is first referred to, the kanji, with the radical for "fire", is used. In later references when Mei's is used, the kanji, with the radical for "water", is used instead. When both Kurotsuchi and Dodai used it, it was once again with the fire radical. This seems to indicate that the Lava Release from Iwagakure and Kumogakure uses the fire radical, while the Lava Stylle from Kirigakure uses the water radical. However, both kanji have been used to refer to Lava Style.
Nowadays, the two kanji are synonyms and used interchangeably, with being the more common variant. However, there seems to be a subtle difference in meaning between the two. The kanji with the fire radical seems to be used more often in words relating to metal and other solids, whereas the kanji with the water radical is more often used in words relating to liquids.
This kekkei genkai element shows the most different users with no known blood connection to each other.