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about the projectpeopleDr. Michele Borba
Dr. Michele Borba
Parenting, Child & Teen Expert • Educational Psychologist • Author • Speaker
Michele Borba, Ed.D. is an internationally recognized expert on children, teens, parenting, education, bullying and ethical development. Her work aims to help strengthen children's character, build strong families, reduce peer cruelty and build compassionate and just learning communities. She has presented keynote addresses and workshops throughout North America, Europe, Asia and the South Pacific and has served as a consultant to hundreds of schools and corporations. Dr. Borba offers realistic, research-based advice culled from a career of working with over one million parents and educators world-wide. Her proposal: "Ending School Violence and Bullying" (SB1667) was signed into California law in 2002.
National media regularly depend on Dr. Borba as the expert on parenting, bullying prevention, educational and child issues. She is an NBC contributor appearing over 100 times on the TODAY show and featured on Dr. Phil, Dateline, The View, The Doctors, Nightly News, MSNBC, Fox News, The Early Show, CNN, and to discuss late-breaking news and solutions. She is the parenting expert on Dr. Drew's Lifechangers and national publications including Newsweek, People, U.S. News & World Report, The New York Times and The Globe and Mail.
Dr. Borba serves as national media spokesperson on family issues for corporations including 3M, Ragu, All, Office Depot, Splenda, General Mills, Similac, Galderma, V-Tech, Cetaphil, RC2 Learning Curve, Florida OJ, and as a parenting consultant for Wall-Mart, McDonalds and Johnson & Johnson. She is a board member for Parents, Character Education Partnerships, Boys & Girls Club of America Focus on Family, and is currently serving as Goodwill Ambassador for OLPC (One Laptop Per Child) helping distribute thousands of laptops to children in third-world countries.
She is the award-winning author of 22 books translated in 14 languages including Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me!, No More Misbehavin', Don't Give Me That Attitude!, Parents Do Make A Difference, The Big Book of Parenting Solutions: 101 Answers to Your Everyday Challenges and Wildest Worries, Building Moral Intelligence (cited by Publishers' Weekly as "Among the most noteworthy of 2001"), and Esteem Builders used by 1.5 million students worldwide.
Her numerous awards include the National Educator Award, presented by the National Council of Self-Esteem; Santa Clara University's Outstanding Alumna Award; and the Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Educational Profession, presented by the Bureau of Education and Research. She was named the Honorary Chairperson for the Implementation of Self-Esteem in Hong Kong and served as a consultant for the Center Resource Group for Character Education and Civic Engagement for the U.S. Department of Education.
Dr. Borba received a Doctorate in Educational Psychology and Counseling from the University of San Francisco, an M.A. in Learning Disabilities and B.A. from the University of Santa Clara, and a Life Teaching Credential from San Jose State University. She is a former classroom teacher who has worked in regular education as well as with children with learning, physical, behavioral and emotional disabilities and in private practice for troubled youth.
She lives in Palm Springs, California with her husband and has three grown sons.


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Why We Should Reject This
Lithium is a much more powerful substance than fluoride, with far greater potential side effects. Critics say that drugging the water is a massive infringement and equate this use of pharmaceuticals to something out of Aldous Huxley's dystopic classic "Brave New World."
Robert Carton, a former senior scientist for the EPA, argues that the government's fortifying drinking water with any substance, even fluoride, violates people's fundamental right—codified in the Nuremburg Code—to give informed consent to any medical intervention. "All ethical codes for the protection of individuals who are subject to medical procedures," Carton wrote in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health, "whether research or routine medical treatment, endorse the basic requirement for voluntary informed consent."
Lithium: Suppressing "Manic-Depressive" Overwhelm and The Dangers of this Toxic Heavy Metal Substance – from Peter Breggin's book Toxic Psychiatry
Fluoride Dangers
Professional Perspectives: Fluoride in Tap Water

subset: commoncrawl


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"Like love at first sight, it has the ability to startle." –The Boston Globe
"A deeply affecting work by a Great American Novelist who is still . . . at the top of her form. . . . Morrison's tender, taut prose wastes no word, no syllable, no letter. . . . A novel of devastating revelations, impeccably arranged." –The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
"A marvelous work, which enlarges our conception not only of love but of racial politics, the ubiquitous past and . . . paradise." –Los Angeles Times Book Review
"A dense, dark star of a novel . . . with Morrison writing at the top of her game." –Newsweek
"Toni Morrison reframes the mythology of love in a dark light and comes away with a mesmerizing gem." –San Francisco Chronicle
"Like every other stealthy Morrison novel, Love has closets and cellars, bolt-holes and trap-doors and card tricks. . . . Yet again, she gives us dreams." –John Leonard, Vanity Fair
"The carefully crafted work of a storyteller entirely unburdened by her Nobel Prize. . . . William Faulkner and Eudora Welty would feel right welcome. . . . The moral palette of this novel displays a full range of colors." –The Christian Science Monitor
"A profound commentary on the power of love." –The Baltimore Sun
"Love is slim and tight as a folded fan, yet from it the author flashes a panorama three generations wide. . . . When the reader closes the book . . . there is the satisfaction of a song that has ended just right. The standing soloist we applaud . . . is the fierce literary intelligence of Morrison striking the chords of human experience and playing it wise." –The Miami Herald
"Magisterial and gripping . . . a knockout. . . . A reminder of what a marvel a novel can be." –Rocky Mountain News
"To enter a novel by Morrison is to enter a world fully imagined, and Love is no exception. . . . Love takes you on the first page and holds you in the welcome spell of a writer who knows what she's doing, and who can slip into the most ordinary sentence a twist of surprise." –San Jose Mercury News
"Love is Morrison back at the peak of her talent. . . . The novel lives up to its name and puts to rest any doubts that its author is anything except great." –New York Daily News
"[A] beautifully wrought meditation on society, family and human nature . . . brimming with provocative, beautiful writing." –The Philadelphia Inquirer
"Love . . . [is] like that song you remember from long ago, the one you danced to, sweet and slow, and which has haunted you ever since. . . . Morrison's tale lies in its telling, not just the lilting lyricism of her prose but also the insight into her characters' hidden hearts." –The Orlando Sentinel
"For pure pleasure, it deserves to be read more than once." –The Plain Dealer
"There is beauty and wisdom in Love. . . . Her lyrical talent and her profound intelligence . . . make themselves felt." –The New York Observer


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Slow Mastery & Great Achievements
For many of us, deadlines are a way of life. Projects need to be finished and delivered, e-mails need to be responded to, and bills need to be paid – all by a certain date and time. But what if we decided to forego creative deadlines? What could we achieve?
In a recent article from The 99 Percent, brand strategist Carmel Hagen explores 10 great achievements that took time. Hagan says, "In an ideal world, the road from idea to reality is proven and predictable, with a distance made fathomable by visible benchmarks. But more frequently – especially in pursuit of less linear concepts like art, drastic innovation, or even paradigm shifts – time is mutable and you can't project when completion will come."
We've highlighted three of our favorite achievements that tested the limitations of time – including one we were happy to be a part of, Avatar.
MUTO a wall-painted animation by BLU from blu on Vimeo.
Blu: MUTO animation – one summer daily
Italian street artist Blu spent nearly every day of a summer painting (and re-painting and re-painting) a large-scale mural across the public walls and buildings of Buenos Aires, capturing each "frame" in succession. The resulting short animation film, MUTO – a real-life flip book sharing a story spread over city surfaces – has since gotten over 10 million views on YouTube, and extended Blu's own artistic footprint to institutes like the Tate Modern in London.
Scott Weaver: Rolling Through the Bay – 34 years
I always had a dream that I would build the world's largest toothpick sculpture," says Scott Weaver, the mad scientist behind "Rolling Through the Bay" – a 9 feet tall, 7 feet wide and 2 feet deep model of San Francisco made entirely of toothpicks. Half art, half "out-of-hand ping pong ball experiment," the rollercoaster-like sculpture took over 3,000 hours and 34 years to complete. It's a fascinating study in the power of setting lofty goals and pursuing them no matter what it takes.
James Cameron: Avatar – 15 years
In 1994, James Cameron drew on "every science fiction book he had read" to pen an 80-page treatment of Avatar. Two years later, he announced his intention to begin filming the movie after the completion of Titanic. Though 1999 was the year originally intended for Avatar's release, Cameron soon rolled back the deadline, blaming underdeveloped technology. It wasn't until 2005 that Cameron finally began working closely with artists and designers to visualize the characters and settings of the film. Four years and over $400 million later, Avatar went on to capture over two billion in box office sales and nine academy award nominations.
Do you have any favorites we didn't cover? Comment below to let us know!


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Seattle Sounders' Eddie Johnson, a Flagler Palm Coast product, was named Major League Soccer's comeback player of the year.
NEW YORK —� Frank Yallop of the San Jose Earthquakes has been honored as Major League Soccer's coach of the year, and the Seattle Sounders' Eddie Johnson is comeback player of the year.
After struggling to find consistency for three years playing in Europe, Johnson, who played in high school at Flagler Palm Coast, returned to MLS this season and scored 14 goals in 28 games.
The forward also won comeback player of the year honors in 2007.
Johnson, 28, narrowly beat out D.C. United midfielder Chris Pontius. Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon was the other finalist.
"I think I got my confidence here," Johnson said late in the season, according to mlssoccer.com. "(Sigi Schmid) bringing me here and sitting me down, telling me his expectations and what they're trying to achieve here as a club, their goals of winning an MLS Cup. Bringing me and making me a part of that puzzle, that's where I got my confidence. My coach having the confidence in me, putting me out there week in and week out, that's where I got my confidence."
After the Earthquakes finished with the 14th-best record out of 18 teams in 2011, they went 19-6-9 this season to lead MLS. Yallop easily won over fellow finalists Ben Olsen of D.C United and Peter Vermes of Sporting Kansas City in voting by media, MLS players and club management.�
SOUNDERS TO PICK UP OPTION ON JOHNSON:Seattle general manager Adrian Hanauer said the team intends to pick up the club option on Johnson for the 2013 season.
Hanauer spoke as the Sounders management wrapped up the 2012 season, which ended with a loss to Los Angeles in the Western Conference finals.
Johnson finished with 17 goals in all competitions. Hanauer said Johnson's option is less than designated player level.
Johnson's play this year earned him a call up to the U.S. men's national team during World Cup qualifying.
Hanauer said the club will face some significant salary cap issues for the 2013 season because it has less allocation money. He said all options will be on the table to clear salary cap space.�


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A few days ago I heard a radio ad for Biblical Times Dinner Theater in Pigeon Forge, TN, plugging a show that combines gospel music, Bible stories, and…wait for it…Tennessee history.
Surprised by that last one? So was I. In fact, for a second I thought I'd misheard something. But it's true. You can now eat a meal, enjoy live entertainment, get some religious edification, and learn about the history of the Volunteer State all at the same time:
This show was specially created for those of you who are fans of classic gospel music and who have an interest in the FAITH heritage of East Tennessee. You will meet great heroes of the Bible along with legends of Tennessee who took a stand for God's Word, from Moses to Billy Graham, Noah to Davy Crockett, Joshua to Sgt. York and enjoy music legends like The Happy Goodmans, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Johnny and June Carter Cash, Elvis and more.
The website's list of "Legends of Faith from the Bible and East Tennessee" also includes Samuel Doak and Andrew Johnson. All you fellow Rev War and Tennessee frontier enthusiasts will recognize Doak as the Presbyterian minister who preached to the Overmountain Men at Sycamore Shoals before the march that ended at King's Mountain. Andrew Johnson needs no introduction, although I confess that when I think of great defenders of the faith from Tennessee, he's not exactly the first guy who comes to my mind.
I'm assuming all these characters somehow figure in the performance, but I'm not sure if cast members actually portray them on stage or if somebody just relates information about them in between the songs. One historical figure who does put in an appearance is the Apostle Paul, because he's the narrator.
Part of me would pay good money to see Davy Crockett, Sgt. York, and Samuel Doak singing and cutting a rug alongside Moses and Noah, especially if the M.C. is a guy who wrote part of the New Testament. But at this point I think I'll have to pass on making a reservation. I love Tennessee history, I love the Bible, I love theater, and I love a hearty meal, but I'm not sure I'd like them all at the same time.


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At very few times in your life do you get to witness something that will literally change the world. This is one of those occasions.
On April 18-19, 2013, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) will celebrate the groundbreaking work of hundreds of librarians, innovators, and other dedicated volunteers in a collective effort to build the first national digital library. We are all invited to join them at the Boston Public Library for this historic event.
Quoting from the DPLA website:
The DPLA planning initiative grew out of an October 2010 meeting at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, which brought together over 40 representatives from foundations, research institutions, cultural organizations, government, and libraries to discuss best approaches to building a national digital library. In December 2010, the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, generously supported by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, convened leading experts in libraries, technology, law, and education to begin work on this problem; a two-year process of intense grassroots community organization, beginning in October 2011 and hosted at the Berkman Center, will result in a realistic and detailed workplan for launching the DPLA, as well as unveiling of a prototype of the system with specially digitized materials.
The vision of a national digital library has been circulating among librarians, scholars, educators, and private industry representatives since the early 1990s, but it has not yet materialized. Efforts led by a range of organizations, including the Library of Congress, HathiTrust, and the Internet Archive, have successfully built resources that provide books, images, historical records, and audiovisual materials to anyone with Internet access. Many universities, public libraries, and other public-spirited organizations have digitized materials that could be brought together under the frame of the DPLA, but these digital collections often exist in silos. Compounding this problem are disparate technical standards, disorganized and incomplete metadata, and a host of legal issues. No project has yet succeeded in bringing these different viewpoints, experiences, and collections together with leading technical experts and the best of private industry to find solutions to these complex challenges. Users have neither coherent access to these materials nor tools to use them in new and exciting ways, and institutions have no clear blueprint for creating a shared infrastructure to serve the public good. The time is right to launch an ambitious project to realize the great promise of the Internet for the advancement of sharing information and of using technology to enable new knowledge and discoveries in the United States.
I am sure I will be writing more about this later.


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Abolishing "Effortless Perfection"
Recent studies at several universities reveal that women still feel an overwhelming sense of pressure to be perfect.
When Betty Friedan described the "problem that has no name" in The Feminine Mystique in 1963, she identified a form of ennui that had once been ineffable and thus socially ignored. By interviewing fellow female college graduates from the 1940s who had become full-time housewives by the 1950s, she discovered that she was not alone in feeling unfulfilled. She validated their shared experience by giving it a name, and in the process jump-started the second wave of American feminism.
A new catchphrase identifying something that sounds frighteningly like part of the feminine mystique Friedan described 30 years ago has recently emerged, thanks to a report released by Duke University's Women's Initiative in 2003. The study was a comprehensive look at the situations faced by the school's female graduate and undergraduate students, alumnae, faculty and staff members, and trustees. Its most controversial conclusion was that women undergraduates feel pressured by a fraternity-dominated social culture to achieve "effortless perfection."
These women felt they must be "smart, accomplished, fit, beautiful, and popular," all without visible effort, and when they can't attain this ideal, their sense of failure is manifested through self-inflicted wounds and eating disorders.
Another significant finding of the report: Undergraduate women crave more contact with female mentors whose personal and professional experiences offer an antidote to this impossible ideal, by allowing them to see in action other ways of feeling and being. To this end, Duke created the Women's Networking and Mentoring Program to help foster faculty-student interaction, as well as a new scholarship program that rewards and cultivates leadership potential in young women on campus.
Similar studies conducted at Harvard University and the University of Colorado at Boulder earlier this year likewise revealed that female students, faculty, and staff at each institution want to be mentored by senior women now more than ever. Why? In part so they can learn to negotiate what CU's study called the "gendered networks of influence" or old boy "clubbiness" of whose existence women in both schools are acutely aware.
The major result of the Harvard studies, undertaken by two task forces created by President Lawrence H. Summers as part of his apology for his public remarks regarding "innate" gender differences in math ability, was the commitment of $50 million over the next decade to help improve the climate for female faculty members at Harvard. At the time of this writing, the University of Colorado is awaiting an open forum to discuss the findings of the report by the Chancellor's Committee on Women.
Change can and should be modeled "from the top down," as CU's report recommends. That said, we need to think about how, as women who have attained positions of power, we can model something useful for our female students who long to be mentored. But with recent research on the expectations held by both male and female students of their female teachers revealing that they want us to be not only nurturing but unequivocally "nice," and that they are more likely to dislike us than our male colleagues if we are hard graders—how can we possibly escape the expectation of yet another form of effortless perfection? Perhaps it is time for a positive role model who is not afraid to appear in process, one with no stake in perpetuating the illusion of her own perfection.
Addressing the Needs of Female Undergraduates
Let me make clear that by "in process" I am not advocating professional sloppiness—showing up late, appearing frazzled, acting disorganized or arbitrarily authoritative—all of which would indeed constitute serious imperfections. But I do want to pass along the advice the one female member of my dissertation committee gave me when I was devoting several hours to single words rather than churning out chapters: "aim for excellence, not perfection." Do your best, and then go on.
Do young women need to hear this advice and see successful women embodying it in the ways they teach and interact more than young men? Years of experience teaching large and small classes, giving talks and offering workshops for graduate students, undergraduates, and junior faculty has taught me that yes, younger women need to hear this said and see it embodied in the women they admire as often as possible; like us, they have internalized cultural expectations of female perfection that take years of self-conscious effort to shake.
They also need to see us make mistakes and correct them; admit when we don't know an answer rather than pretend that we do; apologize if we overstep a boundary; wield authority with disruptive students calmly but with conviction and then go on. Grace under fire is impressive. It's a life skill you learn by seeing others do it well.
Most young women still have to be encouraged to speak up in mixed gender settings because they still "position themselves in traditional ways to male students—deferring, admiring, flirting," as a colleague at Carnegie Melon recently put it. Creating opportunities for women to cultivate their own voices—in oral presentations, in their writing, on panels—is a rewarding pedagogic challenge.
Art vs. Life
Finally, the movies are offering up some interesting female heroines. Occasionally, they even show us how to lead. But taking a cue from the movies is always risky, especially where positive role models are concerned. After all, the Hollywood Production Code mandated through 1968 that the end of each film punish "fallen women."
This means that the standard refrain following screenings in my Women and Film course is "another one bites the dust." Think of Mildred Pierce, Imitation of Life, and the notorious Fatal Attraction. The last 15 years, however, have given us Clarice Starling in The Silence of the Lambs, who persists in the face of sexism and solves the crime using her intuition and intelligence. More recently New Zealand director Niki Caro provided the prematurely wise Paikea, the adolescent heroine of Whale Rider who knows that, despite the patriarchal restrictions of Maori culture, "if knowledge is given to everyone we can all be leaders; we can all be strong." Paikea's tenacity inspires men and women alike, which is why I've shown this film to CU's President's Leadership Class as a powerful example of how one learns to lead.
Neither Clarice nor Paikea is perfect. In fact, sometimes their fearlessness seems downright foolish because it puts them in danger. However, both are refreshingly realistic and invaluable as role models because they offer my students (and me) strong female characters we can positively identify with. And occasionally everyone needs an inspiring vision of possibility. We need to see someone who possesses qualities we'd like to have, who has achieved what we'd like to accomplish, who gives us a glimpse of who we'd like to be. Long live the positive role model, in life and art!
References & Resources
(with special thanks to Angella Dirks)
Bachen, C. M. McLoughlin, and S. Garcia, 1999. "Assessing the Role of Gender in College Students' Evaluations of Faculty," Communication Education 48: 193-210.
Basow, S.A., 1995. "Student Evaluation of College Professors: When Gender Matters," Journal of Educational Psychology 87, 4: 656-665.
Chancellor's Committee on Women, University of Colorado at Boulder, 2005. "Improving the Campus Environment for Women," www.colorado.edu/cu-diversity/ccw/Finalreport.pdf.
Dube, K., 2004. "What Feminism Means to Today's Undergraduates," The Chronicle of Higher Education, 50 (41) (June 18): B5.
Fogg, P., 2005. "Harvard Committees Suggest Steps to Help Women," The Chronicle of Higher Education, (May 27): A8-9.
Haskell, Molly, 1974. From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies New York: Penguin Books.
Ihimaera, Witi, 1987. The Whale Rider. Auckland, New Zealand: Reed Books. First US edition New York: Harcourt Inc., 2003.
Lipka, S., 2004 "Feminine Critique: A Study of Women at Duke Has Sparked Debate about the Pressures of Pursuing 'Perfection'," The Chronicle of Higher Education, 50 (37) (May 21): A35.
Pierce, G., 2004. "Mentoring Junior Faculty," The Advocate, (October).
Sinclair, L. and A. Kunda, 2000. "Motivated Stereotyping of Women: She's Fine if She Praised Me, but Incompetent if She Criticized Me," Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 26, 11: 1329-1342.
Tasker, Yvonne, 2002. The Silence of the Lambs. London, England: British Film Institute.


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Ty Tessman Does the Double at the 2012 ROAR Nationals!
Sunday, June 24th, 2012, Oakland Mills, PA, HB/HPI's Factory Team Driver Ty Tessman takes on the Elite Class of 1/8th Off Road Truggy and Buggy drivers in North America at the 2012 ROAR 1/8th Scale Off Road Nationals. The field included the current National Champions and many past Champions as well as the rest of the up and coming favorites in the 1/8th scale off road community. Practice was held on Thursday with qualifying on Friday and Saturday. After an intense two days of qualifying, the HB/HPI Factory Team had Ty Tessman and Jesse Robbers in 3rd and 4th for the Buggy Class. And in the Truggy Class it was Ty Tessman, Jesse Robbers and Tyler Vik in 3rd,15th and 18th.
With qualifying complete it was off to the Sunday Main events. First off was the 45 minute Truggy Main Event and it was
an epic battle between Tessman and the elite of the 1/8th scale world. After holding off late race challenger Dakotah Phend, Ty Tessmann earned his first ROAR National Championship! HB/HPI's Factory Team Drivers Jesse Robbers and Tyler Vik also battled it out in the Truggy A Main event, finishing in 7th and 10th.
On to the hour long Buggy final event! After almost an hour of intense battles it was once again Ty Tessman and Dakotah Phend fighting it out for win. The last lap saw the two trade leads several times and it came down to the last few corners to determine the Champion, with Ty Tessman coming accross the line by three tenths of a second.
With the win Ty Tessmann became only the second driver ever to take both the ROAR Truggy and Buggy Nationals win in the same year!


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WikiLeaks suspect Bradley Manning had permission to read secret US diplomatic cables and should not be charged with an electronic "break-in" of government computers, his defense lawyer told a military court Monday.
David Coombs, the civilian lawyer for Manning, asked a military judge at a pre-trial hearing to dismiss two counts against his client, saying that the US Army private did not steal a password or otherwise hack into a government computer network when he downloaded classified State Department cables.
Prosecutors were failing to recognize "uncomfortable facts" in the case and Manning never circumvented any "electronic gate" when he downloaded sensitive files, Coombs told the court.
But government prosecutors said the "Wget" software he used, which is designed to retrieve computer files quickly, was not authorized and that Manning's actions therefore "amounted to a trespass because it was done without authority."
Coombs acknowledged that Manning could be charged with a lesser offense by using the software, which he said was akin to a worker violating contractual terms set down by a company for computer use.
Manning's attorneys made their case at the start of five days of pre-trial hearings that resumed Monday at Fort Meade, northeast of Washington. The trial is tentatively due to start in September.
Lawyers for Manning are expected to argue this week that prosecutors must show their client intended to give sensitive intelligence to Al-Qaeda when he passed secret documents to the whistleblower website.
The most serious charge facing Manning is that he allegedly aided "the enemy" by passing on a trove of classified documents to the WikiLeaks website.
Prosecutors contend they only have to prove that Manning knew Al-Qaeda might see the sensitive intelligence posted by WikiLeaks, while the defense argues that the government has to demonstrate the army private "knowingly and intentionally gave intelligence to the enemy," according to defense motions filed before the hearing.
Manning, 24, could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted of aiding the enemy by handing hundreds of thousands of classified documents -- including military logs from Iraq and Afghanistan and sensitive diplomatic cables -- to the WikiLeaks website. He has not yet entered a plea.
The leak triggered a diplomatic firestorm that left US officials red-faced over criticism of both allies and foes.


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Velvet dress: OASAP || Concho belt: Vintage via eBay || Necklace: Urban Outfitters || Boots: Vagabond
So Thanks Giving was yesterday which always means holiday season has officially started, hasn't it? You can see sparkling, shiny and bright lights, clothes and decorations everywhere and it's always the time of the year when you love to wear festive clothes. Besides sequins, velvet is always my favorite. It's perfect for the cold season, it's soft and shiny just like everything right now. I had been searching for the perfect velvet skater dress in burgundy for quite a long time. Then I found this beauty which wasn't only a bargain. The quality's great and I loved its crushed velvet fabric. I picked my favorite belt and necklace in order to have some boho vibes in the look. I love the combo of silver shiny jewelry and velvet in burgundy, it looks so good!
Wish you (and to all my awesome american readers hope you all had a beautiful Thanks Giving) weekend!


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The University of Michigan Brain Bank was founded by Professor Anne B. Young and Professor J. Penney to collect, store and distribute post-mortem brain tissues and associated clinical history. Established in 1982, the Michigan Brain Bank, in partnership with the Protein Folding Diseases Initiative, now has approximately 1200 paraffin and 800 frozen brains. The program currently has 390 registered living clinical research participants who have consented to donate after death.
The Michigan Brain Bank has contributed to studies of many brain diseases, including studies of Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, Huntington disease, ALS, and psychiatric diseases. Active research programs include studies of Alzheimer disease and related dementias, Parkinson disease, ALS, and bipolar disorder.
The Brain Autopsy and Donation Program provides individuals and families with an opportunity to contribute to research. With the hope of developing pharmaceutical treatments and finding cures, the Brain Bank is committed to providing the scientific community with the brain tissues necessary to investigate the progression of neurological disease. Scientists around the world contact the Michigan Brain Bank to access tissue and information. The Michigan Brain Bank carefully screens all proposals and only approves legitimate requests. The Brain Bank adheres to all applicable regulations and guidelines when procuring, storing and distributing brain tissue. Appropriate consent is always obtained and donor anonymity is maintained.


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All school groups must be booked through the Education Department, telephone 01223 332904 or email firstname.lastname@example.com. This is to ensure that the part of the museum you wish to visit will be available for you to use. Most sessions are free (charges apply for studio workshops) and travel bursaries are available for schools meeting our criteria.
Please note that we are now operating a new booking system for schools.
Bookings for Spring Term 2018 open on Monday 14th November
Bookings for Summer Term 2018 open on Monday 13th February
When you bring a group to the museum you may wish to book a museum teacher or teach the class yourself. Services provided by the Education Department are free, with the exception of studio workshops which are £50. If visiting self guided, learning resources are available to help you plan your own gallery session and can be downloaded from our learning pages.
This short film has been designed to prepare school pupils for their trip to the Fitzwilliam Museum and our volunteer Lesley Sainsbury used the creation and evaluation of the film as the basis of her MA thesis. The format and script is based on educational theories evaluating preparing children for school trips. This indicates that reducing areas of concern to the children (eg lunch and location of the toilets) and increasing their expectations will result in enhanced experiences and learning outcomes.
Please make sure you understand which parts of the visit are your responsibility and which are ours. We will hand over to you when your teaching session has finished, so you will need to prepare activities for the remainder of your visit. You might find our learning resources useful which will enable you to research and structure your time spent self-guided. If you would like to arrange a pre-visit to the museum a member of the education team can also meet with you to discuss all aspects of your visit.
Photography of the collections is permitted. Flash photography, photography of an exhibition or video recording is prohibited.
Class sizes and adult/student ratios
The upper limit on group sizes varies according to the galleries being used. As a general rule, groups being taught by Museum staff are limited to one class of approximately 30 children. However, it is sometimes possible to accommodate larger group visits by teaching in shifts.
We do ask that the student teacher ratio in the Museum should be:
1:7 pupils for KS1
1:10 pupils for KS2 and KS3
Lunch facilities
We have a schools' lunch room which can be booked for your group. You may also eat in the grounds of the Museum or under the portico at our Main Entrance.
Transport and Parking
There is no public parking space at the Museum, but there are 2 hour meters in the immediate vicinity. Coaches may drop off and collect outside the Courtyard Entrance. The museum is also in the process of building partnerships with local coach companies. We plan to recommend affordable transport companies to our visiting school groups. More information will follow shortly.
The museum gates open at 10.00am, please note that we are unable to admit access to the museum or its grounds before this time. We aim for morning sessions to start in the galleries by 10.15.
Book your visit
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Asian Tribune is published by E-LANKA MEDIA(PVT)Ltd. Vol. 20 No. 81
"Crorepathy" Fr. Jegath Gasper Raj main link for Tigers in India
The Sri Lankan Catholic Church, the Catholic Radio Veritas based in Phillipines, the Tamil Catholic hierachy and its priests have been the main links of the global network of the Church to protect, promote, provide succor and cover to the internationally banned Tamil Tigers. Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj is somewht different. This catholic priest comes from the diocese of Kottar, Tamil Nadu. He has made a name for himself and become a "crorepathy' ( Rs. 10 million is one crore) with plenty of political pull in Tamil Nadu politics to back the Tamil Tigers. He has learned the art of mixing politics with music to raise funds for the Tamil Tigers. In his music, politics and fund raising he has managed successfully to exploit the suffering of the Tamils in Sri Lanka to collect millions for the Tamil Tigers.
Tamil Tigers and the Church consider Fr. Gaspar Raj as their latest pop priest. 'It is a story of rags to riches and from obscurity to political connections and fame," said an Indian commentator.
Political observers state that Fr. Gaspar Raj was responsible for bringing the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister to come closer once again to the Tamil Tigers, banned in India.
Fr.Gaspar Raj sudden rise to prominence began when he joined the Tamil language broadcasting division of Veritas Radio broadcasting to Asia. This radio runs program in Bahasa (Indonesia), Mandarin, Bengali, Sinhala, Burmese, Tamil, Filipino, Telugu, Hindi, Urdu, Kachin, Vietnamese and Karen languages.
For sometime the Tamil Tigers left him alone but renewed their connections in recent months. He is now seen as the conduit through which millions of Indian rupees flow into the hands of the movers and shakers of the Tamil Nadu and Indian politics in general.
Father Gaspar Raj is the founder of the Tamil Maiyam, a non-profit organization. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi's daughter Kanimozhi is the coordinator. Joinlty they organized the "Chennai Sangamam" (a cultural extravaganza) in the city which has drawn flak for its Tamil Tiger links.
The Jaya TV, (which has AIADMK chief Jayalalitha's patronage), which is opposed to the Tamil Tigers, telecast a 30-minute program on 04 March focusing on Fr Gaspar Raj sharing the platform with Nachimuthu Socrates, one of the senior fund-raisers for the Tigers.
The TV program highlighted that Socrates was among the eight arrested by the US Federal agents in August last year. American authorities have accused him of plotting to buy surface-to-air missiles for the Tamil Tiger rebels by bribing the US State Department officials. One of objectives was to bribe US officials to get the banned Tamil Tigers struck off the list of US terrorist organizations.
The program had also raised uncomfortable questions about Father Raj playing an important role in the state-sponsored Chennai Sangamam. The channel also questioned the 'Government Order' that had given Kanimozhi access to unlimited funds for her cultural programs.
Does Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj was born into a low-middle class Catholic family in Nagarkovil, located in Tamil Nadu, India. He was in the early days a parish priest in a remote village in the Kanniyakumari district.
Later he joined 'Radio Veritas' as director of the Tamil service, roughly during 1995 -2001. He began working for Radio Veritas on a monthly salary of US $200.00. His accumulated assets have earned him the title of a 'Crorepathy' today.
As stated earlier, he shot into the limelight through Radio Veritas. It is a non-stock, non-profit organization tasked to "proclaim the message of God's love to the peoples of Asia. RVA is committed to proclaim the message of God's love to the people of Asia by producing human development and Catholic evangelization programs, in cooperation with recognized production centers and transmitting these programs via short-wave and related means of electronic media.
This station is also used by the Church to promote its brand of politics. The Sri Lankan government has earlier protested against it bias in promoting Tamil Tiger politics. Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj was with the Tamil section of the Veritas radio, broadcasting a half hour slots daily in the morning as well as in the evening. As this radio is a shortwave broadcast, many in Tamil Nadu do not listen to this radio broadcast. The radios in many houses in Tamil Nadu do not have the shortwave.
But Sri Lankans have direct access through shortwave radio connections. Veritas also had direct access to Jaffna through the Catholic Church. The Tamil Catholic priests in Jaffna who had the privilege of moving freely in war zones of Jaffna fed Radio Veritas with pro-Tiger versions of events. Veritas used to receive the news reports from the Jaffna Bishop's House for broadcast. The news carried in the Veritas Tamil service usually lasts for about 5 minutes but it had a powerful impact on the Sri Lankan Tamils.
The censorship imposed by the Sri Lankan government also helped the Tamil service of Radio Veritas to gain a considerable following in Jaffna. It was at the height of the ethnic conflict that Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj became the Director of the Veritas Tamil service.
He began his career at Veritas by announcing that he is not for the Tamil Tigers but subsequently he shifted his stance under pressure from the Tamil Diaspora flooding him with letters and e-mails. He was also impressed by the impact Veritas had on the Sri Lankan Tamils. Once he realized this he came out openly supporting the Tamil Tigers. His new political line made him a popular public personality. During this time, Fr. Chandirakanthan, leading Tamil Tiger propagandists from the Jaffna University visited Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj at Veritas in Philippines. They became good friends. This also led him to establish close contacts with Tiger leaders. He has told all this at public meetings.
In the meantime Fr. Chandirakanthan left for Canada and settled down there. This gave an opportunity for Fr. Gaspar Raj to establish relationship with the Tamil Diaspora in Europe, North America and Australasian countries.
Tigers decided to make use of Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj for collection of funds as he was an able orator. He was also a colorful figure with his unusual (Cossack) dress for a Catholic clergyman.
Seeing his potential Tigers arranged visits for him in several European capitals. He was invited to collect funds for the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, banned in some countries as the arm of the Tiger fund collections.
In the meantime, he arranged the rebroadcast of the Veritas Tamil programs in the then popular TRT Tamil Alai Radio, and used it to build a formidable link between himself and the Tamil Diaspora.
During this time the Tigers were running their own Radio IBC in Europe. Fr. Gaspar Raj announced that Veritas radio as well as the TRT Radio would jointly run programs for the collection of funds for the welfare of the Eelam Tamil orphans. Tigers have never engaged outsiders to collect funds from the Tamil Diaspora or welcomed welfare schemes put to them by others. When the Tiger leaders in Paris vehemently opposed this move of Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj, he was forced to contact Tiger leaders in Vanni for the approval for his proposal to collect funds appealing through the airwaves.
Even S.S. Kuhanathan, who continuously resisted the Paris, based LTTE leaders, joined hands with Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj in the hope that he might be able to establish contacts with the Tiger leaders in the Vanni.
Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj and Kuhanathan appeared in the TRT Television and appealed through TRT Radio to raise funds for the Tamil orphans in the Vanni. TRT, however, was very cautious about raising funds with Fr. Gaspar Raj and insisted that he collects his funds in a separate bank account as this appeal for funds had nothing to do with the TRT organization. Then Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj opened up a bank account in his name in Credit du Nord bank in Paris and channeled the funds into that bank account.
It is estimated that Fr. Gaspar Raj's appeal led to a collection of nearly a million of dollars. According to a source in the Paris, his Paris bank account alone collected a little over US$ 600,000. However the appeal for funds continued in TRT TV and Radio urging Tamil Diaspora to send in their donations not only to Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj's the bank account in Paris but also to his bank account in Manila.
Later it transpired, according to TRT Radio and TV broadcasts, that the moneys sent to Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj's Paris Bank account was subsequently transferred to his Manila bank account.
So far Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj has neither disclosed the total amount of money he received on behalf of the Tamil Orphans in Vanni nor announced how much he has paid out of the total collection to the Tamil orphans and to whom he has given that money.
In the meantime, TRT Radio and TV stations were acquired by the Tigers and at the same time Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj left Veritas Radio and went back to reside permanently in Tamil Nadu .
In another appeal launched in Canada on 14 January 2001, through radio stations in Toronto, Canada, it is reported that he collected around US $ 500,000.00. All these funds were raised selling the plight of the Tamils orphans to the Tamil Diaspora in Canada. With his oratorical skills he was successful in convincing the Tamils in the Diaspora to part with their money for Tamil orphans. He spent most of his last three years at Veritas overseas campaigning for funds.
After settling down in Tamil Nadu India he launched Tamil Maiyam in 2002. He is the Managing Director. It is located in the St. Thomas Building, Santhome Communications Centre in Mylapore, Chennai 600 004. Tamil Maiyam is a '80-G tax- exempted charitable organization.
Tamil Maiyam was founded in Chennai, India, in July 2002 by Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj and his friends as a non-profit organization to promote Tamil arts, literature and culture with special emphasis on Research, Creative productions and Publications. It also claimed that it aimed to bring the fruits of modern science to the ordinary Tamils and create a platform for Tamils living in various parts of the world to interact and work together for the betterment of Tamil language and Tamil society.
The Board of Trustees are: Rev. Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj Managing Trustee, Tamil Maiyam, Fr. Lourdu Anandam, Ms. Akhila Srinivasan, Mr. K. Pandia Rajan, Mr. Jerard, Mr. Joseph Enok, Ms. Latha Pandiarajan Ms. Kanimozhi-, Mr. Arun Veerappan and Fr. Vincent Chinnadurai.
Subsequently he launched Goodwill Communications Limited (GCL) to produce and provide program for the Tamil television industry. The company was formally launched at a function which was chaired by writer Sujatha. Fr Jegath Gaspar Raj, the chairman and managing director of Tamil Maiyam, is also the managing director of GCL. Throgh these insitutions and with the funds collected in the name of the Tamil orphans he has managed to buy his way into the political establishment in Tamil Nadu.
One of Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj's project was to present a musical rendition of the Tamil literary classic, Thiruvasakam
Thiruvasakam, a collection of hymns in praise of Lord Shiva couched in heart-tugging phrases in ancient Tamil by the 7th century poet Saint Manickavasagar, is believed to provide a spiritual experience to those who recite it. Dismayed by the neglect of such rich Indian literature, Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj, a theologian and Founder-Chairman of Tamil Maiyam, decided to do something about it and the result was this project
Thiruvasakam conveys the supreme love for Siva in an obvious rhythm of words, with pleasing sound. It is contained profound statements on love. The verses are in simple style and are easily readable and sung by the very common people and at the same time the thought contents in them are understandable only by scholars of Siva Sitthanta doctrine, and most particularly by the religious experiences.
Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj approached Ilayaraja, the maestro in music, and he in turn seized the opportunity. The music was recorded partly in India (Chennai and Mumbai) and partly at the over 100-year-old Budapest Symphony Orchestra, Hungary.
The album has six songs including a unique 18-minute composition that alternates between Tamil and English lyrics, sung in choral style.
Thiruvasakam has the voices of Ilayaraja, his daughter Bavatharini and Benny Diggs. Over 300 musicians, including 140 instrumentalists and 60 chorus singers were involved in making this album.
It is said that Ilayaraja has not taken any remuneration to produce the album, but holds 50 per cent of its rights. The other 50 per cent is with Tamil Maiyam.
The total cost of the project is Rs 1.4 crore, of which 70 per cent funding has come through high cost debt. A total of Rs 1.1 crore has been spent on production.
Unfortunately Fr. Jegath Gaspar Raj failed financially in this Thiruvasakam project.
'Thiruvasakam' by maestro Ilayaraaja, the first ever Indian Symphonic Oratorio was launched for sale on June 30, 2005 at the Music Academy, Chennai, according to Tamil Maiyam.
The funds for this project were raised by the Tamil Maiyam. The total cost of the production is Rs.110 Lakhs of which Rs.35 Lakhs came in as donations and Rs.75 lakhs as borrowings from individuals and banks. Tamil Maiyam is non-profit 80-G exempted charitable organization. TIS-Foundation USA played a crucial role in mobilizing funds.
The album was presented to the president of India Dr.Abdul kalam on June 17, 2005 at the Rashtrapathi Bhavan by Ilayaraaja accompanied by the Tamil Maiyam team. Dr. Abdul Kalam listened to the Oratorio song in the presence of Ilayaraaja and complimented it as 'Great, a real contribution to the Indian music and culture'.
Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh received Ilayaraaja along with Vaiko and the Tamil Maiyam team on June 18 in New Delhi. While complementing the 'Thiruvasakam' effort he unde4rlined the fact that culture is the core strength of our land.
Ilayaraja and the delegation also met with the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Deputy Prime Minister L.K Advani respectively and presented the album.
In a press release issued by the Tamil Maiyam, Fr. Gaspar Raj says that this is the first music that transmits eastern music seamlessly into a western Symphonic singing.
In the meantime one Dr. Vee has disputed Fr. Gaspar Raj false Symphony claims.
Fr. Gaspar Raj started his Thiruvasakam project with the title 'Thiruvasakam in Symphony' for soliciting funds. In US was titled 'Thiruvasakam in Symphony USA'.
The official web page for the US activities of Thiruvasakam in Symphony. [index.html/www.tis-usa.com].
Rev.Fr. Gaspar Raj's Tamil Maiyam website home page also projected his project as 'Thiruvasakam in Symphony'.
All newspapers including "The Hindu" [June 6, 2005] praised this project as 'Thiruvasakam in Symphony'.
But Ilayaraja explained in his interview to "Ananda Vikatan', a Tamil language weekly, that he did not render Thiruvasakam in symphony and clarified that he had employed the musical form Oratorio in the Thiruvasakam project. Misled by unethical marketing many innocent buyers still believe that Thiruvasakam is now rendered in symphonic music. .
It is an accepted norm in music that vocal renditions are not a part of symphonic music. A Symphony is purely a composition for instruments, and very rarely voices are added as in the case of Beethoven's 9th Symphony (Ode to Joy) in the fourth movement. In some of Mahler's Symphonies voices are added.
Western Music does not have a musical form called 'symphonic oratorio'. Symphony and Oratorio are two different musical forms.
After Ilayaraja's interview clarifying that he did not render Thiruvasakam in Symphony, Rev.Fr.Jegat Gaspar Raj changed the label of his music in his Thiruvasakam project from 'Symphony' to 'Symphonic Oratorio'.
While announcing a project "Mozart meets India", Tamil Maiyam founder Rev.Fr.Jegath Gaspar Raj had called his Thiruvasakam project as "Thiruvasagam - Symphonic Oratorio" [18 March 2006 News Update Service, The Hindu and Deccan Chronicle 19 March 2006].
Rev.Fr.Gaspar Raj producer of the Thiruvasakam project had misled music students of India that Symphonic Oratorio was a Western Musical form and Ilayaraja had used that form to render Thiruvasakam. Being a Catholic priest with a background in Western music, he should have known that Western music does not have a musical form called 'symphonic oratorio'.
As a producer Fr.Jegat Gaspar Raj failed to do proper ground work for his project, misled Ilayaraja to undertake this miguided project and misused Ilayaraja's musical fame to gather funds and market this product cheating innocent buyers most of whom bought this product believing it to be 'Thiruvasakam in Symphony'.
It is unfortunate that the Indian President, Prime Minister and other VIPs had become victims by felicitating this project, a black mark in the history of Indian music. Dr. Vee wrote an email letter "Subject: India's First Symphony?" on August 20, 2006 to the Members of Parliament, protesting against the error of the President and Prime Minister in felicitating "Mozart meets India" as a symphony.
The defects are related to the confusion in the musical forms employed, music interval, wrong choice of vocalist and musical aesthetics.
Rev.Fr.Jegat Gaspar Raj's Thiruvasakam music project involved two different kinds of music, Western Classical and Carnatic. Western Classical and Carnatic music have different kinds of music intervals.
In Western music, keyboard and fretted instruments follow equal temperament. Violinists and vocalists unaccompanied by equal temperament instruments in Western Music may follow just intonation. The intervals of Carnatic music will be different from these. Hence any music project involving Western Classical music and Carnatic music must take into account these differences and work out a compromise. Then the musicians must be trained in this scheme. Recording must start after completing these formalities. Ilayaraja's Thiruvasakam does not appear to have followed these procedures. Brochures accompanying such projects must explain these procedures. A computer based objective investigation will bring out all these shortcomings, a valuable project for music research students.
The next shortcoming in this project is the employment of Ilayaraja's voice, which suits well for folk and film music. [eg.'Thenpandi Seemaiyele' in 'Nayakan']. But his voice will not be suitable for classical music like Carnatic music.
For spiritual chanting of Thiruvasakam, voice of experienced Othuvars [a special category of persons trained in chanting Saivite devotional text] will be good. For musical rendering of Thiruvasakam, voices of well-trained and experienced Carnatic vocalists will be good. The voice of Ilayaraja does not belong to either category.
Also this project failed to follow the traditional musical way of handling the Tamil words in Thiruvasakam. Instead of conceding these defects in his project, Rev.Fr.Jegath Gaspar Raj had blamed the Tamil lyrics of Thiruvasakam for the failure of his product. [Asian News Service- Chennai, March 20, 2006; 18 March 2006 News Update Service; The Hindu and Deccan Chronicle 19 March 2006].
This means he had proceeded with his project without realizing the music potential of the Tamil lyrics of Thiruvasakam and hence had used Ilayaraja's voice for singing the Tamil lyrics thereby damaging the music richness. Without realising his mistakes, Rev.Fr.Jegath Gaspar Raj had blamed the Tamil lyrics of Thiruvasakam for the failure of his project.
Apart from these, there are problems related to finer aspects of musical aesthetics of Western Classical Music and Carnatic music in such projects.
Rev.Fr. Gaspar Raj had recently announced a new project called 'Mozart meets India'. He had claimed that it would be India's first symphony. [Indo-Asian News Service - Chennai, March 20, 2006, New Indian Express, 19-3-2006]. He had not revealed who would be its composer. He had called it as 'orchestral symphony'.
His previous project also started with the title 'Thiruvasakam in Symphony '. Rev.Fr. Gaspar Raj supported Ilayaraja's claim of composing India's first symphony in 1993.
After misusing the words symphony and 'symphonic oratorio', Fr.Gaspar Raj started misusing 'Mozart' in his current project 'Mozart meets India'. He said: "The compositions do not directly correspond or relate to the creations of Mozart. The title is more allegoric as we consider Mozart the greatest composer of symphonies."(The Hindu- Aug 2,2006). Also he had identified it as "a global symphonic soundtrack based on six Carnatic ragas, Kapi, Sindhubhairavi, Panthuvarali, Sankarabharanam, Bilahari and Hamsanandhi," (The Hindu- Aug 2,2006). Is the above mentioned word 'symphonic' "more allegoric" as it may not 'not directly correspond or relate to' the six Carnatic ragas? From the above, there can be only two possible conclusions. Either Rev. Fr. Jegat Gasper Raj does not know what is symphony, or he just misuses the words 'symphony' and 'Mozart' to get funds and market his product, unaware of the damages to the aesthetics of the music field and especially to music education in the process.
Unfortunately for Fr. Gasper Raj, Thiruvasagam did not attract the Sri Lankan Diasporas attention and subsequently it was financially a debacle.
He was heard lamenting that if he could have made Tamil music maestro Ilayaraaja to direct and sing Tigers songs he could have reaped a few crores as profit.
When he failed to win the support of the Sri Lankan Tamil diaspora he tried to win over the support of the Brahmins, but he again failed miserably. When he was openly supporting the LTTE he criticized Thuklak editor Cho Ramasamy as well as N.Ram of The Hindu. But when he returned later to win over the support of the Brahmins he failed to win over his erstwhile adversaries.
In the meantime, when DMK under the leadership of M. Karunanidhi, managed to win back the power in the last elections, Fr. Gaspar Raj moved fast to win the favour of the new Tamil Nadu regime. He won by using Ms. Kanimozhi one of the Board of Trustees and coordinator of the Tamil Maiyam .
Ms. Kanimozhi is the daughter of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and the leader of the ruling party DMK.
She is also poet and also run `Karuthu', an organization run by her and Karthi Chidambaram, Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's son, to espouse freedom of speech, and expression of views. It is said that Karuthu is a non-political organization. Karuthu does not have an opinion on its own; nor does it reflect collective opinion. This is a forum for people to express their opinions in a decent manner. Karuthu is not constrained in any manner by religion, caste, and creed; nor is it shy of any subject. Politics, philosophy, contemporary understanding of history, social issues and all matters may be discussed here. One may also take a contrary view. The only requirement is that there should not be any personal attack.
This was the time LTTE wanted to make thei presence felt in India again. Tamil Tigers were getting disenchanted with Vaiko – V,Gopalasamy, the leader of the Marumalarchchi Dravida Munnetra Kalgam (MDMK).
LTTE leadership, after a lapse of a long period of time, contacted Fr. Gaspar Raj who in turn proved himself as an indispensable person by organizing the meeting of the TNA parliamentary group with the Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi and on the following day the meeting of TNA MPs with Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India.
Political sources claim that millions of Indian rupees changed hands from the Tiger coffers for the arrangement of these meetings.
- Asian Tribune -


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A new face is coming to Seattle Grace.
Nip/Tuck alum Roma Maffia has landed a multi-episode arc on Grey's Anatomy, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively.
Maffia will play Roberta, a member of the hospital's board, who will first appear in the Nov. 29 episode. With the plane-crash lawsuit ramping up, it seems likely that Roberta and the rest of the board will be pulled into the fray.
Photo Gallery: The most memorable Grey's Anatomy guest stars
"We've got the whole lawsuit, which really starts to blow up in this Thursday's episode," Chandra Wilson recently told us. "Where that's going to take all of the participants, and who's going to ultimately end up with the blame for the accident? I think that's going to also come in as a surprise."
Maffia, whose other credits include Boston Legal, The West Wing and ER, has the potential to recur on Grey's.
Grey's Anatomy airs Thursdays at 9/8c on ABC.


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Somebody, Somewhere, Said Something about me….. Scarlet Torturers and of course, character portraits…
Yes, yes there was a minor detail about it being a video… but…
If you scroll up and down the page real fast, it will kind of be like a video, the worst video you have ever seen mind you… but… whatever…
Gnomeaggedon has been patrolling the streets of Ironforge, hanging out at the bridge spruking his wares (and you can see all of them hanging out), generally making sure that everyone in Aman'Thul knows that Gnomeaggedon is on a Nekkid protest until he receives the goods in the mail.
He did finally jump on a bird and head to the Monastery.
SM, that's just like S&M
Maybe that's why Typhoon Andrew sent me there
He went in search of torturers, but which door where they behind?
Was it this one, or this one?
Ohh did you know Gnomeaggedon am a valued member of my guild?
I have even reached the status of CORE RAIDER!
Of course the Guild note might suggest something different…
Maybe I should come online more frequently than once a month… maybe even go on some guild raids this year…
Ghalllowed Gnaked Gnome
Now where was I… Ohh yeah, looking for someone to give me the kind of love that requires sharp metallic instrumewnts.
I guess it wont be this guy that lost his head at the sight of my awesome sauce tanned… no not jocks!… body… you don't want to see a pale Gnome body.
You know, when you are naked, you don't get bonus spell power… or anything else for that matter… who ever would have figured?
I found one!
He wouldn't torture me, nor even talk to me… so I just had a lie down with him for a bit.
Alright, I admit it… this is just another gratuitous… weak but still gratuitous attempt to draw your attention to
Sylus' Artwork!
Go commission some of your own… I need you to, cause I now have a cunning plan…
Go on… be like Prelimar…. Obey when I speak!
Smartly Dressed Shaman
Naked Gnomes are one thing, but what about smartly dressed Shaman?
The cloak he has is beautiful.. not a bad number for something that has been crafted by another player.
Anyway, this gave me pause…
Not if… When!
When I win the customer portrait (No you fools, not IF, just WHEN… you are going to have a look yourself aren't you? Do It!) and Sylus asks me which character I want illustrated.. how do I choose?
Can I choose, but with difficulty.
I have an idea though…
What if Nice Nurturing Squidly was to nurse cute-as-a-baby Gnomeaggedon…
That would be like 2 character portraits for the price of none!
No extra ink required… it wouldn't even be 1.5 porttraits.
Geeez I'm a smart Gnome!
Gnomer and Out!
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported License.


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Remember Bharat Berry? It was launched by a Jaipur based company to offer consumers with push e-mail services when there were talks about Govt.'s proposed permanent ban on Blackberry's messaging and voice services in India. We have already told you about Bharat Berry when it was initially launched.
Now, MTNL (Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd.) has partnered with Bharat Berry to provide it's customers in Delhi and Mumbai with various services such as Push Mail, Calendar and Contacts Sync. These services can be availed by any MTNL subscriber irrespective of the handsets they use. The basic requirements for Bharat Berry are that the handset should be java enabled and should have support for GPRS. Handsets supported include many from Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, BlackBerry & HTC.
Packages & Pricing
Users can opt for either of e-mail or contact/calender sync services which are priced at Rs 50 each per month. However, a combo subscription for both the services is also available at Rs. 80 per month. Users can also opt for a free three month trial of Bharat Berry's push mail services.


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All I can say is WOW! Did I say all that. A restoration of the July 23,2009 show with guest host James Haarp. This will be an audio file presentation in the podcast section. The video file was lost.
Russia & China warn of WWIII over Iran, Canadian Food Inspectors botch flu collection infect themselves and others, polar ice expanding, urban renewal ala bulldozer as major cities set to implode, Bohemian Grove, the death of Superman George Reeves. It's your move check.
French Foreign Legion sets forest fire twice using tracer ammunition. New Zealand moves 12 inches in massive earthquake. New Jersey mayors arrested in high level money laundering. The passing of Walter Cronkite World Federalist. He'd sit on the right hand of Satan for global government. He never mentioned that at CBS. Guess what? Hillary Clinton and Bush are World Federalists. I think they sit beside Satan too. That's Impossible documentary on weather warfare. Virginia Tech shooter's mental health records found. The doctor took them home before the shooting.
The shooter's sister, Sun-kyung Cho, worked for McNeil Technologies. The have contracts in Iraq and with the Defence Intelligence Agency. Veritas Capital bought McNeil Technologies in 2004. They have 2 CFR members on the board. There is also a link to Systems Planning Corporation. Systems Planning studied the Columbine shooting as well as the first WTC attack. They make the Flight Termination System as well. It allows you to take control of multiple aircraft in flight from on the ground or in the air. Their V/P was hired as a Undersecretary of Defence prior to 911. He was a contributor to the Project for a new American Century document. Cho was modelled after a character in the Korean film Oldboy. These companies operate like the Parallax Corporation as portrayed in the movie The Parallx View one of my all time favorites.
Cho attended Westfield H.S. with a Michael Kennedy who shot and killed a police officer and wounded two others in fairfax County, Va.
Vice President Agnew said if he didn't leave quietly, he would be killed.
Massive quake moves New Zealand closer to Australia
Baxter Files Swine Flu Vaccine Patent A Year Ahead Of Outbreak
These Are The People Who Do Not Want The Fed's Veil Lifted
US cities may have to be bulldozed in order to survive
Arctic ice may shrink less after North Pole's late thaw
Russia-China Warn US That Israeli Attack On Iran Means "World War"
Mayors, rabbis arrested in NJ corruption probe
2009 Jakarta bombings
The Coffin Code continues:
There are several travel stickers on the coffin. The baggage ticket is for YVR Vancouver airport. There was a plane crash there.
Train derailment Italy
Bridge collapse India
Fires London
Terror attack Indonesia (Asia) Notice the sticker has two windows under the roof.
Notice the crime scene has two blown out windows.
Ahmee said: Why? What to they want with this happened? What are they looking for? Killing people? Very inhuman! Photo: TwitPic
CONSPIRACY NIGHT AT THE MOVIES: Hollywoodland
There has been some sabotage with the Your Listen site. An ad box blocks it. I have reloaded the show. it plays for you now. I think you can tell from the content there's going to be a little interference.


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Back in 1976, while other teenagers had started obsessing over the newest style of music, punk rock, 16-year-old Louis M. Ricciardi was grooming himself to be a financial advisor. Hipping classmates to the Rule of 72, he was touting the benefits of investing at a young age.
Buddies blew off that idea, but the precocious youth took his own advice. Indeed, the following year he began buying Exxon and Coca-Cola three or four shares at a time — and has continued to buy them till this day, though in far larger blocks.
An FA for 30 years now, he heads the Ricciardi Financial Group, in historic Taunton, Mass., 40 miles south of Boston. Affiliated with Raymond James Financial Services, the three-person practice manages $220 million in assets.
A longtime wirehouse veteran, Ricciardi carved out an unlikely niche at age 24 operating like an independent in a Dean Witter one-person satellite branch in the small town of Taunton, founded by Plymouth Colony members in 1637.
"There are a lot more high-net-worth people here than are concentrated in the cities — and they're a lot more quiet about what they have," notes the peppy Massachusetts native, 51, who winds down by baking blue-ribbon-winning pies given to clients on birthdays, Thanksgiving and at customer appreciation events.
"I enjoy baking because you can't speed it up, compared to Wall Street, which is at hyperspeed. It's a nice juxtaposition to that environment," he says.
Ricciardi started out in a large Shearson-American Express office in the city of Brockton, Mass. But moving to Dean Witter three-and-a-half years later, he was set on locating as a one-man outpost in industrial Taunton.
"I grew up in the area and felt I had much more of a presence in a smaller community," he says. "I saw opportunity. Why not bring professional investment services there and not just assume everyone wants to go into the big city?"
Today, two-thirds of Ricciardi's clients are retirees or pre-retirees. He focuses on fixed-income management — especially tax-free municipal bonds — and enjoys a robust 401(k) plan business.
George LeRoy, 92, an affluent 25-year client and former president-chair of the Taunton-based Bristol County Savings Bank, calls Ricciardi "the smartest, most capable, honest fellow you could possibly have. He never tries to sell anything to get the highest commission. I have ideas on what I want to buy. He keeps searching and when he gets it, presents it to me. I've known a lot of movers and shakers, but Lou is tops."
His key philosophy: Investing needn't be as complicated as he believes Wall Street tries to make it. "There are so many bells and whistles, fancy-shmancy plans and being wrapped up in the Internet and gee-whiz things. But I've found that the real money isn't looking for the dazzle — they're looking to understand, for consistency and for folks who will answer questions."
He went independent during the financial crisis, leaving UBS in September 2009 after moving to PaineWebber in 2002, two years after its acquisition by UBS.
"I got tired of answering questions from my customers about why UBS was putting its capital at risk and if those losses were affecting [their accounts]. I felt less comfortable with the direction in which [wirehouses] were going."
The transition was as smooth as silk. In the first 10 days on his own, he moved $100 million in client assets. Within two months, 97 percent had been transferred over.
As an independent, Ricciardi couldn't be happier. "It's a much more comfortable format and a significantly more robust set-up from every angle," he says. "I would argue that most financial advisors doing three-quarters of a million or above, if they do the math and don't mind the responsibility of payroll," would opt for it too.
Born in Worcester, Mass., the eldest of four boys, Ricciardi grew up in the Cape Cod village of Cotuit. His father Michael was a state auditor who often toiled at a second job to support the family. At 13, Ricciardi already had working papers for a teaching gig in a ceramics studio. It was the start of a host of odd jobs that would pay his way through college.
He was determined to pursue a profession that provided financial stability and independence. "The biggest hurdle I've overcome was not letting the environment I grew up in restrict my dream of what I wanted to achieve," he says.
Graduating from Bridgewater State University with a degree in English, he was recruited by Shearson-American Express and, at 21, kicked off his career.
Four years later, upon the death of his father, he established a scholarship at Bridgewater in Michael J. Ricciardi's name. This year the advisor, who chairs the university's board of trustees, was honored when Bridgewater named one of its five colleges after him: the Louis M. Ricciardi College of Business.
Ricciardi is a serious coin collector, plays guitar for private events and finds time to bake pecan and raspberry-pear pies.
"Pecan pies don't have to be lead in your belly. I created a much lighter, less sweet approach," he notes, "and it became a hit!"
His tack with investing is just as assured. "We try to keep clients focused on what they need to do as opposed to what they want to do. Our strategy," he says, "is that you can get to your goals at a measured pace, and in one piece."


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Key Benefits
- Convenient extra high strength vitamin B complex.
- Vitamin B5 contributes to normal mental performance.
- Vitamin B1 promotes normal and healthy function of the heart.
- Vitamin B12 support normal and healthy function of the immune system.
- Vitamin B6 can help to reduce tiredness and fatigue.
- Vitamins B3 and B7 help to maintain normal healthy skin.
- Vitamin B7 helps maintain hair.
- Manufactured in the UK to GMP quality.
- Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.
Take one vitamin B complex capsule per day or as instructed by your health care practitioner. Best taken at meal time with water.
PABA (Para-aminobenzoic acid) 30mg
Thiamine (Vitamin B1) 100mg (9091% EC NRV)
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2) 100mg (7143% EC NRV)
Niacin (Vitamin B3) 50mg (312% EC NRV)
Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B5) 100mg (1666% EC NRV)
Vitamin B6 100mg (7142% EC NRV)
Folic Acid 400ug (200% EC NRV)
Biotin 150ug (300% EC NRV)
Vitamin B12 Hydroxycobalamin 100ug (4000% EC NRV)
*** EC NRV = EC Nutrient Reference Value
Other Ingredients: HPMC Capsule Shell, Maltodextrin, Magnesium Stearate
Always consult your health practitioner before taking nutritional supplements if you are taking medication or are under medical supervision.
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Store in a cool dry place, out of reach of children.
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Troo Health Care Vitamin B Complex Troo-Strength Capsules are manufactured in the UK to GMP code of practice and ISO 9001 quality assurance certification.
These manufacturing procedures ensure that the basic manufacturingpractices and prerequisites necessary for product quality and safety arebeing followed. This goes above and beyond what is required so that we can guarantee you receive consistently high quality products.
Suitable for vegetarians and vegans.


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Notice is hereby given in compliance with Georgia Code 22-2-109 and 32-3-5 that the Georgia Department of Transportation has approved the Location and Design of this project.
The date of location approval is May 20, 2011.
This project consists of the replacement of three structurally deficient two-lane bridges on US 1/SR 4 over the Altamaha River, Overflow 1 and Williams Creek. The project begins at mile post 20.48 in Appling County and ends at mile post 1.74 in Toombs County. This project is in land lots 618 and 619 and also lies within Georgia Militia District 43 and has a total length of 2.56 miles.
The proposed new bridges will be built on new alignment to the east of the existing bridges while traffic is maintained on the existing roadway. The proposer roadway typical section has two 12 ft. travel lanes with 4 ft. paved shoulders.
Drawings or maps or plats of the proposed project, as approved, are on file and are available for public inspection at the Georgia Department of Transportation:
Matthew McKenzie
Area 1 Engineer
Georgia Department of Transportation
740 Oakdale Circle
Baxley, GA 31513
(912) 366-1090
Any interested party may obtain a copy of the drawings or maps or plats or portions thereof by paying a nominal fee and requesting in writing to:
Bobby K. Hilliard, P. E.
State Program Delivery Engineer
Office of Program Delivery
One Georgia Center
600 West Peachtree Street, 25th Floor
Atlanta, GA 30308
(404) 631-1122
Any written request or communication in reference to this project or notice SHOULD include the Project and P.I. Number as noted at the top of this notice.
6-1, 6-8, 6-15 & 6-22ch
gpn14 NOTICE OF LOCATION AND DESIGN APPROVAL BR000-0001-00(216), APPLING/TOOMBS COUNTIES P.I. No. 0001216
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When it comes to the Lowrider influence and style, drummer and bike owner Austin Comnick shows us that he travels to the beat of a different drum as he says "I have to admit, I love chrome on cars and bikes like a woman loves diamonds. So the first time I saw an all-chrome lowrider bike on white walls my mind was officially blown! As a former touring musician I am always thinking of ways to make a live show as amazing as I can through the eyes of a spectator. So what better way than blowing peoples minds with a custom trike drum kit?"
Built around a 20-inch lowrider trike is a 4-piece clear acrylic Crush drum set. A chrome piccolo snare sits mounted to the bikes frame just in front of the custom ape hangar handlebars that double as a mount for two crash cymbals, a rack tom and an all chrome (of course) cowbell. A 22-inch kick drum, 16-inch floor tom and a ride cymbal sit next to the trike. The kit is fully functional and as easy to play as a normal kit but instead of sitting on a drum throne, you"re upon a lowrider.
I feel I met my goal to combine style and live music; the only problem is do you want to ride it, play it or stare at it?


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The 27-year-old paraplegic son of actress Mia Farrow fatally shot himself in the torso before being found in his vehicle along a Connecticut road, the state medical examiner's office ruled Thursday.
Thaddeus Wilk Farrow was found seriously wounded in his vehicle in Roxbury on Wednesday, about 8 miles from his mother's home in neighboring Bridgewater. He was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
State troopers responded to Route 67 around 12:45 p.m. on Wednesday and found Thaddeus Farrow inside his car suffering from life-threatening injuries, according to a police report.
U.S. & World
He was transported to Danbury Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 2:30 p.m., the report said.
The medical examiner's office determined the cause of death was suicide during an autopsy. State police had said there was no criminal element to the death.
Mia Farrow adopted Thaddeus from Calcutta, India in 1994, according to E! News. He was one of 10 children the actress has adopted.
Mia Farrow wrote in a Twitter posting on Thursday that her family is devastated by Thaddeus' death.
"He was a wonderful, courageous person who overcame so much hardship in his short life," she wrote. "We miss him. Thank you for the outpouring of condolences and works of kindness."
Representatives for the actress did not immediately return messages on Thursday.
State police said Thaddeus Farrow lived in Torrington, about 24-mile from where he was found. Public records show he lived at his mother's house until a few years ago.
A 2013 Vanity Fair profile of Mia Farrow described Thaddeus, a paraplegic and polio survivor, as a car mechanic who was studying to be a police officer.


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NASA gives up fixing Kepler planet-hunting telescope
NASA called off all attempts to fix its crippled Kepler space telescope Thursday. But it's not quite ready to call it quits on the remarkable, robotic planet hunter.
Officials said they're looking at what science, if any, might be salvaged by using the broken spacecraft as is.
The $600 million Kepler mission has been in trouble since May, unable to point with precision at faraway stars in its quest for other potential Earths. That's when a critical second wheel failed on the spacecraft. The first of four gyroscope wheels broke in 2012. At least three are needed for precise pointing.
Since it rocketed into space in 2009, Kepler has confirmed 135 exoplanets—planets outside our solar system. It's also identified more than 3,500 candidate planets.
NASA expects to know by year's end whether the mission is salvageable. Kepler is already on an extended quest; its prime, 3½-year mission ended in November.
The spacecraft is 51 million miles (82 million kilometers) from Earth, orbiting the sun.
If nothing else, new discoveries are expected from data collected over the past four years.
"This is not the last you'll hear from Kepler," promised Paul Hertz, NASA's astrophysics director.
"Kepler has made extraordinary discoveries in finding exoplanets, including several super-Earths in the habitable zone," said John Grunsfeld, a former astronaut who heads NASA's science mission office.
The habitable zone is the distance between a star and planet in which temperatures would permit liquid water and, possibly, life.
"Knowing that Kepler has successfully collected all the data from its prime mission, I am confident that more amazing discoveries are on the horizon," Grunsfeld said in a news release.
Engineers tried without success, over hundreds of hours, to revive the two disabled wheels. The spacecraft remains stable, with thrusters controlling its pointing with as little fuel as possible.
The costs and benefits of the remainder of this mission will be analyzed; results from a pair of studies are expected this autumn, with decisions coming afterward.
Kepler's principal investigator, William Borucki of NASA's Ames Research Center in California, said no one knew at the beginning of Kepler's mission whether Earth-size planets were rare and whether Earthlings might be alone.
"Now at the completion of Kepler observations, we know our galaxy is filled to the brim with planets," Borucki said at a news conference. A large portion of these planets are small like Earth, not gas giants like Jupiter, he noted.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of more exoplanets are expected from Kepler findings, Borucki said. He said it would take another three years to analyze the remaining data.
"We literally expect ... the most exciting discoveries are to come in the next few years as we search through all this data," he said.
Explore further
© 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.


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A while back, I posted the joyful news that I'd found Margaret (McConnell) Carpenter's year of death among her late husband's estate records. Margaret has always been a bit of a mystery. Like many women of her era, her history remains hidden by a society that considered her to be an extension of her husband and not necessarily a person in her own right. Parts of her life can be pieced together from land, court, and census records, but parts remain unknown, and may always remain so.
One aspect of her life that I've always been curious about is her appearance in the 1850 U. S. census with, in addition to several of her younger children, a girl named Margaret Carpenter, who was born about 1840 in Macon Co., NC, where the family lived.1 Many researchers believe the younger Margaret was the youngest child of William and Margaret (McConnell) Carpenter, but court records may paint a different story.
William Carpenter wrote his will on 7 January 1836, naming his wife, Peggy, and children David, Bolivar, Humphrey, Henry, Benjamin, Jackson, Caroline, Aveline, Amy [Ann], Sally, and Matilda. He did not name, as some did, any child with which his wife might then be pregnant.2 William died before 15 June 1838 when the executor of his estate, Jacob Palmer, "returned into Court, the settlement between himself as Executor, and Lewis Vandyke, Alexander Palmer & John Howard, the Committe appointed by [the] court on behalf of the Estate."3 There is a gap in the court records from 16 February 1836 to 11 June 1838, right during the time when William died and court records might help narrow the date of his death.
And the date of his death might be important to resolving the issue of young Margaret Carpenter. In the 23 January 1841 minutes of the Court of Pleas and Quarter Sessions, a small mention was recorded of a case, State and Marg. Carpenter vs. Geo. Wikle for Bastardy, wherein Margaret applied for support, presumably for an illegitimate child, and the court granted the "usual allowance."4 The microfilm copy of the court minutes was poor, and in several sections the minutes were illegible.
I know of no other Margaret Carpenter living in Macon County at that time other than the widow of William Carpenter, Margaret (McConnell) Carpenter. Was she, in fact, the Margaret Carpenter who sued George Wikle, the putative father, in 1841 for the care of her illegitimate child? Was that child young Margaret of the 1850 U. S. census? Or was she, indeed, a late child of William and Margaret who was in utero at the time of his death, and whose age was reported slightly off in 1850?
Fortunately, there is another records set I can turn to for answers, the Bastardy Bonds for this county held by the North Carolina State Archives in Raleigh. I'm hopeful that those will help illuminate the relationship between the individuals involved, and I can at last lay the issue of young Margaret's parentage to rest.
* * * * *
1. 1850 U. S. census, Macon County, North Carolina, population schedule, Tennessee Valley, page 367 (stamped), dwelling 654, family 699; digital images, Ancestry.com (accessed 18 January 2013); NARA microfilm publication M432, roll 636.
2. Macon Co., NC, Will Book 1: 14 – 16; North Carolina State Archives, Raleigh. I originally copied the will when it was still held by the Superior Court in Franklin. The early estate records have since been moved to Raleigh.
3. Macon Co., NC, County Court Minutes Book 3 (1838 – 1855): 10; NCSA, Raleigh; NCSA microfilm publication C.061 30001.
4. Macon Co., NC, County Court Minutes Book 3: 129.


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Create beautiful gum paste botanicals that will finish any cake in flawless style with cake designer Maggie Austin as your guide. You'll learn how to make sugar leaves, delicate blossoms and blackberries that look like they were plucked right off the bush. Find out how to combine these sweet elements to create charming bouquets that stand on their own and elevate your cake. You'll be amazed at how easily you can assemble lifelike embellishments using Maggie's innovative bag-and-shake technique, and you'll also discover how to add realistic color and details to your creations. As a bonus, Maggie shares something every cake designer should know: How to make gum paste! Blossom as a sugar artist. Sign up for Sugar Berries, Leaves & Blossoms today!
What You'll Learn
* How to roll out individual blackberry seeds
* How to easily attach seeds for full or partial blackberries
* How to make realistic hypericum berries and ivy leaves
* How to use a CelPad and blossom cutter for adorable, delicate sugar flowers
* How to color your creations using luster and petal dusts
* How to use steam on gum paste to give your sugar art a beautiful sheen
* How to arrange your berries, leaves and blossoms to create stunning bouquets that are worthy of a cake all their own
* Bonus lesson: How to make your own gum paste
What You'll Make
* Lush, ripe blackberries
* Realistic hypericum berries
* Delicate ivy leaves
* Ethereal blossoms


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This is just a quick reminder about the meeting coming up on March 10, 2011 at 6:30 PST. You can find more information about the event from here.
I am looking forward to this presentation. I think this presentation can be highly useful for both Production DBA as well as Development DBA. Please join us Thursday evening to get some good information. Anybody who wants to attend is welcome to attend – whether from Vegas or not. (I will be attending afterall and currently do not live in Vegas.)
We will be recording the meeting and providing a link to it after the meeting. So if you can't make it, you may still be able to access it.
I hope to see you there (well, virtually anyway).


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Aka. Tokyo Monogatari, 1953 is one among the best 100 films. It is directed by Ozu. Any film of Ozu suffers considerably in retelling. He is a master of understatement which for a film maker would mean a visual narrative that somewhere hovers between make-believe and reality so finely pared to an extent life and art becomes almost interchangeable. Ozu's use of camera I had already touched upon in my appreciation of his Late Spring. Indoors points of view are fixed at the eye level of characters from a low angle. Yet within each framed composition, Ozu's camera does not move. While creating an intimate, familial atmosphere, in the case of presenting the lives of the Hirayama family, he prefers subtle gestures and mannerisms, prosaic conversations, daily rituals, and simple acts of kindness that are natural to them. Throughout the film, there is a pervasive sound of movement: ticking clocks, churning steamboats, passing trains. Beauty of life that Ozu describes is to be experienced than described.
It is a story about generational divide all the more sharp considering how vital culture, tradition Aesthetics are for the Japanese. In a post-war Japan all that was truly unique to them are being eroded. Modernization is the culprit and against it growing old has its insidious effect. An elderly couple, Shukichi (Chishu Ryu) and Tomi Hirayama (Chieko Higashiyama), venture forth from a small coastal village in southern Japan to visit their married children in Tokyo. Their eldest son, Koichi (So Yamamura), a doctor running a clinic in a working-class part of town, is too busy to show them around town, and their eldest daughter is occupied with her beauty salon. Is their condition anything extraordinary? In literature we may find examples most notably from King Lear and Pere Goriot of fathers treated vilely by their offsprings. Ozu has no use for such drama to paint the sad truth of human condition. It has been so then as it is now. Crabbed age and youth cannot march in step. Where life ceases to hold meaning for the former as was hinted in their youth, for the latter significance of life is entirely of another context and language. It is as strange as the argot or a coded language the youth would employ to baffle their peers. It is a misalliance if fathers and their offsprings are set upon finding a single yarstick to measure the beat of their lives.
The elderly couple are naturally disappointed since their children are as removed from their lives by their routine as their village is as backward as Tokyo is most advanced. Only their widowed daughter-in-law, Noriko, played memorably by Setsuko Hara, is willing to take time off work to show the couple the sights of Tokyo. The older children arrange for their parents to visit Atami Hot Springs, but the unimpressed couple soon returns to Tokyo. Tomi stays with her daughter-in-law while Shukichi goes out drinking with some of his buddies, and the bunch complains about their vague sense of disappointment toward their children. Not knowing how to entertain their parents (and to save money), the siblings decide to send them to a noisy, crowded spa. Unable to enjoy themselves, the elderly couple return early, only to be sent away for the evening when their unexpected arrival interferes with Shige's scheduled club meeting. Consequently, Mrs. Hirayama (Chieko Higashiyama) spends a final evening with Noriko before heading back to Onomichi, and Mr. Hirayama (Chishu Ryu) finds some old friends in town, hoping to be invited to spend the evening, but in the process, gets hopelessly drunk. On the following day, Mrs. Hirayama offers the adult children some words of reassurance at the train station, and the couple leave. (ack: Synopsis- Jonathan Crow/ http://www.allmovie.com) .
September/October 2006 Directed by Yasujiro Ozu Produced by Takeshi Yamamoto Written by Kôgo Noda Yasujiro Ozu Starring Chishu Ryu Chieko Higashiyama Setsuko Hara Music by Kojun Saitô Cinematography Yuuharu Atsuta Editing by Yoshiyasu Hamamura Distributed by Shochiku (Japan theatrical) Release date(s) 3 November 1953 (Japan) Running time 136 min. Language Japanese (wikipedia) Similar Movies Late Spring (1949, Yasujiro Ozu) The Trip to Bountiful (1985, Peter Masterson) The Joy Luck Club (1993, Wayne Wang) Maborosi (1995, Hirokazu Kore-eda) The Ceremony (1971, Nagisa Oshima) Café Lumiere (2004, Hou Hsiao-Hsien) Kurosudo Nooto (2007, Isao Yukisada) Gone is the One Who Held Me the Dearest in the World (2002, Ma Xiaoying) A Thousand Years of Good Prayers (2007, Wayne Wang) Movies with the Same Personnel Early Summer (1951, Yasujiro Ozu) Late Autumn (1960, Yasujiro Ozu) Late Spring (1949, Yasujiro Ozu) Floating Weeds (1959, Yasujiro Ozu) An Autumn Afternoon (1962, Yasujiro Ozu) Good Morning (1959, Yasujiro Ozu) Early Autumn (1961, Yasujiro Ozu) No Regrets for Our Youth (1946, Akira Kurosawa) Other Related Movies is related to: The Funeral (1984, Juzo Itami) influenced: Cherry Blossoms: Hanami (2008, Doris Dörrie) all movie
Memorable Quotes:
Kyoko: Isn't life disappointing?
Noriko: [smiles] Yes, it is.
# Voted #7 in Total Film's 100 Greatest Movies Of All Time list (November 2005). # The original negative was lost soon after the film was completed, due to a fire at the vault of the lab in Yokohama city. The film had to be released using prints made from a dupe protective negative. (Imdb)


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12" / 18" Alphabet Marquee - X
12" / 18" Alphabet Marquee
Letter: X
When you bring home a new bundle of joy, there are plenty that come with it. Your days and nights become indistinguishable, you start sentences that you don't end up finishing, you celebrate mundane things like poopy diapers, burps and a shower. You look forward to putting your head down on a pillow only to jolt up with every little sound coming from her direction. You endure because your body and heart is fuelled by her gentle touch and her sleepy eyes that say "I need you".
Each of our Alphabet Marquees are made to order with that special someone in mind. We know how it feels to welcome home a little one, to want to give her every ounce of yourself and make her feel loved and special. We hope our designs and creations are a reflection of our devotion to you and your family, to creating a space and an environment that offers you comfort and joy through those long days and nights.
- Natural white LED mini lights with an estimated life of 40,000 hours
- On/off switch on side with two modes of brightness
- Requires: 3AA batteries (not included)
- Hand painted using low VOC paints
- Good for tabletop display or hung on wall
- Energy consumption 2.4 watts
- Dimensions 12" Marquees: 12 inches length x 12 inches width x 1.5 inches depth
- Dimensions 18" Marquees: 19 inches length x 18 inches width x 1.5 inches depth
- Weight: 3 lbs
- Material: Wood
- Cutout keyholes on back for easy hanging
- Semi-gloss finish for easy maintenance and cleaning
As each piece is handmade and made-to-order, please allow 4 to 6 weeks for completion.
When a customer brings one of our pieces home, we want to ensure they have a delightful experience for the life of the product. That is why we offer lifetime warranty on the LED lights. Should you encounter any problems with the LED lights, simply send us an email and we will arrange to have them fixed or replaced for you.
Pulp Function is an eco-friendly company. All pieces are made using responsibly sourced Canadian wood and painted using zero to low VOC paints to ensure it is safe for the environment. All marquees are packaged and shipped using recyclable materials.
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