text:
Shine in that Vivid Isolation: A Case Study of the Ghazal in the Contemporary American Lyric
Tyler Mills | May/Summer 2013
The beloved, or the "eternal feminine," appears in ghazals as an object of absolute torment for the speaker. The speaker's cadence is one of longing, grief, and loss, driven by the inability to join the "beloved"...
The ghazal, a poetic form that has intersected cultures as politically discordant as Indian and Pakistani, has become popular in contemporary American poetry. Five ghazals are included in Reginald Dwayne Betts's Shahid Reads His Own Palm, for example. In "Ghazal (Breath)," "Shahid waits, listens to the stars— / His mind is a cell: blow through it ancient breath."1 The imprisoned speaker addresses himself in the mode of prayer—for his creative, Aeolian harp of a mind. The lyre of this ghazal signifies a creative self, imprisoned by circumstance (he is in jail, but also a cell of self-definition). Another formal ghazal published in a recent collection is Shara McCallum's "Ghazal" from This Strange Land. In the closing (and signature) couplet of this ghazal, the poet's name evolves into a question: is poetry's song capable of producing a cure for neglect? McCallum's ghazal ends with a meditation on whether or not poetry can counteract the kinds of violence that endure in memory: "In Hebrew, Shara means she sings. / What song can offer the antidote for neglect?"2 Unlike Betts and McCallum's ghazals, the ghazal in Rebecca Dunham's Flight Cage is free verse—yet it still preserves the ghazal's convention of independent couplets, as well as its signature closing line. Dunham's ghazal ends with the urgency of address—biological and psychic—that comes to the self at the brink of childbirth: "Push, Rebecca. The doctor readies his knives and it is / as if the hand of God himself is there to set me screaming."3 And, most recently, are the free-verse ghazals of Anthony Madrid's I am Your Slave Now Do What I Say "that assault conventions while often reading like deranged love letters."4 His ghazals interact with and dismantle a key tradition of the form, in which the speaker is a kind of performer. In "These Were Not Born To Be Lovers," the speaker is self-conscious of the role his performance is supposed to have, that of bestowing an account of ardent love upon a reader: "It's about time MADRID turned a few heads. Just look at him: you could read / The small print of your marriage contract by the light coming off his face."5
For such an ancient form, the ghazal has only recently become widely available to poets writing in English. In 1968, Aijaz Ahmad invited a small group of respected American poets—such as W.S. Merwin, Adrienne Rich, and Mark Strand—to translate Ghalib's ghazals in honor of the centennial of Ghalib's death; this pamphlet of poems ultimately became the anthology, Ghazals of Ghalib.6 This anthology is a valuable resource for English speakers. Ahmad first rendered each Urdu poem into "literal" prose English, and then several poets further translated Ahmad's translation, in an attempt to recapture the emotional core for an English speaker through a variety of free and semi-formal verse versions. For example, from Ahmad's prose translation of the fourth ghazal in the collection, William Hunt, Adrienne Rich, and William Stafford take three formally different approaches: Hunt's poem is in three-line strophes, Rich's is in unrhymed and unmetered couplets, and Stafford's is in blank verse couplets.7 All three translations invite the ghazal into the present, especially Hunt's line, "Dropped like a used light bulb, I won't be shocked," which originally was "I am like an extinguished candle" in Ahmad's literal translation.8
While a valuable project, Aijaz Ahmad's Ghazals of Ghalib set a precedent we must examine, especially since the ghazal is becoming such a popular form in contemporary American poetry. Many poets have published ghazals in recent collections (Reginald Dwayne Betts, Rebecca Dunham, Honorée Fanonne Jeffers, Anthony Madrid, Shara McCallum, John Murillo, Evie Shockley, among others), both rhymed and unrhymed free verse. However, in the poems of Robert Bly, this form has become a site open for inscription.
At the turn of the 21st century, Agha Shahid Ali gathered what he considered to be true ghazals into a valuable anthology: Ravishing DisUnities: Real Ghazals in English (Wesleyan University Press, 2000). In his introduction to the anthology, Shahid Ali ascribes some blame to Ahmad's translation project, Ghazals of Ghalib: "I have a suspicion that Aijaz Ahmad did not quite establish the primacy of the form when explaining Ghalib to those who collaborated with him in translating ghazals."9 Even the name of this anthology, subtitled as Real Ghazals in English, implies a reaction to the "false" ghazals that were being published. The poems of this anthology by and large remain true to the form's conventions, where the first couplet rhymes in an exact word repetition (aa) with itself and the second line of each couplet rhymes with this first couplet by repeating the exact same word: (Xa), and the a word becomes a kind of refrain.10 Shahid Ali's anthology hosts an array of the best contemporary poets working within the ghazal's formal strictures with intelligence and lyric virtuosity, such as Craig Arnold, Michael Collier, Annie Finch, Cynthia Hogue, W.S. Merwin, Paul Muldoon, Stanley Plumly, Ann Townsend, and Ellen Bryant Voigt. Yet, Robert Bly's fairly recent book of tercet "ghazals," My Sentence Was a Thousand Years of Joy, published five short years after Shahid Ali's anthology, is still marketed as a collection of ghazals. One can only imagine what Shahid Ali's reaction would have been to this label of a book of free-verse tercets, especially since he denounces the "free-verse ghazal as a contradiction in terms."11
What exactly is a ghazal? The ghazal earns its name from an Arabic-derived word for a "lyric in eastern literature, especially Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Urdu, and Pashto, from the 8th century onward."12 But by its Arabic origins, ghazal can also mean, "to woo, flirt, or engage in amorous conversation with women, paying tribute to their grace and beauty."13 Historically, the ghazal has been used as a means of expressing the love and devotion between a speaker and the beloved object of worship (most often gendered female) beyond the speaker's reach. The relationship between speaker/lover and self/other can be paradigmatic to that of an individual's yearning for the divine. But importantly, "ghazal" can also translate as the catch in the throat of "the cry of a gazelle when it is hunted down and trapped."14 The notion of the hunt and entrapment embedded within the meaning of the word mirrors the speaker-other relationship that is embedded in the form. This cry of the trapped animal is released in response to more than the absence of the beloved's physical presence. The beloved, or the "eternal feminine,"15 appears in ghazals as an object of absolute torment for the speaker. The speaker's cadence is one of longing, grief, and loss, driven by the inability to join the "beloved"—which in traditional ghazals can appear as a lover or a ruler—and is also invocative of the divine.
Traditional ghazals use such distant and unavailable figures of that which is other-than-self to express extreme devotional suffering. Such suffering led the early 12th-century Muslim philosopher Abu Hamid al-Ghazzali into a debilitating breakdown; he had been trying to seek a relationship with God through the logic and meditations of Islamic Falsafah when, as he writes, "God shriveled my tongue."16 To find his spiritual identity, al-Ghazzali practiced Sufi mysticism for ten years. Karen Armstrong writes, "al-Ghazzali reminds his readers that… we can only discuss these matters in the figurative language that is the preserve of the creative imagination."17 Suffering results in attempting to capture the divine in the logic (albeit, mysterious in itself) of metaphor. The creative exercise of the imagination is both an exploration of world and other-world, but also an entrapment of self. The ghazal, especially in the contemporary lyric, becomes the death cry of a being at the moment of realizing that one can only lose this struggle to free oneself—from oneself.
Ghazals perform this obsessive pursuit of the beloved/other-self/God via self-contained couplets that chime in momentary unisons. These unisons are created by rhyme and word-repetition linking the end of each closed couplet. Because the ghazal moves through closed couplets, the language is syntactically contained inside these dyads. Therefore, each couplet is isolated from the couplet both before and after it. The line length of the ghazal in Urdu, Turkish, or Arabic is ordered according to a quantitative scheme, like poems in a language like Latin, where long or short syllables last for a quantifiable length of time when spoken. Because this quantitative scheme is not applicable in English, where syllables cannot be quantified exactly according to how long they last in time (due to the accented nature of the English language),18 when writing in the ghazal form, the poet usually chooses either the syllabic or iambic line.19 Robert Bly takes the first approach, counting the syllables of Persian ghazals to justify his use of tercets. In Francis Quinn's interview with Robert Bly in the Paris Review, Bly explains his method (italics added for emphasis):
The line that poets use most often in both Persian and Arabic tends to be sixteen or eighteen syllables. So if you have two eighteen-syllable lines, you really have thirty-six syllables. By contrast, the typical line in English, in the sonnets, for example, is ten syllables. A line in English becomes unwieldy if it's extended into eighteen syllables. If one adopts three eleven- or twelve-syllable lines, you end up with about thirty-six syllables. I think the Islamic writers felt that thirty-six syllables is a useful and completed unit of expressiveness. That's why I went to three lines.20
When Quinn challenges Bly with the statement "So the ghazal is not free verse," Bly responds "Not at all!" and provides his rationale, which includes the image leaps within and between his thee-line strophes. (Oddly, this interview with Bly appears in the same issue of the Paris Review as Shahid Ali's "A Ghazal for Michael Palmer".)
Bly's formal translation method is also troubling: essentially, he adds up the syllables in two lines of an average ghazal in Arabic or Persian, then divides it by ten (the basic number of syllables in a regular, pentameter line in English), and splits the resulting three groupings of roughly ten syllables into tercets. In contrast, the traditional ghazal structure is predicated on the dynamic within, and also between, the couplets, which "stand as independent units within the poem."21 The traditional ghazal rhyme scheme is aa, Xa, Xa, where each couplet closes with the same word. The Arabic word for the a refrain word is radiif; the word for the internally-rhymed word is qaafiya.22 The she'rs are the "couplets," which consist of two hemistiches each.23 Some of Bly's "ghazals" end with a kind of radiif, sometimes with the internally rhymed word that customarily precedes it (the qaafiya), and sometimes not. But importantly, in Bly's ghazals and his translations of ghazals, the entire schema of the couplet itself, where one line is in tension with another—like the self-other yearning of the subject itself—is abandoned.
Successful translations of ghazals into English can indeed show how the aa, Xa, Xa couplet structure of the ghazal enacts obsession, where the first couplet brings the radiif together into a kind of mirror, broken when each following couplet only contains the radiif (refrain word) in its second line. Consider the six opening lines from John Drury's translation of a ghazal by Hafiz of Shiraz (1325-1389):
Where can I hear the news, so that out of desire I rise?
So that, like a homing pigeon from a snare, I rise?
If you command me to your service, I'll renounce
the world and its worldliness, though it's where I rise.
O Lord, loosen the rain from your thunderhead of mercy—
as long as, like dust that floats in the air, I rise.24
In this poem, "I rise" causes the reader to feel the poem pull to the gravity of the aa scheme closing the first two lines. "I rise" enters the poem in the form of a question: "I rise?" The speaker proposes worldly situations as solutions to the questions, and finalizes each situation with a pronouncement: "I rise." In this way, the radiif shapes the poem's meaning, between body and soul, between the world and the otherworld: "as long as, like dust that floats in the air, I rise".
Najaat Black's translation of a ghazal by Nesimi (d. ca. 1404) also illustrates the dramatization of the self's desire for a beloved other: "Oh my idol of the temple, in the dark of night, in the early dawn, far from you—I burn / And when I long for our desired union, within an even greater fire—I burn."25 A line such as this one conjures up the "star-crossed lovers" theme common to a cousin of the ghazal: the qasida. The qasida is a love poem or poem of praise written to be delivered in the context of the divan, or court. Some qasida poems follow the aa, Xa, Xa pattern of the ghazal and some maintain a single end rhyme rather than a single repeating end word at the end of each hemistich. As Ahmed Ali emphasizes in The Golden Tradition, unlike much-shorter ghazals, qasida court poems can be hundreds of couplets long.26 When we consider the ardent passion of Sufi mystics in their internal pursuit of that which is beyond the self, the ghazal's roots in the qasida make sense. Socrates defines the "lover" figure in Plato's Phaedrus as one who "gazes upward as though he were a bird and cares nothing for what is here below, so he is accused of being mad."27 This passage could also describe a "mad" mystic, barely existing in this world, sick with love for the truth beyond tangible reality.
In addition to difficult syntax, the ghazal traditionally centers on a complex image system that when read through a 21st century, print-based lens might seem rife with symbolism that a contemporary reader could quickly deem cliché.
The ghazal's complicated relationship with the qasida has caused some scholars to cast the ghazal aside as too saccharine to be serious—a fault of the especially Anglo-centric who overlook the ghazal's relationship to the erotic/mystical dynamic associated with Sufi mysticism. An entry in the Cambridge History of Arabic Literature, published as recently as 2006, condemns ghazals of the Arabic post-classical age:
The lack of dedication, the concentration on transient relations based on outward attractiveness, is one of the most unconvincing features of this period's profusion of ghazal poetry. Despite this particular poem's strong avowel of suffering in love, it is too unconvincing. It fails to arouse the reader's deeper emotions about the universal experience of love.28
What reader's "deeper emotions" does the ghazal "fail to arouse"? One cannot help thinking of Said's definition of Orientalism: "the idea of European identity as a superior one in comparison with all the non-European peoples and cultures."29 The underlying warrant in the Cambridge History of Arabic Literature is that "the universal experience of love" defines "universal" as Euro-centric, ignoring the mystical explorations of love, self, and universe that are the core of Sufism.
Translating ghazals into English, as Asif Farrukhi explains in the introduction to his anthology An Evening of Caged Beasts: Seven Postmodern Urdu Poets, is an arduous task because of the form's strict conventions. Farrukhi laments not including ghazals by Afzal Ahmed Syed and Sarwat Hussain (two masters of the form) because he could not capture these ghazals in translation.30 It is important to keep in mind that Urdu, Turkish, or Arabic ghazals translated into nonrhymed couplets prevent English-speaking readers access to the drama created by the radiif. Ghazals were performed with music in competitions (musha'era) where poets spoke or sang their verses "in a circle."31 Audiences of musha'era would begin predicting and preparing for the radiif (even joining in) that the poem taught them to expect. Contemporary readers of the ghazal, too, join in with the system of anticipation and participation that the radiif creates. For example, "By Exiles," by Shahid Ali in Call Me Ishmael Tonight enacts a heavy, almost foot-stamping, reinforcement of repetition when the qaafiya, "by," sets up the radiif, "exiles":
In Jerusalem a dead phone's dialed by exiles.
You learn your strange fate: you were exiled by exiles.
You open the heart to list unborn galaxies.
Don't shut that folder when Earth is filed by exiles.
Before Night passes over the wheat of Egypt,
let stones be leavened, the bread torn wild by exiles.32
Shahid Ali weights the right side of the line's balance beam with an extra internal rhyme in this ghazal: "dialed" (line 1), "filed" (line 4), and "wild" (line 6). These words flirt with the ear, preparing us for what we are truly expecting: the radiif, "exiles."
In traditional ghazals, the syntax contorts in such an extreme way that the reader (and listener, during performance) must be guided to an understanding of the poem's meaning through the poem's rhyme structure and word-relationships.
The ghazal form creates meaning through associative jumps that occur between the couplets. Barry Lerner, one of the translators of a collection of ghazals by the 20th-century mystical poet, Sant Darshan Singh, observes the following about how the ghazal form accrues meaning: "more often than not, its verses are unrelated to each other, leaping from concept to concept, even giving expressions to thoughts that are at variance with what has appeared earlier in the poem."33 The closed couplets essentially hold information together in a special kind of relationship, so the language within each couplet-unit, when juxtaposed alongside its neighbor couplets, enacts meaning in an associative gesture. Therefore, I argue that the ghazals of Rebecca Dunham and Anthony Madrid still activate an essential component of the ghazal tradition, even though these poems appear closer to free verse on a formal vs. free verse continuum. Why? These poets gracefully preserve the structure of the ghazal couplet (and importantly include the kind of signature that must appear in the last strophe of the poem). In Shahid Ali's essay introduction to Ravishing DisUnities, he emphasizes that each couplet of the ghazal must constitute its own existence: "One should at any time be able to pluck a couplet like a stone from a necklace, and it should continue to shine in that vivid isolation, though it would have a different luster among and with the other stones."34 For example, the following two couplets (lines 3-6) from a ghazal by Mohammad Taqi Mir (1723-1810) create such an associative gesture:
The morning caravan is ringing with the cry:
"Awake, O idlers, we are leaving, you sleep still."
Barren is this land, never grows green here the grass;
In vain you sow the seeds of desire, toil and till.35
This whole second couplet informs the image in the previous couplet; the caravan travels the land that is bare because the speaker cannot cultivate his own desire. Both of these couplets are end-stopped—and also independent from one another both in terms of image and lyric narrative. Conceivably, one could lift the second couplet away from the first "like a stone from a necklace" and it would "continue to shine in that vivid isolation" of solitude. The final associative move within the ghazal occurs when the poet signs his or her name within the last line of the poem. In Arabic, this signature (sometimes as a nom de plume or named persona) is called the takhallus.36 We've already seen the takhallus: for example in Reginald Dwayne Betts's "Ghazal (Breath)," where "Shahid waits, listens to the stars— / His mind is a cell: blow through it ancient breath,"37 and in Anthony Madrid's "It's about time MADRID turned a few heads. Just look at him: you could read / The small print of your marriage contract by the light coming off his face."38 There are many ways that poets writing ghazals in English can close their ghazals with a takhallus—sardonically, playfully, or seriously in the self-reckoning mode of self-address.
In traditional ghazals, the syntax contorts in such an extreme way that the reader (and listener, during performance) must be guided to an understanding of the poem's meaning through the poem's rhyme structure and word-relationships. Walter G. Andrews writes, "the rules of divan poetry do not appear to make a distinction between sentences and clauses, and the production of syntactic ambiguities is a regular and frequent feature."39 The following example is the first two couplets of Andrews's literal translation of a ghazal by Nabi (1630-1712):
The cup of red wine comes to the pleasure gathering and goes
Just as the sea comes and goes with the ebb and flow [of tides].
It gives news of your opening up to others like a rose
The swift footed breeze ever comes and goes to us.40
Andrews assigns each line a "context," a "focus," and an "action." The action of each line of Nabi's ghazal is the radiif. In the first line, the "gathering" is the context, "the cup of wine" is the "focus," and the action is "coming and going." Andrews constructs a chart of "Structural Pattern of Lines"; the first two rows of the chart that analyze the syntax of the first couplet is reproduced below:41
1.a gathering the cup of wine coming and going
1.b ebb and flow the sea coming and going
The purpose of such a chart is not to reduce reading the ghazal to a kind of linguistic exercise, but is instead meant to show the significance of syntactical play to this poetic form. In Urdu, Turkish, and Arabic, word order is often rearranged to such an extent that the form of the ghazal (its couplet construction) is what makes the meaning of the poem decipherable to a native-speaker.42 In this way, not only do couplets channel the ghazal's associative movement but also so do the relationships between words within each line of the poem.
In addition to difficult syntax, the ghazal traditionally centers on a complex image system that when read through a 21st century, print-based lens might seem rife with symbolism that a contemporary reader could quickly deem cliché. Andrews in his discussion of the "Poetic Vocabulary" of the ghazal tradition discusses how some scholars have not only exoticized the ghazal, but also cast it aside as an inferior form for this reason. For example, Andrews quotes E. J. Gibbs:
It is replete with what are called stock epithets; the "moon-face," the "cypress-form," the "ruby-lip," occur with wearisome reiteration right from the very beginning. In the same way what we might term stock associations abound; when the "nightingale" is mentioned we may be sure the "rose" is not far away, and if we read of the "moth" in one line we may feel safe about meeting the "taper" in the next.43
However, the poet must negotiate the ghazal's image bank (images such as "moon-face" and "ruby-lip") carefully: "The Ottoman court poets merged the topoi of romantic love, the mystical yearning for union with God, and their longing for the psychological and material benefits of royal favor. They created a direct chain of metaphors linking the garden, the rose, the beloved, the sultan, the sun, and God."44 Such a "direct chain of metaphors" would be immediately recognized and understood in a recitation or performance, especially where at the musha'era, the audience would use their expectations of the poem (rhyme and image) to chime in with the performer.
Because ghazals perform such nuanced musical systems and image matrices, a "free-verse" ghazal divorced from the most important formal aspect of the ghazal—the couplet—that marshals us through its syntactical maneuvers, and should "shine in that vivid isolation" as a dyadic unit,45 seems implausible. One could argue that Robert Bly's ghazals are "American ghazals" in the way of David Biespiel's nine-line "American Sonnets." But David Biespiel, in his smart Preface to Wild Civility, renames his sonnets as American, and explains his adaptation of the form. Surely, I am not arguing that one always explain adaptations of form. Yet it is clear that in the case of the ghazal, Shahid Ali very much tried to preserve the form's core structure when he invited contemporary poets writing in English to contribute to his anthology, Ravishing DisUnities. Therefore, what by and large looks like an American ghazal in the early 21st century—see Honorée Fanonne Jeffers's "Red Clay Suite" in her book by that name or John Murillo's "Hustle" in Up Jump the Boogie—also dedicates itself to the form's independent couplets and, in many cases, its rhyme pattern. Therefore, the translations of the ghazals of Hafez by Robert Bly and Leonard Lewisohn in The Angels Knocking on the Tavern Door are, well, puzzling. Each poem moves in the three-line stanzas that Bly claims for his own version of the American ghazal. Importantly, Bly's introductory essay to The Angels Knocking on the Tavern Door explains how he rendered Lewisohn's raw prose translations into poems, much like how the poems in Ghazals of Ghalib grew, flexibly, from Aijaz Ahmad's raw translations. What Bly says about the form, that it requires a kind of reinvention at the beginning of each strophe, only scratches the surface of the form's conventions and traditions. Bly writes, "Encouraged by the ghazal form, which asks for a poem to begin again with each stanza, Hafez constantly interrupts his own flow of thought in a way unusual to us."46 What is problematic about such a translation approach as Bly's is that what he describes as Hafez's "flow of thought," which behaves as a "way unusual to us" (in its method of beginning again? I am not so sure), activates this ancient form as a site that can be leveled and rebuilt in a way that is suitable for, dare I say, its new occupant. As Shahid Ali feared, it does seem that the method of translation for the Ghazals of Ghalib project has paved the way for a kind of risky appropriation. As poems, Bly's The Angels Knocking on the Tavern Door are successful and beautiful. There is also much to be admired in his book of "ghazals," My Sentence Was a Thousand Years of Joy. However, these poems are not true ghazals.
The ghazal's complicated relationship with the qasida has caused some scholars to cast the ghazal aside as too saccharine to be serious—a fault of the especially Anglo-centric who overlook the ghazal's relationship to the erotic/mystical dynamic associated with Sufi mysticism.
W.S. Merwin, of the same generation as Bly, was one of Aijaz Ahmad's original translators for the late 1960s Ghazals of Ghalib project. Yet, in Ravishing DisUnities, Merwin contributes to the ghazal tradition in the American lyric with a ghazal that is true to the form's conventions. "The Causeway" holds couplets in self-contained syntactical structures. The poem's lyric arc drifts from couplet to couplet, suspending an almost narrative sensation through these independent units; the radiif is "voices" and the qaafiya "hear" (with one slight adjustment, where in the eighth line, "clear" represents the qaafiya):
This is the bridge where at dusk they hear voices
far out in the meres and marshes or they say they hear voices
the bridge shakes and no one else is crossing at this hour
somewhere along here is where they hear voices
this is the only bridge though it keeps changing
from which some say they always hear voices
the sounds pronounce an older utterance out of the shadows
sometimes stifled sometimes carried from clear voices.47
The exclusion of any punctuation at all is paradigmatic of Merwin's work, yet each of the she'r lack syntactic enjambment. The final couplet of Merwin's ghazal contains a takhallus where he substitutes "my own name" for his own, distancing himself from his self. "The Causeway" situates the speaker in a relationship with the otherworldly—the ancestral presences that call to the community haunted by the past, in which "this is the only bridge though it keeps changing / from which some say they always hear voices." Merwin's ghazal, in form and also subject, interacts with the relationship between self and beloved or divine that Arabic, Turkish, and Urdu ghazals enact.
Ultimately, the ghazal entangles the speaker in a performance where one must "woo" an unattainable other—the beloved, a sense of the universe, a sense of divine presence.48 In the contemporary American lyric ghazal, this unattainable other is also a version of one's self, as in Shara McCallum's "Ghazal," where "In Hebrew, Shara means she sings. / What song can offer the antidote for neglect?"49 Sant Darshan Singh, the 20th-century Urdu poet and mystic, in one of his ghazals, writes: "Now my heart's an assassin at my throat, beloved."50 The idea of one's own heart fighting itself at the site of speech—trapped in the throat—is the ultimate struggle for the lyric poet. No wonder so many contemporary poets have found the form so compelling. The "the cry of a gazelle when it is hunted down and trapped"51 is uttered at a threshold. As Agha Shahid Ali wrote, "[t]he ghazal is not an occasion for angst; it is occasion for genuine grief."52 What threshold must we reach before we can call out in such pain—to ourselves? At what moment do we find our voice crying out against such confinement?
Tyler Mills is the author of Tongue Lyre, which won the 2011 Crab Orchard Series in Poetry First Book Award (Southern Illinois University Press, 2013). A graduate of the MFA program at the University of Maryland, she is currently pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing at the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Reginald Dwayne Betts, "Ghazal (Breath)," Shahid Reads His Own Palm (Farmington, ME: Alice James Books, 2010), 37.
Shara McCallum, "Ghazal," This Strange Land (Farmington, ME: Alice James Books, 2011), 32.
Rebecca Dunham, "Confinement Ghazal," The Flight Cage (North Adams, MA: Tupelo Press, 2010).
Canarium Books. "Anthony Madrid," http://canariumbooks.org/#Anthony-Madrid (accessed September 11, 2012).
Anthony Madrid, "These Were Not Born To Be Lovers, I Am Your Slave Now Do What I Say (Ann Arbor: Canarium Books, 2012), 70-71.
David Caplan, "In That Thicket of Bitter Roots": The Ghazal in America" in Questions of Possibility: Contemporary Poetry and Poetic Form (New York: Oxford University Press, 2005), 43.
Aijaz Ahmad, ed., Ghazals of Ghalib (New York: Columbia University Press, 1971), 16, 19, 20, and 21.
Ibid., 16, 19.
Ibid., 11.
John Drury, The Poetry Dictionary, 2nd ed. (Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Books, 2006), 124.
Agha Shahid Ali, ed., Ravishing DisUnities: Real Ghazals in English (Hanover, NH: Wesleyan University Press, 2000), 2.
Alex Preminger, Frank J. Wamke, and O.B. Hardison, Jr. eds., The Princeton Handbook of Poetic Terms (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1986), 84.
Barry Lerner and Harbans Singh Bedi, trans., Love's Last Madness: Poems on a Spiritual Path (Prescott, AZ: Hohm Press, 2001), 20.
Drury, 124.
Asif Farrukhi and Frances W. Pritchett, An Evening of Cages Beasts: Seven Postmodernist Urdu Poets (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), 350.
Karen Armstrong, A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam (New York: Ballantine Books, 1993), 188.
Ibid., 189.
Paul Fussell. Poetic Meter & Poetic Form (New York: McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1979), 11-12.
Ahmed Ali, ed. and trans., The Golden Tradition: An Anthology of Urdu Poetry (New York: Columbia University Press, 1973), 183.
Francis Quinn, "The Art of Poetry LXXIX: Robert Bly," Paris Review 42, no. 154 (2000): 74.
Lerner and Bedi, 21.
Ahmed Ali, 8.
Walter Andrews, Najaat Black, and Mehmet Kalpakli, eds. and trans., Ottoman Lyric Poetry: An Anthology (expanded edition) (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 2006), 27.
Plato, Phaedrus, trans. E.C. Helmbold and W.G. Rabinowitz (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1956), 33.
Roger Allen and D. S. Richards, eds., The Cambridge History of Arabic Literature: Arabic Literature in the Post-Classical Period (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006), 51.
Said, 7.
Asif Farrukhi and Frances W. Pritchett, An Evening of Cages Beasts: Seven Postmodernist Urdu Poets (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1999), ix.
Agha Shahid Ali, Call Me Ishmael Tonight (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2003), 28.
Agha Shahid Ali, Ravishing DisUnities, 2-3.
Ahmed Ali, 152.
Walter G. Andrews, Poetry's Voice, Society's Song: Ottoman Lyric Poetry (Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1985), 22.
Andrews, 36.
Walter Feldman, "The Celestial Sphere, the Wheel of Fortune, and Fate in the Gazels of Naili and Baki," International Journal of Middle East Studies 28 no. 2 (1996): 194.
Robert Bly and Leonard Lewisohn, trans., The Angels Knocking on the Tavern Door: Thirty Poems of Hafez (New York: HarperCollins, 2008), ix.
Agha Shahid Ali, Ravishing DisUnities, 114.
Agha Shahid Ali, Ravishing DisUnities, 13.
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Right next to Guadalupe River State Park and Canyon Lake, homes in this area enjoy river front and waterfront properties as well as golf courses, community pools, picnic areas, playgrounds and gardens. Inside of these homes you find luxury features such as granite counter tops, exquisite entryways, vaulted ceilings, floor to ceiling windows, hardwood floors, rock fireplaces, island kitchens, large bathrooms, custom tile and hardwood floors. On the outside, these houses were built to impress. From large estate homes to smaller single family homes, you see a lot of the same quality builders who developed master-planned communities and energy efficient houses in this area. With stone exteriors, garden landscaping, wrap around drive ways and custom paint jobs, these houses look stunning from the road and only get better inside. You can contact a realtor to specify what you're looking for and find homes throughout the Comal ISD that would suit your wishes.
This is one of the wealthier areas around San Antonio. With large lot sizes, natural parks and river properties, many of the residents here own horses and find equestrian trails near Guadalupe River. Others enjoy the nearby golf club and plenty of local eateries. Canyon Lake is perhaps the best kept secret of this area as it is only 15 minutes from downtown and provides year round fun, from fishing to kayaking to skiing.
You can find a variety of homes for sale in this area and around Spring Branch Middle School. Contact a realtor to look at specific homes that meet your budget and get the inside scoop on upcoming houses for sale.


At Sony's CES 2015 keynote in Las Vegas Tony Hawk announced that his next skateboard game will be heading to PlayStation 4 in 2015. There were no details about the game presented, not even a title or if the game will continue the Pro Skater series or will start a new one.
Also, there are no details at this point if the game will be a PS4 exclusive (I doubt it…), of if it will be a disc-based retail title or digital one. All we know is that Tony Hawk is back in 2015 for our gaming consoles!


text:
Based on 16 expert reviews
Combines humor with dark storytelling.
Plenty of funny, clever puzzles.
Funny voice acting.
Controlling three characters at once is frustrating.
Having to repeat puzzles in order to see the new ones.
Combines humor with dark storytelling
Plenty of funny, clever puzzles
Funny voice acting
Ample replayability built-in
Controlling three characters at once is frustrating
Having to repeat puzzles in order to see the new ones
Choppy framerate
By PC Authority on April 29, 2013 50
Many of us are children of the adventure game, fondly remembering the first time we learned the secret of Big Whoop, or crying 'Look out, the British are coming' when trying to deviously distract others. The minds of Ron Gilbert and Tim Schafer were key...
By New Game Network on February 13, 2013 79
A solid title with clever humor and beautiful art. The Cave, even though it's not strictly a point-and-click adventure, does manage to bring back a lot fond...
By AdventureGamers on February 04, 2013 80
The Cave may not turn out to be the genre trailblazer that Maniac Mansion was, but this modern day classic puts a new spin on many of the adventure conventions that have been around since Colossal Cave.
By PC Gamer on January 30, 2013 67
A descent that forces its characters to face the past, while ignoring the superior games that came before...
By GameSpy on January 29, 2013 70
I still don't know what The Cave is, precisely. I know what the game itself is -- it's a visually stylish platforming adventure laced with dark humor that reminds me fondly of Maniac Mansion and Trine -- but the eponymous sentient, manipulative,...
By TheTelegraph on January 27, 2013 40
Disappointing as a puzzle game, inconsequential as a platformer and far too reliant on players having the patience to traipse around, The Cave ends up feeling extremely hollow.
By Cheat Code Central on January 23, 2013 74
What was the last multi-character 2D adventure puzzle platformer that you can remember? The Lost Vikings? It's not exactly a genre that has seen a lot of mileage over the years. Regardless, Double Fine and Ron Gilbert have attempted to bring the genre...
By IGN on January 22, 2013 79
Maybe that's because the story is mostly told through scattered comic-book-style panels or because the only real dialogue comes from The Cave itself and not the seven characters. But being a Ron Gilbert-built adventure game in the modern era, it's wholly unique in the market and your game library will be a better place with it included.
By EuroGamer on January 22, 2013 70
Plunge into The Cave and you'll definitely have fun finding your way out. It's just a shame it doesn't go deeper.
By GameSpot on January 22, 2013 70
Its mashup of elements from platformers and point-and-clicks fare less well, but if you can overlook those small flaws The Cave is a dark, yet humorous adventure that ably exercises the grey matter.
By NowGamer on January 22, 2013 69
A funny platformer/puzzle game, The Cave is a little rough around the edges and forces players into backtracking across its levels, but Double Fine's humour and characters make it worth it.
By Gaming Age on January 22, 2013 85
While Telltale Games can certainly be accredited with the revival of the traditional adventure game, it's nice to see someone else giving it a shot. Especially when that someone else ends up being Ron Gilbert, famed former LucasArts developer behind...
By techcetera.co on February 08, 2014 81
Últimamente he estado jugando un juego llamado The Cave, que me ha encantado pues mezcla aventura, estrategia y la necesidad de resolver acertijos...
By Gamezoom.net on January 30, 2013 80
Mit The Cave liefert Ron Gilbert ein humorvolles Adventure ab, welches mit logischen Rätseln und einem schrägen Humor punktet. Trotz kleinerer Kritikpunkte können wir für sämtliche Adventure-Fans eine Kaufempfehlung aussprechen, was auch am günstigen...

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
Q: Post method using Afnetworking in Objective-C How to write the code to sending POST method for the below JSON format using Afnetworking.
{
Media
  {
      Photo : image.jpg,
      UserId : 2
  },
Personal
  {
      Name : aaa,
      Age   : 30
  },
Education
  {
    College : xxx,
    Course : yyy

  },
}

A: Obviously that's not quite the actual format, but we can guess what you might have meant. Clearly, if those numeric values (the user id and age) are expected as strings, then quote then, but hopefully it illustrates what the Objective-C representation of that dictionary might look like:
NSDictionary *parameters = @{@"Media": @{@"Photo": @"image.jpg", @"UserId": @2}, @"Personal": @{@"Name": @"aaa", @"Age": @30}, @"Education": @{@"College": @"xxx", @"Course": @"yyy" }};

Then you can post it as JSON like so:
AFHTTPSessionManager *manager = [AFHTTPSessionManager manager];
manager.requestSerializer = [AFJSONRequestSerializer serializer];

[manager POST:@"https://yoururl.com" parameters:parameters progress:nil success:^(NSURLSessionDataTask * _Nonnull task, id  _Nullable responseObject) {
    NSLog(@"responseObject = %@", responseObject);
} failure:^(NSURLSessionDataTask * _Nullable task, NSError * _Nonnull error) {
    NSLog(@"error %@", error);
}];

And if your server doesn't support HTTPS, but only HTTP, then you might have to alter your Info.plist's "App Transport Security Settings" to "Allow Arbitrary Loads".

A: Firstly make a dictionary of params you want to send
NSDictionary *params = @{
                                     @"contact_no":@"9898989898",
                                     @"password":@"••••••••••"
                                     };

Then write the following code
AFHTTPRequestOperationManager *operationManager = [AFHTTPRequestOperationManager manager];
    operationManager.requestSerializer = [AFJSONRequestSerializer serializer];
    operationManager.responseSerializer = [AFJSONResponseSerializer serializer];
operationManager.responseSerializer.acceptableContentTypes = [NSSet setWithObjects:@"application/json", @"text/json", @"text/javascript", @"text/html", nil];
        [operationManager POST:urlString parameters:params success:^(AFHTTPRequestOperation *operation, id responseObject){
            NSLog(@"%@",responseObject);

        } failure:^(AFHTTPRequestOperation *operation, NSError *error){
            if (failure)
                NSLog(@"%@",error.localizedDescription);
        }];

You can neglect the line in which i am setting the acceptableContentTypes.
Hope this will help.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
British Christmas Traditions
by Mandy Barrow
Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sept | Oct | Nov | Dec
A British Christmas
Online Advent Calendar
Christmas - intro
Christmas Facts
Christmas Plant
Mummers Plays
Stir Up Sunday
This site uses cookies. See our Cookie Policy for information
Woodlands Junior School is in the south-east corner of England
When is Boxing Day? | Why is it called Boxing Day? | History of Boxing Day
St Stephen's Day | What happens on Boxing Day? | Fox Hunting | Hunting the Wren
When is Boxing Day?
In Britain, Boxing Day is usually celebrated on the following day after Christmas Day, which is 26 December. However, strictly speaking, Boxing Day is the first weekday after Christmas (see definition in the Oxford English Dictionary).
Like Christmas Day, Boxing Day is a public holiday. This means it is typically a non working day in the whole of Britain. When Boxing Day falls on a Saturday or Sunday the following Monday is the public holiday. © copyright of projectbritain.com
Why is 26 December called Boxing Day?
Traditionally, 26 December was the day to open the Christmas Box to share the contents with the poor. copyright of projectbritain.com
What is a Christmas Box?
The Christmas box was a wooden or clay container where people placed gifts. © copyright of projectbritain.com
History of Boxing Day - Boxing Day origins
Through our research for this page, we have discovered that Christmas Boxes were used in different ways:
To protect ships
During the Age of Exploration, when great sailing ships were setting off to discover new land, A Christmas Box was used as a good luck device. It was a small container placed on each ship while it was still in port. It was put there by a priest, and those crewmen who wanted to ensure a safe return would drop money into the box. It was then sealed up and kept on board for the entire voyage. © copyright of projectbritain.com
If the ship came home safely, the box was handed over to the priest in the exchange for the saying of a Mass of thanks for the success of the voyage. The Priest would keep the box sealed until Christmas when he would open it to share the contents with the poor.
To help the poor
An 'Alms Box' was placed in every church on Christmas Day, into which worshippers placed a gift for the poor of the parish. These boxes were always opened the day after Christmas, which is why that day became know as Boxing Day.
A present for the workers
Many poorly paid workers were required to work on Christmas Day and took the following day off to visit their families. As they prepared to leave, their employers would present them with Christmas boxes. copyright of projectbritain.com
During the late 18th century, Lords and Ladies of the manor would "box up" their leftover food, or sometimes gifts and distribute them the day after Christmas to tenants who lived and worked on their lands.
And the tradition still continues today ......
The tradition of giving money to workers still continues today. It is customary for householders to give small gifts or monetary tips to regular visiting trades people (the milkman, dustman, coalman, paper boy etc.) and, in some work places, for employers to give a Christmas bonus to employees.
Schools across the country gather together gifts to be put in Christmas Boxes that are sent to poorer countries.
Interesting Christmas Fact
The Christmas boxes were made from clay and were necessarily made in the shape of a box. They were often hollow clay balls with a slit in the top.
St Stephen's Day
Boxing Day is also known as St. Stephen's Day (when Good King Wenceslas looked out).
'Good King Wenceslas looked out,
On the Feast of Stephen...........'
Who was St Stephen?
Stephen lived in Rome and was the first man to be killed for believing in the teachings of Jesus. His story is told in the Acts of the Apostles 6: 1 to 8: 2.
Some people claim that he shares this day with another St Stephen, who came from Sweden. St Stephen of Sweden is the patron saint of horses.
Boxing Day has long be associated with outdoor sports, especially horse racing and hunting.
What happens on Boxing Day in England?
Follow this link to read about other events in England, Wales and Scotland
Boxing Day Hunts
Traditionally Boxing Day was a day for fox hunting. Horse riders dressed in red and white riding gear, accompanied by a number of dogs called foxhounds, chased the fox through the countryside in the hope of tiring it out.
Eventually the hunters hope the fox will be so tired that the dogs will be able to catch it and kill it.
Fox Hunting Today
Many animal welfare campaigners object to fox hunting saying it is cruel to kill a fox in this way, while many participants view it as a crucial part of rural history in England, vital for conservation, and a method of pest control.
In November 2004, MPs voted to ban hunting with dogs in England and Wales. As from 18 February 2005 hunting with dogs became a criminal offence (although it is still legal to exercise hounds, chase a scent and flush out foxes to be shot).
It is still traditional to see horse riders dressed in red and white riding gear, accompanied by a number of dogs called foxhounds. However, today instead of chasing a fox they chase a human runner. No living thing is killed.
Traditionally, Boxing Day is the day when families get together. It is a day of watching sports and playing board games with the family.
Boxing Day Tea
Many families will go on walks in the countryside together on Boxing day.
In recent times, some shops have broken from tradition and started opening on Boxing Day to start the New Year sales. Hundreds of people now spend Boxing Day morning in queues outside shops, waiting to be the first to dive for the sales racks as the doors opened.
Hunting of the Wren
It is unlucky to kill a wren on any day apart from Boxing Day. Hunting of the Wren on Boxing Day was once a popular activity in England.
Groups of young boys know as 'Wren boys' would hunt a wren and then tie the dead bird to the top of a pole, decorated with holly sprigs and ribbons. With blackened faces, the group would sing at houses in hopes for coins, gifts or food.
"The wren, the wren, the king of all birds
On St Stephen's Day was caught in the furze,
We hunted him far and hunted him near
And found him under the bushes here.
Hurrah, my boys, hurrah!
Knock at the knocker and ring at the bell,
And give us a copper for singing so well."
Those that gave money to the boys would receive a feather from the wren as thanks. The collected money was then used to host a village dance.
This odd ritual was not restricted to England. It was prevalent in some continental countries on Boxing Day as well as the Isle of Man, Wales and Ireland.
The following information has been very kindly provided by Eoghan, Peter and Feidhlim Deering, Ireland.
Christmas in Ireland
In Ireland, 26th December is known as "St Stephen's Day" rather than "Boxing Day", and is famous for its "Wren Boys".
Many years ago the Wren Boys would go out on St Stephen's Day, catch a wren and kill it by throwing stones at it, just as St Stephen was stoned to death. Then they would blacken their faces with burnt cork, tie the dead wren to a pole and parade around the town with it, knocking at all the houses for money.
Nowadays the "Wren Boys" just go round our town in fancy dress (usually the men wear women's dresses and wigs), carrying a stuffed bird in a cage, singing carols and collecting money for charity.
Our town also has a famous fox hunt on St Stephen's Day. Some people think this is just as cruel as stoning a wren, but in Ireland it hasn't been banned yet.
Learn about England and the other countries in Britain
from the children who live in there
© Copyright - please read
All the materials on these pages are free for homework and classroom use only. You may not redistribute, sell or place the content of this page on any other website or blog without written permission from the Mandy Barrow.
Follow projectbritain on Twitter | :Follow Mandy Barrow on Twitter
© Copyright Mandy Barrow 2013
Mandy is the creator of the Woodlands Resources section of the Woodlands Junior website.
The two websites projectbritain.com and primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk are the new homes for the Woodlands Resources.
Mandy left Woodlands in 2003 to work in Kent schools as an ICT Consulatant.
She now teaches computers at The Granville School and St. John's Primary School in Sevenoaks Kent.


text:
At Home With Monica Bellucci
INTERVIEWS Monica Bellucci - May 17, 2017
The Italian actress also stars in the reboot of David Lynch's "Twin Peaks," with the first two episodes of the new series to be presented at the festival on May...
What does Monica Bellucci like or hate?
INTERVIEWS Monica Bellucci - October 31, 2018
Here you can find answers to questions that Monica Bellucci likes, doesn't like, loves and hates. This exclusive interview is for Monica Bellucci fans! The main trait of...
All you need to know about Monica Bellucci movie "On The Milky Road"
INTERVIEWS Monica Bellucci - November 23, 2017
How she transcended her beauty in order to affirm her talent as an actress with the greatest directors ? UniqBeauties.com: You are gorgeous, shockingly beautiful… but don't you...
Monica Bellucci finding herself in her 50s
Most actors nowadays only give interviews if they have a new project to sell. But Monica Bellucci is not your average actor. Like Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida,...
INTERVIEWS Monica Bellucci - September 23, 2016
Bellucci is starring in On the Milky Road, a love story that unfolds amid the Balkan War. Here she talks to Kaleem Aftab about trusting directors, playing...
Chairwoman Of The Board, 2014
INTERVIEWS Monica Bellucci - December 24, 2014
Few women have the title of 'Siren', in my opinion. Only a handful make the cut these days. It not only requires an artistic flair that makes...
Monica Bellucci Exclusive Interview
Monica Bellucci in Paris to discover more about her life and work. Having begun her modelling career at 13, Bellucci's first major film was the BAFTA-winning 1996...


text:
BRILLO BOX (3¢ OFF)
LISANNE SKYLER
Brillo -- tag Peter young galleri wendi norris/
Lisanne Skyler is the award-winning writer/director of numerous documentary, fiction and short films, including the Oscar-Shortlisted HBO Documentary Film BRILLO BOX (3¢ OFF), the South Central LA documentary NO LOANS TODAY (1995 Sundance Film Festival) and the critically acclaimed feature GETTING TO KNOW YOU (1999 Sundance Film Festival, 1999 Venice Film Festival).
BRILLO BOX (3¢ OFF), an official selection of the 54th New York Film Festival, debuted on HBO in August 2017, and is now streaming on all HBO platforms. Skyler's previous documentaries include DREAMLAND (2000) which broadcast on PBS's national documentary series "P.O.V."and OLDTIMERS (1993 Cinema du Réel Film Festival, Paris, SxSW Film Fedst).
After working as a screenwriter on assignment, in 2010, Skyler returned to directing with the coming of age film CAPTURE THE FLAG, starring Scott Cohen, Jane Stiles and Lola Kirke. The film screened at such festivals as Aspen Internatonal Shortsfest, Hamptons International Film Festival, and the Nantucket Film Festival, where it received the SHOWTIME TONY COX AWARD.
In 2016, Skyler was selected to write and direct A FEW THINGS ABOUT ROBERT IRWIN with producer Erin Wright for the LACMA ART + FILM GALA, honoring director Kathryn Bigelow and artist Robert Irwin, and co-chaired by Leonardo DiCaprio and Eva Chow.
A graduate of UC Berkeley, Skyler is Distinguished Alumni of the San Francisco State University Cinema Department, the recipient of a FIPRESCI AWARD (Stockholm Film Festival), and a FILM INDEPENDENT "SOMEONE TO WATCH" SPIRIT AWARD nomination. Skyler is a member of the faculty of the University of Arizona School of Theatre, Film and Television.
MUSIC VIDEO by Victor Eof Acquitane
OFFICIAL SELECTION 2016 - 2017
The 54th New York Film Festival, Sheffield Doc/Fest, Provincetown International Film Festival, Florida Film Festival, Big Sky Documentary Film Festival, Aspen International Shortsfest, Traverse City FIlm Festival, St. Louis International Film Festival, Napa Valley Film Festival, Loft Film Fest
watch on HBO
A FEW THINGS ABOUT ROBERT IRWIN (LACMA PRODUCTIONS)
"Short documentaries can be a kind of nonfiction poetry. Images, editing, and sound are sometimes as important as verbal cues and exposition. Such is the case in Lisanne Skyler's A Few Things About Robert Irwin..."
Peter Keogh, THE BOSTON GLOBE
OFFICIAL SELECTION 2017-2018
Los Angeles Film Festival, AFI DOCS, Provincetown International Film Festival, Napa Valley FIlm Festival, Florida Film Festival, Boston Globe Docs, St. Louis International Film Festival, Twin Cities Film Festival, The Loft Fest
Victor E. "Meditation No. 6"
Chanetta Curtis
Arizona Dept. of Child Safety
SECRET SUPERHERO (LANE TERRALEVER/UPSHOT MEDIA)
branded/5 minute doc-fiction hybrid film for the Arizona Department of Child Safety (2018)
2010 short fiction film starring Jane Stiles, Scott Cohen, WIll Denton, Emmy Clarke and Lola Kirke
"...over the course of just a few minutes...Skyler effortlessly (or seemingly effortlessly) maps out a whole emotional landscape, delineates character relationships and captures the pain and confusion of adolescence."
Mick LaSalle, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
Aspen International Shortsfest, Nantucket Film Festival, Mill Valley Film Festival, Hamptons International Film Festival, Vancouver International Film Festival , Cinequest Film Festival
GETTING TO KNOW YOU (SUNDANCE CHANNEL)
click to listen to LISANNE SKYLER on KCRW's "THE TREATMENT"with ELVIS MITCHELL
"Bleak and unsettling but compulsively watchable, Lisanne Skyler's Sundance competition drama "Getting to Know You" marks her as a dynamic young talent."
Patrick McGavin, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
"…in its own smart and honest way, this movie provides more surprises and real drama than almost any of the big-time films we've seen this summer…Two thumbs up!"
Roger Ebert & Richard Roeper, ROGER EBERT AT THE MOVIES
"Entrancing! Conjures an alluring spell of mistrust and hope..."
Elvis Mitchell, THE NEW YORK TIMES
scenes from the feature GETTING TO KNOW YOU starring Heather Matarazzo, Zach Braff, Michael Weston
OFFICIAL SELECTION 1999
Sundance Film Festival, Venice Film Festival, Stockholm Film Festival, San Francisco International Film Festival, Nantucket Film Festival, Provincetown International Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, Melbourne International Film Festival, Oslo Film Festival, Rencontres de Cinéma International, Paris, Vancouver International Film Festival, Philadelphia Film Festival
request screening link
NO LOANS TODAY (PBS)
click to watch Lisanne's TEDX TALK on the 2013 rerelease of NO LOANS TODAY
scene from NO LOANS TODAY, now streaming on Amazon
"Lisanne Skyler's documentary on South Central Los Angeles clocks in at just under an hour, but the stories it tells -- by turns devastating and infuriating -- lingers. Working in a direct cinema style, Skyler manages an anatomy of a neighborhood by way of a pawnshop, finding and listening to voices not generally heard."
Manohla Dargis, LA WEEKLY
"As is Frederick Wiseman, the cinema wonder she is influenced by, Skyler is able to earn the trust of people living in extreme conditions, providing them with a comfort zone to reveal themselves. In South Central LA, where black-owned businesses are waning, she finds people who want to thrive but only find relief through her lens."
Robert Koehler, THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
Sundance Film Festival (Documentary Competition), AFI Film Fest, San Francisco International Film Festival, SXSW Film Festival, Marseilles Vue sur les Doc Film Festival, Florida Film Festival
more on PBS
watch on Amazon
DREAMLAND (PBS)
"Filmmaker Lisanne Skyler takes a sharp but disarming approach to examining the romance of gambling and the reality behind it..."
SAN FRANCISCO MONTHLY
"A candid, uncompromising look at compulsive gambling and the effect of neighborhood casinos on Las Vegas. Not since Martin Scorsese's CASINO has the naked truth about Las Vegas been captured so perfectly on screen."
LAS VEGAS CITY LIFE
OLDTIMERS
Cinéma du Réel, Paris, San Francisco International Film Festival (Special Jury Award), Leipzig International Documentary Film Festival, SXSW, Kracow International Film Festival
Metropolis meets Roller Boogie in this 80s music video homage for KCRW artist Victor of E.
Los Angeles Film Festival, PowerPlay's Top 20 Videos Chart
back to bio


(Reuters) - Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc topped Wall Street forecasts for quarterly earnings as aggressive marketing helped lure more diners and boost online orders, sending its shares up 10 percent in after-hours trading on Wednesday.
More than three years after a series of food-borne illnesses at restaurants tarnished the burrito chain's reputation, the company has tried to win back customers through fresh menus and targeted marketing campaigns.
Its latest campaign, called "For Real," ran both on social media platforms and at restaurants, showcasing the freshness of ingredients used in its tacos and burritos.
"I believe their image rehabilitation is close to complete," said Doug Ciocca, the CEO of Kavar Capital Partners, which does not currently own shares in Chipotle but has positions in other restaurant companies.
Brian Niccol, who was installed as Chipotle's CEO a year ago after a successful stint at Taco Bell, has focused on improving the company's food delivery through promotions, while also transforming the restaurant experience with new technology.
For example, Chipotle offered free delivery during the College Bowl season in December, and gave away its much loved guacamole for free for those ordering through its app on "National Avocado Day" last year.
Such promotions, besides tie-ups with food-delivery services Doordash and Postmates, helped "digital sales" rise nearly 66 percent in the December quarter, compared with about 48 percent in the previous quarter.
The company reported that sales at outlets open for at least 13 months jumped 6.1 percent in the three months ended December, much better than Wall Street analysts' average forecast of a 4.49 percent increase, according to IBES Refinitiv data.
The burrito chain projected that these sales would rise in the mid-single percentage digits through 2019, and that they were improving mainly due to stronger traffic at restaurants and a higher average check boosted by menu price increases.
Its newer menus have included salad bowls and other items to draw more health-minded customers, such as those on the popular Paleo diet. It is also working to add innovative options like bacon, quesadillas and a Mexican chocolate milkshake.
Excluding one-time charges, the company reported earnings of $1.72 per share, topping analysts' estimates of $1.37.
Revenue overall rose 10.4 percent to $1.23 billion.
Chipotle also announced that it would spend $100 million to buy back shares.


text:
Q: JS: Relative positioning of tooltip on right of icon I have an icon, and when you hover over it, I would like to have a custom CSS tooltip appear to the right of the icon.  Whether or not you scroll up or down the page, the tooltip will always need to appear to the right of the icon.
And no, I don't want to use any plugins.  I just want a little JS/CSS to get the job done.  If you use JQuery, it needs to be compatible with v1.7, and JQuery-UI: v1.8.
In addition, it needs to be compatible with IE 6 and 7.
I would prefer to leave my elements as siblings, but it looks like under certain circumstances the div that appears needs to be a child element, so it's OK if the HTML needs to be changed.
HTML:
ICON

    STUFF

    STUFF

    STUFF

    STUFF

    STUFF

CSS:
.demo {
    margin-left: 5px;
    padding: 10px;
    width: 265px;
    height: 110px;
    background-color: #ccc;
    position: relative;
    border: 2px solid #333;
}

.demo:after, .demo:before {
    border: solid transparent;
    content: ' ';
    height: 0;
    right: 100%;
    position: absolute;
    width: 0;
}

.demo:after {
    border-width: 11px;
    border-right-color: #ccc;
    top: 13px;
}

.demo:before {
    border-width: 14px;
    border-right-color: #333;
    top: 10px;
}

Live Example: http://jsfiddle.net/49Js3/16/

A: Since my reputation isn't high enough to comment on the answer above, I just wanted to add an updated fiddle (based on the above answer) that positions the tooltip absolutely, but with display: inline-block so that it is not fixed to certain position from the left and will show to the right:
here is the important bit:
a.tippy:hover + div {
    display: inline-block;
    position: absolute;
}

http://jsfiddle.net/7gmv3wo2/

A: Fiddle here: http://jsfiddle.net/49Js3/29/
I don't have access to IE6, so I don't know whether it's legal. I do know you'll need an anchor to get hover behavior with CSS in IE7 and earlier.
So, I added an anchor around your image, as well as a div to contain the tooltip.
HTML

        ICON

STUFF

STUFF

STUFF

STUFF

STUFF

And here is the CSS:
.tippy {
    text-decoration: none;
}
.outer {
    width: 350px;
}
a.tippy:hover + div {
    display:block;
    float: right;
}
.demo {
    margin-left: 5px;
    padding: 10px;
    width: 265px;
    height: 110px;
    background-color: #ccc;
    position: relative;
    border: 2px solid #333;
    display: none;
}
.demo:after, .demo:before {
    border: solid transparent;
    content:' ';
    height: 0;
    right: 100%;
    position: absolute;
    width: 0;
}
.demo:after {
    border-width: 11px;
    border-right-color: #ccc;
    top: 13px;
}
.demo:before {
    border-width: 14px;
    border-right-color: #333;
    top: 10px;
}


text:
Villa Victoria es una mansión ubicada en la manzana que rodean las calles Arenales, Lamadrid, Quintana y Matheu, en el Barrio Los Troncos de la ciudad de Mar del Plata, Provincia de Buenos Aires, Argentina, que fue construida inicialmente como residencia de vacaciones por la familia Ocampo en 1912, que la escritora Victoria Ocampo donó a la UNESCO en 1973 y que posteriormente fue adquirida por la Municipalidad del Partido de General Pueyrredón y que actualmente funciona como centro cultural.

La casona abarca una manzana completa y se encuentra delimitada por las calles Arenales, Lamadrid, Quintana y Matheu, en la antigua Loma del Tiro de la Paloma, hoy denominado el Barrio Los Troncos, uno de los más residenciales y elegantes de Mar del Plata.

El edificio fue levantado en 1912, como un regalo de Manuel Ocampo a Francisca Ocampo de Ocampo, para ser utilizado como lugar vacacional y de turismo por la familia porteña.

Su construcción se caracteriza por ser totalmente de hierro y madera, elementos traídos directamente de Inglaterra, a manera de casa prefabricada, de sencilla y práctica edificación.

Cuando fue herencia de Victoria Ocampo la intelectual lo utilizó como lugar de encuentro y tertulias de escritores.

Muy generosa con sus bienes, Victoria dispuso en 1973 y ante la nueva llegada del peronismo al poder, donar esta residencia y también la Villa Ocampo, a la UNESCO, para que pudieran ser centros de la búsqueda de la excelencia creativa y del fomento del diálogo entre las diversas culturas mundiales.

Empero, luego de su fallecimiento, la UNESCO, que no conservó el inicial impulso con que fue originalmente creada, decidió rematar la propiedad que fue adquirida por la Municipalidad del Partido de General Pueyrredon. Desde 1981, el histórico edificio es un centro cultural dependiente del Ente Municipal de Cultura. La residencia y sus jardines se encuentran en un buen estado de conservación.

Referencias

Centros culturales de Argentina del siglo XX
Museos en la provincia de Buenos Aires
Monumentos y esculturas en la Ciudad de Mar del Plata
Partido de General Pueyrredón
Arquitectura de la Ciudad de Mar del Plata
Arquitectura de Argentina de 1912
Familia Ocampo
Casas de Argentina del siglo XX
Argentina en 1981

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


For riders who want more of a challenge, we offer Horse Drives in May and October. Help us drive our herd from winter to summer range. Our most popular adventure, this ride covers over 60 miles of the most spectacular country Arizona has to offer. Step back in time and enjoy four days and nights of horses, cowboys, and the Old West.
The drive begins at 5,800 ft., in high desert, sagebrush plains, and wooded hills. Ride to 9,800 ft. in the cool forests of the White Mountains. Roam through highland meadows sprinkled with mountain lakes in the shadow of snowcapped Mt. Baldy. The route threads its way down the mountain through the pine forests to our secluded valley at the ranch. The Fall drive returns the horses to lower ranges and so reverses the drive.
These horse drives are offered as pleasure rides rather than endurance rides. However, they are not intended for the beginning rider with limited trail riding experience or poor physical condition. To be prepared for this ride you should have at least forty hours of riding experience. This ride is generally fast paced and riders should be able to post.


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Q: Volley bad URL - how to fix that? I'm having a problem with java volley when I click login
  private void Login(){

    String url = "api.matraindonesia.com/login";
    RequestQueue requestQueue = Volley.newRequestQueue(this);
    StringRequest stringRequest = new StringRequest(Request.Method.POST, url,new Response.Listener<String>() {
        @Override
        public void onResponse(String response) {
            if (response.trim().equals("success")){
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),"Login Successfully!",Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            } else {
                Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),"Login Failed!",Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
            }
        }
    }, new Response.ErrorListener() {
        @Override
        public void onErrorResponse(VolleyError error) {
            Toast.makeText(getApplicationContext(),"this error:"+ error.toString(),Toast.LENGTH_LONG).show();
        }
    }) {
        @Override
        protected Map<String, String> getParams() throws AuthFailureError {

            Map<String, String> params = new HashMap<>();
            params.put("email",etEmail.getText().toString().trim());
            params.put("password",etPassword.getText().toString().trim());

            return super.getParams();
        }
    };
    requestQueue.add(stringRequest);
}

com.android.volley.VolleyError: java.lang.RuntimeException: Bad URL

A: you need to use http:// or https:// at the beginning or the url
String url = "http://api.matraindonesia.com/login";

or  if your server is on SSL
String url = "https://api.matraindonesia.com/login";

Edit (after your comment) :
typically MethodNotAllowedHttpException happen when, route method is not match.
Suppose you define POST request route file, but you sending GET Request to the route.


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Spartans excited about home opener against UNCG
ERIC BOYNTON eric.boynton@shj.com
USC Upstate men's basketball has lost all three games this season, but the margin of defeat has gotten closer each time.
It's possible a little home-cooking is just what the Spartans need to get over the hump as they play their home opener at 7 p.m. Tuesday against UNC Greensboro after three road games.
"Last year we didn't have much balance in the schedule having to play so many games on the road to start the season and it was really hard on the team," coach Eddie Payne said in a release. "To be able to have a game here early in the season is a good thing and we are excited about that."
Upstate, which opened the season with losses at Nebraska (76-49), Indiana (69-61) and Winthrop (49-46), hosts a UNCG squad that is also 0-3 after losses to ACC members Duke, Virginia Tech and Clemson.
"This is a game, along with the Winthrop game, that will give us a pretty good idea of where we stand against teams in our conference," Payne said. "These games are against opponents that are more on the level of our league so it will give us an idea of what we need to be doing. These games give us more of a barometer of where we stand early in the season and I think the same is true for Greensboro."
The Spartans are looking to utilize their depth by employing an increased tempo this season. Ten players are averaging at least 10 minutes per game.
"We are in a situation where we are trying to play a lot of people and we have enough depth to do that," Payne said. "That is one of the strengths that we have. I think we are further along defensively this year than we were last year and the depth we are using has a lot to do with that."
Center Nick Schneiders, 7-foot-3, has blocked 10 shots this season and is 10 shy of breaking Kevin Harrington's career school record of 136. Schneiders is also averaging nine points and seven rebounds while shooting 55 percent from the field.
Mezie Uzochukwu is Upstate's leading scorer at 11 points per game, including double-digits the past two outings with 14 at Indiana and 13 at Winthrop. UNCG is led by Ben Stywall's 12.3 points and 7.3 rebounds per game.
"I think both teams are hungry for a win," Payne said. "I am sure Greensboro thinks this is a game they can win and we have to get over the fact that we lost a game that we should have won at Winthrop and didn't. That may give Greensboro an edge, but both teams obviously know they need to get a (win)."


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Cary Street Field
O'BRIEN INKS SIX IN FALL SIGNING PERIOD
RICHMOND, Va. – VCU Women's Lacrosse head coach Jen O'Brien has announced the signing of six student-athletes during the fall signing period.
The six new Rams are Annie Morris, Marcella Nostrant, Abby Osmeyer, Mary O'Toole, Savannah Slack and Natalie Voiro. The players hail from four different states including Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This marks the fifth recruiting class for O'Brien and the program as the Rams will begin their third season in February.
"We are excited to welcome the fifth recruiting class to our VCU Lacrosse Family. Our staff could not be more pleased with the quality of women we have in our incoming class. We have no doubt they will add positively to the terrific culture we have established," O'Brien said.
Morris is a defender from Annapolis, Maryland, where she played for Archbishop Spalding High School and the CC Lax Club team. She was a four-year member of the varsity squad where she also ran cross country and was a member of the National Honor Society and Honor Roll. She intends to major in Health Sciences.
Why Morris chose VCU: "I chose VCU because I love the atmosphere of the university. VCU offers me great opportunities to achieve both my academic and athletic aspirations. The coaching staff is incredibly dedicated to developing their players not only as athletes, but also as young adults with character on and off the field."
Nostrant is a defender from Haverford, Pennsylvania and was a four-year member of the Merion Mercy High School team where she was selected as team captain. Nostrant was also a member of the Ultimate Goal Club Team. Nostrant comes from a lacrosse family as her father serves as the head varsity coach at The Haverford School while her brother, John, plays at Penn State and her sister, Olivia, plays at High Point.
Why Nostrant chose VCU: "I enjoyed being around the girls on the team when I attended camp. I also immediately felt comfortable and welcomed by the coaching staff. I enjoyed the urban setting of the school and liked the idea of joining a fairly new program!"
Osmeyer is an attacker from Baltimore, Maryland where she was a four-year member of the Towson High School varsity team. She played for the Coppermine Lacrosse Club and was also a three-year varsity member of the school's soccer team where she was named to the Senior All-Star Team. Osmeyer is an Honor Roll student and a Minds in Motion Award Winner. She intends to major in Nursing.
Why Osmeyer chose VCU: "I chose VCU because I love the city of Richmond, it has an incredible nursing program and I knew that the coaching staff were the coaches I had been looking for."
O'Toole is a midfielder from Warrenton, Virginia where she played at Kettle Run High School. She served as team captain and earned all-conference and all-region honors three times. She was also the team's three-time Offensive MVP. She currently ranks second all-time at Kettle Run in career goals with 143 and total points with 164. She also played three years of varsity field hockey where she also served as a team captain and was named to the all-conference team three times. O'Toole is also a member of the National Honor Society and Honor Roll.
Why O'Toole chose VCU: "I chose VCU because I found myself comparing it to every other school out there. VCU's atmosphere is energetic, fast paced and diverse."
Slack was a midfielder from Voorhees, New Jersey where she was a four-year member of the Eastern High School lacrosse team. She helped lead her team to the 2017 Group 4 Finals Champion. She was a two-time all-conference and two-time all-state award winner and also a member of South Jersey Select Club Team. Her sister, Sierra, players on the Occidental women's lacrosse team. She intends to major in Fashion Merchandising.
Voiro is an attacker from Moorestown, New Jersey, where she played four years for Moorestown High School. Voiro also played for the South Jersey Select Club Team and was a three-year varsity soccer athlete. Her sister, Kierstyn, currently plays at Lehigh.
Why Voiro chose VCU: "I visited many schools and flew all over the place, but I found myself comparing each of the schools I visited to VCU. VCU was one of the first schools I became interested in from the beginning. After exhausting all of my options, I finally realized what I wanted in a school and VCU met all of my expectations, needs and wants. When I stepped onto the campus for the first time, I knew it was the right fit for me."
July 23, 2018 VCU LACROSSE NAMED IWLCA ACADEMIC SQUAD, FIVE INDIVIDUALLY HONORED
May 3, 2018 DAVIDSON GRABS EARLY LEAD, HOLDS OFF RAMS IN A-10 TOURNEY
May 2, 2018 THREE RAMS COLLECT A-10 AWARDS; O'BRIEN SHARES COACHING HONOR
April 28, 2018 RAMS DROP REGULAR SEASON FINALE, BEGIN PREP FOR A-10 TOURNEY
April 24, 2018 VIRGINIA LOTTERY STUDENT ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: MOLLY BARCIKOWSKI
April 22, 2018 RAMS UPEND UMASS, HALT 61-GAME A-10 WINNING STREAK
April 20, 2018 RAMS DROP HEARTBREAKER TO LA SALLE, 13-12
April 17, 2018 BARCIKOWSKI NAMED A-10 PLAYER OF THE WEEK
April 15, 2018 RAMS BEAT DAVIDSON IN OT THRILLER, 12-11
April 13, 2018 RAMS HOLD OFF LATE CHARGE IN WIN OVER GW
April 10, 2018 VIRGINIA LOTTERY STUDENT-ATHLETE OF THE WEEK: BLAIRE LANGELER
April 7, 2018 RAMS TOP ST. BONAVENTURE, 13-8
April 6, 2018 VCU PICKS UP ROAD VICTORY AT DUQUESNE
March 31, 2018 HAWKS USE QUICK START TO PUSH PAST RAMS
March 29, 2018 SECOND HALF PUSHES SPIDERS PAST VCU
March 21, 2018 RAMS FALL TO NO. 16 VIRGINIA TECH
March 18, 2018 RAMS SET PROGRAM RECORD IN 24-8 WIN OVER LIU-BROOKLYN
March 14, 2018 RAMS FALL TO TRIBE IN WILLIAMSBURG, 15-5
March 11, 2018 RAMS DROP 13-11 CONTEST TO ARMY
March 6, 2018 VCU DROPS ROAD CONTEST AT LEHIGH
February 28, 2018 BARCIKOWSKI POWERS VCU PAST LONGWOOD
February 24, 2018 VCU FALLS TO UMBC, 21-9
February 14, 2018 EMOND SCORES THREE IN CLOSE SEASON-OPENING LOSS AT ODU
December 13, 2017 RAMS RELEASE 2018 SCHEDULE
November 30, 2017 O'BRIEN INKS SIX IN FALL SIGNING PERIOD
September 22, 2017 RAMS 2017 FALL BALL SCHEDULE
Fri, 04/15 | Women's Lacrosse at Davidson L, 19-9 (Final) RC | BX | BX
Sun, 04/17 | Women's Lacrosse vs. George Washington L, 20-12 (Final) RC | BX | BX
Fri, 04/22 | Women's Lacrosse vs. Saint Joseph's L, 15-4 (Final) RC | BX | BX
Sun, 04/24 | Women's Lacrosse vs. Massachusetts L, 18-3 (Final) RC | BX | BX | PH
Sat, 04/30 | Women's Lacrosse at George Mason L, 16-5 (Final) RC | BX | BX


Nach Baliye 8 is soon arriving at an end and the producers of the show are investigating every possibility to make it terrific.
The finale will see the passage of two victors of the prior seasons as Mahhi Vij – Jay Bhanushali and Amir Ali – Sanjeeda Sheik. The two ex-victor couples will be entering the show as visitor entertainers to cheer the finalists.
At the point when reached Mahi Vij, she affirmed the news of being a piece of the show.
Continue perusing this space for most recent updates.


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Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands District Office
SBA.gov » Local Assistance » District Office List » Puerto Rico and US Virgin Islands District Office » Success Stories » A Small Business Grows in Morovis
A Small Business Grows in Morovis
MOROVIS, PR -- For almost two decades, Edwin Ortiz has dedicated his professional life to the business of supermarkets.
In the heart of Morovis, a town with a population shy of 30,000 in the central mountainous region of Puerto Rico, Supermercados Selectos Mr. Cash serves close to 2,000 customers a day. Its success is largely due to Edwin, who bought it from his brother Ovidio in 1995 and turned it into a service-oriented, customer-friendly shopping venue.
The supermarket wasn't always thriving. In fact, Ovidio acquired it at public auction in 1983, shortly after its previous owner declared bankruptcy. Ovidio saw an opportunity to re-establish the store as a profitable business and named it Mr. Cash. True to its namesake, the supermarket generated $6,000 in sales on opening day and began growing steadily, employing 30 people. Soon after, Mr. Cash required additional space, and Ovidio moved it to a bigger commercial lot across the street. Mr. Cash had indeed begun to thrive.
After 12 years of successful operations, however, Ovidio decided it was time for someone else's turn at the wheel, and he asked Edwin to go work with him at the store. Ovidio's plans were to employ Edwin and later sell him the business, which he did in 1995.
"I had no money and no idea how I was going to buy the supermarket," Edwin says. "But my brother set forth some reasonable conditions and gave me a term of five years to pay him. I accomplished it in a little over four."
Edwin was already well-familiarized with the food industry. Years before, he had worked as a sales rep for a meat distributor and his routes included supermarkets, butcher shops, restaurants, and cash and carry warehouses. His experiences served as a basis for his future success in the supermarket business. Edwin was also well-trained as an administrator. At the time his brother called on him to join the supermarket, Edwin was the manager of credit union Cooperativa de Ahorro y Crédito Moroveña. In that position, he got to know the people in the area and establish a direct relationship with his customers.
During Edwin's first year as Mr. Cash president, sales increased by 17 percent. In 2000, Edwin decided to join Supermercados Selectos, a local supermarket chain that allows its members to partner in making purchase negotiations in bulk and offer more competitive prices to their customers.
"The Selectos concept relieved me from having to pay for advertising or a warehouse," Edwin indicates. "I don't have to design or distribute my own shopper. The Selectos chain has an in-house advertising team and a central warehouse that serve all member stores."
But renaming the supermarket wasn't an easy task. The townsfolk saw Mr. Cash as the supermarket in Morovis, and Edwin felt that by changing its name he would somehow be taking from its identity. A deal was reached with Selectos' board of directors, and the supermarket became Supermercados Selectos Mr. Cash. The chain of Supermercados Selectos has a track record of excellence in its industry. Upon joining Selectos, Edwin's supermarket experienced an increase in client demand, resulting in a 10 to 12 percent increase in sales, figures that have remained steady throughout the years.
Sales continued to rise to the point where the supermarket needed bigger space. In order to solve the problem, Edwin visited Banco Popular de Puerto Rico, who referred Edwin to Marketing Small Business Finance Corporation, a Certified Development Company (CDC) authorized to deliver the U.S. Small Business Administration's 504 Loan Program. Also known as the Certified Development Company Program, the 504 Loan Program's main purpose is to provide long-term, fixed financing to purchase land, machinery and equipment, and for business expansion. A 504 loan originates through a CDC – a non-profit corporation that invests in its community's economic development and helps generate jobs—together with a bank.
With the loan proceeds, Edwin purchased four cuerdas of land –or 16,000 square meters- outside the urban center of Morovis and built several commercial buildings. In 2003, Supermercados Selectos Mr. Cash moved to its new facilities, occupying close to 30,000 square feet and leasing the remaining space, which is occupied by a restaurant, a beauty parlor, a dry cleaner, and a cake decorating school. Also, the stores share a parking lot that accommodates close to 300 vehicles.
Today, Supermercados Selectos Mr. Cash's sales are four times higher than when Edwin bought it from his brother, and 80 people are employed. Successful as he is as a small business entrepreneur, when asked about his most satisfying moment Edwin laughs and says "the day I paid off my mortgage". But then, he grows serious.
"The most satisfying thing is to see my family well positioned," Edwin declares. "My oldest son owns a bakery, two daughters are engineers and another a dentist, and my youngest son will soon graduate as an engineer. All that was possible thanks to this business."
Edwin is also quick to attribute his success to the dedication and commitment of his wife Carmen.
"I have been married for 30 years to a wonderful woman who has always supported me and has shared with me an entire lifetime. Her name is Carmen M. 'Mary' Rivera and nothing of what we have achieved would be possible without her unconditional devotion and disposition to work alongside of me."
For more information on SBA's 504 Loan Program or other programs and services, visit: www.sba.gov/pr.
article SBA Loans
article Tips for Choosing Your Business Location


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Indie Spot
Muzique Magazine
Interview with Artist/Actress/TV Host Keldamuzik
Interview with Brunei Darussalam Base Band Mirror Trash
Phantom Boy Talks About Sense of Style, Upcoming Project & More
Sonic Radiation Talks About Sense of Style, Upcoming Project & More
Interview with Singer-Songwriter Jus Brown
Alfred Munoz
How did you come by your stage name?
Well, my original name is Kelda, so since I was heavy into music in the early 2000s, going on tour releasing albums, singles back to back, I gave myself that name…Keldamuzik. I never dropped it because I still am a music artist even though I'm doing other projects too, music will always be my first love.
I'm an entertainer, I enjoy being on stage entertaining an audience and bringing smiles to people's face you know? That's just me, I've always been smiling and uplifting others and will never stop.
When did you discover your love for your craft and what made you realize you wanted to pursue a career in it?
I discovered at a young age. I was since show biz when I was 5, lol I still have my headshot with the coffee stain on it. I tried a bit of acting in commercials, but I wasn't feeling it, so then I started to pursue modeling by working with different photographers and even signing to an agency.
I remember the very first modeling gig I did, I missed my cue and fell flat on my face lol. It was at some fashion show in Sacramento. So, then I told myself, well I like to sing let's go for it…I cut my first r&b album, start doing shows, then I start rapping and releasing hip hop music.
My career then took a turn for the better. I even started my own Talk show called "Diva Talk Tonight", which is an entertainment talk show. I did this to further promote my brand on TV and to network with other potential guests on my show, I love it!
To what or whom do you accredit your sense of style?
I would have to say someone like Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Beyoncé, and Rihanna have beautiful styles. Very elegant and mature. Although I may act young and come off immature at times when I'm on the red carpet or out and about I try to follow what these ladies do!
On your upcoming project, how did you come up with the concept?
I have 3 singles dropping, well two are already iTunes, Spotify and tidal…the last one will be released March 8th. What inspired me to write about "Swype Right" is because there are so many dating apps and people raving about which one is best or not. So, by creating a song it puts people in that Friday I'm a bored type of mood, who is out there?
Oh, and guess what comes to find out you made a good match by "Swiping Right". I made "All I have" because when you're in a relationship and everything goes up and down, all you can offer is a piece of your mind to your other.
I created "Work" based off all these young men out there laying upon their women when the women are out there working hard as a single mother and keeping a job. The man is at home watching the game and leaving the house junkie. So yes, he needs to go to "work"!
What are some of your greatest challenges, and what is your greatest attribute when it comes to your work ethic?
Some of my greatest challenges are trying to get people to understand who I am and what I do. People always ask me "what's the end goal for you Kelda"? I tell them there isn't one, I just have fun and do what I enjoy that's all! What people in this industry need to know is that if you continue to pursue your passion and make the best out of it, great things will happen when you least expect it.
However, DON'T EXPECT IT! Flexibility is one of my greatest attributes, whether it be in music, acting or modeling, I'm able to change things up and reinvent myself. For example, the latest music that I released is a whole new sound for me, this isn't what you are used to hearing from me, but it sounds good!
Are you the best at what you do in your opinion?
I'm not the best, but I am a hard worker and very determined. I don't let a project go to waste unless I for sure it's just not going to work out. Other than that, there are many talented musicians, actors, and hosts out there that are the best at what they do, so I can't really say that I'm one of them but it's my goal to get to that point one day.
What impression would you like fans to be left with after experiencing your craft?
I want them to know that Keldamuzik is a brand, a brand that has many things to offer. Think about artists like Jennifer Lopez, Nick Cannon, Childish Gambino, entertainers that multi-task and that do it all. I consider myself to be in that lane. There're more people I forgot to mention, but you get the idea, Do It ALL and have fun with it, don't expect to be rich tomorrow or to gain instant fame.
What are your plans for the near future?
I want to produce my first feature called "Lo and Behold", I also want to create another reality TV series called "A Diva's World". Ideas always pop in my head every day to create something new, cool and that the community would be tuned into.
Is there anyone you'd like to thank, any shout outs?
Yes, I'd like to thank god, he's really in my corner. I'd also like to thank my folks that have been helping me recently with everything Denice Coleman, Torian Allen, Brandi Ellis, Patrick Walberg, Ambition Models and my parents for taking care of me when I was ill. Got to thank those who were there for you!
How can fans find you?
Keldamuzik1@gmail.com
www.Keldamuzik.com
www.Facebook.com/Keldamuzik
www.twitter.com/Keldamuzik
www.Instagram.com/Keldamuzik
For more news and articles, Connect with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter Show your support SHARE and leave a COMMENT below.
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Related Topics:Interview with Artisit/Actress/TV Host Keldamuzik, music magazine, Muzique Magazine
Alfred Munoz is an American Veteran, entrepreneur, investor and publisher.
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Welle (ahd. wella 'Wasserwoge', zu ahd. wellan 'wälzen') steht für:
 Welle, physikalisches Phänomen
 Wasserwelle, Oberflächenwellen an der Grenzfläche zwischen Wasser und Luft
 Äquatoriale Welle, sich entlang des Äquators ausbreitende Wellen
 Welle (Mechanik), rotierendes Maschinenteil
 Elektrische Welle, elektrische Schaltung
 Grüne Welle, Ampelschaltung
 Leewelle, Schwerewelle in der Luftströmung an Bergen
 die früher gebräuchliche Angabe der Wellenlänge  anstelle der Frequenz  eines Rundfunksenders, in Meter statt Hertz (Zusammenhang: ), z. B. Welle 211 für die Frequenz 1421 kHz = 211 m

wellenförmige Bewegungen:
 La Ola, wellenförmige Bewegung der Zuschauer im Stadion
 Waving, wellenförmige Bewegung beim Tanzen
 Menschliche Welle, wellenförmiger militärischer Angriff
 wellenförmiger Trend, siehe Trend (Soziologie)#Systematisierung nach Form, z. B. wellenförmige Ausbreitung von Epidemien und Pandemien

Brennholz:
 Reisigbündel
 Welle (Einheit), altes Volumenmaß für Reisigholz

Schiffe:
 Welle (Schiff, 1915), Traditionsschiff
 Welle (Schiff, 1916), Nachrichtenmittel-Versuchsschiff der deutschen Reichsmarine und Kriegsmarine

Welle steht für folgende geografische Objekte:
 Welle (Niedersachsen), Gemeinde im Landkreis Harburg, Niedersachsen
 Welle (Lanhausen), Ortsteil von Lanhausen, Einheitsgemeinde Loxstedt, Landkreis Cuxhaven, Niedersachsen
 Welle (Stendal), Ortsteil von Stendal, Sachsen-Anhalt
 Groß Welle, Ortsteil von Gumtow, Landkreis Prignitz, Brandenburg
 Welle, deutscher Name des Wel (Drwęca), Fluss in Polen
 Welle (Wispe), linker Zufluss der Wispel in Kaierde, Gemeinde Delligsen, Landkreis Holzminden, Niedersachsen

Welle ist der Familienname folgender Personen:
 Angie Welle (* 1979), US-amerikanische Basketballspielerin
 Friedrich Welle (1778–1826), deutscher Silberarbeiter, Münzmeister, Bürgermeister und Politiker
 Heinrich Welle (1854–1927), deutscher Landwirt und Politiker (DNVP)
 Klaus Welle (* 1964), deutscher Politiker (CDU)

Siehe auch:
 Die Welle
 Lange Welle
 Wellen
 Uelle, Fluss in der Demokratischen Republik Kongo
 Velle, Velles
 Wave


text:
Is Israel prepared for an aging population?
Author: Taub Center Staff 14.02.2019
The Taub Center recently co-hosted a roundtable discussion, "Building a National Plan for Israel's Aging Preparedness: Lessons from Singapore" with the Israel-Asia Center, which included remarks from guest speaker Christopher Gee from Singapore. We've asked the moderator of the event and Chair of our Health Policy Program Prof. Dov Chernichovsky five questions about why this topic is so important.
1. Why is the aging population such an important topic to be discussing right now in Israel? Isn't Israel a relatively young country?
Israel's population is relatively young (because of migration and high fertility rates), and only about 10% of the population is aged 65 and above, compared with almost double that share in the U.S. Europe, and Japan. Nonetheless, Israel's population is rapidly aging. The number of seniors in Israel ages 70 and older is projected to double by 2035. As a result, functional impairment is expected to rise 16% faster than population growth. Another big concern in Israel is that about a fifth of senior citizens in Israel live under the poverty line. To meet the growing demand for long-term care that is bound to come with an aging population, Israel will have to confront shortages in long-term care resources, evaluate current and future potential methods of funding long-term care, and address inefficiencies in the way benefits and services for the elderly are distributed.
2. How does long-term care currently work in Israel?
As opposed to most developed nations (with the exception of the U.S.), Israel currently does not have comprehensive universal long-term care insurance. Only about half of spending on long-term care in Israel is publicly funded and the share of private expenditure on this type of care is 45% – triple that of the OECD, which stands at 16%, on average. The extensive reliance on private funding leads to inequality in the long-term care received by Israel's elderly from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Furthermore, the system for receiving benefits and services is fragmented and confusing. The responsibility is spread across several government ministries and authorities, and senior citizens have a difficult time understanding how to get the benefits due to them.
3. What recommendations have been made in Israel to change the long-term care system and prepare for the changes in Israel's age-structure?
The Knesset Subcommittee on the Status of the Elderly, headed by MK Tali Ploskov (who spoke at the event), and advised by Prof. Yitzhak Brick (who also participated in the discussion), has prepared recommendations regarding Israel's long-term care system that include eradicating poverty among Israel's senior citizens, addressing retirement age policies to make them more in line with increased life expectancy, providing more support for primary care givers, and streamlining the provision of benefits and services for the elderly. The subcommittee has not, however, dealt with the financial implications of its recommendations.
4. Why compare Israel to Singapore?
Israel and Singapore have some key characteristics in common, both being young, small, developed, "isolated," and having limited natural resources. More importantly, however, Singapore has been a leader in future policy planning, particularly when it comes to preparing for an aging population. Singapore's population is the second most-rapidly aging population in the world and is in the process constructing policies to ease the dramatic shift in age-structure they will experience in the coming few decades. Therefore, as Israel faces its own challenges arising from an aging population, we can draw on Singapore's experience.
5. What are a few things that Israel can learn from Singapore about preparing for an aging population?
It is important to note that there are many central differences in culture and government structure between Singapore and Israel, so we should be cautious about mapping solutions from one country onto the other. That being said, there are a number of aspects of Singapore's approach to an aging population that might be useful in building a national plan for aging preparedness in Israel. These include universal public housing subsidies that help the elderly meet their housing needs (a huge cost for the elderly in Israel), compulsory savings accounts that can be used to finance long-term care, daycare center models for the elderly, formal arrangements for family care-givers, and inter-ministerial cooperation in forming a large-scale plan to address the aging population.


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