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Artist Spotlight: Maja Ruznic and Joshua Hagler (Drift)

Last year, artist Maja Ruznic was kind enough to provide us with a little inspiration. Now, she’s holding a Kickstarter for a fantastic project, Drift

For Drift, Ruznic and her partner, artist Joshua Hagler, will travel around the world. Everyday, they will create a new piece of work. Drift will be the final compilation of those pieces.  The book is “based on the meaning of and search for home,” which is very appropriate considering Ruznic’s experiences as a child refugee. The pair will make several stops through Europe and Jordan, and will eventually hold visual storytelling workshops with Syrian refugees. The hope is that these workshops will help refugees cope with and express their trauma.

Ruznic and Hagler have 15 days remaining to reach their $17,000 goal. Check out their Kickstarter!

~ Thankful

Artist Spotlight: Alicia Zakon (Author, Laundry & Love Notes)

Here’s a project and author that I really applaud. Alicia Zakon, a Berkeley Grad who’s currently an educator in the Bay Area, has just completed her first book of poems: Laundry & Love Notes. This project has been a true labor of love, as it’s a compilation of work from as early as Zakon’s 4th grade year. What’s wonderful is that Laundry & Love Notes shows Zakon’s development from a girl to a woman.

Her poetic journey is self-published and she’s now holding a Kickstarter campaign that serves as a joint book release and fundraiser, for 15 free poetry/personal development workshops for young women across the country. Zakon found her truth through words and hopes to help other young women do the same. Tentative workshop tour stops include: Oakland, Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, and DC. I’m impressed that she’s found a way to fulfill her dreams while helping others find theirs.

An interview with her will soon follow –  but for now, her campaign is approaching its last 3 days with 38% to go. Have a look at her Kickstarter page here and check out the trailer for Laundry & Love Notes below. If you love her intention but can’t donate, spread the word.

And, if you’re out there working on a passion project, hopefully you’ll find a way to give back in the same way Alicia Zakon has.

Contact for Alicia Zakon:

Twitter: @AliciaZakon

Peer Pressure

NOTE: Men don’t look away!

Sheryl Sandberg‘s book, which has been the topic of conversation for months, has made me reconsider the notion of “peer pressure.” While Sandberg’s name may stir up varying emotions, especially since her recent scandal involving “LeanInterns,” one thing is for sure: Lean-In has brought women together. Sandberg encourages women to form “lean-in circles,” or peer groups where you can glean and give advice to professional women looking to lean-into their careers.  I was asked to join 3 circles – this fact is a testament to how unifying her call to action was. My circle includes 8 wonderful and inspiring women, who I may not have met, if it weren’t for Sandberg’s encouragement (and the initiative of our group organizer). I can honestly say that discussing career related issues with these women has been extremely helpful. I’m comforted to find that others have similar obstacles and anxieties when it comes to their careers and appropriate next steps. Every time I leave a meeting, I’ve learned something from my group members’ experiences.

The concept of the “lean-in circle” resonates with advice my grandmother insisted upon, be mindful of the company you keep. She wanted me to build relationships with positive, uplifting, forward thinking people. Most importantly, my grandmother wanted me to be that for others. All this is to say, even if you have not read Sandberg’s book, for men and women alike, make sure you’re surrounded by inspiring people. Whether they inspire you personally or professionally, to be productive, creative, informed, patient, or kind – find them, hold on to them, learn from them, and reciprocate. Peer pressure can’t be so bad, if your peers are good.

Hakuna Matata

Ngorongoro Crater

Ngorongoro Crater

You know the deal:

Hakuna Matata, what a wonderful phrase
Hakuna Matata, ain’t no passing craze
It means no worries for the rest of your days
It’s our problem free philosophy, Hakuna Matata

Timon and Pumbaa rocked out in THE LION KING (1994). I was just a youngin’ and did not realize there were places, I could go, where that phrase was used in conversation. Well this past month, ONE DAY I TOO GO FLY took a production trip to Tanzania! As Swahili is the national language, I heard “Hakuna Matata” over and over again. The first time, I burst into song – to little response. Subsequently, I resisted the urge and just hummed along in my head.

For two years now, I have been fortunate to produce a film about young African students at one of the U.S.’s premier technological universities. In Tanzania, we followed our student, Sante, on her first trip home in 2 years.  The reunion was emotional and we learned how Sante’s accomplishments have affected her family and her community in Dar Es Salaam – when the film is complete, you’ll learn too! It’s amazing how one person’s achievements can inspire so many. Arthur Musah, Director/Producer, posted his takeaways from our trip on our production blog. His experience with Sante and her family have caused him to rethink his definition of home.

Sante and I in Downtown Dar Es Salaam

Sante and I in Downtown Dar Es Salaam

Arthur filming in Msolwa

Arthur filming in Msolwa

While our time in Tanzania was brief, much was gained from the experience. On a small-scale, I realized how dependent I am on technology (cell/internet service was spotty) and on comforts like hot, running water. Truth be told, I have been terribly spoiled. On a larger scale, I gained perspective on how a different culture interacts, loves, copes, and creates. Hands down, I’ve never been to a country with more welcoming and sincere people. Folks, we’d never met, went out of their way to make sure that we had housing, food, and transportation. There wasn’t a single day we weren’t invited into someone’s home and, as such, life for conversation, a meal, or tea. I returned from Africa wanting to take on the positive attributes of the Tanzanian people, with a greater understanding of how others perceive my actions, and more thankful than ever.

I hope everyone has an opportunity to have such an adventure!

Village of Kirua Vunjo

Village of Kirua Vunjo

A Little Daily Inspiration: Pierce Minor, Author (Twistir)

Book Opening

Are you a writer considering self-publishing? Fellow Cal Grad Pierce Minor did just that. His new novel, Twistir, was released last month as an eBook. Twistir, which centers around small town teens discovering their supernatural powers, could be the fix for readers jonesing post Harry Potter. I caught up with Pierce to get the low-down on his book and find out about his journey to become a published writer. After the interview, you’ll find an excerpt of Twistir! Today, hopefully you’ll be inspired and have a new literary addiction.

How did you come up with the idea for Twistir and how long did it take you to complete?

Twistir had been in my head for years before I actually started writing. I knew the story would be 2 or 3 teenagers in a small town, and weird supernatural things would happen, but once I figured out the backstory, that began to keep me up most nights, I knew I needed to start writing it. From start to finish, page one to actual release, the entire process took 39 months.

This book is the first in a series of how many? Do you intend to stay in the Science-Fiction genre?

The book is the first in a series of 4, possibly 5. As far as genres go, I’ll probably end up making some people mad, as I intend to write in whatever genre makes me happy at the time. I do have another sc-fi/supernatural/fantasy adventure story lined up to write after the Twistir books are complete. That series is currently outlined as 8 books, and starts at a slightly younger age group. But I also have a co-writing partnership set for a more historic, realistic fiction tale set in the early 1900’s.

What made you decide to self-publish and what were your challenges?

My decision to self-publish came to be after extensive research about the state of the publishing industry and my own experience as a screenwriter. Digital books have really taken off in the past few years, which allowed many independent writers to find an audience affordably. The most interesting thing I found was that even seasoned vets, who had been traditionally published, were turning to self-publishing – especially after the Borders bookstores closed.

There are many challenges in self-publishing. The first that comes to mind is trying to keep your day job. When you set out to do alone what traditional publishers have entire teams to do, with tons of money, it’s a nearly impossible mission. And you need your day job so you can afford to pay the pennies you need to invest in your book/career. The other huge challenge is that, since anyone can publish an eBook these days, everyone does. Some people put out books without putting in the work, and buyers become skeptical about giving your book a try because they’ve been burned by an indie writer or two. I think it’s tougher to break through.

For those interested in self-publishing and distribution, can you explain the ins and outs?

I actually plan to make a video for this. There are many, but I’ll try to be succinct. First, write the best version of your book you can. Then, get a great set of unbiased beta-readers to offer notes… people who don’t mind hurting your feelings. My college friends worked best for me. (Repeat this step for at least 3 drafts) Then, (hopefully) have a real editor take some stabs at it and LISTEN to them. Meanwhile, have an artist or two working on your cover art. Research, research, research. See what other people are doing in your genre (online and in stores). Decide which Print-On-Demand publisher works best for you, if you plan on making a printed version of your book. Also decide on the best eBook distributor(s) for you. I’m partial to Kindle Direct and Smashwords, but there are many others. If you’ve never done any of this before, Kindle probably has the easiest conversion process. After that, just decide when to publish. I’m missing lots of things, like how to typeset for the printed version, but I don’t want to bore anyone. Coming soon (well, when I get time)… The 10-Minute Publishing School.

How has response been since Twistir’s release?

The response has been nothing but positive. It’s actually quite alarming how gracious comments have been. For a couple of days, I experimented with the Kindle Direct Program with Amazon, and Twistir managed to become a Top 100 Kindle Bestseller in the US, UK, and Germany for the free book promotion. I was freaking out a little. I just hope people continue to enjoy the story.

Top 5 must read books?

This is impossible for me to answer, but off the top of my head, I would say…

1. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

2. The Odyssey by Homer

3. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

4. On Writing by Stephen King

5. The Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

Any advice for new writers?

YES. Write everyday, never take a “no” to mean you’re not talented or your story isn’t worthy of being published, and read A LOT of books, including “On Writing” by Stephen King.

Wow. So much! First and foremost, Justin Timberlake released an album a few weeks after my book was launched, so now I have good music to write Book 3 to this summer. Between that CD and 2 other albums by Fun and Mumford and Sons, my soundtrack is set! No, but seriously, I’m thankful for so many things… the love of art, my friends and family, every day I get to spend at the beach, great music by Coldplay, Jay-Z, The Fray, Lifehouse, Eminem and John Mayer – and let’s not forget green healthy foods and Starbucks coffee.

Thankful for having Pierce on the blog today! I know you’re all eager to read his book. He’s been gracious enough to provide an excerpt. If you like it, you can find the full version here.

For you writers out there working on passion projects, don’t give up. One day you’ll have published work of your own.

Pierce’s Website

Huh? What the–?

I could barely see in the dark room, but I didn’t need a bright light to recognize that something was off. I could feel it. And it was bad.

My eyes began to itch, as they sometimes did when panic set in. Lifting my hands to scratch them – a normal reaction – I realized that my palms were soaked in blankets of sweat. Struggling to keep my cool, I shut my eyes and tried to ignore what had me freaking out. Maybe it was just another bad dream, I thought.

Or maybe not.

I didn’t know what was going on, or how, but I was somehow… airborne?No, I was definitely up in the air. Flying. I mean, not with the confidence and steadiness of let’s

say, Superman, but more like a wavering plastic bag caught in a small whirlwind.Flying??!!

“Just breathe, Ennis,” I whispered, attempting to coach myself through this sudden terror.

Was I still asleep? No way, I thought, as my blurred reflection floated by in the dresser mirror. The mirror! I tried to grab hold of it, but all too late. My hands were just a few inches short of its wooden frame.

“Ok, just close your eyes and you’ll wake up in bed. Just like before,” I hoped aloud.

It was so real… yet, impossible. Wasn’t it? As the questions began to form in my mind I felt a violent gust of wind blow in from the window. In that moment that’s what I was thinking… it was coming from the window, but as my heavy eyes fought to search the room, I discovered that both of my windows were shut.

This gust that came from nowhere sent me twisting and turning in midair. I tried to call for help, but I could barely catch my breath. The only thing I could get out was a low and choppy hum. What would my father think, anyway, if he saw his fifteen year old son flying uncontrollably across his bedroom? What would any father think?

This thought was cut short as I did a somersault into my bedroom door, hitting the middle of my lower back against the door knob. Something definitely cracked.

I sighed in agony.

The pain was excruciating, to say the least, and before there was time to fully process it, the pressure of the wind – which felt like tiny pins against my skin – sent my body slamming hard into the ceiling. I covered my face just in time to save my nose from breaking. If only something else could’ve saved my arm… and my knee… and my ankle.

My body was being tossed around the room like a rag doll for a good five minutes, though it felt much longer. I was sure to have bruises – the deep purply kind.

But bruises were suddenly the least of my worries when my body went crashing head-first toward my bedroom window. I freaked, of course, finally getting out a healthy shout for help.

“Heeelp! No, no, NOOO!” I belched, fearful of falling two stories to my certain death.

I flailed my arms around frantically, trying to stop before smashing through.

This is it, I thought. Fifteen years old and I was going to die a virgin. I hadn’t even built up the nerve to ask out the girl I liked, let alone make out with her.

But at the very last second, something I did must’ve worked. My body stopped its dive just short of my hands breaking the glass.

“What the…? How?” I gasped for air. Ok, don’t question it, Ennis.

I was still breathing hard when a peaceful wind began gliding me back to the center of the room. Finally, a sigh of relief. My body was broken as it lay there hovering, but at least it was still in one piece. Safe.

For the moment.

After a few good breaths, my relief came to a sudden end when I fell abruptly to the ground. It wasn’t a throw this time – no wind – just gravity. And my bodyweight.

“Aahhh!” I yelled on impulse.

Instead of crashing through a window, and falling two stories, I only fell about eight or nine feet. But my head landed on a twenty pound dumbbell.

That’s the last thing I remembered.

Must See Film: Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare

I hope everyone’s week is off to a great start. Last night, I turned to CNN just in time to catch the film: Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare. Almost everyone acknowledges that there is a problem with the healthcare system in the United States. This doc was great because it gave cold, hard facts and presented potential solutions. Some of the stats they shared were pretty astounding:

Fact #1 Fact #2

Overall, most experts agree that increasing preventative care and access to primary care physicians is a must, to control disease and increase life span.

I love films that serve to broaden our understanding and encourage activation.  So, when you get a chance, check it out!

Inspiration For Your Weekend

Every year I’m surprised to see how quickly the months roll by. One minute, I’m making resolutions on New Year’s Eve. The next moment, we’re two months in and I ’m wondering what I’ve accomplished. Before I continue, I have to say thank you, and then a few updates!

I’ve been on a bit of a hiatus –  other projects have taken my attention. Thank you to those who continue to check in! It is much appreciated. Thank you also to those who donated to or shared information about One Day I Too Go Fly. We successfully reached our goal and have received great feedback.

Now, the updates! A few people, previously featured on the blog, have big things going on:

Steph L.

Steph’s photography was featured in What Do You Do? She had her first show in Boston, Mass.

Steph’s Interview

MAKERS: Women Who Make America

MAKERS: Women Who Make America will premiere Feb 26th at 8PM on PBS!

Filmmaker Dyllan McGee’s Interview

Jenny McIvor

Jenny McIvor is responsible for She’s just published her first book: Round the World in 30 Days: The Grown-Up’s Guide to Globetrotting. The book is available for purchase on Amazon. A portion of the proceeds go to the Wounded Warrior Project. Jenny’s currently on another Round the World Trip!

Jenny’s Interview

Round the World in 30 Days: The Grown-Up's Guide to Globetrotting

Dear White People

Lena Waithe and Justin Simien are making their project! They successfully raised all of their funds and are on their way.

Lena’s Interview

Lena Waithe

Lena Waithe

Chris Harris aka DJ $crilla

DJ $crilla released his new single, ‘Till I See You Again,’ on iTunes on 1/15. He’s also been performing – most recently in Music City!

Chris’ Interview

Ryan McDermott

Ryan signed with G.O.O.D Music, has a couple new singles out and will have a mixtape released later in 2013.

Ryan’s Interview

Congrats to everyone!

I’m sure that these people haven’t been successful without a moment of self-doubt. It’s clear, however, that their perseverance paid off. I know it’s not Monday, but there’s a little inspiration for your weekend.

More posts will come soon. Happy (late) New Year!


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Design Your Message for Best Results

Part of getting your message across to your audience successfully is designing your communication. Just as in the products that catch our eye, the visual appearance is just as important as the content. It may make or break your effort to communicate your message.

  1. Use plain language. A communication is in plain language if its wording, structure, and design are so clear that the intended audience can easily find what they need, understand what they find, and use that information.
                                                                       –International Plain Language Federation
  2. Consider your layout. Make sure you have plenty of white space to help separate your content into groups of information. White space also gives the appearance of calmness and simplicity, as opposed to crowded chaos.
  3. Use a font that is simple and make it a size that is easy for your audience to read. Times Roman, Garamond, Helvetica, and Arial (11 or 12 point) are popular.
  4. Start with a call to action for your readersand use succinct, useful headings to separate information and help readers navigate the content.
  5. Use bullets and numbering to help make your information easy to follow.
  6. Do not be shy, use tables, charts, and photographsto simplify your information and make it appealing.

It’s all about getting your audience to engage in the document and get the information they need from it. It’s also about getting them to respond to your call to action.

Need help putting your best word forward. Send  a note to or visit

About The dutty is "the ground," the foundation, the earth--just like words are part of the foundation on which I build my life.

Reason for being: To tell stories and help writers and others with a message to put their best word forward.
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Verilux Rise & Shine Deluxe Natural Alarm Clock Bedside Lamp

Now here’s a great idea that gave me one of those “Why didn’t I think of that?” feelings when I first saw it. It’s the Rise & Shine Deluxe Natural Alarm Clock Bedside Lamp from Verilux. This company sells a variety of illumination products. I actually reviewed their HappyLite Mini Ultra earlier this month. The Rise & Shine combines a clock, radio and lamp all in one device.

Available in Ivory and Graphite, the base of the lamp is 6.5 inches wide. The overall height with the shade installed is 20.25 inches and the shade width is 11 inches. The style of this device would probably be considered modern given the built in display and buttons. That said, it should fit reasonably well with most bedroom decoration schemes.

The main controls for the lamp are located on the front and base of the unit. The large knob in the center controls the intensity of the light. Press this button to toggle the light on and off, and twist the knob left or right to dim or brighten the output. The lamp uses a 2000hr 60w natural spectrum Xenon bulb that puts out the light equivalent to a regular 150w bulb.

Below the knob are large easy to access buttons that control power to the radio and built-in ambient sound playback. The Rise & Shine has 8 pre-programmed nature sounds (Birds, Harbor, Town, Brook, Surf, Forest, Rain, and Wind). You can wake or go to sleep to the sounds. Some are better than others though. The Town recording is pretty annoying with it’s crowing roosters and chiming clock noises ;o)

Below the Sounds and Radio buttons is the 3.5in (diagonal) screen. All the information regarding the current time, date and alarm settings are visible at all times on this screen. Another feature of the screen is that it is backlit with 7 cycling colors. You can either allow it to continually cycle or lock it into a fave color by pressing a button on the side of the lamp.

Buttons along the base control the alarm settings. The Wake button lets you choose if you want to wake up to light, sound or both. The large bar button in the middle is the Snooze button. If you hold down this button, it will reset (silence) an active alarm. To the Right of the Snooze button is the Sleep button. You can use this button as a timer for the lamp and / or sounds / radio. After 5 – 60 minutes, the light and / or sounds will turn off.

On the Right side of the lamp you find the radio tuner dial, AM/FM switch, Display brightness dim/low switch, color mode lock / unlock toggle button and the volume adjustment button.

I was a little disappointed when I found out that radio could not be digitally tuned by looking at the display. Instead you have to look at the dial where the frequencies are printed in small type. Bleh…

The AC adapter power jack, speaker jack and antenna wire are all located on the back of the Rise & Shine. Regarding the power adapter, it’s a largish sized brick with an 8ft long cord. There’s also a battery compartment built into the bottom of the base. It holds 4 AA batteries (not included) The batteries keep your time and alarm settings backed up for 48hrs in the event of a power failure. If the power is off, you can’t use the batteries to power the lamp.

A small pillow speaker is included with each Rise & Shine lamp. You can use this speaker to listen to the radio and other sounds without disturbing your bed buddy.

The whole idea behind the Rise & Shine has to do with balancing the Circadian rhythms in our bodies by simulating the rising and setting sun.

The way it works is that you program in the time you want to wake up. Say that’s 6:00am. Then you set the wake time cycle. This can be either 5, 15, 30 or 60 minutes. If you choose 30 minutes for example, the alarm would activate at 5:30am. If the alarm is set to use light and sound, the lamp will turn on at the dimmest setting and the sounds will start playing at the lowest volume. Every few minutes, the light and sound intensity and volume will increase until the light is at full bright (see the images above for light examples) and the sound / radio is at a moderate volume level.

For me, the sounds tend to wake me up before the light does. I think I sleep with my eyes closed pretty tightly. I also have a habit of pulling the covers over my head a bit. If you’re the same type of sleeper, you might not find the light feature of this lamp to be that helpful as far as aiding you in waking up. Also, if you sleep on the opposite side of the bed, you might not notice the light part of the alarm as much as the person that sleeps on that side. I did notice however, that once I was awake that it was easier for me to get out of bed with the room lit up. It helped me feel less groggy.

I did notice a couple of issues using the alarm functions. The main issue is that when the lamp first turns on at the dimmest setting, there is a noticeable humming noise. The noise slowly goes away as the intensity of the light increases.

The Rise & Shine also only allows you to set 1 alarm. Since it has date (day, month, year) settings, it seems like it would be easy to add the ability to set extra alarms based on day of the week. I’d especially like to see a weekend alarm setting.

Then there’s one more minor annoyance with alarms. If you want to silence the alarm, it takes 2 steps. You have to press and hold the Snooze bar till the sound / radio stops playing and then if you also had the light as part of the alarm, you have to manually turn it off by pressing the knob. It would be more convenient if there was a simple Off button that you could press. I don’t know about you, but on the weekends when I’m half awake and want to go back to sleep, I don’t want to have to think all that much about how to turn off the alarm.

After all is said and done, I’ve enjoyed having the Rise & Shine lamp as an addition to my bedroom. It’s nice having a bedside lamp that doubles as a clock. Add the ability to set more than one alarm and I’d like it even more.

3yr warranty
Replacement 2000hr 60w Xenon bulbs – $19.95

Product Information

  • Wake to light, sounds, radio
  • Sleep timer can automatically turn off the light and sounds within 5-60 mins
  • Only 1 alarm
  • Light hums at lowest brightness
  • Radio tuner is a manual dial

20 thoughts on “Verilux Rise & Shine Deluxe Natural Alarm Clock Bedside Lamp”

  1. Gadgeteer Comment Policy - Please read before commenting
    1. Love this product, but disappointed that verilux does not keep replacement parts except the bulb. I am looking for the 8ft brick style power cord, if anyone know where to locate one please let me know. Thank you

  2. A question I’ve been wondering on this lamp/clock: Can you turn the backlight for the clock part off? (Or does it go off after a certain amount of time?)

    I like the rest of it, but I’ve never liked the idea of a glowing panel by my bed.

  3. The switch on the side allows you to dim the backlight. I need to test that switch to see how low the backlight is in the dim setting. I can’t recall off the top of my head.

    Update 3/17: yikes… I forgot to get back to you with the info… On the dim setting, the light is still noticeable in a dark room. There isn’t an OFF setting for the backlight.

  4. If you are considering the purchase of this product, please consider my outrageous 😡 experience with the Verilux Rise & Shine lamp, made worse by the fact that the company refused to back their warranty.

    It took three tries on this lamp to get one that was “less defective” than all the rest. About the only problem I did NOT experience in what I am about to relate is the commonly reported issue wherein the light bulb buzzes when set to a low output level. I read on one site that screwing it in tighter helps. Maybe that’s why it has yet to surface.

    The first lamp I purchased, via The Sharper Image, had a DOA internal speaker (and since it is mono there was no sound except when bypassing the internal speaker using the included pillow speaker). In addition, there was a pretty obvious nick in the plastic housing right next to the LCD display. Finally, the upper and lower halves of the lamp body were not neatly joined. As a result, the edges felt a bit rough and uneven.

    The second lamp I received in exchange seemingly came out of the mold wrong. The lamp shade wouldn’t sit straight on the little lip that juts out below the socket. Not only did the lip appear somewhat off, but the shade itself was cockeyed. As if that wasn’t enough, the bright white shade also had a beige stain or blemish on it. The light bulb leaned at an angle because the socket was skewed. As for the cosmetic appearance, the edges you see illustrated in the photo show a plastic “face” in which the LCD panel is mounted. Those edges were rippled and pitted as if they ran one too many through the mold without cleaning it out (or it didn’t come out of the mold cleanly, in any event). There was also a scratch — once again straight out of the retail packaging. And since the lampshade is not the standard configuration, I had no choice but to put up the misalignment, call Verilux directly to inquire about a new shade/lamp, or make the 40-mile trip back to the store to return the lamp — again.

    As per the instruction manual, I called to report the problem to Verilux. Since Verilux offers an impressive three-year warranty covering defects in workmanship and materials, I expected a sympathetic response. No such luck. I might have been able to ignore the misaligned bulb if they had simply sent me a new shade, but Verilux refused, and in contradiction to their own user manual, suggested I make a third trip to the retailer.

    The third lamp — yeah, I know, you’re wondering why I didn’t just get my money back…. Well, I suppose it became a challenge of the “mission impossible” type. So back to the store I went. The third lamp looks much better constructed. However, in contrast to the first two, it took 20 minutes to get a nearby station to come in clearly since the antenna continually picked up static. Finally I picked up the Verilux Rise & Shine power adapter off the floor, and there I found my static culprit. The adapter is apparently leaking RF despite the use of a high-end Belkin surge protector! Oddly, walking in front of the lamp or pressing the lamp’s buttons seemed to trigger this static reaction in the FM tuner, as well. I’m not sure if the tuner card is just not quite as good or if there is a slight grounding fault, but on a lark I unplugged the lamp for 30 seconds as suggested by the user manual to “reset” the electronics and I have had less problem in the 18 or so hours since them — although I still had to reposition the FM antenna again today. By comparison, other clock radios in the same spot, which is located near a window, do not even require their antennas extended.

    At this point, I am debating whether the issue is evidence of an impending failure, or just cause to request a new power adapter from Verilux. As for overall build quality, this third lamp doesn’t have any scratches, pits or ripples in the plastic — but it wobbles on level surfaces! In other words, it won’t sit flat. I had to put museum putty beneath it to keep it from rocking when I use the buttons.

    Is this ridiculous, or what?

    What is even more ridiculous is that Verilux offers a three year warranty. However, four days into my ownership experience they have already refused to remedy defects in the materials and workmanship, which the warranty card states the company will guarantee for three years! Translation? Don’t expect Verilux to help you if any aspect of this all-eggs-in-one-basket product fails.

    Supposedly, the third time is the charm. As such, I doubt continuing to exchange it will result in a better product as I will just trade one problem for another, for another, for another. Poor quality control is apparently par for the course — which is sad because this is otherwise a fantastic, space-saving concept.

    If you are still interested in this product, I’ll comment briefly on who I think will benefit most from this product. This is a lamp uses full spectrum light. People who are “night owls” and want to learn how to get their body clock readjusted to morning wake cycles will probably benefit most from this lamp (since full spectrum light will trigger hormonal changes in the brain to “reset” one’s internal clock). However, if you use it for reading at night it may do just the opposite — cue your brain to continue pumping out daytime hormones when it’s time to shut them off for the night. For this reason, you would do well to keep a conventional book light on hand, in my opinion. The second reason I mention this is because the bulbs are 12-volt proprietary “Xenon” bulbs that retail for $19.99 (and good luck trying to find them anywhere locally). They are rated at 2,000 hours, which may not last any longer than conventional bulbs (and you can’t substitute regular bulbs, either). Finally, this lamp may not grow annoyingly bright enough to wake you if you are the type who may turn away from it in your sleep. Although it is bright enough to read by — and easy on the eyes since it contains none of the usual yellow colorcast generated by incandescent lighting — the Verilux Rise & Shine lamp would probably work best in pairs (one at either side of the bed so that turning away from the lamp when set to wake is not so easy).

    Despite my experience, I sincerely hope that Verilux will continue to offer this product. Having said that, I hope they read their customer reviews and take it to heart as a sort of “focus group” feedback session. This product, as it stands, requires fine tuning, to include a digital tuner, stereo speakers and, most importantly, better overall quality control. Combining so many convenient features in a single product — roughly 6.5″ wide at the base and 20″ tall — is an excellent concept, which deserves further development. I’m just not sure if the present street price of $149.99 is justified in view of the numerous quality control issues.

    Well folks, this has been my first post to this site. I hope it spares someone the headache I went through. The only thing that spared me a wee bit of grief is the fact that I bought my Verilux Rise & Shine lamps locally. This is one product I would NOT buy over the Internet. As bad as three 40-mile round trips may sound, it beats paying $13 apiece to ship it back to some Internet retailer for an exchange.

  5. NewsView:

    Wow, what a pain for you. Except for the low buzzing issue with the lamp on the low light setting, I love this product and continue to use it. So far I’ve not noticed any other defects.

    I’m going to tell my contact at Verliux to read your post.

  6. Hello Julie,

    I greatly appreciate your sympathetic response, and your offer to have your Verilux contact review my experience. The problem is, I really wanted another Verilux Rise & Shine lamp for the other side of the bed. I started out with one lamp just to see if I liked it. Well, I do like it — this fourth lamp at least, since it finally works without drifting off the station, etc. — but I’d hate to go through four more trips to the store just to find a second non-defective lamp for the opposite side of the bed!

    Before I consider even TRYING to find another lamp, I would like an apology from Verilux. The owners’ manual states that customers should not return defective product to the store, yet that’s exactly what a Verilux customer service rep instructed me to do — knowing that his advice would require me to make a third 40-mile round trip to the store. There was no sign of sympathy whatsoever, and the response, which could have been as simple as offering to send me a replacement shade for defective lamp #2, was lacking such that it made it appear that Verilux offers no warranty support whatsoever — even though their warranty card states that they will cover defects in materials and workmanship for three years! The customer service rep also knew I was a first-time customer, but didn’t seem particularly interested in generating a good first impression, either (unfortunately, I did not write down his name).

    In closing, if Verilux wishes to me to express an apology of some kind, they can do so (my user name If need be, I can provide the serial number for the first defective lamp I spoke of and the third defective lamp I returned (do not have the serial number for the second lamp, however.) I mention this only because I feel that whatever the store returns should be evaluated for the problems I indicated for the purpose of improving quality control. I sincerely hope, at least, that Verilux is committed to improving the product to spare other customers an equally poor first impression.

  7. I’ve very excited to be receiving my lamp this week. I miss the sun, and so hopefully the full spectrum light will help make me a little happier in the morning.

  8. I bought a Rise n Shine for my gfriend and she loved it for about 2 years, at which time the light bulb stopped lighting. We bought a new bulb but still no light. Called Verlix and they shipped out a new power transformer under warranty at no charge. Great service. Hasn’t arrived yet, but I expect that will do the trick.

  9. We rarely have direct sunlight here, so I have wanted one of these for a while. There is a new version out for $100 more. Sorry, but I just can’t make myself pay $250 for an alarm clock.

  10. My dad has had one for a few years and loves it. He really wants another one and I can’t seem to find anyone that sells this version anymore. Does anyone know where I can find one?

  11. Hi Candice,
    I just bought the updated version at Brookstone in my local mall. It is so much better than the other version, but it doesn’t look as pretty (doesn’t have the typical lamp shape and there’s no shade).

    Good luck!

  12. Does anyone know where to find the serial number on these lamps? I’m trying to fill out the registration card and I don’t see a serial number.

  13. By the way, I interacted twice with Verilux customer service today, 11/10/2010, and they were extremely friendly, helpful and helped me resolve my issue quickly.
    I love my new Verilux lamp!

  14. Hi Birgitta,

    When I called Verilux customer service they said there was no serial number on that model and so to leave that space blank.

  15. 5/24/12 – Is this site still used? If so, I’ve had my rise and shine lamp for about 3.5 yrs. It has always worked great until just last week. All the back lighting and the bulb don’t work. Is there some type of trouble shooting I can do to find out what happened. It is just like the one shown above.

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‘Tis the season for Christmas parties, and our annual office shindig was on Friday night.  We ate, drank, were merry and danced our little feet off, and then I slept until lunchtime on Saturday – apparently 1:30 bedtimes are too much for me now ;o)  On the plus side, there was no hangover, on the down side, my sewjo got up and went until about 5 pm on Sunday when I suddenly took a notion to make 2 new Minikins.  As you do.  I have to say I’m definitely feeling the ‘nearly Christmas’ness of the time of year, not because I’m particularly looking forward to the 25th December, but because I finish on the 14th until the 3rd of January :oD  I have sewing plans, oh so many sewing plans.  And cleaning plans.  Those are less fun, but mean I can then sew guilt free.  As a taster though I’m meeting up with friends in Killearn on Saturday to sew, so I shall treat it as a preview of forthcoming attractions…

Finishes This Week:

Here are the 2 pouches from Sunday (’tis also the season for next to no daylight to take photos in), I’ve posted more about them here:

In Progress This Week:

I’m currently scratching my head over the next QN project because my calligraphy is refusing to work the way I want it to (and no, that wasn’t code for something!)

To Be Worked On This Week:

  • Finishing the QN project
  • Working on a few more Minikins at my sewing day

Hope you all have a great week!

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Phew, it’s been a bit of a mad week trying to get everything ready for me going on holiday tomorrow (I might be at the counting down the seconds stage now, it’s been a long year!)  However, the car tyre is sorted, my hair is cut, I’ve made arrangements to meet people along the way, I’ve eaten all the perishable food, I’ve packed everything and I’ve finished my laptop bag and toiletry bag and another little thing I’ve been working on, so I’m feeling strangely zen right now.  I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop…  So with that in mind it’ll still be a bit quiet over the next couple of weeks, but I’m sure my IG will have lots of travel pics if you want to catch up with me!

Finishes This Week:

This will get its own post for next week as there were a number of ’emotions’ attached to making it (some good, some bad!), but here’s my new laptop bag:

And this is the replacement for my baby wash bag that I use in the gym and when taking short holidays.  It will be coming with me this time as I’ll effectively be doing a number of mini holidays chained together so I’ll only be taking a weekend sized bag into the accommodation of the day and leaving a big bag in the car to switch clothes in/out of.  Aren’t the wee bottles that will be going inside cute?  eBay FTW!

There’s another secret squirrel project that I can’t share sue to the recipient reading this blog!

In Progress This Week:

I started teeny piecing for a thing (the blocks will be trimmed, but need fusible interfacing on the back, so I made them a little bigger to allow for a little shrinkage with that)  I still have another few of these to go when I get home:

To Be Worked On The Next 3 Weeks:

  • Photography
  • A few Belgian waffles and some French and German ice cream
  • Relaxing?  (my holidays are more about galloping around all day to be honest, but maybe in the evenings…)

Have a great few weeks!

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Manchester City are like Usain Bolt and Tiger Woods - Guardiola

Manchester City are like Usain Bolt and Tiger Woods - Guardiola

The father of Emiliano Sala, the Argentine player who was killed in a plane crash in January as he was en route to join new club Cardiff City, has died three months after his son.

- Borden: In search of Emiliano Sala

Horacio Sala, 58 suffered a heart attack on Friday in his home in Progreso, Argentina, a friend and president of local club San Martin del Progreso, Daniel Ribero, confirmed to local TV station C5N.

"Unfortunately, he felt a sharp pain in his chest in the early hours [of Friday] and suffered a heart attack," Ribero said. "By the time the doctors arrived he had already died. I recently saw him and spoke to him. He seemed to be gradually getting back to his routine. We spoke for half an hour and even told a joke. The news comes as a surprise as Horacio leaves us at 58.

"It leaves another void. We had been in constant contact for a month during the disappearance of the plane and this is very sad news."

Emiliano Sala, 28, died after his plane crashed into the English Channel on Jan. 21 as he was flying from France to Wales after completing a club record £15 million deal transfer to Premier League side Cardiff. His body was recovered from the Piper Malibu aircraft two weeks later near Guernsey.

Cardiff and Nantes are in a dispute over Sala's transfer after the Premier League side refused to make the first scheduled payment for the Argentine.

The Bluebirds argue the agreement struck with Nantes regarding Sala's purchase was not legal as the French club failed to fulfill conditions they set.

FIFA has granted Cardiff City and Nantes extra time to submit full details of the transfer of Sala as the clubs look to schedule face-to-face talks.

MANCHESTER, England -- Pep Guardiola has compared Manchester City to Usain Bolt and Tiger Woods because of the way they have set a new standard in the Premier League.

City won last season's title with a record 100 points, and will be champions again if they win their final three games of the season.

They have won their last 11 games and must extend that to 14 -- starting at Burnley on Sunday -- to be the first club to defend the title in a decade.

"Before it was easier than last season -- everybody could lose to anybody. This season, two teams won a lot of games. That's the standard we have set," Guardiola told a news conference.

"Like Usain Bolt when he does a 100 metre race -- that's the standard. Other people have to reach it. Like Jack Nicklaus with 18 Grand Slams and Tiger Woods, that's the standard, it's the same.

"One hundred points last season? If you want to compete, you have to do that.

"I say right now, to maintain that level now after what we've done, I'd sign for that. I don't expect more than that.

"To do that we have to push each other, knowing the other teams are at the same level as us, focus on every single game, do what you have to do to win that game, respect the opponents, work hard and improve on what we have done this season -- that's the only way I know."

Kevin De Bruyne is ruled out of the trip to Turf Moor with a hamstring injury, while Fernandinho faces a late test on a knee problem.

City beat Burnley 5-0 at the Etihad Stadium earlier in the season, but Guardiola said he expected a much tougher afternoon away from home.

"Always it is hard there, they do really well what they do," he added. "We have to prepare and we are prepared. It's the end of the season, the last games, and everyone feels pressure.

"Today we have day off and then we prepare for Burnley's tough points."


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Miracula by Angela Ciampagne

A dandelion growing in a parking lot, a rose cracking its way through concrete. This scent manages to evoke the triumph of nature over the built environment and, in doing so, is both optimistic and uplifting.

Listed notes

Lemon, cyclamen, greenery, tuberose, ambrette, amber, French vanilla concrete, musk tonkin, tropical woods.

The brand

Angela Ciampagne are an Italian brand who make hand-crafted, artisanal scents from their workshop in central Italy. Much of their work is inspired by their geographical location and the cultural traditions which surround them and everyday life in the village.

Miracula is part of the De Vita Collection, which celebrates life, death and miracles, and comes in a beautiful numbered bottle. This is artisanal craftsmanship at its finest.

Top notes

Imagine a world covered in concrete. Not a blade of grass to be seen, just hard, grey surfaces everywhere you look. When it rains, the roads turn into gunmetal-coloured rivers and even the sky is pewter and flat.

This world is what the top notes of Miracula smell like: grey, stoney, cold, sombre-toned, and unforgiving. In saying that though, it does have a particular, brutalist aesthetic in the top, a beauty to be found in the concrete dissonance.

But here is the really clever part: that concrete jungle is just a foil, a backdrop to the more natural beauty to follow, because suddenly, the dystopian asphalt splits and a tiny plant emerges from the crack, unfurling its leaves as it grows and blossoms. To us at least, this is what the whole of Miracula was about; that moment nature overwhelms our built environment both actually – in terms of the notes that are presented – but also figuratively in terms of what feelings it evoked as we wore it.

Heart notes

Once Miracula has really settled and opened, the grey stones recede into the background, they’re always there, but they are reclaimed by the spicy, leathery new growth which creeps over them. Time and again when wearing this scent we were drawn to think of the beauty of the natural world and how it conquers pavements and tarmac given enough time. Miracula was, for us, about the miracle of Mother Nature.

There’s a gradual warming as the scent wears. It starts off with these cold, stoney notes, but shifts in tiny, seamless increments towards a much warmer base. It’s impossible to see the join between the ingredients that create this movement in the perfume, it’s so well constructed that you only notice the shift has happened once you think back to what it was like before.

We got a lot more of the floral notes and nuances in the heart, as if the tuberose plant we had seen emerging from the concrete had started to put out small, tentative blossoms, growing in vitality as time goes along. The perfume never really becomes what could be called a true floral scent though, the balance is always in favour of the more mineral and woody notes but the tuberose offers a moment of bloom in the heart notes, a moment of pausing to reflect on the beauty of both the flower and the scent itself.

Base notes

By the base of the scent, the plant we observed growing through the pavement has grown and become a majestic tree with a leafy canopy. The scent has warmed significantly from its inception, and now we get waves of almost creamy woods, shot through with spicy nuances and a beautiful, musky undertone which makes the whole scent feel lush and multifaceted, full of a natural kind of energy.

The musks and woods used in the base are bewitching. The accord is just listed as ‘tropical woods’ but it has hints of sandalwood in there for the creaminess and hints of what smelled like cedar for the brightness. This smells like real woods, very true and full of depth.

The musk is similarly deep and complex. It has a sweetness and a texture like sable against your skin. By that we mean it smells smooth, soft, luxurious and very natural. The amber bolsters it and adds that beautiful unctuous layer. This is an expensive scent but it smells it too, nothing cheap, nothing trite, nothing superfluous.

It would be fair to say that we were huge fans of this scent, although perhaps more accurate to say that we were spellbound by it. It’s fascinating, beautiful, and almost awe-inspiring in the same way that nature herself can be.

The other stuff

The sillage, or projection, of the scent is really good. It easily reaches handshake distance on minimal sprays and would extend beyond that comfortably if you applied more.

The longevity is also brilliant. It just seems to sit with you all day, barely decreasing in volume as the day wears on. Given the price point that this comes in at, it needs to have impeccable sillage and longevity, and thankfully it delivers on both very nicely.

In terms of gender, Miracula sits more towards the masculine end of the spectrum, but, that said, our Editor is a woman and she is utterly besotted with this scent so, as always, use that as a guideline rather than a rule.

Buy it

Miracula is available from Bloom Perfumery, London, where it is priced at £320 for 100ml of Extrait de Parfum. Bloom generously provided us with a sample of this fragrance.

Miracula is also available from the Angela Ciampagne web boutique.

There’s no doubt that this is a stonkingly expensive perfume, in reality it is only likely to be the preserve of really serious collectors or those with extremely deep pockets, but by goodness is it beautiful, so if your pockets aren’t that deep, try and get hold of a decant. You’ll either thank us for pointing you in the direction of it, or hate us that you love it so much you want a full bottle!

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12 Uniquely Edmonton Gift Ideas

2013 Chocolate Christmas Edmonton Holidays

The holiday season is upon us and there are some exciting things happening at The Violet Chocolate Co! I am so excited to be included in the 12 Gifts That Say Edmonton For Holiday Giving this year! The list is comprised of local artists and retailers and their uniquely Edmonton products.     Here's a link to our unique Edmonton bar and the other 11 great gift ideas!

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2013 International Chocolate Awards - World Finals

Canadian Chocolate Awards chocolate england francois pralus international chocolate awards London paul a. young

In October, I had the chance to compete in the World Finals of the International Chocolate Awards in London, England. This was also the first year the Salon du Chocolat was being held in London. Deciding this was an opportunity too amazing to pass up I called my friend living in London and asked if she was interested in a chocolate adventure. I had the opportunity to meet some incredible chocolatiers who I have looked up to for years. Even though, I didn't come home with another medal it was an absolutely amazing experience to be a World Finalist in...

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Canadian National Chocolate Awards 2013

Canadian Chocolate Awards Gold Winner Vancouver

September was a whirlwind month at The Violet Chocolate Co. With the 2nd annual Canadian National Chocolate Awards taking place in Vancouver from September 23-25, I decided to quietly enter a couple of my favourite products into the competition.    I was fortunate enough to be in Vancouver for the awards ceremony on September 26. I viewed going to the awards as a great networking opportunity and a chance to see the wonderful things that were happening in Canadian Chocolate. Winning an award definitely was not on my radar for the night.   While presenting the awards, David Mincey who...

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February 25, 2020 | Rome, Italy

Land of unlikely smiles

By | 2019-07-26T21:56:45+02:00 July 23rd, 2019|Passport|
The recently erected West Bank Barrier is 25-feet high, with a topping of barbed wire. Author photos.

ope is the thing with feathers/That perches in the soul/And sings the tune without the words/And never stops /at all • Emily Dickenson

Last year, on a trip through the Middle East that included Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine, I was surprised to find the greatest sense of joie de vivre was in the country in which I least expected to find it: Palestine. Yes, Israel had its share of joke-telling taxi drivers, and, yes, I saw children joyously playing on narrow cobbled walkways of Jerusalem’s Old City. Still, these kinds of occasions were rare.

Hiking through Israeli streets, whether near the new air-conditioned Mamilla Mall at the Jaffa Gate, or along the traffic-choked, polluted byways of coastal Haifa, I couldn’t escape a sense of oppression. The faces I saw during my travels, whether those of Jews or Arabs, bore a wearing mix of exhaustion and determination — not surprising given the region’s seemingly endless history of violent torment.

“What a way not to live,” I told myself in silence.

Lebanon was no better (or worse). On those faces I saw barrenness in keeping with the texture of much of the land itself.

In a small corner of Jordan, I made my way to the royal tombs at Petra. There, vendors huddled in masses, eager to sell anything to passersby to feed their families, or so they told me. I had expected no exuberance in either Lebanon of Jordan, but the sullenness of both gave my travels a joyless dimension.

I assumed I’d feel much the same way in Palestine, specifically on the West Bank. This dim view made what I found there all the more shocking.

A Ramallah coffee house brimmed with young people chatting wildly. I felt suddenly transported to a student café in Berkeley.

Israeli citizens cannot visit the West Bank. Signs posted every few miles warn that any such visit is in violation of Israeli law. They are also putting their lives at risk.

The six of us in a minibus (with Palestinian driver and guide) were of little interest to the armed guards at the checkpoint.

Holding foreign passports, our papers in order, we sped off into parched brown land desolate but for a dotting of small Bedouin settlements. The roads we took were often ringed with barbed wire fences, many with signs warning pedestrians not to cross the fence line – landmines were everywhere, in particular along the Jordan River. (These mines are now being removed.)

Most imposing was what Israelis call “The West Bank Barrier,” known to Palestinians as “The Apartheid Wall.” The 25-foot high wall is topped with razor wire and pocked with machine gun-equipped watchtowers. In all, it runs more than 400 miles along Israel’s West Bank border. It’s a disturbing sight, and I cannot fathom what it must feel like to live behind it. In fact, it reminds me of a World War II prisoner of war camp. Many of the one-time businesses and homes near the wall are now abandoned, many of the mute facades riddled with bullet holes.

Stark warning signs are common along West Bank roads, advising Israelis to steer clear.

In some respects, my trip was what’s now referred to as “Dark Tourism,” a term applied to visits to places that have known war, death, and hunger.

Renowned street artist Banksy has drawn on West Bank buildings in an effort to call attention to the plight of Palestinians who live there. The infamous wall is lined with comments from Palestinian children who describe how they ache for a happier life, though none seems in the making.

We are escorted through the wall, past the bullet-hole pocking, the barbed wire, and the land mines.

We then enter a poor world in which Palestinians are clad in threadbare clothes and wear paper-thin sandals. This would seem to be the bleakest passage of all. And yet we’re met with the brightest smiles I’ve seen at any time during my trip.

At the Jordan River — the baptismal site of Jesus Christ — a stream of water so narrow a tall man might straddle it, men gleefully played hacky sack and applauded each other.

Guards at the tomb of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat posed for us, and chatted in English as best they could, visibly pleased to be among visitors.

In Bethlehem, street performers danced and juggled and told jokes, drawing large crowds and great applause.

Ramallah, perhaps the liveliest of Palestinian locales, boasted bustling markets chock-full of fresh fruit, vegetables and housewares. Gesticulating stall tenders poked gentle fun at our clothing and the way we walked.

A Ramallah coffee house brimmed with young people chatting wildly. I felt suddenly transported to a student café in Berkeley. All of this sat just a few miles from a great green monstrosity of a wall, and weapons, and a legacy of sectarian combat. ‘Tis a puzzlement.

The Israelis will tell you the wall, a deterrent cast in stone, saves lives, and perhaps it does. Before construction began, a Palestinian terrorist walked into a toddler day care center in Tel Aviv and blew himself up, killing more than 50 children. Since the wall went up, there have been no such incidents. Our trip itself was curtailed by security concerns. We had planned to visit Hebron, but recent knifings of Israeli police made it best not to go.

I do not pretend to understand the complexities of the Middle East, let alone propose solutions. I have none.

But of the countries I visited, Palestine seemed to me to possess the greatest joy. Some might make sense of this by citing a biblical verse: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” But I’ll leave such pondering to others. I do know that some people can live on hope itself, and there is worse nourishment.

About the Author:

Henry Bennett
Henry Bennett first saw clouds up close when he was 3 years old, on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City in one of the first commercial jets to cross the continent. He has lived in Maui, Hawaii for the last 23 years but still travels far and wide. He wishes people would read more books.

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Centre puts delimitation of Assembly constituencies on hold till 2026 in Telugu States

In a setback to Telangana state and Andhra Pradesh, the Centre has decided to take up the delimitation of Assembly constituencies in the Telugu states following the first Census after 2026.
Both Telugu states were putting pressure on the Centre to begin the delimitation exercise as assured in the AP Reorganisation Act in time for the elections in 2024. It now appears that the delimitation will be set back by another decade.
The bifurcation Act says, “Subject to the provisions contained in Article 170 of the Constitution and without prejudice to Section 15 in this Act the number of seats in the Legislative Assembly of the successor state of AP and Telangana shall be increased from 175 and 119 to 225 and 153 respectively and delimitation of the constituencies may be determined by the Election Commission..”
The TRS government in Telangana state and in AP the previous TDP government and the incumbent YSRC government pressurised the Centre to delimit the constituencies. Telangana state would have got 34 more Assembly seats and Andhra Pradesh 50 if this was done. It would help the political parties, particularly the ruling parties, to accommodate more leaders when nominating candidates for the elections.
The Centre wants to take up the delimitation in the Telugu states along with the rest of the country after 2026. The Centre had amended the Act in 2002 not to have any delimitation till the first census after 2026. Thus the present constituencies shall continue to be in operation till the first census — in 2031 — after 2026.
The next Assembly elections in Telangana state and AP will be held with the existing number of Assembly constituencies. Sources said that the Centre had informed YSRC leaders that the delimitation in the Telugu states will be done only after the first census of 2026 along with other states.
The Centre opined when a date has been specified in the Constitution, there is no necessity to take up this exercise in Telugu states early. Moreover, the Centre is considering increasing the number of Lok Sabha seats in the country. If a final decision is taken on the matter by the Centre on this issue, the delimitation of Lok Sabha constituencies will also take place along with that of Assembly segments “in the first census after 2026.”

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The Bledsoe Show

Marci Lock on Breaking Conformity and Behavioral Patterns

Live in your genius, you were born perfectly, from shit to shift, call me crazy, and more.

Guest: Marci Lock

Marci Lock is known worldwide as the “Ultimate Life Catalyst,” mentoring global influencers, worldwide game changers and high-producing leaders to living an Epic Life. She is also the movement maker of “Average To Awesomeness,” sharing her passion to assist the world in breaking through their bullshit and directly integrating the “How To” shifts to Live a Life of Awesomeness.

Connect on social: TwitterFacebookInstagramYouTube

Resources: MarciLockMarciLockMentoring

Past episodes: Lockin down some crazy shit with Marci Lock #3

Episode special offer: 75% OFF The LockLast Formula Foundations Course

Live in your genius

Marci lives in her genius, which means everything she does — all day long — is what she loves to do. She doesn’t do ANYTHING by parameters of haveshould or need. She does what feels good and lights her up.

“Once you’re in that place, you can’t do anything that has limitation. It feels like shit.” — Marci Lock

Most people choose to live in conformity, but once you have the knowingness of who you really are, you can’t go back to sacrifice or bullshit. While some people figure out how live in their genius on their own, a lot of people need the assistance of plant medicine. The process is to de-program and retrain the remembrance of who you really are. Find your real capabilities and let them out.

“As long as I’m doing the thing I’m supposed to be doing, that will definitely be expressed. The moment that I’m not doing what I’m supposed to be doing. I definitely don’t feel like a genius.“ — Mike Bledsoe

“I don’t know”

Marci doesn’t like the phrase “I don’t know.” She sees it as a pattern developed in our society to stay in our comfort zone. Society has trained us to play it safe when we feel unsure.

On the other hand, it’s better to trust your intuitions and “act like a 5-year-old”. Marci suggests we ask questions and try to come up with solutions, instead of shutting down our brains. Curiosity leads to fun — the energy of creation.

You were born perfectly

Marci thinks we were all born as pure, beautiful, unique, badass beings.The moment you start experiencing life, you take on all sorts of stories and ideas. With every moment that goes by, there is an imprint. You’re taking more and more in, which becomes the idea of you are.

Avoid limiting yourself or others

The memory process brings back lessons we inherited from our parents. There are patterns we developed, like “you need to comb your hair.”

Catch yourself in the moment

One day, Marci’s older son, Skyler, asked her to do his hair like Alfalfa from Disney’s Little Rascals. At first Marci said “no, you need to do your hair this way,” but then she realized she was telling her son in other words: “You can’t be who you are so you are accepted by society.”

Marci caught herself trying to limit her son by projecting what could happen in the future. Marci’s head started running thoughts on how her son will get teased or made fun of at school, but then realized he will have to figure it out, express himself, and create himself.

Marci was raised Mormon LDS. She was taught: you have to act this way and be this way. She realized, deep down, she was afraid of being rejected. When she observed her thoughts, she was able to pause and ask herself: “Is that what I really want for my son?” She wants her son to know he can go to school however he wants without being afraid of who he is. Going to school with Alfalfa’s hair could either be the coolest thing, or kids might make fun of him. Either way, it’s his path to figure out life.

Alfalfa and Darla from Little Rascals

Bullied no more

Marci’s son was bullied for years, somewhat because Marci taught her kids to uniquely be themselves. Now, her son has learned how to deal with bullies, and even though he’s only 14 years old, he is teaching other kids how to be themselves and deal with bullies.

Marci took her kids to the jungle (note: assuming that means Peru or somewhere similar to do an ayahuasca ceremony) and ever since, her son made a shift and stopped caring about bullies. Even Mike noticed Marci’s son has a lot of confidence.

Non-negotiable date nights

Marci’s makes relationships a priority every day, she has non-negotiable date nights with her kids every week. They have a mandatory weekday date night, and a weekend date (day or night). She also makes sure everybody gets time for themselves. She has nights dedicated to herself, and there are nights dedicated for the kids to be on their own.

“You need to love yourself the most to be able to give love to others.” — Marci Lock

Divorced parents should keep it clean

Marci calls her kids’ father her former husband, not ex. She doesn’t want any limitation in her life, which could also affect her kids . The way parents talk about each other behind their backs once they’ve split is one thing. But talking shit in front of their kids could leave a significant impact on a child. For example, Mike distinctly remembers when his mom talked about his dad when he wasn’t around, and vice-versa. Keep in mind, his parents were fairly positive.

Appreciate life’s lessons

Marci usually cries when she talks about her former husband, because she is so appreciative of the experiences he gave her. Her husband cheated on her, and she hated him, but not anymore. She sees everything as a different vibration and energy. She sees some things as darker energy, which operate at a different frequency. She appreciates her former husband’s darker vibration, because she has learned from it. She now sees him as pure, love and light.

When and how to swear

Marci’s kids are anti-swear as they were raised Mormon. They were taught swearing is evil, and if you swear, you will go to hell! ?

After they left Utah, Marci taught her kids words are just words, but if they make you lose your shit, then you are not empowered. All words have energy, and it’s best to figure out how words serve you. If Marci swears, she doesn’t do it a negative way, else to magnify joy and excitement. Like “fucking awesome!” ?

Call me crazy

When people call Marci crazy, she takes it as a compliment (I do too ?). Of course she wants to be crazy. Why would she want to be like anybody else? Or the norm? Her norm is living in awesomeness every day, in every aspect of her life. But Marci didn’t always experience success, she also had to struggle. Marci started from the bottom as a single mom with 2 kids, making $2 an hour as a waitress.

“You can’t teach others to be in a place of serenity until you’ve gone through your own shadow. If you’re willing to do it. Inch by inch, life is a cinch. Yard by yard, life is hard. Put your head the fuck down and take that next inch.” — Marci Lock

Communication is everything. Even with yourself.

The words shouldneedand have to — all have negative energy. Even when you say to yourself: “I should do this”, you’re not giving yourself permission to make a conscious decision, like “I want to do this.”

Marci teaches basic communication, and taught her kids a few tricks. For example, when they feel sick, they are trained to think and say out loud: “I’m healthy and strong!” What you think and say impacts your body. If you say to yourself: “I’m sick”, your body is going to respond feeling more sick. But if you have think with positive energy: “I’m healthy, I’m better every minute”, then you are getting better.

Marci and her kids record and publish videos on YouTube. One day, her younger son, Gavin, came back from his first day of kindergarten, and told Marci he wants to do a video (mind you he was 5 years old at the time).

Gavin: “I have something to share mom. Today this girl said that boys are stinky and dumb.”

Marci: “oh, that’s interesting, what do you think about it?”

Gavin: “She’s gonna attract stinky dumb boys, date them, and marry them.”

Marci: “Good call, and what do you think about yourself? you’re a boy.” her son said

Gavin: “I know she’s mean because she doesn’t love herself, and I’m awesome.”

You can change your life upside down. Quickly.

Marci was 28 when she got divorced, and within a year went from being a waitress earning $2 an hour, to having a gym, to being a nutrition fitness expert on TV. Within 6 years of her divorce, she got her first million dollar client.

Note: There is a documentary about Marci’s life in the works. Follow her on Instagram to stay tuned!

“Separation of the self is the greatest lie.” — Marci Lock

Relationships can make 1+1 = 3

According to Marci, two co-dependent halves is what society taught us a relationship is. But relationships can be more than two halves completing each other to just one. It can be one plus one, plus interconnectedness.

For example, Mike and his wife were a half and a half in the early stages of their relationship. But they’ve grown over the years into being whole on their own, and learned how to magnify one another. Creating their life together is a big bonus.

It’s OK to judge

Even Marci judges herself and experiences fear sometimes. If she judges herself, it hits deep core wounds — ones she thought she broke through forever ago. Marci knows the only thing that turns darkness into light is love. So if there is judgement, Marci loves the judgement.

She learned the only way to get to through shaming or through something that is blocking you from receiving, is to start loving it. To say you can’t judge, is the same as telling someone how to live. It’s trying to control, which is the same thing as what churches and society do. It’s all judgement.

Your body is your vehicle to experience life

Marci lives her life in alignment with her body, relationships, money, balance and time. She challenges herself to see what her body can do. Working out is about having the energy to run and play. It feels good to move, have muscles, and be strong. But you also need to know when to let go, sit, and be still.

What motivates Mike is the adventure and exploration. When he shed the motivation to look or perform a certain way, his physique was easier to obtain. Mike is leaner at 35 than he was at 27.

How do you go from shit to shift?

Don’t freak out. Catch yourself and say “this is interesting” instead. Then breathe and sway. When you freak out, you contract, which locks your energy and emotions into your body and reaffirms your negative belief. Signs of negative emotions are shoulders forward, hands crossing chest, feeling heavy, everything sinking down, going into fetal position, getting rigid, etc. These positions create sickness and disease.

“If you’re not experiencing awesomeness, peace, love or joy, that’s a red flag.” — Marci Lock

When you notice shitty thoughts. How do you choose your way out?

How do you get to the point where you are choosing your thoughts? By observing your thoughts. If you are worried or having shitty thoughts, you are creating shit. Figure out what you want to believe in, and how you could do it when it’s fun and easy.

Truth will always set you free. When we’re in alignment, we’re fired up. We’re meant to feel good, that’s how creation happens. The only energy that exists is love energy. Fear based energy, such as lack or scarcity, is man made.

“Truth is light, lies are heavy.” — Marci Lock

But what if you do your check-in and you feel awesome? Then think: how can I receive even more awesomeness right now? How can you receive more love? You will be expanding your comfort zone on how much love you’re willing to receive at a certain time, which will result in optimizing your mind into flow and awesomeness.

“When we choose to live unconsciously, we’re in experience of reacting subconsciously vs. responding consciously.” — Marci Lock

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Aussie shares have faded from a better start and are flat at lunch as market’s focus on issues overseas. The ASX 200 has fallen over the prior three days and remains on track to have its worst month since August 2015. Although October tends to be a solid month for markets thanks partly to billions being paid out in dividends, this has been overshadowed by geopolitical tensions.
Last night the European Commission rejected Italy’s budget plans as it failed to meet its strict guidelines for ultimately keeping debt in check. The US market fell by 0.5 per cent making it the 12th time in 14 days it has lost ground. Movements in China’s markets will receive attention in coming hours following a 2.5 per cent tumble on Tuesday.
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Energy stocks are slumping and by far the worst performers following a 4 per cent slide in the oil price overnight. Saudi Arabia said it could supply more oil to the market, offsetting a shortfall once US sanction on Iran take effect next month together with concerns centred around slower growth in China.
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Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Review

Y’all. Y’all. Y’all, this saved my life. If you have not tried it out yet, go and get it right now. I’ll wait for you, here are some links you can buy it from:

From Anthropologie

From Urban Outfitters

From Ulta

(Unfortunately, they don’t sell it in Sephora.)

The Drying Lotion is a fast acting, effective acne spot treatment. Formulated with salicylic acid, calamine and other quick-drying ingredients, this product will shrink ugly whiteheads virtually overnight while you sleep. While other acne spot treatments can irritate and dry delicate or sensitive skin, this product is safe and effective for all skin types.

I have seen multiple people use this product in various Instagram tutorials but I never actually wanted to try it out. I always turned to my trusty Clean and Clear Acne spot treatment, which works wonders. (Here’s a review on it.)

This is definitely going to be one of my favorite products that I bought this year, it’s just such an amazing product. I had multiple zits and pimples on my forehead and I wanted to get rid of them as fast as possible, and I didn’t have my trusty Clean and Clear spot treatment, so I tried this one out. I got a cotton swab and dunked it in, and just a little tip, a little goes along away. Don’t swirl it around or anything, you just need very little product. Oh and read the instructions first, it says that you don’t shake the solution or it won’t work at all.

Don’t let the word “Drying” fool you, it won’t dry of your skin. Just your zits, so they can go away. It says to leave it over night, but I left it for 15 minutes then rubbed it off with my bare fingers. It still worked. My zits were almost completely gone the next day, so I definitely recommend this product. It doesn’t say how many times you should use it in a week or day, so I think it’s safe to use once every other day. And it works on all skin types, which is always a great thing.

19 thoughts on “Mario Badescu Drying Lotion Review

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text:
Arcona Four O'Clock Flower Cleansing Cream

This gentle cleansing cream purifies, soothes and calms all skin types - especially sensitive and delicate skins. Gently and effectively removes dirt, pollution and make-up without disrupting the skin's natural protective barrier. Four O'Clock Flower Extract (mirabilis jalapa) calms and reduces the appearance of redness while Green Tea and Chamomile extracts neutralize damaging free radicals. A complex of Seaweed and Hyaluronic Acid restores and replenishes skin's lipids, improves texture, and helps to prevent dehydration and dryness. A blend of French Clay and Moringa Seed Extract gently purifies and hydrates, leaving skin beautifully clean, balanced and restored.

Aqua (Water), Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Kaolin, Glycerin, Mirabilis Jalapa Flower/Leaf/ Stem Extract, Decyl Glucoside, Lauryl Glucoside, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate (Purified Clay), Sodium Hyaluronate (L), Chondrus Crispus (Carrageenan) Extract, Propanediol, Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract, Camellia Oleifera (Green Tea) Leaf Extract, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Water, Moringa Oleifera Seed Extract, Cananga Odorata (Ylang Ylang) Flower Oil*, Rosa Damascena Flower Oil*, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Flower/Leaf/Stem Oil*, Nardostachys Chinensis (Spikenard) Root Extract, Butylene Glycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Ethylhexylglycerin, Citric Acid, Cetearyl Alcohol, Alcohol

*Denotes Organically Sourced

Dispense a small amount in hand, add water and apply to wet face with light, upward and outward massaging circles. Rinse well.

Recommended for those with dry, sensitive or reactive skin


text:
Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser

Gently wash away makeup and impurities with this antioxidant rich formula. Strawberry Seed Oil, hydrolyzed Wheat Protein and Tomato extracts help strengthen, firm and protect, leaving the skin hydrated, silky and luminous. Doubles as an exfoliating mask if left for 5 minutes before rinsing.

Water (Aqua/Eau), Decyl Glucoside (Veg. Oils & Sugar), Disodium Coco-Glucoside Citrate, Coco Glucoside (Coconut and Sunflower Oil), Glyceryl Oleate, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein, Xanthan Gum, Fragaria Chiloensis (Strawberry) Seed Oil, Lycopene (Tomato), Propanediol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Potassium Sorbate

Apply to damp skin, massage and rinse. Use with a wet cotton pad to remove eye makeup. Follow with toner.

Ideal for all skin types.