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SPECIAL – Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door Accomplishment!

Hey guys!

Normally, I post every two weeks, but last week I accomplished something major in Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door (PMTTYD): I beat the Shadow Queen at Level Zero (Level up BP only, no badges, no partner upgrades), with Double Pain equipped (doubles the damage Mario takes), and with only 10 items!

This is a really challenging fight due to a lot of different factors, but I’ll be explaining that in a video. For now, I wanted to get this out there to any social media outlet I have because I’m very proud of this accomplishment and I want people to know about it!

Here’s the video:

Here’s a link to the playlist I have for the entire Level Zero, Double Pain equipped run (I go through all major bosses in PMTTYDClick Here!

Also, I was really late to when challenge runs were a big thing in PMTTYDTo that end, if any of you reading this are still into that kind of stuff and want to talk about battle strategy and challenge runs, I’m setting up a Discord server called “Glitz Pit”. If you’d like to join it, leave a comment or contact me via Skype/Email/etc… I dunno if it’ll take off, but even if it’s just a few people talking I’ll be happy 🙂

My next entry in the Improvement series will be up next week! Stay tuned.

Just Sayin’

4 Years and Running!

This totally should’ve been put up on the 2nd, buuuuut I’ve been so caught up in the whirlwind of being recently engaged and AGDQ that I didn’t even get around to writing it.

Anyway, it’s been 4 years since I started this – to be honest, I’m surprised I’m still writing. This year I took a very Super Smash Bros. direction due to my inability to actually participate in tournaments and created a series on this blog for newcomers and players striving to really improve. Hopefully, it’s helped the Chicago Smash 4 Community improve. I had a lot of fun doing those, and while I’ll still be writing about basically whatever, I’ll be injecting a lot more Super Smash Bros. into my blog.

Also, expect some small fan-fiction once I finally get around to writing some. They’ll be short little stories, probably about Pokemon. I love to role-play, and writing small fan-fiction short stories is part of that for me. It’ll be rare when I post one, but I want to post at least one on this blog this year.

With all of that said, Happy New Year, everyone! Here’s to a good year for everyone 🙂

Just Sayin’

Running an RP

So, you’ve got a great idea for an RP and you want to start a thread. That’s awesome! As the one running the RP, you’re ultimately responsible for where the RP heads for its most important plot points, what can/can’t happen, etc…

However, there’s some things that you should keep in mind when running an RP. This is mostly from my experience, so opinions may vary – I tried to keep these as generic as possible.

How do they meet?

This is a very crucial part of the RP. Now there’s different ways for this to happen based on the RP, but for one that’s, say, an adventure RP, you need something that brings the party together. You could start everyone out together or have everyone gather together on their own, but remember that they’re not just going to all meet by themselves. You’re the one running the show: get them to meet!

How do they stay together?

In RPG (Role-Playing Games), it’s not uncommon for characters to leave and either never return or come back. In RP’s, this is slightly mitigated by being able to use multiple characters, but in Tabletop Games this generally doesn’t happen unless a character dies or the player is unable to continue playing.

However, in RP’s as well as Tabletop Games, it’s the one running the show that has the responsibility of keeping everyone together. If tensions start flaring and it doesn’t make sense for a character (or characters) to stay, then why would they stay? As the one running it, you need to make sure that each player character has a reason to stay invested unless the player can’t play anymore or they’re being unruly and you need to take action to stop it.

What’s going to happen?

Tying in with the previous two – how is your RP going to progress? Do you know how the player characters are going to be involved? Settings, themes, character arcs…all of these are crucial to an RP, and here’s why:

Winging an RP is bad 8 out of 10 times

Why? because there’s no structure, which leads to no direction, which leads to disinterest or pages and pages of a subplot that amounts to nothing.

Now, sometimes winging an RP is okay, especially for one that’s more light-hearted and not serious. But if you want to go on some epic adventure, you’d better be damn sure you’re putting in some work beforehand. Create an outline of the main plot, find a way to involve the player characters directly, get some lore for your world.

What I like to do is create an outline and then ask those that join to give me an outline of how their character should progress within the context of the story. I then create key points for the main plot and for the player characters, sometimes coinciding the two If I create my own world this serves the double purpose of letting the plot flow nicely and build some lore for the world. Then, as the RP progresses I make sure they hit key points, and if things start to derail I can bring in an NPC to set the player characters back on track.

Now, this can be a tricky process, especially because…

You don’t want to railroad

Obviously there’s some key points that can’t be missed, but you cannot control how the characters interact and play as they progress. If they go off in another direction, you need to be prepared to handle that, and that’s why an outline instead of a strict plan is better – you give yourself some flexibility in how the player characters can reach each key point. You just make sure that the key points are hit.

If your player characters go off the deep end, then you as the owner of the RP have to make a choice. In this instance, I generally just stop them because I’m not a fan of going off the deep end, but that’s just me.

These are probably the 4 most common things I see happen to RP owners that can effectively kill their RP. Plenty of my own RP’s have been left to rot in this way.

I hope this has helped any of you who enjoy RP’ing and want to start your own!

Just Sayin’

Common (forum) RP’ing Pitfalls

I used to be a forum RP’er. I started waaay back in the day on Nintendo’s old Power Up (RP) board on the Nsider forums, and wound up running my own for a good 5+ years. I think forum RP’ing is a great alternative to wanting to do something role-play related without 1) leaving the comfort of your chair/couch/whatever, and 2) playing a game.

Throughout those years that I was really into forum RP’ing, I’ve encountered (and committed) plenty of pitfalls that are pretty common to forum RP’ing. Both newbies and veterans are capable of these, and while this is aimed at forum RP’ing, it definitely applies to other kinds of RP’ing as well!

Believe me, I’ve committed all of these multiple times, so if you’re a forum RP’er, don’t feel bad if you’ve done these before.

Being Alone

A big part of any RP is the start. How do the characters meet? Normally, there’s something that draws all the characters together. You might all be part of a guild. Maybe a big event is happening and everyone is gathering for different reasons, only to have someone set off a chain of events and draw everyone else into the conflict – whatever it is, it’s important in an RP that everyone meets, and that’s usually near the beginning.

Well, sometimes that doesn’t happen. Your character is mysterious, anti-social, and stays away from everything. During those few opening posts where people gather he stays to the shadows, literally not bothering to do anything but mind their own business. This can be a potentially big problem if they don’t jump into the action and become forgotten. This can be managed by a skilled thread owner with an NPC, but sometimes even that’s not enough.

You can be mysterious and brooding, but just make sure that your character winds up with everyone else (or at least another PC). You can maybe plan to have your character come in way later, but that’s something you’ll have to discuss with the RP owner.

Speaking of…

Crashing the RP

The guy who makes the RP (at least, for me) usually has a plan of action for the flow and plot of the RP. Sure, there are cool side stories because of how the characters interact, but a lot of the times someone will come in and try to shift that plot through some means. Maybe you come in and just kill the main atagonist. You blow up a city. You rip a hole into the space-time contiuuum. This kind of stuff should only be happening after talking to the one running the RP. If you’re unsure about what you can and can’t do (IE: can I kill that enemy? Can I take that path? Can I be one of the hidden masters?) just ask them! They’ll let you know.

The way I do it is I force every player to make an arc for themselves within the world. I ask them what they’re envisioning for this character to become, and then work with them off that and try and weave it into the main story. Obviously, sometimes it doesn’t go as plan, but there is a plan, and that’s what’s important. This plan ensures that they don’t break the RP and the player has a good idea of how things will play out and are able to flesh their arc out from that plan. I make sure they don’t go overboard or undersell their character during crucial plot moments that should star them.

And if someone completely breaks it I retcon it because I’m the one running the show. Just like how DM’s have their own flavor and rules, so do RP owners.

Everyone gets a chance to shine

This is more for RP owners, but make sure everyone’s getting some sun. While most RP’s do have a main protagonist, all PC’s are important protagonists and they all should play a part in the outcome of the RP. RP owners, don’t focus on your own character all the time. I’m very guilty of this. I used to have my character in my own RP be the mega star that outshone everyone. During the tail years of my RP’ing my character was obviously the most important, but they were tied to many other characters that played almost as important a role.

Likewise, if one of your characters is very important, don’t overshadow the others. However, if your character doesn’t, it might be because…

Too timid

Like the character that broods alone, this type of character kinda just…well, sits there. They’re part of the party, sure, but they’re timid; they don’t take initiative. And so, during crucial moments they withdraw into themselves, most of their dialog being their own thoughts. This can turn especially bad if they become characters of self-pity/depression. Guys, this is fantasy. Depressed characters don’t do anything. Unless it’s centered around someone dealing with depression, I advise against it. These characters can become dead weight really fast, and you don’t want a character that contributes nothing.

Patience (lack of)

Ever flown through an important moment in the RP and it was only 2-3 people when 6-7 are in it? This is actually pretty common, and definitely something to think about in smaller RP’s. In crucial moments, if you post and your character says something to someone else’s character, wait for them. Don’t let another character go off and propel the scene forward. This was the most common problem for the group I RP’d with – we’d fly through really important fights and scenes without some of the players. Have some patience, let the others contribute (unless the scene/battle doesn’t call for them to or they give you the okay).

Character (and NPC) Control

Some RP’s allow you to have multiple characters. Sometimes you need to control a lot of NPC’s. This can be really fun because there’s a lot of interaction, but a really common problem that arises is that you almost have too many characters. You could go off RP’ing on your own with the characters you control. While this could be cool as a little short story – 10-20 posts that are literally just about your 4 characters adventuring together isn’t exactly beneficial to the RP, because you’re really only interacting with yourself.

Another common problem is that you feel compelled to answer something with every character, which doesn’t sound right. Realistically, you probably only need one character to answer, maybe two if that second character is also very involved in the conversation.

You also don’t want to leave a character by the wayside (unless it’s an NPC, in which you can dispose of them pretty quickly as long as they get their job done).

While these pitfalls happen often, don’t think they’re always bad. Sometimes retconning happens (the process of saying a scene never happened, a character never existed, etc…), and that can help stop these, but your RP may employ them as part of it. Maybe you’re controlling three different characters who are in different groups; maybe your character keeps to themselves but is actually spying on the group for whatever reason, and reveals themselves sometime later (I’ve actually played a character that did this and I contributed maybe 50 of the 700+ posts to that particular RP, but it was one of my favorite RP’s to participate in). The variables to how a RP is progressing greatly change some of these pitfalls, so they’re not always bad – I think that in most cases, they are, and it’s something to watch out for in other forms of RP’ing.

Just Sayin’

P.S. – Anyone who knows what that is may get a kick out of this archived page (fun fact: one of my old threads is on there!) –http://web.archive.org/web/20060502142725/http://forums.nintendo.com/nintendo/board?board.id=poweron_rp&page=14

Hat Trick!

Here it is, my third year of writing this blog! I didn’t write nearly as many posts this year, but with the end of school, work, Super Smash Bros. training, and preparing for interviews, it makes sense that my time got cut short. My putting up a blog every two weeks on Monday is still going to be the norm for now, but once I get a job I’ll be returning to my every week post!

Thank you to everyone who reads this blog! It means a lot to me 🙂

I’ll leave you with a few New Year’s Resolutions of mine:

– Win one of my Smash Bros. locals
– Place top 5 at Smash Bros. national
– Tame my sweet tooth

Here’s to another year!

Just Sayin’

Frozen Yogurt Tier List REDUX

DISCLAIMER: This tier list reflects my opinion on how good these shops are, and are in no way based on any sort of statistic or research. Also these are based on the shops I frequent.

It’s been over a year since I created my personal Frozen Yogurt Tier List. Since then, I’ve come across some new places that have somewhat wildly changed the rankings, and after some re-evaluations and debate with my girlfriend, I’ve come up with the new tier list for this delectable treat. I won’t be going into as much detail as last time for each decision I made.

Rankings were made based on (in order of importance):

– Quality of Yogurt (basically flavor)
– Topping selection
– Gluten-free choices (most of the yogurt in S-Tier through B-Tier are primarily gluten free)
– Price

And now, the new, improved, FROZEN YOGURT TIER LIST!!!

1. Hype Walgreen’s – The best yogurt I’ve ever had, and it’s at some random two-story Walgreen’s in Chicago! Bonus points for each sized cup being flat priced and PIE CRUST PIECES. (LOCAL?)

2. Orange Leaf – They have this new smoothie thing now and it’s AMAZING. Also they finally added cookie dough as a topping. (CHAIN)

3. Berry Yo – The original #1. Still amazing. (LOCAL)

4. Skinny Sweet – I actually just tried this a couple days ago, and their fruity flavors were so good that it shot past everything into the top of A-Tier. Pretty low price, too. (CHAIN)

5Red Mango – The classic. Still great quality yogurt, good price, but their cookie dough is not nearly as good anymore. (CHAIN)

6. Cherry Berry – Good flavors, decent price, an amazing selection of toppings. (CHAIN)

7. Forever Yogurt – A TON of flavors (the most I’ve ever seen in one store). (CHAIN)

8. Yogurt Land – This place used to have too many gluten-laden flavors, but it looks like they’ve mostly rectified that. Bonus for the best white chocolate chips I’ve ever had. (CHAIN)

9. Cocomero – Too little toppings, but the yogurt is good. (CHAIN)

10. Yogurt Plus – Really good fruit flavors and has gelato, but has a lot of gluten flavors, the other flavors aren’t too great (probably the worst Birthday Cake I’ve had), and the toppings were really scarce. (CHAIN)

11. Menchie’s – I gave this one a second chance. It’s better, but still lacking in gluten free flavors and the yogurt is still sub-par for being so pricey! (CHAIN)

And there you have it, the new and improved tier list! I’ll probably update this in another year, hopefully with more new places that’ll shake up the tier list again like Hype Walgreen’s did.

Just Sayin’.


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Tag Archives: single by choice

Dry My Tears

10 Aug

Last evening, I was sitting in a small cafe fighting valiantly against ‘writer’s block’ – fruitlessly. A little later, a mom and a son came and sat in a table nearby. The child was chatty (which one isn’t) and I loved the meaningless questions coming out from his innocent lips (too poetic?? O well). After about 10 minutes or so, a car parked in front and out rushed 3 slightly on the heavier side and  don’t-mess-with-us looking ladies. Obviously, I looked away.

To my horror, they joined the mom and the son. It was amazing to realise how sweet the ladies turned out to be. The heftiest took the child away and was busy playing with him. It was unbelievable for me who’d done the mistake of judging a book by its cover. A closer look and I saw that the mom was in tears. The two ladies flanked the mom and didn’t leave her side.

The scene  was so touching. Neither the ladies nor the mom exchanged many words but there were nods in between. It looked as if the sobs were being approved.  It was as if they were having a telepathic conversation – obscure, maybe, to a cynic single girl like me. The only time I heard the “ladies” was when the child would join them and ask something.

It struck me then, I am living a single life by choice. And by single, I mean I’ve burnt all bridges when it comes to family and relatives. I have a handful of friends and that too only because they don’t know how to take “NO”  for an answer. I don’t know what had befallen the “mom” but I wonder if anything were to happen to me, will I have 3 heftier-than-thou friends flanking me, supporting me more with gestures than words? OR will I be crying alone flanked by the four ever-understanding ever-quiet walls? [Questions]

[Answers—> time will tell]

Image source:

wordpress vs. World Pressure

5 Aug

Oh how I wish life out there were just the way it’s in here?! There’s a big beautiful world in here compared to a Big Bad world out there. Want some proof?

The beautiful world of “wordpress” Continue reading

rain OR shine

1 Aug

… a slow start… a slower day… I’m looking outside and it’s all white… it’s not winter but it’s slightly chilly, maybe because it’s drizzling… the world around me is engulfed in white and the white is slowly rising, like the curtain raising for a much-awaited show, in clusters of cottony mist… listening to Adele’s “daydreamer” and trying to write something…

I am a water-person (not only because I drink a lot of water). I love the oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, lagoons, waterfalls, streams, brooks and all forms of water-bodies except the puddles. However, I love the rain – be it drizzling or pouring cats and dogs – the only forms of water that I may not be interested in are puddles and Tsunami and its likes.

My dream-house has always had to be either by a lake/river/waterfall…. but then again I don’t mind trading it for a mansion with ocean-view or like the house-in-stilts from the movie “the Lake house”. I have never imagined a dream-house without water around it in any way. I’d love to go to Maldives, some day.

Some of my unforgettable waterfront memories:

  • Once a friend asked me to pick a place for her civil wedding and when the limited number of intimate friends gathered, they all gave me knowing looks – it was by a beautiful creek.
  • On one chilly new year’s morning, I called my friends to accompany me (if not meet me there) by this lagoon. It was almost freezing and we were thoughtfully covered in our down-jackets. Two of my friends started fishing and to my pleasant-surprise, the fishing activity invited a lot of ripples (and luckily NO fish). I was grinning ear to ear until I saw a grumpy (not-a-morning-person-at-all) friend sitting next to me, pulling up his jacket every passing second, giving me what’s-there-to-smile-about-in-this-freezing-morning look.
  • A friend had bought an SUV and who happened to know how much I love them. He called me and surprised me with the news. It was way past midnight (he used to work late shifts) and he was on his way home. I told him we could go for a ride. Knowing my undying love for SUV’s he came to pick me up. We went to…. a beach. I think it was past 2 am and I’ll never forget how our shadows reflected on the waves. It was beautiful.
  • I fell in love with my ex after I saw his apartment. Well not quite like that, it was actually after I saw the view of a beautiful lagoon from his apartment. I may forget my ex, but I won’t forget the view. I myself am not a morning person but I used to get up early (like before 6) to enjoy the sunrise by the lake. We broke up after he shifted to a new place. No, no, no… the break-up had nothing to do with him moving. It’s just that I don’t believe in a long-distance relationship and on top of that I need to be single forever.

my collage – can’t stop clicking when i see the water (any forms)

I am fortunate to live by a lake, at present. The house isn’t on stilts 😦 and I don’t have a mail-box but the sad part about living here is – it looks like I’ve started taking my fortune for granted because I have missed the sunrise for a long long time now. [Note to MEself: wake up early tomorrow, take a pic and maybe blog about it]. But that’s another perk of being single and working for “peanuts” – I am at my OWN disposal. So if I do get up early tomorrow, it’s because I WANT TO not because i have to….

M loving it ———–> http://macdonaldsbestellen.webklik.nl/page/

When in misery… NAG

30 Jul

One of my biggest fears when it comes to living the life I’ve decided to live is – What happens….. later?

As of now, I’m carefree (sort of). Even with my supersonic-ally depleting finance, I’m still managing to stay afloat, still trying to write or rather type, sometimes even post a blog here. I have no one but myself to blame for my meagre income and errr I’m not complaining. How I wish my fear were limited to finance! It’s not. Because I’m hoping that before I retire, I’ll find something to retire on, I mean money-wise. If not there’s always a chance I’ll get involved in big bank heists.

The BIG Fear

What bothers me more than my finance is – Once upon a time an obnoxious colleague from my ex-workplace had predicted that I’ll turn into a never-married-nagging old hag. His words have been nagging me ever since.

Imagemy uncluttered desk :O

The story of my DESK:

  • A neat desk was next to impossible when I was in my teens. I never had a desk earlier (I mean it was there somewhere obscured by the books, papers, clothes and what not). I know my mom’s going to flip if she ever finds/ sees my desk this way. Have I grown up?? If that’s the case, I don’t mind.
  • Now, if my desk isn’t that way, I freak out, I yell, I scream (in my heart and mind) at the one who’s tried to disturb the sanctum of my uncluttered desk. As soon as the culprit is out of sight, I quickly bring back the sanctity. There was a time my desk was so cluttered, it was invisible. Now I have a desk which, when I look back, comes as a BIG surprise to my older-self. I must have grown up, I still don’t mind.
  • What I’ll soon really/ actually mind is – as of now I’m screaming/ yelling in silence. However, somewhere in the future is a possibility that the yelling/ screaming, like my desk, may surface to audibility and thus visibility. Those screamings and yellings will obviously spell “naggings”.

I seriously do not want to give my colleague the pleasure of being correct. We are no longer in touch but that’s not the point. If I turn into a nagger, I’ll definitely be proving him right. Every passing day when I complain about little things which aren’t done the way I want them to be done, I ask myself – Am I “really” turning into a nagger?

But what’s it got to do with me being single? At the end of the day, we all become naggers when we grow old, don’t we? It’s actually not nagging but it’s the knowing. “Ignorance is bliss” and so there’s no need to nag; obviously now, is there? One doesn’t need to be a rocket-scientist to understand that if “ignorance” is equal to “bliss” than “knowledge” the opposite of “ignorance” is equal to “misery” the opposite of “bliss”. When in misery, everything’s miserable and thus the “nagging” comes about.

Hence, I’d like to stress on the fact that “nagging” has more to do with knowledge than growing old s1ngle. Tidying my desk isn’t the only thing that’s changed in me with time.

  • I used to be the shortest-tempered person ever known (to people who knew me) and these days people (the others who’ve come to know me of late) ask me if I ever get angry.
  • I no longer argue and I don’t get infuriated when someone doesn’t listen to my side of the story. I’ve learned they have their own version and instead I listen to them to learn about the other side of the coin (whether I like it or not stays with me).
  • Look at me, I’ve started blogging (opening myself up to the whole world out there). There was a time I used to keep my journals and poems locked up, scared what “they” might think of it.
  • Beauty was vanity before but now I’ve learned it’s more of a therapy and that anyone can look beautiful. Also I’ve become fully aware of the explosive combination of beauty and brain which in turn becomes a HUGE confidence booster (especially as the proud bearer of such combination). I’m absolutely self-confident.
  • I had some kind of self-destructive tendencies but now I’ve learned to love myself. I’ve learned to accept compliments that come my way, without being too cynical about it. “Why is he/she giving me compliments? What does he/she want?
  • Grudges are a thing of past. I forgive others and when it comes to forgiving myself, it’s even faster.
  • I have a crush on Prince Harry and no longer do I imagine another damsel in distress waiting to be swept off her feet. I AM the one WAITING. Unlike the times I was growing up, now my stories about the good looking boys I meet have me starring opposite them 😉

ImagePrince “Charming” Harry

  • Further to my change above, I no longer think that I have to be holed up in a corner just because I’ve chosen to be single. In contrast, I go out and have fun and I definitely enjoy every bit.
  • I’m pretty sure I’ve become someone I’d have loved to hang around with as a kid.
  • I have quit smoking.

Of course there are more changes but at the moment those are inappropriate in terms of relevance. Hence nagging has nothing to do with me being s1ngle and everything to do with me becoming more knowledgeable. The fearful question, however, still remains – to nag or not to nag. Well, if nagging comes along with a price tag of all the lovely virtues above, then to hell with my ex-colleague’s accuracy of prophecy. Let him be the prophet while I’ll be a proud old-nagging hag.

For now, I’m confident especially from my rambling above that I’ll justify all or any vices as and when they emerge. If nagging is the result of gaining knowledge, what are the chances of me being caught with my guards down? Zilch, I suppose.

Sine qua non – As far as “later” is concerned, I’d rather hum to Doris Day’s number “…whatever will be, will be… the future’s not ours to see… que sera sera”

Tough times

27 Jul

I’m going through a rough period in my life. The last 2 days have been awful with my finance depleting at a supersonic speed. My nerves too are on the verge of becoming extinct because a co-worker’s been getting on them :@ a little TOO MUCH. Image

Luckily, being s1ngle does give me the pleasure of blaming “this period” to being s1ngle. These are times when I wish the wishful thinking, sighing “If I had a boyfriend/ a fiance/ a husband/ an ex……” Whoa!!! I DO HAVE AN EX 😀 As soon as it dawned on me that I DO HAVE AN EX, I picked up the phone and almost called him to discuss things (the things happening to me are actually beyond me/ my understanding).

What made me stop –

  1. I’ve always solved my problem by myself (regardless of any regards) and if I do/ did call him, I’ll be listening to his problems more than talking about mine. I’m pretty sure he has problems (he used to have them all the time so all the time includes NOW, if I’m not wrong).
  2. If I did call him and luckily if he were without problems, would things happening to me not be beyond him/ his understanding?
  3. If I did call him and luckily if he were to be without problems and perhaps he would understand things happening to me…. but how in the hell was I expecting to explain the things happening to me when in fact it’s actually beyond me/ my understanding?
  4. Do I even have a problem?? What was the problem again??? If the problems are beyond me, could I be actually having problems????
  5. Last but not the least, I don’t have my ex’s number because I had deleted it when I decided to enjoy my single-hood. I must thank my good fortune here because… imagine calling one’s ex and having to explain problems beyond one’s understanding and so forth just to realise the fourth point above.

Well, I’m lucky to be single. When things go wrong, I can always pin it on being single. And the luckiest part is finding out it isn’t.

Don’t worry about ME

26 Jul

What is the most funny thing about being single is – it’s not me who’s worried, it’s the others. For me their worries spell “envy”. Oh well, yes I know I’m flattering myself a little too much than I deserve.

I was in the 11th grade when a friend (a very very good friend) tried enlightening me. She was a lovely girl (I regret not keeping in touch with her) and an intelligent one too. Now that’s a rare combo, I’m sure. So yeah, she was worried about me and the decision I had taken. I have been very vocal about my decision to stay single so everyone who knows me knows that I aspire to stay single (even my ex-boyfriends).

Back to my lovely friend – she usually tried changing my mind. It was one of many such conversations (the excerpt of which I’m going to narrate) after which it was she who almost got enlightened and after which we stopped having conversation regarding – NOT staying single.

Image   MY FRIEND: Life gets tough as we grow older. Life alone gets tough, big time.

ME: Nod, Nod, Nod (After all, my mom had told me about this and listening to something true and real and important and amazing can be wearying nonetheless, the second time around).

MY FRIEND: Who will you share your troubles with? It’s not possible to solve all your problems by yourself.

ME: Nodding, nodding, nodding still.

….. and then….

(enlightened) ME: Hey, ever wondered??? If I’m alone, my problems will be lesser than if I marry or get into a relationship. Cos then I’ll have a spouse who’ll have troubles too and before we know it, we have double-troubles. Being single – I’ll only have MY problems to solve. Being with someone, WE will have OUR problems to solve. What do you say??

MY FRIEND: (Pondering! Pondering!!) I’ve never given that a thought but you do have a point.

Well, some people are meant to be with someone, meant to be in a relationship, meant to get married, meant to have a “happily ever after” endings. They are perfect the way they are. So at the end of the day, what we should not forget is that there are people who are meant to be S1NGLE, who are happy being S1NGLE. They, too, are perfect the way they are.

Being in a relationship or being S1NGLE is like the yin and the yang and so is everything in life.

Meant to be

25 Jul

….there I was in the boarding school, looking up to the single Head Mistress and getting inspired to be single.

Along came my teenage years and it was as if I was meant to be nothing but s1ngle. I began worshiping who else but the one and only Oprah (to find out later – in my life – that she doesn’t believe in the “institution of marriage”).

However, I DO believe in the institution of marriage. It’s just that out of thousands of role-models to choose from, I couldn’t (still can’t) believe I found it in Oprah. Undoubtedly she is an ultimate success story of rags to riches, girl power and all that jazz. For me, she (or her life) is actually synonymous to a “second chance” or a “hope”.

She is one woman who, through her show, has (indirectly) been responsible for who/ what I am today. The fact remains that I didn’t look up to her because she was single. I looked up to her and she turns out not to believe in “marriage” (apparently making her single) – all adds to the fact that I am destined to be s1ngle 🙂

One Writer's Journey

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Duke University Press News

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- and anyone else who may be listening

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Writing about the human condition and learning to laugh about it

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Fiction based on reality. Any similarities to the characters and events in the life of the author are purely intentional.

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Ramblings — Musings — Cynical conversation

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Just lost brainwaves

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Eclectic social commentary with a chuckle and maybe a sting in the tail

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Descriptive writing on love, life, landscape, laughter and lodges!

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Hamilton Road Residence - Auburn, Alabama

Sometimes you get an opportunity to do something important. As an Architect, creating a home place is that rare chance to establish a family legacy for a client; a legacy that can potentially be filled with the childhood memories of grandparents and great-grandparents as they reflect on their lives. Many times it is the natural process of the world that has a great influence on the development of such a place. Many times it is the world, family dispositions and some combination of planning, design and good fortune, which combine to formulate an unforgettable place. This kind place can be said to contain a "genus loci" - spirit of a place. This genus loci is a goodness that cannot be taken away or disavowed. It is a breathing thing that can reach deeply into the heart forever. It's the aroma of your great aunt's rose garden, a particular arrangement of live oaks or similar sensory trigger that takes you instantly back to a special time or memory. That's the Raison d'être for many Architects and the hope of every new project. There are also times when great opportunities can be risky such as when taking on a project for family! The risks include disappointment, disagreement or conflict and even emotional separation. The custom residence on Hamilton Road in Auburn, Alabama is a project for my niece and her family and I thought long and hard about whether to take it on. Fortunately, and not unexpectedly, the project was a huge success and it is my sincere hope that time and circumstance may lend its good fortune into the desire to establish a great spirit in this place.

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The Waddington Galleries Catalogue – Catalogue

Series nameChandra in the 1950s

This catalogue was published by The Waddington Galleries, London in 1958. The catalogue contains information on a mixed group exhibition of oils, watercolours, sculptures and drawings. The house exhibition featured an oil painting on canvas by Avinash Chandra, entitled ‘The White House’. The exhibition ran from 17 April to 10 May 1958.

Date of Creation / Publication1958
CreatorThe Waddington Galleries
Associated Person/ OrganisationChandra, Avinash
Collection and Reference NumberAvinash Chandra Collection (GB 2661 AC)
Catalogue NumberAC/1950/9
CopyrightValerie Murray Chandra
Access to originalsThe originals are located with Valerie Murray Chandra
Series notesLandscape artist Avinash Chandra arrived in London in 1956. His early work in London was a process of self discovery, where he eliminated taught techniques from his art school in India,and removed strict perceptions of how his art should or should not be. This grouping includes exhibition catalogues from Delhi and London, slides of his work and several photographs of Chandra's work from the 1950s.
Collection notesThe Avinash Chandra Collection is divided by decades and a grouping featuring selected slides. The 1950s to 1980s sections feature exhibition catalogues, photographs of paintings, drawings and murals and promotional material. The selections of 35mm slides depict Chandra's art work over the decades.
Further information


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The best lodges and camps in Africa for families travelling with children looking to go on safari

If you are looking to go on safari in Africa with your family, there are a few safari lodges and bush camps that offer the best facilities, amenities and activities for families travelling with children of all ages.  These camps have ideal lodge layouts and generally offer good babysitting services, have children specific dining menus, children’s play centres or activity programmes and game-drives that are tailored to entertain the little ones. All of these enable the parents to enjoy a most relaxing safari or bush holiday.

Kingfisher Lodge

Kingfisher Lodge is located on the shores of a lake in the Entabeni Conservancy and is tailored to suit families with children. Entabeni is home to the Big 5, which can be seen on guided game drives and helicopter flights. Bird watching, walks, stargazing and a health spa are just some of the activities on offer as well as some kids activities to keep the little ones entertained.

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Olonana Tented Camp

Olonana is an eco-friendly safari camp found in the Masai Mara area in Kenya, and offers a front row seat to the Great Migration. The camp’s tents all have en suite bathrooms and views of the river. There is also a library, pool and mini-spa available at the camp.

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Stanley’s Camp

The renowned Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp is a classic tented camp named after the great explorer. The eight tented suites are gathered around a large central sitting and dining area which has magnificent views of the floodplains of the Okavango Delta. Buffalo, giraffe and other plains game can be seen from the swimming pool. At this camp, guests can enjoy the unique experience of going on a walk with a trio of orphaned elephants which will enthral both the older and younger generations.

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Umlani Bush Camp

Umlani Bush Camp is a lovely rustic bush camp found in the Timbavati Nature Reserve. Its simple yet adequately furnished huts have mesh-covered open air windows, which allow a refreshing breeze and and the sounds of the bush to drift inside. The camp is lit by candles and lanterns at night, adding to the rustic feel. The guides and management take great care of children and tailor-make activities to suit.

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Sabi Sabi Little Bush Camp

Sabi Sabi Little Bush Camp is an intimate camp that consists of only 6 suites accommodating 12 guests. Each free-standing suite is secluded, with a private viewing deck that overlooks the riverbed in front of the camp. The camp has a swimming pool, bar, spa and curio shop and there is a great children’s activity programme on offer to keep the youngsters entertained whilst the adults enjoy some rest and relaxation.

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Rocktail Bay Beach Camp

Rocktail Bay Beach Camp is located in a forest, a short walk away from the beach. The camp is ideal for children and families, with family friendly rooms and a children’s activity room available. The camp also offers scuba diving lessons and snorkelling activities for all levels.

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Riverdene Camp

Shamwari Riverdene is a family friendly lodge and is suitable for children of all ages. The lodge consists of nine spacious suites – seven of which have an inter-leading door suited for families. A jungle gym and children’s activity room is available, with children’s DVDs for the little ones to watch. Adults can relax while staff members supervise the children. The kids’ programme also includes a specialised children’s tour of the Born Free Centre and the Animal Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, where kids can interact with certain animals.

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Kololo Lodge

Kololo Game Lodge is found in South Africa’s beautiful Waterberg Mountains close to Johannesburg and Pretoria. Both self-catering and full board accommodation are offered at Kololo which is situated on a private game reserve which can be explored on bike or foot (guided or on one’s own). The camp’s restaurant and bar overlooks a waterhole where wildlife, including rhino, elephants and lions, come to drink. The camp offers extensive activities for children and is especially suitable for families due to the fact that there is no dangerous game on the property. Optional big 5 game drives take place on the neighbouring Welgevonden Game Reserve.

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Kapama River Lodge

Kapama River Lodge is a large camp with multi-level suites offering elegant accommodation and the camp has its own children’s programme to keep children of all ages entertained. The lodge has a spa, pool, gym, bar and media centre. Guests at the camp can dine indoors, outdoors, or out in the bush.

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Jock Safari Lodge

Jock Safari lodge is located on a private concession in the famous Kruger National Park, in an area well known for excellent game viewing. It is designed in a style reminiscent of a bygone era. The camp’s suites overlook a river and each has its own private plunge pool. There is a fantastic kiddie’s programme on offer at the lodge. For the parents the lodge also offers a treatment centre offering a variety of relaxation treatments.

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Jaci’s Safari Lodge

Jaci’s Safari Lodge in the malaria-free Madikwe Game Reserve conists of eight tented rooms, each with an en suite bathroom and outdoor shower. The tents are secluded near a riverine forest.  The camp is ideal for families and children, with an entertainment room for teens and a playground for younger children. The camp offers family friendly game drives as well as child friendly game drives.  Special meals and dining times are arranged for young children.

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Gondwana Lodge

Gondwana Lodge is situated in the heart of South Africa’s Karoo region on the Big 5 Sanbona Game Reserve, a malaria-free safari destination. The reserve is within a 2-3 hour’s drive of Cape Town. Gondwana Lodge overlooks a dam in the distance which attracts good quantities of game and birdlife. Several of the lodge rooms have interleading doors, making it ideal for families. The lodge has a children’s programme, and hosts indoor and outdoor play areas. There is also a spa where the adults can relax and unwind.

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Kariega Main Lodge

Kariega Main Lodge is situated on the Kariega Game Reserve and consists of traditional log cabins which are simply decorated in an African theme. The lodge is ideal for families and large groups. A huge amount of safe safari activities are on offer including hiking and mountain biking are among the activities on offer. Kariega is also located in a malaria-free area.

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Thendele Lodge, Drakensberg

Thendele Lodge is located in the spectacular Drakensberg mountains with views of the sheer wall of the Amphitheatre. The lodge offers accommodation for six people. It has three en-suite bedrooms each with two single beds, a kitchen fireplace and outdoor barbecue area. Hiking, fishing, bird-watching and swimming are all on offer in the region and due to the lack of the Big 5 is a great outdoor destination for families with young children.

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Chobe Chilwero Lodge

The Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero lodge is found on the shores of the Chobe River in the Chobe National Park in Botswana. The lodge has a popular children’s programme to keep the little ones entertained. Each suite has a an en-suite bathroom  as well as outdoor showers. Elephants are the showpiece  in Chobe and can be seen on game drives or boat cruises. The spa at the lodge offers another great way to relax.

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Harare Safaris | Tours, Holidays & Travel Packages | SafariFRANK

"The capital city"

“Capital of Zimbabwe with a new lease on life”

More attractive than most other Southern African capitals, Harare gets a bad rap and unjustly so. While it’s certainly not without its problems, overall it’s a safe and laid-back city where wide avenues are lined with dusty red earth, and indigenous plants and blooming Jacarandas give it a lovely African summertime feel.

Harare (officially called Salisbury until 1982) is the capital and most populous city of Zimbabwe. Situated in the north-east of the country in the heart of historic Mashonaland, the city has an estimated population of 1.8million, with 2.8 million in its metropolitan area. It is situated at an elevation of 1,483 metres above sea level and its climate falls into the subtropical highland category.

The city’s most affluent neighbourhoods are to the north, notably Borrowdale where there are great new shopping malls too.

While it’s tempting to rush off to your safari, it’s worth hanging around in Harare to sample its dining, museums, craft markets and varied bars.

Harare has a great choice of eating options, from restaurants doing local dishes to an impressive range of multicultural cuisine. Many of its restaurants are set in charming converted houses surrounded by gardens, which adds to the experience.

While Harare has its fair share of large business-style hotels, it’s worth considering one of its boutique guesthouses, which offer great value for money and peaceful surrounds, if you’re seeking comfort, character and service.

All international and domestic airlines use Harare International Airport, located 15km southeast of the city centre. For international flights, Emirates, South African Airways, FastJet, British Airways, Air Zimbabwe, Ethiopian Airlines, Malawian Airlines, Kenya Airways and Air Namibia all fly from Harare.

Why we like it

  •  The ‘old charm’ still around with wide leafy streets and blooming Jacarandas.
  • Great private guest houses and restaurants.
  • Good flight connections to Europe and the rest of Africa.
  • Renewed optimism for a brighter future for all…

Ready for an adventure? Lets Talk!

Contact safariFRANK to get started on your safari of a lifetime!


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Staircase Safety Nets

Staircase Safety Netting

With a staircase safety net, you are equipped for all eventualities – for example, in kindergartens or children’s homes. Small children are often unable to adequately estimate heights and hazards, so that while romping, crawling and climbing over balustrades, it can quickly happen that they fall from landings/galleries or through stair-rail struts. This also applies in retirement homes, where older people are at a greater risk of falling. As carers are unable to provide one hundred percent continuous supervision, nets which can be directly installed on stair-rails as staircase nets offer a solution. This is advisable where the gaps between stair-rails are larger than 20 cm, so that children could theoretically “slip through” them.

Staircase safety nets are designed for use on large, extensive staircases. They are installed in the stairwell on several levels, to minimise the risk of injury from falling.

Sub-Categories to Staircase Safety Nets

Furthermore, nets to provide fall protection on staircases are hugely important for technical objects. This is a point that can be overlooked, but nowadays most people carry extremely expensive electronic gadgets on an everyday basis. Most staircases are constructed in such a way that at least a smartphone or a tablet could slip through. Falling from a higher storey to the very bottom can spell the end for one of these high-functioning, sensitive technical devices. And that can sometimes happen a lot faster than you think or want! When a staircase has fall protection in the form of staircase nets, this prevents such damage and in the end can save you the high cost of buying a new notebook, smartphone, etc.

Staircase Fall Protection for Your Home

If you own a house with two storeys and also have small children in the house, even a one-storey flight of stairs can become an unintended hazard. Children are always deeply immersed in their play and thereby often blissfully unaware of potential dangers. It is the parents’ task to ensure that children can develop playfully and freely in a safe environment. If you have a staircase in your home, then you should at all events consider how you can protect your children in that area. Installing fall protection allows you to rest assured that nothing bad can happen to your little ones while they are romping and playing in the house – as even a fall from one storey can have long-term consequences for children or, in the worst case, even a fatal outcome. This is why safety precautions are absolutely essential.

A net to block off upward stairways can also keep your children out of the hazardous zone of the stairs. Such a net allows you to prevent your children from actively including the stairs in their games. Instead, the boundary to their play area is drawn just in front of the first step. This method of completely closing off the stairs is especially important in the case of toddlers, who are not yet able to safely climb stairs alone. So if small children nonetheless include the stairs in their games out of curiosity or over-eagerness, injuries can quickly occur here as well.

Not sure which net you should use in your home? Then please don’t hesitate to contact us. We’re happy to advise you and to show you the advantages of different models of safety net made to measure for the staircase.

Guidelines for Installing Nets on Staircases

When installing staircase safety nets, there are some safety regulations which must be observed. Basically, staircase nets can be treated like fall safety nets or guardrail nets. These have to have a certain energy absorption capacity to safely catch people in an emergency. You can find guidelines on installing these nets here.


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Tag Archive | broken world

I Corinthians 13:5 ” Love is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.”

If you want to see what a person is truly made of…put them in a long line, in the hot sun, waiting for something that may or may not arrive on time.  That’s when frustration and impatience boils over into selfish love.  This verse is interesting in that all it speaks of are examples of selfish love…of self-centered, looking out for #1 love that only thinks of itself.  We all have the opportunity daily to choose what type of love we’ll portray  to the world…the love of Christ or the selfish love of the world.  And as Believers, we are to be an example of Christ’s love to others…unfortunately, whether we’re a good example or a bad one.

Isaiah 42: 6-7 ” I will keep You and will make You to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”

Jesus…Messiah…the Light of the World.  He’s our way to  life and salvation in this broken world.  He’s the hope for those who are spiritually blind…the freedom for those who are bound up in sin…the way for those who are wandering lost.   Jesus…Messiah…the Light of the World.

Psalm 112:4 ” Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.”

Bad things come to the righteous…we are not immune from sickness, suffering, and lawless acts, for we live in a broken world.  But we do need to always remember – that despite how dark and miserable things may be…the dawn will bring with it new wisdom and enlightenment for our weary souls.


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You would probably never dream of not bathing your body but give less thought to not brushing or flossing your teeth. When you have braces, it is incredibly important that you give as much attention to cleaning the braces as you do to cleaning the rest of your body.

The bands or bonded brackets on braces create small nooks and crannies where food and plaque (an invisible file of bacteria) can hide. If plaque is allowed to remain on the teeth for a long time, it can increase the likelihood of tooth decay. This same process can also cause permanent white lines and spots as enamel is dissolved by the acids.

Because of these problems, it is essential to brush after every meal and snack. You should also clean between your teeth and around each bracket daily. Brushing removes the food and plaque that forms on your teeth. When you brush, use a brush with soft and rounded bristles or a special orthodontic brush and also, use fluoride toothpaste. Look for the American Dental Association’s Seal of Acceptance. The Seal is awarded to products that have proven to be effective.

How should I brush with braces?

Start with the outside of the teeth, with the brush at a straight angle. Use circular, vibrating motions.

Clean the area between the gums and braces by angling the brush down (up for the lower jaw). Keep moving in a small circular motion.

Clean the rest of the outside of the teeth by angling the brush up (down for the lower jaw).

Carefully brush the chewing surface of both the upper and lower jaw.

Finish by brushing the inside of the teeth.

How should I floss with braces?

Floss at least once a day. The Floss needs to be pulled under the archwire. A floss threader facilitates this. Start by pulling floss through the threader.

Push the end of the floss threader under the archwire and pull the floss through.

Pull the floss up between the teeth and gently move it up and down the side of both teeth. Remember to move it up all the way under the gums.

Pull the floss out and use a different section of it for the next tooth.

When you are finished brushing and flossing, rinse your mouth carefully with warm water or an antiseptic dental rinse. An antiseptic dental rinse can help minor gum inflammations and irritations from orthodontic appliances. It is used to cleanse canker sores, minor wounds, and other mouth and gum irritations. The utilization of mouth rinse also removes debris, thus enabling a natural healing process to occur.

Interdental Toothbrush

A Proxabrush is an interdental (between the teeth) toothbrush that you may use to clean underneath and around your wires and braces. Use the Proxabrush gently to avoid damaging your wires. The Proxabrush will help you to clean your braces while maintaining healthy teeth and gums.

Interdental Cleaners

Interdental cleaning devices with the ADA Seal of Acceptance are specially shaped brushes or other implements that help remove plaque. They are usually made of wood, plastic or rubber and shaped to help clean between the teeth. They can be particularly useful for people who wear braces or who have trouble handling floss. Discuss the proper use of these devices with your dentist to avoid injuring your gums.

Oral Irrigators

These devices create a focused stream of water to remove particles of food from the surfaces around and between the teeth. They are useful for cleaning hard-to-reach areas and may reduce gingivitis. They are especially helpful for people who have braces. Your dentist will tell you if you can benefit from using this device and provide instruction on proper use. Look for devices bearing the ADA Seal of Acceptance.

Fluoride Mouth Rinse

Fluoride with the ADA Seal of Acceptance provides extra protection for your teeth. Is an element that combines with tooth enamel, strengthening it against decay. Fluoride can even repair microscopic cavities by helping mineral incorporate into the teeth. You may want to discuss with your dentist the need for additional fluoride products such as non-prescription mouth rinses for children in your family over the age of 6.

Dental aids can play an important role in cleaning those hard-to-reach areas, but your diligence in daily cleaning is really the key to good oral health. By watching your diet, practicing good oral hygiene and following your dentist instructions, you can be assured that your orthodontic treatment will be a success. Remember, it is even more important that you visit your general dentist every six months for routine cleanings and examination while you have braces.


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Sam’s work has been published in more than 20 languages and has been discussed in The New York Times, Time, Scientific American, Nature, Rolling Stone, and many other publications. He has written for The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Economist, The Times (London), The Boston Globe, The Atlantic, and The Annals of Neurology, among others. He also hosts the Making Sense Podcast, which was selected by Apple as one of the “iTunes Best” and has won a Webby Award for best podcast in the Science & Education category.

Sam received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA. He has also practiced meditation for more than 30 years and has studied with many Tibetan, Indian, Burmese, and Western meditation teachers, both in the United States and abroad. Sam has created the Waking Up Course for anyone who wants to learn to meditate in a modern, scientific context.

Publications and Lectures

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The Periodic Table of Jazz

Science and music combine in the form of The Periodic Table of Jazz.

This is such a cool and inventive idea. Designer, writer and musician David Marriott, Jr., in conjunction with Unlogic Doo, put together a periodic table of jazz. Showcasing the best of the genre from the 20s onwards, you can actually see the evolution of jazz style through the ages. Each row roughly corresponds to each decade and there are different categories for different instruments. Of course, for special artists like Miles Davis, they get a block in each row because, you know, it’s Miles Davis.

Check the link below and get educated (shout out to Fredara for the heads up).

The Periodic Table of Jazz

About Luke Alex Davis

Luke Davis is a music producer and editor of music blog Sampleface. In his spare time, he enjoys watching tennis and football and reading.

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Regression Therapy

Clearing issues at their source

I believe that unresolved past events can negatively influence our thoughts, behaviour and everyday life on an unconscious level (e.g. an unwanted habit, uncomfortable feeling, stuck emotion, repetitive pattern). Regression therapy is a very effective therapeutic tool which can help us understand why we feel or react as we do to certain situations or why the same unexplained symptoms or circumstances just keep repeating themselves. It helps us break free from past experiences which continue to hold us back in our present life by going to their very source and emptying out their charge.

Regression therapy involves revisiting or reliving/re-experiencing a past event (or life) in order to clear the emotions or physical/ energetic roots of a current problem. Because the client is in a deeply relaxed state, they can easily and gently be led into, and through, the moment in the past that they froze or were unable for some reason to feel their emotion, in order to release the energy that was ‘trapped’. As the client knows that they not experiencing the scene in the present moment, they are not re-traumatised by revisiting it. At the same time, they are able to feel the emotion that needs to be released.

Regression therapy can be an informative and insightful process for anyone, regardless of their beliefs. It is not even necessary to believe in past lives to benefit from a past life regression (for an alterative explanation for past life regression see F.A.Q.).

Aspects of Regression Therapy: Past life, current life, inner child healing and body therapy

Regression therapy can be applied to a past life or to our current life.

During a past life session the client is taken through hypnosis (relaxation process) into their past life body. Then the client is guided sequentially through the significant events of that life and through to the death point. The transformation takes place in the ‘spirit realm’.  This can involve for example, inviting in the spirit of perpetrators or victims in the story to give the client an opportunity to say what could not be said at the time. This usually brings about reconciliation and forgiveness and a sense of ‘letting go’. Some of the tools used in a regression session are borrowed from shamanic approaches to healing, such as spirit guides (or wise beings) and power animals. Sometimes it can also be useful to ‘reframe’ an issue (go back and replay the story with the wisdom, qualities and gifts that the adult now possesses) to allow the course of events to play out differently. People often experience a deeply peaceful and healing energy during the transformation process and may even experience new or unfamiliar states (such as having something that they lack in this life) which can help to re-pattern and attract this into our current lives.

I believe that past life regression therapy is much more powerful than a past life reading or a past life regression as the client releases trapped emotions and embarks on a process of deep resolution of issues (for more information see ‘What to expect’).

In current life regression a process called ‘bridging’ is used to guide the client into any memories associated with an emotional position or charge in the body. This often goes back to childhood. Painful emotions that were not felt at the time are easily released. The adult self is usually brought into the scene to show the child what it could not see at the time and give it the resources to deal with the situation differently (inner child healing). Sometimes, before this can happen, healing needs to take place between the adult and the child. Then the client is taken through other significant events in their life that were associated with this feeling so they can look upon them with fresh eyes and any remaining charge can be released.

Body therapy may be used in either past life or current lives. It can be useful where someone felt trapped or froze or were unable to run away from a situation, or when something physical happened that took someone by surprise. The body is given strength to do what it could not do at the time and if necessary is acted out (a little like psychodrama but from a relaxed lying down position) which generates a sense of empowerment and freedom.This process can be extremely effective in clearing unexplained pains and body ailments.


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Santander ‘experience’ provides select students top-notch summer challenge

Interns get acquainted before getting down to business.
Interns get acquainted before getting down to business.

The Santander Consumer USA “Create Your Career Summer Internship Experience” has returned this year bigger and better than ever.

Now in its third year, the program comprises a total of 56 students in various SCUSA departments.

“We’re expecting big things for this year’s summer internship program,” said Philip Witcher, manager of university relations for SCUSA, who helps to organize and direct the program.

060315 SC Santander experience provides select students topnotch summer challenge_2
SCUSA legal intern already at work.

The program, which runs 12 weeks, is “designed to enhance student learning and professional development outcomes by providing a top-notch paid experience to high-achieving college students who will positively impact the current and future success of SCUSA’s business,” according to Witcher.

Among the universities represented by the interns are Houston, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Alabama, Minnesota, Virginia Tech and Columbia; Texas schools including Houston, Texas, Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas Christian, Texas A&M Commerce, and Dallas-area schools Southern Methodist University, University of North Texas, University of Texas at Dallas and at Arlington.

The program includes opportunities for student interns to:

  • receive training and development
  • engage in unique work experiences
  • glean real-world skill development related to career interest
  • work on projects independently and as part of a team
  • participate in entrepreneurial challenges
  • be considered for job placement after graduation
  • network with SCUSA executives and managers
  • participate in community development

“As the program continues to evolve, we have listened to the feedback from previous years and made some great enhancements that will make the experience even better,” Witcher said.

“The feedback from the students and managers has been tremendous thus far as they’re excited about the new team-building activities, the internal Sharepoint site — the ‘Intern-net,’ and enhanced professional development opportunities. With active participation from over 40 managers, 50 mentors, and 56 interns, we’re excited about the possibilities.”

The Santander Consumer USA internship class of 2015.
The Santander Consumer USA internship class of 2015.

The internship experience began with orientation May 18-19, with managers, mentors and some former interns joining the new arrivals for a welcoming meet-and-greet . Then it was off to compliance training – which reportedly did not dissuade a single intern – and assignments in more than a dozen departments from legal and compliance to decision science and corporate engagement. The information technology department received the most interns, 21.

The effort that has gone into developing the SCUSA program was not lost on the interns.

“My first impression of SCUSA is that the people are absolutely amazing,” said one business analyst intern. “It’s really rare to work for a place in which everyone is so nice and very transparent in the sense that they want to share as much knowledge with you as they can.”

“My team is awesome. My manager is very helpful. And I am impressed by the advanced work and research they do,” said a data science intern. “I couldn’t really have asked for more.”


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Check out this article about Santa's Little Helpers on CNBC!

Our Mission

To provide fun, gifts, and the spirit of the holiday season to all through friendship, generosity, and laughter in every corner of the world.

Each year we come together to pool our time, resources, and know-how in order to provide a free and open forum for everybody to support and assist each other. We have a very simple set of rules for everybody to follow, and otherwise just do our best to facilitate festivities and help during the coldest time of year. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for coming by, participating, and getting to know us. We’re thrilled to be a part of the wonderful Reddit community, and hope to continue providing a warm place to gather for years and years to come.


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Something I’ll Never Get Sick Of

Happy Friday lovelies! So since you guys probably want to have some fun this Friday evening, I’ll keep it short and simple. One thing I’ll never get sick of, ever, would probably be sunsets. Everyday the colors of the sunset are different and always breathtaking. Totally cliché, I know, but they are so beautiful and no matter where you are, the sun will always set. I have a thing for constants in life. The amazing sight will always end your day gorgeously. Here are some pictures of sunsets I’ve taken, from the beach to car rides to the streets. Enjoy, and have a safe and wonderful weekend.

xx – Firdausi

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Goals and motivation ‘Will I?’ vs ‘I will’

September 1, 2010

As coaches we help clients to clearly articulate their goals.  The well established GROW model starts with Goal and ends with Will.  A recent article in Scientific American Mind  by Wray Herbert reports on Ibrahim Senay’s  fascinating research into ‘willingness’ (see full article).  Senay found people in the open mind-set condition asking ‘Will I…..?’  were more goal directed, motivated and open to new possibilities, compared with those in the  ‘I will….’ condition.   Moreover those in the ‘Will I?’ condition were more intrinsically motivated (e.g. I want to) than those in the ‘I will’ condition who were more introjected (e.g. doing through self imposed guilt) in their motivation.

From a coaching perspective I like the idea of the more open mind set of ‘Will I……?’ for both the potential increase in intrinsic motivation and also the power it might bring to exploring options, as Senay hypothesizes that  ‘it is because questions by their nature speak to possibility and freedom of choice’.

I tested this out on myself a few days ago – when given the opportunity to be a last minute participant in a swim across the Solent (between England and the Isle of Wight) with 8 days notice – and 2 days to decide and no time to train!   This would be the furthest I have swam non-stop for over 20 years, though in summer  I sea swim regularly for up to 15 – 20 mins.   When saying to myself ‘I will do it’ –  I noticed some nerves and anxiety holding me back from saying ‘yes’  – all those little ‘what ifs’ and also ‘this is a great opportunity, I really ought to do it’ (the introjected motivation).  However when I asked myself ‘Will I swim the Solent next weekend?’  I found myself wanting to say ‘yes’ and immediately moving into possibilities and solutions, for example, doing a test swim (50 minutes non-stop), contacting the organiser to find out about the logistics, risk assessment, safety cover, etc.   However was this because I’d already raised my awareness of the ‘what ifs’ before asking myself  ‘Will I?’ ?  I’m now interested to know how I would have responded if I’d asked myself ‘Will I?’ first and whether then asking ‘I will’, I would be more at ease saying ‘yes’.

So whilst Senay’s research suggests ‘Will I?’ to be more powerful in terms of goal direction and motivation it may be the order is key – starting with ‘Will I?’ to tap into the motivation and options and ending with ‘I will……..’  for commitment.    I will be testing this out and following this line of research with great interest, and welcome your thoughts and experiences.

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I Wanna Be Sedated: Wizard’s Veterinary Appointment

May 20, 2009

After a relaxing and enjoyable long weekend in Georgia, it was time to get back to business with Wizard. Yesterday, the veterinarian did a lameness exam and floated his teeth.

The exam began by watching Wizard trot on a longe line. I probably should have anticipated that Wizard would be a little fresh since he is fit and has had so much time off, but instead I was surprised when he came close to pulling me off my feet as soon as we began longeing! The halter with the longe line snapped to the chin ring is normally just fine for control but he was feeling his oats yesterday. The vet pronounced him sound in both directions. I asked her about his high action and she said it’s likely a combination of animation and a loose, flexible way of going.

She performed flexion tests on all four legs and the prognosis was good. She heard a little creakiness in the right front knee when she folded it, but it is probably a touch of arthritis and nothing that should keep him from the level of work we’re doing. His left hip is dropped a bit, which is in line with what the chiropractor mentioned about the tight muscle tissue in his hamstring and pelvis. I’ve known horses whose hips are dropped far more than his and they have gone on to perform well with correct strengthening work. The vet recommended more work with ground poles to help Wizard’s topline and hind end strength. His right hind leg also showed a little stiffness with one of the flex tests, but nothing that caused concern for his current workload. Wizard quite enjoyed the jogs on the dirt road and was arching his neck and throwing his head playfully.

The vet examined his back and carefully went over his acupressure points. No back pain and just a little tightness in his pelvis. She evaluated my saddle fit and said it looks good.

The veterinarian’s advice? Get back on Wizard and try riding again. If he still is showing signs of distress under saddle, treat or test for Lyme Disease. She also suggested doing another 4-day bute test (as a diagnostic tool, not as a treatment). If both fail, further evaluations will be needed, like x-rays or blood tests. But so far, everything looks good.

Wizard also had his teeth floated. All of the hooks have been fixed and more corrections were done to his wave mouth. She was pleased with the way his mouth looks and said he can have his teeth floated next in a year- hooray!

While Wizard was under sedation, I cleaned his sheath, clipped his bridle path, and pulled his mane. I LOVE how he looks with the pulled mane- it does my hunter/jumper heart good :^) I did a combination of traditional mane pulling and a little thinning with scissors by teasing the mane up and cutting the excess vertically with scissors. I did not want to subject the poor guy to an entire mane pulling- he had almost a foot of hair and now it’s the length of a pulling comb.

Thursday, Wizard has a farrier appointment. I hope to be back in the saddle very soon.

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What kind of city do you want to live in?

I want a city where ALL of our residents have the opportunity to be involved in the political decisions that affect their daily lives.

Consider this:

  • Voter turnout for municipal elections averages a poor 40%
  • City councillors can be elected with less than 20% of the vote. Taken with the above number, that means a mere 8% of people in a given ward may be electing their local councillor.
  • Our city council has neither ethnic nor gender diversity, and does not reflect the incredible range of people we have in Toronto.

These are not signs of a healthy democracy. For Toronto’s government to genuinely address the needs of all residents, it must be both truly representative, and accessible to all who wish to participate in how our great city is run. We can do so much more to open the doors to City Hall, and to spread the ways to get engaged far beyond the downtown core. People can and should participate in how city money is spent in their communities, and how their communities are designed.

Our people are our greatest asset, and together we can create the city that represents us all!


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The Gratitude Workshop

Gratitude is the key to happiness, faith, peace of mind, and successful relationships. This practical, interactive 3 ½ hour workshop uses role-playing and innovative exercises so that you actually acquire the skill of gratitude.

The first half of the workshop trains you to notice and be grateful for EVERYTHING—from your eyelids to the drop-down table in an airplane, from the garbage collectors to the teacher who first taught you how to read. As you learn to fill your day with gratitude, the joy level in the room zooms up.

The second half of the workshop teaches a four-step method for responding to tribulations with gratitude instead of complaints. Whether confronted with a minor irritation or a major cataclysm, complaining only exacerbates our problems, while gratitude opens the way to happiness—and often divine deliverance!

The Kesher Wife Workshop

The Kesher Wife Workshop teaches a set of tools, based on Torah principles, for Jewish women to rekindle the ardor in their marriages. This 3 ½ hour workshop presents the model of The Kesher Wife. Through scripted drama, guided visualizations, and innovative exercises, the workshop participant learns how to eliminate the behaviors that drive husbands to flee from their wives (to the internet, work, etc.). She also learns techniques to create a marriage that feeds both partners spiritually and emotionally.


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We will not claim ownership of the Illustrations and Trademarks and will stop all use of the Illustrations and Trademarks upon termination of our Agreement or at the request of Copperfield.


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How do I get dental insurance?

Thanks to the purchasing power of South Carolina Federal Credit Union, through its wholly owned subsidiary, South Carolina Federal Insurance Solutions™, members can now benefit from the kind of quality dental coverage and pricing typically reserved for large groups. The program, administered by HealthPlan Services, was specifically designed for South Carolina Federal Credit Union and its members by Ameritas Life Insurance Corp. and is underwritten by Ameritas Life, one of the leading dental carriers in the nation.

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Lessons From the Field: Challenges in Accruing Hospice Heart Failure Patients to Intervention Research

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heart failure, hospice, intervention research

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Recent clinical practice guidelines suggest that hospice can be a valuable alternative for patients with advanced heart failure (HF). Unfortunately, there are very few evidence-based nursing interventions to guide symptom management for HF patients in hospice and their caregivers. Nevertheless, conducting clinical research in hospice populations remains fraught with methodological and ethical challenges. Our research team was not naive to the fact that hospice research is difficult. We believed that we had prepared well for a number of contingencies before the beginning of our clinical trial testing the feasibility of delivering a psychosocial intervention to caregivers of patients with HF. Despite the team expertise and well-defined recruitment strategies, the recruitment, both accrual and attrition, remained daunting in this population. The purpose of this article was to report the challenges of recruiting hospice patients with HF and caregivers for our randomized clinical trial, those we anticipated and those we did not.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Citation / Publisher Attribution

The Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing, v. 29, issue 1, p. 91-97


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Category Archives: News to Use

Click on the Connect with Kids monthly newsletters below to learn more about latest national news and trends on social and emotional issues that could impact you and your family. Topics range from the latest information on how to manage social media, how to talk to children about prejudice, how to improve motivation and academic success and much more.

  • News & Trends – September 2014

    Connect with Kids September 2014 News & Trends THE ATTENDANCE & ACHIEVEMENT ISSUE RESEARCH & NEWS . RESOURCE GUIDE . CONNECT WITH KIDS IN ACTION . VIDEOS AND LESSON PLANS SEPTEMBER NUMBERS BEST PREDICTOR OF LONG-TERM ATTENDANCE RATES According to a new research study fromThe Baltimore Education Research Consortium, student attendance rates in September are […]

  • News & Trends – Summer 2014

             Summer 2014      NPR Survey: Parenting Teens is Stressful     National Public Radio, in partnership with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health, recently conducted a poll of 2,500 adults to look at the extent of stress in America. Among groups most likely to […]

  • News & Trends – June 2014

    June 2014 Research: ‘Learning By Heart’ Says SEL Underpins Academic Success What would it take to weave social and emotional learning (SEL) into the daily fabric of our nation’s schools? What distinct practices, programs, and structures help schools embed SEL into ongoing teaching and learning? Barbara Cervone and Kathleen Cushman, co-founders of the nonprofit organization […]

  • News & Trends – May 2014

          May 2014         May 18 through May 24 marks SAMHSA’s third annual National Prevention Week: Our Lives. Our Health. Our Future. Why is this important? Consider these statistics compiled by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): In the past […]

  • News & Trends – May 6, 2014

    May 2014      Research: Effects of Childhood Bullying Extend for Decades into Adulthood      A new study, published in The American Journal of Psychiatry  and reported in USA Today, shows harmful effects can extend decades after the initial bullying. Researchers found those bullied in childhood had lower levels of education, greater physical and cognitive health […]


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Skepticism about science and medicine

In search of disinterested science

Archive for January, 2014

Encephalitis and Hashimoto’s Encephalitis

Posted by Henry Bauer on 2014/01/29

A few months ago I mentioned the little-known Hashimoto’s Encephalitis (HE) — When doctors can’t tell you what’s wrong (updated) —  and the difficulty people who suffer from it have in getting diagnosed and treated.  Some of those people formed the Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy SREAT Alliance (HESA) which has now published a remarkable, splendid book — Understanding Hashimoto’s Encephalopathy — describing what’s known about the disease and giving personal testimonies with a wealth of information about coping and transcending.  I recommend the book highly, and not only for individuals with HE and their families; I believe everyone could benefit from reading the often inspiring tales from people of all ages and from several countries. There are also important insights into medical systems, and much food for thought.

I’ve heard also that HESA will be making a presentation about HE at the forthcoming FACES 2014 Encephalitis Conference in La Jolla (CA) on 21 February.

Posted in medical practices | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

Evidence-based global-warming science?

Posted by Henry Bauer on 2014/01/03

Average global temperature has not increased during the last 15 years even as carbon dioxide levels have continued to grow:
Climate Scientist: 73 UN climate models wrong, no global warming in 17 years.

Moreover, Antarctic ice has become thicker when it was supposed to be thawing:
Global warming ‘pause’ may last for 20 more years and Arctic sea ice has already started to recover.

But of course all this has not shaken the faith in human-caused global warming — or at least it has not shaken the determination of science-bureaucrats, whose careers are vested in global-warming dogma, to try to convince us that 2 plus 2 (bits of carbon dioxide) equals 5 (degrees):
As its global warming narrative unravels, the IPCC is in damage control mode.

The following commentary makes delightful reading:
Global warming expedition to prove Antarctic ice is melting trapped by ice.

The attempts to rescue people on that ice-bound expeditionary ship, by ice breakers from Australia and China and the USA and ultimately helicopters from the Chinese vessel, have featured prominently on network and cable news. Strangely enough, I have not seen it pointed out in those “news” programs that the need to rescue flies in the face of global-warming dogma.

But then, “news” programs are not much given to enlightening the audience with context or even facts. TV “news” aims to attract as large an audience as possible by offering what the producers think will entertain — as acknowledged in the fine HBO series, “Newsroom”.

Posted in global warming, media flaws, science is not truth | Tagged: , | 7 Comments »

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who oversees the overseers?

Posted by Henry Bauer on 2014/01/02

Who oversees the overseers?

Who is responsible for knowing what goes on in one’s own bailiwick?
Where do bucks stop, and what’s the penalty for culpable negligence?

The previous post illustrated this issue in HIV/AIDS research and funding: The principal investigator on a $19 million research project didn’t know what was being done by one of his team who had claimed a discovery of enormous potential significance. The official responsible for supervising grants at the funding agency shrugged his shoulders helplessly, and took no initiative to pull the grant back or to demand refunding of the money spent on fraud. The university took no action to discipline the principal investigator. The fraudster himself merely agreed not to seek federal funds for a period of 3 years, after which he was presumably judged responsible enough to get federal grants again.

One very general context is that white-collar crimes are punished — if at all — much more leniently than others, as is well known and acknowledged without any sign that such crimes, which affect huge numbers of people indirectly as well as directly, are likely to be taken more seriously in the foreseeable future. Help bring about a near-collapse of global financial structures and you are sentenced to retire with a golden parachute.

A slap on the wrist is what happened to researcher Dong-Pyou Han. Now there’s less than 3 years in jail for John Beale, a top official at the Environmental Protection Agency who drew $200,000 a year plus enormous travel expenses for doing absolutely nothing:

“Beale Street Blues; EPA Top Dog’s Astonishing Fraud”

“Climate change expert sentenced to 32 months for fraud, says lying was a ‘rush’”

“John Beale’s EPA: An amazing fraud by an architect of government climate policies”

Beale’s punishment is certainly more appropriate than was the HIV/AIDS researcher’s — “Beale . . . agreed to pay $886,186 in restitution and to forfeit another $507,207. . . . he was [also] sentenced to 32 months in federal prison”.

But what about the people who were Beale’s supervisors?

Well, his immediate supervisor was promoted to head the EPA.

“From 1989 until 2013, Beale was employed in the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation (OAR), which develops policies and regulations related to air pollution and climate change. It is the most powerful office within one of Washington’s most powerful agencies . . . . And for much of his time Beale was senior policy adviser. . . . [H]is specific duties included assisting the head of OAR ‘in planning, policy implementation, direction, and control of EPA programs.’
From 2009 until 2013, the head of OAR was Gina McCarthy, who is currently the EPA Administrator. So not only was Beale within view of senior managers as he pulled off his astounding fraud, he was directly managed by the woman who now runs the place. [emphasis added]
At 10:44 a.m. EST on December 3, 2010, Ms. McCarthy wrote to her staff at OAR and reported: ‘I am pleased to let you know that John Beale will be resuming his role as the Immediate Office’s lead for all of OAR’s international work.’ She added: ‘Most of you know John well as he has been a very large presence in much of OAR’s work for over 20 years. In addition to lead roles in the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, the early implementation of the Act, the development and negotiation of the National Low Emission Vehicle Program, and the 1997 [National Ambient Air Quality Standards] review, John served as OAR’s lead for international work from 1990 thru [sic] 2005. Beginning in 1999, John managed OAR’s work on climate change as well as all other international work.’
Ms. McCarthy further gushed that ‘I am very excited to finally get the opportunity to work closely with him. In addition to the international work John will continue to work on various special projects for me.’
There’s more. In an odd conclusion to that December 2010 staff bulletin, Ms. McCarthy wrote that Beale ‘is supposed to be sitting in 5426B of Ariel Rios North, but good luck finding him. We are keeping him well hidden so he won’t get scooped away from OAR anytime soon.’”

Please note the “I am very excited to finally get the opportunity to work closely with him” — even though he had already been Ms. McCarthy’s “senior policy adviser” for at least a year.

The EPA seems to be attempting a whitewash of its chief administrator: “EPA spokeswoman Alisha Johnson . . . said the fraud was uncovered by new EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy during her time as the head of the agency’s Office of Air and Radiation”. That hardly jibes with McCarthy becoming head of OAR in 2009, praising Beale profusely at the end of 2010, and questioning his lies only two years later: “EPA officials didn’t question Beale’s claim to be a CIA employee until November 2012”.

Bad enough that the EPA seems unable to recognize the faulty science in allegedly human-caused global warming. Its chief administrator seems not to know what goes on even with her own chief advisors.

What does it take for a highly placed administrator or bureaucrat or corporate functionary to be fired?

Posted in fraud in science, global warming, legal considerations, politics and science | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

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Astronomers Discover Four Galaxy Clusters 10 Billion Light Years Away

Astronomers Discover Four New Galaxy Clusters 10 Billion Light Years from Earth

Three (false) color Herschel images of the clumps identified by Planck. Blue, green and red represent infrared light at successively longer wavelengths, of 250μm, 350μm and 500μm respectively. The green circle indicates the size of the Planck beam at the position of the source, which Herschel was able to resolve in far greater detail. Credit: D. Clements / ESA / NASA.

By combining data from the Planck and Herschel satellites, astronomers have discovered four galaxy clusters some 10 billion light years from Earth.

An international team of astronomers, led by Imperial College London, used a new way of combining data from the two European Space Agency satellites, Planck and Herschel, to identify more distant galaxy clusters than has previously been possible. The researchers believe up to 2000 further clusters could be identified using this technique, helping to build a more detailed timeline of how clusters are formed. They published their work in a paper in the journal Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Galaxy clusters are the most massive objects in the universe, containing hundreds to thousands of galaxies, bound together by gravity. While astronomers have identified many nearby clusters, they need to go further back in time to understand how these structures are formed. This means finding clusters at greater distances from the Earth.

The light from the most distant of the four new clusters identified by the team has taken over 10 billion years to reach us. This means the researchers are seeing what the cluster looked like when the universe was just three billion years old.

Lead researcher Dr David Clements, from the Department of Physics at Imperial College London, explains: “Although we’re able to see individual galaxies that go further back in time, up to now, the most distant clusters found by astronomers date back to when the universe was 4.5 billion years old. This equates to around nine billion light years away. Our new approach has already found a cluster in existence much earlier than that, and we believe it has the potential to go even further.”

The clusters can be identified at such distances because they contain galaxies in which huge amounts of dust and gas are being formed into stars. This process emits light that can be picked up by the satellite surveys.

Galaxies are divided into two types: elliptical galaxies that have many stars, but little dust and gas; and spiral galaxies like our own, the Milky Way, which contain lots of dust and gas. Most clusters in the universe today are dominated by giant elliptical galaxies in which the dust and gas has already been formed into stars.

“What we believe we are seeing in these distant clusters are giant elliptical galaxies in the process of being formed,” says Dr Clements.

Observations were recorded by the Spectral and Photometric Imaging Receiver (SPIRE) instrument as part of the Herschel Multi-tiered Extragalactic Survey (HerMES). Prof Seb Oliver, Head of the HerMES survey said: “The fantastic thing about Herschel-SPIRE is that we are able to scan very large areas of the sky with sufficient sensitivity and image sharpness that we can find these rare and exotic things. This result from Dr Clements is exactly the kind of thing we were hoping to find with the HerMES survey”.

The researchers are among the first to combine data from two satellites that ended their operations last year: the Planck satellite, which scanned the whole sky, and the Herschel satellite, which surveyed certain sections in greater detail. The researchers used Planck data to find sources of far-infrared emission in areas covered by the Herschel satellite, then cross referenced with Herschel data to look at these sources more closely. Of sixteen sources identified by the researchers, most were confirmed as single, nearby galaxies that were already known. However, four were shown by Herschel to be formed of multiple, fainter sources, indicating previously unknown galaxy clusters.

The team then used additional existing data and new observations to estimate the distance of these clusters from Earth and to determine which of the galaxies within them were forming stars. The researchers are now looking to identify more galaxy clusters using this technique, with the aim of looking further back in time to the earliest stage of cluster formation.

The research involved scientists from the UK, Spain, USA, Canada, Italy and South Africa. It was part funded by the Science and Technology Facilities Research Council and the UK Space Agency.

Publication: D. L. Clements, et al., “Herschel Multitiered Extragalactic Survey: clusters of dusty galaxies uncovered by Herschel and Planck,” MNRAS, 2014; doi: 10.1093/mnras/stt2253

PDF Copy of the Study: HerMES: Clusters of Dusty Galaxies Uncovered by Herschel and Planck

Image: D. Clements / ESA / NASA

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