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Kitty Dad Camp

imageCarra and I are a two-house family, she having hers and I having mine. This is due to our disagreement over the appropriate level of grain content for whole wheat bread (she favoring “Hippie Style” and me “Early 70’s Suburban Lite”), and neither of our refrigerator bread bins being large enough to contain two different loaves. We do agree on everything else, however, including the appropriate bowling ball weight for children (forty pounds). As a consequence of having two homes, though, while I am still considered “dad” to her cats, Henry and Lionel, I’m not around them as much as most dads would normally be, though—like many dads—they’re at my place on the weekends. This weekend arrangement allows Carra at least one day of freedom to vacuum recklessly; walk through her house with an assertive, long, and unobstructed adult gait; and do general housework without Henry “helping,” which is a huge time saver, especially when it comes to linen folding.

A couple times during the year, however, like when her parents are visiting from Virginia, the kidiots—Henry and Lionel, come and live at my house for an extended period of time. Like nine days. Not that I mind. Although right around day seven I start minding a little bit. Then on day eight I usually leave an open bag of Wysong Uretic and an Oscar Mayer liverwurst on the kitchen floor and go get a motel room. But as far as the initial shift over to my place goes, the cats are fine with it, because it’s “Dad Camp.” And at Dad Camp they’re free to do things they can’t do at home, like luxuriate in dad’s Elevated, Six Holed, Four-Thousand Dollar Giant Brunswick Communal Back Scratching Pit Of Felt; —and— throw up on wall to wall carpeting; —and— eat dad’s artificial plants, which is not an activity I’d expect an animal to gravitate to but apparently I was wrong, probably because they don’t get enough edible polyester at Carra’s house. I’ll need to talk to her about this.

The main reason Lionel and Henry come to my house on these occasions is because along with Carra’s parents comes Maisie the Dog. Maisie is a very cute dog, about a foot tall, fluffy, and with a delightful personality comprised of equal parts piss and vinegar, at least as far as the cats are concerned. Maisie is inclined to bark a lot at things she doesn’t understand, such as animals of a different species and the floor. Henry, unsettled by loud and high pitched creatures that are not Renee Fleming, counters this by making it clear to Maisie that this is his house—and not hers—by marking various areas of the house with easily understood signs, and I don’t mean with a pen. Lionel, on the other hand, flees to the damp darkness of the basement and there skulks with the same brooding resentment as Erik under the Paris Opera House, unseeable, unknowable, unreachable, and with no intent of rejoining either family or society until the wolverine leaves. The human part of the family—including me—thinks Maisie’s a joy, but selling that to the Vomit Brothers has been difficult, and so they come here.

While Lionel is a good sized cat, Henry is our Extra Large. Giving Henry a firm good-morning pat on the rump is like patting a pony. Doing the same to Lionel sends him flying across the room. But what Lionel lacks in machismo and girth he makes up for in smarts and his ability to handle an acetylene torch. And while Lionel is a tad aloof (read: psychotic) Henry is very loving. Henry’s only reason for existence is to have his paws in continuous interaction with your least protected body parts, preferably your face. Why? Because he is the Love Kitty. Guests find this affection endearing at first but then after twenty minutes of him kneading their throat they suddenly remember they have to pick their toddler up from the airport or something and so depart.

Now, here I have to interject and say that I enjoy a short, though peaceful and uninterrupted brandy at the end of the day. Through the use of strict conditioning I’ve done a fairly good job at keeping Henry at bay when I’m having my brandy. In order to do this I’ve developed a system of saying “No” to him four hundred times during the course of my brandy relaxation moment, which consequently causes me to take ninety minutes to drink one ounce of brandy since a lot of time is spent saying “No” as opposed to actually drinking brandy. His approach is subtle. He lays beside me on the couch but looks elsewhere. Then he stretches a bit, but in repositioning leaves one paw on my leg. Then he stretches again, and leaves a second paw on my leg. Immediately following are woeful looks of neglect which seem to say, “Father? Please, father.” I, however, do not under any circumstance make eye contact because eye contact will be interpreted as, “Yes, son, you may attach yourself to my face, like the thing in “Alien”, because I love you.” Instead I say “No” while looking forward. It’s at this point that I’m always reminded of the old story about the camel who just wanted to put his nose in his owner’s tent because it was cold outside in the desert night. I was told this story by a teacher when I was very young. “Can I just put my nose in your tent?” the camel asks. “Well, okay,” says his owner. A few minutes later the camel says, “My neck’s cold. Can I just put my neck in too?” And the owner says, “Well, okay.” And this goes on until eventually the camel is entirely in the tent and the owner is outside because there’s no room for him. As a child I never understood the point of this story. Perhaps it was to warn me that camels were jerks. Whatever the case, I knew there were no talking camels, and I mentioned this to my teacher at the time. But that’s not the point. The point is I know Henry is familiar with this story.

Lionel occasionally gets into extremely needy mode too and has to be picked up and cuddled. He announces this neediness not with his usual quaint and delicate “ma-mow,” but with this bizarre guttural yodel that upon my first hearing it made me think Moby Dick was in the living room. Comforting Lionel during these moments is something Carra is very good at. She’s able to sweep him up and cradle him in her left arm and gently massage his head and neck with her right hand. I do not have this ability. I can pick him up, but the flip and cradling maneuver confounds me and so I just hold him the same way I would hold a baby, which is the same way I would hold a machine gun. Since both of my hands are occupied, one being fore and the other aft, I have no way to massage his head or neck, and so I just jiggle him a bit while pointing him at random objects in the room hoping the sight of one of them will provide some measure of comfort and assurance, such as a poster of Joanne Woodward in “The Stripper.”

So yesterday was the last day at Dad Camp. Lionel and Henry had a good time and—actually—so did I. They’re good boys and they’re good company. When their grandma and grandpa come again I’ll be more than happy to have them back for another week or so, unless of course either Carra or I get a refrigerator with a much larger bread bin which, of course, will radically change everything. I’m not sure what we’ll do with them then should Maisie visit. Maybe we can get them a suite at the Holiday Inn. Or a flat. And jobs.

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Employment Opportunities

Members of the UGHE community are tenacious and resolute in our drive to attain social justice, make common cause with those in need, listen to and learn from others, and operate with honesty and humility as we uphold academic integrity and intellectual curiosity. We are looking for individuals committed to these values, and with a passion for health equity, to join our growing team. A list of all available positions can be found below. To apply for an opening, please visit the UGHE job board on the Partners In Health website.

Butaro, Rwanda

Boston, Mass., United States

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Opening Reception: Friday, June 3, 2016, 6-9pm

June 3 - July 31, 2016

The Ukrainian Institute of Modern Art is pleased to present “Ruminate,” a three-person exhibition of work by Robin Dluzen, Cydney Lewis and Allison Svoboda. For these three Chicago-based artists, contemplative thought processes address the confluence of and contrasts between humans and nature, using a vast range of meaningful, tactile materials.

For Robin Dluzen, the intersection of labor and landscape is at the core of her practice, and here, a new series of charcoal drawings on stretched lawn-refuse bags consider the artist’s mother’s 30-year career as a horticulturalist. In this exhibition, Dluzen redraws the precisely rendered botanical drawings created by her recently retired mother over the course of her tenure; Dluzen preserves the gestures of her mother’s hand (and even her signature), combining them with her own in works that truly have two authors, collaborating decades apart.

Cydney Lewis, too, looks to everyday materials, both embracing the lowness and the unaesthetic nature of man made matter like plastic paper towel wrapping and dry cleaning bags, and also completely transcending their humble origins. In her installation pieces, the twisted, wired plastics become extraordinarily laborious, vivid recreations of flora. Accompanying these sculptural pieces are a series of ink drawings, taking cues from the aesthetics of black and white films to address a number of symbolic dualistic tensions, including that of race.

Created during a recent fellowship studying Zen and traditional artistic techniques in Japan, Allison Svoboda exhibits a number of multimedia works that use fractals found in nature as catalysts. In her collage works, thousands of brushstrokes on paper are torn and reassembled into a monochromatic, wall-bound mandala. In Svoboda’s Scorched Vestments, a burning incense stick is the sole mark-making tool. Cotton sheets hand dyed with indigo shibori are suspended from the ceiling, suggesting a kind of soft, temple-like architecture. Light refraction from the Vernal Equinox is featured in a video piece. Together, these varied materials and processes create a rich, meditative experience.

A catalog is published in conjunction with the exhibition, featuring an essay by artist and art critic, Alan Pocaro.
Order catalog – HERE

Cover Image:
Robin Dluzen, Drawing of a Drawing My Mom Made (Pineapple), 2016,
Charcoal on lawn refuse bags and stretcher, 56 x 64 in.


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August 30, 2018 / 7:59 AM / 6 months ago

Pearson focused on Olympics after Commonwealth letdown

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australian hurdler Sally Pearson is determined to have one last tilt at Olympic glory in Tokyo even if it means turning her world championship defence into a “side run” next year.

FILE PHOTO - Athletics - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games - Carrara Stadium - Gold Coast, Australia - April 13, 2018. Australia's Sally Pearson before the start of the evening session. REUTERS/Paul Childs

The former Olympic champion was struck down by a serious Achilles injury before her home Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast earlier this year but has returned to training with a view to competing in Australia’s domestic season in coming months.

Pearson will be on the cusp of 34 when the 2020 Olympics roll around, but she will focusing her preparations on the Games rather than next year’s world championships in Doha.

“I know that we’re planning for the world championships next year and that’s really important for our sport and really important to me because I love the world championships and have had quite a lot of success there,” the 100 metres hurdles world champion told local media at Athletics Australia’s season launch on Thursday.

“But the Olympics are the ultimate - everyone wants to win those and everyone wants to get that Olympic cycle right.

“So everything I do now is planning for the Olympics - with a side run at the world championships.

“Because they are so close together, there won’t be a lot of downtime between Doha and Tokyo.”

After claiming silver in her pet event at the 2013 worlds, the 2012 London Olympics champion endured three injury-ravaged seasons and nearly retired in despair after missing out on her title defence at the 2016 Rio Games.

But she coached herself back to fitness and form to win the 100m hurdles at last year’s world championships in London, six years after her first title in Daegu.

On the comeback trail after another big injury setback, Pearson said she would be selective about her events to nurse her body through the Olympic cycle.

“Now that I have that experience of what my body can and can’t do I’ll make sure I do everything I possibly can to back up from Doha going into Tokyo in the best possible shape,” she said.

“But I can’t stay away for too long ... I love to compete so it was never going to be a motivation problem.”

Reporting by Ian Ransom; Editing by Peter Rutherford

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February 13, 2019 / 9:23 PM / 3 days ago

Johnson & Johnson supplier seeks bankruptcy over talc lawsuits

(Reuters) - A key supplier of talc used in Johnson & Johnson’s baby powder filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Wednesday in the wake of multibillion-dollar lawsuits alleging its products caused ovarian cancer and asbestos-related mesothelioma.

FILE PHOTO: A bottle of Johnson and Johnson Baby Powder is seen in a photo illustration taken in New York, February 24, 2016. REUTERS/Mike Segar/Illustration

Imerys Talc America, the U.S. unit of French group Imerys SA, said it filed for bankruptcy because it lacks the financial clout to defend against nearly 15,000 lawsuits over its talc mineral product, which is also used in cosmetics.

Imerys said that while it continued to believe the lawsuits are without merit, the prospect of rising settlement and defense costs over the next few years prompted the decision to file for bankruptcy.

They also cite a multibillion-dollar verdict against Johnson & Johnson and the ensuing media attention as factors that led to the Chapter 11 filing.

In July, a Missouri jury ordered J&J to pay a record $4.69 billion (3.65 billion pounds) to 22 women who said asbestos in talc caused ovarian cancer. J&J has said it is appealing that verdict.

Imerys said it had settled for an undisclosed amount prior to the trial.

Imerys also attributed its filing to a dispute over an indemnity agreement. Imerys said some of its supply agreements required J&J to indemnify Imerys, but it said the U.S. healthcare conglomerate had refused to do.

Imerys and J&J have repeatedly denied the allegations about talc, saying numerous studies and tests by regulators worldwide have shown their talc to be safe.

J&J on Wednesday declined to comment on Imerys Talc America’s Chapter 11 filing and on the allegations against it over the indemnification agreements.

Reuters on Dec. 14 published a report detailing that J&J knew that the talc in its raw and finished powders sometimes tested positive for small amounts of asbestos from the 1970s into the early 2000s - test results it did not disclose to regulators or consumers.

J&J has said that its talc products do not contain asbestos.

Imerys said bankruptcy provided the best avenue for addressing its talc liability.

Bankruptcy provides Imerys a single forum to settle the widespread litigation. A similar strategy has been used by numerous companies facing litigation over faulty breast implants, products containing asbestos and recalled automotive airbags.

Two North American subsidiaries of Imerys, Imerys Talc Vermont and Imerys Talc Canada, also filed for Chapter 11 on Wednesday.

Total revenue in 2018 for Imerys Talc America was $174 million, according to records filed with the Delaware Bankruptcy Court.

Imerys said in court documents it plans to use bankruptcy to establish a trust to pay personal injury claims, a strategy typically used by companies facing asbestos claims.

When the company leaves bankruptcy, current and future litigation claims will be channeled to the trust rather than Imerys, which would be freed from future lawsuits over talc.

Imerys could finance the trust with the disputed indemnity agreement with J&J and its right to insurance proceeds, which the company estimated could be worth around $700 million. It said it also has a right to an undetermined portion of up to $2 billion of Johnson & Johnson’s insurance.

However, the company said some of the policies exclude asbestos claims and none of them cover claims in which the first exposure occurred after 1986. In addition, punitive damages are often not covered.

Imerys said it could exhaust some of those insurance proceeds within the first half of this year defending cases.

Court records show that the defense of a single case can cost $4 million.

As a co-defendant with J&J, Imerys has faced at least a dozen U.S. jury trials over allegations that its talc causes ovarian cancer or mesothelioma.

While some juries awarded damages as high as $2.75 million against Imerys Talc America, many verdicts were later thrown out on appeal.

Imerys and J&J have also won several trials or had cases result in mistrials due to hung juries.

The verdicts against the company are all still on appeal and Imerys has not yet paid any of those verdicts. However, the company settled at least four cases before they went to trial for undisclosed amounts.

Mark Lanier, a Texas-based lawyer representing many of the talc plaintiffs, on Wednesday said Imerys Talc America’s bankruptcy would not change the litigation.

“We have always targeted our cases against J&J and Colgate Palmolive, the companies that put the asbestos laced talc into the products,” Lanier said.

Colgate-Palmolive is another defendant in the U.S. talc litigation. The New York-based company sold Cashmere Bouquet, a cosmetic talcum powder, from 1871 to 1995.

Colgate did not respond to a request for comment. It has denied allegations that its talc products cause cancer.

Additional reporting by Tamara Mathias in Bengaluru; Editing Bill Berkrot

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My Greatest Barkingside Team

Adam Dennehey has settled in to his new life in Norfolk, and has written a great article for us on his best ever Barkingside XI.

During the last fortnight or so before my family’s move to Norfolk I began to think about what my greatest Redbridge and Barkingside teams were that I had seen during my involvement with both Oakside clubs since 2006. Both sides have had good and bad times during those years, which I could go into great detail about at another time.

Before one of my last Barkingside games I gave one of my old football books to their historian and super fan Rob. In the opening couple of pages to the book I jotted down a ‘thank-you’ message to Rob – for being a good mate over my seasons spent at the club – which included what I believed to be my Greatest Barkingside XI.

After my move to Norfolk, after chatting to two of Barkingside’s current players Mark Steadman and Richard Oxby on Twitter after their weekend win against Barking, I decided to tweet the picture of my team jotted down in the book given to Rob to see what some of Barkingside’s current and ex-players would have to say after mentioning to Steadman that he was in the side.

So below if you haven’t already seen it is my Greatest Barkingside XI, including subs as every great side always has to have options on the bench!

side_dream_xiMy goalkeeper had to be Leigham Stone. An immense young keeper who in all honesty is too good for ESL football. Has previously played for Barking. Despite only signing for ‘Side this season, he gets in due to shear consistency. A great shot-stopper and one who can certainly go up the leagues.

My full-backs are Harry Stevens and Paul Kavanagh. Stevens came to the fore under Tony Fenn in 2008 and had a great season with the club,. An excellent player going forwards with the ball who wasn’t scared to make a crunching-tackle when needed. Today Harry is at Southminster playing in the Essex Olympian League. Has experience with Burnham and is another one who if given the chance would do well at a higher level.

The left-back position was an easy one. Kavanagh was immense for ‘Side in 07/08 chipping in with some vital goals including a memorable free-kick against Hanwell Town in the FA Cup. Has a peach of a left-foot and is an excellent crosser of the ball. Very rarely made a bad challenge. Rejoined the club in the summer and has been a key part of manager Matt Frew’s team this season.

Speaking of Frew aka Burgers/Burgs he’s in at centre-half alongside Dave Cooper. Both players are no-nonsense defenders and will chip in with 4-5 goals throughout the season. Both are brave and not afraid to get hurt and have proven popular with the club’s ‘die-hard’ fans. A great blend of youth and experience.

In midfield it was a bit more difficult but Greg Thompson and Dominic Harkins had to be picked. Both are ‘Legends’ of the club and formed a great partnership down the years. Harkins is very much like Paul Scholes. A great passer of the ball, not the best tackler. He was always in the team and gave his all. The only thing he lacked was height. He’d be the captain.

Thompson gets in due to his work-rate and eye for goal. A great box-to-box player and a smashing striker of the ball, it was very uncommon for the midfielder not to have a pop from long-distance. A proven player at ESL level who would get you 7-8 goals a season. His link-up play with Harkins would create plenty of goals.

Sitting in holding-midfield would be Gabriel Onrieti. Like Stone he only joined ‘Side this season but has arguably for me been their player of the year. He reminds me a lot of Ramires. He’s quick, excellent going forward, a great passer of the ball and a great team-man. Arrives late in the box to score and works his socks off defensively. He never looks tired!

My attacking-midfielder just behind the strikers would be Leon Diaczuk who was at Manchester United as a youngster. Despite him being a Manchester City fan, it would be hard to leave him out. Another player with a good work-rate, he has a good eye for goal. Not bad on penalties either.

Up top it would be the aforementioned Steadman and Warren Bennett. Steadman refers to himself as the ESL’s best marksmen and despite only scoring 5 times in 25 apps this season it would be hard to leave him out. He emerged from park-football in 2007 to be the club’s first-choice striker in 2007/08 and has been a fan-favourite in his stints with the club.

Bennett for a while was my favourite ‘Side player for a couple of years after the tall forward scored a hat-trick against Stansted in an 8-1 victory in my first Barkingside match back in December 2006. On his day he could be unplayable. His last spell with the club came in 2009 when he helped them win silverware in the ESL League Cup.

On the subs bench I’ve gone for 1 forward, 2 midfielders, 1 defender and a sub-keeper.

The only pure-forward on the bench would be Chris Lewis who scored a bucket-load of goals for ‘Side in his first season. A likeable lad who would be ideal to come off the bench and grab a late-goal. I don’t think he’d be happy on the bench though!

The midfielders on the bench would be Jordan Tolan who just missed out in the starting XI behind Thompson. Shares the same qualities in having an eye for goal from long-range. Would get 10-15 goals a season without even breaking sweat. A good penalty taker too.

Mark Doyle can play anywhere really. Would give cover at the back, on the wing and up front. Doyley scored a memorable hat-trick against Stewart & Lloyds in the FA Cup in 2007/08 where his partnership with Steadman proved too hot for defences to handle. A great option to have on the bench.

The only pure defender I’ve got is Corey Ellis. A great athlete who works as Teacher. Was immense for the club over 2 spells. A popular lad who often picked up knocks as a result of being too brave for his own good. Had a mean throw-in, not that I’d want my team to just rely on them for goals!

Chris Clark is the only other keeper that came to mind when thinking about my team. Clark has just so happened to have rejoined the club as back-up to Stone and is still probably as good as he was during the 2007/08 season when he played a huge-role in the club’s success that year.

It’s great to have you back on the site Adam! Follow Adam on twitter: @ADennehey87

About James Bartaby

Hey, I'm James and I'm relatively new to non-league football, having only taken in my first match in September 2011. Despite it being a 0-4 defeat for Hampton & Richmond Borough, I became a huge fan of the club and NL in general. So much so that they are now the first club that I mention when talking about which team I support! I just got massively disillusioned with top flight football in this country and the attitudes of the lawmakers and top clubs in general, and I wanted to start taking my son to see decent football. I am now the club's Deputy Press Officer, and loving every minute!

Posted on April 5, 2013, in UTL Archive and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.

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Introducing a Fresher Helio.

On Tuesday, we released our first visual update of Helio since its conception. We focused on improving information architecture, visual consistency, and updates under the hood. Here are a few things that you’ll notice:

  • A New Top Bar. We simplified the top bar to three core areas:
    • Projects. Here you’ll find all of your projects and tests.
    • Lists. As an enterprise user, you’ll be able to manage your internal lists to send tests out to your specific audience.
    • Teams. As an enterprise user, you’ll also also be able to manage teammates within your Team Account.
  • Fresh and Clean. We brightened up the colors to make the experience a little more crisp and pleasing on the eyes.
  • Clearer Metadata. We’ve made information like number of total responses and number of filtered responses clearer.
  • Test Statuses. In a report view, you’ll now be able to clearly see what stat your test is in, with a description, as well as actions you can perform (copy, order more responses, etc…)
  • Design Insights Are Now Observations. As we’ve been honing in our Advocacy methods at ZURB, we’ve updated the terminology of how we record data within the app -- we’re calling these Observations which are used to get us to Design Insights.
  • Security Updates. We’re staying up-to-date with the latest patches for the Meltdown and Spectre exploits as well as updating to Ruby 2.5.0.
  • Improvements Under the Hood. We’ve also moved to a more sustainable flexbox approach the CSS and improved the underlying architecture for the app. Updates can be released faster than ever!

The Helio Team is really proud of the new updates and want to make sure we’re delivering the best experience for you!

Have any questions or issues? Email us at [email protected] so we can help you out!


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Falling in Love with Mother Earth

By Thich Nhat Hanh on Friday March 2nd, 2018

We and the Earth are One

The Earth is our mother, nourishing and protecting us in every moment–giving us air to breathe, fresh water to drink, food to eat and healing herbs to cure us when we are sick. Every breath we inhale contains our planet’s nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor and trace elements. When we breathe with mindfulness, we can experience our interbeing with the Earth’s delicate atmosphere, with all the plants, and even with the sun, whose light makes possible the miracle of photosynthesis. With every breath, we can experience communion. With every breath, we can savor the wonders of life.

We need to change our way of thinking and seeing things. We need to realise that the Earth is not just our environment. The Earth is not something outside of us. Breathing with mindfulness and contemplating your body, you realise that you are the Earth. You realise that your consciousness is also the consciousness of the Earth. Look around you–what you see is not your environment, it is you.

Great Mother Earth

Whatever nationality or culture we belong to, whatever religion we follow, whether we’re Buddhists, Christians, Muslims, Jews, or atheists, we can all see that the Earth is not inert matter. She is a great being, who has herself given birth to many other great beings–including Buddhas and bodhisattvas, prophets and saints, sons and daughters of God and humankind. The Earth is a loving mother, nurturing and protecting all peoples and all species without discrimination.

The Earth is our motherThe Earth is our mother, nourishing and protecting us in every moment.

When you realise the Earth is so much more than simply your environment, you’ll be moved to protect her in the same way as you would yourself. This is the kind of awareness, the kind of awakening that we need, and the future of the planet depends on whether we’re able to cultivate this insight or not. The Earth and all species on Earth are in real danger. Yet if we can develop a deep relationship with the Earth, we’ll have enough love, strength and awakening in order to change our way of life.

Falling in Love

We can all experience a feeling of deep admiration and love when we see the great harmony, elegance and beauty of the Earth. A simple branch of a cherry blossom, the shell of a snail or the wing of a bat–all bear witness to the Earth’s masterful creativity. Every advance in our scientific understanding deepens our admiration and love for this wondrous planet. When we can truly see and understand the Earth, love is born in our hearts. We feel connected. That is the meaning of love: To be at one.

Only when we’ve truly fallen back in love with the Earth will our actions spring from reverence, and the insight of our interconnectedness. Yet many of us have become alienated from the Earth. We are lost, isolated and lonely. We work too hard, our lives are too busy, and we are restless and distracted, losing ourselves in consumption. But the Earth is always there for us, offering us everything we need for our nourishment and healing: The miraculous grain of corn, the refreshing stream, the fragrant forest, the majestic snow-capped mountain peak, and the joyful birdsong at dawn.

Alienated from the EarthMany of us have become alienated from the Earth. We are lost, isolated and lonely.

True Happiness is Made of Love

Many of us think we need more money, more power or more status before we can be happy. We’re so busy spending our lives chasing after money, power and status that we ignore all the conditions for happiness already available. At the same time, we lose ourselves in buying and consuming things we don’t need, putting a heavy strain on both our bodies and the planet. Yet much of what we drink, eat, watch, read or listen to, is toxic and is polluting our bodies and minds with violence, anger, fear and despair.

As well as the carbon dioxide pollution of our physical environment, we can speak of the spiritual pollution of our human environment: The toxic and destructive atmosphere we’re creating with our way of consuming. We need to consume in such a way that truly sustains our peace and happiness. Only when we’re sustainable as humans will our civilization become sustainable. It is possible to be happy in the here and the now.

We don’t need to consume a lot to be happy; in fact, we can live very simply. With mindfulness, any moment can become a happy moment. Savoring one simple breath, taking a moment to stop and contemplate the bright blue sky, or to fully enjoy the presence of a loved one, can be more than enough to make us happy. Each one of us needs to come back to reconnect with ourselves, with our loved ones and with the Earth. It’s not money, power or consuming that can make us happy, but having love and understanding in our heart.

Connection and love creates happinessWith mindfulness, any moment can become a happy moment.

The Bread in Your Hand is the Body of the Cosmos

We need to consume in such a way that keeps our compassion alive. And yet many of us consume in a way that is very violent. Forests are cut down to raise cattle for beef, or to grow grain for liquor, while millions in the world are dying of starvation. Reducing the amount of meat we eat and alcohol we consume by 50% is a true act of love for ourselves, for the Earth and for one another. Eating with compassion can already help transform the situation our planet is facing, and restore balance to ourselves and the Earth.

Nothing is More Important than Brotherhood and Sisterhood

There’s a revolution that needs to happen and it starts from inside each one of us. We need to wake up and fall in love with Earth. We’ve been homo sapiens for a long time. Now it’s time to become homo conscious. Our love and admiration for the Earth has the power to unite us and remove all boundaries, separation and discrimination. Centuries of individualism and competition have brought about tremendous destruction and alienation. We need to re-establish true communication–true communion–with ourselves, with the Earth, and with one another, as children of the same mother. We need more than new technology to protect the planet. We need real community and co-operation.

All civilisations are impermanent and must come to an end one day. But if we continue on our current course, there’s no doubt that our civilisation will be destroyed sooner than we think. The Earth may need millions of years to heal, to retrieve her balance and restore her beauty. She will be able to recover, but we humans and many other species will disappear, until the Earth can generate conditions to bring us forth again in new forms. Once we can accept the impermanence of our civilization with peace, we will be liberated from our fear. Only then will we have the strength, awakening and love we need to bring us together. Cherishing our precious Earth–falling in love with the Earth–is not an obligation. It is a matter of personal and collective happiness and survival.

How do you feel about this article? Join the conversation.

Words By Thich Nhat Hanh

Originally posted on Films for Action, A Learning Library for Changing the World

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22 Responses to Falling in Love with Mother Earth

  1. “(…)There’s a revolution that needs to happen(…)”
    The revolution is already happening. It is time to join wholefully. Become more one with yourself and find your brothers and sisters and show them the beauty of becoming mindful.
    By eating, loving and being with them.
    There is hope and there are many people already finding this.
    It is so beautiful, to not be alone.
    Thank you

  2. I love this. The only way we are going to stop the destruction of our beautiful earth is to recognize our profound interconnection with all of life. Thankfully, there is a growing change of consciousness that is present in our world. With this change comes hope for a more sustainable future.

  3. This is all completely true. I would add however, that in order to save the natural environment, we must also love urban places as deeply, work to heal them also. With a growing population, we are becoming an increasingly urban species. Bees build hives, ants build colonies, humans build villages, towns, cities. As the teacher Michael Stone has told us, we need a “Deeper Materialism” of relationship to the material world, not a spirituality of mere transcendence. This deeper materialism must include human artifacts. Cities are the cup into which we pour our deep cultural desires; we have done a terrible job of creating lovable cities, and there are time-honored ways of doing so, in harmony with natural systems. We must not continue a false dichotomy of Human versus Nature; our creations are a part of natural systems. We must love urbanism, at all its levels of intensity, as well as the natural world.

  4. Thank you for sharing this beautiful article.
    Falling in love with the earth is like falling in love with ourselves. Feeling save and supported in a healthy community, is key to be able to feel safe enough to come out of hiding and to start healing. Movement Medicine is one of such communities were we cherish our diversity, were we recognize our responsibilities our own empowerment; where we remember who we are, step by step, so we can heal together the falling out of love with ourselves and therefore with pachamama loving earth.
    And step by step we rebuild this deeper connection to the unbroken inside us.
    Each of us needs support, ask for help, awaken the warrior inside us, the wise elder who already loves who we are and while we may become, the dancing sacred fool, who is able to see things from a different perspective – who has the power to recreate.
    Recreating a new story, a story that guides us through the waters of the unknown with the intention to realize that we are all connected, that all life, is sacred.
    Supported and strengthened together so that we can dream together, Co create and recreate for all our relations. May it be so

  5. We need to fall “back” in love with the earth. Something that our Ancestors knew & still know. Sacred Mother Earth will always be here. She will heal with or without our help. If we don’t smarten up & drastically change our way of doing & thinking, life on this planet, as we know it, will cease to exist. Forgive me, but sometimes I think She just might be better off. It seems that by the time we humans reach “critical mass” thinking & doing it just might be too late. Tell me there’s hope, PLEASE!!!!!

  6. This is a beautiful article and so true. We need to take much more care of the earth and treat her more respectfully. Each of us has this responsibility. We need to start now before it is too late.

  7. I am very much in LOVE with Mother Earth and Honor Her and give thanks, everyday, and understand that we are ALL ONE! What no one talks about or may not know about, is what is happening in the SKIES!! The highly poisonous and toxic, white streaks caused by U.S. Military planes, then forming poisonous clouds, causing white haze and blocking the sun. The AIR WE BREATHE is no longer pure, the sky is no longer BLUE, vegetation is dying, as are birds, trees, animals and our Planet Earth is in danger of dying too. This has been going on for decades, but much worse recently. LOOK UP AND SEE FOR YOURSELVES, ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS……..especially here on the Coast. Islands are no longer visible, just a white haze!! PLEASE LOOK UP: GEOENGINEEINGWATCH.ORG AND YOU’LL BE FLABBERGASTED!!

  8. What I fear is seeing more and more of the beauties of our beloved planet disappearing under the exponential growth of human habitations. How can one regain a sense of wonder and humility when the wonders are rapidly disappearing?

  9. What about the animals?.. humans harm, torture and kill about 200 billion animals every year! And eat their tortured flesh! Humans are 7,3 billions.. The planet is drowning in blood and gore! No! not one word about these spiritual beings, our companions on this planet… These words are full of, in twisted way, The Human Ego… We Worship our selves… we are only legends in our small twisted minds… God Bless The Animals! It´s time we stop looking at our selves through our eyes and practice seeing us through the eyes of the animals! ..and of course Nature! Then we can start truly seeing what kind of beings we are! …No we are not nice beings to say the least…

    • “We will be known forever by the tracks we leave.” -Native American proverb. “What we choose to eat is killing us and our planet.” -Comfortably Unaware by Dr. Richard A. Oppenlander. “The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” -Mahatma Gandhi.

  10. Communication is love.
    Communicate this to others.
    Send it, print it, give it away.
    Manifest the idea. Agree with someone to show earth your collective love.
    Then do all this…..again…..and some more.

  11. oneness of self and the environment. we can only truly appreciate our deep connection to the world, our environment, when we nurture a deep connection to our self.

    ps. these images are beautiful, it would be great to know the source and credit the artist

  12. Joy in my heart to see the way many people are falling back in love with our beautiful “MOTHER” Now we need to be the majority. Blessings for UPLIFT💕💕

  13. Yes, I have lived off the grid for many years. Trying to keep my life print small as possible. I have tried to teach all my grandchildren how important each action they take has consequences….

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Making minds happier

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I’m a WordPress guru, are you?

Many of my friends don’t actually know what I do with computers…

Well, it’s safe to say I’m a WordPress guru.

* I have installed WordPress so many times, I’ve lost count.
* I’ve migrated several web sites to different servers. On several occasions, I helped after the transfer was botched — I was called in on an emergency basis.
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A lot of work goes into reducing the amount of spam our server processes.

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UptimeHosting Gets a New Look

We finally put to rest the old uptimehosting.com php site that I wanted as simple as possible. That insistence cost me a lot of brownie points at Google, however.

We found a great theme called Pytheas from the people at WPExplorer and without much difficulty, we setup this web site that is professional, impactful and easy-to-use.

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Laughter & Breath

Have you ever laughed so hard that you can’t breathe? Your stomach aches, tears are rolling down your face, and your body is hunched over as you gasp for air!

Robert Beck examines the link between laughter and breathwork.

Laughter is good for you! My theatre company Oop-La! dedicates itself to making people laugh and spreading joy through stupidity. Image by Angus Stewart.

It is a fact, almost universally agreed, that laughter is good for you. Little is known about exactly why we laugh. It’s an automatic reaction to external stimulus. In a similar way to the way we might gasp when we see something shocking, we laugh when we see something that amuses us. It is often something that we cannot control. How many of us have got a case of the giggles at the most inappropriate of times? I remember vividly being stuck down by uncontrollable laughter when I was being told off at school. Something about my teacher’s red face as he yelled at me was really, REALLY funny! Laughter can get us into trouble but it feels so good to do.

Laughter is linked to endorphins in our brain that appear to be released when we see something that tickles us. Like when you eat a good meal or exercise, chemically, laughter makes us feel better. I guess what I’m trying to say is that laughter is a natural high! Therefore, much like breathwork, a regular practice of laughter can be of real benefit to your health. In fact, it is having a breathwork practice and an awareness of my breath that has made me all the more appreciative of the power of laughter.

I am a clown. I don’t juggle or walk on a tight-rope. However, I do make a habit of trying to make people laugh. Sometimes more successfully than others! Here again, breath is incredibly important and inextricably linked to laughter. In order to make people laugh, I have to be aware of my body and my breathing. As many performers will attest to, before I go on stage I steady my breathing and centre myself. Maybe I’ll do a few sun salutations and a stretch or two. I focus on my breath making sure that I am taking on enough oxygen so that I feel ready to go out on stage and make my audience keel over laughing!

I am a clown! I make a habit of trying to make people laugh.

A large chunk of my clowning is done through lip-synch and, once again, in order for this to work, I have to be aware of my breath. When I learn a track, I listen carefully to the speaker’s breath. Do they breathe deeply or do they grab short little breaths as they speak? Breathe is linked to posture and, therefore, once I understand how the character breathes I can begin to understand how they may stand, move, and interact with the world around them. I approach lip-synching as if it were really me saying the words. When I lip-synch a song I imagine I am really about to sing. Where are the pauses for breath and how do they affect my performance. Breath is the key to an accurate lip-synch.

I feel the same way after a breathwork session as I do after I have been laughing. I’m a bit spaced out, my body feels a little weird and I may well have been crying. However, I also feel lighter, like a weight has been lifted, and I’m ready to face the world anew. I owe a lot to breathwork and I owe a lot to laughter. Both have helped me through some difficult times and both continue to aid me in my personal growth and that’s no joke!

I owe a lot to breathwork and I owe a lot to laughter. Both have helped me through some difficult times.

Robert (Bubbles) Beck is urbanLIFECLASS’ group PA and administrator. He trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in Advanced Theatre Practice. He has also trained with the eminent clown master, Philippe Gaulier. He will be performing in the show ‘Encore, Encore!’ at Camden People’s Theatre on 24th March as part of Sprint Festival. Tickets available here:

For more information on his theatre company Oop-La! visit:

Fore more information on his work with urbanLIFECLASS check out his page:

Breathe with a BANG! . . November London Breathwork

NOVEMBER is nearly upon us…
After two hugely successful sessions in October and with another full-booked session on the 30th of this month, we’re now looking ahead to . . .

. . . next month’s pop-up breathe on Saturday November 17th.

12noon – 4pm

THIS WILL BE THE ONLY SESSION THIS MONTH due to David’s travel plans so do book onto this workshop ASAP if you are looking for a session in November.

Each Saturday Group 12 noon – 4pm gives those who travel from afar a chance to attend. This group involves a Group Discussion before a I hour GROUP BREATHE.  Perfect for those new and interested or curious about benefits of Breathwork, Relationship and Codependency Recovery.

Fee £50. 5 participants max.

It will take place 12pm – 4pm in Mornington Crescent

Contact us on or call David on 020 7388 3109 to secure your place on this session.

Cash, Paypal or Bank transfer

As standard with a small group, if you have confirmed attendance and you cannot attend for any reason PAYMENT must be paid, if you or we cannot fill the place.

Nana 13

Can you imagine what would happen if you drove a car without lessons? . . . straight to A&E no doubt. Yet most people have no training whatsoever in RELATIONSHIPS and expect a glowing result and a healthy outcome, with no training at all. MADNESS.

If everyone dealt with their codependency issues the world would spin on it’s axis overnight, which is why this is a number one priority for wellness.

Many have also discovered that ditching or being aware of romantic tyranny is a well played lesson to perfect. Divorce and break-up figures suggest that instead of £15,000 average spend on wedding day nuptials, just spending a fraction of this on therapy, relationship counselling and codependency work BEFORE you tie the knot makes common long-term sense.

Check out elements of this blog site to improve ALL of YOUR RELATIONSHIPS – with people, money, work and work life balance, debt, stress, contentment, depression, joy and ACTION. No day is ever the same, nor are relationships.

No more people-pleasing, needless perfectionism, pointless procrastination and the emotional killer called PROJECTION – companion to anxiety and worry.

BREATHWORK and CODA COACHING will change your life and rebrand your thinking.

Nana 13

New Ideas, London Autumn Breathwork Groups + 121.

Notes from David . . .

After a rethink, during my well-needed Summer Break, we will no longer be doing regular Evening Breathes as before but start to create POP UP BREATHES with new times and formats.

One on a different week night per month and one on a SATURDAY afternoon per month. Both groups will be for 5 participants max and achieve different aims.

Autumn is already getting jammed, I will be in Athens in October & Marrakech in November on rest breaks.

Many new exciting avenues of Breathwork coming up, including Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy Combination work . . .

. . plus UK travel plans in 2019 will be prolifically irregular and busy.

The MONTHLY EVENING BREATHE is from 7.00 – 9.00 pm, giving time to get home in dark winter weather. This 2 hour group is for those who have experienced OVER 5 BREATHWORK GROUP BREATHES and will include no discussion period before Breathing.

Perfect for those who need a TOP-UP BREATHE once a month. After introductions the 1 hour Breathwork session will start dead on 7.30 pm and finish one hour later, leaving 30 mins to share, eat fruit and leave for home.

Fee £30.  5 participants max.

Wednesday OCTOBER 3rd 7 -9pm

& Tuesday October 30th: 7pm – 9pm

Payment can be made on the day if a returning client, but will be due in advance if first time with us. As this is a very small group, for any reason should you be unable to attend and we are unable to fill your place with another participant, then payment will still be required.

Payment can be made by Cash on the day, PAYPAL with Debit or Credit Cards or ask for Bank Transfer details.

Each Saturday Group 12 noon – 4pm gives those who travel from afar a chance to attend. This group WILL involve a Group Discussion before a GROUP BREATH plus written work. Perfect for those new and interested or curious about benefits of Breathwork, Relationship and Codependency Recovery.

Fee £50. 5 participants max.

Saturday 20th OCTOBER 12pm – 4pm

 & Saturday 17th NOVEMBER 12pm – 4pm

Both groups will be in Euston / Mornington Crescent venue

Payment can be made on the day if a returning client, but will be due in advance if first time with us. As this is a very small group, for any reason should you be unable to attend and we are unable to fill your place with another participant, then payment will still be required.

Payment can be made by Cash on the day, PAYPAL with Debit or Credit Cards or ask for Bank Transfer details.

Or experience Private 121 Coaching Sessions with or without Breathwork :

2 hours – Fortnightly or Monthly – £120 / 3 hours £150  Fortnightly or Monthly. Afternoons, Evenings or Weekends.

Financial unreliability can be discussed if funds are stopping you from Personal Growth work – Just ask – and a budget package can be created.

Payment can be made by PAYPAL on Debit or Credit Cards or cash on the day.

Please get in touch at or call David 020 7388 3109 to reserve your place on any of our workshops.

Adam Spreadbury-Maher shares his thoughts on Breathwork and our Marrakech Retreat 2018.

Olivier Award Winner Adam Spreadbury-Maher is an Australian/Irish Theatre Artistic Director, Producer and Writer. He is the founding Artistic Director of the Cock Tavern Theatre, OperaUpClose and The Hope Theatre, and is the current artistic director of the Kings Head Theatre, Islington. London.

“Initially attending a one day Evolutionary Breathwork workshop in Central London, I decided to take the plunge and travel to Marrakech on the week long Breathwork retreat in March that David and his team hold annually. I didn’t know what to expect, though I went along with an open mind and heart.”

“The week long retreat was co-led with established breath worker Luisa Bradshaw, a partnership that accounts for over 45 years combined experience, buckets of empathy and good humour, and I felt ‘emotionally safe’ from the start.

Based at a beautiful and comfortable 4-star riad-style hotel, just off the beaten track and hustle and bustle of the main square, in the Kasbah medina, our group was gently eased into the course with care and compassion over the first 2 days in the hotel with hammam, steamed, washed, scrubbed and relaxed in the Spa plus daily group breathwork for emotional and body release.”

“The schedule had plenty of time for us to spend together socialising at meals or relaxing by the pool, alone in solitude and reflection, plus visits to some of Marrakesh’s most exquisite gardens. The day trip to the Ourika Valley at the foot of the Atlas Mountains was a particular highlight for me, along with silent walks in the stunning Anima Garden en route in the morning.”

“Throughout the week, not only was I able to spend sometime focussing on a cleaner and better relationship with myself, I was also able to make new friends and deepen existing relationships.

This is breathwork for today’s pragmatic realistic, who is happy to dodge the crystals and dolphin music; it’s effective, self-led ( yet supported and guided ) self growth therapeutic practice.

Quite unexpectantly, Conscious Connected Breathwork with David Parker has had a hugely positive impact on my life and well being. I recommend David, Luisa and their team unreservedly, in fact . . . I’ve already signed up for next year!”

Adam Spreadbury-Maher

Winter Update : Tales of the Unexpected.

Tales of the Unexpected. #BREATHE
I took a planned 7 Day no-work break in Tenerife mid January with no schedule, and had no idea I would be driven up to “Pura Vida” in Bajamar, North East Tenerife for a gathering of some of Tenerife’s most experienced Rebirthing Breathworkers “Colectivo de Renacedores de Canarias”. A workshop and a full breathe from 10-2, then a hearty lunch with Agustín Hernández plus Silke Modersohn who created the centre “Pura Vida” for yoga, rebirthing and relationship work. Thanks all for such a warm welcoming experience

10 days before my trip I collapsed at home with a very high heartbeat and had to call an ambulance, then an overnight stay so my long used angina meds could be adjusted. According to the Doc, the structure of the heart changes and so meds needs review and at 71 this year I took it seriously and still under the care of University College Hospital for monitoring. I asked whether the stent I had fitted 13 years ago was working, and the reply was “Yes, if it wasn’t, you would have had a heart attack.” Both my parents died instantly with heart attacks – so I am prepared to break the pattern!. ❤ #BREATHE

Luckily they let me get to Tenerife as planned but while away I decided to have a break on return to London, and curtail Evening Breathwork Groups till after we return from Marrakech. ❤

Our Annual Breathwork Retreat in Marrakech is FULL ❤ #BREATHE

but you can read more here :

MARCH Evening Breathwork Dates are here – Please BOOK EARLY to avoid disappointment

March 2018-page-001

Mo Haque ‘Cancer Recoverer’, rates Breathwork as a regular practice for healing and emotional release.

Mo Haque returns to ITV London News 18 months after crowdfunding for immunotherapy cancer treatment, sharing his incredible progress. He also shares an exclusive cover for his book ‘Choosing To Stay: How Cancer Gave Me My Life Back’ – For more information about the book visit

Mo Haque writes

I began Evolutionary ‘Rebirthing’ Breathwork for the first time in March 2016, a time when my terminal cancer was growing and spreading, a time when the NHS decided against funding a breakthrough immunotherapy treatment for me.

Fundraising a total of £200,000 was a daunting prospect, yet it was my last resort to give myself a chance to live. With help from family, friends and strangers, we raised close to £190,000 allowing me to have a year of immunotherapy treatment. My tumours have subsequently reduced and 6 months on from stopping the treatment (May 2017), the tumours have been stable thankfully.

David Parker’s UrbanLIFECLASS breathwork groups have been an integral part of the process for me. I have been attending every single month which allows me to explore themes that I have been suppressing over the years, whilst learning and integrating new behaviours. Behaviours such as asking for help, receiving help, saying no, establishing and maintaining boundaries.

The sessions also allow me to make sense and feel the emotion from my most recent struggles and release any build up, as and when they occur. They also allow me to acknowledge my successes and encourage me to remember to do things I enjoy even if that means ‘doing nothing’, rather to purely just be. But perhaps more crucial is the learning that I get from hearing other peoples shares.

With individual work with David, I have also found that my creativity has flourished and opportunities continue to open up, since attending regular sessions, like writing my book; Choosing To Stay: How Cancer Gave Me My Life Back, published in the forthcoming year 2018.

I have spoken in Parliament, been on TV several times and being invited to speak on various stages to share my story. I have also been getting involved with different cancer communities and charities contributing to publications, policy documents as well as attending Government meetings.

I continue to take one day at a time, whilst holding an intention to serve and share. The breathwork is a reminder to stay present and live in the moment whilst being mindful of the 4 P’s of destruction; Procrastination, Perfectionism, Projection and People-pleasing.

Breathwork practice has become a staple part of my monthly self care.

Mo Haque Book Cover


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URGH! A Music Blog

I Was Your Destination!

Posted in Dance,DT8 Project,Music Videos by M on October 17, 2006

Roxanne Wilde in the video for DT8 Project’s Destination

Check it out! Swiss blogger Mischi-Man turns us on to the new DT8 Project video for “Destination”, featuring Roxanne Wilde!

This is smooth, this is wonderful, and I want to hear all the remixes. Where can I steal them?!

Comments Off on I Was Your Destination!


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How well do you know what happens behind the #scenes of 'The Bachelor/Bachelorette'? Some of these things you may have never expected were going on when the camera isn't rolling!

No internet or people cleaning up after them

While at the mansion, contestants do not get to watch TV or have access to the internet. Their phones and computers are also taken away when they arrive. Therefore, before the show, they have to figure out how to manage their finances and pay their bills before they go since they are usually there for six weeks. Also, while on the show, the contestants must do their own cooking, cleaning and laundry.

Before the show, time spent together

Before going on the show, there is a very long application process that must be completed.

Each contestant must also pass a comprehensive psychological exam.When you see all of the women arrive with their witty things to say and clever costumes, it is not always their idea. The producers have a large weigh-in when it comes to choosing what the contestants do as they come out of the limo. Also, when out on their one-on-one dinner dates, no one actually eats.

They eat dinner beforehand so that the sounds of them chewing isn’t picked up by the microphones. On top of not eating together, between all of the group dates, and time spent in the mansion, the contestants don't actually spend much time together. Former Bachelorette, Ali Fedotowsky says that you end up only spending 72 hours together.

Twelve of those hours are spent sleeping in the fantasy suite together. Therefore, when getting engaged, do the contestants even really know each other?

The contestants drink a lot! The producers like to always have alcohol for the contestants. It is their little secret to get them to open up and be overall more talkative. The final four are actually chosen the first night on the show! The end is decided before things have even started. Jesse Csincsak told OK! that the producers plan the whole thing. After the Bachelor or Bachelorette has talked to the contestants, they are asked to choose the four people they want to get to know better!

Money, money, money

The Bachelor/Bachelorette is paid to star on the show.

According to Ben Higgins, the lead gets paid for what they would have made at their job, so normally about $100,000. While the leads get paid, the contestants get nothing. Some spend up to $40,000 in clothing and ultimately don’t get anything in return. The women also must do their own hair and makeup for most of the show.

The women only get a professional to help them on the first night! So, there is added cost in that as well. The contestants are also limited to bring only two suitcases with them to the show. In this suitcase, they must be prepared for both cold and warm weather. The show has a paint crew that repaints the rooms inside of the mansion based on the weather for the next season. According to Marshall Haraden, the walls must have at least 44 coats of paint on them.


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The United States Industrial Fabrics Institute (USIFI) is a coalition of United States specialty fabric manufacturers and users. USIFI develops and hosts the Outlook Conference in partnership with the Narrow Fabrics Institute (NFI). It monitors and advocates for member positions in both legislative and regulatory issues in international trade, and hosts an annual lobby day event in Washington, D.C.

Join USIFI today for exclusive benefits not found elsewhere in the industry.

Be Informed

  • Expand your market by lobbying and educating federal and state officials
  • Receive the latest information on trade agreements, legislation, and import/export data impacting USIFI members and the specialty fabrics industry
  • Learn more about your market with in-depth research and surveying
  • Access industry resources, educational materials and a member directory
  • Understand your market more with in-depth research
  • Complimentary magazine subscriptions Specialty Fabrics Review magazine

Get Recognized

Stay Connected

  • Member pricing on advertising in all IFAI publications and free product listing in Specialty Fabrics Review Buyer’s Guide*
  • Member pricing for exhibiting at and attending the industry’s premier events, including the annual Outlook Conference and IFAI Expo
  • Collaborate with other IFAI divisions and external partners including NCTO, ITAC, and AFMA to work on areas that impact your industry like the Berry Amendment, the Trans-Pacific
  • Partnership and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership trade agreements
  • Exclusive member pricing on International Achievement Award (IAA) submissions
  • Member-only access to IFAI’s InfoCentral, a resource for sourcing questions and referrals
  • Market research opportunities and access to industry materials to help you make informed decisions for your business
  • Opportunities to collaborate with other IFAI divisions and external partners
  • Member exclusive webinars

Download a PDF of Member Benefits

Visit Member Benefits to see how IFAI membership provides a strong return on investment, including a marketplace of services to increase your savings.

*Some restrictions apply; call for details.

Mission Statement

The mission of USIFI shall be to establish a coalition of United States specialty fabric manufacturers and users dedicated to serving the interests of its members in both the domestic and international marketplaces.

Membership and Eligibility

To be eligible for membership in USIFI, a company must comply with all of the following:

  1. Be a member of the Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI)
  2. Be incorporated in the United States
  3. Have a business headquarters in the United States
  4. Have investment centered in manufacturing plants located within the United States
  5. Service or supply the United States industrial fabrics industry with products made in the United States as a fiber producer, yarn producer, weaver, coater, laminator, dyer, finisher, thread, tape, webbing, equipment or chemical manufacturer, or fabricate end products from industrial fabrics.
  6. Pay the Institute assessment (dues)


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Google has a slew of artificial intelligence announcements it’s making this week at its Cloud Next conference, which kicks off in San Francisco today, and many are focused on the company’s democratization of machine learning tools. Starting today, Google’s AutoML Vision tool will now be available in public beta after an alpha period that started back in January with the launch of its Cloud AutoML initiative, the company announced during its keynote.

Cloud AutoML is basically a way to allow non-experts — those without machine learning expertise or even coding fluency — to train their own self-learning models, all using tools that exist as part of Google’s cloud computing offering. The first of these tools was AutoML Vision, which lets you create a machine learning model for image and object recognition. Google makes these tools legible to those outside the software engineering and AI fields by using a simple graphical interface and universally understood UI touches like drag and drop.

Google Translate so staggeringly successful across so many different types of languages.

Of course, you won’t be able to develop sophisticated models and software like Google has without the proper expertise, resources, and sizable data sets. But the company is making it easier to start basic training of custom models with these new domains.

Already, Google says publishing giant Hearst is using AutoML Natural Language to help tag and organize content across its many magazines and the numerous domestic and international versions of those publications. Google also gave AutoML Translation to Japanese publisher Nikkei Group, which publishes and translates articles across a number of languages on a daily basis.

“AI is empowerment, and we want to democratize that power for everyone and every business—from retail to agriculture, education to healthcare,” Fei-Fei Li, the chief scientist of Google AI, said in a statement. “AI is no longer a niche in the tech world —it’s the differentiator for businesses in every industry. And we’re committed to delivering the tools that will revolutionize them.”

Contact Center AI is similar to the work Google is doing on Duplex.

Duplex is the project unveiled at Google I/O earlier this year that gives people their own conversational AI assistant to make appointments and complete other mundane tasks by pretending to be a human being over the phone. It got Google into hot water when it was discovered this could be done without the consent of the human service worker on the other end. (Google is actively testing Duplex this summer, but only in very limited use cases like asking about holiday hours and reservations.) A Google spokesperson tellsThe Vergethat while Contact Center AI and Duplex are distinct products, they share some underlying components, but with “distinct technology stacks and aims overall.”

With Contact Center AI, Google is shifting into a territory where callers are more familiar with the notion of interacting with a bot and are doing so of their own volition by contacting customer service proactively. Because of that context, it sounds like this technology will more than likely dominant how call centers operate in the future. Call Center AI first puts a caller into contact with an AI agent, which tries to its solve the problem just like a standard automated customer service bot would, but with much more sophisticated natural language understanding and capabilities. If the caller needs or prefers to talk to a human, the AI shifts to a support role and helps a human call center worker solve the problem by presenting information and solutions relevant to the conversation in real time.

Li says the company is working with its existing Contact Center AI partners to “engage with us around the responsible use of Cloud AI.” She’s talking of course about consent and disclosure, particularly around when someone is talking to an AI and how not to imbue that software with unconscious biases, particularly around race and gender. “We want to make sure we’re using technology in ways employees and users will find fair, empowering, and worthy of their trust,” Li writes.

Update 7/24, 2:54PM ET:Clarified that Contact Center AI and Duplex are distinct products but share similarities and some underlying tech.

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