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A modern take on the classic white shirt at Carolina Herrera

February 12, 2019
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The Carolina Herrera collection is modeled during Fashion Week in New York, Monday, Feb. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

NEW YORK (AP) — When the last model walked down the Carolina Herrera runway in a floor-length, billowing gown that looked like a huge white shirt, it was a playful nod in two ways.

First, it was a take on the tradition of ending a fashion show with a bridal gown. And second, it was a nod by designer Wes Gordon to his predecessor and her famous love for a crisp white shirt.

“That was white shirting,” Gordon explained after Monday’s show amid the elegant portraits and stained-glass windows of the New York Historical Society, the city’s oldest museum. “A shirt that we stretched and exaggerated and expanded into a huge gown. So (we were) really playing with that house code a little bit.”

White shirts aside, Gordon, who succeeded Herrera as creative director a year ago, was mainly interested in color this season. Lots of color, including bold oranges and blues, and a yellow not for the faint-hearted that Gordon calls “taxi-cab yellow.”

“I love color, and the starting point was to build a beautiful palette that we could work with this season,” Gordon said backstage. And he was thinking about flowers, too, specifically the floral still-lifes of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, whom Gordon calls “an indelible figure to the Herrera story,” for his portraits of the Venezuelan-born designer, who remains the company’s brand ambassador.

Including a modern take on the classic white shirt, Carolina Herrea creative director Wes Gordon presented a striking contemporary collection at New York Fashion Week. (Feb. 12)
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Thus, Gordon explained, one pink dress was designed to look “like an orchid unraveling” as the model walked the runway.

There were certainly some looks — big, loose silhouettes in eye-popping colors, including a large anorak — that didn’t quite square with the very refined ethos of the label from past years. Gordon said there was a natural evolution into bolder and more relaxed looks.

“Herrera has always stood for elegance, and my message now is that elegance doesn’t have to be uptight, elegance doesn’t have to be formal, elegance doesn’t have to be too serious,” he said. “Elegance can have laughter, elegance can have joy, elegance can be bright orange, elegance can be a micromini, it can be a huge billowy floating gown, and it can be modern and young, too.”

Gordon said he’s spent the last year traveling around the world meeting customers, speaking to “real women and learning how they wear the clothes, where they wear the clothes.”

He said that for him, the ideal customer “doesn’t keep her favorite china for some special occasion. She uses it for breakfast just by herself. And she doesn’t set aside a garment waiting for a day in the future to wear it, keeping it wrapped in tissue paper.”

AP video journalist Jill Dobson contributed to this report.


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Sennheiser Mobile Recording Powered by Apogee

ClipMic digital and MKE 2 digital are high-quality lavalier microphones for iPhone and iPad and feature Apogee digital conversion and Sennheiser microphone capsules.

Whether you are a journalist looking for an easy audio solution for field interviews, a lecturer that wants to record a talk or even a parent recording their child reciting a poem – the new digital clip-on microphones from Sennheiser and Apogee help you to capture sound professionally. ClipMic digital and MKE 2 digital combine Apogee’s A/D conversion expertise with Sennheiser’s microphone design knowledge to give users optimum sound quality for their recordings. Especially designed for iOS-devices, both microphones feature a Lightning connector to directly connect to iPhone®, iPad® and iPod® Touch, thus creating high-quality, ultra-portable solutions for vocal and speech recordings.

Apple, iOS®, iPad®, iPhone®, iPod® and Final Cut Pro®are registered trademarks of Apple Inc.
  • High-quality lavalier microphone for iPhone
  • Perfect speech intelligibility with the ME 2 clip-on microphone
  • Top-quality external signal converter from Apogee
  • Easy operation, free apps included
  • High-quality and robust MKE 2 condenser microphone
  • 96 kHz/ 24-bit signal conversion with Apogee technology
  • Lightning connection, monitoring possible

Watch the launch video

Record presentation

Perfect for anyone who wants a simple high-quality setup to record Podcasts, presentations, interviews or meetings directly to their iPhone.

There are amazing moments happening in your life you’ll want to relive in the years to come. Children’s recitals, performances, weddings, anniversaries and retirement parties – capture these memories with the best sound quality possible using ClipMic digital or MKE 2 digital and Apogee MetaRecorder App.

Self Broadcasting

It has never been easier to produce and share your own videos on a blog or video chat with friends and family. iPhone, iPad and iPod touch all include a built-in camera with quality that exceeds that of expensive video gear from only a few years ago. Now you can connect ClipMic digital / MKE 2 digital to have incredible sound quality too, creating the ultimate mobile video solution simple enough for anyone to use.

You can rely on iPhone as flexible tools for film production. When paired with DSLR video cameras, MKE 2 digital and an iOS device make capturing professional quality productions simple and efficient. Apogee’s MetaRecorder is the first app to offer a simple and customizable way to organize audio media files while recording in the field, transforming your post production video workflow.

Introduction to ClipMic digital and MKE 2 digital

What can you do with ClipMic digital and MKE 2 digital

Introduction to Apogee’s MetaRecorder app

MetaRecorder App

Apogee’s MetaRecorder is a two-channel audio recording app made specifically for Sennheiser’s clip-on digital microphones. The app is easy to use and offers professional quality, 24 bit/96 kHz audio recording as well as metadata features that make it simple to edit your video. You can also use MetaRecorder to adjust microphone input gain. Essential features of MetaRecorder can be controlled from Apple Watch – start and stop recording, add a take to Favorites, add Markers or set your microphone input level.

Transform Your Final Cut Pro® X workflow

Apply metadata tags like Keywords, Favorites, Markers and more to your audio files while recording in the field, then share the recorded audio and Final Cut Pro® XML files to Dropbox directly from MetaRecorder. When imported into Final Cut Pro on a Mac, the captured metadata greatly simplifies the process of organizing and parsing your media, substantially accelerating your post-production workflow.

© Copyright - Apogee Electronics Corp. All Rights Reserved.

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What it does? is an Intelligence Platform for Sellers.
How much it costs? pricing is not public.
Concerned about costs of subscription?
  1. Cleanshelf can automatically track costs of your subscription.
  2. Cleanshelf can measure how much is actually used at your company.
  3. Cleanshelf can provide timely renewal alerts and cost optimization support.
Disclaimer. This is an entry on that Cleanshelf keeps as part of its service to track, optimize, and benchmark cloud software subscriptions of its customers. Cleanshelf is an independent service vendor that maintains no partnership or agreement with Contact us for more information.


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Screenshot 2

Gem Blast: Magic Match Puzzle

Publish Date: May 12, 2018
Views: 732
1 Star2 Stars3 Stars4 Stars5 Stars (1 votes, 5.00/5)
Download 1.0.11 APK

Gem Blast: Magic Match Puzzle is an addicting android game where you will help Lily remove the curse. In this game of the genre three in a row, you’ll be helping the main character Lily who, in a casual way, turned into a cat and now needs your help. Make up the rows of three or more stones of the same color and blow them up earning points and bonuses so needed for our heroine. Try to blow up gems that are close to God’s bugs and get mass explosions and combo blows. Play this game anytime and anywhere.

All available versions of Gem Blast: Magic Match Puzzle

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General Manager Position in Liverpool

Cherryred Recruitment
From £30,000 to £35,000 per annum
10 Feb 2019
28 Feb 2019
Job Function
General Management
Position Type
We are currently recruiting for General Manager positions for a number of our key clients across the UK, many of whom have registered their vacancies with us and us alone, choosing Cherryred as the consultancy of choice.

o Are you a General Manager who wants to develop your career with a well known and expanding group?
o Are you a General Manager who would you prefer to work for an independent business with an excellent local reputation, but wants to raise their profile?
o Are you a General Manager who just wants to work for a company who will dedicate their time to training and developing your career?
o Are you an experienced General Manager who is just ready for a change?

Due to the high volume of applicants - Only successful applicants will be contacted within 7 days

If you answered yes to any of these questions, we would love to hear from you. Please apply now, and one of our consultants will call you shortly to confidentially discuss your career goals.

Cherryred is a true specialist consultancy; a business that specialises in Hospitality and Catering Managerial roles both front and back of house. We believe that advice should be given with a sense of pride. Advice that is specific to individuals, not the majority.

To describe Cherryred in one sentence? We are focused, professional, driven, exciting, funky, cool and passionate about what we do

This job was originally posted as


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Why cant we stop ‘bashing’ our young people and support them for once!

On the eve of National Apprenticeship Week, with anticipation and an appetite to encourage young people and employers that an apprenticeship is a cost effective and efficient route to continue education and learn new skills, I am amazed at the ‘youth bashing’ that I continually see and despair of!

When will we as nation realize that if we continue to kick our young people when they are down and believe that the responsibility is with others and not everyone, our young people will continue to be under-skilled, under supported and under utilized in our workforce. Then we wonder why they don’t seem to ‘conform’ to what we see as normal.

When was it ‘normal’ to disregard the needs of a whole generation and feel OK about it?!!!

It is crazy that we hear that ‘our’ government are not only scrapping EMA, which helps thousands of young people to continue their education, but also scrapping the apprentice guarantee for 17-18 year olds.  And then a reckless journalist from the Telegraph who clearly knows no better, decides that they should write an article about how many apprentices ‘don’t’ achieve giving the government another reason to cut the disappearing investment that goes into supporting our young people to find their place in the workforce.

It is easy to have a go at young people without actually really looking into the successes as well as the young people who find an apprentice is just not for them I’m sure the said journalist and indeed many of us would not be too happy every time we started something with all the enthusiasm in the world just to drop out before we have finished?

I agree that sometimes many young people make the wrong choice but so do we all.  Come-on, why don’t we all get real and focus on the opposite 75% who do achieve for once, and start to talk about the ‘good’ job that has been done with these young people and also what an impact these young people have had.

We have to at some point find some balance about our opinions and come to our senses and give young people a chance.  Apprenticeships can not only change the lives of the young people who undertake them, the families within which these young people live, and quite clearly the employers within which they work.

Lets find some good news about our young people for once and see what happens.  You never know we may like how it feels.

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Indoor Smoked Pulled Pork BBQ

I AM BACK and do I have a BUNCH of things to share!!!

Our oven has been on more than off lately. I LOVE this oven. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE this oven!!! Several of us were talking about the things we would grab first if our houses ever caught on fire. While everybody else was talking about grabbing photo albums and this keepsake and that, I said the first thing I’d do is figure out how to strap that oven onto my back and get out!!  Of course then my hubby explained that’s what insurance is for – for replacement, then he further explained I’d have to go in the basement (shudder) to shut the gas off or else the stove might beat me out the door!! Well, ok, so then maybe the pans – hey, they’re perfectly seasoned pans now!!

Let’s see what I’ve been workin on lately.

If you’re a Facebook friend of mine, you probably saw, back in December or January, where Tommy and I made Indoor Smoked Pulled Pork BBQ, a recipe I saw on America’s Test Kitchen. I HAD to try it!! As I posted on FB, I’m not a fan, at all, of liquid smoke but, I have to say this recipe is absolutely FABULOUS!!! Three exclamation point worthy.  It is time consuming so it’s not something you want to start at 3:00 in the afternoon for dinner that night. Noooooo, no, no. You gotta start while breakfast is cooking. Well ok, maybe you can wait until after your third or forth cup of coffee but then get crackin. WAIT!! Before you decide you’re not interested in this recipe because of the time involved, its about 80% waiting; waiting while the pork is brining, waiting while it’s baking covered and waiting while it’s baking uncovered. There really isn’t that much involved as far as hands-on work BUT, the whole process is very rewarding. This recipe also has the best of both worlds as far as rubs: both a wet and a dry.

The recipe calls for pork butt roast. A pork butt is not located anywhere near the, well, let’s just say its terribly confusing (or someone was when they named this portion) because it’s the top portion of the FRONT legs. It’s also called pork shoulder which is so much more accurate and certainly less confusing!! I prefer to ask for help finding a good pork “shoulder”  rather than asking for help finding a good pork . . .  well hey, have a giggle. If possible, you want it boneless. If you can’t get it boneless, that’s not a problem, we’ll address that in a little bit.

Ingredients: Water, Natural Hickory Smoke Concentrate. Nothing more.

Liquid Smoke. There are several brands out there. The brand ATK recommends is Wrights. You want a liquid smoke that, when you read the ingredients it says: water, natural hickory smoke concentrate, the end. Don’t buy one that has anything else in it. We found it at County Market and it was under $2!! Yay!!

I HIGHLY recommend this recipe. It’s good for summer or winter.  So now, if you don’t own a smoker, you no longer have to wait for your neighbors to go on vacation to sneak over to use theirs.  You can make easy and delicious smoked pulled pork BBQ, rain or shine, right in your own kitchen. Expand your culinary horizons and prove to yourself you CAN do this!!!  Trust me! It really is very basic, very simple. So, with no further ado, I present the recipe and step-by-step instructions.

The list of characters:

5 pound pork shoulder/butt roast

4 quarts water, cool to tepid

1 cup table salt (not Kosher on this one folks)

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons liquid smoke

Wet Rub:

1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard

2 teaspoons liquid smoke (don’t worry – it’s not over the top)

Dry Rub:

2 tablespoons cracked black pepper

2 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons salt (either regular or Kosher)

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons smoked paprika

Finishing BBQ Sauce: (NO COOKING)

1/2 cup of juices from the roasting pan

1 1/2 cups ketchup

1/4 cup molasses

2 tablespoons worchestershire sauce

1 tablespoon hot sauce (optional)

1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper

As I mentioned earlier, a boneless roast is preferred. However, if you’re like us, the sale was for “bone-in”.

The reason boneless is better is because the first thing you need to do is cut the roast in half width-wise.

If you have a bone-in (like below – the start of it is right below my index finger), just cut up to, and roughly around, the bone just to get the two halves to spread apart so you can see it.  Using a paring knife, cut it out as best you can. If you have a boneless roast, just cut straight through as straight as possible. It doesn’t have to look purdy so don’t worry about it.

You should have 2 equal size slaps o’ pork.

There you have it. It’s not rocket science but you just need to try to cut them as close to even thicknesses as you can so they’ll cook evenly. The reason these are halved in the first place is so the liquid smoke will penetrate the meat all the way through. If we left it whole, just the outside would be smokey. When you actually smoke meat in a smoker, both the inside and out are smokey. Can I say smokey a couple more times?

The Brine:   Salt, sugar and liquid smoke.

You’ll need 4 quarts of water, cool to tepid is fine, just not hot and not cold. Be careful when deciding what size container to brine the roast in because by the time you add the roast halves, it will significangtly raise the water level. Add the salt and sugar into the water and stir until dissolved. It’ll be cloudy but just make sure there’s no “puddles” of salt and sugar sitting anywhere on the bottom.  I admit, I was surprised that it dissolved so easily.

Stir in the liquid smoke,

Everybody in for a long soak. They will float, however. That’s not a good thing.

Use a saucer or a plate to keep it completely immersed.  Nothing too heavy; it needs to allow enough room so the brine can get in between all sides of the pork.

There you have it. It looks a little weird but you can see there’s plenty of room to move about the cabin. It’s now ready for the fridge.

Set your timer for 2 hours. That’s enough time to get into a really good book, take a nap, do a couple of loads of laundry, ya know, 2 hours worth of stuff. When your timer goes off, pull the pork from the pool and put it on a kitchen towel for a good patting to get them all dried off. Be sure to dry them well so the wet rub will stick. No need to get the hair dryer out but just do the best you can.

Begin preparing the rubs. First the wet. Add the liquid smoke to the prepared mustard,

and stir well. Set aside.

Now for the dry. Add the pepper, sugar, salt, cayenne pepper and smoked paprika,

and mix well. Set it aside too.

Using a spatula, just for this part, scoop out only half of the wet rub on the first side of the pork.

Now for the really messy part. This should explain why I didn’t suggest a manicure during the 2 hour wait. With your hands, rub that mustard mixture all over, get it nice and schloppy, make it extra schloppy even. Make sure you get the edges too. I know it looks like I’m almost afraid to touch it in this picture but I was just getting warmed up. It’s actually fun. Call the kids in and let them try it! Oh, well I did say there wasn’t much hands-on for all the time it takes but, involving the kids, well that may take the full baking times for clean up. Yikes!! Never mind.  Oh, and I’d suggest letting your phone go to voicemail.

Then, flip the halves over and repeat with the remaining wet rub. Don’t forget the edges!

Sprinkle half of the dry rub right on top of the mustard rub. Massage it in. Now THIS is messier ye!  But it’s still fun. The first time I did this I wore my kitchen gloves; they’re still stained. Its a given that your nose will itch or that you’ll sneeze during this part. Just wear something with sleeves.

Flip the halves over and massage it “real good”!!! Again, don’t forget the edges. Make sure those flavors are everywhere!!

Our pork has now gone from the pool to the massage table and now is ready for the sauna!! Hey, I think I’m missing out here!!!

Move the oven racks to the middle, with plenty of clearance above. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Choose and prepare your pan. There are a couple of types of pans to use. You could use a cookie sheet with sides or a roasting pan.  We’ve actually used both and the jury’s still out as far as which we liked best. Whichever you use, be sure to line the bottom with foil. You’ll need a piece of foil wide enough to cover your pan without just overlapping it (that’s a MUCH bigger clean up job). To do that, use 2 sheets of foil and lay the first sheet on the counter.  Put the second, same size sheet, directly on top of the first, making sure both shinny sides are facing each other.   Along one of the long edges, using both sheets as one, fold the sheets over, about 1 1/2″ to 2″ deep. Use your finger and slide it along the fold to secure it. Then fold it over itself again, same direction, same width. Run your finger along that fold as well. Gently open the sheets and VIOLA!!! You now have a very wide “single” sheet of foil. Keep in mind that lining the pan won’t keep all the juices from running onto the bottom of your pan or cookie sheet but it’ll sure make clean up a whole lot easier!

A rack is a must. Nonstick cooking spray is a must as well. Whether it’s cooling racks or a rack that came with the pan, just make sure they’re long enough to fit both halves of the roast.

Place the halves side by side. Don’t let them overlap. If they don’t want to fit, scrunch them up a bit but do all that you can not to overlap them. I know, I know, they gotta a lot a rules about baking a pork roast!

Because you want these to stay moist while baking, we’re gonna cover them TIGHTLY with foil to make the sauna effect. However, before the foil goes on, you’re gonna need a barrier between the roasts (with the acidic rub on them) and the foil – the rub will pit the foil against the roasts – not a good thing. ATK suggests using parchment paper, which we did the first time. It still pitted the foil but not the parchment paper so it was all good next to the roasts.  What pitted the foil was that the acidic liquid from the roast soaked through the parchment paper and touched the foil. It didn’t affect the parchment paper, just the foil. This time however, we used a nonstick silicon liner like what you bake cookies, rolls or biscuits on. It worked great! It didn’t hurt it at all and no liquid penetrated the liner so no pitted foil! And, the liner wiped right off!! It’s not good to have anything pittin on your food! That’d just be the pits. Sorry. That was pit-iful. That’s it, I promise.

Now for the wrapping. Just as for making one big sheet for the bottom, do the same for the top sheet. Try to fold the top and bottom foil sheets together around the edges. You want the absolute best seal you can. If the top and bottom sheets won’t reach, just get the top foil sealed around the outside of the pan as tightly as possible, especially at the corners. You want to keep that sauna as air tight as possible. Now into the oven for 3 hours. Go finish that book!

At the end of the 3 hours, CAREFULLY remove the top foil from the pan.  It’s gonna look kinda drab, nothing too exciting, certainly nothing like a smoked pork roast. Don’t worry, it’ll transform in this next baking time. Drain the liquid from the bottom of the pan into a bowl (or a fat separator if you have one). You wanna keep 1/2 cup for the sauce. Return the roast to the oven to bake, uncovered, for about 90 more minutes. The inside temperature of the roast should reach 200 degrees. The outside of the roast should have a “bark” on it and it should look kinda dried. IMPORTANT: (but difficult to do) Allow the roast to rest on a cutting board, loosely covered with foil, for 20 minutes. But, that will give us time to make the barbecue sauce.

Remove the separated grease from the drippings and measure 1/2 cup of that devine sauce. In a medium mixing bowl pour in the drippings, ketchup, molasses, worcestershire sauce, hot sauce (optional) and salt and pepper. Whisk until combined and set aside. That’s it. No cooking!!!

Using 2 forks, start shredding the pork. You’re wanting kinda thin strands. Doesn’t that look FANTASTIC!!!!!! But it’s not finished yet!!! It needs to be dressed!!

Depending on how saucy you like your pulled pork, start with just a cup. Reserve the remaining to add to your sandwich, or if you’re like us, throw it all in there!!! The messier the better!!

And there you have it! It’s ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC!!!  See, that’s not much hands-on, huh?!!  Ya just gotta trust me!!!!  You’ll love it, you’ll invite your friends over and they’ll love it!!  They’ll suggest you do it again next weekend and every weekend. Careful, they’ll probably be calling to let you know that pork shoulders are on sale!!


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April 1rst, 2016: 2 YEAR BLOG ANNIVERSARY and Versatile Blogger Award ;-)

Dear April welcome!

Actually this is my 2 YEAR BLOG ANNIVERSARY and I feel so happy to have used this form of expressing thoughts and emotions, and to meet new creative friends! The blog started as a form of a game, it was supposed to be read by my two closest friends and little by little it got emancipated and I enjoyed the whole process 🙂

Two years ago I was living in Paris and was suffering under the “wannabe boss”: one of those guys who need to oppress others in order to feel they exist. I tried to find what really matters to me and focus into something I would enjoy instead of just avoiding or even ” wining” in a battle that had no meaning. I was working as an artistic event organizer, free-lance and underpaid, with literary aspirations.

Since mid-October I relocated to London and try what it is to live in a new city with new opportunities in love and in life. I recently launched my first book -in French!- and enjoy my new adventures!

As it is an anniversary, I thought it is ok to “defrost” a Blogger Award in order to cheer me up. I prefer to consider an award as something which is better with time like a good wine 😉

The nomination has come from Rozanne and her blog Life is Rosie (http://lifeisrozie.com/) who has also relocated, but not as close as I did: she is currently living in Hong Kong and I wish her all the best to her blogging, personal and professional life! Her blog is fresh and rose, just a touch of spring!

Versatile Blogger Award

The rules are:

Show the award on your blog: Done!
Thank the person who nominated you: I just did, it only took me a few months…
Share seven facts about yourself: I will
Nominate 15 blogs: I would need to add to this list, because it means serious work … as Rozanne I start with 1+5 with a promise to continue…
Link your nominees’ blogs, and let them know: ok

Seven Facts:

  1. I can be lazy but it is only to preserve my peace of mind 🙂
  2. I have been abusing on chocolate lately
  3. I have a secret identity that will be revealed when my novel gets published in english
  4. I like listening to conversations in cafes and restaurants, so don’t sit next to me
  5. I have read my favorite books about 10 times
  6. I love dancing
  7. I believe in good in this world

And the nominated blogs :

a. Brian’s blog: https://equinoxio21.wordpress.com/ A blog about Magic, Fiction and Art!

b. https://t7danieldavis.wordpress.com/, “On the Other Side of the Trees”

c. https://tellingthetruth1993.wordpress.com/

d. https://stringofpearls2.wordpress.com/2016/03/31/my-2016-smart-goals/, or Lady Gray

e. https://erikakind.wordpress.com/, Erika Kind for her presence in so many ways

f. http://labiblioafronebrulepas.com/, Anna Kendi

and I will keep on adding more blogs!

Versatile Blogger Award

2 Year Anniversary Achievement

February 3rd, 2016: day 6 of 60 day challenge- Bloggers Bash in London and the Champion award

Hello February,

thanks to Raphaela and her inspiring blog “hummingbirdredemption”-I mean just the title is enough to start your imagination flying- I got nominated for the Champion Award! (http://hummingbirdredemption.com/2016/02/02/the-champion-award/)

As to the rules:

Be sure to post the award symbol, using the #Champions Awards: Done

Acknowledge the sponsor of your Award and thank them. Also done. I am a fun of hummingbirdredemption

Choose at least 5 of your own nominees and remind them of the  guidelines. This is always difficult with so great blogs, so it is just five among those I love a lot. I have not included some blogfriends who got an award in the last three days 😉

Keep it simple~ no need for explanations for the awards. We know how great these folks are. This is better because I feel like a movie critique or something of the kind.

So, my Nominations are with no order:

  1. http://smallchangesforlife.com/about/
  2. http://labiblioafronebrulepas.com/about/
  3. http://davidjrogersftw.com/
  4. https://t7danieldavis.wordpress.com/
  5. http://dalocollis.com/

And, by the way, the fellow blogger and champion Erika Kind (https://erikakind.wordpress.com/)told me about the Bloggers Bash to take place in London on June 11, so please come along for a great event!

Bloggers Bash 2016 – Venue Announcement

February 2nd, 2016- day 6 of challenge: how to be a champion the day after

Dear February,

is it normal that after accomplishing miracles, in a way, I feel tired and a bit down? This is how champions feel the day after they got the gold medal? Ok then, I feel reassured.

Sports psychology is quiet an inspiration! A friend worked with tennis champions and now he is also coaching football players. Being a champion is not only about the process to become one, and how to stay on top. It is also about how to deal with the day after you have given what you had, and you feel empty of emotions, energy and somehow… exhausted. It is dealing with a roller coaster of emotions.

Almost everyone faces challenges. But champions also face times so high that down is way more down than for other people. It is like being on the North Pole and then right away in the Sahara desert.

What do you do then? Well, according to my friend, it seems that the middle ground is the best place to stay. Which means, when the boat rocks, you stay in the middle. The advice is to find an internal middle ground where movement is possible, but whatever happens, you keep your balance. And enjoy the ride.

And when for example I want to sit back and observe the people passing by, or the birds flying, this is what I do.

January 19- One Lovely Blog Award

Dear January,

I would like to thank wholeheartedly Meg for nominating me -a while ago- for the One Lovely Blog Award! It was an opportunity to discover the musings of someone who might “never be an adult”, but so much the better!

Now, January, you want to know how come I accept an award every day?

Well, it is like having a birthday close to Christmas or another celebration, and then there is also New Year’s Eve coming. You are entitled to a present on each of these occasions. So you come up with at least three presents. Isn’t it great?

I will not mash-up the awards as Meg did for hers, although it is an excellent strategy: (https://mediocremegblog.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/the-one-lovely-liebster-blog-award/)

Each gift is valuable and I will have more fun unwrapping each package and preparing a gift for other bloggers on my turn.

So, the One Lovely Blog Award nominations are chosen by fellow bloggers for those newer and up-and-coming bloggers. The goal is to help give recognition and also to help the new blogger to reach more viewers. It also recognizes blogs that are considered to be “lovely” by the fellow bloggers who choose them. This award recognizes bloggers who share their story or thoughts in a beautiful manner to connect with viewers and followers. In order to “accept” the award the nominated blogger must follow several guidelines:

– Thank the person who nominated you for the award. (Thanks again Meg!)

– Add the One Lovely Blog logo to your post. (Ok)

– Share 7 facts or things about yourself

Now, 7 facts anyone would like to know?

1. I like “Galette des rois”, to begin with, the Epiphany cake with a special recipe

2. I was having a piece right now

3. I am a passionate person, when I love something I love it: I can read the same book a hundred times, eat “gallette des rois” every day for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

4. I am messy but appreciate order

5. I love herbal tea

6. I have a secret identity

7. I have a lazy side

– Nominate 15 bloggers you admire and inform the nominees by commenting on their blog.

Now, this is the part that demands some work… the main criteria I used this time, apart from the fact that I love these blogs, is that in their majority, they are written by men. Yes, I tried a positive discrimination because I realized I have nominated more women’s blogs the last time. Not that it matters, but I would like to highlight a different form of sensibility.

Some of these blogs belong to artists, photographers, writers, cinema critics. Others are written by educators, coaches, people with a life experience, unfolding in their writing. I will not say which is which, but this is a token of appreciation. They are all lovely blogs to me!

January 18- Excellence Award!!!

Dear January,

I am just retrieving a gift, very kindly bestowed to me by Erika Kind, inspiring author and blogger: (https://erikakind.wordpress.com/2014/12/05/excellent-award/).

I have been extremely grateful for this nomination, but was thinking that it involved answering questions, and since I was busy with both important and useless errands, I was procrastinating. Could it be that I felt overwhelmed and not worthy enough of an award that is talking of “excellence”? Excellence seems like a cousin to perfection. And even if it is important to accept praise and distribute it, there is a critical non-loving side hiding somewhere, smirking: “Do you consider yourself excellent April?

Ok shadow self, what is your problem if I do? Go get some “galette des rois” (french cake for the Epiphany, delicious by the way), and relax a little bit.

So Erika, thank you, not only for this nomination, but especially because you has been reading this blog and for all your insightful comments!

Here are the rules once accepting the award:

1) The nominee shall display the respective logo on her/his blog.
(Done, this is an easy one 🙂 )

2)  Link to the blogger that has nominated her/him.
(Ok done also).

2) The nominee shall nominate ten (10) bloggers she/he admires, by linking to their blogs and informing them about the nomination. (This is always more tricky because there are many blogs I admire, it is difficult to choose).

Among the blogs that I admire with the order that they come to my mind. Among these blogs you can find artists, thinkers, educators, inspiring authors. I love them all!

September 16- The Liebster Award :-)

Hey September,

did you know this blog has been nominated for the Liebster Award? I owe it to these two amazing bloggers :Finding Intoxication (http://sohamdhesi.wordpress.com/2014/08/09/the-liebster-award/) and Life or Fiction (http://lifeorfiction.wordpress.com/2014/09/12/the-liebster-award-discover-new-blogs/).

I feel honoured and extremely grateful for this award whose objective is to discover new blogs!

Now, you may well object, wait a second, why haven’t you followed the rules right away April? Finding Intoxication has already nominated you on August 9, where are the answers to the questions?

Ok, September, I was lazy in August, but I will make it up to her and will answer briefly both her questions and those of Life or Fiction!

Questions of Finding Intoxication

  • What’s your favourite quote?
  • My favourite quote is “love is the highest form of wisdom”
  • If you had to give a piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?
  • Make love, not war
  • How do you find your inspiration when writing?
  • I just start writing, I don’t know if it is inspired, but I enjoy it!
  • Tell us something you have done that you are proud of
  • I am proud of this blog because it gives me a writing routine to respect
  • If you could pick a job without any consequence to money, what would it be?
  • Writer
  • What is your favourite type of cuisine or dish?
  • I like grilled fish
  • If you met your 20-year-old self, what would you tell/advise him or her? If you are younger than 20, then you meet the 12-year-old you and the same question applies.
  • Be confident my dear! Talent is passion, not some kind of super-ability you are born with!
  • What is your best childhood memory?
  • One of my best memories, birthday parties with my friends and family!
  • What got you into writing?
  • I wrote my first poem when I was 7 year’s old
  • Apart from writing or blogging, what are your other interests?
  • Art, in its different forms, astronomy, love, cafés
  • What is a must read book according to you? ( Preferably a book that has perhaps gone unnoticed in the public eye or has been under appreciated)
  • My first novel, not yet translated in english (I am working on it)

Questions of Life or Fiction

1. What is your biggest fear?

That my fear outweighs my courage

2. What is your favorite holiday?

Travel in the Greek Islands

3. Where is your favorite place to be?

4. What is you favorite word?

5. Who is your favorite author?

Jane Austen I discovered when I was 14 and still love her

6. Why did you start writing?

I started writing at 7, it is a form of creating my world!

7. Who inspires you the most?

People with convictions, many friends, my family

8. Have you fallen in love more than once?

9. What is your favorite show?

I don’t watch tv if this is what you mean; I can’t manage to connect my “décodeur” at home

10. What is the most difficult part of the writing process for you?

Writing well?

11. What are you doing right now?

I am answering your questions and those of my café neighbors: they asked me if I am a pianist because apparently I write very fast 🙂

The Wonderful Bloggers I nominate:

I like a lot of blogs, but I spent more than an hour trying to find those with less than 1.000 followers, and blogs I haven’t already suggested for other awards; Here are my first suggestions that cover blogs on fashion, reading and writing, different forms of art, sport, and wisdom.

Sandra Danby: http://sandradanby.com/

Pomolio : http://pomolio.wordpress.com/

Linda Pano: http://lindapano.com/

Priyanki: http://jollyprivy.wordpress.com/

The kitchen around the corner: http://thekitchenaroundthecorner.com/2014/09/16/cafe-pinson-2/

Recycle Couture: https://wordpress.com/read/blog/id/40300388/

Clarabelle https://wordpress.com/read/blog/id/35189510/

One Tusk https://wordpress.com/read/blog/id/3691387/

Jodie Paterson http://jodiepaterson.com/

My questions to answer:

1. do you think we should adept our demands to our means or the other way around?

2. What does writing mean to you?

3. What are you doing on a sunny day?

4. What future memory would you like to create?

5. Would you date yourself were you a person of the opposite sex?

6. What is success to you?

7. What does this award mean to you?

9. Make a wish

10. Fulfill someone’s wish

11. What is your favorite place?

I finish the post with the rules of the award:

– Thank your nominator and post a link to his/her blog.

– Display the award on your blog.

– Answer the 11 questions provided by the nominator.

– Nominate 5-11 blogs which have less than 1000 followers, and let them know they’ve been nominated.

– Make up and post 11 questions for your nominees to answer.

– Post these rules on your blog.

Thank you for this amazing nomination!

July 9- Very inspiring blogger award nomination :-)

Thank you so much Nicole for nominating this blog again (http://ultrarunningmom.com/2014/07/29/very-inspiring-blogger-award/); I reblog my answers and will add some points, such as: three things that inspired me the most this week: 1. friendship, coming from people I know well, but also from people I hardly know, a kind gesture that is unexcpected and precisous: as having a discount in my local café and not knowing who do I owe it to 🙂 2. love: feeling in love is great, … a friend gave me a new understanding of what love can be; c. fulfilling a goal I have set: it gives a feeling of accomplishment, no matter what the result can be!

april4june6: A journal of self-tranformation

Dear July,

I came home a bit tiered after a full exhibition day and almost mechanically turned on the computer to check on my blog. “Likes” usually make my day, and on top of that, the “cerise sur le gâteau”, I found a beautiful surprise! A message from a co-blogger, Alygeorges, who nominated me for the “Very Inspiring Award” (http://alygeorges.wordpress.com/)!

The title is already an inspiration! I don’t know whether the blog deserves it, but it is always a pleasure to get presents, and it is as if you offered to me a present dear Alygeorges! Thank you!

Very inspiring blogger Award 2

Now, this got me into a playful disposition and I am ready to fulfill my obligations for the next step:

Here are the rules:

  1. Thank and link the amazing person who nominated you. (Ok I did this one)
  2. List the rules and display the award. (here they are; I hope I displayed…

View original post 203 more words

July 18- Brave Heart Award

Dear July,

have you heard the news? My blog has been nominated by Dazzling Whimsy  at dazzlingwhimsy.com for the Brave Heart Award! I feel honoured and grateful. But what is more, it gives me courage to be brave! (http://dazzlingwhimsy.com/2014/07/16/brave-heart-award/)

Dazzling Whimsy is searching for sunshine in an obscure world. And this is definitely courageous and beautiful.

Now, in order to abide by the rules, I will answer a series of questions:

  • Tell us a little bit about your blog. Who designed it?
 I have used the Reedle Theme from WordPress. The photo that serves as background pictures two beautiful trees full of flowers at the Luxembourg garden in Paris, where I live, in April. It is a photo that I have taken myself and I love a lot.

  • What is the title and description of your blog?
 April4June6: A journal of self-transformation. It started as a challenge I undertook: to write a form of daily journal for three months, as a tool to change certain aspects of my life: create prosperity and allow a loving relationship. I wanted to see change in three months. The incentive was a difficult time with a “wannabee boss” who appears in some of my posts. But it also helped me realize there are a lot of things I love about my life and myself :-). My style is a form of “dialogue” with the different months of the year. As a mentioned in my “update”, something concrete happened in this period: my project passed the first step of an evaluation at the end of June. But at the same time, this blog is an excuse to do what I love: WRITE. And to share some thoughts and questions on everyday life, with those who would like to accompany me. I extended the period of the blog to another three months 🙂

  • Who is your intended audience? At the beginning, my intended audience was myself and two of my best friends. Now, everyone who would take an interest in it is welcome! I am very grateful of fellow-bloggers who have read and commented on my posts. This dialogue has taken me a step further and made my life more beautiful! Thank you again!

  • How did you come up with the title of your blog? I just wanted to write for three months, my challenge was from April to June, and I added 4 since April is the fourth month and 6 for June.

  • Give us an interesting fun fact about your blog. I have been writing a post a day for three months and a half now 🙂 and intend to continue with the same rythm for another three months.

  • What other blogs do you own and what makes them alike? This is my first blog, but I also have a site related to my other activities, that I will reveal in the future.

  • Do you have any unique talents or hobbies? I think we all have talents and hobbies in a way. I write fiction and poetry. My first novel is already submited in different publishing houses, but it is not in english, yet! As to hobbies, my favorite is having a coffee in Paris or elsewhere, discussing with people I love or by myself, while watching people passing by. Reading of course, now blogging also, if this can be considered a hobby. I also love to dance!

  • What can we expect from you in the future? To be present in the blog-sphere and to tell you about my novel that I will translate in english 🙂 I should start this August.

  • Do you have any tips for readers or advice for other writers/bloggers? I think it is important to write because it helps self-reflection and it allows us to become conscious of certain ideas that could have passed unoticed. Gettinf feedback is also so important! To be brave and accept some vulnerability. Being vulnerable demands a lot of courage!

I would like to nominate the following blogs for the Braveheart Award:

Each blog represents for me a different dimension of a “Brave Heart”

1. http://kimberlyharding.wordpress.com/2014/07/18/back-to-my-husband/ for bringing to the surface elements that lie in our collective inconscious, through her art and posts. I linked to her last post that I find absolutely great, talking about herself and her love for her husband.

2. http://stringofpearls2.wordpress.com/about/ for her courage to put herself on stage and share her world with us : “I am addicted to beauty, I love too deeply, and I’m a scarred human being with a hard past. I am on a journey that I hope to share transparently with anyone who stumbles here”.

3. http://labiblioafronebrulepas.com/about/ for her wonderful purpose to create an African library that cannot burn: “Anne KEDI SIADE, young cameroonian Lady passionate of Africa, and filled with the vision that this continent will be big and determined to be part of it”. I just love people with a purpose!

4. http://julesgemstonepages.wordpress.com/about-me-sort-of/ for being so much more than  “…an old leather boot trying to walk on a catwalk and nobody cares because I’m not a plastic mock animal high heel shoe.”

5. http://bucketlistpublications.org/about-me/ for sharing : ” portrays the beauty and limitless possibilities of this world”, but also the fears and insecurities that allow us to be brave. And I refer to this post that I liked a lot: http://bucketlistpublications.org/2014/07/18/drowning-fear/

6. http://alygeorges.wordpress.com/about/ for her purpose to “…share my experiences on this site, so I can motivate someone; help them understand that there’s so much to life than just resigning oneself to misery”

I think the rules are to answer the above questions, post the award, link back to who gave it to you and nominate others.

Brave Heart Award

Thank You Ronovan from RonovanWrites.wordpress.com

July 9/August 11- Very inspiring blogger award nomination :-)

Dear July,

I came home a bit tiered after a full exhibition day and almost mechanically turned on the computer to check on my blog. “Likes” usually make my day, and on top of that, the “cerise sur le gâteau”, I found a beautiful surprise! A message from co-bloggers, Alygeorges (http://alygeorges.wordpress.com/), and Ultrarunningmom (http://ultrarunningmom.com/) who nominated me for the “Very Inspiring Award” !

The title is already an inspiration! I don’t know whether the blog deserves it, but it is always a pleasure to get presents, and it is as if you offered to me a present! Thank you!

Very inspiring blogger Award 2

Now, this got me into a playful disposition and I am ready to fulfill my obligations for the next step:

Here are the rules:

  1. Thank and link the amazing person who nominated you. (Ok I did this one)
  2. List the rules and display the award. (here they are; I hope I displayed it correctly)
  3. Share seven facts about yourself. (I will do this right away)
  4. Nominate 15 other amazing blogs and comment on their posts to let them know they have been nominated. (You will find about them after the rules; I also have to let them know? They are many!)
  5. Optional: Proudly display the award logo on your blog and follow the blogger who nominated you. (Done)

Well, seven things about myself:

a. I love animals, and especially cats.

b. I love cinema, but avoid films with violence and drama (I only watch children’s movies and comedies)

c. I am very receptive to other people’s feelings and moods, so I easily feel overwhelmed

d. I am shy when it comes to feelings

e. I read a romance-erotic novel when I go to the seaside (usually in the summertime)

f. I am opinionated

g. I love chocolate

List of Inspiring Nominees

1. http://closetoeighty.wordpress.com/

2. http://eddietwohawks.wordpress.com/

3. http://kimberlyharding.wordpress.com/

4. http://labiblioafronebrulepas.com/

5. http://dalocollis.com/

6. http://thefickleheartbeat.com/

7. http://mistermaxxx08.wordpress.com/

8. http://jumpforjoyphotoproject.wordpress.com/

9. http://thekitchenaroundthecorner.com/

13. http://psychosomaticallyinlove.wordpress.com/

14. http://yichinglin.wordpress.com/

15. http://lynettenoni.wordpress.com/

Dear blog-friends, excuse me if you are not interested in awards, and also there are many other blogs I find inspiring and some of them I follow!


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Microsoft XP

Microsoft XP

This does not concern Ancestral Quest directly, however some of you may be using the Microsoft Windows XP operating system. On April 8, 2014, Microsoft will terminate support for Windows XP. This does not mean that it will stop working, but it does mean that Microsoft will no longer send security updates or provide technical support for that product. Beginning at that time users of Windows XP must assume that their internet connection is insecure. Please link to the above site for further information about this change.

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Christmas Exclusives

Great Value Beauty Offers this Christmas!

Ho, ho, ho! With Christmas 2018 steadily approaching on the horizon, we’ve got this fantastic range of customised beauty packages available for all Araya Beauty clients right through the festive period; book now to avoid disappointment!

Our Christmas Exclusives range includes the following discounted beauty packages:

Whichever Christmas beauty treatment you opt for this festive season, we can assure you that the end result will be a satisfying, relaxing and beautifying experience here at Araya Beauty. For an affordable price, you will be surprised with what you can get with our Christmas Exclusive bundles range. We make sure that our clients stand out and are leaving with a smile to enjoy the Christmas holidays in style!

We strive hard to ensure that all of our clients are satisfied and happy with the quality of our services and the customer service we provide. For those who are in search for a reputed beauty salon in South Dublin, Araya Beauty is the ideal choice to consider and visit. For more details about our Christmas Beauty Offers, please feel free to contact us by phone on 01 217 0594 or via text, call and WhatsApp on 089 492 8161 or via email at

We look forward to welcoming you into our beauty salon this Christmas and to helping you look and feel as awesome as you should do at this most happy time of year!


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ASI 2009: Some thoughts before the videos

Shaggy March 14, 2009 0

Well I’m back from Vegas and I’m ready to show off videos of what I saw there! The only problem is that so far my internet connection has not been co-operating with me and I’ve been getting errors when I try and upload videos, whether it’s for a site like this or Youtube. I will keep trying but I will probably have to find a different connection to use to get all of this stuff online.

As for the show itself, I had a lot of fun, it was great talking to some of you I have met before as well as talk to some who I hadn’t. I do think that the show was better this year than it was last time around – perhaps it’s because there were more games there and the games overall are improved so it wasn’t hard to top ’08. It also was nice for the pizza expo to be taking place right next to the show, I just wish I had known that I could visit it on the first day we were there.

NOTE: It is looking like I will not be able to get any videos posted until tomorrow (Sunday March 15th) afternoon. Sorry about the delay, I would love to get everything up already!

Namco’s booth was right in front of the show entrance and they were eagerly showing off their two new titles, Razing Storm and Nirin. They had two RS cabs and two linked Nirin cabs on hand.  Both games are impressive – they look great and they were both fun. They also were quite loud, up to the point where I felt like I was leaving a concert after walking away. I think that I missed getting a video on Nirin which is too bad as it’s a great looking game and the monitor was much larger than I thought it would be – I think they may have changed it from previous versions. Nirin also uses System ES1 for the hardware, which I would like to find out more about. Razing Storm is a worthy successor to games like Crisis Zone and Time Crisis. The guns were larger than I expected but comfortable and the graphics were naturally awesome (although I don’t care for DLP monitors personally, I think they make stuff look slightly fuzzy) and they blend perfectly with the physics that the game uses. There were constantly crowds checking out Razing Storm although I was able to jump on to this and play several times. Namco also had MaxiTune 3 there and they showed off some new redemption product and a new crane where you would cut a thread to win a prize.

Over to the right of Namco was Raw Thrills, with a large booth showcasing their two big games, H2Overdrive and Guitar Hero. Both games attracted an awful lot of attention and it helped that they had so many GH cabinets on hand. Unfortunately there were only two H2Overdrive cabinets there so on occasion it was tough to get a spot but I was able to play for a bit and I came away impressed. While this game looked great in the pics and videos that were online, it’s much better in person if you can believe that. The version at the show was not final, they still had to add a few things to finish it up but it was fully playable and I was able to level a boat up to level 18 or so. The sound on this was also cranked up quite a bit and it will probably carry a price point of around $7500. Guitar Hero was pretty cool as expected, I had never played the game before the show (yes that’s lame, but I have played Rock Band which is essentially the same thing) and came away happy with the experience. It looks good and where it doesn’t give players a “fail” if they royally screw up, it will probably appeal to players afraid of such a thing. I also saw DDR:X at their booth although I didn’t play it, the game itself looking like it would be fun to play but I didn’t give it a whirl. The most surprising thing about DDR:X was the price tag – it’s actually below $10k (it is somewhere in the upper $9000 range) which is a nice change for a DDR title. There also was a new game there by Chicago Coin called Putt Challenge which combines putting a real golf ball with a video game. This sort of thing could go well with people who have a bit of money and like those putt practicing games in the office, but this is much better.

BTW- I did find out something about American Idol – it appears as though the game was canceled due to some issues, I think with licensing. That would explain why it’s been hard to find – it was never actually released!

24 was proudly on display at the booth and I got a video of it, even though I wasn’t terribly good at the game. Stern also had a tournament running on Batman, with some players earning some pretty crazy scores.

Further up from the Betson booth was Sega – with a much larger and thus better presence this year than last. They had R-Tuned Racing and Harley Davidson there to compliment titles like Rambo, Sega Rally 3 and Bass Fishing Challenge. They also had Brick People there and a new video redemption game called When Pigs Fly, which was an amusing little game where you shoot a pig up into the sky to hit a UFO along with other targets for a ticket payout.  R-Tuned Racing is certainly the best looking Lindbergh game I have seen yet and the game itself is fun although I wasn’t really sure about the unlimited boost feature – that makes it feel a little cheap when racing. Still, drifting was easy and against another player it can be fun, it’s just too bad they didn’t have more R-Tuned cabinets there to show off. They also had the deluxe Harley Davidson game there to enjoy and it has been such a long time since I played the original HD game that I can’t tell you how they compare but I thought it was cool that they had a number of 70’s rock songs to choose from each round and the motorcycle controller is really cool to use thanks to the feedback they built into the bike. I would have prefered to see an LCD monitor instead of a DLP but that’s my personal preference (as I mentioned above) and it still looks just fine. They probably used DLP to get deeper color from the game and it is quite colorful as you will see later when I can manage to get the video online.I did ask about Ringedge games coming to the States but at the moment I don’t have anything to pass along.

A little ways to the left of Sega was Global VR, showcasing their newest title Justice League. Like TwistedSupreme and HeavyElectricity mentioned in their ATEI coverage, this game looks better in person than in still screenshots and it’s a fun game to boot thanks to the several levels and characters you can pick from. It also has a few secrets throughout the levels although I wasn’t lucky enough to uncover any. As TS and HE mentioned the game could use a greater variety of enemies and I think it would be cool to have more file0169obstacles to face in the levels I played but who knows if we’ll see an update in the future to fix these minor problems.  I love brawlers so it’s great to see this in arcades again and at the price point they are selling this at, I imagine that a lot of operators will be tempted to pick it up. They also were demonstrating a conversion kit of the game in a Dynamo cabinet and it looked great even on that – kits will go for around $2400 so it should be even more tempting to buy. Beyond that, they had deluxe versions of titles like NASCAR and Need For Speed there, along with a Blazing Angels cabinet to round out the mix.

These guys were at the show demonstrating their bemani-killer DJ Max Technicka. I only got to play through one song but I was impressed – it’s a fun game with a ton of features including online stuff and the cabinet is quite attractive.They did say that we can expect to see more from Pentavision in the US in the future, so I look forward to seeing what they will bring to us and honestly I think that this is a great start.

While the main focus of the ICE booth was redemption product, they also had the Game Gate VU (the new cabinet that allows you to legally install an Xbox 360 on location) and a ball throwing video game there (the name escapes me right now). The Game Gate is pretty cool but I can’t say that I care for the price tag – asking $6000-$7000 seems to be a bit steep for this even though it’s using licensed games but we’ll have to wait and see how people take to it.  The ball throwing game was fun, I have seen these before and with all of the mini-games it has a bit of replay value. It did have an occasional problem with recognizing a ball hit but otherwise it seemed to work fine.

Coastal Amusements

I got a chance to play the new Sea Wolf (and I got some video of it in action) and the new version is definently a much better game, thanks to the extra depth they gave to it. They also added some voice to it and they had a really good price on it at the show for less than $4000. More coming with the video later.

I think that this pretty much finishes it for now, as I said I will be getting a number of videos posted soon, but I need my connection to co-operate with me first. I’ve also got some more pictures to upload but they are on a camera that isn’t with me at the moment but I will try and get that taken care of tomorrow or Sunday. So stay tuned for more!

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Andrew Cocke

Andrew Cocke

Washington, DC, US

Andrew Cocke is an architect, writer, technologist, and educator specializing in high-performance architecture, design, landscape, and urbanism.  He began his career as an architectural fabricator in San Francisco and continues to draw on his experiences as a craftsman even as his work has grown increasingly digital, larger, and more complex. Andrew uses the most advanced BIM and parametric techniques to solve difficult design problems at every scale.

As a Building Information Specialist at the worlds leading design technology consultancy, CASE, Andrew works with many of the worlds leading firms to help them work smarter, design better buildings, faster with less risk and provide better value to their clients.

As an educator, Andrew's teaching and research focuses on the nexus between high-performance digital design, sustainable building analysis, and digital fabrication.  Andrew was the director of the Comprehensive Building Design Studio and a lecturer in the graduate Design Technology Concentration at the Catholic University of America's School of Architecture & Planning.  He has also been a frequent guest juror at numerous universities including Yale, University of Virginia, and the University of Maryland.

Andrew earned his Master of Architecture at the Yale School of Architecture, conducting research and design in Shanghai and Hong Kong in conjunction with Tongji University and Hong Kong University.  Andrew also has undergraduate degrees in architecture and English literature from the University of Virginia.

CASE, New York, NY, US, Building Information Specialist

As a Building Information Specialist at CASE, Andrew has worked with some of the most respected firms in the world including:
• Skidmore Owings & Merrill
• Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill
• Tod Williams Billie Tsien Associates
• Robert A.M. Stern Architects
• David Brody Bond
• Snohetta
• Office of Metropolitan Architecture
• Alloy Group

Jul 2013 - current

HERE Design, Washignton, DC, Principal

A boutique design firm focused on high-performance residential and commercial design projects in the US, Taiwan and China. Project include:
• Butcher residence, Warrenton, VA
• Clark residence, Falls Church, VA
• Entropy house, Charlottesville, VA

Oct 2006 - current

Catholic University of America School of Architecture & Planning, Washington, DC, US, Lecturer, Director Comprehensive Building Design Studio

Taught classes and studios on:
• Introduction to Design
• Comprehensive Building Design Studio
• Graduate Design Technology Studio
• BIM & Digital Construction Documents
• Introduction to Digital Design & Fabrication
• Advanced Digital Design & Fabrication
• Advanced Parametric Design
• Graduate Thesis
Directed the Comprehensive Building Design Studio
Taught in the Graduate Design Technology Concentration

Jan 2009 - May 2013

RMA | Rick Mather Architects + SMBW, Richmond, VA, US, Designer

Project include:
• Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, rainscreen, structural glass curtainwall & roof
• University of Virginia School of Architecture expansion with William Sherman

Mar 2004 - Oct 2006

VMDO Architects, Charlottesville, VA, US, Designer

Project include:
• Davenport Field, University of Virginia Baseball Stadium
• University of Virginia Center for Nanotechnology

Jan 2001 - Jan 2003

Yale University, New Haven, CT, US, MArch, Architecture

• studio with Greg Lynn
• China Studio
• City Planning with Alexander Garvin
• Work published in the Wall Street Journal

Sep 1998 - May 2000

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, US, Bachelors, Architecture & English Literature

Aug 1990 - May 1993

Portland Maine Public Art Competition, 1st Place

Kiss Benches with SKYE Design Landscape Architects

International Award, Royal Institute of British Architects, Award

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with SMBW+RMA

Merit Award, Richmond Chapter AIA, Award

Virginia Museum of Fine Arts with SMBW+RMA

Design Excellence Award, Virginia Society AIA, Award

Campbell Hall Addition to the University of Virginia School of Architecture with SMBW & William Sherman

Merit Award Central Virginia Chapter AIA, Award

Davenport Field with VMDO Architects

Douglas Haskel Award, New York Chapter of the AIA, New York Foundation for Architecture, 1st Place

Areas of Specialization


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IAGG workshop: health promotion program on prevention of late onset dementia

Andrieu, S
Aboderin, I
Baeyens, J P
Beard, J
Benetos, A
Berrut, G
Brainin, M
Cha, H B
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Published in Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging. 2011, vol. 15, no. 7, p. 562-75
Abstract IAGG, WHO, and SFGG organized a international workshop on Health promotion programs on prevention of late on-set dementia. Thirty world specialists coming from Europe, North America, Asia, South America, Africa and Australia, shared their experience on methods and results of large epidemiological interventions to reduce incidents of dementia or delay its on-set. Chaired by Laura FRATIGLIONI, an expert in Epidemiological studies on dementia issues, the workshop gave opportunity for discussions and controversies about the state-of-the-art. Based on different national and international trials (ADAPT, MAPT, FINGER, GUDIAGE, GEM etc) the questions remained opened for different aspects of methodology, the choice of domain or multi domain intervention, the choice and the definition of the target populations, the best age of candidates, the issues related to the discrepancy between late effects, and interventions' duration. We are please to publish in the Journal, the presentations presented to this workshop. These publications will complete previously task force published in the journal in the last two years on methodological issues for Alzheimer's trials including end point, biomarkers, and the experience of past therapeutic trials.
Keywords Advisory CommitteesAlzheimer Disease/epidemiology/prevention & controlClinical Trials as TopicHealth PromotionHumansPublic HealthResearch DesignWorld Health
PMID: 21808935
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Other version: http://link.springer.com/journal/12603/15/7/page/1
Research group Démence du sujet âgé, troubles cognitifs, la symptomatologie cognitive (577)
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ANDRIEU, S et al. IAGG workshop: health promotion program on prevention of late onset dementia. In: Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, 2011, vol. 15, n° 7, p. 562-75. https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:25661

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The Expanding Gospel
TitleThe Expanding Gospel
Publication TypeBook Chapter
Year of Publication2004
AuthorsNibley, Hugh W.
Book TitleNibley on the Timely and the Timeless
PublisherReligious Studies Center, Brigham Young University
CityProvo, UT
KeywordsAdam; Creation; Didache; Divine Council; Enoch; Enuma Elish; Expanding Gospel; Gospel; Hebrews 11:3; Opposition

Moses takes us back to the beginning, but which beginning? Nothing in the restored gospel is more stimulating to the inquiring mind than the infinitely expanded panorama of time and space it spreads before us. Our existence is viewed not as a one-act play, beginning with instantaneous creation of everything out of nothing and ending with its dissolution into the immaterial nothing from which it came (as St. Jerome puts it), but as a series of episodes of which for the present we are allowed to view only a few. The play has always been going on and always will be: the man Adam played other roles and was known by different names before he came here, and after his departure from mortal life he assumes other offices and titles. Even in this life everyone changes from one form to another, gets new names and callings and new identities as he plays his proverbial seven parts, but always preserving his identity as the same conscious living being. The common religion of the human race centers around that theme: the individual and the society pass from one stage of life to another not by a gradual and imperceptible evolution but by a series of abrupt transformations, dramatized the world over in rites of passage, of which birth and death are the prime examples, coming not unannounced but suddenly and irresistibly when their time is ripe; other passages, as into puberty and marriage, follow the same pattern.

In such a perspective of eternity the stock questions of controversy between science and religion become meaningless. When did it all begin — can you set a date? Were there ever humanlike creatures who did not belong to the human race? (There still are!) How old is the earth? the universe? How long are they going to last? What will we do in heaven forever? And so on. Nothing is settled yet, not only because the last precincts are never heard from in science—and their report always comes as a shocker—but because we are far from getting the last word in religion either; for us the story remains open-ended, at both ends, in a progression of beginnings and endings without beginning or end, each episode proceeding from what goes before and leading to the next. The Absolutes of the University of Alexandria, to which the doctors of the Christians and the Jews were completely in the thrall from the fourth century on, simply do not exist for Latter-day Saints. Instead of that, they have a much bigger book to study; it is time they were getting with it.


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Violet Sky

In Light by Brian Koberlein5 Comments

Why is the sky blue? It’s a common question asked by children, and the simple answer is that blue light is scattered by our atmosphere more than red light, hence the blue sky. That’s basically true, but then why don’t we see a violet sky?

The blue sky we observe depends upon two factors: how sunlight interacts with Earth’s atmosphere, and how our eyes perceive that light.

When light interacts with our atmosphere it can scatter, similar to the way one billiard ball can collide with another, making them go off in different directions. The main form of atmospheric scattering is known as Rayleigh scattering. If you imagine photons bouncing off molecules of air, that’s a rough approximation. But photons and air molecules aren’t billiard balls, so there are differences. One of these is that the amount of scattering depends upon the wavelength (or color) of the light. The shorter the wavelength, the more the light scatters. Since the rainbow of colors going from red to violet corresponds with wavelengths of light going from long to short, the shorter blue wavelengths are scattered more. So our sky appears blue because of all the scattered blue light. This is also the reason why sunsets can appear red. Blue light is scattered away, leaving a reddish looking sunset.

But if that’s the case, why isn’t the sky violet? Sure, blue light is scattered more than red or green, but violet light has an even shorter wavelength, so violet should be scattered more than blue. Shouldn’t the sky appear violet, or at least a violet-blue? It turns out our sky is violet, but it appears blue because of the way our eyes work.

Color sensitivity of the cones and rods of the human eye. Credit: Wikipedia

We don’t see individual wavelengths. Instead, the retinas of our eyes have three types of color sensitive cells known as cones. One type is most sensitive to red wavelengths, while the other two are most sensitive to green and blue wavelengths. When light we look at something, the strength of signal from each type of cone allows our brains to determine the colors we see. These colors roughly correspond to the actual wavelengths we see, but there are subtle differences. While each type of cone has its peak sensitivity at red, green, or blue, they also detect light of other colors. Light with “blue” wavelengths stimulate blue cones the most, but they also stimulate red and green just a little bit. If it really was blue light that was scattered most, then we’d see the sky as a slightly greenish blue.

We don’t see the greenish hue, however, because of the sky’s violet light. Violet is scattered most by Earth’s atmosphere, but the blue cones in our eyes aren’t as sensitive to it. While our red cones aren’t good at seeing blue or violet light, they are a bit more sensitive to violet than our green cones. If only violet wavelengths were scattered, then we would see violet light with a reddish tinge. But when you combine the blue and violet light of the sky, the greenish tinge of blue and reddish tinge of violet are about the same, and wash out. So what we see is a pale blue sky.

As far as wavelengths go, Earth’s sky really is a bluish violet. But because of our eyes we see it as pale blue.

  1. I have heard/read somewhere that ozone, which is blue, contributes quite a lot to the blue color of the sky. I have no recollection of exactly how much though.

    1. I don’t think so.

      Ozone is a colourless gas but is produced by processes such as a corona discharge which has a characteristic blue colour.
      The corona discharge ionizes gas producing electrons and positive ions.
      These electrons can be recaptured by the positive ions emitting photons in the process resulting in the colour.

      1. Ozone is definitely blue. It only looks colorless at low conc. It is said to be the cause of the blue tinge you see in liquid oxygen. There aŕe plenty of ozone pics available on the internet.

        1. Even so, ozone content in our atmosphere is extremely low, and its contribution into overall color of the sky is negligible.

        2. Your point is taken that ozone has a blue colour.
          Given that ozone mostly exists in the stratosphere at average concentrations of around 0.6 ppm, the concentration is way too low to contribute to the sky colour.

          The blue colour of liquid oxygen is due to absorption of photons at 650nm which excite the oxygen molecular bonds.
          Light in the 650nnm range is deep red in colour, absorption of red light gives liquid oxygen its blue colour.

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Materials Education Symposia - Home

International 2012 Materials Education Symposium

« back | International : International 2012

Tackling Sustainability Issues in Polymer Science Education

Prof Anke Nellesen | Bochum University of Applied Sciences

Tackling Sustainability Issues in Polymer Science Education

Download PDF Presentation:

In the near future it will be essential to acquaint the students of each discipline with related sustainability issues. In materials science this means to teach the students how to calculate the CO2-emissions of a material, how to ensure that resources needed to produce a certain material are big enough and/ or renewable. In polymer science it also is necessary to show different options for the end-of-life for a material: is it reasonable to enhance a material's durability or would it be a good alternative to use a biodegradable material to reduce waste. Another important issue is to discuss not only the basic polymer with the students but also the further chemicals needed to use a certain polymer as these ingredients are sometimes more problematic for the environment than it is the basic polymer. The lecture will present some examples how to introduce these issues in student's education. It will be shown how to implement tools for life-cycle assessment and how to set up a discussion with the students concerning sustainable development and the resulting consequences for their professional life. Here it is of utmost importance that not only problems are discussed but possible solutions are presented.


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STV webFCA Network Web

magine you’re on the game show “Family Feud.” You step up to the podium, and the host says, “Based on a survey of 100 people, name the most ungodly environment you can imagine.” You smack the buzzer before your opponent and blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. What’s your answer? Las Vegas? A fraternity house? A bar? Maybe

 Watch the Interview with
Three MLB Players!

Anybody out there say, “My locker room”?

Unfortunately, for both men and women, it’s a likely response. Guys swear, look at sleazy magazines and make obscene jokes. Girls gossip, back-bite and judge (and swear, too). It can seem like a room totally devoid of purity.

For Christian athletes, that puts us in a bind. What do we do when we’re forced to be in this kind of environment in order to play the sports we love? Is there hope of staying rooted in our faith and remaining above reproach? And what if we do stand strong but wind up getting mocked for it?

Major League Baseball stars Andy Pettitte, Brian Roberts and Luke Scott have all been there. In fact, they’re there now. Want a fitting example of an ungodly sports environment? Look no further than a typical Major League clubhouse—the place these men sit every day from April through September (and beyond if they’re lucky).

The good news is that there’s hope for anyone trying to maintain a Christ-like lifestyle in an unholy sports environment, and these men are offering encouragement. It can be done. It’s being done every day by athletes—both male and female—just like them who have learned what it takes to live a godly lifestyle in a faith-challenging environment. And not only have they learned to survive it, but also to thrive in it. Through their strong stances they are effecting change in their clubhouses by displaying the life and love of Jesus Christ.

So, think your situation is hopeless? Think again. God may just be preparing you to be a vessel of His light—one that will shine into some of the darkest places in sports.

• • • • • • • • • •

“…the Lord is my power source. If I stay plugged into Him, my light’s not going to go out.”
                                – Luke Scott
To get a feel for the baseball clubhouse environment, we turn first to FCA Baseball National Director David Daly, who perhaps saw more than he cared to see in his time as chaplain of the Triple-A Hickory Crawdads.

“I remember walking into the clubhouse one day and the first thing I see is one of the guys mooning me,” he laughed. “I said, ‘Get that ugly thing out of here!’ He came back later and asked me if it was true that he would go to Hell for mooning the chaplain. I messed with him for a bit, but eventually I reassured him that there was nothing in the Bible that said that.”

All moonings aside, Daly paints a clear picture of the baseball clubhouse scene: a lot of guys in a little space; a lot of clowning around; a lot of cursing; a few downtime card games; a lot of crude discussions; a competitive vibe; and, if a team is really blessed, a brotherly atmosphere.

“In good situations it’s like a family,” Daly said. “Sometimes you get on each other’s nerves, sometimes you argue, but, if somebody messes with a member of the family, they’re ready to jump in there and get his back.”

That family dynamic is where we begin. According to Daly, while it is a plus for any team to gel off the field, it also is one of the main reasons why living a godly lifestyle in the locker room can be a challenge.

“Deep down, we all want to be part of something that’s bigger than ourselves, and that’s a powerful thing,” Daly said. “Any good team has a sense of belonging—that they’re in this thing together. When you have that mentality, it makes for the most successful teams.”

The desire to connect as a team is a good thing, but it often becomes an excuse for compromising behavior. We’d rather sacrifice our beliefs than go against the grain and create friction among our teammates. We’d prefer that our teammates like us rather than risk being seen as uncool or breaking the team’s chemistry.

But this is where we must draw the line. Just ask the pros.

“When we struggle with whether we should fit in or honor God, we’re basically saying who is more important to us,” said Brian Roberts, the two-time All-Star second baseman of the Baltimore Orioles. “Is it more important that these people like me, or is it more important that God looks at me and says, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant’?”

Here we find the first key to surviving the ungodly locker room environment: making a conscious choice to follow Christ. Our minds are often referred to as battlefields, and with good reason. They can literally make or break us. We won’t take any action unless we have first decided to do it. Therefore, we must make a firm choice in our minds that we will obey Christ and live out biblical principles.

“It’s definitely one of those things you have to decide,” said Luke Scott, also a member of the Orioles and the team’s current designated hitter. “You have to decide if you’re going to have one foot in and one foot out, or if you’re going to be sold out to the Lord. Once you make the decision to follow Him and do things His way, you’re going in the right direction.”

Sounds simple, doesn’t it? But anyone who has tried it knows that it’s not easy to do. So, let’s take a look at what it requires. According to Roberts, one prerequisite for godly living is a firm foundation.

“First and foremost, we need a very strong relationship with the Lord,” he said. “We need to know that we can go to Him when we screw up and even before we screw up. In fact, that’s when we should go to Him.”

Trusting God is absolutely essential when it comes to standing strong in our faith. We have to know that no matter what happens, He has the best plan for us—that His ways are better than our own—and that, if we follow His plan, He will bless us in the end.

Romans 8:28 says that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. If we believe that, we have the freedom to choose His ways over the Scripture-contradicting ways of others knowing that our actions will reap great results. But we won’t ever really know whether or not that is true if we don’t test it for ourselves.

“Is it more important that these people like me, or is it more important that God looks at me and says, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant’?”
                           – Brian Roberts
“You have to go through it,” Roberts said. “Anybody who has been through it realizes that God is faithful. Taking a stand for the first time may be hard. It may be miserable, and you may lose a friend or a group of friends, but you realize that you can trust Him. The more you go through it again and again and continue to trust Him, the more He proves faithful, and the easier it becomes.”

But taking a stand brings us to requirement number two: guts.

“You have to have a backbone,” said pitcher Andy Pettitte, a two-time All-Star and five-time World Champion for the New York Yankees. “That’s really what it’s about. You have to have some kind of stability and the ability to stand strong. You just go into it knowing that people are going to ridicule you and say things about you, but what you have is genuine; it’s for real.”

In John 16:33 (NIV), Jesus says, “...In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

The reality is that victory is already ours in every situation. Christ has already won the ultimate battle, and He offers us the same victory if we choose to walk in His ways and obey His commands. No, we won’t escape hardship—that’s part of the package—but we will be blessed.

“Being a Christian doesn’t get us exempt from anything,” Pettitte said. “We’re going to have tough times. But if you stand fast, God’s going to be faithful; He’s going to bless you. And, in the end, it’s going to be the right way to go, no doubt about it.”

Perspective comes when we understand our true purpose for being on a team. We are there to bring God glory through our abilities and model Christ to those around us. Our purpose is not to achieve personal glory or to escape every locker room encounter without ruffling feathers or damaging our popularity.

Part of God’s unique design for each of us comes in where He places us. We must realize we’ve been placed in a specific setting with a specific group of people in order to achieve His specific purpose.

“God put me where I am,” Scott said. “I’m here, yes, because He gave me the talent to play baseball, but the real truth is that He’s got me here to be Jesus with skin on in front of everybody else. And that’s the calling we all have.”

Fortunately, God understands our human limitations. He knows that the ability to live a biblical, counter-cultural lifestyle is challenging. After all, He experienced it. Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tested in every way as we are, yet without sin.”

Because the Lord knows firsthand what it takes to make godly choices, He provides several tools that equip and strengthen us for the task. The first is the Bible.

“Just like we feed our bodies physically with food and water we have to feed our spirits with the Word of God,” Scott said. “If there’s a day I don’t read my Bible, then my spirit is hungry. There’s a lack—something that’s not in place.”

For this, Scott uses an electric analogy (literally).

“I look at it like the Lord is my power source,” he says. “If I stay plugged into Him, my light’s not going to go out. And light will always penetrate darkness no matter where you are. The Lord will never put you in a situation that is too difficult for you to handle, but the key is up to us. We have to choose to stay plugged into the power source or the enemy will dim the light through distractions, busyness, tests and trials. If we stay locked into the Lord in prayer and reading His Word, though, the more power we will have.”

Another tool we are given is the accountability of fellow believers. Whether we are on a team with seven other Christians or none, we have the responsibility of maintaining relationships that will help us grow in our faith and make wise decisions.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one because they have a good reward for their efforts. For if either falls, his companion can lift him up; but pity the one who falls without another to lift him up.”

“You have to have a backbone, That’s really what it’s about.”
                             – Andy Pettitte
“You need accountability,” said Roberts. “You need people you can go to when you are struggling, because, at times, temptations can seem overwhelming.”

As one of Roberts’ teammates, Scott agrees.

“Having teammates who share my faith is great because we support and encourage each other,” he said. “If we have problems, we can go to each other and build each other up. We can share our support and let each other know that we’re holding each other up.”

As a chaplain, Daly has seen this support in action many times. He’s watched timid Christian athletes gain strength in their stance through the power of accountability and the encouragement of fellow believers on the team.

On this point, Daly draws a parallel from Major League Baseball to FCA Huddles.

“The Christians in baseball really are a support system for each other, just like in any FCA Huddle across the country,” he said. “It really means a lot for the athletes who are trying to live a life of faith to be able to rely on and hang out with each other.”

With that in mind, it is also important to note that we shouldn’t isolate ourselves from unbelieving teammates. To do that would be to miss the point entirely. Not only would we miss out on an opportunity to love others with the love of Christ, we’d also miss out on the blessings of flat-out fun relationships with those who are different than we are. But we can’t build those relationships if we fear others or avoid them.

For Scott, it boils down to boundaries.

“It may be OK to go hang out with your friends and joke and have a good time, but there are guidelines and certain barriers that we don’t cross,” he said. “As Christians, we understand that we’re to be set apart. For me, I go hang out with my teammates, but there are certain topics I don’t joke about or certain beliefs I won’t agree with, and that’s fine. I stick up for what I believe in, and that in and of itself is a witness.”

When explaining his desire and passion for engaging with teammates who don’t share his faith, Scott references Mark 2:17 (NIV) in which Jesus says, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

“Jesus talked to the people who needed to hear the message,” he said. “That’s our same calling. He set the example, and we’re to follow it.”

For many of us, this involves a personal level of discernment. How much can we handle before we’ll cross the line and give into the temptation to behave in an ungodly manner?

While one of us may be able to sit down at a table and play hours of card games with teammates without participating in inappropriate jokes or discussions, another might be more vulnerable to peer pressure in that same situation and be easily drawn into sin.

Pettitte finds that success in this area involves making choices as to which relationships are healthy and which are not.

“You do have to stay away from certain friends and situations if they are bringing you down,” he said. “I don’t care how mature you think you are. I’m 37 years old, but if I run around with the wrong friends right now, I’m going to end up doing the same things they are. I’m going to fall into the temptations that Satan wants me to fall into. You have to be wise when making choices.”

For every Christian athlete, it comes down to being able to be “in” the locker room and not “of” it. And when we do find that niche—that sweet spot of being able to make godly choices, love our teammates and remain above reproach—that is when the lifechange truly happens.

Galatians 6:9 (NIV) says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Even if it takes months or years of godly living and making hard choices, the Bible does promise that our labor won’t be in vain.

“That’s the interesting dynamic,” said Daly. “Even if a Christian has been mocked every day by his teammates—if they’ve excluded him or made fun of him—he’s still the one that they go to when they need help. I saw it all the time when guys were going through tough stuff and didn’t know where to turn. They’d go to that Christian teammate because they knew it was somebody they could trust and would be there for them. They’d go to him with their issues because they’d seen him living a different lifestyle, and that made all the difference.”

And isn’t that the goal? To impart the love of Christ to others so that they can receive it for themselves? Thank God, through the influence of those who are able to live a godly lifestyle in an ungodly environment, that is exactly what is happening.

“That’s just the power of what God can do when we honor Him,” Roberts said. “He just wants to use us. And He can use you to reach even those who may initially run from you. Who knows? He may even draw them close to you down the road. But, then again, that’s just the crazy part about how big God really is.”

Resources of Light

FCA Sports National Directors David Daly (FCA Baseball) and Rick Randazzo (FCA Hockey) are both intentional about beaming light into the dark places of sports, even when they aren’t personally there to shine it.

Through the power of FCA’s resources, they are placing ministry items in the hands of professional, minor league and college teams in their respective sports.

“One of the greatest things we have in our ministry are our resources,” Daly said. “When I was a chaplain, any time FCA came out with a new resource, whether it was Coach Steckel’s book or Coach Dungy’s, I would make sure my players had a copy of it. And I would always make sure the clubhouse library had FCA books in it.”

Now in a national ministry role, Daly continues to resource several major and minor league clubs through the ministry of Sharing the Victory magazine. Within the past year he has purchased gift subscriptions for the teams with which he’s already established relationships, and he hopes to expand the list as the baseball ministry grows.

“The magazine is a great way of planting the seeds of the gospel in a clubhouse,” he said. “Some of these guys may not read Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, but they’ll read a story about Matt Capps, Brian Roberts, Albert Pujols or Mark Teixeira. It’s an easy way to make a Kingdom difference with a group of people without even being in front of them.”

For FCA Hockey, Randazzo has focused on providing his college teams and coaches with STV subscriptions and already has seen the fruit of his investment.

“One coach told me, ‘STV is my favorite thing to read every month. I give it to the team and leave it in the coaches’ room. It eventually works its way around the whole place.’” Randazzo said. “In everything we do, we want to reach coaches and athletes as often as we can and show them these stories that accomplish the FCA mission.”

If you want to make a difference in the life of someone you’re not around every day, Sharing the Victory and other FCA resources are great ways to do that. Visit sharingthevictory.com to purchase a gift subscription or fcagear.com for a list of lifechanging books and multimedia.

--For more stories about faith and sport, visit
www.sharingthevictory.com, the official magazine of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. To subscribe to STV, click here.

Photos courtesy of the New York Yankees and Todd Olszewski/Baltimore Orioles

Copyright 2007 Sharing the Victory Magazine

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