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Pick six Sunday is tied with Louis Oliver (Se

Pick six Sunday is tied with Louis Oliver (Sept. How to Start an Online Mastering Business by Stan Mack; Updated September 26, 2017 An audio mastering engineer cleans up recorded audio performances and finalizes the overall sound of a song or album.

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Easy Fuselage Layout

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Pietenpol and Super Cub builder John Egan demonstrates a technique to layout and draw in full scale the sides of a fuselage. Once laid out the members can be built in place on top of the layout lines.

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Eagle Feather Trading Post
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2018 Winter Sale
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   Fan Handles, Abalone & Med Wheel Blanks
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These parachute 550 cord bracelets are made for us by a Cherokee craftsman and may be ordered in any two color combination. They are available in three lengths. Custom made, so order early and allow extra time.

Originally worn for the easy access to a source of long cord in a survival situation, these bracelets have come to have a deeper meaning. First they were used to signify deployment in Middle Eastern countries, then this expanded to all deployments, then to military families and today, in addition to the above, they are made in colors signifying school colors, cancer awareness and many other affiliations.
These make a very meaningful Gifts.

Loosening one end gives you cord for hundreds of emergency uses. Examples are lashing together a makeshift shelter, building snares or traps, fishing line or material for a gill net, a tourniquet or a makeshift sling or splint.

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Eagle Feather Trading Post
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Beading Supplies
Eagle's View Books & Patterns
Blankets, Rugs & Trade Cloth
Bone & Horn: Hairpipe, Tubes, more
Buckles, Blanks and Belts
CD's - Native American Music
Claws, Talons, Teeth, Arrowheads
Cones, Jingles
Flour for Frybread
Flutes - Native American Style
Imitation Sinew
Indian Art - Quality Artifacts
Jackets, Clothes & Accessories
Beadwork, Jewelry, & Crafts
Lace, Hemp, Thong
Horns, Cattle
Kits - Native American Crafts
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Patches - Native & Eagle
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Facetted Beads, 6x4mm Glass Oval Fire Polish
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Beautiful, 6x4mm Oval Transparent Glass Beads with a brilliant Fire Polish finish, available in eleven colors. These have a great number of uses in both contemporary and traditional craft work. Great for necklaces, adornment, chokers, breastplates, hair ties, bandoliers, general craft work and many, many more projects.

Price is for 25 beads of one color. Bulk prices available for 100 beads of one color, 500 beads of one color and 1200 beads of one color. Colors Ruby Red (207) and Black (001) cost about 20% more as listed next to the color and quantity choices.

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Chulmleigh Academy Trust

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What Does Our Multi-Academy Trust Stand For?

Some key messages about Chulmleigh Academy Trust

As Chair I have to be very clear about supporting and communicating the vision and values of Chulmleigh Academy Trust the features of our Trust that define our character and individuality. Here are some key messages which describe Chulmleigh Academy Trust as an ambitious Multi-Academy Trust.

  • We are totally focused on the quality of learning of all our pupils
  • We stand for sustainable education within our communities in our diverse rural area
  • We believe strongly in education from 2 (ambitions for 0) to 16 with continuity and progression in learning and achievement
  • We know that education affects the life chances of all children and we aim for the highest standards in all aspects of education, academic, behaviour, personal, social and moral.
  • Our Trust is underpinned by a strong set of personal and organisational values and we are very explicit about these.
  • We consider our current Chulmleigh Academy Trust schools to be a 'family' of school, each with their own identify and personality, while being supported within a broader 'family', sharing expertise, providing capacity beyond that any individual school could offer itself, challenging for improvement and helping teachers to focus on teaching and learning.
  • We believe in collaboration to achieve good quality education and school improvement across our schools and wish to avoid competition


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What's covered?

Microsoft Office Specialist Certification is recognised globally as the standard for superior proficiency in desktop computing skills. Microsoft Office Specialist Certification provides students with the means to enhance skills, prove their expertise and advance careers.

This course will provide you with the knowledge and skills you need for the database unit of Microsoft Office Specialist. The unit is divided into topics related to everyday activities, putting IT into a real-world context. You will develop your skills in using databases while completing various tasks. To achieve this unit you must undertake a formal computerised assessment.

What do you need?

Students should have some experience of using Databases before starting work on this unit. You should have completed a level one course in Databases or you may have equivalent experience which will be assessed at interview prior to starting the course. If you do not have the necessary experience, you may wish to do a course prior to MOS like e-Quals or Clait 2006

How you are assessed

Microsoft Access is a very intensive unit. It will be delivered using a blended learning program. This will require you to attend workshops, teaching sessions and you will be required to use an e-learning package for self study to help you to achieve this unit.

How Long?

Daytime programmes: 6 days x 6 hours. Evening programmes: 12 weeks x 3 hours

What course next?

Microsoft Specialist Certification in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Progression to Expert exams and Master Certification

What could this lead to?

Choose from the following options

Many students are entitled to a reduction in tuition fees on many of our courses, which can dramatically reduce the overall cost of the course. More information can be found on our course fee reductions page. Financial support, loans and instalment plans are also available to eligible students.

Contact us on 01753 793288 to check whether you might be eligible for a reduced fee.

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Winter Seminar

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Saturday 20 January 2018, 02:00pm - 04:00pm
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"Annapolis Lighthouses: Lost Treasures Mark a Changing Region" with Bob Stevenson, US Lighthouse Association and Annapolis Maritime Museum

Learn about how some of the region's most interesting architecture, lifestyles, and beacons for the region's culture and economy have changed. Speaker Bob Stevenson is Director of Thomas Point Shoal Lighthouse Tours and a member of the Chesapeake Chapter, United States Lighthouse Society.

Space in the conference room is limited, and this topic will be popular, so guarantee your seat with an RSVP!

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21 March 2014

What's the hardest part of being a church leader?

What's the hardest part of being a church leader?

leader1 Dave HoldenDavid Holden, leader of New Community Church, London, Newfrontiers
"I would say the hardest part is making sure I only do what I know God has called me to do. It's a constant challenge when leading a church to do many things that others should do and therefore you need to be good at delegation. God gives us grace and gifts to do what He's called us to do, otherwise it just ends up as 'work only'. 1 Corinthians 15:10 has really helped me in this. It says: "By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them – yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me."

John Marshall, leader of Church Lane Evangelical Church, Stafford
"leader3 John MarshallLoving people unconditionally is such a challenge. The love we must have for the congregation means we want the best for them. It validates the personal sacrifices church leaders make. If that love is rebutted and people treat church like a service industry, never giving, always taking and leaving on a whim then it is really hard to love them. At the same time, it leaves me even more amazed at Christ's unconditional love for me."

Octavia Williams, pastor at Walworth Christian Fellowship, Southwark
"As a church pastor I am challenged with people's low commitment level to prayer. Prayer meetings record the lowest level of church attendance. It is clear from Scripture (Acts 2) that after Jesus' ascension  Octavia Williamsthe Church was born on the day of Pentecost out of a 10-day prolonged prayer meeting in the Upper Room. One would think that prayer would come naturally to a follower of Jesus but I have found mobilising the church to pray is more often an uphill task. Nonetheless, I take consolation in knowing that there were more than 500 people who had seen Jesus after he had risen but only 120 people assembled in the Upper Room to pray."

John Welsby, leader of Emmanuel Christian Centre in Haverfordwest , Pembrokeshire
leader 5 John Welsby"Well, Moses as Israel's leader from Egypt to the Promised Land, had it all. He had grumbles, rebels, gossip, disloyalty... but also loyal friends and family. Best of all, despite lapses of anger and disobedience with his patience sorely tried and feeling like a failure, God loved him in his repentance and still used him. Why therefore as a leader, do I empathise with Moses? Ecclesiastes 1:9 says: "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun'."

Nick AtkinsNick Atkins, rector at St Matthew's Church, Ipswich
"There are quite a few areas that make being a Christian leader difficult. Moving creates the problem of leaving friends and making new relationships. As a vicar within the Anglican church, for a variety reasons, combining parishes brings the problem of time management between the congregations and extra duties. In addition levels of commitment amongst the church members can also be particularly disappointing at times."

 Neil leader 6 Neil PowellPowell, church pastor at City Church, Birmingham
"For me it's remembering that it's not about me. It's a daily decision to remember that all true ministry flows out of a secure identity – I am in Christ – rather than out of a desperate desire to create an identity for myself. Fail to grasp this one truth and I will be the biggest danger to my ministry."

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"My customers have total confidence in our company because our work is guaranteed by the ECA"

David Lewis, MD, Chancery Contracts Ltd

Key Services & Benefits

What does my business get if we join the ECA?

By becoming a Member of the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) your business doesn't just become recognised as offering the highest levels of quality and service, it also gets access to a host of preferential services and benefits.

We are constantly improving  and evolving what we provide to our members, so make sure you come back and check regularly.

  • Member businesses can empower employees from across their organisation to access a host of restricted member materials and information on the ECA website. This includes technical, health & safety, employee relations services, commercial and contract to name just a few.

    The Nominated Representative is able to sign-up as many individuals as required to give access to the resources available.

  • ECA Registered Members can save thousands of pounds by accessing British and European Standards by subscribing to a special online library on the ECA website.

    Find out more

  • Customers, - whether commercial and domestic- need managing differently.

    ECA Members can access advice and support on techniques to respond to these challenges on a day-to-day basis. Our Commercial & Contracts department also offers advice and support on all areas relating to the ECA Guarantee, Bond and Warranty.

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  • Clients and hiring firms know ECA members are fully technically assessed, financially robust, reliable and work to the highest possible health and safety standards.

    See our membership criteria section

  • In today’s world, it is essential that employers have access to reliable information on employment issues and employment law.  The ECA Employee Relations team is here to provide that help and advice for members companies.

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  • ECA members benefit from unrivalled technical support across the full sphere of electrical and electrotechnical engineering, installation, maintenance and monitoring. They also have access to an online completion certificate system as well as numerous detailed Application Guides and summarised Guidance notes.

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    Many contractors have found that they have had to be assessed by numerous pre-qualification health and safety schemes to be eligible to tender for various contracts. Our aim is to help to reduce this number significantly and as a result the ECA is able to offer a FREE CHAS assessment for new members.

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    This includes a free specialist health and safety advice line, web-based information, presentations, and practical tools such as eRAMS. The ECA is also a leading voice on health and safety with the Government and the HSE, and key stakeholders such clients and main contractors.

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Home » Blog » Are You Overcomplicating Your Novel?

Are You Overcomplicating Your Novel?

by Amy Bennet, editor

Recently I’ve seen a number of manuscripts by talented new writers who are falling into a trap. Writers are overcomplicating their novels, often by choosing unnecessarily experimental narrative techniques, or by deliberately leaving out important plot information. The choices range from switching, seemingly randomly, between past and present tense or first and third person POV, and hiding important aspects of the main character’s conflicts and agenda.

The resulting effect, put bluntly, is that the novels are weaker than they could be. I’ve talked to a number of writers who’ve been overcomplicating their work, on purpose or unconsciously, and I’ve found two major contributing factors, one historical and one psychological.

Science fiction, fantasy, and horror fiction starts out from a disadvantage, historically speaking. From the early to the middle 20th century, the literary ambitions of most genre fiction was best described by the type of paper it was commonly printed on, pulp paper, which was cheap to produce and quick to fall apart. But over the past 70 years or so, the writing has gotten much better, and to a great extent science fiction and fantasy has grown out of this old and tawdry reputation. Signs that the genre passes literary muster can be found in many places, from the MacArthur Genius Grant awarded to Octavia E. Butler, to the number of Library of America volumes dedicated to science fiction, fantasy, and horror literature. Yet popular fiction, science fiction, fantasy, and horror in particular, is still seen in some circles as being simple or non-literary, either as a reaction to the history or even as a reaction to its popularity.

But genre fiction is not simple. From a purely mechanical perspective, science fiction and fantasy requires more work to create than straight-up literary fiction. Writers of contemporary mimetic (e.g. real life) fiction have to create compelling narratives, engaging characters, resonant settings, evocative language, and a story that grabs the reader’s attention. Science fiction and fantasy novels have to do all of that, plus create a unique setting that saturates the narrative. For some novels, the setting may require an internally consistent and binding set of rules for how magic works, invented governments and geographies, the practical economic and cultural implications of long-distance space travel, or any number of variations on these themes. A ton of thought and effort can be required to create a good science fiction or fantasy novel, even if the writer makes it look effortless. And even if writers aren’t aware of the history of the genre, they can be influenced by cultural perceptions of the genre they’ve chosen. Hence part of the authorial desire to overcomplicate, withhold, and generally make the reader work harder than strictly necessary, in an attempt to demonstrate the value of the genre.

The other main factor is psychological. I see this most often in new writers who are learning how to write, but who nonetheless gravitate to complicated stories and complicated ways of telling them. Many writers who are drawn to science fiction and fantasy, and the wide commercial and cultural influence that these genres have, are also overachievers by nature. Doing something well isn’t that interesting unless it’s also exceptionally hard. The problem with that attitude is that you risk turning an inherently difficult project into a Herculean one.

Of course you want your work to be good, to be seen, to be unique, and to be valued. Keep in mind your job is to entertain people, and even change people. A book at its most simple is an emotion delivery device, creating an immersive experience for the reader, with some assembly required. Start from the understanding that the reader will likely miss or misunderstand some aspect of your work, be annoyed or confused by something you thought was clever, and create interpretations that fly in the face of the story you intended for them to experience. If you’re writing because you want to reach people, the quality and accessibility of the reader experience should be at the core of all of your choices about the story you want to tell and how you want to tell it.

The drive to overcomplicate is to some extent inevitable in a saturated and competitive marketplace, full of hype and misinformation about how to get published and how to get noticed, and the unreasonably ambitious expectations these conditions can create. In a world where our technology is rewiring our brains to make us expect immediate gratification, and publication can be as simple as hitting the “publish” button, this heady mix of factors can end up creating a recipe for burnout, disillusionment, and worst case scenario, can risk tanking promising careers before they’ve had a chance to get going.

So as an antidote to overcomplication, I offer the advice I give to writers eager to break out: Learn your craft. Develop your strengths, and seek out your weaknesses and how to overcome them. Read widely and copiously, genre fiction and literary fiction, novels and short fiction and nonfiction, so that you can internalize what good writing feels like. Learn the business. Research the merits and costs of your publication options, set reasonable expectations for what success looks like, and make choices that help meet your goals. Yes, it’s work. No, it’s not easy. But you’re probably not writing novels because it’s easy.

Amy has edited and helped package novels and collections over multiple genres, including young adult, thrillers, literary fiction, and erotica.

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NJ High School Student Sues Parents Over Financial Support

Rachel Canning, a student from Catholic high school, has reportedly sued her parents for throwing her out of the house after she turned 18. The honor student-athlete claims that she is in need of financial support and that her parents owe it to her.

Canning, is a cheerleader who aims to be a biomedical engineer in the future, is in search of judicial support for proving her dependence on her parents, writes Peggy Wright of The Daily Record.

A family friend of Canning’s, Jaime Inglesino’s father John Inglesino, who is an attorney and former Morris County Freeholder, is helping financially in the proceedings of the lawsuit.

Reportedly, Rachel is nowadays living with the Inglesino family after her parents threw her out of their house. Rachel’s father, Sean Canning, said that this is a terrible situation for him and her wife, as they love their daughter and want her to come back home.

A hearing was scheduled by Judge Peter Bogaard for March 4th. Tanya N. Helfand, who is Rachel’s lawyer, asked the court to order parents Sean and Elizabeth Canning to pay an outstanding $5,306 Morris Catholic tuition bill and pay her current living and transportation expenses. Also, Rachel wants her parents to commit an existing college fund to her. She has received acceptance letters from several universities and has to make a decision this spring.

The lawsuit also includes a request that the parents pay their daughter’s legal fees so far totaling $12,597.

Sean Canning, a retired Lincoln Park police chief who currently works as Mount Olive’s township administrator, said his daughter’s representation of the facts is not accurate and he fears she is being “enabled” by well-intentioned but ill-informed people who include the Inglesinos. Sean Canning said that Rachel voluntarily left home in October and was never thrown out.

Mr. Canning said they did stop paying the Morris Catholic tuition and have kept Rachel’s car because they paid for it. According to the father, Rachel moved out because she didn’t want to follow simple household rules, including managing a few chores and ending her relationship with a boyfriend.

Prominent family-law attorneys Sheldon Simon and William Laufer both called the lawsuit highly unusual and Laufer said he has seen nothing like it in 40 years of practice.

Rachel submitted a certification to the court contending her parents, on October 29th, 2013, decided to stop supporting her both financially and emotionally as of November 1st, 2013. In her papers, she stated that Morris Catholic advised her not to return home and contacted the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency (known as DCP&P and formerly as DYFS).

03 7, 2014
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Saw some shows

Last week, before the Tonys and the controversy over Julius Caesar, I saw a bunch of off and off-off Broadway shows and two are especially sticking with me.

Somebody's Daughter by Chisa Hutchinson.  I know Chisa from the New York Neo-Futurists (we are both alums; Fun fact: we are also both Vassar alums but we didn't meet there) and have been so excited for all of her achievements and her growing professional success since her time with the company.  Chisa's writing is so bright, specific and nuanced, particularly in her characters' voices and dialogue.  Somebody's Daughter takes on cross-cultural relationships, coming-of-age, mother/daughter relationships and more but in surprising ways; we've seen these topics before but Chisa's play never felt anything but fresh. This play, too, made excellent use of a not-quite-linear structure and an expert sense of where each character's story should end.  In less-capable hands, it's easy to imagine a still-good but much less successful effect, but Chisa's choices are so spot-on that she avoids pitfalls we've all seen elsewhere and has created something that feels revelatory.  And though I was there to cheerlead for Chisa (and clearly wasn't disappointed) I would be remiss if I didn't say that the performance and the direction (and the production design) were all outstanding.  Somebody's Daughter is part of Second Stage's season and is running through June 25, so just GO SEE IT.

Wake Up And Smell The Coffee by Eric Bogosian.  This is a one-man show - a connected series of monologues - written a decade ago and performed recently by Frank Zagottis at one of the modest theaters at The Producers Club.  To be perfectly honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the script which felt dated, in spite of clever updates to cultural references and which (for me) didn't manage to overcome its negative attitude/world-view in spite of being self-aware about it.  But whether you liked the script or not - and I may be in the minority: it should be noted that the night I was there, the nearly-sold-out audience really seemed to be enjoying itself - there is no denying that Zagottis is an artistic force to be reckoned with.  With no set to speak of and just a couple of small props to help delineate different characters, Zagottis held our attention for 90 minutes without flagging.  Even more remarkably, he kept our focus without ever grabbing or straining for it; his performance was a beautiful blend of energy and ease.  Even in the moments that seem clearly to have been written by Bogosian for himself - Bogosian as Bogosian - Zagottis fit himself beautifully into the piece as if it had been written for him.  If producers do decide to remount the show, I'd like to see director Jeffrey Zeiner take a stronger hand in shaping the journey of the piece and clarifying just a couple of spots where I wasn't sure if I was seeing a new character or one we'd met before.  Still, overall, this show is a testament to the power of a performer in a room with something to share - the power of theater - which is always lovely to behold and inspiring to remember.

Old Year

Before we get too far into 2017, I wanted to take a moment to appreciate what a great year 2016 was artistically for me (however problematic and sad it was in other regards).  Here are the highlights:

  • My creative partner, Kevin R. Free and I made our ongoing collaboration "official" forming MyCarl Productions.  We made a website AND a video so you KNOW we're serious now. ;)
  • My comedy webseries, Gemma & The Bear!  continued to receive accolades.  Most exciting, we were programmed into the New York Television Festival (NYTVF) which gave us access to so many amazing panels plus the opportunity to pitch to and otherwise meet with TV executives.  To get ready, I wrote six original TV pitches and the beginning of a pilot.  Along the way, I discovered how much I LOVE writing for TV.
  • I was in an amazing play called NIGHT OF THE LIVING N-WORD!!  It was produced as part of the 20th anniversary NYC Fringe festival.  We received a lot of critical acclaim and folks wrote some nice words about my performance as well.  I'm proud of my work and proud to have been part of bringing an innovative and important play to life.
  • I wrote my first TV pilot! All the way through!! It's an hour-long teen sci-fi drama (dramedy?) and I'm revising it now but . . . that was fun!

Here's hoping 2017 can be as artistically rich as 2016 if not more so! xo

The Baker

When my mother wasn't well, I took over her car so that I could go back and forth to where she was in NJ and, later, the Bronx.  I got the cheapest local parking spot about 10 blocks away.  The walk to the garage took me past a funny, old-fashioned-feeling French bakery that, I discovered, sold the perfect small chocolate-chip cookie for eating all of the feelings I was having about my mom's illness.  One cookie was just enough to do the emotional work I needed a chocolate chip cookie to do, but not so much that I tipped over into gluttony or guilt.

I loved the man who most often served me.  We were both kind of stiff and spoke as little as possible; he was french and I was always wanting to speak french to him and simultaneously too embarrassed.  As much as the cookie, he was part of the comfort I found stopping in there on my way to or from the hospital or hospice; the neighborly familiarity of being recognized but not really known.

He died, that man.  I read it in the newsletter of the other local bakery (where I prefer the bread but dislike the cookies) and out-loud said, loudly, "no!"  I know that a large measure of the sadness I'm feeling about him is really sadness about my mom, but it's also true that I will miss HIM, am sad to know I won't get to see him again, sorry to have taken those oddly pleasurable interactions for granted.

I am newly grateful to live in a community where we see each other and recognize our neighbors even if we don't often get to know them very well; a kind of extended family in the absence of actual kin.

Moon & Memory

The cool, wet evening air and the big, gorgeous moon as I stepped out to walk the dog reminded me of college and camp. They jumped me back to feeling young and full-hearted.  I think the contents of that heart-of-my-youth would not nearly fill the current vessel (and nostalgia is sweet but it does not make a meal).

Artsy! My/Your/Our new favorite time-suck!

A couple weeks ago I got a really nice e-mail in regard to a blog post I wrote last year about some public art I'd gone to see (and really enjoyed) including work by one of my favorite artists, Spencer Finch

The e-mail came from a guy who works for a thing called Artsy which, it turns out, is an amazingly cool and really powerful website!  As the e-mail explained:

We strive to make all of the world’s art accessible to anyone online. Our Spencer Finch page, for example, provides visitors with Finch's bio, over 60 of his works, exclusive articles, and up-to-date Finch exhibition listings. The page even includes related artist & category tags, plus suggested contemporary artists, allowing viewers to continue exploring art beyond our Finch page.

And it's true! E-mail guy wasn't lying!

I immediately looked up some other top-of-mind favorites: Sol Lewitt, Mark Rothko, Helen FrankenthalerYves Klein, Alexander Calder, Lucian Freud, Ernesto Neto . . . it's like getting to Skype with faraway friends you wish you got to visit more.  And then, in looking up a favorite Grant Wood painting, I found Don Coen who's making work I kinda like and who I'd never heard of before.  Then Joseph Cornell gave me Adam Nisenson!  Cool, right?! And am I embarrassed that my list only contains ONE woman? I am! So I'm going to keep poking around Artsy with an eye to remedying that deficit. BAM!

And that's not even all you can do on Artsy, it's just all I've done so far.

Scrolling artists is a MUCH more gratifying way to loose half an hour (or more - oops!) than scrolling Facebook.  Check it out. And leave me a comment about YOUR favorite artist(s) - especially if you've got a lady for me! xo

Consider Poetry

I have been rather upset and unsettled by current events of late - as, I think, have many of us;  local, national and international news all seem to provide whole new levels of disquiet.

I don't know about you, but I am not one of those "the universe is telling me . . ." sorts.  Nevertheless, it is a convenient shorthand for the minor sense of destiny a closely grouped series of apparent-coincidences can create, and so it has been with me and poetry.

Poetry, in the face of the agita and anxiety provoked by any glancing encounter with the news, has been such a balm and not because it is escapist but because it is manages to be both direct and so very gentle.

Consider the power of the gentle gesture.  Consider the the soft voice, the body that yields rather than stiffens.  Consider how art well-wrought, in whatever form, can sneak into our cracks (like water in the sidewalk) and expand and break us open (keep us open) in the best possible way.

Following, the poetry that has been throwing itself in front of me over the past couple of weeks (don't hurt yourself, poetry):

by Nikki Giovani

by Nikki Giovani

I heard this piece on All Things Considered about poets mining non-fiction to create their work: Poets Take Cues From Journalism In Recent Collections

And then I heard this interview with Max Ritvo. I heard it via the New Yorker Radio Hour but it was originally on the Only Human podcast.  Only Human made a short animation to go with a poem of his that was recently published in The New Yorker

Finally, here is a list of poems by one of my favorite poets, Vikram Seth.  Of everything on this page his work feels to me the most out-of-time - resonant because of a sense of universal experience but not particularly relevant to the immediate times and travails.  That's not a dig on him, just a note for you.

Bucket list: OYSTERS

There were exactly two things on my bucket list: 1. Shucking (and eating) oysters with friends outdoors on some summer evening; 2. Curling in Canada.

In honor of my birthday my husband arranged for a group of friends to go with us to an Oyster farm on Long Island.

Oyster Shucking: ACHIEVED!

We arrived at Captree state park with a cooler of beer, where the owner of Blue Island Oysters, Chris Quartuccio, picked us up in a motor boat and ferried us, in two groups, to the small man-made pier-island between Captree and Fire Island.  Chris gave us a talk about oysters generally and oyster farming specifically and then we got into kayaks and paddled out to see the oyster beds and their environs.  The water was really shallow and incredibly warm - the oyster "bags" were less than a foot from the surface of the water - and it was a gorgeous evening.  When we had seen all there was to see, and paddled enough, we went back to the pier-island to shuck (and eat) oysters plus lobster rolls and, later, cake and ice cream.  The sunset was literally picture perfect.

The outing was a peak life experience - a top ten day.  Crawling into bed that night, thinking back over the whole adventure felt delightfully like the parallel moment on my wedding night: wonderful memories forged with good friends. Here are some photos if you'd like to see:

Everyone at Blue Island Oysters was just lovely, I learned so much and we all had a really fun time.  Thanks to Carl Schweitzer, Bekah Fisk and Pam at Blue Island Oysters for taking the photos!

Neighborhood Dog Police

I don't think she looks that tasty . . .

I don't think she looks that tasty . . .

A stranger just waited outside the grocery store, gathering and working up a small group of other strangers, so when I came out, she could yell at me for leaving my dog tied up outside.

She told me dogs have been stolen lately from outside another nearby store.

She told me that there's "a pitbull ring up at 125" and that they will come in a van, cut the leash, steal the dog and euthanize her.

A passerby then added in passing "and EAT her!!"

"See?" said the first lady.

I asked her to please try to speak to me in a less aggressive way.

I told her I'd always considered the neighborhood rather safe in this particular regard.

I told her that I appreciated her concern and good intentions.

We agreed that we both have dead parents and love animals.

I told her my leaving my dog there while I went into the store was none of her business.

She disagreed.

I didn't tell her that I grew up being told the same thing would happen to me. That strangers would sidle up to me and inject me with god-knows-what, spirit me away and then . . . [meaningful looks here]

I didn't tell her that I've spent years and years being unfriendly and stand-off-ish and anxious out of an abundance of caution (fear) about what strangers might do to me or my pet or my property or my loved one.

I didn't tell her that I'd just finally started to settle into the idea that most people are good, that I live in a pretty nice neighborhood with a community of folks who recognize and look out for each other.  I didn't point out that I made this choice in the middle of a sunny, Sunday afternoon on a busy block that I know well.

I don't want to take unnecessary risks; if dogs are being stolen I will reconsider leaving mine tied up unattended (and I'm glad to have the information). But I also don't want to be that lady and her ad-hoc cronies worried about faceless van people stealing and eating dogs. I don't want the burden of that world view.

And I really don't want to be yelled at. Especially by strangers.

Are you in a bubble? (Take this quiz!)

Typical; not proud of it.

Typical; not proud of it.

I took this fascinating quiz that asks the question "Do You Live In A Bubble."  It's from PBS News Hour, not Buzzfeed; it's for real.  It doesn't take too long and at the end you get a score that describes how "thick" your bubble is.

I scored a 2.  My bubble is thick.  No surprise there.  What I found interesting were the questions they asked to try to get to the heart of the matter.  What I wish is that there was some more actionable next step.

I didn't need the quiz to know I'm in a bubble.  As a bubble-dweller, I try to be self-aware and keep myself open to hearing (and believing) other people when they tell me about their experiences, especially when they differ from mine.  I'm not sure this quiz does anything to answer the question of how to build empathy and understanding with people in other bubbles.  Awareness is certainly a good first step.

If you take the quiz, let me know what you think . . . and your score!

Go get it: Salux!

I can take no credit.  I read about Salux wash cloths recently on Into The Gloss.  You can too.

But you don't need to if you'll just take my word for it.  Get one.  Spend the $6.  You will not regret it.

I have gone from a lifetime of shower ambivalence (necessary for basic hygiene but awfully wet and then cold) to an experience of SHOWER DELIGHT.  Plus my skin is softer and smoother.

*mic drop*

My First Film Festival!

Over the past several days, I've been attending the Winter Film Awards here in NYC.  Gemma & The Bear! is an official selection - one of only five selections that fall under the "web content" or "internet programming" category.  And we're really proud!  We're also really impressed with the other content we've seen in the screenings as well as with the amazing organization of the festival itself.

Before this, I never would have considered going to a random film festival screening as something to do in my leisure time, but now I totally would.  Moreover, there are film festivals happening all over the country (I know because I've done a bunch of research submitting Gemma & The Bear to many of them) which means that everyone has access to this high-quality yet non-mainstream content.  It's exciting and inspiring!

Anyway, here are some photos of our festival adventures if you'd like to see:

Kevin heading in to the opening reception party!

Kevin heading in to the opening reception party!

Inside the party.

Inside the party.

Before the screening. We were excited to find our logo on the festival poster!

Before the screening. We were excited to find our logo on the festival poster!

Here we are pretending to watch the screening before the lights go out. :)

Here we are pretending to watch the screening before the lights go out. :)

Kevin on the big screen! (see the floor lights and exit sign? we're LEGIT in a theater!)

Kevin on the big screen! (see the floor lights and exit sign? we're LEGIT in a theater!)

Stacee Mandeville (AD), Matt Scott (Director), Kevin & Me outside the theater after the screening.

Stacee Mandeville (AD), Matt Scott (Director), Kevin & Me outside the theater after the screening.

As part of the festival, I also had the opportunity to attend a presentation by the New York State Governor's Office about how NY supports/encourages film production.  They said things like "If your budget is under fifteen million . . ." but even though we're not anywhere near that level (YET) they were so positive and helpful, it was really inspiring.

Do you attend film festivals?  What are your pro tips?

Professional Lover of Eggs

I love eggs.

Wherever there's some marker to commemorate my life after I die, that's probably what it should say:  Eevin Hartsough 19whatever - 20whatever. LOVED eggs.

Anyway, I was having a phone meeting recently when it was revealed to me, via a series of digressions, that many people still struggle (as I once did) to confidently and reliably produce properly cooked soft-boiled eggs.  I told my colleague how I like to do it and she said "make me a video!" so I did.  Here it is in case you also would find this information useful.

And then, here's an old post about one of my favorite clutch dinners which involves . . . soft boiled eggs!

Tell me if you have another way or how you tweak this method for yourself!

Two great tastes . . .

Sometimes, you've got some chocolate and some peanut butter and something happens and suddenly they have combined to create a new, wonderful thing.  I read these two essays within a day or two of one another.  I liked and appreciated each of them, but I really like them next to one another.  Here they are with my favorite part of each excerpted.

Letter of Recommendation: Sick Days by Sheila Heti

Sick in bed is a bit like Halloween: a day on which you wear a costume to express the parts of yourself that can’t normally be expressed. In this case, what can’t be expressed on other days is that all of our activity is ultimately worthless, that we are going to the grave, that being busy is largely about keeping up the appearance that our lives mean something, our relationships mean something, our work means something and crossing things off a list means something. It’s true. These things do mean something. But they also don’t. Sick days are like Halloween; days on which you can live and dress up wholly in life’s bleakness. The costume is simple: It’s bed.

How To Keep Writing When No One Gives A Shit by Jennifer Garam

(I say: just replace "writing" with whatever you care about most.)

But as bad as the rejection and all the non-caring feels, not writing feels worse. I have to tell my stories and share my experiences, or I get angry and lethargic and depressed. Without writing, I feel powerless and like I don’t have a voice, like my thoughts and feelings and experiences don’t matter. I get frustrated when I’m sending out a piece that I love and it isn’t getting accepted anywhere and I’m yearning for it to be published so others can read it. I’d prefer if everything I wrote got accepted. But regardless, the actual process of writing is soothing, healing, and necessary for me to feel OK in the world. So I have to keep doing it.

What do you think?  Do these articles resonate for you as a pair?  I'd like to give Jennifer Garam a sick day like the one Heti describes, and then watch them have lunch together.

What did you like best about either or both essay?  Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

This is how I do it

this is how we do it o 90s Rewind: This Is How We Celebrate Montell Jordans This is How We Do It

Last week I wrote about my accidental resolution to embrace and trust my process with the goal of leaving a good deal of anxiety behind.  So, I wanted to share something I've been doing for the past couple of months that's really been working for me.

It's all about Monday mornings and my trusty notebook.  Here's what I do:

On the left hand page, I write down all of my to-do's.  I have separate columns for e-mails and phone calls (because I try to do those things in clusters) and usually a little non-column for frivolous things like a video or an app I want to remember to check out.  Any to-do's that weren't to-done last week get copied over to the new week.  It's nice when I don't have to copy much, but it's also a big indicator of what I'm avoiding/resisting/procrastinating which helps me STOP doing that.

On the right hand page, I draw out my week.  I'm still tweaking this, but the gist is that I block out when I have time to work (aka when my son is in school or with his babysitter), dinner times and gym times.  I do all of that in pen.  In pencil, I go back to my to-do list and plan in which to-do's I hope to accomplish when.

On Monday mornings when I make the calendar for the week, I also try to plan WHAT we'll have for dinner every night.  Doing that planning once a week saves me both stress and trips to the grocery store - it's been a big upgrade for how I spend my work time and my time with my kiddo.

Here's what my notebook looked like last week. Monday was a school day off so I actually started on Tuesday.

Here's what my notebook looked like last week. Monday was a school day off so I actually started on Tuesday.

And that's it!  The to-do's for the week reflect my longer-term plans, so I don't have to think too much, I just DO the things I told myself to do.  I've been making more productive use of my time and generally feeling more satisfied with what I'm getting done.

People are making all kinds of pre-printed notebooks to help you accomplish this (I've seen a bunch pop up on Kickstarter and the like), but I like the process of making these two pages every week.  Planning it out this way gives me time to think and helps me feel like I've got a handle on the week ahead.

Do you have a system for organizing your whole life?  How does it work?  Would you try this? Leave a comment!

Accidental Resolution

Sometimes I'm smug; this is Smaug.

Sometimes I'm smug; this is Smaug.

I was feeling a big smug (albeit inadvertently) that I had made no New Year's resolutions this year; hadn't even considered that I might; had given the subject no thought whatsoever.  Then a couple of days ago I pulled myself up short.  Uh-oh, I thought.

There are two things.

The first is that I make resolutions all the time.  I'm irritatingly unsatisfied, always looking for a way to improve, nit-picking very good things in an effort to make them even better.  And I do okay.  I mean, I annoy my husband sometimes when I apply this tendency to our relationship, but I generally think I have continued to move in the direction I want as a result of my own efforts.

The second thing is that I spent most of the time between my son's birth in March, 2013 and this past fall in a state of panic, or at least high-alert.  I'm pretty good with panic (maybe being naturally anxious helps) - I'm good at focusing my energies, being decisive, getting sh*t done when it counts - but it's intense and it makes it hard to think sometimes.

In the fall, after completing the release of Gemma & The Bear, I found myself in a natural moment for a pause.  It was a chance to spend some time thinking about goals and create a road-map for reaching them.  (It is worth mentioning, as an aside, that meeting with my mentor was crucial to the success of this planning phase.)

Then, before I knew it: the holidays were upon us and with the kiddo out of school and our babysitter on vacation, it didn't make sense to do anything but hang out and be a mom.  The plan would be there for me in January and, in the meantime, we had a super non-stressful and really nice break.

This week, as I've been getting back to work and back to my plan, along with my desire to ACHIEVE (which is so real it needs all caps), I noticed this funny aversion to that intense, panicky energy I'd been working with/on for so long.  I realized I had plenty left to do in my plan and that getting myself worked up was entirely unnecessary to my getting those things done.  So this week, I've just been doing them (or trying to).  I've been trusting the plan and the process and feeling better about my days overall.  It's not that there's no stress, but there's no panic (yet) and I think I like it.

I found myself resolving to try to keep this calm-but-productive, trust-the-process thing going as long as possible.  Smug no more.  We'll see how it goes.

How about you?  Did you surprise yourself with any resolutions this year?

Recipe: Fake It 'Till You Make It S'mores

The Boy in question.

The Boy in question.

20 minutes.  That's how long the boy sat, screaming, in the middle of the sidewalk on a particularly windy side-street late this afternoon.  He was unaffected by the cold; unmoved by threats and friendly passersby alike.  It took another 15 minutes, a significant amount of dragging, sack-of-potato-carrying,  and some heavy (and seriously questionable) negotiations in order to travel the not-quite-three blocks home.  Maybe that doesn't sound very long.  It was VERY LONG.

(This event feels like the culmination of a week's worth of bad listening, poor attitude, mood swings and epic fussiness.  For the love of God I hope he doesn't top this.)

So after bath-dinner-bedtime which included some minor skirmishes and near-miss off-the-deep-ends (all executed solo as the husband is off on an unfortunately-timed business trip), I stumbled foggily out of his bedroom and commenced to stress-eat* my favorite MacGyver'd junk food: the Fake It 'Till You Make It S'more.

Here is what you need: Carrs whole wheat crackers, some chocolate.

Here is what you do: put half a square of chocolate (we had Ghirardelli semi-sweet which has big squares) on a cracker.  Eat it in several bites.  Repeat.

Try not to repeat too many times or the guilt will undo the soothing qualities of your semi-upscale, improvised, adult s'more-like treat.  If you happen to have a marshmallow around, sure, go for it.  But it really isn't necessary.  In any case, I do not recommend microwaving any part of this food.

That's it.  Now, with head cleared and sweet-tooth satisfied you can return to your productive evening.  Maybe with a glass of wine.  Or two.

Off you go!

*I know.  Stress eating is no good.  I don't endorse it.  I try not to do it.  But these things happen.  And then I turn lemons into lemonade and use my guilt to propel me to the gym.  So it all balances out . . . right?

Things I Didn't Get For Christmas

We had a really good Christmas this year.  It was super fun.  The gifts were pretty much great all around.  The food was delicious.  People were happy.  High-fives left and right.

Still, I am an improver to a fault.  So, with New Year's (and its pesky resolutions) not yet upon me, I will embrace who I am (rather than change just yet) and share with you the things I did NOT get for Christmas and wish I had:

  • Several extra hours in each day (to use for sleep, productivity, and leisure)
  • More girlfriends (maybe just more conversations/connections with girlfriends)
  • The return of my favorite correspondent
  • A faster metabolism
  • INBox Zero
  • A wireless printer that actually prints wirelessly
  • The money to make season two of Gemma & The Bear

So . . . ya know . . . make a note for next year, k?

How I Read The New Yorker (A Holiday Gift of Hubris)

Be free, my friends, from your stacks of New Yorker magazines!  No more need they pile up beside your bed or commode.  Unburden yourself of the guilt of vast swaths of the periodical unread!

You have ONE WEEK to digest a New Yorker before the next one comes.  What you need is a process for finding and reading what's most important to you in any given issue and then the willingness to let the rest go.

Of course you needn't take in the New Yorker in exactly the manner I do - I encourage you to find your own best practices - but, if you don't have a strategy already in place, I offer you mine as a jumping off point.

Here's what I do:

Begin with the cover.  It's a piece of actual art that arrives in your hands every week and it's easy to overlook.  If you, like me, take pleasure in art, take that pleasure here and now with the cover.

Turn to the table of contents.  Go right to the bottom and note the title of that cover.  Hmmm. Interesting.  Next, from the top, scan the names of contributors (Tad Friend, Nick Paumgarten, Emily Nussbaum and Malcolm Gladwell are all must-reads for me).  Who wrote the fiction? What's the movie review?

Now begin the skim-through.  This involves paging through the magazine at a moderate pace to get a general overview.  On this first pass I read the short stuff: any arts notices that catch my eye, restaurant reviews that interest me, and all of the cartoons.  I also go ahead and read The Talk of the Town during this phase (I begin each essay to decide if I will continue, but rarely do I read them all) as well as Shouts and Murmurs. The skim-through ends with the caption contest on the back page.

Now, I have a sense of the magazine.  I know what longer essays and articles are of greatest interest to me.  I usually continue my ramp-up with TV, Film and Theater reviews (always TV because: Emily Nussbaum; Film and TV depend on whats being reviewed) before diving into the meatiest stuff.  The real trick is to be honest with yourself about what you want to read.  Life is short, you are busy, and another New Yorker is right around the corner.  Read what moves you and recycle the rest.

Voila!  Your New Yorker stack is diminished!  You are more relaxed and happy!

Leave me a comment if you have your own way to read The New Yorker.  Or, if you try my way, let me know what you think! xo

Liz Lerman-ing Thanksgiving

Since I posted my plan here, I figured I ought to follow up and let you know how it actually turned out.  And I decided to follow Liz Lerman's Critical Response Process*.  I will be both the "artist" and the "audience" in the following conversation. Here goes:

Statement of meaning.  The audience say what they found meaningful, evocative, striking and exciting in the work.  This needs to be a positive statement.

  • I really enjoyed using the plates, glasses and silver that belonged to my family and that we always used at our family holiday celebrations; it felt cozy to see and use those objects again.
  • I liked the way our purple mashed potatoes drew attention and took up space visually on the plates; I liked how their inclusion honored my son who'd been enthusiastic about the choice to go purple.
  • It was exciting to see such a more-elaborate-than-usual meal come together.
  • It felt good to go running around outside after our long day inside and big meal.

Artist as questioner.  The artist asks questions about his or her work.  Ideally the questions are formulated in order to require an articulate response as opposed to a yes/no answer.

  • How did it feel to put the trappings of Thanksgiving onto what was otherwise an ordinary family dinner in terms of people and place? (A: I was really crabby about it for the days preceeding and especially on Thanksgiving morning.  It wasn't clear to me how doing a lot more work for the same old family dinner was going to pay off in any meaningful way.  I'm still not completely satisfied with the final result, but I am glad we made the effort.  It felt good to create an event and a moment of pause for our son.)
  • How effective did you find the Thankful Alphabet game where everyone took turns saying something they were thankful for that started with the next letter of the alphabet? (A: You know, I made that up on the spot.  I'd been looking for a way to create a conversation around thankfulness that would be accessible to our son - who is three and a half - and while he opted not to participate in saying what he was thankful for, he was very engaged in the conversation that developed between his dad and I and contributed to what we were saying.  I thought the alphabet was a good but maybe not perfect structure as many things and people for which we are deeply thankful were left out because they started with a popular letter of the alphabet and, likewise, some letters forced us to stretch for fluffier items on our thankful lists.)
  • What other elements or traditions came to mind during this thanksgiving that weren't included? (A: I had this funny impulse that we should say some sort of non-religious prayer - a meditation or something - before we began our meal and I can't say if I wish we had or not.  There were also a number of menu items that I loved growing up but couldn't include in our celebration this year.)
  • How did you feel watching the parade on TV with your family? (A: Growing up, I LOVED to watch the parade on TV while we were cooking and getting ready.  However, having it on with our son - who isn't really allowed to watch TV usually, which was already bringing some tension to the situation for me - didn't feel so good.  As an adult watching the parade, it's possible to enjoy the performances and displays while simultaneously understanding that the whole thing is one giant advertisement.  Watching with our not-yet-media-savvy son, I was suddenly rather uncomfortable and found myself saying snarkier/grinchier things that I would have liked in an effort to break the spell of marketing.  By contrast, the National Dog Show was a big hit and felt much more wholesome and age-appropriate.)

Neutral questions. The audience asks neutral questions to the artist about the work, the artist answers.  Questions are neutral when they do not have an opinion embedded in them.

How closely did the experience of Thanksgiving this year match your idea of what the day would be like?  (A: I was surprised in the morning by how upset - how emotional - I was to be doing Thanksgiving just ourselves.  I was feeling really lonely totally disconnected from my family-of-origin and kind of angry.  I was likewise surprised by how much I enjoyed the second half of the day - once the work was done and the stress of succeeding or failing was behind me - and how meaningful things like using the fancy dishes felt in the moment.)

Did you discover anything unexpected through the process of preparing and executing Thanksgiving? (A: Beyond the above, not really.  I went into Thanksgiving with a lot of resistance or, at least, unhappy resignation.  Also anxiety about having to figure it all out by myself.  I was gratified to succeed but it was a minor success.  Nothing about our meal was particularaly outstanding or memorable.  I'd say, in that regard, I got out of it what I put into it.  I took small risks and the rewards were proportional.)

Opinions.  The audience state opinions subject to permission from the artist: "I have an opinion about . . . . Would you like to hear it?  The artist has the option to say no.

  • I have an opinion about the Turkey. Would you like to hear it?
  • Yes.
  • I think you could have cooked it longer.  It was done but I think only *just* and you probably would have felt more relaxed if you weren't secretly afraid you were about to give yourself and your son some kind of food poisoning

  • I have an opinion about the Wine.  Would you like to hear it?
  • Yes.
  • I don't think the wine paired especially well with the meal.  It was fine, but it didn't do anything to add to a sense of occasion or "specialness."
  • I agree.

  • I have an opinion about the structure of the day.  Would you like to hear it?
  • Yes.
  • It would have been nice to get outside before the meal, maybe even to watch some of the parade live, but I think that probably wasn't possible technically . . .
  • That's right.
  • So I thought it was great that you nevertheless went outside to play after the meal, even though it was getting dark.  I might encourage you to move the meal just a bit earlier to give yourself more playtime between the main meal and dessert.  I also thought it made sense to have dessert much later.
  • Thank you.

  • I have an opinion about the dessert.  Would you like to hear it?
  • Yes.
  • I LOVED the pumpkin pudding plus a cookie instead of a pie with a crust.  Those cookies were BANANAS they were so delicious.  And I always forget how delicious fresh whipped cream is.
  • I agree!

And there you have it!  Far more than you wanted to know about my Thanksgiving.  I'd say the main takeaway is: MAKE THOSE COOKIES!

* A caveat: I have participated in discussions using CRP but I have not had the pleasure of studying with Ms. Lerman herself and do not profess to be doing this perfectly.  I borrowed this blog posts's outline of the process to guide my own.


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 Global Travel Media » Blog Archive » Anthem Of The Seas’ Godmother Is 27-Year-Old British Travel Agent Emma Wilby

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Anthem Of The Seas’ Godmother Is 27-Year-Old British Travel Agent Emma Wilby

April 7, 2015 Cruise No Comments Email Email

Royal Caribbean International today announced that travel agent Emma Wilby, 27, from Sunderland, U.K., is the Godmother for the world’s newest and most advanced cruise ship Anthem of the Seas.

Emma Wilby

Emma Wilby

Upholding a timeless maritime tradition, Ms. Wilby will officially christen Anthem of the Seas and perform a special song for more than 1,300 invited special guests and dignitaries at the ship’s inaugural ceremony in Southampton, U.K., on April 20, 2015.

Designed to revolutionize the industry, Anthem of the Seas will sail its inaugural season from Southampton before the ship repositions to its permanent homeport of New York in November.

“We are delighted to welcome Emma Wilby into the Royal Caribbean family as Anthem of the Seas’ Godmother,” said Richard D. Fain, Chairman and CEO of Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. “Emma is among many submissions from truly talented travel agents across the U.K. and the judging was very difficult. We thank all travel agents, who we value and are honoring by naming a fellow travel agent as the Godmother of our newest ship.”

In addition to being a travel agent for Thomson, Ms. Wilby is a military wife and budding singer who performs in the Military Wives Choir in Kinloss, Scotland, where she is based with her husband, a Royal Engineer for the British Army. To help her prepare for inaugural day, Craig Yates, Team Captain from British choir group Only Boys Aloud will be Ms. Wilby’s vocal coach, and Royal Caribbean is treating her to a full makeover.

“Emma’s inaugural song will herald in a ship that will be a new anthem for the cruise industry,” said Michael Bayley, president and CEO of Royal Caribbean International. “I am very much looking forward to Emma’s performance and launching Anthem of the Seas with her. I know she will be simply spectacular.”

The Godmother role is a lifetime title bestowed upon an individual, who figuratively presides over the ship and imparts good luck and divine protection over the vessel and all that sail aboard. Traditionally, Godmothers have celebrity status or even royal connections, such as Royal Caribbean Godmothers Gloria Estefan, Jane Seymour, Whoopi Goldberg and Steffi Graf, to name a few.

“I still can’t believe I won,” said Ms. Wilby after being informed of her new title earlier this week. “I am really honored to have been chosen. I am hugely excited to be taking on the role of Godmother for Anthem of the Seas – it will be incredible to sing in front of all these people and a real honor to give the ship the best sendoff possible.”
Anthem of the Seas features Royal Caribbean’s unmatched innovations in onboard attractions, including the North Star aerial observatory, a glass capsule that takes guests more than 300 feet above the ocean for incomparable panoramic views, and the RipCord by iFLY skydiving and FlowRider surfing simulators. Guests will be dazzled with the ships’ transformative venues, such as the Two70 lounge, a great room by day and an immersive, multimedia entertainment spectacular at night, and SeaPlex, where guests can challenge each other at bumper cars, disco roller skating, circus school, and basketball and other sports. Guests enjoy a choice of 18 onboard restaurants, each serving a distinctive menu of delectable fare, and rollicking live entertainment in Music Hall, the Royal Theater, and the Royal Esplanade.

Royal Caribbean International is an award-winning global cruise brand with a 45-year legacy of innovation and introducing industry “firsts” never before seen at sea. The cruise line features an expansive and unmatched array of features and amenities only found on Royal Caribbean including, jaw-dropping, Broadway-style entertainment and industry-acclaimed programming that appeals to families and adventurous vacationers alike. Onboard, guests are
catered to with the cruise line’s world-renowned friendly and engaging Gold Anchor Service by every staff and crew member. Royal Caribbean has been voted “Best Cruise Line Overall” for 12 consecutive years in the Travel Weekly Readers Choice Awards.

Owned by Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (NYSE/OSE: RCL), the cruise line sails 22 of the world’s most innovative cruise ships to the most popular destinations in Bermuda and the Caribbean, Europe, Canada and New England, Alaska, South America, Asia, and Australia and New Zealand. Media can stay up-to-date by following @RoyalCaribPR on Twitter, and visiting RoyalCaribbeanPressCenter.com. For additional information or to make reservations, vacationers should call their travel agent; visit RoyalCaribbean.com; or call (800) ROYALCARIBBEAN.

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 Global Travel Media » Blog Archive » Graze day and night at Heirloom Restaurant Perth

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Graze day and night at Heirloom Restaurant Perth

April 7, 2015 Food & Beverage No Comments Email Email

unnamed (2)To celebrate the holiday season, Heirloom at Fraser Suites Perth have launched delicious new autumn grazing menus for lunch and dinner, giving guests the opportunity to taste an array of Heirloom’s signature dishes.

Both the lunch and dinner menus include a glass of sparkling to start plus a mix of generous share-style plates featuring dishes like antipasto, Burmese beef cheeks with Cauliflower rice and Slow-cooked market fish with tahini, walnuts, roasted beetroot and braised fennel.

Indulge in the lunch menu at $49.95 per person which includes free parking (available Monday – Friday) or dinner for $69 per person (available every night).

The grazing menus, have been designed by Fraser’s Consultant Chef Pete Evans and are the perfect way to sample a few select dishes from Heirloom’s seasonal menu.

If you’re planning on staying overnight at the five-star property, Fraser Suites are also offering great Easter deals for the month of April with their Holiday Fun Package. The deal includes a stay in the Studio Deluxe room, a bottle of sparkling wine, breakfast for two at Heirloom and complimentary Wi-Fi for just $219 per night or $279 per night for the one-bedroom deluxe room.

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Keeping with Food Consultant Pete Evans’ food philosophies, the food offered at Heirloom is designed to provide guests with healthy and thoughtfully crafted food appealing to a range of palates.

While there is a paleo influence at Heirloom, guests are spoilt for choice with an array of delicious menu options all featuring local and sustainable WA ingredients.

Pete Evans signed on as Consultant Chef at Fraser Suites last year becoming the chief menu designer across all aspects of the hotel’s dining. All new menus have been created for its wedding packages, event offerings as well as Heirloom Restaurant.

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Grazing menus are available until 31 August 2015 and may change seasonally.

The Holiday Fun package is available for booking now until the end of April for all room types.

For restaurant bookings and to view the full menu, please visit www.heirloomperth.com.au

Like Fraser Suites Perth on Facebook to stay up to date on the latest news and special offers.

Follow us on Instagram @HeirloomPerth

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Girl Snorts Condom Up Her Nose and Pulls It Out of Her Mouth (VIDEO)

Some people resort to doing pretty disgusting stuff when they're bored. Take the case of Amber Strong, for example. She decided to take on the Condom Snorting challenge and snorted a rubber up her nose. Clearly condoms aren't meant to stay in the human body, so she pulled it out of her mouth moments later.

Disgusting? Yes. Kinky? Not really.

Apparently, condom snorting has become quite the trend and lots of people are filming themselves doing the rubber snorting challenge. This is definitely one of the stupider things that people have done that eventually went on to go viral.

Tagged in: videos, humor

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How to kill worms in humans

Written by valencia higuera | 13/05/2017
How to kill worms in humans
(vegetables image by Edvin selimovic from

Intestinal worms are parasites that can live inside the human body. Although uncommon, intestinal worms can survive in the human body for several weeks, and they normally produce an array of digestive problems such as abdominal pain and nausea. Humans develop intestinal worms by ingesting their unhatched eggs found in contaminated food or water. But fortunately, there are several ways to kill worms in humans and alleviate uncomfortable symptoms.

Eat plenty of raw fruits and vegetables. Detoxifying the body is a quick way to kill worms in humans. Stay away from red meats, and rely on fruits and vegetables such as apples, grapes, green beans and spinach.

Drink plenty of water. Drink water to quickly detox and remove toxins from your body. This can speed your recovery. Drink between eight and 10 glasses of water a day.

Buy yoghurt. Yoghurt contains live cultures. This healthy bacteria can get rid of worms, and restore your digestive health.

Experiment with carrot juice. Carrot juice contains a natural digestive enzyme, which can eliminate worms in your body. Drink 1 to 3 glasses of carrot juice daily.

Take garlic capsules. Garlic is an effective cure for worms in humans. Eat two garlic cloves a day, or buy garlic supplements from your local health food store.

Talk to your doctor about anti-parasite medications. If your body doesn't respond to home remedies, make a doctor's appointment and obtain an anti-parasite medication to kill the worms.

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Signs and symptoms of poor earth connection in a car battery

Written by ian kelly | 13/05/2017
Signs and symptoms of poor earth connection in a car battery
A poor connection from your battery's negative pole and the chassis will cause a number of faults. (Getty Thinkstock)

The earth or “ground” connection between your car’s battery and the chassis is one of the return paths for all current flowing between the battery and the car’s electrical system. Consequently, a damaged cable, loose or corroded battery clamp or chassis connection, will interrupt the circuit and lead to a number of electrical faults, including overheated wires and cables.

Two earth connections

Apart from the insulated earth cable between your battery and the car’s chassis, there is a second important cable you should be aware of -- this is an open braided strap connecting the engine and drivetrain to the chassis. Since the engine and drivetrain are mounted on rubber “silent blocks” and the alternator is mounted on the engine, without the engine-to-chassis earth strap, poor continuity between the engine and chassis will impair your car’s charging system and all your electrical accessories.

One of the obvious symptoms of a poor battery earth connection is a clicking sound when trying to start your car. In some cases, the starter motor will kick in after the second or third attempt; in others, it will fail altogether. However, apart from a loose earth connection, the fault may be caused by bad starter motor solenoid. If this is the case, get it checked or replaced by a qualified technician.

Dimming instrument lights while attempting to start your engine is another sign of a poor battery connection -- either between the positive or negative battery terminal and the rest of the electrical system, or a loose engine-to-chassis braided strap. In addition, your car’s headlights may dim or flicker during night driving.

Some car stereos draw over 100 Amps during full power, and the circuit’s continuity depends largely on the engine-to-chassis earth strap. If the audio quality falls off while driving, check the earth strap connection. Without a decent engine-to-chassis connection, the current will seek the line of least resistance via the throttle linkage or handbrake cable. High amperage throughput and excessive resistance then causes copper cables to overheat, melting and damaging the outer insulation. This could destroy your both your accessories and the car’s wiring harness, and in the worst case scenario, cause a deadly fire hazard.

If your battery fails to charge properly, apart from a dead battery cell, a poor earth connection will interrupt the electrical flow between your alternator and battery, causing it to slowly lose its charge. If the battery warning light comes on or starts to flicker while driving, check your battery and engine earth strap connections.

Set your Multimeter to the lowest Ohms of resistance setting and start the engine. Touch one of the probes to the negative battery pole and the other probe to a bolt on the car’s chassis. You should get a reading of at least 0.3 Ohms. If the readout stays at zero, the earth cable or chassis bolt is either loose or corroded. Repeat by touching one probe on a shiny engine bolt, and the other probe to a chassis bolt. If the needle or digital readout fails to respond, the engine-to-chassis strap needs attention or replacement.

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May and June Flowering Plants

Written by john lindell | 13/05/2017

Plants flowering beginning in May and continue blooming into June and sometimes beyond provide landscapes with mid-to-late spring colour. There are many such perennials and annuals. Broadleaved evergreens, trees, vines and deciduous shrubs capable of flowering in May and June are not as plentiful, but many choices exist.

Deciduous Shrubs

Ninebark is a deciduous shrub blooming during May and June. Among its ornamental features in addition to its clusters of pink-white flowers is a peeling bark of different shades of brown. Arrowwood viburnum, a deciduous shrub with many stems, grows to 10 feet high and blooms during May and June, generating white flowers in sun or shade. New Jersey tea grows small enough at 3 feet high to serve as a groundcover on rocky slopes. It flowers from May through July. The shrub rose has a May to June blooming period growing to 8 feet and coming in many cultivars, such as Sun Runner.

Vines with flowers during both May and June include blue jasmine, a species from the Southeast requiring damp conditions. Blue jasmine flowers are pale blue or violet with white interiors. Supple-Jack is a woody vine fit for native plant gardens that blooms during May and June. It produces yellow-green flowers and sometimes attains 60 feet in length. American wisteria finishes flowering before June, but Chinese wisteria has flowers from May through the beginning of summer. It is a vine with potential weight requiring very strong support. Star jasmine from Asia flowers best in full sun. It grows to 6 feet and works as groundcover or on a trellis.

Broadleaved Evergreens

In U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 10 and 11, Arabian coffee is an evergreen shrub or small-sized tree capable of flowering in May and June. It has fragrant flowers shaped like stars and can grow inside as a container plant protected from cold. Used as a foundation plant, hedge or in shrub borders, inkberry is another broadleaved evergreen plant for May and June blooming. Its white-green flowers change into dark berries on the female plants. Michelia from Japan has no tolerance for cold but grows as an indoor plant in sunny rooms, producing whitish-yellow flowers similar to tulips. The two lower petals on the creeping saxifrage flower are much larger than the three or four upper petals. This broadleaved evergreen grows to 18 inches in USDA zones 6 through 9.

Chinese fringe tree blooms in late spring/early summer with white flower clusters, making this a highly ornamental species. Hanging clusters of flowers, called racemes, are a May to June feature of the honey locust, as are the long beanlike seedpods they yield. These pods, up to 18 inches long, stay on the honey locust into winter. The tulip poplar has flowers and leaves giving it its name. The flowers have the same form as tulips and the foliage has a silhouette like a tulip. This is a potentially huge tree with some growing to 150 feet. Place it in open landscapes.

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