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Wednesday, 6 August 2014

When scrap scrubs up quite well...

Hello there!
Thank you for stopping by.
Well, it’s Wednesday,
and Wednesday’s Blog is something new.
To who? To me? To you?
I bet there is somebody reading this who has never thought of doing this dress-me-up trick.

Hands up and leave a message below if it’s you!

Yesterday at the Crowborough Retreat,
we had a Gelli Plate session in the afternoon,
and I said that for this blog, I would use a scrap that went wrong - or should I say I piece of Gelli Art which didn’t go as I had planned? The point being that sometimes, when things don’t go quite according to plan, the accidents along the way are often quite delightful!
So let’s take a look...

Here’s a Gelli Plate piece which didn’t go quite as I had hoped, because the Buff Titanium Acrylic paint had separated a little in the heat, and so it didn’t lift properly.
I mean, let’s face it, you really do have to have a vivid imagination to think that you can pull this one back!

That said, if you squint, I suppose you can see something?

This is the piece it came from.
Maybe we can improve on this later, too...

OK. The challenge is on.
Let’s just focus on one half.
I’ve got this scrap of paper, too from the tear, so that may help.

Rummage around again, here at the house, where we have not a lot of craft stuff, and find a lovely girlie stamp, called Lily

Stamp her onto the acrylic paper scrap in Archival Black;
she just fits.

Cut out her dress.

I think I’ll tear the back piece;
May as well go with the scrap theme!

Well, the good news is, there’s a gap for her feet,
so stamp her onto the torn background with the Black Archival

 I used PVA Glue to attach her dress.

A Distress Pen will darken her hair slightly.

and her shoes.

There’s this really lovely tiny scrap which I just cannot throw away! But what to do with it...
I think I’ll make a flap at the top.
No reason, just a flash of colour.
AND I get to use the lovely scrap.

Friendship from Word Chain No. 8

Add a couple of birds for the Birdhouse Garden Set.

Mount on good ivory cardstock.

Actually not too shabby now, eh!

As for the other piece, the Create Remnant,

I think I will hang on to that one,
and try to jolly it up later on in the week!

One day at a time, this is all working just fine...

much love,

  1. Good Morning Barbara, was just about to shut the laptop down and up popped your blog...lovely start to my very long day at work ahead of me today!!!
    I loved this project at the workshop and I did keep the torn off bit glad I did!!! Knew there had to be a use for it and here you are popping up with an idea!!! Wonderful - just goes to show you never throw anything away
    Hope the next two days round off this years workshops on a high - sure they will - I feel very lucky to have come on one of the workshops so know everyone are going to have a blast!
    Much Love
    Kim xx

  2. Morning!
    Amazing Barbara, you see it's the imagination I'm missing.
    Not confident this will work from my iPad ( it will be a first if it does)
    Thanks for two magical, amassing awesome days.....loved every minute. Hilary x

    1. Should of course read amazing! And it worked!

  3. Morning lovely blog today. Love cutting out so this is ideal for me ! Enjoy your day x

  4. Morning Barb, great blog post, what a fabulous use of scrap. Just wish I could think up half the things you come up with. Hope the last retreat goes well, it sounds like everyone is having a totally awesome time. Bx

  5. Good morning Barbara, Lily looks so sweet wearing her new frock. Looks good enough to go in the V&A and the scrap background is just right with the bits at the bottom grounding her perfectly.
    Thank you again for the many 'TaDa' moments in the last two days and I'm sure the next ladies are also gonna love these last two ...and then ...breath! For a wee while maybe.
    Go Clarity! A family you can feel proud to belong to. Love Jeanette Xxxx

    1. Just noticed I put 'wee' while. That's what comes from living with a Scot's man x

  6. Lovely, lovely scraps... Just perfect for the job! Fantastic results as always Barbara! Xxx

  7. It amazes me how those bits we through away can be transformed into a work if art with a little thought have a great day sure you will today's your last to days so wish could have joined you hopefully next year xx

  8. Mine went a bit awry yesterday but practice and confidence will sort it. Thank you all for a wonderful 2 days I had some nice Ta Dahl moments xxx

  9. Delightful. I do so hope I can get on one of your workshops next year.

    Love Roz x

  10. Hi Barb,
    I'm unashamedly holding my hand up to say I am one of the people you mentioned! I would never in a thousand years have thought of doing this! Mine would have gone straight in the bin! However, I will now try to look at things in a totally new light. Love the finished product. Well done and thank you. Love Alison xxx

  11. This is beautiful and it's a piece of scrap...? Most (if not all) of my cards ate happy accidents as they never turn out as I'd imagined but if my artwork had come out like yours it'd gone in the bin!

  12. Great use of the Gelli plate scraps Barbara, they suit Lily to a tee. Have a lovely day. xx

  13. Who would have been able to pull that off but you, work of art indeed

  14. Just beautiful. Really hoping I can make it to the workshops next year!

  15. Hi Barbara wow! And that was scrap and an accident!!! I have been keeping my torn strips from the gelli plate and have been putting them together to make a sort of background, just stroking them and then putting them back in the box! I know , very sad, and it's a bit like confession on this blog haha. Yes my hand is half way up I would probably have visited the bin with this piece but it would have been the recycle bin or turned it over and used the other side. Have a great day at the retreat Barbara they do sound like they have been fun. Take care love Diane xxx

  16. Hi Barbara.... lovely ..have a nice day ...x

  17. Beautiful Barbara as always :-) When I make something I'm not happy with I don't throw it away especially if it's taken a long time, I put it to one side and go back to it a day or two later and quite often they turn out to be the best xx

  18. this is awesome Barb - a real rescue - love it xx

  19. Lovely Barbara thanks for sharing love June xxx

  20. Beautiful and I love the colours. Hope last two days go well. xx

  21. Hi Barbara. Once again you have proved that our "Oh no!" bits should never go in the bin. Lily is beautiful on her background : ) Enjoy the last couple of days retreat. Take care.

  22. Hi Barb,
    This is just beautiful. A great way to use all the bits which are not "quite right" - in my case quite a lot!!! I'm off to "play" - well after I go food shopping, ironing, and a bit of "tidying up". Have a great day xx

  23. Wow, you can take anything and make it magical. This is really cool. Super job!

  24. when I squinted I was seeing sea (and perhaps some ship shapes in red?) and thought you might stick a galleon in the gap, now you have Lily in place its morphed into a garden path and flowers

    Fab card as always, hope the last day of classes goes well
    Jane x

    1. I went back to look and loved the idea your vision gave - fab idea .

  25. Beautiful, and out of scraps. Really want to get my gelli out! XX

  26. Ooo er! (blushing barn door red) that is my gelli plate out of its packet! ;)

  27. Lily looks fab. I squinted and saw naked torso! ooh just where has my mind gone to - I hate to think!

  28. How great is this! The more patterned scrap you have used for the dress and the the lighter piece for Lily herself works so well. I must admit it didn't look much to start off with, but the finished result is fabulous. So glad your second week of retreats is going well. x

  29. How brilliant is that I love my gellie plate you have a fantastic mind in creating all these wonderful pieces of art love the daily blog xxx

  30. Absolutely stunning, as always Barbara - I'm sure that if we challenged you to make something from our own scraps it would still be a masterpiece! You are a total inspiration and your blog posts are a breath of fresh air - don't ever change.
    Hugz, Jan xx

  31. Afternoon Barbara! Very changeable day here today!!!
    Well you've been and gone and done it again!!! Terrific artwork from nothing! I'm convinced you'd manage to make something great out of a black bin bag!
    Hope you've had another great day!
    Love and hugs! Xxx

  32. Well my imagination showed me a little old man/woman on the right hand side of the paper, warming his/her hands on a fire! You put Lilly in the middle of them so now he's ruffling the hem of her skirt!! Excellent project!

  33. This is lovely Barbara but how you manage to work out how to use those scraps and not quite right pieces amazes me. I have to hold my hands up and say my pieces that don't work out get put in the bin. Maybe I will have to start and keep them and try and use them for something
    Jackie x

  34. Just pop in quickly before I go and see Dave to the hospital. Lovely creation. Love the idea of "paper piercing" with the scraps. Thanks for the idea, I never know what to do with them.
    Laurence xx

  35. What a beautiful result from your scraps. I loved that session at the workshop and treasure my 'failed' pieces, especially seeing how they can be transformed. I come to the workshops to learn, not to reproduce things I can already do and oh boy, I have learnt so much from you and your team. I love the way that, just when you think that a stamp, stencil, pattern etc. has become very familiar, you find a whole different life for it and your new techniques refresh its usefulness. That's value for money! Enjoy the rest of the week.

  36. What a perfect outcome from your less than perfect print! Thanks for sharing, and I love how you've used your little extra scrap as an extra feature, Susan x

  37. Fabulous! You really know how to make something out of nothing! Wonderful stuff! xxx

  38. I really must take another look through the 'to throw' pile, though I don't think my rescue efforts would be anywhere near as stunning as yours. Thank you, Jan

  39. Hi Barbara
    Just love what you do with the scrap papers,it's a stunning card

  40. Amazing! You are just so talented. Pat x

  41. i jazz up a lot of gelli prints gone 'wrong'. currently i'm liking grunge paste rather a lot as it covers a multitude of sins and when you take attention away from print it stops looking 'wrong' and starts to blend in nicely and set off artwork..... exactly as you have done here. love the colours, hugs, xx

  42. I am not sure what happened today. I am so late reading this. I love how you resurrect the "mishap" with the Buff Titanium and turned it into a beautiful card. It was great to see the end of that tale. I hope you find some down time after the end of the Retreats, even if it is just long enough for a walk with Dave. xxx Maggie

Thank you for your kind messages and I hope you get inspiration from my ramblings.

Barb x


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St Ives

The Barbara Hepworth Museum and Sculpture Garden, St Ives

The Barbara Hepworth Museum was opened in 1976 by Hepworth's family, following the wishes expressed in her will. The Museum has been owned and run by Tate since 1980. It contains the largest group of Hepworth's works, permanently on display at Trewyn Studio and garden where she lived and worked from 1949 until her death in 1975.

In April 2016 the fortieth anniversary of the Barbara Hepworth Museum was marked by the commission of a new composition by Leo Geyer, Guarea, which was premiered there. Written for solo violin, it was inspired by three guarea wood carvings of the 1950s, Delos, Corinthos and Delphi.

The two exterior studios, used for carving and working in plaster for bronze, were the subject of an important conservation project by Tate in 2013-14, to enable them to be preserved, enjoyed and re-interpreted for the future.

The carving and plaster studios at Trewyn and the establishment of the Museum
Sophie Bowness

Hepworth acquired Trewyn Studio in the centre of St Ives in September 1949 and immediately began working there; she also lived there permanently from December 1950 until her death. "It is completely perfect for me", she wrote to Philip James, Director of Art at the Arts Council, on 29 August 1949. Over this 25-year period, her working practice and her uses of the studios evolved.
The stone carving studio and yard - which should be thought of together - were at the heart of her creative life consistently throughout this time, in a way that none of the other spaces she used as studios were. At the same time, they cannot be considered in isolation from those other spaces.

Hepworth initially used the large upper room of the house primarily for her wood-carving (she was still living at Chy-an-Kerris, the family home in Carbis Bay, for the first year). Gradually (it was a hybrid space for a period) this room became her chief living space, as well as her bedroom, and was no longer used for carving and painting, with the kitchen, eating area and bathroom on the ground floor.

Early in 1950 the two huge blocks of Galway limestone arrived from which Hepworth carved her Festival of Britain commission, Contrapuntal Forms. A series of photographs show the progression of the work, which was finished in March 1951. Hepworth took on permanent assistants for the first time especially to assist with this, her largest commission to date - the first were John Wells, Denis Mitchell and Terry Frost.
At Trewyn what she had, effectively, were a large shed (described as a 'store' in the catalogue to the auction at which she bought Trewyn) and a greenhouse. Plants and possibly a bird-cage can be seen in the upper studio; the Carving Studio was much lower, with a conventional door. This was altered in 1957 to the form we know today, being raised to the same height as the upper studio, with large ten foot doors.

The greenhouse above was part of the acquisition Hepworth made in 1965 from her neighbour the sculptor John Milne. This included the strip of land at the top of the garden; and at the end of her life, Milne sold another piece of land where Hepworth placed Conversation with Magic Stones, her final monumental, multi-part bronze (1973).

When Hepworth took up bronze in 1956, the upper of the two outdoor studios began to be used for making the plaster prototypes (although whatever space was most practical was used: there was no clear-cut division). Access to the upper studio was only through the door from the carving studio, so its use was restricted. Hepworth used both of the studios for her plasters, according to her needs, as well of course as the yard whenever the weather allowed (she always worked outside as much as possible). As a general rule, however, the upper studio was used for work on the plasters and the lower for stone and marble carving. They are not large spaces and her prototypes were always made at the same scale as the resulting bronze, so that when she received the commission for Meridian for State House, in London's High Holborn, she needed to rent a studio nearby.

When at the beginning of 1961 Hepworth was able to buy the Palais de Danse, a former cinema and dance hall opposite Trewyn, her working facilities were greatly expanded. She immediately put the Palais to use to carry out her major commissions, beginning with Winged Figure for John Lewis and quickly followed by Single Form for the United Nations headquarters in New York. The constrictions of space that Hepworth was increasingly finding at Trewyn were resolved at a stroke.

Some other larger plasters were made in the Palais, for example Single Form (Memorial). Initially Hepworth carved wood in the Palais too, upstairs, but after she broke her femur in 1967 her mobility was restricted and she was not able to use the Palais herself very much. Trewyn was again the centre of her creative life and the Palais was used chiefly by her assistants (in the workshops below), and as a display space and store. (She did no wood carving after 1969.)

Fallen Images (1974-5) was Hepworth's last major carving and it was completed shortly before she died. Immediately before her death, Hepworth had 15 tons of Carrara marble delivered to Trewyn. These blocks were placed in the yard, waiting to be carved, "like a flock of patient sheep", as she put it in her last interview. A group had been placed on the turntable in preparation for a new multi-part carving.

The setting up of the museum

In keeping with Hepworth's wishes, Alan Bowness, in consultation with the other Trustees of her Estate, undertook to set Trewyn up as a Museum after her death. He wanted to retain the atmosphere of an artist's house and workplace, and not to create the feeling of a museum as far as possible. The carving studio was kept as far as possible as it was when Hepworth died, specifically as a stone carving space; the plaster studio needed more shaping to make it coherent, to give it meaning and interest. For the Museum, a clear separation was made between the two spaces. To make for clarity of presentation, some of the ad hoc sense of their use has perhaps gone. It was an informal presentation, without interpretation beyond Alan Bowness's accompanying Guide. Materials and tools were left as they were or re-arranged. This was done by George Wilkinson, Barbara's assistant who stayed on after her death, working to Bowness's instructions. As a general rule, nothing was placed in the studios that had not been in them at some time in the past.

There are two sequences of photographs that record the studios as they were shortly after Hepworth's death. The local photographers she had used since 1944, Studio St Ives, took a series in July 1975, and Norman Reid took a group in early January 1976 when he came down for a few days to help with preparations. Reid, who was both Director of the Tate and a Trustee of the Hepworth Estate, showed these photographs to the Tate Trustees on 15 January and reported on the progress that had been made in setting up Trewyn.

In preparing the two studios for opening as part of the Museum, perhaps the most significant change was to move the plaster Delos II (1973-, BH 573) from the carving studio up to the plaster studio (it had probably been moved down to the stone studio in readiness for the foundry). This was the nearly complete plaster that had been cast from the guarea wood carving of 1955, Oval Sculpture (Delos), now in the National Museums and Galleries of Wales, in order to cast a bronze edition from it. Hepworth had already given it a BH catalogue number and had had it photographed in June 1974, which indicates how near it was to completion.

The elements of the marble carving with three spheres, which was quite far advanced, were grouped closer together. Hepworth told Alan Bowness at Easter 1975 that these were to have circles incised on them and the three parts placed on top of one another, in a manner comparable with Small One, Two, Three (Vertical), 1975, (white marble, BH 579), one of the very last works to be completed.

The two parts of a second marble in progress were also brought together (the smoother block was brought in from the yard). George Wilkinson and Alan Bowness knew they belonged together and were to have formed a two-part sculpture. A selection of stone carving tools was placed just inside the door for visibility. These tools were selected by Wilkinson, under Bowness's supervision, from those that were in the studios, and probably also from the Palais.

The Plaster Studio

Photographs show the Plaster Studio immediately after Hepworth's death, a slightly forlorn space, which was then re-populated in making the Museum. A selection of tools was arranged in the window (steps were built to allow for viewing). Unfinished plasters from different periods were moved in from the Palais store to join those already in the studio. Several unfinished aluminium mesh plasters at different stages of completion were also brought in: they represent Hepworth's earlier way of working in plaster for bronze, building plaster up on chicken wire armatures. Her practice was to shape it wet and carve it down when dry.

One of the two plasters for Three Oblique Forms (February) was taken from the Palais to display in the Plaster Studio (the other is now in The Hepworth Wakefield, part of the Gift made there in 2011). On the shelves in the Plaster Studio are two other plasters of 1967, Two Forms (Orkney) and Three Forms (Tokio), not assembled, which were probably returned to Hepworth following casting (assembled versions of both are in Wakefield). These are solid plasters, without armatures. Relatively few plasters in the Plaster studio were used to cast bronze editions. Vertical Form, 1962, probably also falls into this category (BH 353).

The small solid multi-part geometrical plasters in the Plaster Studio were works in progress. Two of the groups were already there and one was probably either added or brought out. These appear to be examples of a new departure in Hepworth's working methods, of making small plaster maquettes for her large multi-part marble carvings and bronzes (some have titles inscribed on them from The Family of Man). She had apparently made one for Fallen Images. She had not previously used either plaster or maquettes in this way.

The prototypes and objects around the walls were largely left, though some were re-arranged or made more visible. These include the unfinished plaster Variation on a Theme, dating from 1958. And there is another trace of the Meridian series - the numbered grid that was drawn on a piece of board, placed behind the plaster for Garden Sculpture (Model for Meridian), 1958, and used to scale the model up (it echoes the curved wall behind Meridian at State House).

Also here are elements from Hepworth's first proposal for the John Lewis commission, Three Forms in Echelon, at a 1/3 scale, in plaster and expanded aluminium. These were abandoned when her proposal was rejected and replaced by Winged Figure.

The upper studio was also used for print-making. Stanley Jones of Curwen Prints came down and worked here with Hepworth in 1968 and 1970, and there are materials still in the studio remaining from his time there. He had first worked with her in St Ives in 1958. There is also a lithographic stone with an unfinished drawing here, probably dating from the late 1950s (a trial lithograph taken from this stone is in the Tate Archive).

Finally, for the Museum, a selection of the unfinished wood carvings from the Palais was used to evoke this third process, the carving of wood, in the former bathroom on the ground floor of main house.

At the end of Hepworth's life, Trewyn garden was very crowded with sculptures. A complete set of The Family of Man was present, for example, for which Hepworth was looking for a site (this has been at Yorkshire Sculpture Park since 1980). It was taken out of the garden in preparation for the opening of the Museum, together with other works such as casts of Sea Form (Atlantic), Square Forms with Circles, Dual Form and Single Form (Eikon).

SB, 2013

Barbara Hepworth Museum, St Ives, 1976

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Saturday, November 15, 2014

Wave a white flag: On “left” support for the Democratic Party

Wave a white flag: On “left” support for the Democratic Party:
Activists are told by liberals, so-called progressives and other pundits to stop what we are doing in terms of developing independent politics and building our organizations, and to “get out the vote” for the candidates of the Democratic Party. “Leftists” who argue that we need to support the Democrats say, all evidence to the contrary notwithstanding, that electing the lesser evil will give us more space to organize and advance our agenda. Yet this “left” cover for the Democrats, under whatever rationale, is not about building an independent revolutionary movement, but it is about switching our flag and hoisting up those of the Democrats. What it really means is surrender.

Monday, November 10, 2014

Marx on Alienation

In his early writing, Karl Marx analyzes the concept of alienation. Marx adopts a Hegelian methodology in his analysis. To both Hegel and Marx, history is a dynamic dialectical process. A dialectical stage begins with a negation, a contradiction, and then proceeds to a resolution of the contradiction, i.e. the sublation, transcendence, or, from Feuerbach, “the negation of the negation” (Marx, “Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts” 108). The original negation is not erased, but instead transformed (Tucker, Notes xli). Marx theorizes that alienation, especially the alienation of the worker (and capitalist) from the social activity of production, constitutes a negation, one which Marx believes will be sublated or transcended by the advent of communism. In his analysis, Marx claims, contra Hegel and others, the material basis of alienation, explores the specific material character of alienation, and locates the potential sublation of alienation in the sphere of practice.

Marx argues that Hegel’s account of the dialectical process must be transformed from an idealistic basis to a materialistic basis. Marx holds that Hegel has the dialectic “standing on its head [and] must be turned right side up again” (Marx, Afterword 302). Marx reads Hegel as saying that an actual idea creates the material reality of, e.g., family and civil society. Instead, Marx argues that Hegel inverts subject and object: actual material human beings create the ideas of family and civil society (“Contribution” 17-18). Marx holds that our social relations are not fundamentally in the human mind but in the material world. Dialectical contradictions arise when the material economic conditions conflict with the social institutions apropos to earlier economic conditions (“Marx on the History” 2). Although Marx follows Feuerbach’s lead in inverting this reading of Hegel, Marx extends Feuerbach’s materialism. In “Theses on Feuerbach,” of Marx claims that Feuerbach does not conceive of human activity itself as material (143). Marx argues instead that human activities, including thought and social relations, are also material (145). Richard J. Bernstein argues that Hegel unifies the material and the ideal in Geist (29-30), so too does Marx unify the physical and the ideal in the material.

After locating the dialectic in the material, Marx characterizes the specific nature of alienation in the material social relations of production under capitalism. In “Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts,” Marx argues that capitalism inverts the relationship of humanity to labor, from the existence of worker for his or her fulfillment in labor, to the use of labor for the existence of the worker. Because of this inversion, labor under capitalism becomes institutionally alienated in four distinct ways. First, the product of labor becomes not merely objectified – Marx argues that it is humanity’s intrinsic nature, our species being, to produce objects, to exert our will on the natural world (75-76) – and not only expropriated, but taken to become actively hostile to the worker, not fulfilling but diminishing her- or himself, sometimes to the point of loss of reality, literal starvation, and death (71-72, 74). Second, capitalism alienates the worker from the labor process itself. Not just the product but the activity of producing no longer belongs to the worker; the worker becomes essentially a machine programmed by those who have purchased his or her labor power (75). Third, because, as mentioned above, it is our species being to be active, engaged, producers, Marx argues that by alienating workers from their product and process of production, capitalism thus alienates workers from their species being (76-77). Finally, capitalism alienates individual people from each other (77). When producing for a wage, the workers and the consumers of the workers’ products no longer interact with each other – they no longer create a social relationship. Marx argues that if labor were not alienated, one who produces for another would have “the direct and conscious satisfaction that [his or her] work satisfied a human need” (qtd. in Bernstein 48). By alienating labor, capitalism transforms production, the most intimate and personal relationship between human beings and nature, other human beings, and humanity itself, into an impersonal, bestial activity.

Marx argues that alienation must be resolved in the material, practical world, not merely the world of ideas. Marx asserts that “Social life is essentially practical,” not ideal, and that labor’s alienation, the contradiction between humanity’s actual practice of production under capitalism and production’s essential human purpose, must be resolved in practice (“Theses” 145). Marx opposes his views specifically to those of Proudhon: in “Society and Economy in History,” Marx condemns Proudhon for invoking mystical, nonsensical phrases to explain history and its development (136). Instead, Marx asserts that our ideas follow, not precede, our actual social relations: the “whole inner organization of nations [and] their international relations” are just “the expression of a particular division of labor” (139-140). Marx argues that our ideas are not eternal; they are always tied to material reality: “economic categories are only abstract expressions of . . . actual relations” (140). Marx concludes that Proudhon believes that only the categories, the “isolated thoughts,” need be changed to revolutionize society (140-141). In his condemnation of Proudhon, Marx implies that the opposite must be true: to change our ideas, we must change the physical reality. As Marx describes in “The German Ideology,” we must proceed from the “first premise of human history,” which is not the existence of eternal categories or ideas in the mind of God, but “the existence of living human individuals” and their physical, material nature. According to Tucker, Marx does not condemn ideas per se, but believes that ideas, theory, can “assist” changes in practice (Introduction xxxii). But, for Marx, physical existence and physical practice, what we actually do, remains primary. It is therefore practice – guided by theory – that must change to sublate the alienation of labor, to negate the negation constituted by alienation.

The focus on the alienation of labor makes clear that the conflict between capitalism and communism is not one of pragmatic efficiency but of the essential nature of humanity. Marx is not arguing here that communism or socialism is a way to produce more stuff than capitalism. Instead, Marx proceeds from a radically different view of the essence of humanity than does capitalism. Capitalism proceeds from the view of humanity as isolated individuals, whose relations are necessarily hostile, e.g. Hobbes’ “war of all against all,” or Rand’s fundamental “precondition of civilized society” as the “right to self-defense” (qtd. in “Civilization”) which can only blunt natural human hostility. Marx instead proceeds from the view of humanity as still individuals, but as social individuals, whose relations are ideally communal and mutually beneficial. The isolated individual is the negation of social humanity; the negation of negation will happen only when the negation of isolation is sublated into social production.

Works Cited

“Civilization.” The Ayn Rand Lexicon. The Ayn Rand Institute. 2014. Web. 17 Sep. 2014.
Bernstein, Richard J. “Praxis: Marx and the Hegelian Background.” Praxis and Action: Contemporary Philosophies of Human Activity. Philadelphia: University of Philadelphia Press, 1971. 11-83. Print.
Marx, Karl. Afterword to the Second German Edition. Capital. Vol. 1. By Marx. Tucker 299-302.
---. “Contribution to the Critique of Hegel’s Philosophy of Right.” Tucker 16-25.
---. “Economic and Philosophic Manuscripts of 1877.” Tucker 66-125.
---. “Marx on the History of His Opinions.” Tucker 3-5.
---. “Society and Economy in History.” Tucker 136-142.
---. “Theses on Feuerbach.” Tucker 143-145.
Tucker, Robert C. Ed. The Marx-Engels Reader. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton, 1978. Print.
---. Note on Text and Terminology. Tucker xxxix-xlii.

Sunday, November 02, 2014

Affirmative consent

In Sex Is Serious, Christian (presumably liberal) philosopher and theologian Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig parallels the politics of affirmative consent and conservative Christian, especially Catholic, sanctification of sex. Bruenig highlights a perspicacious, crucial element of conservative sexual ideology: fertility is, in their view, the essential, ineluctable component of sex; to withhold fertility is to render whatever physical acts ensue as not sex. Indeed, by withholding fertility, people corrupt the physical act, rendering the act something not just irrelevant but deeply and perhaps permanently harmful. Critically examining the ethics of affirmative consent, with the recent passage of California's SB 967 as a paradigmatic example, Bruenig notes that advocates of affirmative consent hold that consent, in the strongest form, is the essential, ineluctable component of sex; without consent, whatever physical acts ensue are not not sex, and deeply harmful. Bruenig juxtaposes affirmative consent with the general feminist complaint against pornography to draw the conclusion that like conservative Christianity, "consent feminism" seeks to use state power to impose normative sexuality, a vision of what sex ought to be: "The law makes a statement about the nature of the right kind of sex in general, and also claims that the right kind of sex is serious enough to merit legal intervention." While Bruenig accurately notes a similarity, the similarity is trivial and misses the truly important question: who decides what kind of sexuality is right or wrong?

The juxtaposition of consent and pornography is specious. The feminist critique of pornography has never been that viewing sexual activity for the purpose of arousal is by itself inherently bad. The critique is, and always has been, that in a patriarchal society, pornography is predominately a tool used to culturally normalize the inferior and subordinate status of women. As Gloria Steinem says in the interview Bruenig links to, "We have to say pornography is not erotica, porn means female slavery. It means the depiction of female slavery." There are exceptions, but pornography as normalization of subordination is so pervasive that it deserves general condemnation; the exceptions truly are exceptional. A good analogy, perhaps, is with the police: in theory, the police serve an important, perhaps necessary social role; in practice, however, in a misogynist, racist, capitalist society, the police so predominantly serve as an instrument of oppression of women, people of color, and the poor and working class that they deserve general condemnation. The practical critique does not necessarily negate the theoretically positive value. Pornography is not about sex at all; it is about subordination. But pornography is a side issue.

Because sex happens between (at least) two people, sex is an inherently social act. The frequent use of erotica (and perhaps pornography in the feminist sense) in masturbation makes even this apparently individual act deeply social. Thus, the question is not whether we construct social norms and customs about sex; the question is what kind of social norms and customs we construct. Even the idea that people should have nothing at all to say about others' sexuality would be a social norm, in need of construction. And even then, we would still have to socially negotiate what are appropriate and inappropriate ways, places, and times that people get into sexual relationships. Advocates can unreservedly admit to the charge that we are trying to use the law not to codify existing standards but to change the culture. [ETA] Bruenig herself is trying to advocate her own vision of what sex should be - fluid, spontaneous, without a lot of niggling worries about consent. [/ETA] If Bruenig were just trying to draw and deep parallels between conservative Christians and consent feminists just on the basis of participating in the social construction of sexual norms, she would be making a completely trivial point: social people are social.

To my knowledge, no one believes that sex is unimportant or trivial. Affirmative consent ethics are not at all hypocritical or contradictory. Sex-positive feminism is not dedicated, as Bruenig claims, to "everyone having fun"; sex is not "little more than a silly pastime." The "SlutWalk moment" was not about affirming the value of "frivolous no-strings-attached" sex. It was about establishing women unapologetically as sexual beings, who want sex, and, more importantly who get to choose and consent themselves to expression of their own sexuality on their own terms. If that happens to be casual sex, well, that's their own choice, not mine. Consent is not necessary to protect casual sex; the fundamental point of SlutWalk is that sex is not something that must be pushed onto categorically sex-averse or -ashamed women; women can and do consent to sex, for their own enjoyment and fulfillment. Again, were Bruenig simply saying that affirmative consent ethics upholds the importance of sex, she would be making another trivial point.

But Bruenig has a deeper point: affirmative consent takes something important away from sex. Bruenig argues first that the law has always required consent; new laws change only the "expression of consent, which is an intervention into the way sex is [emphasis original]." According to Bruenig, affirmative consent ethics promote
a particular kind of sex, specifically that which is marked by mutual concern, unreserved enthusiasm, and ongoing mutual engagement—a shared focus on body language and verbal cues, refreshed step-by-step, underscored by an honest concern for the other person’s mental and emotional state with regard to the sex act
but ignore "bored sex, disinterested sex, or sex with reservations [emphasis original]." Affirmative consent ethics make women fundamentally mysterious: "women are essentially unknowable, that the usual ways of reading us can’t be trusted, and that our minds must be constantly probed for affirmative signals." Affirmative consent ethics, according to Bruenig, change how we have sex, but do not address sex as it actually is.

Bruenig, however, massively overstates her case. Even in a perfect world, without a hegemonic patriarchy, and even if affirmative consent laws were applicable generally instead of just to higher education institutions in California, affirmative consent does not change how sex is except to exclude rape. First, Bruenig unaccountably asserts that according to SB-967 excludes body language as a form of consent. Antioch College's 1993 sexual assault policy does require verbal consent (which in context is not a terrible idea; see below), but SB-967 says nothing of the sort; it mandates that agreement must be "affirmative, conscious, and voluntary" as well as ongoing. I've been sexually active for around thirty years, from one night stands to marriage, and I have never had a problem interpreting body language as unequivocally granting or withholding consent. Consequently, I have never had a problem with a woman later asserting that I had unconsciously or inadvertently violated her consent. Establishment and maintenance of consent has never caused a lack of passion, spontaneity, fluidity or any other positive aspect of sex.

The only thing that affirmative consent ethics establish is that "I didn't know he or she did not consent" is no longer a defense against sexual assault. SB-967 says that the only legitimate defense to sexual assault is "I had good reason to know he or she did consent." Indeed, SB-967 does not change the legal theory of sexual assault that much. In edge cases, such as statutory rape above a particular age, consent been an affirmative defense against charges of sexual assault: the defendant has the burden of proof, not the prosecution. Fundamentally, I would never defend myself against a charge of sexual assault by saying only that I didn't know a woman did not consent; if I do not know — and have good reason to know — a woman really does consent, I don't have sex. I have been at every stage of sexual activity when a woman has subtly or obviously indicated that she wants to stop. I stop. Period. I do not proceed unless and until I am absolutely clear that she wants to stop. Period. This is not rocket science. Affirmative consent places zero additional boundaries on my own sexuality.

I am personally a relatively sophisticated, perceptive middle-aged man. Not every college student, however, has the benefit of my upbringing and experience. It is critically important to understand that SB-967, as well as the Antioch College policy are aimed not at sophisticated, independent, self-confident adults, but at college students. These are typically young men and women, both sexually and socially inexperienced. Yes, we want to let them experiment, we need to allow them, as the 1993 New York Times article, 'Ask First' at Antioch,, that Bruenig cites, to make mistakes. But only some mistakes. Although no longer acting in loco parentis, college administrators need to help young people avoid catastrophic mistakes. We do not, for example, want to blithely allow young women to mistakenly become pregnant. We do not want to allow young people to mistakenly get sexually transmitted infections. And we do not want young people (indeed anyone) to "mistakenly" violate the personal autonomy and integrity of another person. Hence colleges prohibit bullying and fraternity hazing. And they should also take steps not ordinarily necessary for adults to prevent non-consensual sex. Even the Antioch College policy is reasonable. There are, of course, sexually and socially sophisticated eighteen year olds, who will largely take care of themselves, but if you're become sexually active with an inexperienced eighteen year old, especially if you yourself are more experienced and sophisticated, you could do a hell of a lot worse than establishing explicit verbal consent at every stage. That's how a person becomes sophisticated and experienced, and can move on to more subtle forms of communication.

Fundamentally, consent is first of all complex, and it is not about only sex: consent is the fundamental virtue of liberalism. (The Marxist critique of liberalism and capitalism does not deny the value consent; we claim that consent is necessary but not sufficient, especially in cases of indirect economic pressure.) Even a world without patriarchy, establishment of affirmative consent just brings this fundamental liberal value to the realm of sexuality.

But of course we do not live in a perfect world: we live in a world where patriarchy, although compromised, still retains considerable power. Men do get raped, and violation of consent for men, especially young homosexual men, is an important issue. But rape and sexual assault is a special problem for women. As Susan Brownmiller argues extensively in Against Our Will: Men, Women, and Rape, for centuries, perhaps millennia, the patriarchy has used rape (among other means) to exert its power and domination over women. Rape is not an isolated criminal act; rape has been, and still is, a tool to maintain the subordination of women. Even overt, forcible rape is still inadequately prosecuted, especially on college campuses when committed by high status male students such as athletes and fraternity members. (e.g. here, here, here, here, and an attempt at a depressingly long comprehensive list of just college rapes football players). A frequent defense in these overt rapes is that the perpetrators believed the victim had consented, placing the burden of proof on the victim to show she unequivocally did not consent. Shifting the burden of proof to the perpetrators can help shut down this legal strategy.

[ETA (forgot to pay off my thesis statement!] It's unclear why Bruenig tries to compare conservative Christians. If she were writing a college "common ground" essay, she would argue that the common ground between conservative Christians and consent feminists was a good thing (if it were to exist; I'm unconvinced that conservative Christians really have the temporal fulfillment of human beings at the forefront). Instead, she seems to take more of a "pox on both your houses" view, an Eric Hoffer communists-and-fascists-are-the-same view that people who are genuinely concerned about sex and its place in society are both trying to ruin it, or at least subordinate sex to a political agenda. But the question is not about what sex should be, it's about who decides how sex should be.

There are really only three possibilities about who should decide. First, morally privileged authorities such as the church. If you think you're enjoying sex, but it's not procreative, then they know, because they have privileged information about what God thinks about sex, that you're just fooling yourself, and you need to be protected from your own stupidity and moral ignorance. Second, the powerful (with, obviously, some overlap with authority). Men are typically stronger and more powerful than women; the mob is more powerful than the individual. Whatever men can get by force, overtly or subtly, is by definition good. Third and finally, the individual. It is the great paradox of liberalism* that the rights and privileges of the individual can be guaranteed only by the state; otherwise, the individual is always subject to the mob. Fundamentally, that's what feminist affirmative consent ethics do: make sex whatever each individual wants it to be, irrespective of what anyone else might think, necessarily using state power to protect the weaker from the stronger, and the individual from the mob. Intentionally or not (probably unintentionally), Bruenig regrettably comes down on the side of the stronger against the weaker.

*Socialism expands and does not resolve this paradox; communism (hopefully) resolves the paradox by securing to each individual sufficient economic power to truly make the state wither away.

The message that affirmative consent gives to women, especially young women, is that their sexuality is their own, no one else's, and they are free to consent, and free to withhold consent, at their pleasure, not anyone else's. This is the basis not only of modern liberal virtue but of the empowerment and freedom of every woman. These standards deserve our unequivocal, uncompromising assent.


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Friday, August 22, 2014

Dating a Hunk, or Dating a Chunk

Recently, an article entitled "How to Date an Opera Singer" has been making the rounds on the interwebs.  You might have missed it due to the enormous amount of ALS #IceBucketChallenges, but it was a good quick read.  This got me and some of my friends thinking about the different types of opera singers and what it is like to date them.  And if there is two types of opera singers we know know best, it is Barihunks, and Bari-Chunks.

There are many differences between the Bari-Chunks Nation and the Barihunk World.  This is painfully obvious to anyone with eyes...or ears...or mouths filled with kale instead of cake balls.  But what's it like to date one?  What makes Barihunks tick, and what makes Bari-Chunks tock. Jessica Rosen, thedeparted, and Etta van Bourbon sat down and composed this comparison.  Now granted, this is only based on our experiences and wild accusations, but we feel this is something everyone will benefit from reading.

1. Barihunk: If you've fallen head over heels for a Barihunk, you've fallen for a leading man, or someone hoping to be a leading man.  This is important to know.  Because with a leading man, IT'S ALL ABOUT HIM.  Remember that.

Bari-Chunk: If you've fallen for a Bari-Chunk, you've fallen for a secondary man.  It's rarely about him, unless it's his Birthday.

2. Barihunk: If he has a show that day (or within the next calendar month), do what ever he needs you to do.  This includes sex, food, water, sleep, etc.  "I have a performance tonight that could make my career!"

Bari-Chunk: If he has a show that day, you might want to remind him.  There are many more important things in the world than a show.  "I have a show tonight?  Better put on pants."

3. Barihunk: Always carry hair products for him.  A bad hair day for him could cost him 10's of fans.

Bari-Chunks: Always carry bacon.

4. Barihunk: Flirting with other people is part of the job.  As a handsome leading man, he HAS to flirt with girls, boys, dogs, cats, Grandma, those baristas, that squirrel over there, etc.  His flirting could lead to a gig, or free hair care.  And it makes him feel good about his image.  This is one of those things you are just going to have to deal with.  (See #1)

Totally asking for it.

Bari-Chunk: You might have to get used to the fact that he talks dirty to pizza. There was also that one incident of croissant fondling...

so warm....

5. Barihunk: Sex is important to him, and he needs it.  Especially before gigs.  It might seem demanding, but he knows what he needs to have a good show.

Bari-Chunk: Sex is awesome.  We will do anything for you if you let us have it. Seriously. Anything.

6. Barihunk: After a show, you must be prepared to stroke the ego.  Tell him how good he looked on stage and how wonderful he sounded.  Also, be patient as he talks to donors, patrons, and fans.  It's best just to stay out of his way during this.

Bari-Chunk: Be prepared to tell him where the nearest open bar is.  It's way past beer:30.

7. Barihunk: If you get sick, please understand that he can't get what you've got.  He might stay in a hotel for awhile, but it's nothing personal.

Bari-Chunk: "I know you're sick, but can we still make out?"

8. Barihunk- Respect his gym time.  This is important.  His chiseled physique is one of his greatest weapons in the operatic world.
And what if this is the day he gets that coveted Bowflex endorsement?!

Bari-Chunk: Respect his video game time.  This is important.  His 14-0 season on Madden '14 is one of his greatest bragging rights.

9. Barihunk: Understand that while rehearsing and performing a show, he might seem distant.  He might seem to spend more time with his other leading colleagues than you.  It's ok.  This is still part of the job.

Bari-Chunk: Understand that he might lose some money in the backstage poker games.  He is sorry about that.
Not my whole "La cena e pronta" fee again!

10. Barihunk: Be willing to listen to him explain who the greatest Baritone of the 1980's was.

Bari-Chunk:  Be willing to listen to him explain who would win in a fight between Batman and Ironman.  (It would totally be Batman)

So, there you go.  We hope this helps all of you in the operatic dating pool.  There might be many differences between the Barihunk World and the Bari-Chunk Nation, but what is more impressive is what unites us - our love for the art form that is opera.  And pizza.  Everybody loves pizza.

Post Script-
Please remember that this is a satirical blog.  We're just having a little fun.  I feel I need to reiterate
this fact because most of the Barihunk world is a lot stronger than me, and could kick my ass.

  1. We love you guys! This is hilarious (and mostly quite accurate).

  2. This is amazing, though, I (the barihunk pictured at top) pretty much overlap all these points - minus the hair part... LOL ;-)

    Good game. Good game.

    1. First- please don't sue us for using your image. Second- we knowsny hunks and chunks over lap in some if not all of these categories. Satire is easier with gross generalization:) Third- you look great. What's your secret? (Please say chipotle...)

    2. HA! CHIPOTLE IS MY LIFE! Gym every day - I make time and work fast/smart. Diet is flexible unless there's a photo shoot. I've been known to bake (and EAT) cookies, too... Giant ones. Satire is my porn name - didn't you get the memo? ;-)

    3. Satire as a porn name? Hmm interesting. Guess that could work, but I'm not sure irony goes over well in that industry...

  3. As a tenor I'm a bit of both... um, without the chiseled physique!

    Now I want pizza!

  4. My waistline would beg to differ. Maybe I need a martini... it's 5pm somewhere!

  5. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.


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Monday, June 1, 2015

More rain, storms possible today. Cartersville pastor, evangelist opening Rome barbecue restaurant. Coosa Valley Credit Union brings back flag project. Bartow gas prices soar. Later today: Bartow County Jail reports, Cartersville Police arrest reports.

For continuing updates and latest news, see

Ware Mechanical forecast

  • Low 80s, 60% chance of storms -- and more of the same most of the week

  • Educators' survey of 100 Floyd teachers raises concerns about trust, administration, financial affairs, special ed resources. Schools
  • From catering to full-service restaurant, Bonez & Gristles ready to bring 'barbecue that changes lives' to Rome. Dining
  • Coosa Valley Credit Union again offers to replace torn, faded American flags at businesses, churches or community organizations. Flags
  • Smile Report: Community groups unite to enhance 31-acre Armuchee Park. Smile
  • Gas prices jump in Floyd, Bartow counties; cheapest prices found in Polk, Gordon counties (10 to 22 cents less). Soaring
  • This week: Floyd Board of Education meeting, baseball, VBS, Euharlee Covered Bridge 'Que and more. Week
  • Public Health restaurant inspections scores, brought to you by Dr. Miniyar Pediatrics return Tuesday. Dining.
  • Bartow County Jail reports brought to you by Midian Roofing. CrimeWatch

Regular features:

  • Our list of summer camps across Northwest Georgia. Camps
  • Big plans for Vacation Bible School this summer. VBS
  • Northwest Georgia traffic conditions via Google Maps or Waze.
  • Today's business headlines from  Georgia Trend
  • Northwest Georgia's best source for job leads. Click Career Builder

Chick-fil-A Dwarf House Sports Report

  • Rome Braves edged 2-1 by Hickory in 11 innings. Tonight: At home vs. Lexington, 7 p.m.
  • Atlanta Braves rally in the ninth, beat San Francisco 7-5. Tonight: At Arizona, 9:40 p.m.
  • Pepperell High's 2015 football schedule.
  • More honors for Shorter Lady Hawks' softball team.

Hometown Headlines Radio Edition, 7-9 a.m., WRGA 98.7 FM

Please join our guests Monday including:

  • At 7:40 a.m.: Matt Larry, Darlington's new baseball coach (former Shorter head coach).
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An Insider’s Guide to Designing Your Luxury Bathroom

Are you planning on building your dream bathroom? Still on the fence about which design would work best for you? Your bathroom is your private sanctuary, and it deserves a lot of thought when it comes to design and material selection.

Custom home builders share design tips and ideas you should try. Learn the best layouts, colour schemes that will work to soothe you after a tiring day, and the spa-like features you can integrate to make your bathroom luxurious and restful.

8 Bathroom Design Tips to Consider

1. Create an efficient layout

Even the most beautiful bathroom will need to deal with water lines, vent stacks, and plumbing drains. Like other sections of a house, bathroom floor plans come in different layouts.

       The one-wall layout lines up the toilet, sink, and shower in just a single wall in the bathroom. Custom home builders say that this is the most cost-effective design. However, it is also the most limiting.

       The two-wall layout will give you more flexibility because the shower and tub can be plumbed on one wall with the toilet and sink on the other.

       As for the three-wall layout, this is the most versatile yet the most expensive and complicated design. But working with the best bathroom designer will help you get the most use out of the space and prevent you from making any costly mistakes.

2. Choose the right sink

Undermount and integral bathroom sinks will make it a lot easier for you to wipe off any mess from the counter into the sink. On the other hand, self-rimming bathroom sinks are the easiest and most economical to install; however, their perimeter lip can easily collect grime.

3. Have a bathroom lighting plan

When it comes to bathroom lighting, the mirror is the most critical area. At each side of the mirror, you should have wall-mount lights at eye level. Also, place a third light above the mirror. This lighting plan will illuminate your face from above and both sides, thereby getting rid of shadows.

Generally, consider using ceiling-mounted fixtures or add mood and style with pendant lights or chandeliers. Use accent lights to highlight an architectural feature or a collection. This will also add mood and sparkle. For enclosed tubs and showers, use vapour-proof downlights.

4. Show your style with cabinetry

Bathroom cabinetry combines function and form. It is also part of the style statement you wish to express whether it be vintage, contemporary, traditional, or modern.

Opt for cabinets with semi-custom options. If not, have them custom-designed and built. This way, all your bathroom storage needs will be met. You can also decide on the cabinet’s construction, materials, accessories, and finish.

5. Go for easy-to-care flooring

Bathroom floors must be easy to care for, slip-resistant, hardworking and impermeable to water yet stylish. Ceramic tiles and stone tiles are some of the most luxurious choices. But for better traction, opt for a honed flooring finish.

6. Use colour to create mood

Colour has the ability to soothe, energize, calm you down, and wake you up. Before choosing your palette materials, it is crucial to figure out the mood you want to evoke. Once you have decided on your bathroom colour scheme, bear in mind that colours come from more than fabric and wall paint.

The colour of the tiles and the cabinetry wood you choose will also play a crucial role when creating the overall colour personality. In fact, even the tub and sink can contribute to the bathroom colour scheme whether they are made of dyed concrete, stone, or white porcelain.

7. Add luxurious amenities

To have a spa-like bathroom experience, consider integrating features that will take your bathroom from utilitarian to pampering. For instance, install in-floor radiant heating to take the chill off of your tile or stone floors. Other amenities that will make your bathroom really comfortable will include sound systems, television, a gas-insert fireplace, and a beverage centre.

Luxury showers can also replicate the spa-resort experience in your bathroom. Choose from a wide range of spray heads. Handheld shower heads let you direct the spray for rinsing off your hair while ceiling-mounted rainfall shower heads will soak you from above.

8. Make a statement with your tub

Bathtubs are the usual focal point of a bathroom as it has a powerful impact on its interior design. Opt for a whirlpool tub or a soaking tub to maximise relaxation during each bath.

Designing and building your dream bathroom is not an easy task. But with the help of custom home builders, this can be made a lot easier. They may even give you some suggestions to make your bathroom even more beautiful, luxurious, and functional. The Trendsetter Homes blog offers more tips and ideas for designing your spa-like bathroom, among other things.

Robert Allam has had an understanding of Trendsetter Homes inside and out since he started with the business as a client over 10 years ago. Eventually becoming part of the company as a Sales Consultant, then Office Manager, and now as Finance and Sales Manager, Robert has seen the company grow from a small team of 4 to a professional team of 16 and has guided many clients through the process of developing their dream of a unique, luxury home.

New Bathroom Construction and Fire Indicator Panels

It is a common occurrence with most families that as time goes by their bathroom shrinks and no longer meets the needs of their family. When families come to the conclusion something must be done – think about remodeling before uprooting the family and changing addresses. Look at the possibilities of a do it yourself project or hiring a professional contractor to create a more user friendly environment.

DIY Project or Professional Contractor
List your family needs required to make a positive change with a new bathroom construction project. Then decide if this is a do it yourself project or should you consult a professional. If working on a tight budget, DIY is a good option IF you are willing to expand your horizons to include knowledge of home and fire safety codes, local building codes and general plumbing, electrical and construction skills. Another aspect is time and budget constrictions. After considering all the DIY pluses and minuses, perhaps calling a professional bathroom remodeller is a better option. In most cases, not doing it yourself will save you money and time, compared to a novice taking on a DIY with many unknown factors and limited skills.

Remodelling an existing bathroom or constructing a new bathroom is similar in outcome – the creation of a more suitable fire and accident proof room with ample amenities. Remodelling an existing bathroom is a lesson in fire and accident safety precautions with the removal of existing water, sewage and gas piping plus electrical wiring disconnection, removed and reset to accomplish the renovation specifications. Besides all the other things that must be done to complete a new construction or remodelling job of a bathroom, now a FIP should be on the list of things to install.

What Are FIPs?
Fire Indicator Panels, FIPs, are designed to detect hazardous situations such as fire. FIPs may also indicate an accumulation of dust or steam in smoke alarms that could delay the recognition of an actual dangerous situation. Fire safety authorities have determined new and remodelled domiciles should have Fire Indicator Panels to enhance the detection capabilities of heat and carbon dioxide detectors and smoke alarms.

How Does an FIP Work?
Fire Indicator Panels are activated when smoke alarms, which are wired into a FIP, detects a hazardous condition. A signal is sent to the FIP which then activates other panels, sprinklers and/or an Alarm Signal Equipment (ASE). The ASE then sends a signal to its private contracted safety/security entity, which relays the signal to the proper public safety/security fire suppression authority.

3 Factors for Choosing a Kitchen Hood Fan

The kitchen is considered to be the most important part of the home by many people around the world. This is the place where people go to cook their food and then enjoy it with their loved ones. Having said all that, the kitchen can also be a place of bad odors and moisture. Air conditioning units can only do so much for this problem, which is why hood fans are a great addition to any kitchen. This is not the most popular renovation idea for the kitchen, but sometimes it is the most important one that can be made. Here are three of the most important factors that you need consider when choosing a new hood fan for your kitchen.

Cubic Feet Per Minute

The main thing that you need to think about when it comes to choosing a hood fan to help you with your air conditioning needs is power. The general range and power of your hood fan will be measured in cubic feet per minute. When your hood fan has a higher CFM, you will notice that it is able to take care of moisture and odors in a more efficient manner. Most electric stove tops will be find with a hood fan that has 300 to 400 CFMs, while someone with a gas stove should be looking for something with at least 700 CFMs.

Another measurement that you need to look at with your new hood fan is sones. This is the measurement of the overall sound output of your hood fan. Although having a powerful fan is important, it will be rather useless if you cannot hear anyone talk when it is turned on. It is important to look at the different sound ratings for when the fan is turned on different power settings. You will probably have the fan on a low setting while you are actually cooking, while you will also need to turn it up to a higher setting while you are finished with the preparation of a meal.

Types of Blowers

One final thing you should consider when it comes to your hood fan is the various blower options that are available to you. There are three different spots where the blower can be located, and the placement of the blower can have a huge impact on the overall sound impact. If you are looking for a high-end hood fan, then you may want to look into getting a fan with an external blower. This will dramatically lower the overall sound output from your hood fan, and it gives you more customization over the entire ventilation process.

This post comes from Rafkia Solar & Electrical, a Brisbane business specializing in air conditioning and solar power. Check out their website for more ideas you can use to improve your kitchen.

Avoiding Hazards When Renovating Your Bathroom

DIY projects for renovations and remodeling are pretty common these days. This could mostly be because of the fact that they are much more rewarding, save money and are fun to do. However, when you undertake a DIY project to renovate your bathroom, there are certain hazards that you should avoid. Following are a few bathroom renovating hazards –

Asbestos – Asbestos removal should be on top of your list before you go ahead with your renovation project. Asbestos is durable and heat resistant, which is why many old homes use it in the flooring and roofing materials. It is also used in insulation. The tiny asbestos fibers can enter your lungs and cause diseases like Asbestosis and Mesothelioma cancer. They also affect the lungs by causing scarring and lung tissue weakness. If you find out that there is asbestos in your bathroom walls or ceiling, make sure asbestos removal is your first step.

Lead – Lead is found in paint that is used houses built before 1978. It can easily spread from your house into the soil nearby and be hazardous to your kids and pets. If exposed to it, some common symptoms include headache, constipation, nausea and fatigue. Thus, it should be removed before starting the remodeling project.

Mercury – Mercury is often found in thermostats and heating systems of old homes and is pretty toxic in nature. Even a little exposure to Mercury can be harmful and can cause liver damage and learning disabilities. In large quantities, Mercury can even be fatal.

PCBs – PCBs (Polychlorinated Biphenyls) are certain chemicals that are found in electronic equipment and paints used before 1977. PCB exposure can be extremely damaging to the nervous system, immune system and is also known to cause cancer. PCB removal is very important before your renovation project starts.

Formaldehyde – This is an industrial chemical and is often found in plywood materials, insulation and particle boards. If a person gets exposed to Formaldehyde in high quantities, it could cause coughing, burning in nose, throat and eyes and also, nausea. The long term effects of this industrial chemical are not much known, but it is best to practice precaution.

Molds – A type of fungi, molds grow everywhere and anywhere when conditions are right. One of the biggest targets for mold growth is a dark moist place like the bathroom. Though most types of molds are not life-threatening for healthy individuals, for those who have a weak immunity, which include those who suffer from asthma, the elderly and the babies, bathroom molds are a waking nightmare. When exposed to black molds, a person may suffer from dizziness, coughing, irritability, depression, lung infections, sinusitis, seizure, skin rashes, body aches, flu-like symptoms, and other serious respiratory problems.

Always get your bathroom tested for any of these toxic substances before you start your remodeling project. To be safe, wear protective mask to cover your mouth and nose when you are working. Use protective gloves as well because you can never be too safe.

Settling Into Your New Bathroom

When you move into your new home, your main goal is going to be making it yours. Moving, especially moving overseas, can be traumatic and confusing because everything is so unfamiliar. To make up for this, you should strive to make your new house feel like home. Since you're going to have to use it almost immediately, the bathrooms should be your first focus.

Deep Cleaning

The very first thing you should is completely deep clean the bathroom if a professional cleaner hasn't done that already. Despite how nice and clean the bathroom may seem at first, you're bound to find things like dust, soap scum, and water spots if a deep cleaning hasn't been done. These things will make you feel the presence of the previous owner is haunting the house, preventing you from ever feeling truly at home.

New Toilet Seat

Chances are, you probably wish you could get rid of the entire toilet and completely replace it with a new one. However, you may not have the money to easily do so, and even if you do, it may not be the most sensible option for you.

Instead of ripping the entire toilet from the wall, purchase a nice, new toilet seat and replace the old one. While it probably won't be as satisfying as a completely new toilet, it'll probably be good enough.

Put Away Toiletries

Once the bathroom's completely clean, you should start officially settling into your new bathroom by first unpacking the toiletries, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, cologne, deodorant, mouthwash, hair brushes, soap, lotion, toilet paper, and more. Put all these toiletries in the appropriate places and make sure you set them up in an orderly manner.

Sort Medicine Cabinets

With the toiletries completely taken care of, you should now focus on unpacking all your medicine and organizing your medicine cabinets. If your medicine cabinet seems to be lacking, consider going to the drug store and buying medicine to stock it up. Buy over-the-counter medicines like Tylenol pain relievers, fungal medicine, and cold and flu medicine.

Besides medicine, some other things you should keep in your medicine cabinet are adhesive bandages, nail clippers, filers, antiseptic, muscle cream, tweezers, sterile gauze, medical tape, dental floss, and a thermometer for checking for fevers.

Bathroom Decor

Once you have the main unpacking done, you can now focus on personal decor. Put up shower curtains, rugs, towels, mirrors, flowers, pictures in frames, and toilet seat covers. Instead of using the bathroom decor from your old home, consider purchasing new decor to start fresh in your new home.

When it comes to settling into your new bathroom, you may have no idea where to start. However, As you can see, making your bathroom yours doesn't have to be difficult, which is an especially good thing if you're still trying to cope with moving overseas and need something to remind you of home.

This post comes from Overseas Packers, the experts at assisting people moving overseas. If you're worried about how to get all of your stuff from country A to country B, leave it to them.

Why AC Vents are a Must in Bathrooms

If you are building or renovating a bathroom, including an air conditioning vent is an important part that cannot be overlooked. Vents play a crucial role in keeping the bathroom clean and safe for your family’s use. In this article, we will take a look into how these vents work and the benefits they bring to the bathroom space.

AC vents are responsible for removing the heated air and moisture that tends to accumulate in the bathroom, especially if there is a shower. The vents may be attached to other parts of the house’s duct work, or they may be unconnected. Normally, the vent will transmit the heated air through the roof to the outside air, so that it cannot create further damage in any area of the home. Whether the local codes in your area require it or not, having a vent in the bathroom is a smart idea. This is especially true if you are planning on selling the home, because the majority of home buyers will expect proper ventilation.

Many bathroom fixtures and furniture pieces have plating or coatings that help prevent rust from forming on them. Sometimes the coating can wear off from use though, and older bathrooms often have metal fixtures that do not come with this protection from rust. If there is no AC vent, the moisture can stagnate in the bathroom after a nice, warm shower. This moisture will continue to float around because it is trapped within the contained room. In the mean time, rust can easily form and cause irreparable damage to these fixtures, as well as any bolts or other metal components. This damage will quickly age and decrease the appeal of the bathroom.

Rust may not be a primary concern for homeowners that have a more modern bathroom. Instead, there is a bigger problem at hand than its cosmetic appearance. Excess moisture can seep into cracks in the tile, drywall, or other porous surfaces in the room. Without any vent to let the moisture escape, the bathroom becomes a prime breeding ground for mold growth. The mold will easily cause permanent damage to the materials it affects, and may spread quickly to other parts of the home as well. Because mold can easily grow in spaces that are not visible, you may not even be aware that it is lurking. The damage can become extremely extensive and pose major health risks to all residents.

Fortunately, there are a wide variety of options of how these vents can be placed. They can be positioned in the wall, ceiling, or floor. All of these options will take care of eliminating moisture and cycle air throughout the bathroom for ventilation. Installing an air conditioning vent is the best way to protect the bathroom from damage and prevent any health conditions that could harm your family.

This post comes from the marketing squad at Brisbane Air, the experts at air conditioning installation and maintenance in Brisbane.

Tips To Achieve Bathroom Bliss

The bathroom is one room in the house that is the smallest but it still requires design elements to provide comfort and it consists of a lot of stuff such as medicines, towels, mats and mirrors etc. apart from the hardware all of which easily can lead to clutter. Fortunately there are numerous techniques that you can apply to make your bathroom as comfortable and stylish as possible, without the clutter, and that even without major remodelling. Just make sure that everything in the space is colour coordinated and throw away all unneeded items, next follow some of the tips below for your bathroom bliss.
·         Shelving And Cabinets
Cabinets are the ultimate solution to all clutter problems and if you kitchen can store away your stock in cabinets then why can’t the same be for your small bathroom? Install as many cabinets and shelf as possible and they can be styled by painting over or a touch of lacquer, even glass door cabinets can be installed equipped with small LED lights for beauty. Shelves can be arranged in different lengths or staggered position for visual attraction and attractive boxes can be placed to store extra towels and toilet papers etc. Except for storage, canvas pictures, shells and other decorative items can also be placed on the shelves for beauty.
·         Organise Counters And Vanity
Both the counter and vanity are places where water is occasionally splashed upon and they need to be cleaned almost daily, even more than once in a day during busy times. It’s always hectic to remove each and every item placed on them and then replace it each time thus organise your small items in a tray or wicker baskets for style which can easily be picked up with all the times and replaced when the space is cleaned. They can contain extra hand towels to soaps, potpourri and your dental essentials. If you are a reader then a large wicker basket can even be placed on the floor with a bunch of magazines, books and newspapers!
·         Decorate Your Space
There is no possible way towards bliss without spending a little effort on decor as this is what can lead to calm, serene and attractive place. Think about items that are suitable for the bathroom and would look great inside it. Candles are always calming during a long bath while they also help to remove odours, even if never lighted large gorgeous scented candle can still have a huge effect on the decor. Pictures I believe are an essentiality for all rooms and interesting canvas prints can be placed on the bathroom walls or leaned on shelves while if you are going for an aqua theme then 3D pictures of marine animals will never fail to add a stunning touch. Potted plants can add some life and freshness to any dull corner or a boring vanity.

Author Bio:  Author works as interior design and illustrator for canvas pictures for a collage canvas prints company.

How to Pick The Best Bathroom Floor Tiles For Your Bathroom Floor

Bathroom floor tiles are among the most important tiles in any person's home. This is because bathroom floors have to be durable and more importantly they have to be consistently clean.

Bathrooms are very private places, and in many cases, we can't properly clean ourselves unless we are taking a bath in a clean area. So in looking for a good set bathroom tiles for your bathroom floor, aesthetics isn't the only issue that you have to worry about.

A bathroom also has to serve its function, and one of the best ways of ensuring this is by
choosing the right type of floor tiles for your bathroom.

Three Issues to Consider When Selecting Bathroom Floor Tiles For Your Bathroom Floor

When selecting bathroom floor tiles, the first important to remember that bathrooms can easily become one of the dirtiest rooms in your house. Although it's true that bathrooms is where we clean ourselves, it's also the place where we leave most of our dirt and grime behind.

Therefore, if you're still looking for a reliable set of bathroom floor tiles, remember that you need something that is easy to clean and resistant to various types of grime.

The next issue that you will need to consider is, which type of bathroom tiles are most appropriate for the kind of bathroom that you want to build. As such, there are primarily three types of bathroom tiles to choose from.

These include;

Glass - With glass, you get a recyclable material that comes in a wide variety of colors, which allows you to use Mosaic tiles for your bathroom floor. They are also easy to clean and offer good traction.

The only problem, however, is that not all glass tiles are appropriate for your floor. In fact, only a select few have the strength and texture to be use as floor tile. You also need to make sure is properly treated to be non-slip to avoid accidents since they are extremely slippery when wet.

Ceramics - If you choose to buy ceramic tiles then you can expect an easy-to-clean and waterproof bathroom floor. Ceramic tiles are particularly suited for moisture rich areas, and their sturdy design offers great value for their price.

They are also ideal for decal ornamentation if you want to have a nice looking bathroom floor.

Natural Stone - If durability is your top priority, then what you need are natural stone bathroom floor tiles. Aside from their natural beauty, most natural stone floors also offer a natural pattern that will make your bathroom floor appear completely unique than most others.

Also, many natural stone bathroom floors prevent slips and accidents. The only problem is that natural stone floors require a lot of maintenance, particularly if you're using those that are porous in nature such as marble.

Although it's possible to use other types of tiles, these 3 are the most commonly used tiles that are used to assemble a bathroom floor. So if you're still looking for options with regards to your bathroom floor tiles, it's best to start with these three options.

Later, if you're not satisfied with their features, you can always explore less orthodox options.

Finally, it's important to consider the number of people who will be using your bathroom on a daily basis. Most bathroom tiles are classified using the Porcelain Enamel Institute (PEI) ratings.

These include;

1 - No foot traffic
2 - Minimum foot traffic
3 - Moderate foot traffic
4 - Heavy foot traffic
5 - Extra Heavy foot traffic.

A PEI rating of 1 indicates that you shouldn't use that particular material as a floor tile. In contrast, a PEI rating of 5 means that your floor tiles can withstand a lot of foot traffic.

So regardless of how durable you might think a particular tile may be, be sure to consult the retailers about their PEI rating. This way, you'll be able to ensure maximum durability for your bathroom floors.

Bathroom Floor Tiles - The Importance of Regular Cleaning

Bathroom floors have to be cleaned and maintained regularly. Not only will this protect your bathroom floors from damage, regular cleaning is also important for health related issues.

No matter how aesthetically pleasing your bathroom floors may seem, they will eventually attract germs due to the presence of moisture. Moreover, dirt from our bodies will gradually add to the dirtiness of our bathroom floor.

So in designing your bathroom floor, try to make sure that it will be easy to clean. For example, although it's tempting to have a large bathroom, bathrooms that take up a relatively small area are usually easier to clean and manage.

You may want to note that certain designs, patterns and materials can help make your bathroom floor easier to clean. So remember, just because bathroom floor tiles are very durable doesn't mean that they shouldn't be cleaned regularly.
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Pho Archives - Baubles, Bubbles and Bags Style File

Monday Eats: Food & Drinks in Vietnam

Monday Eats: Food & Drinks in Vietnam

Continuing from last week’s post of my trip to Vietnam, this week, it’s all about the food.   Basically I’ll share what I had, some…

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Who is Norlin?

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She's a mum of 3 who loves writing, sharing tips, tricks and discoveries that covers styling, fashion, beauty, lifestyle, health and so much more!  Find out more about Norlin here!

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Jamie N. Harris

Jamie N. Harris

Senior Lawyer

At the Law Office of Jamie N. Harris, my clients come first. Every client is treated with courtesy and is guaranteed effective representation. My expertise and integrity have earned me a reputation as one of the Bay Area’s premier law office.

My consistent track record of uncompromising ethics instills confidence and trust. I use cutting edge technologies that allow me and my staff to respond quickly, and give you the most relevant information and perspectives.

The Law Office of Jamie N. Harris is dedicated to achieving the best outcome for every client. With me on your side, you will come out on top.

As a criminal defense attorney, I know how to defend even the toughest cases, and how to guide your case through the system with your best interests in mind. My office will provide you with time, preparation, respect, and persistence you should expect when you hire a private criminal defense attorney. I have successfully defended clients with all types of misdemeanors and felonies.

Education & Experience

  • 2006:
    • 2006 I graduated from Southwester University School of Law
  • 2002:
    • In 2002 I graduated from Cal State Northridge with a Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology (Criminology and Corrections Option)


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Missing Animal Response Save Lives by Tracking Missing Pets

Every year, millions of pets go missing across the country, and many are never found. These once-loved companions may end up being hit by cars, absorbed into free-roaming stray populations, or impounded in animal shelters. In Northern California, more than 300,000 missing pets end up in shelters every year, and only about 10 percent will be found and reclaimed by owners.

When a pet goes missing, most people don’t know what to do. They may walk around the neighborhood calling and shaking a bag of food, or they may post flyers. They may check the local shelter. After a week or two, most people give up, because they can’t deal with the grief and uncertainty or because they believe their pet has died or been taken into someone else’s home.

“Three years ago, I lost my dog,” said Missing Animal Response search dog handler Lynnette Ruder of Castle Rock, Colo. “I was devastated. Someone recommended I hire a search dog handler, so I did, and at that moment, I knew this was something I wanted to be involved in. I saw how much good my dogs and I could do.”

Ruder studied with Pet Detective Academy Instructor Kat Albrecht of Nanaimo, B.C., who is the founder of Missing Pet Partnership, a national nonprofit dedicated to lost pet prevention and recovery. Albrecht teaches a comprehensive program of owner counseling and multiple search techniques, including the use of wildlife cameras and live traps and examining forensic evidence in addition to training dogs to follow the scent trail of a missing pet.

“Most any breed can be a MAR dog,” says Albrecht. “Medium size is ideal, although there are exceptions. Brachycephalic dogs overheat easily and don’t take scent well. Older dogs may have difficulty physically doing the work. An ideal MAR dog has no fear or aggression and loves other animals.”

Ruder uses her Sheltie, Bear, and Australian cattle dog, Hope, for MAR work. She primarily does physical searches for the owners of missing pets and partners with a volunteer group that provides counseling and other support. “It’s hard work, but so rewarding,” she says. “You are running behind your dog, sometimes for a long distance, over broken ground or up hills. You may need to search multiple times to verify sightings of the missing pet in different locations. You and your dog need to be in shape.”

According to Albrecht, dogs can start getting the hang of following a scent trail in a few months, but to train a reliable MAR search dog takes 12 to 18 months. It takes many repetitions, but it’s a winning moment when a dog “gets it” and understands what you are asking for. Following their nose is one of the most natural things a dog can do.

Albrecht stresses the importance of teaching dogs the “negative trail,” which is a way of indicating that the scent they are supposed to follow is not in the search area. If they are always rewarded for following a scent, they may pick some other random scent and go after it. “Improperly trained dogs and handlers can lead owners on a wild goose chase,” she adds. “Because of that, we are working towards setting industry standards and certification so the owners of missing pets will know they have hired someone they can trust.”

MAR search dog handling is a rewarding hobby for some and a career for others. There is currently a need for dog handlers in Northern California, so Albrecht encourages anyone potentially interested to contact her via email, info@katalbrecht.

“You need to be prepared for a lot of hard work, and a commitment to that work,” says Ruder, “but if you feel this is right for you and your dog, don’t let anyone tell you you can’t. It’s a ton of fun, and finding a missing pet is so rewarding.”

Want to learn more about Missing Animal Response? Check out Kat Albrecht’s books on Amazon, Pet Tracker and Dog Detectives. Visit to learn about training opportunities, and to learn about MAR and LPPR initiatives in communities and animal shelters across the U.S. and beyond.

Brigid Wasson is the founder of The Path Ahead Animal Shelter Consulting, providing infrastructure building, management-team support, and lifesaving programs for animal shelters across the country. She lives in Sonoma County with three dogs: an Anatolian shepherd, a corgi/terrier, and a Pomeranian/terrier. For more information visit

Main article photo by: Photo of Lynette Ruder and Bear courtesy of Ruder


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Aedes albopictus clone C6/36

BCRJ code:
Cell Line:
Aedes albopictus clone C6/36
Aedes albopictus

Vulgar Name: Mosquito, Asian Tiger
Larva, Whole
Growth Properties:
Age Ethinicy:
This cell line is useful for the replication of flaviviruses and reportedly can be used to replicate Dengue viruses to high titers. They are also a suitable transfection host
Tumor Formation:
Yes, did form colonies in semisolid medium.
No, the cells were not tumorigenic in immunosuppressed mice.
Additional info:
The cells are non-anchorage dependent, are not tumorigenic and maintain a diploid chromosome number.
Culture Medium:
Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium (DMEM) modified + non-essential amino acids, 2 mM L-glutamine, 1 mM sodium pyruvate, and 1500 mg/L sodium bicarbonate and 10% FETAL BOVINE SERUM.
Subcultures are prepared by scraping or by vigorous pipetting.
Remove the old medium, add fresh complete culture medium, dislodge cells from the floor of the flask, aspirate and dispense into new flasks.

NOTE: For more information on enzymatic dissociation and subculturing of cell lines consult Chapter 12 in Culture of Animal Cells, a manual of Basic Technique by R. Ian Freshney, 6th edition, published by Alan R. Liss, N.Y., 2010.

Medium Renewal: Twice per week
Subcultivation ratio: 1:4 to 1:10 is recommended
Culture Conditions:
Atmosphere: air, 95%; carbon dioxide (CO2), 5%
Temperature: 28°C
95% FBS + 5% DMSO (Dimethyl sulfoxide)
Thawing Frozen Cells:
SAFETY PRECAUTION: Is highly recommend that protective gloves and clothing always be used and a full face mask always be worn when handling frozen vials. It is important to note that
some vials leak when submersed in liquid nitrogen and will slowly fill with liquid nitrogen. Upon thawing, the conversion of the liquid nitrogen back to its gas phase may result in the vessel exploding or blowing off its cap with dangerous force creating flying debris.
1. Thaw the vial by gentle agitation in a 37°C water bath. To reduce the possibility of contamination, keep the Oring and cap out of the water. Thawing should be rapid (approximately 2 minutes).
2. Remove the vial from the water bath as soon as the contents are thawed, and decontaminate by dipping in or spraying with 70% ethanol. All of the operations from this point on should be carried out under strict aseptic conditions.
3. For cells that are sensitive to DMSO is recommended that the cryoprotective agent be removed immediately. Transfer the vial contents to a centrifuge tube containing 9.0 mL complete culture medium and spin at approximately 125 x g for 5 to 7 minutes.
4.Discard the supernatant and Resuspend cell pellet with the recommended complete medium (see the specific batch information for the culture recommended dilution ratio).
5. Incubate the culture in a appropriate atmosphere and temperature (see "Culture Conditions" for this cell line).

NOTE: It is important to avoid excessive alkalinity of the medium during recovery of the cells. It is suggested that, prior to the addition of the vial contents, the culture vessel containing the growth medium be placed into the incubator for at least 15 minutes to allow the medium to reach its normal pH (7.0 to 7.6).

Igarashi A. Isolation of a Singh's Aedes albopictus cell clone sensitive to Dengue and Chikungunya viruses. J. Gen. Virol. 40: 531-544, 1978. PubMed: 690610
Singh KRP. Cell cultures derived from larvae of Aedes albopictus (Skuse) and Aedes aegypti (L.). Curr. Sci. 36: 506-508, 1967.
Clone C6/36 was derived from A. albopictus cells (see ATCC CCL-126) which were adapted to Eagle's minimum essential medium by A. Igarashi and then cloned and recloned by seeding single cell suspensions into petri dishes.
Danielle da Glória de Souza - UFMG


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Ontario’s Fair Housing Plan – Round-Up

Posted on: May 3rd, 2017 by Real Estate Accountants No Comments

Ontario's Fair Housing PlanOntario’s Fair Housing Plan, and its potential impacts on real estate markets not only in the GTA but across Canada, has been dominating the conversations of real estate and construction industry members. We have pulled together a series of articles from BDO Canada around these topics to provide overview and opinion on the latest developments, both for the GTA and the country:

Tax Alert – Ontario Introduces 15% Residential Property Transfer Tax on Foreign Buyers

Ontario’s Fair Housing Plan: A National Perspective

How will Ontario’s Fair Housing Plan affect the GTA?

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Felt Up at Bear Cat LA

This week's newest addition to the shop is local designer Lindsay Murray with Felt Up clothing. Felt up clothing is inspired by American Popular culture with an artistic twist. The line is bright and colorful and demands to be seen or be seen in them. You can find Felt Up clothing sported by local bands and musicians as well as Pop Singer Nicki Minaj.

Check out Lindsay Murray's interview, and get to know the brand.

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Thursday, February 23, 2006

Hello! My name is Bearuh and this is my first ever blog!! I actually made it so I can enter art to Illustration friday and just post whatever crazy doodles I come up with. I hope you enjoy!

The Caretaker said...

welcome to the blogosphere. I like your art!

Bearuh said...

Thanks!!! :) I love comments..


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Sunday, October 28, 2007

vampire Girl

vampire Girl, originally uploaded by bearuh.

OOOOooo its that SPOOOOKY time of year when at ANY moment you might hear a knock at your door!!

JO said...

Please don't let it be her. Very cute.

zari - justZHM said...

what a great surprise expression! great character ; )


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Wednesday, June 24, 2015

English Bookstores Are Thriving In China

Book2Book Tuesday 23 June 2015

There has been a steady tide of new bookstores opening in China in the last few years and English titles are selling at a rapid pace. This is primarily attributed to foreignness and the rising middle class looking to learn the language.

China Briefing: The Publishing Industry in China: Regulatory Nightmare or Niche Market Opportunity?

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Remix: Get People - Rain Tears (Peaces Remix)

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These guys are getting a bit more notoriety in the US since the last time I blogged about them (New Music: Get People). In the last few months I have seen them pop up here and there - I also see they they are now with The Windish Agency in the US - my most favorite booking agency ever - and for good reason.....Get People are great!

Get People have been described as "eminently danceable electro-tropical acid-pop" which I think is brilliant. They have released a few EPs that are both streaming HERE, and I am looking forward to seeing them live! 100% on my SXSW wish list! Enjoy!

Rain Tears (Peaces - Murder In The Jungle Mix) by GET PEOPLE


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Thursday, November 1, 2012

I've been terrible about blogging for a few months. But I guess that means I've had less time on the computer and more time doing other things. A lot has been going on and it has been a long year, but I wanted to take the time to post my thanks this month.

Today, November 1st, I want to say I am abundantly thankful for a God who loves me no matter what. He loves me on my good days and on my bad. He loves me when I am not easy to love. I am so thankful he is my Abba Father, Emmanuel, Jehovah Jireh, and El Shaddai (all sufficient).

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