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And down a bit

Good stuff – my weight is heading downwards again.

I got the bus to work this morning, as it was raining moderately heavily. But when I left the office, it had dried up a bit, so I walked home. There was a bit of a shower which caught me after the point where I could decide to get the bus from Gateshead, so I got slightly damp. Not too bad, as was wearing a waterproof coat and a hat.

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The Shower of Abundance

(directly from Sandy Foster)

“Sit down comfortably, with your feet flat on the ground, your back straight and your hands on your knees with the palms facing up. Gently close your eyes.

Imagine that you are surrounded by tiny particles of abundance, that you are immersed in a sea of prosperity, and that you can stretch out your arm, touch it and bring it into your life each time you want it.

When you are ready, take a long and deep inhalation and count to three.
Inflate your lungs; fill them up completely with abundance.

Imagine that you inhale these particles of prosperity and that they fill every fiber of your being.
Feel this feeling of being bathed in abundance.

Hold your breath counting to nine and feel every atom, every cell of your whole body swollen with prosperity, full of abundance, vibrating with riches.
Then, slowly, counting to six, exhale this Abundance so that it may circulate through the entire Universe – really force the air out of you.

Again, take a deep, long inhalation of abundance.

This time, see your body light up from within and out, shining with prosperity, glittering with riches, dazzling with fortune.
Again, hold your breath counting to nine.
See this incandescence, feel this incandescence.
Then, once again, exhale the abundance so that it may circulate through the entire Universe.

One last time, slowly inhale abundance and count to three and, holding your breath and counting to nine, imagine and feel what it feels like to be totally abundant, to be amazingly fortunate, to have reached financial freedom and to be rich beyond your wildest dreams.

Feel the feeling this gives you.
Feel this lightness, this freedom and this happiness.
Develop this feeling.
Feel it bathe your whole body.
Embrace this amazing feeling in your whole body, your whole mind, and your whole soul.

And for the last time, slowly exhale this abundance and this prosperity so that they may circulate through the entire Universe.

When you are ready, slowly open your eyes, feeling prosperous, feeling fortunate, and feeling rich, rich, rich!”

Practice this exercise each morning!
After a while, you will even be able to do it without closing your eyes and know that you are attracting prosperity at every moment!

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Friday, May 17, 2013

The Vampire Diaries Fever

My Vampire Diaries fever came back. Actually I'm in the middle of two series movies which are Once upon a time and The Vampire Diaries. I love to watch both TV series.

There is one scene where Caroline ask Klaus for a beautiful dress for the prom night. They both look so adorable together. By the way, the mermaid shaped creme white dress given by Klaus to Caroline for the prom night, look stunningly beautiful! Klaus is really such a gentleman.
However now Klaus has kid with the werewolf women (I'm sorry I forgot her name, but she has a sexy look!). So the chances of Klaus and Caroline have at least have a lovey dovey moment will definitely not-in-the-storyline of the Vampire Diaries. I'm just guessing :p
Frankly speaking, the Vampire Diaries got a lots of handsome actors and ladies, you should watch this TV series. Honestly, you won't get bored watching this TV series because there is always interesting story episode by episode. Highly recommended TV series by me =D

The last scene that I have watched was where Rebekkah is going to be chasing by the Vampire Hunters. I couldn't wait for the episode 23 to come out! I started to like Damon Salvatore again and I kept calling Bear, "Damon" :p hehehee~~

Happy watching V-Diaries,
Luna Merza

All the above photos are credited to

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Vacation-challenged America

Americans may envy Europeans for their many days off, but how about using the ones they have?

A friend is vacationing this week at a monastery. She says she needs spiritual regeneration. Later, she'll take a month to visit family. This amount of time off work is possible, of course, only because she's European.

Many Americans envy Europeans for their generous vacation time, but would they even use it if they had it?

About these ads

This year's annual vacation survey by, the travel company, shows that about a third of all working adults in the US don't take all the time they've earned – 14 days on average.

Even when they do, are they really on vacation? Nearly a quarter of those who leave don't totally leave – they're still checking work e-mail or voice mail from under the beach umbrella (the exact figure is 23 percent, up markedly from 16 percent just two years ago).

The advice to "get a life" is common, but what if Americans just took their full two weeks? That could go a long way toward fulfilling the real meaning behind that pat phrase.

The European friend – who will remain nameless because she doesn't know she's being written about, and besides, why disturb her if she's on vacation? – has identified some important benefits of vacation: regeneration and reconnecting with family.

The family vacation seems to be going the way of the family dinner hour. Compared with 1970, a third fewer American families are vacationing together, according to "Take Back Your Time," a group that seeks to make three weeks of paid vacation a presidential campaign issue and a national law.

The US is the only industrialized nation that does not legally guarantee its workers paid vacation. US workers also receive the least vacation among such nations. In their "No-Vacation Nation" study in May, the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington reports that 1 in 4 private-sector workers gets no paid vacation or paid holidays. That includes part-time workers, about a third of whom do get paid vacation or holidays.

Both employers and employees need to sweep away the myths that they can't "afford" time off, resulting in many vacations being reduced to long weekends.

About these ads

Rested workers are more productive workers. Productivity can increase by up to 60 percent in the month or two following a vacation, according to Iowa State University economics professor Wallace Huffman. Companies can improve employee creativity and reduce turnover by giving their employees a break.

One reason employees don't take the time they're due is that they don't see others taking it. That's when they need to remember the grade-school admonition of dear Mom: Just because everyone else is doing it (or not doing it), does that mean you should?

Employees find many other reasons to sell themselves short, according to A common one is financial (12 percent of those surveyed say they hand back unused vacation time for cash). Others say it's too hard to schedule a vacation in advance (13 percent), or that work is just a fact of life and getting away from it is just not possible (10 percent).

But rest, like work, is a natural part of life. This summer, dive into a clear lake or stay home and visit all the museums you keep meaning to. Whatever you do, give yourself a break, and take a break.


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Just In
9  1  4  Books » Confessions of Georgia Nicolson
2Parties, Tissues and Unhelpful Lipstick » by sugarspice12 Georgia is 18, leaving for university and quite frankly can't wait to ditch the madhouse she lives in (though sharing a room with Jas might get on her nerves every once in a while). But college life isn't quite as blissful as she expected- especially when a face she was determined to eschew pops up again. This story chronicles Georgia's first term at uni.
T, English, Humor & Romance, chapters: 3, words: 2k+, favs: 3, follows: 3, updated: 12/24/2017 published: 9/24/2017
4 The Camping Trip Of Doom » by SaintClaire Packing for the camping trip. Why Jas wants to celebrate her birthdays in the middle in of nowhere with sheep that can burrow underground is beyond me. As in, FAR beyond me. This cannot end well. - A camping trip between Gee and friends that is bound to go wrong, in a spectacular fashion. And I do mean SPECTACULAR everybody. Buckle up. Now Finished!
T, English, Humor & Romance, chapters: 5, words: 16k+, follows: 4, updated: 12/11/2017 published: 11/25/2014, Georgia N., Jas, Dave, Sven
62Congratulations It's A Bouncing Baby Laugh » by Roxanne the Laugh Just a few weeks after Dave and Gee's honeymoon. Gee has some unexpected news for Dave.
T, English, Romance & Humor, chapters: 20, words: 29k+, favs: 21, follows: 25, updated: 8/24/2015 published: 4/2/2012, Dave, Georgia N.
1undecided by jilly4ever Set just after the last novel, Georgia being Georgia getting into more trouble, but can she handle it? One shot unless asked to continue.
T, English, Humor & Romance, words: 1k+, favs: 1, follows: 1, 5/17/2015
5Love The Laugh Meister » by RoRo The Viking Bride A story mainly in Gee's POV all about love life and olds snogging xxxxx
T, English, Humor & Angst, chapters: 7, words: 1k+, favs: 4, follows: 6, updated: 5/10/2015 published: 3/28/2013
6Cake shop Here I come and this time I know what I want! » by ChelseaTheLaugh My take on what happens with Gee/Dave after ATMBISBM my first fanfic you will have to read to find out what happend !
T, English, Romance & Humor, chapters: 5, words: 5k+, favs: 3, follows: 6, updated: 9/1/2014 published: 2/5/2013, Georgia N., Dave
142Dressed in Drag » by taylorminty Georgia and Dave argue over which sex has it worst, and create a game with their mates to find out. This game has no time limit, and with everyone spending more time with their partner, new feelings come between them that were never previously explored.
T, English, Romance & Humor, chapters: 22, words: 29k+, favs: 43, follows: 59, updated: 8/30/2014 published: 6/23/2010, Georgia N., Dave
10And so the Loon has Landed » by Pixie Flight 15 Thank goodness I don't take after my father on the nose side of things. Gee suffered that one, and let me tell you, it is not a pretty sight, especially when she smiles and her nostrils flare everywhere - Confessions and Ramblings of Libby Nicolson (Rated T for language)
T, English, Friendship & Romance, chapters: 5, words: 13k+, favs: 3, follows: 7, updated: 7/10/2014 published: 5/12/2013, Libby N.
1 Dear Georgia by Hermione Fowl "HELP. MY FAMILY IS DRIVING ME MAD. YOU ARE MY ONLY HOPE. SEND HELP WITHIN THE NEXT THREE DAYS, OR I WILL DROWN WITH THE DOLPHINS."/"Dear Gee, Say hello to Libs from me. Tell her I miss her. Not as much as you, of course. Also, send me more photos. I miss your gorgeous face."
K+, English, Romance & Humor, words: 615, 2/8/2014, Georgia N., Dave
5Confessions Of Libby Nicolson » by IWishIHadWeasleyHair Reasons why my life is at the tip-top of the poonosity scale: 1. My sister Gingey is preggers and has heartlessly kicked me out of my own bedroom (as I have complained numerous times before). 2.I've got an accidental date with Fart Boy. 3. The Loon Troop think I'm in love with my bestest-male-pally. And sadly, I am not, so I am destined to live sad and alone, surrounded by cats.
T, English, Romance & Humor, chapters: 2, words: 3k+, favs: 6, follows: 9, updated: 2/2/2014 published: 1/18/2014, Libby N.
17For PANTS sake, Kittykat! » by Lily Nicolson "I'll tell you how I know!" I screamed. "I've been sat with Georgia for the last hour and a half, and before that I was watching her try to kill herself! You're lucky the so-called 'woman of dreams' is alive, and you have no idea how terrifying it is watching your best friend try and stab themselves!" Sequel to 'For the love of PANTS'
T, English, Hurt/Comfort & Romance, chapters: 17, words: 14k+, favs: 5, follows: 6, updated: 1/28/2014 published: 6/1/2013, Georgia N., Dave
4 Mysterious Sex Kitten Attempts Seduction by taylorminty I, Georgia Nicolson, make an attempt to entice my long time boyfriend Dave, who I am going to be spending the weekend with. This enticing plan was conceived after many nights of scheming, and a little bit of snooping. Of course if you've been reading my diaries from the past you know my life is full of miserosity and nothing goes my way. That doesn't mean I won't try.
T, English, Humor & Romance, words: 1k+, favs: 1, follows: 3, 1/13/2014, Georgia N., Jas, Dave, Tom J.
Shes Almost As Looney As Me ! by AlisonDebribdges Samantha Paige moves to Eastbourne and meets the ace gang she becomes best friends with all the aces and barmys but shes always thinking about that one he thinking the same ? RXR
K+, English, Humor & Romance, words: 480, 1/13/2014
3Like the legend of the HORRRRNNNNN! by JustPlugMeIn Georgia is now about to celebrate her 20th birthday and if she thought that things would get better as she got older she is sorely wrong. Her relationship with DTL fizzled out (but they remain fellow horn buddies) and the old spark for the original sex god reignites. What is she to do?
K+, English, Romance & Friendship, words: 1k+, favs: 1, follows: 5, 9/13/2013, Georgia N., Jas, Dave, Robbie J.
4 No red bottom for Georgia by natalie.vitoria Set in It's OK, I'm wearing really big knickers. What if Dave convinced Georgia not to break up with him? One shot and first fanfic
K+, English, Hurt/Comfort & Romance, words: 1k+, favs: 1, 8/20/2013, Georgia N., Dave
2Perfect » by Lily Nicolson Georgia's life is perfect. She has the perfect job, the perfect husband, even a perfect nose. She also has a perfect little baby growing inside her. But in a cruel twist of fate, she's abandoned when she's most in need…
T, English, Romance & Hurt/Comfort, chapters: 2, words: 1k+, favs: 1, follows: 2, updated: 8/5/2013 published: 6/17/2013, Georgia N., Dave
37Laugh, Love and Loony Life (Hiatus) » by OblivionsGarden Dave/OC - With Georgia gone, Dave's not as much of a laugh. But when he meets the new girl through the Ace Gang, will his laugh come back? Better summary and full explanation inside...
T, English, Romance & Humor, chapters: 19, words: 41k+, favs: 17, follows: 18, updated: 8/4/2013 published: 12/23/2011, Dave
1 All's fair in love and PANTS by Lily Nicolson She runs and runs, wanting to run straight out of herself. She doesn't want to be the sad one with the abusive boyfriend. Her feet pound the floor, her t-shirt damp with sweat, but she keeps running, becoming more terrified by the second that he could catch up with her. She stops for one second, and really wishes she hadn't.
T, English, Angst & Romance, words: 758, follows: 1, 7/27/2013, Georgia N., Dave
1 Always on your side by Lily Nicolson The girls can sense something's not right. They're not stupid. The boys shouldn't be singling out Dave so cruelly, their comments like whips on his back.
T, English, Hurt/Comfort & Romance, words: 484, 7/27/2013, Georgia N., Dave
2 Last Kiss by Lily Nicolson They can't live without each other, it's just a shame it had to end this way.
T, English, Tragedy & Romance, words: 498, 7/25/2013, Georgia N., Dave
8Is the Room Spinning Or is it just my Pants? by Roxanne the Laugh It's time for the Hornmeister and Sex Kitten to experience University Life. How will their relationship hold up?
T, English, Humor & Romance, words: 1k+, favs: 9, follows: 12, 7/5/2013, Georgia N., Dave
Songs pour moi » by Lily Nicolson No, I am not French. This is just a bunch of songfics I've written :-)
T, English, Hurt/Comfort & Romance, chapters: 3, words: 705, updated: 6/28/2013 published: 6/27/2013, Georgia N., Dave
1The Break Up by Jas Katniss Potter-Henderson Oh Jas...
T, English, Hurt/Comfort & Friendship, words: 78, favs: 1, follows: 1, 6/17/2013, Jas, Tom J.
22 For the love of PANTS! » by Lily Nicolson Just as everything's becoming perfect, Georgia hears a midnight phone call. Is Dave being unfaithful? Will Georgia ever find the right man? (Gee and co are about 21)
T, English, Romance & Humor, chapters: 16, words: 7k+, favs: 2, follows: 5, updated: 6/1/2013 published: 3/13/2013, Georgia N., Dave
16Is it always me? » by Lily Nicolson "Would you prefer me dead?" I yelled. "What kind of a question's that Georgia? Of course I would!" I couldn't take it any more.
T, English, Hurt/Comfort & Romance, chapters: 14, words: 4k+, favs: 4, follows: 5, updated: 5/31/2013 published: 3/28/2013, Georgia N., Dave, Masimo S.
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Experts seek law to tackle housing challenges

PHOTO: Architecture Lab

Stakeholders in the housing sector have advocated for a law that will help Nigerians surmount challenges facing the provision of affordable housing in the country.

They also said that time has come for government at all levels to leverage and unlock the potentials in that sector to improve the economy.

According to them, challenges such as poor financing, high cost of land acquisition and the difficulties in getting tittles to land could easily be addressed if relevant laws are enacted to nip them in the board.

Speaking on, ”Financing Affordable Housing in Nigeria, Issues,and Challenges”, a human settlement expert, Professor, Banji Oyeyinka said that time has come for the Nigerian government to enact relevant laws that will remove all obstacle such as high interest rates difficulty in land acquisition as well as massive provision of infrastructure.

Oyeyinka, a former director, UNHabitat, African region made this known in his keynote address to a two-day programme organized by the Nigeria Integrated Social Housing Cooperative Society Limited (NISH) in Abuja.

“We must quickly remove the scourge of poverty and deprivation and inequality in our cities and in urban centres through relevant laws, this is because sustainable housing is tied to the level of income, time has come for us to know that affordable housing is not a social issue but an economic issues, failure for government at all level to find solutions to these lingering problems, Nigerian cities will continue to witness influx of the rural populace to the city centres with its attendant overstretching infrastructures to the detriment of all”.

Earlier, the convener and founder of the NISH project, Mr Yemi Adelakun said he came up with the NISH idea with the aim of at mobilizing, profiling and empowering off-takers of affordable housing especially, retirees, political appointees, professionals , entrepreneurs, private sector employees, artisans and other in the informal sector.

He said that the most critical and most challenging in delivering affordable housing is Housing finance itself.

“We need finance to buy land, technologies, building materials, infrastructure and to pay workers and professionals, we also need finance to buy completed houses , finance is however, a scarce and very difficult resource, therefore, our task is to seek efficient means of increasing the supply and reducing the cost of both construction and mortgage finance, we must identify domestic and foreign sources as well as alternative options of financing affordable housing including equity financing”

The Head of service, Mrs. Winifred Oyo-Ita congratulated the convener and founder of NISH, for his vision in making franctic efforts to drive affordable housing initiative for the benefit of Nigerians.

Represented by the Permanent Secretary, Common Services Office in the Office of the Head of Service, Mr. Ayodele Folayan, the HOS said that goverment will explore the potentials of the Federal Integrated Housing Scheme (FISH) and NISH to further drive affordable housing programme for the benefit of Nigerians.

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Monday, January 5, 2015

Listen. Somebody is trying to tell you something--and it's You!

I received a copy of Marie Kondo's book, the life-changing magic of tidying up, for Christmas. Silly me to have thought I knew all there is about decluttering! This little book is a very interesting read.

The first major insight for me: Before starting the decluttering process, visualize your ideal life/living space. Once you have achieved it, you'll never again live in clutter. This helps explain the psychology of why I cannot stand for my apartment to get messy. Before moving here, I visualized it, made a floor plan, etc. It also helps explain why my giant walk-in closet still isn't under control. I have some serious visualization to do there!

One thing the author stresses is that one must hold each item and see what reaction it evokes. This is how one chooses whether or not to keep an item. As an example, sliding hangers along the rod isn't good enough. Take all the clothes off the hangers and pick up one at a time. Does it evoke joy? If so, keep it. If not, out it goes. I know from experience that this works, because I lived it during our major downsize in 2012.

My minimalist lifestyle enables me to do what I love: Write.

Saturday we spent some time in the metro Louisville area, and ate at a fast food place that doesn't exist in our little town. I seldom eat fast food, but when it was suggested, this sounded like fun.

I was sick all day Sunday.

Coincidence? Maybe. I wish I knew what my body's reaction was the last time I ate there. I remember being sick all day a couple of months ago, but don't recall what I had eaten the day before.

Bye-bye, formerly fun fast food shop.

I've also had a recent parting of the ways with my daily-ish glass of red wine. I started the habit several years ago upon reading that a glass of red wine is good for my health. Well, turns out that isn't working for me anymore. Now red wine makes my face and neck red and itchy. No thanks--I will eat grapes and pop the occasional dark chocolate.

Just wanted to share this reminder, in case it might be helpful to you. We're all so busy, sometimes we forget to listen, and most of the time it's very worthwhile.

Have you had any experiences like these?

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Monthly Archives: July 2013

Nothing’s Shocking: The Importance of Digitized Newspapers and the Stupidity of Jonah Lehrer

Mag Mods tends to spend a lot of time on magazines, but it’s important to remember just how valuable a resource newspapers are for historical research into modernism (and, I guess, other stuff).  A couple of years ago, I was teaching a freshman seminar on taste.  We read a chapter out of Jonah Lehrer’s Proust Was a Neuroscientist one week, in which Lehrer basically argues that the reason there was a riot at the premiere of Le Sacre du printemps on May 29, 1913, was that the neurons of the brains of audience members could not process the music and, as a result, released large amounts of dopamine to quell their–the neurons’–anxiety, which ended up creating a kind of schizophrenic state in the audience.  In a nutshell, Lehrer’s argument was that Stravinsky’s modernist masterpiece literally drove the Paris audience mad.  For an audio version of this tale, complete with plenty of bullshit and errors, listen to it on Radiolab.

Lehrer, of course, was revealed this past year to be a bullshit journalist.  This seems to have been a big shock in some quarters, but anyone who read his past work, with its simplistic use of science to explain culture, with a modicum of skepticism would  have been ready for the revelations.  My freshman quickly picked up on the implausibility of his claims in the Stravinsky essay, and less than an hour of research in the digital archive of the London Times confirmed their skepticism.  Lehrer attributes the riot at the premier of the Rite to the formal qualities of the music.  If he’s right, then the music should have the same effect on any audience unprepared to listen to it.  However, as I discuss in a recent piece, the London premiere of Le Sacre went off with virtually no disturbance.  This was an audience who could not have been prepared for the performance by recordings, and yet, their neurons dwelt with the piece just fine.

So, what’s this have to do with newspapers?  If Lehrer and the many other critics who have celebrated the 100th anniversary of The Rite of Spring by nostalgically lamenting the glory days of modernism, when art could still shock, if they had just done a quick search of newspapers, they would have realized that the riot was basically a manufactured event, driven more by cultural and social tensions as well as marketing than by the so-called difficulty of Le Sacre.

New Geman Modernist Magazine Site

screenshot_01Really exciting news here.  There’s a new site specializing in digitized versions of German magazines from the 1st half of the 20th century.  Here’s the description Illustrierte Presse provides on its site.

Illustrated magazines from the era of Classic Modernism are a rich and esthetically top-rate source for the history of the period between the wars with regard to everyday life, culture, communication, design and photography. Our website offers the complete inventories of “Querschnitt”, “UHU”, “Kriminal-Magazin”, “Jüdische Magazin” and “Auto-Magazin”, soon to be joined by five more titles.  Ten of the most important German-language magazines of the period with roughly 650 issues, with 75,000 printed pages and more than 50,000 illustrations have for the first time been compiled virtually and made available to both researchers as well as to readers interested in cultural history.

It’s like a German MJP.  Awesome.

Burlington Magazine News: When More Ads Are a Good Thing

In the world of digitized magazines, ads are a good thing.  Scholes and Wulfman make a persuasive argument in Modernism in the Magazines that advertisements represent an important part of our  heritage.  That’s why it’s such good news to hear from Barbara Pezzini, Project Manager at the Burlington Magazine Online Index, that they’ve just received a grant to catalog their ads.  The announcement is below.

The Monument Trust has just granted The Burlington Magazine their generous financial support to catalogue digitally all past and present advertisements 1903-2013, which will be freely available through the Burlington Index Website.

As you know, the advertisements placed by art dealers in The Burlington Magazine since 1903 (a data bank of circa 90,000 images) are an unexplored source for the  study of the art market and its contribution to art history. They  supplement directories to reveal the locations of galleries and are an essential tool for mapping the expansion of the commercial art world during the twentieth century. They also include photographs, providing visual evidence of stock held by dealers. Finally, and most importantly, these images provide important evidence of untraced works of art and their whereabouts at a given moment: the  digitisation of these resources will greatly aid provenance research.

The cataloguing of the dealers’ advertisements and their images is a significant scholarly project that will contribute much to our knowledge of the twentieth-century art market and will make accessible much information which currently is unavailable.


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Magnitude Capital

Biral Patel

Senior Vice President
Operational Due Diligence

Biral Patel

Previously, Ms. Patel was a manager in the alternative investment funds sector of the assurance practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in New York.

She graduated magna cum laude with a B.S. in finance and accounting from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University in 2005. Ms. Patel is a Certified Public Accountant.

Our Leadership Team


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Professional Development
Professional Development header image

The Arts Commission offers multiple forms of Professional Development

ranging from meetings and convenings to workshops to technical support, to fit the wide range of needs in Maine's arts and cultural field.

Meetings, Convenings, & Workshops

  • The Maine International Conference on the Arts, a biennial, statewide gathering featuring more than 80 presenters in five key tracks, plus two inspiring keynotes and much more.
  • The Maine Arts Leadership Initiative offers the state's arts educators, teacher-leaders, and teaching artists regular opportunities to advance their learning on subjects ranging from assessment to proficiency-based learning to the use of technology in the classroom.
    • Mega-Regional Workshops
    • Summer Institutes
    • Special Topic Seminars
  • Annual Regional Meetings: the 2017 Iditarod
  • Partnership Site Visits

Technical Support

  • One-on-one and Board consultations: Commission staff together represent many years of working as individual artists; entrepreneurs; and nonprofit arts organization staff as well as arts administrators. We are available on a first-come, first-serve as available basis to provide support for organizational needs including but not limited to the following. Please contact Executive Director Julie Richard for details.
    • Strategic and Cultural Planning
    • Development Strategy and Planning
    • Financial Management
    • Cultural Facilities Management
    • Marketing and Communications
    • Program Development
    • Cultural Tourism Strategies
  • COMING SOON! A Peer-to-Peer Network to access for technical support. Stay tuned: sign up for our monthly e-newsletter and/or Facebook page for details!

Wed, Jan 17 - Sat, Mar 3   Hallowell, ME
Winter Members' Showcase View »
Fri, Jan 26 - Sat, Feb 24   Hallowell, ME
SEVEN: Harlow Gallery’s Final Exhibition at Original Location View »
Sat, Jan 27 - Sat, May 19   Lewiston, ME
Museum L-A's Kids as Curators Exhibit View »

Maine Arts Commission News

New Year Brings a Third Annual Statewide Arts Iditarod View »
Maine Arts Commission Grant Cycle Open January 2 View »
Two Maine Artists to Create State Capitol Installations from historic Copper Dome View »

Press Release

Saint Botolph Club Foundation | Emerging Artist Award View »
John Kohler Arts Center / Industry Program View »
Call for Artists - City of Sacramento, Art in Public Places Program View »


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Website Banner 11.09.17   2.png
The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do.
— Steve Jobs

Just 60 years ago, 80% of Americans believed the government worked in the best interests of all US citizens. Today that number is flipped and now 80% of Americans don't trust our Government nor our representatives. Our government isn't working. What's changed?

Almost everyone has realized the government isn't listening to them.

Make it Fair's goal is to help illuminate that the only people who do feel the government represents them are the very small percentage who are able to influence the government via their wealth. The corrosive effects of money in our political process is a clear threat to our democracy. Equity is key.

Unprecendented inequity in the power of the monied voices over the average citizen and these current laws, such as Citizen's United have made it so money is speech. Lots of money allows you to speak loudly. Lack of money forces you to whisper. This isn't something written in our Constitution, but interpreted by judges over time. Do you think the engine behind the judges interpretations were the poor whisperers or the shouting super wealthy?

At Make it Fair we will strive to identify and discuss the many ways money has not only influenced government, but also popular opinion. We welcome you to join in the dialogue.


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Lemon Pepper Paneer

Olive oil
Lemon Pepper
1 small onion (chopped into 1 in pieces)(optional)
1/2 small red pepper (chopped into 1 in pieces)(optional)

  1. Cut paneer into 3/4 in cubes.
  2. Put into mixing bowl.
  3. Drizzle with olive oil (about 1/3 c).
  4. Sprinkle with lemon pepper (about 1/3 of the bottle).
  5. Mix well.
  6. Optional: Add onion and red pepper to bowl. Mix well.
  7. Let sit for four hours to overnight to let the flavors soak in.
  8. Preheat oven to 350F.
  9. Spread cubes out onto nonstick cookie sheet.
  10. Bake 10 min.
  11. Take out of oven and mix.
  12. Bake 10 min.
  13. Take out of oven and mix.
  14. Paneer should be nicely browned and crisp. If not bake another 3-5 min.
  15. Take out of oven, put into serving bowl lined with paper towels.
  16. Enjoy!

Baker’s German Chocolate Cake (Original Recipe)

1 (4 ounce) package Baker’s German sweet chocolate
1⁄2 cup boiling water
1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk

1 1⁄2 cups evaporated milk
1 1⁄2 cups sugar
4 slightly beaten egg yolks
3⁄4 cup butter
1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups Baker’s shredded coconut
1 1⁄2 cups chopped pecans

Heat oven to 350°F.

Cover bottoms of 3 (9-inch) round pans with waxed paper; spray sides with cooking spray. Microwave chocolate and water in large microwaveable bowl on HIGH 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after 1 min. Stir until chocolate is completely melted.

Beat egg whites in small bowl with mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form; set aside. Mix flour, baking soda and salt.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each. Blend in melted chocolate and vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating until well blended after each addition.

Add egg whites; stir gently until well blended. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 30 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Immediately run small spatula around cakes in pans.

Cool cakes in pans 15 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely.

Spread Coconut-Pecan Filling and Frosting between cake layers and onto top of cake.

Combine evaporated milk, sugar, slightly beaten egg yolks, butter or margarine and vanilla in saucepan.
Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Remove from heat.
Stir in shredded coconut and chopped pecans.
Cool until thick enough to spread.
Makes 4-1/4 cups.

Palmer House Hilton Brownie

The Chicago World’s Columbian Exposition of 1893 was a chocolate-lovers dream. It was there that Boston-based chocolatier Walter M. Lowney displayed the first American chocolate bars. It was there that America’s oldest chocolate maker, Walter Baker & Company (1765–more history here) , showed visitors how chocolate was made, handing out free samples and free chocolate-recipe brochures. And it was there that the first chocolate brownie was introduced, created by the Palmer House hotel kitchens in response to Bertha Palmer’s request for a portable dessert that ladies could enjoy in boxed lunches at the fair.

Unlike other brownie recipes which started appearing in 1904 and specified that butter and sugar were first creamed before being combined with a small amount of melted chocolate, the Palmer House brownie is unique, made with more than a pound of melted chocolate and a pound of melted butter. The finished brownie is also glazed with apricot. And oh my, is it good! True to its name, the Palmer House Hilton treat is a combination of chocolate fudge and brownie, crispy-chewy on the edges, ultra dense and chocolatey, and best served frozen, or very cold. Palmer House Hilton historian Ken Price says the brownie remains a standard at the hotel, made from the original recipe and offered to restaurant guests as an after-meal thank-you treat. For more story on Bertha Palmer and the Palmer House Hilton history, see our Palmer House Hilton Prosciutto-Wrapped Filet story, and, you can also join hotel historian Ken Price for “History is Hott!” a guided tour plus lunch at the hotel’s Lockwood Restaurant.

Makes One, 9 x 12 pan of brownies

Brownie Ingredients
1 lb. plus 2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate
1 lb. butter
12 oz. granulated sugar
8 oz. cake flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
4 large whole eggs
1 lb crushed, toasted walnuts
Apricot Glaze Ingredients
1 cup water
1 cup apricot preserves
1 envelope unflavored gelatin powder
Make brownies: Melt chocolate with butter in a double boiler or heat-proof bowl suspended over very hot water. Mix dry ingredients in a mixing bowl (except walnuts.) Mix melted chocolate/butter mixture with dry ingredients. Whisk in eggs, one at a time, taking about 5 minutes continuous whisking from the first egg to the last. Butter and flour a 9 x 12 baking dish. Preheat oven to 350. Toast walnuts for about 15 minutes until fragrant. Lower oven temperature to 300. Chop walnuts and set aside. Spread brownie batter into the prepared pan. It will be very liquid. Sprinkle surface with the chopped walnuts, pressing down so that they are partly submerged. Bake in 300 degree oven 45 to 50 minutes until the brownies have crisped on the edge of the pan–about 2-inches around the full edge of the pan. The brownies in the center of the pan will remain slightly jiggly. Note: even when properly baked, these brownies will test “gooey” in the center with a toothpick test, due to the richness of the batter. Remove brownies from oven and cool on a rack for 30 minutes.
Make glaze: Mix water, preserves and unflavored gelatin in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until boiling; heat at boiling for two minutes. While the glaze is still hot, spread a thick layer over the brownies. Cool completely. Place in the freezer for 3 to 4 hours. Slice and serve while very cold and firm.

Note: I had these, and they are AMAZING.

Creme Brulee

Serves 4

1 qt heavy cream

1 vanilla bean, halved, scraped

3/4 c sugar

8 egg yolks

turbinado sugar, for serving

1. Preheat oven to 300 F.

2. Simmer cream, vanilla bean with seeds in med saucepan over med high heat. Remove from heat and let sit 30 min. Throw out vanilla bean.

3. In bowl, whisk sugar and egg yolks until smooth. Slowly pour in cream mixture. Whisk until smooth. Set aside.

4. Place a paper towel in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking pan, and place 6 pyrex ramekins inside. Divide custard among ramekins. Pour boiling water into pan to cover ramekins half way.

5. Bake until custard is set but still loose in center, about 35 min. Transfer ramekins to wire rack. Cool. Chill until firm, almost 4 hours.

6. Dab any condensation off custard cups with a paper towel. Sprinkle custard with turbinado sugar. USE A BLOWTORCH and go back and forth over the sugar until it becomes brown and caramelized. Let sit briefly until it hardens.


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Last night, D. and I met with Nicole from Events of Excellence to finalize the last few details. We picked out linens, china, and flatware.

This linen is called Tatsu Dragon Celadon. The caterer showed us the reverse of this fabric as the right side, and we liked it. The background will be celadon, and the dragon and swirl details will be in gold. All of our guest tables will be covered with this linen. We’re pairing ivory cloth napkins with these linens. The food tables will be covered in a solid celadon linens with either ivory or gold accents.

This linen is for our cake table. We figured with the blue “Such Great Heights” themed cake we should have a blue, whimsical tablecloth to match.

We decided on the square plates instead of standard rounds. For some reason, the square plates work better with the asian fusion theme. Plus, they were only 5 cents more per plate.

We decided on the Torino flatware because the squared handles pair well with the square plates and remind us of chopsticks.

But the best news of all? Nicole will most likely be there at the setup and the beginning of the reception to supervise. Yay! She’s great.

Oh thank God!

We have less than 6 months to go, and I *think* we’ve found our new location. The Hakone Gardens are the “oldest surviving Japanese-style residential gardens in the Western Hemisphere.

If everything goes as planned, we will have our ceremony in the Hill and Pond Garden on the Moon Bridge and our reception on the back deck of their Cultural Exchange Center.
D. and I visited the location this past Saturday, and we were very excited about it.

Hakone Gardens - Front Gate
Front gate

Hakone Gardens - Hill and Pond Garden
Hill and Pond Garden (Moon Bridge)

Hakone Gardens - Turtle Island
Island connected by Moon Bridge. The island is in the shape of a tortoise.

Hakone Gardens - Moon Bridge
D. on the Moon Bridge standing where we will take our vows.

Hakone Gardens - Koi

Hakone Gardens - Waterfall
Waterfall in the Hill and and Pond Garden

Hakone Gardens - Rear
Rear of Cultural Exchange Center on the deck.

Hakone Gardens - Deck view
View from the deck.

So, what do you think?

Below are some pictures of the Ainsley House in Campbell, CA. We decided against the Ainsley House because it doesn’t have a rain plan, and they don’t provide tables and chairs. (Plus, the woman on duty at the Ainsley House gift shop/office was not very nice when we asked for the rental information packet.)

Ainsley House
Front of the Ainsley House.

Ainsley House - gate
Side gate entrance to the garden.

Ainsley House - Garden
Both the wedding ceremony and reception would be held here. Usually, the bride and groom stand under the four-post canopy.

Ainsley House - Tree
A tree and bench in the garden yard.

It’s nice, but we weren’t feeling it.

Nope, I’m very much alive. Unfortunately, I’ve been very very busy and stressed for the last several weeks, so wedding planning was placed on the back burner.

Last week, D. and I went back to Amphora Catering for our second tasting. After our first tasting, we wanted to tweak the menu a bit and try different flavors. I expressed all of my concerns and ideas to Jade via email, and after a few weeks of no response, I called Amphora to speak with her. The reason why I hadn’t heard from her was because she left the company to go back to school. It’s admirable to pursue higher learning, but jeez, an email or a courtesy phone call to tell who my new event coordinator will be would have been nice.

Anyways, I was a bit leery after that snafu, but all my fears were allayed by the great service and food at the second tasting.

I brought the camera with the intention of taking pictures, but I was so focused on the food that I forgot to take pictures until halfway through the tasting.

Chicken Skewer and Grilled Vegetables

As you can see, I decimated the Pineapple Chicken Skewer once again. It wasn’t as flavorful and juicy as the Pineapple Skewers from the first tasting, but I still liked it. Also in this picture are the grilled vegetables. D. and I weren’t pleased with our vegetable option at our first tasting, so the chef at Amphora prepared three different options for this tasting: grilled vegetables with zucchini, squash, and roasted red peppers; traditional steamed vegetables with carrots, broccoli, and turnips; and something we’re calling Asian vegetable slaw (pictured below).

Asian vegetable slaw

The marinated Asian vegetable slaw, I believe, is comprised of red cabbage, carrots, and zucchini. It was delicious.

Chimichurri steak

This is Amphora’s take on a flank steak with chimichurri sauce. It tasted good, much better than the Asian flank steak from the previous tasting. Unfortunately, I despise onions, and this chimichurri sauce seems onion heavy.

Rice salad

The chef wanted to give a rice salad another go. I still wasn’t a fan. It looked really pretty with the blackberries, strawberries, and mango, but I didn’t like the texture or flavor.

Jicama Salad - Southwestern

We sent Amphora a jicama salad recipe to reproduce, and the chef came up with the above southwestern version and the fruit version below. D. and I preferred the southwestern version. The only adjustment would be to eliminate the red onion from the black bean/corn relish.

Jicama - Fruit

The fruit version wasn’t bad; it was different. I’m not a fan of the cilantro and scallions.

Balsamic pasta salad.

Not only did the chef prepare this balsamic vinaigrette version of the pasta salad, he also made a sherry vinaigrette version (not pictured). I still prefer the first version of this pasta salad from the first tasting, but I’m afraid it doesn’t go with the other food we’ve picked.

After tasting all this food, Bobby, the head of catering, came out to brainstorm menu ideas with us. He was great. We really want to figure out a way to serve duck in some form at the reception, but we don’t know how. He said he was going to toy around with some ideas and get back with me. Of course, all the brainstorming led to D. and I rethinking the entire menu. I need to discuss this with Bobby, but we’re now pondering a mini surf and turf entree with angus beef sliders and some kind of grilled fish. Craziness. Hopefully, we’ll have our menu nailed down sometime this year.

(BTW, if you’re in D.C. and desire amazing sliders, forget Silver Diner, go to Matchbox. Trust me.)

I have a secret. Promise you won’t tell. You promise? Ok.

There is a part of me that is warming to the idea of eloping. Between the contract delay with the ceremony/reception location,  the psychotic quotes from caterers, and the lukewarm response from family and friends, I’m starting to wonder if having a sentimental wedding is worth all the trouble and expense.

I don’t want to run off to Vegas. It’s a wedding factory out there. Plus, we’ve already been to Vegas and got our marriage license there last year. (It was Valentine’s Day, and we’d thought it would be a fun souvenir.) It’s not valid anymore though.

Getting married at some all-inclusive tropical destination could cost as much as our small sentimental wedding, plus no one would be able to attend besides ourselves.

Maybe it would be better just to rent a beach house for several days and have the wedding with just close family.  But throwing both of our immediate families in the same house for a week? “Two families picked to stay in a house and attend a wedding… The Real World: Eastern Shore.” Hmm, maybe not.

Perhaps, we’ll just surprise our immediate families by getting them together for the first time and have a surprise wedding.  (evil grin) I like that idea. (/evil grin)

Several weeks ago, D. and I visted Montpelier Mansion in Laurel, MD to talk with a rental representative. I’m still waiting on a contract from them, but they are holding the date for me.

Two of the pictures are mine. (The batteries died in the camera before I could take any other pictures. Stupid rechargeable batteries!) The other pictures are from Montpelier Mansion’s website.

Montpelier Mansion Garden
This is a side garden and view of the mansion. The green tents were left over from an event the day before. We’re planning on setting up the tables for our reception where the two tents are located under the tree.

Montpelier Mansion front
We plan on getting married in front of the mansion with our guests seated in chairs on the terraced lawn. I’ll walk down the brick path from the house and meet D. in front of the garden circle for the ceremony. (Photo courtesy of Montpelier Mansion).

Montpelier Mansion Library
If it rains on our wedding day, we will be getting married in the library. This would be our view facing our guests. We won’t keep the chairs in that circular configuration; we would set them up in rows.

Library hyphen
The library hyphen… I would be entering the library from this hall passage. (Photo courtesy of Montpelier Mansion).

I hope to take some more pictures of the mansion soon. I’m really looking forward to finalizing the location. I’m tired of wedding vendor limbo. I want to lock something down.

My official stance on wedding colors and themes is that I’m against them. This isn’t prom or homecoming; it’s a wedding. However, I do like things to be coordinated.

For example, most women buy matching bra and panty sets. I don’t. I buy underwear to match my pants and bras to match my shirts. Why? Because inevitably, the underwear band peeks out above my pants and I’d rather have a black pants against a black band than black pants against a lime green band. Or even worse, hot pink underwear under white pants. Yowch! (I don’t own white pants, but if I did, I know that you’re supposed to wear flesh tone drawers, not white, and especially not hot pink.)

So, D. and I are trying to put together this casual, upscale, summer BBQ reception. We want our friends and family to feel comfortable and have fun, and we still want it to feel like a special occasion. Right now, the plan is to serve food grilled outdoors by the caterer, put up lanterns all around the reception area on shepherd hooks, and hopefully, if money allows, be entertained by a cajun or zydeco band. It’s a really rough outline. However, when I’ve been contacting caterers, they’ve been asking “Around what color is your wedding based?”
ManicBride: Ummm. I don’t know yet.
Caterer: What about your flowers?
ManicBride: Ummm. I don’t know. Maybe pale blue and green hydrangeas, but maybe a bright wild flowers with dahlias thing. I’ll know it when I see it. I do know that I’m not having a cascading bouquet, does that help? (It doesn’t, by the way.)

I’ve thought about it a bit.. maybe sage green tablecloths… definitely not red gingham (but I do like the light blue small gingham, but I fear that’s too casual). Maybe fireflies could be a thematic component.. since most of the reception will take place at dusk and go into the evening. I’ve considered buying or making jars of fireflies for table centerpieces.

I know I’ll get it all figured out. I just need to spend some time reviewing Martha Stewart’s website.

Next Page »


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Jane and I met at Crave, as we have been lately, where I got a MOST delicious veg sandwich.sammich

A fabulous sammich. A fab sam. As I told Jane, time was I would have said, “Cold, raw vegetables? I don’t think so!” But now I love a good cold, fresh veg sandwich. This one had lettuce, avocado, red bell pepper, cucumbers and Benedictine (cucumbers and cream cheese). Also had onion, but I pulled that off. Bleh. I should have had whole wheat bread, but I had sourdough. As Snoopy says, life is just too short not to live it up a little.

artAlso at Crave, I saw this gentleman worker with super art. He very kindly posed for me, but I forgot to get his name. HEY, GUY–IF YOU READ THIS, ADD YOUR NAME IN THE COMMENTS SECTION.

Across the street at the Java Brewing Company, where we retired for afters, we saw another gentleman (I did not photograph his art, alas) who was also fabulously bedecked. Among other artwork, one arm was inscribed with a poem in Turkish, which had been written by his Turkish wife. He was kind enough to answer my questions about how his tattooing was done (an electric needle machine that pierces the skin very quickly and repetitively and injects the ink into the epidermis). He said the range of colors of ink is, theoretically, infinite. He said that sometimes it hurts (the one he had done on his rib hurt a lot), sometimes it bleeds. He said it scabs over and, once the scabs heal and fall off, there’s your tattoo.

Jane got coffee, as usual, but I thought something cold sounded good, so I got vanilla cream soda. Guess what? It has CREAM in it! Java’s cream soda is cream, soda water, and flavoring. Oh my dear lord IT WAS GOOOOOD! If you’ve never tried this, I do most highly recommend it. Same thing as an egg cream, which is cream or milk and soda water. I have a new favorite drink at Java–AND they still punch your frequent buyer card, even though it isn’t coffee. Can’t beat

Jane has had to buy a new (used) car, a KIA, of which she is understandably proud. It’s a gorgeous little chariot, good as new. Here is the proud owner.

After the deluge of yesterday, today was beautiful. Perfect temperature, not too muggy, and the sun even came out. We had no damage, ourselves, and there was no damage in the area where Jane lives or in the area of Frankfort Avenue where we met.

Oh–the coolest thing–Charlie and I met some friends for breakfast, and a cousin of Charlie’s was at the next table with her husband and a couple of friends. We got to talking to one of the friends. He was a big, hefty Bubba of a man, with a sport cap and dirty jeans, who started by telling us he was working on Bill’s driveway. As we talked, we found out he is also a Professor of Developmental Psychology at Vincennes University. I do so love it when people defy, outrage and otherwise stoogify stereotypes.

writing prompt: Talk to someone you think you have pigeonholed. Talk long enough to tell if he/she does or does not fit the pigeonhole you had picked out and furnished. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t. Write a character who doesn’t fit his/her apparant stereotype.

Jane and I met at the Irish Rover. She had lamb-stuffed cabbage roles (ick! but she loved them) and I had fish and chips (yum!). We each ordered aIrishRover different beer, gave each other tastes, decided we liked our own better and, when the checks came, discovered we had been served each other’s beer by mistake. Shows what we know. The Rover had its outdoor tables set up, but we KNEW if we went out there would be glaring sunlight or rain or buzz-bomb bugs or something so, out of consideration for our fellow diners, we ate inside.

JaneThen, as usual, we went to the Java Brewing Company for coffee. We did sit outside there, under the canopy in front of the fireplace (which wasn’t lit, of course). This fireplace is so cool–it’s a double-sided one, warming the inside and a little bit of the outside, when it’s lit. We snagged the rocking chairs in front of the fireplace and got wonderful breezes. This is Jane. If you look closely, you can see my reflection in the fireplace screen, snapping the picture. If you look closely at Jane’s wrist, you can see one of the fantastic woven bracelets she designs and makes.

And here is a picture of Cody, a barristo supremo at Java. I mean, here’s how good he is:Cody

ME: I’d like a small Mocha Java, please. For here, in a real cup.

CODY: Would you like me to leave room for cream?

ME: No, thank you. Oh–would you leave room for some cold water?

CODY: Sure!

The boy didn’t blink, didn’t hesitate, didn’t roll his eyes. Didn’t say, “You old fool–What’s the difference between leaving room for cream and leaving room for water?!?” No, instead, he told me very sweetly that his Grandma also put cold water in… her…. His Grandma…. Hmm…. Maybe I don’t like Cody quite as much as I thought I did….

Anyway, here is a snappy of a very weird, crazy-go-nuts vine that’s growing all the bejeezus over the place, turning a framework next to the awning into a living awning. I know it isn’t a grapevine, and suspect it may be wisteria.

So we had a perfectly lovely day.

writing prompt: Write something about this plant, or a scene with this plant in it. Coffee is optional.

First, I went to Louisville yesterday to have lunch with Jane. We at at Shiraz Mediterranean Grill, a wonderful place on Frankfort Avenue, where we got shish kebabs that melt in your mouth and crispy rice stuff off the bottom of the pan and baklava to die for. The rice stuff used to be really good–they would bring it out to you fresh and hot, but now they collect it and bring it out cold. Next time, I’m going to ask if they can heat mine up. It’s delicious and full of oil–can’t be good for you. I like that in a food.

Then we went to Sister Dragonfly, the greatest stuff store I’ve been in for a long time. No web site, so you’ll have to take my word for it. The first place we head for in there is the half-price basket. The basket isn’t for sale, but the jewelry inside is. Last time, I got a gorgeous ceramic and glass bracelet. This time, I got some nifty wood bead earrings. Not in the sale basket, I found the perfect watch. Jane goes pricier than I do, and she got a ring of some semi-precious stone. I can’t remember what it is, but it was blue and translucent with all kinds of glow and fire in it. Not an opal. Anyway, it was most satisfactory.

I almost ran into a guy, when I was pulling into the parking lot I use when we go to Shiraz. Not a guy, actually, but the guy’s car with the guy in it. He wanted to chew me out for it, but I was in the wrong, turning too sharp and looking for traffic the other way, so I couldn’t argue with him. I think he was vaguely dissatisfied, but I’m not a nice enough person to disagree when I have to admit I’m wrong.

The pictures here were taken in the parking lot. I love these trees, and I love stuff growing on and over fences. I don’t know what this ivy stuff is–probably poison something–but I didn’t touch it, I just appreciated the color.

After we spent most of our money, we went to Java Brewing and got great cups of coffee.

Now–getting ready. I’ve finished my Chronicles for next week and I’ve started the ones for the week after. My goal is to do all of them for November and the first week of December so I can concentrate on writing for National Novel Writing Month. It would be good if I could also collect characters and do a rough outline, but that may not happen.

Wish me luck!

writing prompt: Your main character makes a driving mistake and is clearly in the wrong. Is the other person same gender, other gender–main character’s gender preference or not? Is the other person mad, scared, weepy, pompous, funny? How does your main character react?

I’ve been over here all day, and I’ll be here all day tomorrow. I met my friend for lunch, as I do every month. We’ve been friends since the summer after high school–roomed together some in college, dropped out of touch and got back in touch. I couldn’t go through a month without seeing Jane or, if the weather is too bad, talking to her on the phone. Even email will do, if it has to.

We ate at one of my favorite places, The Irish Rover Pub on Frankfort Avenue.Irish Rover Pub They feature–what else? Irish pub food, and very good it is, too. They have beer, lager, ale and stout; draft and bottled, local and imported. I had a small bottle of Newcastle Brown Ale. It was smooth and mellow, with just a little bite (although I must say I’m easily bitten). Jane and I shared a Scotch Egg, which is a hard-boiled egg encased in sausage, dipped in a thin batter and deep-fried. Probably not good for you, but we don’t get them often. Here is a picture of my half.

It doesn’t look very nice, but it IS very nice. If we had been smart, we would have stopped there. But we weren’t smart. Or, rather, we WERE smart, because we had some excellent food after this. This was just an appetizer. Jane had fish and chips and I had what I always have here: bangers and mash. Bangers are the most delicious, creamy, perfectly spiced sausages you ever put in your mouth.

Mash is mashed potatoes and onions. I always ask for a small portion. They say, “All right,” and bring me a portion as big as my head. This is their idea of a small portion. There must be ten pounds of potatoes in there. Bear in mind that this is not a plate–it’s a BOWL! I did NOT eat all of it. I ate all the bangers, though. You can see Jane’s fish and chips in the background. It looked lovely. While we were there, Jane’s brother came over. He and some co-workers just happened to be having lunch there, too. For a big city, Louisville is a very small town. After we finished, they asked us if we were ready for dessert. We weren’t.

We eat at different places, but we almost always then to to the Java Brewing Company, a coffee house. There are several locations in Louisville, but the one we go to is just down the street from The Irish Rover.
Isn’t that a great sign? Here’s a picture of the front patio:
So we ordered coffee and I wanted a biscotti (yeah, I know I told the Irish Rover lady I didn’t want dessert, but biscotti is more like a condiment, right?). Anyway, they don’t carry biscotti any more. I guess I’ll have to bring my own next time. They do have free high-speed wireless, so I cranked up my ancient laptop and Jane showed me some jewelry she found online that she loves.
We both love jewelry. The difference is, she knows all about precious and semi-precious stones and I know nothing except what she tells me that doesn’t leak out my other ear.
Well, that’s enough for today. My daughter is about to get home from work, and we’re going to drink coffee and watch FARGO.
Oh–I almost forgot: Here’s a picture of the entrance of The Irish Rover. The entrance is on the side. The window on the near wall and the bicycle are painted on. I love this place!
Writing exercise: You go out to lunch with a friend and meet a friend of that friend. It changes the course of your life. This friend of a friend can turn out to be someone you also know or can be a stranger.

Here is where I ramble on about whatever happens to fall through my mind. I also have a professional site, where I post about my books, stories, news and appearances. Every month, I post a “Hot Flash” there–a story or prose poem of about 50 words. I hope you enjoy your visit. –Marian Allen

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The Flying Leaves at Texas Lutheran University

The Unveiling Ceremony

“The Flying Leaves”

Texas Lutheran University

Student Alumni Center
November 14, 2014

Dr. Stuart Dorsey President, TLU

Dr. Stuart Dorsey
President, TLU

Mr. Rick Roberts, Vice-President for Development and Alumni Relations

Comments by Marika:

Good afternoon everyone and welcome to the debut of The Flying Leaves.

Creativity flowers in the doing, in the experiencing of life, and in having community.  Over 30,000 years ago, artists connected their communities by creating art on the walls of caves.  Since, the methods of artists have changed while the impulse to connect has not.  “The Flying Leaves,” are a perfect example.

In commissioning this Bas-relief wood sculpture, the TLU Development Office called upon the creativity of our community to make a statement out of a piece of American walnut.

As a great force of nature capable of spreading beauty and understanding, this piece of wood pictures the clear channel of spiritual communion between the university and the students.  Thank you TLU for giving us the opportunity to connect with you through a state of creative grace and a sense of the sublime.

I would like to pay tribute to a friend Dr. Evelyn Streng who left us today.  She was a constant inspiration in the making of the leaves.  She did not handle mallet and chisels but truly she had a hand in fashioning the message of the sculpture.  In September she told me that even if she is not present for the unveiling ceremony she will be there with us.

Having you here today is a truly humbling experience.  So allow me to end now by thanking each and every one of you for celebrating the arts and for being part of this community.

The Flying Leaves American Walnut H 24" W 108" D 2"

The Flying Leaves
American Walnut
H 24″ W 108″ D 2″

Flying Leaves C

Plaque for  “Flying Leaves”

The TLU Development Office project begins with straight-forward design specifications of a tree and leaves for the artwork.  From there, the idea flows into the realm of visual artistry.  The rendezvous of ideas and art leads to a tree with a strong trunk deeply rooted to a rich landscape.  Carrying the essence of the concept into a Bas-relief wood sculpture, a locally harvested American Walnut, gives birth to “The Flying Leaves”.

The symbolism behind the tree and the leaves is the interconnectivity between the university and its graduates.

  • The tree with its many limbs, represents Texas Lutheran University;
  • The flying leaves are the graduating students who after a period of learning boldly leave the university with the mission of “Live to Inspire”; and
  • The landscape is the journey ahead into the greater community.

The wisdom of the narrative resides in the harmonious cycle of this interconnectivity.  The seeds of knowledge germinate, the leaves spread the news and the world becomes a better place.

The artists

Marika (Marie-Carmel Bordes) a Seguin artist, originally from the Caribbean Island of Haiti, is the official sculptor of “The Flying Leaves”.  With a wonderful moment of celebration in mind, she leads the concept of the Bas-relief sculpture with the assistance of Howard E. Crunk, a TLU graduate in the arts, class of 2007.   Together with mallet and chisels, they testify to the indelible legacy of the alma mater and the alumni.

Dennis Martin and Marika Bordes

The Coleman Theatre- Carving Passion

Theatre Poster

Theatre Poster

 Carving Passion

Miami News Record

Miami, OK

By: Jessica Graham | Posted: Thursday, June 26, 2014

MIAMI — Coleman Theater books bus tours to see Haitian wood sculptor.

Marika Bordes, from Seguin, Texas, brought 14 of her artistic wood carving pieces, which have been displayed in the grand ballroom on the top floor of the Coleman theater all week.

“It is an honor to have my art displayed in Miami,” Bordes said. “I am very happy to be here.”

Managing Director Darcie Shultz said when looking for artists to bring to Miami, Bordes stood out among the others.

Shultz said the Mid-America Arts Alliance website directed her to five state agencies which had rosters of artists who had been selected to represent their state for touring. The alliance provides grant support for programs like this one.

“So I went to the Texas Arts Council website and I went through almost every single artist in every genre and Marika just stood out to me,” Shultz said. “I thought, ‘this is really interesting.’”

She said she felt the walk-through gallery — displaying Bordes’ art — would add to the experience of the daily tours.

“I am excited to be here (at the Coleman Theater),” Marley Kuckhahn from Minnesota said. “The art is beautiful work.”

The Coleman Theater was one of the stops for a bus tour from Minnesota on its way to a mission convention in Dallas.

Bordes was born in Haiti and raised in Montreal, Canada. She said 17-years ago she met her mentor Francois Sanon, a Haitian artist, who works in the Afro-Caribbean tradition. Sanon, she said, helped her realize she had talent.

“My mentor saw it (talent) and I did not see it myself,” Bordes said. “You know when someone tells you that you are talented you don’t believe it.”

She said she gets her inspiration from daily living. One particular piece called “Carousel of Woman” represents the life of woman. She explained the piece in detail of how she carved each woman on a raft.

“The piece begins from youth and how the girl is thinking about her dresses,” Bordes said. “Then she jumps to motherhood where her world is devoted to kids and after one point in life some goes to religion and they cling to an icon, which is why I put the Virgin Mary.

“And at one point in our life there is this woman who is holding to the raft because she does not believe in anything in the world anymore. Maybe she has disappointment with kids, maybe religion but she is just holding to life without no faith at all. And then all of a sudden you have the smallest one (woman), she’s holding to nothing. It’s wisdom at that point.”

Bordes said every single piece she carves has a story. She described the feelings she had while carving “The Beggar.”

“In 2010 when my country went through that earthquake, I realized from day one to day two that a lot of people become beggar, so I started with that idea and what it did to me deeply to understand what beggar is, is the conversation I had with her (The Beggar),” Bordes said. “I tried to see the humiliation but I also try to see the hope.”

Bordes said she always uses woman as her subjects in her art work because woman are the “seed keepers and they direct the world.

The Coleman Theater hosted Bordes’ last viewing on Thursday but her sculptors can be seen on her website at

Coleman Theatre Marquee

Coleman Theatre Marquee

The Little Prince as Inspiration

The Little Prince as Inspiration at Bihl Haus Arts, San Antonio

All of us experience feelings of alienation and vulnerability during life’s transitions.   During my childhood, my family sent me from the Caribbean Island of Haiti to Quebec, Canada.  Here the Catholic nuns taught me.  At age fourteen, living in a foreign land, I read The Little Prince for a class assignment.   From the beginning, the Little Prince gave me strength, understanding and a vision.  We formed a life-long bond.

Later in life, I turn to the noble childhood perspective of the Little Prince to walk the path of inspiration.

I understand, one must go back to a childlike mind to make things happen.  So, when it came to carving my version of the Little Prince, the character was so embodied in my psyche and, like Michelangelo, I just carved away the excess of material to release him from a single piece of oak: my hero was born.

Be also aware that there is a deep connection between risk taking and creativity.  One cannot repeat again and again the same pattern and expect a different result.  We need to be challenged to crystalize the eternity of a moment.

Marika sining the Haitian song she sung while carving "Grace."

Marika sining the Haitian song she sung while carving “Grace.”

The Little Prince with the Rose and the Fox

The Little Prince with the Rose and the Fox

Photos of Gwaihir by Don Simpson

Don Simpson is a photographer and instructor.   He recently took a series of photos of Gwaihir a sculpture over fourteen feet tall.  To create the photographs, he used a technique called HDR, High Dynamic Range imagining.  You can contact Don Simpson at: or 512.591.7728.

Don has given us permission to use the photos in the soon to be published “Marika: The Path of a Sculptor”.

We hope you enjoy the photos.

Gwaihir- detail

Gwaihir- detail

Gwaihir is a mythological eagle in the “Lord of the Rings.”  He is key to the success of The Fellowship of the Ring that sets out to save Middle Earth from the evils of Mordor.  Gwaihir saves the wizard Gandalf the Gray from the Tower of Isengard and when Mount Doom erupts, he rescues the Hobbits, Frodo and Sam.  Without this eagle, the salvation of Middle Earth was lost.

Gwaihir is currently on loan to the Georgetown Public Library in Georgetown, TX.

Invitation to Marika’s Solo Exhibition at Bihl Haus Arts, May 16, 2014

Marika’s Solo Exhibition at Bihl Haus Arts

The centerpiece for the exhibition is The Little Prince inspired by the book of the same name by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.  Here is a photo of the live oak before work began on the sculpture and below is a photo of current progress.

Raw Live Oak from Glen Cove, Seguin

Raw Live Oak from Glen Cove, Seguin

Opening Reception: Friday, May 16, 2014

From: 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm

2803 Fredericksburg Road

(Inside the gates of Primrose at Monticello Park Senior Apartments)

San Antonio, TX 78201

The Little Prince- in Progress

The Little Prince- in Progress

Sculpture of a Woman- A Completed Work

The sculpture is complete except for the name.  If you have any suggestions, please let us know.

For the first time, we are using glass for the base.  Fine art glass artist, Anne Burtt of San Antonio made the base.  A link to her Website is found in the left column under the heading ARTISTS.  Thank you, Charles Ingram of Inspire Fine Art Center (See link under ARTS ORGANIZATIONS) for introducing Anne Burtt to Marika Sculptures LLC.

Glass Base by Anne Burtt

Glass Base by Anne Burtt

Sculpture of a Woman- A Work-in-Progress

Sculpture of a Woman- Untitled

The sculpture, a work-in-progress, measures H17″ W4″ D3″ and is made of pecan wood.  Marika is in the process of refining the figure and will soon begin sanding by hand.

IMG_6399 IMG_6405 IMG_6408 IMG_6411 IMG_6415


text:
A Note

Death is nothing at all
Or at least, it became as such…
Once the big charade of cries and strangers stops knocking at your door,
Breaking your solace and peaceful memories.

It’s nothing at all.
For I still call on you…
Ask you things and whisper to you.
I search for you still, in everything I see…
Remember your wisdom and teachings in times of need.

Still have the same tone when I feel I might contest what you say.
Still cry when I miss you,
And smile when I see you, in my dreams.

It’s nothing at all.
For I still pray for you, everyday.
I go on through my day, with a fierce power,
Knowing that life goes on…
As its values grow deeper.

It’s like life is the same as it ever was.
Except when it’s not.
At that interval where I’m tired & let go.
Where death means, “end” with a very long pause of goodbyes.

But this doesn’t last. For life does really go on.
And when I slip into losing that blissful picture,
I take a long gap, however long that may be, and remember you.
Then, You’re still with me, and all is well.

You’re missed x

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Chit-Chat, Using Words

Some people have a weakness for pictures.
They’re not so good with words, they’d rather see them.

You know when you get that feeling that you have so much to say, to give, but maybe don’t know where to start from?

Finding the right words is difficult, I wish that it was as easy as writing them. Imagine if we could all so eloquently discuss our thoughts, put them together in line, present them without typos and missing meaning. THAT would be a breath of fresh air! Unfortunately, it’s not always the case. But there is a lot that can help us get those thoughts outside the rounded box.

This might be a good place to start.

I won’t keep you longer… but right now, it’s not about my creativity, but it’s about your enthusiasm to see for yourself, get inspired and update statuses and pictures! I’ll get back to you with another entry later!

For now, get your doze of inspiration and share it around!

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Home > Crewing companies > United Arab Emirates > Dubai > Dockendale Ship Management DMCCO

Dockendale Ship Management DMCCO

Dockendale Ship Management DMCCO

We emphasize technical knowledge, expertise, leadership, and the ability to take the initiative. The first two characteristics ensure our crew members are highly adept in running and maintaining vessels over long voyages. The latter two make sure they are well-equipped to deal with contingencies and emergencies should they arise. We work closely with our clients, and can accommodate customized maritime crewing where needed. We work with crews from over the world – with the majority being Indians. All our crew members undergo training and evaluation to ensure full preparation and compliance with Health and Safety standards.

What we believe

We believe that individualised attention to each vessel makes all the difference in quality and reliability. We believe in honesty and integrity, and in offering the best value possible for every dollar spent. We believe that shortcuts don’t work in the long term, and that there is no substitute for years of technical expertise and seafaring knowledge.

To be the premier boutique ship management firm in the seafaring world

Our Mission:
is to provide high levels of personalised service with honesty, integrity, expertise and technical proficiency, and use excellent quality products and components in all that we do to ensure unmatched value for our customers.

Technical Management
Dockendale’s ship management services are offered by technical staff that have decades of experience between them. We offer customised maintenance and repair for a variety of vessels, and pride ourselves on our individualised attention to each maritime jobs.

We believe in cultivating a relationship based on transparency, hospitality and communication with our clients, and encourage them to visit us whenever they wish, so they can see first hand how we care for their vessel.

Dockendale maintains an online system of instant updates and regular maintenance reports which vessel owners can access by logging into the Shipowners’ section of the site.

Dockendale Ship Management Fleet List

bulk carrier

AFRICAN BLUE CRANE 2007 55970.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN DOVE 2014 34402.00 Bahamas Bulk/Lumber Carrier
AFRICAN EAGLE 2003 27102.57 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN FALCON 2003 27101.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN GRIFFON 2014 61286.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN HALCYON 2007 32245.05 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN HARRIER 2014 37707.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN HAWK 2004 27028.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN HORNBILL 2011 61000.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN IBIS 2004 32347.46 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN KITE 2013 61413.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN LARK 2014 34402.00 Bahamas Bulk/Lumber Carrier
AFRICAN OSPREY 2012 34697.00 Bermuda Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN PELICAN 2014 34365.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN PIPER 2014 34365.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN RAVEN 2014 37711.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN RAPTOR 2015 61286.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN ROBIN 2005 31982.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN ROOK 2014 37686.00 Bahamas General Cargo Vessel
AFRICAN SANDERLING 2008 58798.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN STARLING 2013 56074.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN SUN 1994 45208.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN SWAN 2005 32776.63 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN TERN 2013 58342.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
AFRICAN WAGTAIL 2013 58340.00 Bahamas Bulk Carrier
MV CERTOUX 2000 169159.00 Bermuda Bulk Carrier
MV CHAMBESY 2004 171075.00 Bermuda Bulk Carrier
MV CHAMPEL 1998 167000.00 Bermuda Bulk Carrier
MV CHANCY 2015 182571.00 Bermuda Capesize Bulk Carrier
MV CHOULEX 1995 150962.00 Bermuda Bulk Carrier
MV CONFIGNON 1997 170896.00 Bermuda Bulk Carrier
MV CORNAVIN 1999 169963.00 Hamilton Bulk Carrier
MV CAROUGE 2003 177253.00 Hamilton Bulk Carrier
MV PINCHAT 2012 81290.00 Bermuda Bulk Carrier

United Arab Emirates
Suit 227 Building 4 ,Gold & Diamond Sheikh Zayed Road Dubai , United Arab Emirates
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Mark Forror
Associate Broker, REALTOR

Exit Elite Realty
11928 Cherry Road
Fredericksburg, VA 22407
Office:  540-785-2002
Fax:      540-785-2003
Cell:     703-868-7987
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Set Phasers to Stun

I didn’t watch the original run of Star Trek with William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and crew, as I was just a bit too young. But in those days there were plenty of reruns and I watched each and every episode. Like so many people, it was clear that while the show was a bit campy, silly, and preachy, creator Gene Roddenberry was presenting his preferred vision of the future. While the characters were multi-racial and multi-ethnic (not to mention what Earthlings would call aliens in the crew), there was a decidedly American viewpoint to the entire series. See above for campy, silly and preachy.

The world of Star Trek was set in the year 2364 “and beyond”. The series depictions included a universe that was both at times beautiful and terrible. One of the things that always struck me as interesting was the choice that Captain Kirk made frequently to have his crew “Set Phasers to Stun” as opposed to kill. The characters had the choice to disobey but as far as I recall that NEVER happened. Talk about restraint!

What I also found interesting was that humans that were ‘stunned’ by Star Trek Phasers (yes I always wanted one of my own), never came back for vengeance against he (or she) who ‘stunned’ them. Clearly Mr. Roddenberry had a thing for creative license. And a more genteel future than what was going on in 1966 when the series was made. There was a whole lot of moralizing going on in Star Trek. And I loved it.

The year 2364 is 347 years from now. Putting on the rose-colored glasses for a moment, wouldn’t it be great to live in a world where people could defend themselves and immobilize personal threats, without ending someone else’s life? Unrealistic you say? Vengeance is a very strong emotion and restraint (in general) is something we human beings struggle with every day.

It disturbs me to think that somehow 347 years from now people will have available to them more powerful and capable weapons to carry around under the auspice of protecting themselves. Vaporizers are so clean and efficient. Aim, fire and poof – the threat is removed. No mess, no fuss. Impossible?

Could that really be our future?

About markkolier

Futurist, entrepreneur, left lane driver
This entry was posted in Living in the World Today and tagged , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

One Response to Set Phasers to Stun

  1. Probably not. Maybe a bit more messy? Seems to me that we’re making the world just a tad unliveable so I think our future may be more Max Barry (Jennifer Government) or Paolo Bacigalupi (The Wind Up Girl – The Water Knife) than Gene Roddenberry had in mind. Hopefully I’m way off on this as I so often am with my prognostications. But I kind of don’t think so.

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MyChonny is the Asian-Australian YouTube star stepping onto the big screen

Image: Madman

There are only a handful of YouTube stars who have made the switch to television and film, names including EpicMealTime's Harley Morenstein, singer Troye Sivan and comedian Bo Burnham.

Australian YouTuber MyChonny, real name John Luc, is the latest to make the switch. The YouTuber has 2.3 million subscribers globally, and unlike many who've made the jump before him — he's not playing a bit part or an extra in a movie.

He is also doing his bit to challenge Australia's well-known lack of cultural diversity in film, TV and theatre.

Luc plays the lead character, Lawrence, in the Australian film Sucker, an adaptation of a stage show by Australian comedian Lawrence Leung, who also co-wrote the feature film. It's loosely based on Leung's years as a teenager.

The film tells the story of 18-year-old Lawrence, who is caught cheating on his final year math exam, failing to get into medical school and banished to stay at his weird uncle's house for the summer. By chance he meets "The Professor," a veteran conman who invites Lawrence to come alongside his daughter Sarah on a road trip, swindling "suckers" along the way.

Luc, who hasn't had any formal acting training or experience, was first approached via a YouTube private message from renowned television producer Robyn Kershaw, who is behind Australian films Looking For Alibrandi, Brand Nue Dae, as well as hit television series Kath and Kim.

Kershaw was looking to produce the film Sucker and asked Luc to audition for the lead role. It took four more years for the film to hit screens.

Within the monocultural landscape of Australian film and television, Luc, who is of Vietnamese and Chinese background — is clearly an anomaly. He told Mashable Australia the time it took to make and sell the film is due, in part, to the diversity of the cast.

"The film itself took 10-12 years to make, and they could've sold the film a long time ago but people wanted a white face for the lead. It's just things like that, we just have to push through it," he said.

It's actually taken 14 years for Sucker to be adapted from its original stage show at the Melbourne Fringe Festival to a film, according to the writer, Leung. "It might be the right time in Australia for there to be a lead in an Australian film which is an Asian voice and a face," he told Fairfax Media in Nov. 2015.

Luc agreed, stating it is a really big step for Asians who want to make it in the entertainment industry.

"Being Asian on screen, in a lead role, is just amazing, extraordinary. It gives a lot of hope to my fans out there, you know. That they can get into a movie like that," Luc said. "They just give up really easily, because they don't see any other aspiring Asian entertainers out there making it in Australia — because it's so hard."

Making the transition from improvisational pieces and rants on YouTube, to the demands of a script and a director in a film was a lot easier than he thought it was going to be, Luc said. His appearances at live shows, comedy festivals helped him prepare, aiding his on-stage presence.

Image: Madman

Following Sucker, Luc is looking to America as his next stage, but in the meantime he still has unfinished business in Australia. "I'm focusing more on my comedy and YouTube content, and working on a new sketch series called The Chinaboy Show, with a stand-up comedian," he said.

"I wouldn't mind in the future, doing a movie that I write," Luc said. "A bit more MyChonny comedy, rather than playing an actor in somebody else's film."

Deep down, Luc looks up to his comedy heroes, hoping someday their paths will cross. "I wouldn't mind working with Jackie Chan one day, even if he's stopped doing all his Kung-Fu stuff," Luc laughs.


text:
Expected steep increases in home heating oil prices in New England coupled with budget cuts for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program participants could be a “perfect storm” for the 2011-2012 heating season.

Clients and officials from  Tri-City Community Action Program in Malden and Action for Boston Community Development are  concerned.

WBZ-TV’s Bill Shields (CBS Boston affiliate) has the full story.


text:
It seems users at Twitter had enough with Fake Liberals Reporting, who apparently had different agenda all the time. For Them A terrorist in Kashmir is innocent son of Headmaster but not a twisted crooked terrorist. And these definitions change for them as per their convenience. They see ill effects of Pellet gun  on these, stone throwing young Kashmiris yet so innocent but sacrifices of Indian soldiers don’t raise that kind of emotions in them.  So Tweeples thought these Elite Journalists won’t be naming and shaming these terrorists, So In Order to teach them  a lesson they instead tried to establish religion of Truck which was involved in Nice Terror Attack in France.

Salute to Tweeples for their Hard Hitting Reactions and Sarcastic Tweets.

Reactions at Twitter


text:
9415 Burnet Road Ste 210, Austin TX 78758
512-710-1000, 512-785-6495

About us

Founded in 2009 by the Prеѕіdеnt, Mathews Chacko; Mathews CPA Inc. brand hаѕ blossomed іntо a tаx аnd fіnаnсіаl services company wіth аn experienced staff that hаѕ іnсrеаѕеd оvеr thе уеаrѕ tо accommodate аn еxраndеd clientele ranging from start-up companies tо оvеr 10 million dollars іn grоѕѕ revenues реr уеаr. We mаnаgе numеrоuѕ соrроrаtе ассоuntіng dераrtmеntѕ, including thеіr dаіlу ассоunt mаnаgеmеnt аnd реrѕоnаlіzеd ѕеrvісеѕ сuѕtоmіzеd fоr еасh individual business.

Our fіrm has еxраndеd оvеr thе year’s frоm gеnеrаl Bookkeeping ѕеrvісеѕ to аddіng IRS Rерrеѕеntаtіоn, Tаx preparation ѕеrvісеѕ and Plаnnіng, Buѕіnеѕѕ Cоnѕultіng and Personal Fіnаnсе Management. We represent сlіеntѕ in thе Unіtеd Stаtеѕ аnd around thе glоbе.

Mathews Chacko, CPA, Owner. Mathews CPA Inc.

CPA from Delaware and Texas
Bachelor of Commerce and Accounting

16 years of Accounting and Auditing experience, working for an international company.
10 years practicing as a CPA for my firm.

Our kеу аdvаntаgе tо оur clients is оur one tо оnе buѕіnеѕѕ rеlаtіоnѕhір that соmmеnсеѕ оn the very fіrѕt day a сlіеnt mееtѕ our firm. Instead оf a packaged service рlаn, wе customize оur оffеrіngѕ tо mееt еасh сlіеnt’ѕ ѕресіfіс buѕіnеѕѕ needs frоm аѕѕіѕtіng basic payroll аnd оthеr small buѕіnеѕѕ accounting ѕеrvісеѕ tо taking саrе оf thеir complicated financial and tax matters.  Wе аlѕо bеlіеvе іn a paperless office, whісh hеlрѕ ѕаvе you ѕрасе аnd рrоtесtѕ уоur рrіvасу.

Our рrоfеѕѕіоnаlѕ rесоgnіzе buѕіnеѕѕеѕ rеlу оn ассurаtе, іnѕіghtful and comprehensive fіnаnсіаl іnfоrmаtіоn to mаіntаіn рrоfіtаbіlіtу аnd succeed іn thеіr іnduѕtrу. Frоm ѕtаrt-uр buѕіnеѕѕеѕ to established еntеrрrіѕеѕ, Mathews CPA Inc. offers a full range оf ассоuntіng services to ensure ассurаtе recordkeeping and rероrtіng frоm іnіtіаl ассоuntіng ѕуѕtеm ѕеt uр tо соmріlіng уеаr-еnd ѕtаtеmеntѕ.

Our ассоuntіng ѕеrvісеѕ іnсludе but аrе not limited to:

Padmini Mathevan

Master Programme in International Business – 2003
Bachelor in Business Management – 2001

Provides General Bookkeeping and supports services to all clients.

Sowmya D Pal

Payroll and Tax Consultant

Bachelor of Science ( Computer Science): 2006
Master of Business Administration (Human Resource): 2011
5 years of work experience as HR

Provide payroll duties, including report filing to IRS and state agencies.

Ginni Ahir, CPA

Individual tax consulting

Five years of experience as tax advisor and auditor for large public accounting firm

Education:  – Bachelors in Accounting (2012)

– Chartered Accountant -India (2012)

– CPA -Texas State (2017)

Responsibilities: Individual tax consulting
Provide payroll duties, including report filing to IRS and state agencies.
Provide income tax filing to individuals.

Felicia Harper

Tax and Accounting Consultant

13 years of tax, financial and accounting experience working various positions for both profit and non-profit companies

Bachelor of Business Administration (Finance)

Business and Individual tax consulting, accounting and auditing

Joe Gutierrez

Retired from Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Notary Public

Provide payroll duties, including report filing to IRS and state agencies.
Provide income tax filing to individuals.


text:
Send My Conscience Home in a Taxi

Externalised Memory

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Further Bike Observations
I fell off said ninja bike today, again. I was trying a new and not entirely successful way to ride to Deb the Girlfriend's house. Crossing a not particularly busy road in... must have been Preston at that point - I did something dumb. I was trying to get from one road to another road which was slightly offset from the road I was on, so I had to very briefly ride in the wrong direction on the road they both joined.

Which had tram-tracks on it - that was my downfall. One has to cross them at 90 degrees or there abouts, otherwise there's a good chance your wheel will slip into the rail and you'll go arse over tit. Which is exactly what happened to me... I remember looking at the tracks, thinking to myself "I need to be a bit careful with them", then seeing my front wheel slip into the track, thus turning me rather sharply and turfing me on to the road!

I said as I was landing "shit, not again."

I can down on my left leg (again) and my hands. Thankfully I've been wearing serious mountain biking gloves of late. They have a very tough and padded palm area. I initially got them because my arms would sometimes go numb from the vibrations of the handlebars, but now I will think of them as protection!

I grazed my knee and my shin, but otherwise I seem to be OK. And my bike appears to be entirely undamaged, apart from some scratching on one of the bar ends. And I broke my bell. But otherwise it was fine, which I was very pleased about.

I picked myself up, wheeled my bike off the road - luckily there wasn't any traffic for me to fall under. Once I checked both the wheels of my bike, and that I hadn't crushed my iphone, I continued on my way.

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You’re registering for:
Eagle Days
Registration is not required.

Meeting on: Located at:
Saturday, January 20, 2018 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM Springfield Conservation Nature Center
4601 S. Nature Center Way
Springfield, MO 65804
(417) 888-4237
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NO REGISTRATION REQUIRED. We’re celebrating the annual return of bald eagles to Lake Springfield. This special event includes the indoor presence of Phoenix, a live bald eagle from Dickerson Park Zoo. Programs will be held at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center every hour on the hour from 9 am to 3 pm. Stop by anytime and plan to spend about two hours. Opportunities to view bald eagles in the wild, with the assistance of volunteers and spotting scopes, will be available at the Lake Springfield Boathouse and Marina during event hours. All ages. Call 417-888-4237 for more information. KIMBERLY A BANNER


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Carol Channing on Super Bowl IV performance: “We didn’t even rehearse!”

Bruno Mars and the Red Hot Chili Peppers will headline at Super Bowl XLVII’s multi-million dollar halftime show on February 2, but Broadway, film and movie legend Carol Channing paved the way for other superstars to be featured at halftime with a slightly-less elaborate spectacle over 40 years ago.

“It was just about a week before the Super Bowl when they asked me to perform,” Channing told FOX411 exclusively of her halftime show in New Orleans. (read more at

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Home / News / Energy (page 10)

DukeNet joint venture complete

Charlotte-based Duke Energy Corp. said it has completed a joint venture with Alinda Capital Partners to grow DukeNet Communications. DukeNet also said Tuesday that it has closed on a $150 million senior-secured credit facility to fund expansions. The joint venture ...

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Duke names 2010 Power Partners

Charlotte-based Duke Energy has named its 2010 Power Partner award winners. Duke gives the award to customers who “go above and beyond to reduce their energy usage or implement innovative energy solutions to power their businesses,” the company said in a ...

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Duke secures $231M for wind farm

Charlotte-based Duke Energy Corp. said it has secure about $231 million in financing for its Wyoming wind farm. The financing includes an 18-year term loan worth about $193 million and nearly $38 million in letters of credit. In October, Duke announced that ...

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Media Box MP3 Workstation 6.8

Media Box MP3 Workstation 6.8

Media Box MP3 Workstation Publisher's Description

Media Box is an integrated digital audio management system for encoding, decoding and playback of MP3 (Mpeg layer 3) compressed audio. CD audio can be extracted and encoded to the MP3 format. MP3 files can be decoded to WAV format for playback on standard audio players.
The integrated database can be used to sort, filter, search, and play MP3 files. Groups of songs can be loaded and saved as song sets for quick load into the player. The program includes an integrated editor that allows you to create colourful information in Rich Text Format, including photos. The information created can be linked to songs or song directories.
The player includes treble, bass, volume, loop and shuffle controls. Treble and bass settings can be memorised for each song.

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News tagged with autistic spectrum disorder

A new psychotherapy for substance abuse

In the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics a report by German investigators headed by professor Brakemeier introduces a new form of psychotherapeutic treatment for substance abuse with depression. The Cognitive ...

Oct 05, 2016
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Patricia East

Typewriter repair

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Client in Pensacola

Looking for someone in Pensacola, Florida to repair a Royal Quiet De Luxe typewriter. Just has a couple of keys that stick.

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Phone Number 850-712-...

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