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As the Enterprise Architecture & IT Governance adoption is on the rise, we keep hearing a lot about IT - Business alignment. ISACA positions Strategy Alignment as an important knowledge area along with five other knowledge areas. Enterprise Architecture being an important function in architecting or engineering the enterprise itself has a major role to play in appropriately deriving the IT strategy from the business strategy and ensure its execution as intended. Within the overall Enterprise Architecture function, it is the Solution Architecture function that acts as a bridge between Business Architecture and the Technology / Application Architecture. So, the Solution Architecture is a key role in transforming the business needs into IT solutions and it is this function that is key to ensure that the IT solutions are in alignment with the business needs and strategies.
Now, most of the Solution Architects are well aware of this important need at the early stage of solution design and Architecture, things keep going in the wrong way and the business in general are not happy with the solutions delivered. While most of the Solution Architects do well in the initial phase of the solutioning, somewhere down the line things tend to stray away and let gaps creep in resulting in a misaligned solution being delivered. A close examination of the causes of various misaligned projects reveal the causes which are listed below. This list is not exhaustive and is not in any order of priority.
Typically a detailed Business Requirements Specification document is the input for the Solution Architecture function and the solution that the Architects propose largely depends on the veracity of this document. A good knowledge on the business domain of the organization in general and the ability to apply critical review on the requirements would bring out possible gas that if ignored might creep into the solution implementation leading to gaps. Needless to stress here is the non functional requirements, which on most occasions remain undocumented and a largely contributes for the gaps to creep in. Lack of formal processes that call for iterative reviews of the business case and in turn the requirements specifications is cause of concern.
Generally the Solution Architects should be engaged from the initial stages of problem definition, so that they will be in a position to gather the needed details, which might not figure in the requirement specifications.
Traditionally, the business just throws in the problem they want to solve or the opportunity they want to exploit and probably participate in defining the requirements. Thereafter, they just leave it to the Architects and developers to do whatever and finally deliver the solution. In one of a project for a leading multinational bank, it so happened that when the solution was delivered, they reacted stating that this is not what we wanted and they found that the requirements specification as duly accepted by them was in total mismatch with what was expected. It is good and easier to have this expectation mismatch ironed out early on, before getting deep into implementation. While the expectation mismatch is generally on the non functional needs, like usability, portability, reliability, etc, at times, even the functional requirements also leaves room for misunderstanding by different teams leading to misalignment. The best way to address this area is to involve the business in the periodical reviews by using Agile practices. Even with Agile, this could happen if those representing the business do not have the same understanding of the business needs at large.
Validating the solution design with the business representatives and keeping a watch on the expected design outcome as the implement progresses for possible impacts on the expectation is the best way to address this concern.
Solutioning is not a pure science and one should be able to blend the science and art. Getting the best solution depends on the Solution Architects’ ability to visualize the final outcome given the constraints and choice of tools and making sure that this what the business would want. While the skill gaps with other related functions would still be a cause for concern, the deficiencies with Solution Architecture function could mean dear as they play a part early on in the life cycle.
While the choice of tools and technology is not generally within the domain of the Solution Architect, it is important to be knowledgeable of various tools and technology that can be leveraged within the constraints of the IT strategy will go a long way in proposing a best solution. Another concern around this issue is that as the Technical Architects or the development team encounter feasibility issues with a chosen tool or technology, the Solution Architect has to jump in again and align or tweak his solution to overcome such issues without impacting the expected final outcome.
While continuous review and monitoring would help bring out exceptions, it is for the organizaiton to nurture a culture amongst the teams so that everyone knows what is the business and IT strategy and the value of the work that they deliver towards IT solutions. The Solution Architecture team should have a thorough understanding of the IT Strategy and ensure that the solutions that they propose are in line with it. It is also important that the teams should collaborate well and work for the common objective of ensuring that the execution of the solution design progress in the expected manner and timely escalation of exceptions for appropriate action.
Lack of clear definition of roles and responsibilities would lead to negligence in the deliverables by individuals and teams. As with a project I cited earlier, the business representative who approved the requirements specification did so without being sure of what he is approving. Further reviews and monitoring are very much needed to spot such lapses early on. The culture of the organization should also be such that the teams and team members own the problem and contribute for the solution to the expectation of the business.
Depending on the size and strategic importance of the projects, the program and project management team should keep a watch on any potential impact on the expected outcome and exceptions if any observed are analysed for possible changes to the solution design and implementation and in turn managing the expectations appropriately. This would call for identifying the key goals and outcomes upfront and come up with appropriate metrics to keep track of.
Another area to keep a watch on are the assumptions, constraints and the dependencies which have been identified as part of the project charter. It would be impossible to iron out all ambiguities at the start of the project and as such it is a prevalent practice to start off by making assumptions on such ambiguities and proceed. However efforts should be on to get those assumptions validated and make them unambiguous as the project progresses. Any change in the assumption might trigger redesigning the solution. Same is the case with the various known constraints and dependencies with which the solution is designed and being implemented.
As we could observe all the stakeholders have a role to play in ensuring the alignment with business need. However, the Solution Architecture function sets it off and the other teams carry on from there. The Solution Architects should hold the key, being in close touch with the implementation teams, making themselves available for clarifications, being receptive to emerging issues around the solution design and coming up with needed improvement to the solution designs.
Cloud adoption is increasing and so is SOA implementation. As the analysts point out that be it cloud adoption or SOA adoption, unless appropriate governance framework is in place ahead of the adoption journey, it is highly likely that the perceived benefits might not be realized. Benchmarking is a good approach to identify the current state of SOA implementation as compared to an industry recognized maturity model. This also helps to define a target state and then work towards achieving it. Amongst many SOA maturity models the Open Group's OSIMM v2 is quite popular and defines seven levels. While the first three levels are classified as foundational, Level 4 through 7 expects certain demonstrated characteristics and the Level 7 indicates the highest level of maturity.
Level 1: Silo - No integration implementation.
Level 2: Integrated - Yes, technology is in place to integrate the silos, but they don’t extend to common standards in data or business process.
Level 4: Service - Services are identified and implemented and composite systems are built from the loosely coupled services. However, the composition and the service definition itself are implemented using bespoke code rather than by a declarative flow language, thus limiting agility.
Level 5: Composite Services - Construction of a business process is possible through use of BPM tools by assembling the relevant interacting services is possible. At this level agility is possible, but developers still have a role to play under the guidance of business analysts.
Level 6: Virtualized services - At this level the services are virtualized, i.e. a level of indirection is introduced (like a facade layer based on the dependency injection principles), with which the services are more decoupled from the infrastructure on which it is running. But still definition and implementation requires the help of developers.
Level 7: Dynamically Re-configurable Services - At this level Composite services are assembled in run time by the business analysts or by the system itself, based on various parameters and using service repositories.
Let us now examine Level 7 in detail across the seven domains. Note that like in any other Maturity Model, definition of a level means that the system meets all the previous levels.
High Agility - Enterprises services are available on demand.
Use of BPM - BPM is in use for defining and testing process flows necessary to meet well defined SLAs.
Adaptive Enterprise - Ability to adjust operations quickly and smoothly to meet the rapid changes in the market, technology and priorities and being able to evolve with the global economy, so that the services never become obsolete.
Aligned with Business Strategy - Services are modelled and managed as elements of the evolving business strategy.
Measurement & Monitoring - Appropriate service metrics are identified, defined and automatically gathered and are effectively used in monitoring and in decision making.
Adaptive Enterprise - The design, construction and deployment methodologies evolve in line with the industry standards and best practices.
Dynamic Services - Formal methods exist to leverage architectural constructs and assets for supporting virtualization and dynamic services and BPM.
Consistent Adoption - Existence of best practice guidance to facilitate consistent adoption of SOA, Virtualization, Middleware technology, Service Registry, etc.
Adaptive Enterprise - In the sense that the enterprise shall be able to adapt to and use the evolving SOA design principles, the tools and technologies.
Dynamic Application Assembly - The application architecture and design should support the dynamic re-configuration of the services and support consumption of services by external business partners.
Design Patterns - Extensive use of SOA / ESB design patterns to support BPM.
Adaptive Enterprise - While the use of formal methods, principles, patterns frameworks and techniques is necessary, these should also evolve in line with the industry practices in architecting SOA services .
Formal Enterprise BIS - Design and implementation of formal enterprise Business Information Services supporting both the enterprise and external entities.
Integration - Appropriate architecture is used to support enterprise wide integration and also externally to support partner entities.
Adaptive Enterprise - In the sense to have the information architecture evolve in line with the industry standards and practices.
Vocabularies - Existence of Business data vocabularies, with ability to easily expand or enhance to support new services, business partners and process re-configuration.
Data definition - Business data is defined using semantic web constructs or ontologies.
BIS Model - A formal enterprise Business Information Model has been designed and implemented that includes both enterprise and external relationship entities.
Master Data - Existence and use of Master Data services.
Adaptive Enterprise - In the sense that the infrastructure and related facilities used in supporting the SOA environment should evolve with the industry best.
Service Management - Tracks and predicts changes to the services necessary to optimize the quality.
Service re-usability - services are re-used in new and dynamic ways without negatively impactin the Quality of Service.
Security - Service security policies dynamic and managed in real time.
While the first three Levels are classified as Foundational, the Level 4 is where existence of minimal SOA practices are expected. That way, we can say that one should atleast start at Level 4 and should look forward to transition to higher levels. The Open Group’s OSIMM also lays out the Assessment methods and the assessment questions to facilitate the adoption.
OSIMM v 2 Technical Standard.


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Livingetc.com -- The site of one of my favorite British shelter magazines has pictures organized by room, so you can go through photos quickly to pull ones you like.
Remodelista.com -- With a new re-design that (we're told) will make searching easier, I go here for sophisticated and simple design examples with some great sourcing that will help you 'steal the look'.
Happy Hunting -- and remember, looking at pictures is the easy part, so enjoy!

industry_corpus2: Agriculture & Fisheries


text: Jeff Currier started his fishing career in a fly shop, working for $4.75 an hour. Since that time, he’s shaped himself into one of the foremost angling authorities, fishing in more than 50 countries and landing more than 300 species. Woven into Jeff’s stories of life in the fly fishing industry is some of the baddest, most-predatory pike fishing footage ever captured. Released 2016. Running time 12 mins.


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As major department store and apparel retailers shutter outlets, dollar stores are going gangbusters, at least in terms of new store openings.
Dollar General, which has more than 13,600 stores, on Thursday reported better than expected Q1 profit and reiterated its target to open about 1,000 new stores this year. Rival Dollar Tree, which also owns Family Dollar chain, said last week that it sees an opportunity to operate more than 25,000 Dollar Tree and its acquired Family Dollar locations combined in the US, up from the current total of about 14,200.
“We continue to see tremendous runway for growth,” said Dollar General Chief Executive Todd Vasos on a conference call Thursday.
While Sears, Macy’s, JC Penney and many other retailers are shutting stores, dollar stores have been a segment of the market seeing one of the fastest store count growth. Between 2005 and 2016, dollar stores have increased their count by 58% to more than 29,400, according to Nielsen data. The only segment that saw faster unit growth (76%) during that time is supercenters, Nielsen data showed, as retailers like Walmart converted more of their discount mass merchandise stores to supercenters including grocery sections.
The sector also looks to have outperformed the broader market by sales. Sales at variety stores, which include dollar stores, rose 6.8% to $57.9 billion on average each year between 2011 and 2016, more than double the 2.6% growth rate of the overall retail industry, according to Euromonitor data.
Dollar stores, with much smaller stores than mass discounters or supermarkets, have traditionally benefited from targeting consumers seeking to quickly fill some of their weekday needs and from targeting more lower income shoppers and locating stores in markets, including rural areas, that may not have been as well penetrated by other store formats. During the economic downturn, the sectors also have attracted some higher income consumers trading down.
Nielsen data showed that among customers with household income of $29,000 or less, 43% said they shopped at dollar stores last year, more so than at convenience stores or any other retail format Nielsen tracks. Meanwhile 23% of those earning more than $70,000 said they shop dollar stores.
There may also be an unintended benefit of targeting lower income shoppers. As most physical retailers fret about the Amazon effect, dollar stores look to still be relatively immune. Dollar General CEO Vasos said Thursday, in response to a question about online competition, that only about 70% of its core customers have smartphones. He conceded that, over time, they’ll “probably start to gravitate toward online purchasing,” but for now they are still lagging on that front.
The typical demographic of a dollar store shopper doesn’t have “significant overlap” with the online shopper, said Laurie Rains, group VP of Retail Consumer & Shopper Analytics at Nielsen.
“The majority of transactions at dollar stores are cash transactions,” she said in an interview, adding that many dollar store shoppers don’t have credit cards. Still, “any retail channel should worry about” online competition.
Indeed, both Dollar General and Dollar Tree said they are focusing on a digital strategy. Dollar Tree’s Sasser, for instance, said that while online sales remain small, he’s “pleased” with the trend in both ecommerce traffic and sales.
However, some of what has worked well for dollar stores so far could turn into problems under different circumstances. For instance, lower income shoppers, more than the other segments of the market, are “more sensitive to any kind of economic change,” Nielsen’s Rains said.
A case in point, both Dollar General and Dollar Tree said delayed tax refunds hurt discretionary sales in Q1. On top of that, Dollar General’s Vasos said Thursday its consumers have been holding back on spending as the company has seen consumers consolidating trips across the board and buying less and at fewer retailers.
To drive traffic and purchases, not unlike convenience and drug stores, dollar stores like Dollar General also are adding more fresh foods to satisfy demand. Dollar General, for instance, said it’s adding more coolers in stores to stock perishable items and is testing selling fresh produce, a move that it said has benefited sales.
In another challenge to the segment, larger rivals from Walmart to Target are opening smaller format stores and promising to cut prices and make “price investments” as part of their “everyday low” price strategy. Jefferies analyst Dan Binder said its pricing analysis showed that Walmart's prices are lower than Dollar General’s. Binder also noted that as wages rise among lower income shoppers, it’ll lead to less fill-in purchases and more stock up trips at other retailers.
This past fiscal year marked Dollar General's 27th consecutive year of same-store sales growth, but the gain was fairly slender, slowing to a 0.9% gain, compared to a 4.7% increase five years earlier. Q1 comparable sales this year rose 0.7%.

industry_corpus2: Real Estate & Construction


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the beautiful beaches, amazing weather and amazing culture all give reasons to come back. the distressingly regular attempts by locals at times will not of course :) It's something they'll hopefully learn in time, although being so heavily engrained in their culture means it'll take some time!
As I sit in the new fancy airport and admire the building, I'm so disappointed in the corruption here too. the company running the duty-free have been thrown out for 'irregularities' :) Something that seems to be all too common over here!
By the way, I'm typing this on my little walkman as it turns out they don't sell laptops anymore. And I was actually looking forward to working on some other articles I've been thinking of. Drat!
Next time I'm online, it'll be from another continent where everyone is called 'mate', so on that note, G'day!

industry_corpus2: Travel & Geography


text: This was a piece that was done for latimes interactive. It was based on a print piece called "Weddings of Distinction" and it was a lot of fun to do. This intro gets people in the marrying mood and causes them to spend a lot of money with our advertisers.

industry_corpus2: Computing & Telecommunications


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Hey friends, let’s connect at Orange! Orange is my favorite time of year because of all the amazing people that I get to meet. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and my best chance to meet hundreds of new friends. Before you pack your bags, let’s go over a couple of really important things you need to know.
Come meet me and some of my NextGen friends. Over the years, I’ve been gathering the most amazing tribe of NextGen leaders and so many of them come to the Orange Conference every year. I’m hosting just about every NextGen breakout/workshop and I’m always hanging out before or after… so come say hi. I’ll also be at EVERY SINGLE MEETUP. Come hang out with me and my crew, we’re ready to talk shop, exchange ideas and encourage each other.
You’ll get invited to EVERYTHING NextGen. I regularly email my list with resources, networking opportunities and invite-only gatherings. You won’t be in the loop if you’re not on my list.
I’m giving away some fun stuff ONLY to those who fill out the survey (even if you’ve filled it out in past years). I’m giving away tickets to the 2018 Orange Tour, the 2019 Orange Conference, NEXT 2019 (an invite-only NextGen gathering) and about a dozen coaching sessions with some NextGen pros! Fill out the survey for a chance to win something fun!
Lastly, join the I Am NextGen Facebook Group. It’s a closed group of NextGen leaders from around the world. The conversations are frequent and so helpful/encouraging. Don’t do this ministry alone, partner with others through this group. Also, we’ll be posting some live Orange 2018 content on the group, you won’t want to miss it!
Join the BEST (and only) NextGen community on the internet!
Tell us a little more about yourself. Get free stuff and find out about upcoming opportunities!
FOLLOW the conversation at #OC2018 and #IAMNEXTGEN on twitter.
If you’re a NextGen Pastor, we have an amazing schedule planned out for you this year at Orange. Like every year, we have some amazing NextGen specific workshops and breakouts specifically designed for you (NextGen Leaders). Pay close attention, Breakout C and D on Thursday were recently changed. The new breakouts feature some of the most experienced NextGen Pastors who are going to unpack culture creation and strategy. If you signed up for breakouts before these two changed, you may want to reconsider.
Breakouts are going to be AMAZING, but you MUST take advantage of the NextGen Meetups. We’ve actually scheduled SIX different meetups for NextGen pastors. If you’re an early bird, we have breakfast meetups for you. If you’re a night owl, we have late night meetups for you. The best part of Orange is that you’ll spend 4 days surrounded by thousands of ministry leaders just like yourself. Prioritize a meetup or two. Meet some people who are in similar situations as you. Meet some people who are further down the road than you. Meet someone who isn’t quite as far as you. Just don’t go home without making some connections.
Below is the OFFICIAL NextGen Schedule. You’ll see when and where everything is happening. Orange boxes with the speech bubbles indicate meetups. Blue boxes with the gears indicate NextGen specific breakouts. Dark blue boxes with microphones are general conference sessions.

industry_corpus2: Others


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* New Palestinian bid calls for E. Jerusalem capital, 'just' solution A draft resolution calling for an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines within three years and revised to include language declaring East Jerusalem as capital of a Palestinian state was presented to the UN Security Council late Monday.
* Europe's Year of the Jihadist Among the trends of 2014 - 'Gone, Girl,' Lena Dunham, and $55,000 potato salad - was another the list-makers seem to have missed: it was also a very good year for Islamic jihad.
* Hamas Slams PA Statehood Bid as 'Surrender' to Israel Hamas again criticized the political process of the Palestinian Authority (PA), the center of which is a draft resolution calls for Israel to 'end the occupation' - that is, to withdraw from Judea and Samaria - by 2017.
* Obama on Iran Embassy: 'Never Say Never' President Barack Obama hinted that he might be prepared to establish a new U.S. embassy in Tehran " if we can get a deal on making sure that Iran does not have a nuclear weapon," and the deal led to warmer relations with the Iranian regime.
* ISIS features Netanyahu in official magazine Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's media aides may want to add Islamic State to the list of recipients of their mass emails and press releases.
* Russians Rage Against America Relations between Russia and the US have sunk to new lows.
* Palestinians say Jews will be a minority by 2016 A Palestinian census published Monday claims that Palestinians living in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza will outnumber Jews in the same area by 2016.
* 2014 comes to close with 8.3 million Israelis Some 176,000 babies were born and some 23,000 new olim arrived in Israel over the past year; 6.2 million residents are Jews, 1.7 million Arabs.
* Celebrate and Be Merry! Jesus the Messiah is Palestinian! As has become custom, Palestinian Authority last week made a show of claiming Jesus as one of their own in the run-up to Christmas.
* Ukrainian President Signs Law Allowing NATO Membership Bid President Petro Poroshenko has signed a law abandoning Ukraine's neutral "non-bloc" status.

industry_corpus2: Politics & Administration


text: Your opinion counts. Be the first to review Sues Dog Grooming. It's quick and easy.


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Cervical cancer if not caught early in the precancerous stage can be deadly. Approximately 250,000 women die each year around the world due to the disease, according to Scottish medical device firm DYSIS Medical. The company offers the Ultra colposcope, a noninvasive device used to screen for cervical cancer by allowing the detection and diagnosis of precancerous lesions on the cervix.
According to DYSIS, the latest version of the Ultra colposcope incorporates several advances that have met important milestones. Most notably, the device is now recommended by the UK’s National Health Service. In addition, the results of a US clinical trial found that use of the device enabled the detection of the disease in 40% more patients than when it was not used.
The success of the company has attracted more funding from long-time investor Lundbeckfonden Ventures. The venture fund ponied up an additional $25 million, which DYSIS will use for R&D activities and to expand in the U.S., U.K. and other markets.

industry_corpus2: Health & Medicine


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After a visit from award winning book illustrator, Jim Kay, to Burford School in June, Duncan Cooper was hand-picked to model for the character of Ron Weasley in stunning new fully colour illustrated editions of the Harry Potter series.
Jim was searching for 'gangly boys' for his exciting (and at the time, very secret) project.
He did say that it would be entirely dependent on the well known author and publisher who would be finally picked to play parts in the series of books.
Recently, WOAPA student Duncan was informed about his amazing role and that JK Rowling herself felt he was absolutely right for the part of Ron from Jims sketches.
Unfortunately, Bloomsbury are keeping all artwork under wraps for the time being.
The books will be released one per year and are set to go global from September 2015.

industry_corpus2: Literature & Emotions


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Car camping tents generally come in two shapes: domes and squares, with slight variations on both. There are benefits to either style, but in the past decade as I have integrated car camping into my family’s life, I have found that though the dome style tents look cool and usually feature a lot of innovations, they don’t allow you to utilize the maximum amount of floor space due to their curved walls. Even the ones that promise to be tall enough so you can stand up in them usually only allow you to do so in the center of the tent. So with camping season quickly approaching, I have decided that this year the LeForts are going vertical – at least in terms of the design of the walls of their tent.
I’ve been on the hunt for a suitable tent for a few weeks now but last night I believe I had a breakthrough when Standing Room Tents liked one of Gear Institute’s pictures on Instagram. From what I can tell, Standing Room Tents offers three models, all of which rely on the additional purchase of a pop-up canopy like the ones used for tailgating and farmer’s markets. Though this will add to the overall cost, these pop-up canopies provide needed structure as well as an extra layer of protection from the elements. Two of the tents – the 64 and 100 – have a 10’ x 10’ footprint with vertical walls, and feature two large windows and a door. Their third tent – the XL – is 20’ x 20’ and is essentially two of the 100 model tents joined together that requires two pop-up canopies to function. All three tent models feature a center height of 8’ 5” and a wall height of over 6’ (depending on which pop-up canopy you source).
Standing Room Tents’ website directs you to Amazon where the pricing for the tents themselves is fairly reasonable – $139.99 for the 64 and 100 models and $199.99 for the XL model. To function, all of the models require the additional purchase of a pop-up canopy of your choice, which – at minimum – is an additional $100 for each canopy. This still doesn’t put the overall price of the tents outside of reason, but all things considered, you’d be best off dropping around $400 and purchasing two pop-up canopies as well as the XL model based on square footage and modularity alone.
With a closet full of tents, including one brand new one intended for this camping season’s adventures, this is going to be a hard sell to my wife. I’m going to focus on the fact that these Standing Room Tents allow us to maximize our internal space so we can bring more “stuff.” If that doesn’t work, I’ll explain how the XL model will offer us sanctuary when our three year old decides she wants to discuss her theories on life and the cosmos with her imaginary friend in the middle of the night. Wish me luck.

industry_corpus2: Automobiles


text: Modern Toilet And Bathroom Design. When you are about to build a house, the first thing you need to think about is the design you will choose. Planning is a very important thing in building a house.


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Is There a War on Delicious Meat…Or On Our Health?
The headlines blared from every national (and international news outlet): “Processed Meat Causes Cancer, says WHO.” The World Health Organization now says pretty definitively that eating processed meat such as sausages and ham causes cancer, while unprocessed red meat may also be carcinogenic.
The report outlined that eating a mere 50 grams of processed meat each day -- the equivalent of two slices of ham, six slices of bacon, 1 hot dog or 5 slices of hard salami -- can increase the risk of such cancer by 18%.
Some people joked, like Jimmy Kimmel quipping that bacon was worth dying for with Stephen Colbert adding that vegetarians are boring. Interviews here in my home town, Philadelphia, had people saying they weren’t worried; nothing could make them give up bacon, etc.
Time magazine ran an article called “The War on Delicious” declaring “Like it or not, somewhere deep in even the most devoted vegan are the genes that crave meat.” Seriously?
Meat industry lobby groups lashed out saying that the report is biased and misleading, implying that the data was manipulated to ensure a specific outcome.
"As a registered dietitian and mother, my advice hasn't changed," said Shalene McNeill, an executive director at the National Cattlemen's Beef Association. "To improve all aspects of your health, eat a balanced diet, which includes lean meats like beef, maintain a healthy weight, be physically active and, please don't smoke."
Please don’t smoke? Could that be a wee diversion from discussing the impact of meat on our health?
As vegetarians did the happy dance because their long-held beliefs were finally being vindicated, I was saddened by people’s reaction to these facts. I know everyone loves the taste and richness of bacon. I get it. I ate it. My butcher father proudly served it to us. But these are not facts to be taken lightly, even with the smattering of experts advising us not to panic saying these new results are not conclusive; our meat is safe, etc. In my humble opinion, you can lump these experts together with climate change deniers. They’re way off the mark, but people will listen to them as long as they’re saying what we want to hear.
Why can’t we change our ways and make healthier choices? Some cynics (I’m talking to you, Bill Maher) say we are too stupid as a people to act in our best interests. I just can’t let myself believe that.
I don’t think people are stupid. I think we want the best for ourselves and for those we love. I think we have been conditioned to love fat, sugar and salt and leaving those behind presents us with challenges. I think we have been socially and culturally conditioned to believe a meal has to include an animal product in order to be satisfying.
If we give up animal products-meat, dairy, poultry, fish, eggs and cheese, what do we eat? Is our life reduced to tofu and sprouts? Will we feel deprived and grimly endure life never looking forward to a meal because it won’t include bacon?
There’s a lot of confusion about what to eat. We have been marketed to about meat and our health. We’ve been sold a bill of goods that meat can play a hearty role in a healthy lifestyle. Now that we’re all hooked, the bad news is released.
It’s just like cigarettes. We went from super-cool James Dean wannabes to eschewing tobacco, but it wasn’t an easy path. It took serious shaming for that industry to own up to what it knew for a long time: cigarettes kill us.
Now it’s meat. And while I am not in favor of a nanny state that tells us what to do and eat, I am in favor of the truth. The truth has been revealed to us, in my view and we can’t spend years more watering down the facts so lobby groups are happy and we continue to ponder how we lost our health over our plate of bacon and eggs.
We are told as little as 50 grams of meat contributes to increased cancer risk, so Time ends their article saying that we simply have to find the balance of how much meat we can healthfully consume so we can “honor our cultural DNA” and retain our health. That’s like saying one cigarette a day is still okay.
While we are omnivores, able to adapt to a diet of plant and animal products, the truth is deeper than whether or not we eat meat, but the way meat has been transformed for modern production. The meat of our grandparents was very different nutritionally than the meat of today. Factory farming has completely changed the game and it’s not rigged in our favor. With growth hormones, steroids, GMO feed, antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides and toxins from animal waste, our meat is not the meat of our fond memories. If we continue to eat more than 71 pounds of meat per person, we will continue to lose our health.
Someone recently asked me why I care so much what we eat. What does it matter to me if people eat bacon and increase their risk of cancer? Is it about the pigs and cows? Yes…and no. While it certainly is your right to choose your food, your choice has an impact on the planet I share with you, on living creatures and more important, on my healthcare costs. I pay for the cavalier attitude that bacon is worth dying for with higher healthcare premiums.
Eating a plant-based diet is varied, delicious and absolutely satisfying. I know that won’t convince a meat and bacon lover that they won’t…for a period of time…miss their beloved cured and processed meats.
A Google search for vegetarian recipes yields more than 68,000,000 results. A search for plant-based yields almost 6,000,000 while vegan recipes yields more than 45,000,000 giving us access to more than 100 million recipes that are plant-based. If you can’t find something satisfying with 100 million options to choose from, perhaps you’re not really looking.


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For the Ragtag Daily Prompt: plump. This turtle kinetic sculpture is not that plump….
Taken Saturday, at the water part of the Kinetic Sculpture Race. It is all human powered and they have to go out in the cold water, currently around 52 degrees F. Brrrrr. The teams have a brake test down Monroe Street first and then line up to head for the water. The Coast Guard stands ready and various kayaks and sailboats are there. They have to get to a destination and bring back the superhero(ine) mask!
The theme this year is mediocre superhero(ine)s. Lots of glitter and capes and boots. The costumes are wonderful!
To the women and men who are speaking up, there is nothing mediocre about your heroism.
This entry was posted in boats, ocean, rural doctor, sky, water, water color, Wooden boats and tagged boat, hero, heroine, Kinetic Sculpture Race, photography, plump, Port Townsend Bay, Ragtag Daily Prompt, super, turtle, water, watercolor.


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Every year, we kick off the Christmas season in early December by setting up our family’s Provençal crèche.
So what is a Provençal crèche you ask ? It is a depiction of the nativity scene (or crib as the English like to call it) using clay figurines and set into a 19th century Provence village. It’s similar to other crèches that you may find in homes across France, except it goes much farther by encompassing an entire village scene. My parents starting collecting the miniature Santon’s (meaning “little saints”) when they first married back in the 1950’s. It has grown over the years to quite a large collection, with new pieces being added every once in a while as the mood strikes. A crèche is never meant to be completed, but to grow and evolve with the passing of the generations.
We gather together over food and wine, selecting a few close friends to initiate into the delightful world of the Provençal Crèche. Many are unfamiliar with the tradition, so it’s always a fun way to share our traditions and French heritage. Plus, there’s always a good bottle of wine or two to get us motivated and scrumptious food to helps us keep up our stamina – it’s hard work after all !
Buildings, bridges, wells, moss, twigs, rocks, and anything organic (no plastics allowed) that help create the right atmosphere. The grass grown that represents the prosperity of the coming harvest on Saint Barbe’s Day (December 4th) is sometimes also used for decoration.
A rough mountain shape is created out of the cardboard boxes; we are all creative types so there’s lots of input here and each year it’s different.
The starry sky background is mounted, and then the mountain shape is covered with the special mountain paper to complete the bones of the display.
Then, it’s time for the stable. Everything flows from this of course, so it’s important to have it placed just right. All the buildings and structures can then be added, creating the empty the village.
A river is constructed out of kitchen foil paper or blue paper. It’s not obligatory but it adds to the fun, and this year it’s particularly fabulous (I made it). We used the kitchen foil and painted it blue, but I don’t really recommend this method as I had blue fingers for the rest of the day.
Only now can the Santons figurines be added, and this is when the real magic starts to happen… It takes quite a bit of time to add all the Santons and a few heated debates about the perfect placement of such and such character usually transpire. Then there is also the inevitable toppling of a few figurines from a clumsy move or two (the red wine may be to blame).
In our family, certain figures MUST AT ALL COST be placed according to our personal family traditions. If the duck is not in the boat, civil war is sure to ensue. We all love each other dearly, but bickering is definitely part of the process as you can imagine when you put a whole family of strong-minded folks in one room all together.
In theory (and appealing to my OCD tendencies), the figurines should move about the scene as the Christmas season progresses to illustrate the nativity story. Marie and Joseph arrive at the stable early December, baby Jesus is added to the scene on December 25th, and the three kings and camels inch their way towards the stable finally arriving on January 6th. In our home they all go out at once, but I’m petitioning for an update to this policy.
The official end of the Christmas Season is February 2nd with the Chandeleur Fête (or crêpe day as my kids call it). Originally a pagan event celebrating purity and fertility, it was replaced in the 5th century by lighting candles in the home to symbolize the salvation and protection brought to the faithful. The round shaped crepes that are traditionally eaten at this time represent the sun, and are a symbol of prosperity. That all seems a bit of a stretch…to me it’s just another good reason to eat great food.
The origin of the representation of the nativity scene dates back to medieval ages. Saint Francois d’Assise of Italy was the first using live actors and animals in his church in 1223. These live crèches were eventually replaced somewhere around the 16th century with full-sized figurines made of wood, wax, or papier-mâché.
The origin of the “Provençale” crèche dates back to the French Revolution resulting in the closure of churches and the banning of midnight mass in 1793. The faithful, needing a way to worship and to practice their religious beliefs, fashioned nativity scenes in hiding. Early on, they were made with anything they had on hand – often bread dough. It was in Provence that the little figurines that we now call Santons were first made. Since the faithful had to be extremely careful, these little figurines were the perfect answer as they were small and quick to hide. This of course was strictly outlawed, and anyone being caught would have their head chopped off !
The very first commercialized Santon were made by Jean-Louis Lagnel (1764-1822) in Marseille. Before the French Revolution, he was making full size figurines for the churches, so it was an easy transition to the clay figurines. At first, he started making them for his own use but soon after it was legalized he started manufacturing plaster molds which enabled him to mass produce the little figurines made at that time of unfired clay painted with powder pigments and extremely fragile. It was his idea to add figurines representing the different rural trades to be found around Provence at his time.
Traditional Santons are frozen in time, always dressed from this period. Thérèse Neveu of Aubagne, considered the commercial father of the industry, was the first to start firing the clay figurines to make them more durable. He even won the praise from writer and poet Frédéric Mistral, champion of the Provençal language.
It is interesting to note that the clay industry in Provence dates back to Roman times. In its heyday, Aubagne’s clay industry provided employment for a large part of its population. The industry persisted into the 19th century, with chimney stacks littered across the local skyline.
Today, there are many Santonniers in Provence, and most are family affairs. The skills are passed down from generation to generation. It is a long and precise process to create a Santon, and all of it done by hand. In fact, the majority of the manufacturing cost goes into labor. New models are imagined and added to the collections every year.
The best Santonniers have won the prestigious “Meilleurs Ouvriers” award which they proudly display in their workshops and stands. My two favorites Santonniers for their fine workmanship are Carbonel and Escoffier. Escoffier has not only a shop, but also his workshop and a small museum side by side in Marseille. Escoffier, who has a permanent shop in Marseill”s Old Port, has his workshop in nearby Aubagne. Both can be found at the Marseille Foire des Santons.
My amazingly talented brother decided to try his hand as a pseudo “Santonniers”…. Below is his incredible work – I think he can easily compete with the best of them ! Orders anyone ???
If you are interested in starting your own Provençal Crèche, stay tuned… I’ll be sharing resources and places to visit in my next blog should you ever find yourself in Provence over the holidays.
This is such a great family tradition to have and I loved seeing “behind the scenes”, how you actually make the hills and river. (Your river is genius by the way). There are so many funny characters to collect, you might have even inspired me to start my own tradition. Thanks for linking up to #AllAboutFrance and great to actually meet you in the flesh the other day!
Always look forward to it and this last Christmas creche was the best! I like the fact that some of the figures are new and some from the 1950s. The tradition continues!
Looking forward to seeing more of your hand painted santons !


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Howes, David. "Scent, Sound and Synaesthesia: Intersensoriality and Material Culture Theory." In Handbook of Material Culture, 161-172. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2006. doi: 10.4135/9781848607972.n11.
Howes, D 2006, 'Scent, sound and synaesthesia: intersensoriality and material culture theory', in Handbook of material culture, SAGE Publications Ltd, London, pp. 161-172, viewed 22 April 2019, doi: 10.4135/9781848607972.n11.
Howes, David. "Scent, Sound and Synaesthesia: Intersensoriality and Material Culture Theory." Handbook of Material Culture. Christopher TilleyWebb Keane and Susanne Küchler. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, 2006. 161-172. SAGE Knowledge. Web. 22 Apr. 2019, doi: 10.4135/9781848607972.n11.

industry_corpus2: Subject Education


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Has to be the first one. A perfect family film to snuggle up and laugh at together.
OK, so I might mostly like this film because it has Andrew Lincoln off of Teachers in it but it’s such a feel good Christmas film…and it’ll almost certainly be on ITV2 at least once a week during December!
This is a lovely Christmas film and I have fond memories of taking the big one, avec her elf to see this a few years ago on Christmas Eve.
Another ITV2 favourite, this is another good Christmas film…the fact Jude Law is in it is completely irrelevant and I definitely have not watched the remake of Alfie a lot..
What are your must watch Christmas films?
I’ve seen most of these already this season. Elf is amazingly funny!!! I like the movie Santa Claus. It was a 80s-90s movie with the best Santa in it! It was about a rich girl and a homeless boy and John Lithgow is in it? I think Santa Claus is the full name of it. I haven’t seen it in a few years but I’m sure it’s still my favorite! Thanks so much for posting this for me to find on #MarvMondays!
I love all of these! I’ve already watched The holiday, Arthur Christmas and started watching Love Actually. I also love Naitonal Lampoons Christmas vacation; its’ just not the Christmas season until I’ve watched it.
I’m not sure mine was ever switched on enough to ask!
Oh how I love Elf – yes its sooo good and hilarious! I would add muppets to this too and believe it or not have never seen Love Actually haha!

industry_corpus2: Film & Entertainment


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Call for nominations, validate nominations, announce a slate of candidates and arrange for conduct of election.
EC will provide the number of vacancies to the Nominations committee and extend all help to conduct the elections EC thanks all the Nomination committee members for accepting the Chapter invite to serve on Nomination Committee.
EC requests all members to extend their cooperation for smooth election process.
This page was last modified on 25 October 2014, at 22:50.


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A special immersive screening of Big, starring Tom Hanks, and paying tribute to one of the world's most successful female directors of all time - Penny Marshall - who passed away in December.
We pay tribute to Penny Marshall, director of this classic family comedy, who sadly passed away in December. Big follows 12-year-old Josh Raskin, who after wishing to be 'big' at a travelling fun fair, wakes up the next day as an adult. Tom Hanks plays the adult Josh and allows his big kid tendancies to run wild when Josh lands a dream job at a toy company and romances one of his colleagues... but how long until his secret is discovered? We'll show the extended version of the film with rarely seen deleted scenes, bringing more attention to some of the film's female characters.


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Robert Frost has always been a favorite of mine. His poems are such a popular subject of study in the American education system that some folks might find him a little passé. Contrary to this view, I would argue that the reason that he is so popular is a function of the enormous aesthetic value of his works.
I find this verse to be extremely poignant. Obviously, it represents the decline of life. Frost presents us with the imagery of a harvested field, birds migrating ahead of the approaching winter, withered weeds and a bare tree. There is a reference to sadness.
I think that the imagery and words here are very effective. When I read this I can almost smell the scent of autumn in the air and feel the chilled air against my skin. The best of poets is capable in eliciting such memories for me.
The last few lines of this work make it very distinctive. The aster flower often represents love and enchantment. It is the one flower remaining. It seems that the voice of the poem is experiencing decline and may be nearing the end, but his love and sense of enchantment is still intact.
In the midst of the darkness of decline and death, there is love and human connection. This is a bittersweet reference, however. The flower seems to represent the last of the positive emotions. In some ways, this adds to the sadness of verse.
This level of pathos surrounding death and loss seems to me to be common in Frost’s work. The poet has such a way when he describes the grayness that seems inherent in life. Frost is not a nihilist, he values love and other positive emotions, as is illustrated in this poem. In his work, however, it is apparent that all things in life are marked by the shadow that death and loss brings to everyone.
The Ideological Origins of the American Revolution by Bernard Bailyn is an essential book for anyone interested in the American Revolution or in the history of government in general. First published in 1968, this book is profoundly important in understanding the key intellectual roots and issues related to the Revolution and the founding of the American State and Federal Governments. The version of the book that I read had more recent material added by the author. Folks who I know in academia tell me that this book is required reading for many history students. There is good reason for this.
To comprehend the basis of this work, it is important to understand the role that pamphleteers played in the intellectual conversation and discourse of Seventeenth and Eighteenth Century English and Colonial societies. Pamphlets, ranging from a few pages to dozens of pages long, were essentially essays that were circulated throughout English and Colonial society.
The writers varied from common middle class folks to some of the greatest minds of the time including David Hume, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine, to name just a few. Some pamphlets themselves were famous, Paine’s Common Sense being a notable example. Pamphleteers would often engage in “conversations” and “arguments,” one writer responding to another, who would respond in turn, and so forth.
Bailyn conducted meticulous research on tens of thousands of these documents. As a result, he yielded great results. He references dozens of these works within this book. The author mines multiple intellectual threads that fueled not only the rebellion, but also the thinking that led to the eventual construction of the American Constitution.
Multiple subjects are covered in extreme detail, ranging from any government’s right to tax, individual rights, balance of governmental powers, religion and government, and slavery, to name just a few. Most of these ideas and controversies dated back to before the English Civil War. Bailyn picks these threads up via the various pamphlets that addressed them. The evolution of relevant ideas is often followed for over a century, as they were eventually taken up by Colonial thinkers, who in turn shaped them through the American War for Independence and up to the ratification of the United States Constitution.
This book is detailed and digs into many of these ideologies and issues in great depth. It is instrumental in furthering the understanding of the Revolution as well as of the history of government itself. Many concepts and conflicts pertaining to current day democracies were formulated during this period and will be familiar to anyone who now follows current events and politics. It is striking just how many of these issues are still relevant and debated today. Issues such as the power of government, Federal verses local control, taxes, etc. are still hotly contested in the twenty-first century.
I must mention the current debate in America between those who contend that the American Revolution was driven by Christian Ideals verses those who contend that Enlightenment Secular Ideals drove it. While this issue is not directly addressed in this work, this book makes it clear that both played a part in all sorts of complex ways. Reading this book has made me understand how the entire premise of the debate is untenable.
Bailyn’s writing can be somewhat dry at times. Also, a basic knowledge of the American Revolution, The United States Constitution, English history especially as it pertains to the Magna Carter, The English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution will be extremely helpful for prospective readers. As a result of the above, this book might bore those who are just casually interested in these subjects. Thus, I would recommend this work only to the very interested. For those who have such a strong interest in these topics however, this book is a gold mine.
I recently read and blogged about James Joyce’s Ulysses. My commentary on that book is here. The particular entry on Joyce’s work ended up just a little different from my typical posts. As my comprehension of that novel was so much below my usual level, I chose to devote four or five paragraphs of my post to my personal impressions of the reading experience itself. Though I have posted in similar ways on a few other occasions, this does not reflect my usual blogging style. I should note that I subsequently rounded out this particular entry with some commentary on various aspects of the novel, thus making the commentary a little less centered upon myself.
For a moment as I was formulating the post, I questioned myself, is this the way to write about a book? I am wary of analyzing books from too personal of a view. I often eschew doing so. I believe that too much personal bias gets in the way of understanding what an author is trying to say. Though I did not venture into the territory of “I liked this character” or “I related to that character,” I was writing mostly about my own reading comprehension and what I got out of the book in relation to my own limitations in understanding.
Then I asked myself, is this train of thought taking the idea of blogging too seriously? This thought in turn expanded to thinking about the entire nature of my blog and of what I want to accomplish with it.
I realize that I am not engaged in literary criticism, but what exactly am I doing? I cannot pretend to be conducting serious analysis. I am not qualified to do so, and one look at my commentary indicates that I am not formally doing this. In fact, when I look back at many of my posts, it turns out that to some degree, at least, I commonly incorporate my own experiences in my commentary. Yet, at the same time, albeit in an amateurish way, I do apply some aspects of criticism to my writing.
Of course, what I am doing, plain and simple, is talking about books. With that, part of the way that I like to talk about books is to include some unprofessional form of literary criticism. I liken this to participating in a local sports league. One does not need to be a professional or even a very good athlete to enjoy playing a sport.
So do I need to adhere to strict rules regarding criticism? Of course I do not. I do not want to restrict myself in any way like that. Nor would my unqualified efforts stand up to such a serious approach. As I allude to above, blogging about books, for me, is about sharing thoughts and ideas. Whatever thoughts and ideas seem interesting to me at the time of writing is what I write about. Why not occasionally think about and share my personal impressions of various works based upon my own biases, including likeability of characters?
Yet, sometimes I like to dabble into such slightly more formal territory. Ironically for me, it adds to the fun. One beautiful thing about having one’s own blog is that there are no rules. So I can write posts in so many different ways.
I can summarize a book and give my opinion on it. I can hone in on a book’s main point and agree, disagree or take a neutral stand on it. I can focus on a particular theme, passage or character and analyze that. I can just talk about how a book affected me, how I felt about it or what I learned from it. From time to time, I have found it worthwhile to employ all these approaches.
Since likability or relatability of characters or plot developments is not something that I usually find very interesting, I will very rarely incorporate such musings in a post. However, I reserve the right to do so, especially if I find a noteworthy angle to that chain of reasoning.
I love blogging about books. I love sharing my thoughts on reading and other issues. An eclectic approach, not just in my choice of books, but also to the way that I approach the discussion of a tome, seems to work very well for me. It has added to the joy and fun that writing and sharing ideas concerning books entails. There really are no rules. After all, I am just talking about books.


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industry_corpus2: Manufacturing


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Slide lock, large opening accommodates ice cubes and easy cleaning after use. BPA-free polyurethane film is protected by Microban® antimicrobial technology. Ogio Reservoir utilizes radio frequency welded seam technology on seams and exit port to ensure a strong leakproof bond.
Angled easy flow bite valve provides a constant flow-rate.
TPU tubing is odor-free and taste-free.
Volume markings on the front for making it easy to mix electrolytes or your favorite drink.


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Sundays in July / The Salisbury Community Band in concert at the bandstand in Salisbury’s City Park. 7 p.m. Free. Bring chairs, and enjoy a musical tradition that dates to the late 1930’s. July 2nd concert celebrates Independence Day. http://www.salisburyband.com.
July 4 (Mon.) / “Red, White, and Boom” fireworks at Wi-Hi Stadium, directly across from the Wicomico County Youth and Civic Center, Salisbury. Food vendors and children’s bounce houses will open at 6:30 p.m. Fireworks will begin at 9:15 p.m. Bring lawn chairs or blankets. Free admission; free parking in the Civic Center and Wicomico High School lots. (Rain date is July 5.) http://www.wicomicociviccenter.org/events-listings/red-white-boom.
July 4 (Tues.) /Fireworks at Northside Park, 125th St., Ocean City. Free concert by Mike Hines and the Look at 8 p.m.; fireworks at 9:30. 800-626-2326. http://ococean.com/events/july-4th-concert-and-fireworks-at-northside-park.
July 4 (Tues.) /Fireworks at the beach, North Division St., Ocean City. Free concert by Triple Rail Turn at 8 p.m.; fireworks at 9:30. 800-626-2326. http://ococean.com/events/july-4th-concert-and-fireworks-at-northside-park.
July 4 (Tues.) / More Fireworks . . . Dewey Beach, 9 p.m.; Bethany Beach, dusk; Ocean Pines, 9 p.m.
July 4 (Tues.) / Shorebirds host Lakewood Blue Claws, Shorebirds Stadium, 6:05 p.m. Fireworks after the game. http://www.milb.com/schedule/index.jsp?sid=t548&m=7&y=2017.
July 5 – 8; 12- 15 (Wed – Sat.) / Hebron Firemen’s Carnival. Rides, food, and family fun, including the carnival’s famous oyster sandwiches. Kitchen opens at 6:30 p.m.; rides begin operation at 7:15 p.m. July 5th Fireworks: Rides end at 9 p.m.; fireworks begin at 9:30. Hebron Camp Grounds. Wrist bands for unlimited rides are $14. General admission: free. 410-749-3037. http://www.hebronvfd.com/page/carnival.
July 14 – 16 (Fri. – Sun.) / Ocean City Tuna Tournament. Watch more than 100 boats weigh-in their tuna catches in hopes of winning over $500,000 in cash. Weigh-ins take place on Fri., Sat., & Sun. from 4:00 – 7:30 p.m. Free to spectators. $900 entry fee for participants. For more information, contact Jennifer Blunt at ocfc@ocfishing.com.
July 21 (Fri.) / Salisbury’s Third-Friday Celebration on the Plaza. Vendors, food, and live music. This month’s theme is “Anything goes.” Enjoy street performers and magicians, and wear a crazy costume if you like. 5 – 8 p.m. www.3rdfridaysby.com.
July 23 (Sun.) / WWE Live “Summer-Slam Heat-Wave” Tour, featuring Roman Reigns vs. Bray Wyatt; Seth Rollins and Finn Balor vs. Gallows and Anderson. Plus Dean Ambrose, The Miz, The Hardy Boyz, Cesaro and Sheamus, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, and many more. 7:00 p.m. Tickets: $15 – $100. Box office: 410-548-9191. http://www.wicomicociviccenter.org/events-listings/wwe-live-summerslam-heatwave-tour-1.
July 23 (Wed.) / Chincoteague Pony Swim, near Memorial Park, Chincoteague, Va., Time: 6 – 8 a.m. For this and related events, visit http://www.chincoteaguechamber.com/pony-swim.
July 30 (Sun.) / Broadway’s Sutton Foster at the Freeman Stage, 31750 Lake View Drive, Selbyville, Del. Sutton Foster is an award-winning actress, singer, and dancer who has performed in 11 Broadway shows, including the original casts of The Drowsy Chaperone, Little Women, Young Frankenstein, and Shrek The Musical. She won Tony Awards for her performances in Anything Goes and Thoroughly Modern Millie. 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $42. Children 12 and under are admitted for free when accompanied by an adult. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/tony-award-winner-sutton-foster-brings-broadway-to-the-beach-tickets-32782192420.


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“The Medium is the Message” devised by media philosopher Marshall McLuhan, is a phrase often brought up in my Convergent Media Practices classes. The model shaping how this notion works could be described similarly to the notion of deception – which brought me to the classic quizzical stare of Leonardo DiCaprio in Christopher Nolans’ 2010 film Inception. You see I found myself hosting this exact expression while trying to wrap my head around the concept, however I have now come to the understanding that over time as technology and the world around us has developed to accommodate alternate affordances, the medium that messages use have in fact influenced the very importance of different messages and how they are delivered to an audience. For example; the Internet as a medium has revolutionized what messages we send. Testimony to this is the birth of the meme.
Leo as a meme, I love it! I like the way you have given a simplistic definition of this week’s topic in a clear and concise manner. Maybe one way to improve would be to give some further background behind the concept?
Hey, this is a good first post. I liked the relatively concise explanation and you did very well with the meme, but I also feel like you could have improved your explanation by making it clearer and more in-depth.
Overall this is a good first post though, nice work.
I would give a definition to what both the medium and the message is- which the medium is an extension of our own personal self and the message is the change of scale.


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Josephine Erwin Russell Shaw, 88, passed away peacefully at Carillion Assisted Living of Hillsborough at 7:00 AM on December 16, 2010. Josephine was born in High Point, NC on October 25, 1922 to Elijah Austin Russell and Ella Erwin Russell. Josephine went to school in Hamlet, NC and after graduation worked for the US Army where she met and married her husband.
Following the war, she worked along side her husband as they built a business and provided for their two sons. Both of her sons graduated from college and that was probably one of her most proud moments. In addition, she was always available to take her sons to their baseball games and watch as a proud parent.
Josephine was involved with several social groups and enjoyed the company and fellowship those friends. She was a long time Sunday school teacher at First Presbyterian Church in Durham and was rewarded with the affections of many children she took charge of.
She was a devoted wife, Mother, Grandmother, and Great-Grandmother. She will be remembered with great love and kind thoughts. Those who knew her will have many fond memories of her life and contributions.
Josephine was preceded in death by her husband, Calvin H. Shaw, Sr. and a son, Kenneth Ware Shaw.
She is survived by her son, Calvin H. Shaw, Jr. of Largo, FL; grandson, Kenneth C. Shaw and wife, Martha of Hampstead, NC; granddaughter, Courtney S. McDaniel and husband, Chris, of Concord, NC.
A graveside service will be held at 1:00 PM on Tuesday, December 21, 2010 at Maplewood City Cemetery, 1621 Duke University Rd., Durham, NC 27701. The Rev. Forest Gale will officiate.
Josephine’s family would like to thank the staff of Amedisys Hospice in Durham and the staff of Homewatch Caregivers of Chapel Hill for the care, love and respect that they showered on Josie.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Josephine’s name to Amedisys’ Christen Foundation 5959 South Sherwood Forest Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70816. Please include “Josephine Shaw Memorial” on the memo line of your check.
As part of the not mentioned yet surviving children of Calvin High Shaw I would like to send my condolences to the rest of the family. We all loved our Granny and Granddaddy very much and will miss them, much as we have, for the rest of our days. Two very special people have passed in to the lords arms.
Granny was very loved and will be truly missed. We will carry her always in our hearts.


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Building toys create a wonderful platform for creative play. They expand their imagination, promote motor skills, … all through play! You will also find, that a lot of these toys revolve around STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) or STEAM (with Art added to STEM). For your expressive and exploratory young engineers, check these amazing toys out!
To help you find the best building toys for the kids on your gift list, I created a building toys gift guide.
All of the items are separated by age, which will make finding the perfect gift even easier.
Foam Building Blocks: The best set of building blocks for baby!
Mega Bloks: Big and chunky pieces perfect for small hands. Love the carrying case too!
Fisher-Price Laugh & Learn First Words Shape Blocks: These blocks have textured sides.
Little Stackers Lion Locomotive: All aboard! Let’s stack the train.
TinkerToys: A classic building toy that every kiddo should have on hand.
Build Your Own Car Kit: With realistic looking tools, along with nuts and bolts, kids can build their very own race car.
Bristle Blocks: These blocks are really easy to use. You can build a variety of things with this set that comes with over 100 pieces.
LEGO Duplo Deluxe Train Set: This set has it all. The trains even make noises!
Tegu Magbot Magnetic Wooden Block Set: Build robots with these magnetic blocks.
LEGO Juniors Fire Patrol Suitcase: I think the best part about this building toy gift idea is the case it comes in.
Learning Resources Gears: Building with gears can be very entertaining. Especially when those gears light up.
Roller Coaster Challenge Logic & Building Game: This game challenges you to build a complete roller coaster from start to finish.
LEGO Elves Rosalyn’s Healing Hideout: Comes complete with a two-story tree fort and alchemy room.
Ingenious Machines Remote Control Robotic Building Kit: Kids can build remote-controlled robots!
Zoob Builders: This building kit has a pull-back motor that helps this robot move.
LEGO Disney Princess Moana’s Ocean Voyage: I love the canoe in this set… oh, and you can’t forget about Maui!
LEGO Boost Creative Toolbox: Build, code, and create with this fantastic LEGO kit! These sets have sure come a long way.
LEGO Make Your Own Movie Kit: Kids can build LEGOs and make their very own stop animation movies.
Thames & Kosmos Geckobot Wall Climbing Robot: Kids can build a gecko robot that climbs the wall! So cool.
SmartLab Toys Aftershock Earthquake Lab Set: Build different models to see if they can withstand the strength of an earthquake.
Catapults & Crossbows Science Kit: This kit has enough pieces to make 10 working catapults and crossbows.
Scientific Explorer Young Architect Building Set: Create 3D models that are re-usable.
LEGO Belle’s Enchanted Castle: Thanks to the folks at LEGO, you can now gift Belle’s enchanted castle.
LEGO Batman Batwing Building Kit: This is the ultimate Batman LEGO set!
Mechanical Engineering Robotic Arms: Learn the science behind robotic arms by building them.
LEGO Ninjago Movie Destiny’s Bounty: This fantastic ship comes with three levels as well as some pretty impressive LEGO Minifigures.
K’Nex Swing Ride Building Set: Build a functioning swing set… just like the ones at an amusement park. There is also a K’Nex Roller Coaster Set.
K’Nex Ferris Wheel: This amusement park ride really works, thanks to the motor.
Laser Pegs Monster Truck: Once you have built the monster truck, it lights up with the help of some electric blocks. The best part is that they are compatible with other popular building blocks.
LEGO Star Wars VIII BB-8 Building Kit: BB-8’s head rotates just like he does in the movies.
DC Comics Deck-Building Game: Build a strong deck to protect yourself from the villains.
Now that you have made it to the end of building toys gift guide, tell me, was it easy for you to find the perfect gift? Share your favorite finds with me, in the comments!
Looking for more STEM Toys for Kids? Check out Best Coding Toys for Kids, Engineering Toys for Kids, and Outdoor STEM Toys for Kids.
For complete STEM Toy guide, please visit Coomplet STEM Toys Guide for Kids, which include Engineering Toys, Hands on Math Toys, Outdoor STEM Toys, and more.
Great post! Thanks for sharing the gift guide.


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"Fabrication of atomically abrupt interfaces of single-phase TiH2 and Al2O3"
APL Mater. 5, 086102 (2017).
"A nonvolatile memory device with very low power consumption based on the switching of a standard electrode potential"
APL Mater. 5, 046105 (2017) (Editor's picks).
"Charge-density wave in Ca-intercalated bilayer graphene induced by commensurate lattice matching"
Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 146103 (2015).
"Imaging the evolution of d-states at a strontium titanate surface"
J. Am. Chem. Soc. 136, 17201 (2014) (*equal contribution).
"Effect of oxygen deficiency on SrTiO3(001) surface reconstructions"
Appl. Phys. Lett. 100, 263201 (2012).
"Atomic-scale visualization of initial growth of homoepitaxial SrTiO3 thin film on an atomically ordered substrate"
ACS Nano 5, 7967 (2011).
Hitosugi Lab / All Rights Reserved.

industry_corpus2: Technology & Research


text:
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Our services are designed to support your business and enable you to build a solid relationship of trust and focus on other areas of your business, the ones that matter more to you.
We are fully compliant with GDPR and all processes are secured and any sensitive information gained during Services are held for a maximum of 12 months after those services conclude.
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We can only provide services if an agreement is made directly between you as the client and ourselves as the consultant, this could be a verbal agreement or in writing.
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industry_corpus2: Power & Energy


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Frank Moore Jr., the New England and Great Lakes regional sales manager for Mack Boring & Parts Co., died suddenly Feb. 28 at his home in North Attleboro, Mass. He was 45 years old.
In his 25 years with Mack Boring, Moore held management positions in sales, parts and branch operations at the company's New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts locations. The company says he was instrumental in building the dealer network for Yanmar diesels and in supporting boatbuilders and naval architects for their diesel applications. He also represented Isuzu and Mitsubishi diesels for commercial vessels.
"Frank was a dedicated, hard-working and highly respected member of the Mack Boring team who always represented the company in a professional way and always had a great sense of humor," Mack Boring president Steve McGovern said in a statement. "He will be sorely missed."
Moore leaves his wife, Trish, and three children, Shannon, Daniel and Marissa, as well as his parents, Francis and Patricia Moore.


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There are only a few days left to register for the forthcoming Örecomm festival that will take place in Roskilde (DK), Malmö (SWE) & Copenhagen (DK) from 13-16 September.
This year's theme is Memory on Trial: Media, Citizenship and Social Justice, but the scope of the festival is much broader and a real treat for ethnographically inclined colleagues.
And do browse through the impressive 46-page long festival program!
It is not entirely fair to only point out some of the keynote speakers like Thomas Hylland Eriksen or highlight the screening of multi-award winning film The Act of Killing, because there is so much more to discover in and around the three hosting cities in the Öresund area.
I have not really thought about the 'how', but I am planning to blog from the events and some live broadcasting will be available, too. In addition to mingling with the great conference participants this will be a great opportunity to meet in person--so do not hesitate to register and then contact me so we can sort out practical details.
Looking forward to seeing you in Scandinavia!

industry_corpus2: Media & Journalism


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A real estate agent in New Zealand admitted that he had defrauded an unsuspecting pensioner of NZ$70,000 (about US$ 59,322). He is set to be sentenced next month, but is likely to avoid jail.
had abused the power of attorney he held over Edith Cavill South’s affairs. Walker was then released on bail and another 33 charges related to his misuse of the victim’s bank account were withdrawn by the prosecution, local newspaper The Greymouth Star reports.
South moved into her new home and paid for some repair work. However, after three years, she was shocked to discover that she, in fact, had no legal claim to the property as her NZ$70,000 check had been deposited into Walker’s own bank account.
Adding insult to injury, she also learned that Walker transferred NZ$6,000 (about US$5,085) of her money to his brother’s account, and used her checks to buy goods and services from a variety of businesses, as well as to to pay bills and rentals in the name of Scenicland Realty, his real estate company operating out of the Professionals agency in Gremouth.
In 2011, Walker’s free ride came to an end. He was arrested by the police and given the boot by the Real Estate Agents Authority.
NZ$70,000 she had lost, and the Mad Butcher franchise bought her a house in Reefton to live in rent-free for the rest of her life. This did not prove to be long, as South passed away in December 2011, having lived in the property for just five months.
The sentencing is now expected to take place in Wellington, as it is Walker’s place of residence.
Despite the large sums of money that Walker managed to swindle, he is not likely to receive a jail term, Judge Raoul Neave indicated. His sentence will most probably be electronicallymonitored.


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As a left-brainer by day, I tend to be a planner: reservations, time schedules, itineraries–even for a casual weekend trip. But sometimes even the best-laid plans go awry. Thanks to a harried schedule and a little trick Travelocity played on me, my husband and I ended up this past Saturday night, in the middle of freaking nowhere, with no hotel room.
(Warning: when booking through Travelocity, check your confirmation email CAREFULLY. I searched and booked–I thought–for the 28th. Arrived at the hotel with a confirmation in hand for the 23rd–which had already been charged to my bank account).
No matter. After a wonderful evening with close friends in rural Maine (VERY rural!) for their wedding, we drove twenty miles to find we had no room. The hotel across the street was booked as well. We had no choice to but to hoof it back toward the main highway.
Until we stumbled upon The Poland Springs Resort. At first glance, I was sure we couldn’t afford a room in this elegant old Victorian mansion. But I was pleasantly surprised to find that they did still have a few rooms available in our price range. What an unexpected delight this was.
The Poland Springs Resort was established in 1794, and is the original site of “THE SPRING” from which all Poland Spring water, well . . . springs. There are numerous buildings on the expansive resort surrounding an impeccably manicured golf course. The building we had the honor of staying in was called the Presidential Inn.
The building itself has no check-in office–you do that at The Lodge a half-mile up the road. With old fashioned keys in hand, we parked and used one of the two keys to unlock the exterior doors to the Presidential–and took a step back in time to a more elegant era.
We stepped into a warmly lit lobby which, although it was only about 8 p.m., was empty. The only other guests we saw were two elderly couples playing cards on the lower level in one of their “gathering rooms.” The place was clean, quiet, but I have to admit–in its seemingly abandoned state in the dark, a little bit creepy.
There are no elevators. So, luggage in tow, my husband and I trudged up the very long carpeted stairwell to the second floor to our room, number “5.” The room was spacious and just as comfortably appointed as the rest of the hotel. If not somewhat dated.
The bed was clean and comfortable, there was plenty of hot water and the pressure would just about blast you out of the shower. And it was quiet . . . almost supernaturally quiet. Until about two a.m.
After a trip to the bathroom, I lay in the bed waiting for sleep to again claim me. The footsteps began moments later. First, in the hallway outside our door. These were not those of an adult. Quick, bouncy, like a small child running down the hallway. First up the hall, then back down. Over and over again. No voices accompanied these sounds, not the opening or closing of a door. Nothing.
Then they began overhead, seemingly on the third floor directly above us. A child, running excitedly, almost bouncing, from one end of the room to the other. Again, no voices. No doors opening or closing. Not another blessed sound.
This went on, switching back and forth between overhead to the hallway outside our door, until after 3:30 a.m. It wasn’t loud enough to disturb my husband–he snored through the whole thing. I was sorely tempted to peek out, but my chicken liver feared I might find one of Stephen King’s little girls from the Overlook peering back at me.
Was I afraid? Strangely not. I tried to rationalize that there was an over-active toddler somewhere in the hotel whose parents–whose mute parents–were trying to let run off extra energy.
My hair stood up on my neck just a little at that last line.
The next morning, a lovely buffet breakfast was included in our room rate. This was in another building, where there were additional rooms. We were not, I discovered, the only guests of the Poland Spring Resort that night. Several dozen others enjoyed their breakfasts alongside us–all senior citizens belonging to some sort of car club (my husband had noticed the line of classic Studebakers in the lot). Not a toddler or young family among them.
Is the Presidential Lodge haunted? Having been around since the turn of the 19th century, I would say that chances are good. But have no fear–I didn’t. Instead, I left the Poland Springs Resort with a sense of curiosity that will fuel my research and bring me back, again, to stay at the Presidential Inn another time. Or two.
It might even be the site for another Haunted Voices novel . . .
This is AMAZING! Hell I’ll go stay there with you just for the experience! Hope you do write a book about it. I would love to read about the mystery of the hotel.

industry_corpus2: Hospitality & Catering


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Aside from our monthly “Emotional Garbage” exercise led by facilitator Amor, at February’s Support group discussion our guests shared some really great quotes during conversation. As a lover of words and a fan of “bars in real life” I can always appreciate that moment where words promote healing + collective connection.
We also explored “stress” through the eyes of simple self-soothing treatments.
the life force, our energy and vital substance that basically defines life in traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy.
When anyone undergoes physical or emotional trauma the Qi is either depleted or stagnant (not flowing smoothly) throughout your body.
Being diagnosed with cancer damages you both physically AND emotionally.
Tonight, I will address stress because it is so common in the era we live in.
First we need to understand that stress is not a symptom. We need to identify how stress affects us individually. For example, some people will get headaches when stressed while others might experience abdominal pain when stressed or emotionally strained. The key concept of holistic health is knowing that every person is different and healing is different for everyone.
Via Natural Health, Natural Medicine: The Complete Guide to Wellness and Self-Care for Optimum Health by Andrew Weil, M.D.
As a group we practiced a really powerful 4-7-8 exercise that provided us with a sense of mental and physical relief. It was refreshing to practice something SO SIMPLE that required LITTLE TIME and promises REAL benefit. It gets hard out here for folks “affected by cancer”. Having techniques like these to restore our baseline energy easily becomes a life requirement!


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All proposals should be presented in writing to the press director (director@ci.uc.pt) and should include a detailed plan of the writing project clearly indicating its size (approximate number of characters) and other characteristics (images, graphs, tables, etc...), and an evaluation of the number of agents potentially interested in acquisition of the book, and possible source of financing, internal (e.g. through research centers) or external to the University of Coimbra. A delivery date for the work should be indicated in the case the proposal is approved. That is, a complete and final version of the work delivered to UCP (digital and hard copy); disregard of this deadline will result in suspension of the project.
The proposal will be accompanied by the delivery of the complete version of the text (in conformity to the publication regulations of the UPC) and the author's actualized, digital, curriculum vitae, and the author must fill in and sign a document certifying delivery of the original texts. Fiscal and citizen identity numbers, details concerning the information left in the care of UCP (support for presentation, type of publication, target audience, language, number of pages and images/graphs/tables, a brief abstract of the work) and an indication of possible sponsors of the publication under consideration (and, if possible an estimate of the contribution of each sponsor). The Coimbra University Press will not return printed versions of the proposals it receives.
The texts must be submitted with signed Authorial Declaration and Publication Authorization forms.
During the meeting, the author candidate will be informed of the series and collections published by UCP and without delay reach an agreement with the press directors on which of these editorial lines his/her work will be integrated in the case his/her work wins approval. This choice includes acceptance of the cover design, graphics and typeface of the series or collection chosen as most suitable for integration of the author's work.
All works must be approved by the Editorial Council and then will be subject to rigorous, external scientific arbitration, thus authorial candidates are advised to take into serious consideration all suggestions made by the Editorial Council, in terms of the quality, originality and relevance of the proposed project.
The UCP Editorial Council will give priority to publication of university level textbooks and over time will seek a greater balance of representation for the diverse subjects through the UCP catalogue. Thus, the areas that are currently most poorly represented will be given greater attention.
Except for exceptional cases, publication of master’s and doctoral thesis (these being digitally available in the central repository of General Studies) and the acts of highly specialized seminars will be avoided.
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If, during the aforementioned process an author wants to change, to any degree, the contents of their work, UCP will consider this an interruption of the process, obliging a return to the initial point as if, in effect, dealing with a new proposal for publication. UCP reserves the right of repayment for any expenditure associated with the process of production of a work until the interruption of the process (particularly services of pagination).
The author of a work is responsible for its index. UCP will provide the author with a final paginated copy, so the author may identify the pages corresponding to each selected entry.
All the images to be inserted in a publication must be provided by the author with minimum production quality of: 300 DPI and in TIFF format. They must be accompanied by their respected credits and a declaration authorizing their usage. Graphics should be submitted in vector format (Illustrator or Freehand) with equations in EPS format using the Mathtype equation.
UCP estimates the production time of a routine publication to be between four and eight months, counting from the time of publication approval until the final version.
A copy of these regulations will be given to the authors at their first meeting with the UCP directors and a signed copy will be kept by UCP.
Approved in the Editorial Council meeting of the University of Coimbra Press, 16 April, 2009.


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The impact of the global financial crisis for the private real estate sector was first shocking, then painful and, finally, educational. At the heart of the crisis was Lehman Brothers' collapse. PERE brings you the full story of the period following its downfall and the lessons it delivered.
Where were you when Lehman Brothers collapsed? Ask most private real estate senior executives and they will tell you. On September 15, 2008, the Wall Street stalwart, assumed by many to be too big to fail, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The Dow Jones index lost 4.5 percent immediately on the news. A year and a half later, it would halve in value. Global real estate plunged some $600 billion in the same timeframe, according to global broker CBRE. The loss was approximately equal to the value of all the property transactions worldwide last year, as calculated by its rival JLL. It was a bloodbath.
Over the course of this special report, essentially an aggregation of experiences from the time of Lehman’s collapse, you’ll read about managers defaulting on their debts, writing down swathes of equity, even handing back keys in some cases. One called Lehman’s collapse a “a day of reckoning,” another a time for “hard choices.” A third described how “the tide went out” exposing all the flaws, individual and systemic, in the private real estate sector.
Then came the recovery. Within six months of the Wall Street bank’s demise, half of the lost value in commercial property markets was restored. Those investors and managers fortunate to have capital and the wherewithal to deploy it first would become today’s sector champions. You’ll read how leading managers and investors capitalized on recovering markets using their capital heft to secure strategic investments in assets and operators that had been rendered vulnerable by the crisis.
The period was the making of some organizations. For many others, however, it was a time best consigned to the history books. For both, the events surrounding the crash of Lehman Brothers left marks that are still visible today.


text: Twice the Beavers battled back from 3-goal deficits to tie, including a thrilling 4th quarter comeback. We won the faceoff to start overtime, called an immediate timeout and set up the offense. We got the open look and the shot we wanted, but Roosevelt made the save and then converted after their own timeout. Heart-breaking O.T. loss for us, but congrats to the Roughriders for the hard-won victory. Ballard Pride was definitely on display today, and the kids made us proud despite falling short in a terrific lacrosse game.

industry_corpus2: Sports