text:
Jens Lehmann issues bitter parting message as Arsenal confirm new coaching staff
The former number one has left the club as part of backroom changes and it's fair to say he's not happy with the decision
Ryan O'Donovan
Get the biggest Arsenal stories by email
Jens Lehmann has issued a parting message to Arsenal after the club confirmed their new coaching staff - stating the attitude from the 2004 squad is no longer needed at the Emirates.
The former goalkeeper was one of the side's Invincibles that went the 2003-04 season without defeat but has left the club as part of new manager Unai Emery's changes to the coaching line up for next season.
Lehmann was assistant coach for the 2017-18 season under Arsene Wenger, but after news was released he would not be kept on by the new manager, he went to Twitter to issue a bitter parting message to the club that he spent five years with as a player.
Ex-Bayern Munich man calls for Mesut Ozil to be dropped after Lothar Matthaus slams German star
Posting on Twitter, he said: "Dear #Arsenal Fans , I am sorry to leave the club after only one year again. It was a good experience working with the players as one of the assistant-coaches. But the attitude from our 2004-group is not needed there anymore."
Javi Garcia and Sal Bibbo have been named as Arsenal's new goalkeeping coaches under the Emery regime, while Steve Bould has retained his position as assistant head coach, alongside Juan Carlos Carcedo at the Emirates.
(Image: Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
The former German keeper played for the Gunners in two separate spells, coming out of retirement in 2011 to cover Arsenal's injury crisis in goal while he was studying for his coaches badges, becoming the oldest player to play for Arsenal in the Premier League before returning once again at the end of the season.
Arsenal fans think £26m star is being unveiled today after photographer posts picture
Keep up to date with the latest news, features and exclusives from football.london via the free football.london app for iPhone and Android.
Available to download from the App Store and Google Play.
Arsenal NewsletterPrivacy notice
AFCFootballLondon
Follow @ArsenalFC_fl
Subscribe to our Arsenal newsletterPrivacy noticeEnter email Subscribe
Gabriel MartinelliWhat Unai Emery has said about Gabriel Martinelli should excite Arsenal supportersArsenal news includes comments from Unai Emery on Gabriel Martinelli
JuventusThe ex-Arsenal forward named in Maurizio Sarri's Juventus squad to face Tottenham in pre-seasonJuventus face Spurs in a pre-season friendly this weekend
Arsenal transfer newsArsenal backed to seal Champions League return in 2020 ahead of Chelsea and Man UnitedThis former Arsenal player is confident ahead of the 2019/20 Premier League campaign


Please consider this as written authorization to have a stop payment put on the following check written on __(Account Holder's Name/my)__ account # __(###)__.
__(Optional: I wish to have a stop payment placed on this check because__(briefly give reason)__. Please send confirmation acknowledging receipt of these instructions by contacting me via __(fax #/email address/phone #/etc.)__. I ask you to kindly debit the account mentioned above for the Stop Payment fee.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to hearing from you soon.


text:
« Kate Atkinson–BIG SKY
Patrick Modiano–DORA BRUDER »
Duanwad Pimwana–ARID DREAMS
Aug 15th, 2019 by mary
"My legs are strong; my body is strong, a farmer's body built for physical labor. The world has farmers, and I'm a good farmer. But right now I'm an elevator attendant even though such a job shouldn't exist in this world. Is it so troublesome to lift your hand up and press a button that they have to pass this task off to someone else, someone who could do so many other things? If I had been born with one hand and an index finger this job would be suitable for me." – from "The Attendant.
When I finished r eading Arid Dreams, the first collection of Thai author Duanwad Pimwana's stories ever to be translated into English, I was so stunned that I had to wait a day before even beginning this review. To say it is a powerful and dramatic collection of thirteen short stories so understates the collection's ability to affect the reader emotionally that it would be unfair to characterize it in such a limited fashion. Vibrant characters, intense interactions, and beautifully controlled themes feature in realistic stories about the daily lives of the hardworking poor and those who have dreams but little or no opportunity to act upon them. Cultural expectations play a big part in the conflicts and disasters which some of the characters face, and though these may be shocking to American readers, they are taken for granted by the characters themselves. As the reader becomes more and more deeply involved with these stories, which show people both as individuals and as members of a broader society, it is impossible not to care about them and how they live, doing what they must do to survive.
Author Duanwad Pimwana's earlier novel BRIGHT is the first novel by a Thai woman ever to be published in the US. (Citation from the Center for the Art of Translation)
The opening story, "Arid Dreams," tells of a man who returns to a place that was his dream vacation spot when he was a student, now so overcrowded he must move to a village hotel away from the beach to find a room. While there, he becomes obsessed with a beautiful woman wearing an old-fashioned top and sarong whom he later discovers to be a masseuse. When he learns that she will spend the night with a guest at his hotel, he inquires about that, but though she will give him a massage, she will not spend the night. The reasons why make him see her in a completely different light. A similar change of opinion and attitudes also occurs in "Wood Children," in which a woman desperate to have a child begins to carve images of children out of wood, becoming increasingly proficient. Worried about her growing obsession, her husband comes home one night with the young son of one of his construction workers, who will visit for the evening, and she is thrilled and happy as she bonds with the child. Convinced his wife no longer needs the wooden images she has been carving, her husband takes actions which have unexpected consequences. In "The Attendant," quoted in the opening lines of this review, the main character nears the end of his shift as an elevator operator, a job in which he sits most of the day with only his hand and his head getting any real exercise. He is distressed that tomorrow he will again need to "have the strength to come back and sit still once again." He bemoans his fate and the end of his dreams for the day.
An old-fashioned elevator, with the gear and seat in the bottom left, feels like prison.
These three stories – "Arid Dreams," "Wood Children," and "The Attendant" are all similar in that a main character is powerless to change circumstances in spite of his/her hopes, but they are very different in their effects on the reader. Whereas "Arid Dreams" is fairly light in subject, with a main character unable to procure the prostitute of his dreams, "The Attendant," by contrast, has no way of controlling his dreams – and his memories of the past – because of his poverty and need for work. "Wood Children" is, by far, the most involving of these three, dealing as it does with the desperate dream of a woman for a child and the accidents of chance which determine her life and over which she has no control.
When a man's wife arrives at home at dawn, he believes she is having an affair and takes action.
"Men's Rights," a title which says it all, is a powerful story of cultural differences, and when it appears at about the mid-point of the collection, the reader will already have recognized that in these stories women are constantly being required to act in ways established by the culture but contrary to what they would choose to do on their own. Here a husband hears his wife arriving home by motorbike at 5:00 a.m. and concludes that she is having an affair. Because of this, he feels compelled to kill her, once he identifies her lover. The couple has a violent argument in which she escapes their house, and the husband must then discover where she has gone and with whom. Of all the many surprises in this collection, the conclusion of this story is something I do not believe any westerner will ever expect. Its revelation of the culture in which these characters live comes as a complete surprise – unique among all the books I have ever reviewed.
A family's sudden need to move affects whether the children can go to a much anticipated fair.
Other stories reflect other issues involving families. The humorous "How a Lad Found His Uncle and Learned a Lesson" is the story of a naive young man whose life has always been comfortable, though he has never met his father. His discovery of an uncle he did not know he had leads him to grow up more quickly than he expected. "Sandals" tells of two young children whose poor parents must suddenly move, with the whole family leaving their home to cut sugarcane starting the next day. The children will have to miss their chance to go a local fair that they have dreamed of all year. "The Way of the Moon" tells of the loving relationship between a father and son as they make special trips to view the moon and its possible effect on the writing of both father and son.
Author Duanwad Pimwana makes her points by keeping the focus domestic, an approach which allows her readers to identify with much of the action by imagining themselves in similar circumstances and then envisioning how they themselves would respond. What is different here is that the female author uses the male point of view (very effectively) in ten of the thirteen stories. Two additional stories involve two people, and only one story, "Within these Walls," is told by a woman. Here a wife thinks about her dying husband, the top aide to a politician, and the comfortable life she has led. His death would free her from many restrictions, though real freedom both thrills and terrifies her. Published by Feminist Press at The City University of New York, this book will energize feminists, but its themes are so universal that perceptive male readers, too, will see how this culture, however "foreign," affects behavior in ways not dissimilar to what is sometimes seen in the contemporary U.S., especially issues involving human rights, the role of women in society, and the need for communication and understanding.
Photos. The author's photo appears on https://www.catranslation.org Her earlier novel, Bright, is the first novel by a Thai woman ever to be published in translation in the US.
This old fashioned elevator required an operator to open and close the doors and to control its stops and starts with the gear in the bottom left. A seat is provided for the operator. www.tripadvisor.com/
The woman on the motorbike arrives near dawn in "Men's Rights," a dramatic and powerful story of a marriage. https://www.istockphoto.com/
A family sudden need to move so that the family can all cut the sugar cane the next day spoils the children's chances to go to a fair. https://www.123rf.com/
The map of Thailand and its neighbors is from https://www.vectorstock.com/
ARID DREAMS
REVIEW. PHOTOS. Literary, Psychological study, Social and Political Issues, Thailand
Written by: Duanwad Pimwana
Published by: Feminist Press at CUNY
Posted in 1-2019 Reviews, Literary, Psychological study, Social and Political Issues, Thailand

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


This morning I watched a Japanese film called My Neighbor Totoro with my children. Totoro is a haunted house movie, although it is nothing like any haunted house movie you would ever see in America. As I sat watching Totoro this morning, I got to thinking about the amazing difference in perceptions of the spirit world and the world of ghosts between the Japanese and the Americans. Different culture's perceptions of ghosts have always fascinated me. I once went to a cemetery with a friend from Taiwan and he said that his mother would be furious with him because he didn't go to the temple to cleanse afterwards. Apparently, his mother believes that ghosts can be carried with you if you don't go to the temple. Miyazaki's movie, Totoro, and many of his other films, show a vision of ghosts and spirits that is so different from our vision of ghosts it is amazing and completely charming.
In the movie Totoro, two little girls move into a house that is known to be haunted. In America, this is the beginning of a horror movie. For Miyazaki, this is the beginning of a lovely adventure. The little girls know the house they live in is haunted and they aren't afraid. In fact, they go hunting the soot gremlins that live in the attic and when their father finds out the house is haunted he yells, in a most joyous voice, "I have wanted to live in a haunted house since I was a boy." Clearly, the negative associations we have with hauntings are not present.
Of course, in Japanese folklore, there are many, many spirits. Every object has a spirit and these spirits are usually good or at least neutral. The spirit world is ever present and in Totoro the little girls' journey into the spirit world is more than fun. I love this haunted house movie because it is the absolute opposite of everything Americans expect of a haunted house movie. It is delightful and fun and worth watching on a sunny morning with your children.


A person with Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) displays patterns of deviant behaviour that can create carnage for those around them (spouse, children, parents, siblings, friends, colleagues, peers, etc). Narcissistic Victim Abuse is abuse that has been caused by someone with this personality disorder. The NPD is not often medically diagnosed, so that the narcissistic individual goes undetected in society (home, work-place, organizations, social settings) and the victim's plight unrecognised.
A person with NPD has an inflated sense of their own importance, a deep need for attention and admiration, and a strong sense of entitlement. They believe they are superior and have little regard for the feelings of others. As a child, a healthy self-esteem (true self) did not develop in the narcissist so they built up defences to create a 'false self' in public. This is akin to wearing a public mask. Wearing the mask is not only emotionally exhausting, it also means that the narcissist is constantly on guard at being found out. They become overly sensitive to narcissistic injury which is any perceived threat (real or imagined) to the narcissist's self-esteem or self-worth. In order to maintain their illusion and protect their 'false self' they seek narcissistic supply from unsuspecting victims.
The narcissist views people as objects which can feed their needs (known as 'sources of narcissistic supply'). The narcissist will use any tactic, without guilt, empathy or conscience, to make sure they get their narcissistic supply and their needs are met. Narcissistic supply comes from public attention such as fame, celebrity, notoriety, or infamy or private attention such as admiration, flattery, acclaim, fear, or even repulsion. Regular bearers of narcissistic supply include the spouse, children, friends, colleagues, partners and clients. Anything that acts as a status symbol that attracts attention and admiration for the narcissist is narcissistic supply, for example, a flashy car, expensive property, designer clothes, being a member of a church, cult, club, or a business.
With an inflated sense of their own superiority, power and control, the narcissist renders themselves susceptible to all sorts of obsessions, compulsions, and addictions, for example, addiction to: narcissistic supply, grandiosity, control, power, rage, perfectionism, attention, fame etc. The devastating impact of these addictions on their significant others can result in Narcissistic Victim Syndrome. Most victims present with no idea about what has happened to them. Narcissistic abuse is insidious because the abuse is covert, cunning and indirect. Narcissists go to great pains to avoid being observed publicly as being abusive. The Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde behaviour creates fear, distress, confusion, inner turmoil, and chaos for the victim. The constant 'walking on eggshells' and attempting to avoid further conflict can be crippling. To complicate matters a narcissist is rarely medically diagnosed and often goes undetected in society (home, work, organisations, and social settings).
For whatever the reason the victim entered the Dance of the Narcissist (a behaviour known as Co-Dependency) so that in the dance there was both: 1) a pleaser/fixer (victim) and; 2) a taker/controller (narcissist/addict).
Victims present when they feel like they can't cope. They are unaware that they have been living or working in a war zone. No-one has mentioned Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD) or narcissistic abuse to them. Victims of this narcissistic abuse often display a set, or cluster, of symptoms due to this physical, mental, emotional or spiritual abuse. In Narcissistic Victim Syndrome you are looking for a cluster of symptoms to emerge, many are the symptoms of trauma (avoidance behaviour, loss of interest, feeling detached, sense of a limited future, sleeping or eating difficulties, irritability, hyper-vigilance, easily startled, flashbacks, hopelessness, psychosomatic illnesses, self-harming, thoughts of suicide etc). Narcissistic abuse victims express feelings of humiliation and shame, and apt to self-blame. They have learned to take responsibility for the narcissist's behaviour because they are constantly told the problem is their fault. Some victims develop Stockholm Syndrome and want to support, defend, and love the abuser despite what they have gone through.
Victims tend to 'dissociate' or detach from their emotions, body, or surroundings. Living in a war zone where all forms of power and control are used against you (intimidation; emotional, physical and mental abuse; isolation, economic abuse, sexual abuse, coercion, control etc), the threat of abuse is always present. Dissociation is an automatic coping mechanism against overwhelming stress.
Victims are often victimized by more than one person. They often internalize that something is wrong with them, that they deserve this kind of abuse, and then resign themselves to their fate. Victims may not have reached their potential in their personal or professional lives because they always have to stand in the shadow of their aggressor, and not upstage them. They learn to live in the shadows without knowing why.
Victims of narcissistic abuse often appear uncertain of themselves, constantly seeking clarification that they haven't made a mistake or misheard something. Confidence may be so low that they have trouble making simple decisions. They will not be aware that this is caused by an abusive technique called 'gaslighting'. Gaslighting is a technique of psychological abuse used by narcissists to instil confusion and anxiety in their victim to the point where they no longer trust their own memory, perception or judgment. With gaslighting, the victim initially notices that something happens that is odd, but they don't believe it. This moves to defence as the victim fights against the manipulation. Confusion sets in after incessant comments such as: 'You're too sensitive', 'You're crazy', 'You're imagining things' or 'I never said that.' Gradually, the victim cannot trust their own perceptions and doubt themselves. This often leads to depression. Broken and unable to trust themselves, they isolate themselves further. The victim now doubts everything about themselves, their thoughts and opinions, their ideas and ideals. They become co-dependent on the abuser for their reality.
Victims need validation and education about what has happened to them. They need information about the medical condition of Narcissistic Personality Disorder and its toxicity in relationships. They need education about how they have contributed to their situation through co-dependence. They need therapy to deal with symptoms. They will need support to remove themselves from their narcissistic relationship, and to not repeat the cycle of abuse in their next relationship. One of their greatest challenges may come from not being believed by significant others, either because these others have not seen the private face of the narcissist or because they themselves are in the narcissist's thrall.
1. Narcissistic behaviour is a form of abuse and bullying! YES, most bullies have Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
2. NPD is often NOT medically diagnosed! ie the narcissistic individual goes undetected in society (in the home, work-place, social settings etc) and therefore, the victim's plight is often unrecognised or misdiagnosed as being due to something else.
These are just some of the behaviors and feelings many victims express. You will notice that the list of characteristics of the victim is FAR longer than the list for the abuser – meaning it is the victim who pays the ultimate price for this "disorder".
If you find yourself recognising many of these, perhaps you are coming to realise that you are in a narcissistic relationship, and should get out of that relationship and/or seek help!


text:
Test drive an INFINITI from the MCG
TEST DRIVE AN INFINITI AT THE HOME OF THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB
INFINITI Cars Australia is giving buyers the opportunity to test drive INFINITI vehicles out of the MCG.
In what is a first for the stadium and for an auto maker, and thanks to its sponsorship with the Melbourne Football Club, INFINITI has set up an exclusive suite adjacent to the club's headquarters within the Great Southern Stand.
Manned by a dedicated INFINITI representative, a range of INFINITIs will be parked at the 'G', including an INFINITI Q50, the INFINITI Q30 and the recently updated INFINITI QX80.
Open to the public from today, buyers interested in INFINITI cars can book a time to meet with a consultant, discuss the preferred car and schedule a test drive from the ground.
"This presents a unique opportunity for new and existing INFINITI buyers," said Guy Street, INFINITI Cars Australia's managing director.
"Learning about and test driving an INFINITI from the MCG - Australia's most famous playing surface - makes the experience a memorable one, not to mention convenient for the many Melbournians that work in the city."
For more information about the INFINITI range and to book a test drive from the MCG contact Paul Neilsen on 0400 254 816 or via email: Paul_Neilsen@infiniticars.com.au
INFINITI is the official automotive partner of the Melbourne Football Club – one of the Australian Football League's (AFL) oldest and most successful clubs. Playing its home games at the MCG, INFINITI branding features on select team apparel, media walls, and inside the team rooms during game broadcast.
The sponsorship also includes player ambassadors – which will be announced shortly – and game day activation opportunities.
In Australia, INFINITI sells an assortment of prestige passenger cars and SUVs. Its passenger car range consists of the Q30, the Q50 – which is its most popular vehicle – the Q60 and the Q70. Sharing platforms, SUVs include the QX30 and QX70, as well as the flagship 2018 QX80 – which went on sale at the end of March.
Known for its impressive power, performance and a history of safety innovation, INFINITI has been part of the Australian premium new car market since September 2012. Since then it has sold 3,130
vehicles through to April 30, 2018.
INFINITI Motor Company Ltd. is based in Hong Kong with sales operations in over 50 countries. The INFINITI brand was launched in 1989. Its range of premium automobiles are currently built in manufacturing facilities in Japan, the United States, United Kingdom and China. INFINITI design studios are located in Atsugi-Shi (near Yokohama), London, San Diego and Beijing. INFINITI is in the middle of a major product offensive. The brand has been widely acclaimed for its daring design and innovative driver-assistance technologies. INFINITI is also a technical partner of the Renault Sport Formula One team, contributing its expertise in hybrid performance.
More information about INFINITI and its industry leading technologies can be found at www.INFINITI.com. You can also follow INFINITI on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn, and see all our latest videos on YouTube.


text:
Results: Volcano High Pass Challenge
By Jan Heine	Rides	5 Comments
The results are coming in for the Volcano High Pass Challenge. As the name implies, it was a challenging ride with much elevation gain, much gravel, and much scenic beauty.
Fifteen intrepid riders set out from the Packwood Library shortly after 5 a.m. on Saturday.
The long gravel climb up to Walupt Lake – more than 3000 ft up – separated the pack into small groups.
Even the race leaders stopped in awe when the forest opened up, and the giant peak of Mount Adams came into view.
The first control was at Walupt Lake, which most riders reached just as the sun was rising.
As proof of passing, riders had to take photos of their bikes at these scenic locations. I really enjoyed seeing the different view of the same places. Cyclotourists always have been keen photographers, and it's nice that the Challenge brought out that element of our sport.
Takhlakh Lake is perhaps the most photographed spot in the Cascades, but it seems impossible to tire of the spectacle…
…of Mount Adams' reflection in the beautiful lake.
From Takhlakh Lake, it was a quick descent to Babyshoe Pass, and then further downhill to Trout Lake.
Trout Lake is dwarfed by its scenic surroundings, but it's a cute town in its own right, with fabulous huckleberry shakes and pies that invite for a rest. But beware, there is a Sasquatch hiding behind the general store…
The climb up to Goose Lake seems to be hot every time I ride it, and the lake invites to a swim.
Several racers took advantage of the cooling waters.
After cresting the last big climb, a sinuous descent brought participants to the finish at the Carson General Store after 166 km / 103 miles. The full route is at the bottom of this post.
As the ride finished, we could see the smoke rising from the Eagle Creek fire that had started on the other side of the Columbia River earlier in the day. The two first finishers returned to Portland that night, having completed a two-day ride/race from Portland to Packwood and back via Mount St. Helens on the way out and via Mount Adams on the way back. Chapeau! Others headed to the campground to join the Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting, with great camaraderie and beautiful riding over this long weekend.
Rider continued to trickle in until late in the evening. We don't have all results yet, especially from the riders who completed the ride over multiple days. Please e-mail your photos and arrival time to info@compasscycle.com. Some riders were unable to complete the ride. Fortunately, Jerry, Pat and Jean from Branford Bike in Seattle were on the course to help riders in trouble. Thank you for the support!
Here are the results so far:
One-Day Ride/Race
David Wilcox 8:56 hr (avg.: 18.6 km/h)
Ryan Francesconi 9:01 hr
Jan Heine 9:04 hr
Larry Kaufman 9:45
Tim Clark 11:05
Scott Sattler / Daniel Wynn 11:30
Brent Shultz 13:10
Multi-Day Challenge
Jeff Angeley
Chris Behrens
Parker Couch
Steve Tatge
Here is the full route of the Volcano High Pass Challenge. Click here for a link to the RidewithGPS file. If you missed this year's event, it's a great ride on your own.
Photo credits: Ryan Francesconi (Photos 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 14), Tim Clark (Photos 6, 8), Larry Kaufman (Photo 12).
Jan Heine
It looks like even among BQ riders/readers there were a few different approaches to tire width, brake style and whether or not to have fenders. I will look forward to hearing how it turned out for everyone!
Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly
The BQ Un-Meeting welcomes everybody! The BQ editorial team uses different tire widths, brake styles and rides bikes with and without fenders… Among the first riders of the Challenge, you had ti, steel and carbon (?) frames, disc and rim brakes, and tires between 42 and 54 mm wide. No fenders, but other riders did use fenders, and their chains were much less dusty…
Another great story, thank you! Also – do you know the make of the black hip pack in the first photo? Thanks!
Ryan Francesconi
north st.
feldmanbike
Good to hear that you got out of there before the smoke hit. Here in Vancouver, 30 miles west, our dogs have been leaving pawprints in the ash outside our back door for a couple of days.


This research project aims to explore and understand how geographic information systems (GIS) can be used to promote and teach spatial thinking and social science inquiry skills. It addresses the research question: What are effective teaching practices using GIS to teach spatial thinking and social science inquiry in middle-school and undergraduate classrooms? This program will study the effectiveness of teaching practices for social science instruction with GIS in urban public schools for specific learning objectives.


The open floor plan flows from the dining space, which features a chic dining table, adjacent to dual gathering and entertaining area where a sofa and armchair grouping are organized around a four-section coffee table with a sculptural cut-steel base.
The extension of lower cabinetry from the kitchen once stood blank and was in need of some TLC. Handblown glass sconces were added as accent lighting to highlight the abstract wood pieces.
The open layout of the living room is defined by the furniture groupings in each designated space. Neutral furnishings with touches of darker metals, woods and fabrics create a masculine living room.
With newly stained and polished dark wood floors providing both continuity and flow, Connell and her team set specific intentions for individual spaces, then filled them with pieces that were both attention- grabbing and tasteful. An open dining area, for instance, now features a chic dining table with an oval polished walnut top and a curved chrome base, paired with a set of chairs upholstered with a soft charcoal-colored fabric. Adjacent dual gathering and entertaining areas feature a sofa and armchair grouping organized around a four-section coffee table with a sculptural cut-steel base. "The sections can be moved around as needed," Connell notes.
At the far end of that space, Connell created a more intimate area, where guests can settle on a dark gray bench-like settee set against a window wall framed in distinctively patterned dark gray wallpaper. The cozy niche adjoins an open area off the kitchen (itself left largely untouched, save for a pair of handblown glass pendants). There, a pair of stainless steel wine coolers were inset along a row of existing lower cabinets. Above, a creative arrangement of artwork, sculpture and wall sconces juxtaposes varying shapes and materials.
The spacious and open dining room is anchored with a walnut top and chrome base dining table by Global Views, which is surrounded by six charcoal-colored chairs from Vanguard.
A large abstract painting by Leftbank Art hangs above a console from World's Away.
Also of note is work done to personalize private spaces, including the client's study, which is tucked at the opposite end of the house. "We kept a decorative, mullioned bookcase that was already there and filled it with a collection of black crystal goblets and delicate china he'd had at his other house and that I'd saved from going to an estate sale," shares Connell. To pair with that, she added a polished walnut desk with a graceful arched base. A navy blue upholstered desk chair and woven rug add a touch of color.
Custom drapery with navy banding flanks the window behind two wood and upholstered lounge chairs. The arched base and walnut finish of the desk create a focal point and help to pull the room together.
Items also saved from the previous house show up in the bedroom design. In a guest bedroom the client's daughter stays in when she visits, Connell repurposed a pair of Chinese Fu dog lamps she had painted a bright blue as bedside lamps. In the master bedroom, which is notably more masculine in feel, the client's favorite pair of camel-colored leather chests flank the bed, which features an upholstered wingback-like headboard. The chests offset a primarily gray, black and white color scheme, which is also evident on a bench done in a patterned menswear-style fabric.
The leather nightstands had been in the client's previous house and displayed in the dining room. They made the perfect side pieces to anchor the upholstered headboard. Large custom mirrors are placed above the leather nightstands and bring height to the back wall. Abstract gold and black art sits in between the two large mirrors for added interest.
Linda Hayes, a freelance writer from Aspen, Colorado, specializes in architecture, design and the luxury lifestyle. Her articles have appeared in publications including Luxe, Hawaiian Style, Mountain Living and Elle Décor.


text:
BK Shift On Rails is a web app for the Brooklyn-based bike delivery agency, BK Shift. It is designed to allow the company to operate more profitably by:

- automating the most time consuming aspects of running the company
- offering quantitative insights into its weekly performance
- harnessing the participation of restaurants and riders to build better schedules more quickly.

A working version of the app can be found at [link](#)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


We are supplying top quality China manufacture ASTM A192 / ASME SA192 seamless carbon steel boiler tube. Our supplying size range is 8-168 mm O.D. x 0.8-20.0 mm thickness. Should any inquiries or questions, pls contact us freely.
EDF-7 centrifugal fan air blower for air shower with good aerodynamic performance, smooth operation, high efficiency, long life, widely used in dust-free workshop, air shower, indoor ventilation ect.


Today's business landscape means that no two days are the same. Industries are changing; you've probably learned that if your business doesn't adapt, you could all too easily be left in your competitor's dust. But where does that leave your employees? As you adapt to a changing landscape, you expect your employees to follow suit. As roles change, however, you might find that you're inadvertently tapping into their greatest fears: becoming obsolete.
What you perceive keeping up with competitors and staying agile could read as no longer needing the very skills employees originally brought to the table. Not being needed could have your employees fearing for their jobs or feeling unrecognized for their efforts.
The solution? Giving your employees ample opportunity to succeed in their new roles, using their new skills, with the right learning. As employees take initiative for their own learning path, your help them regain control of their career and help them redefine and retool their skill set. Here are some of the ways you can otherwise quell employee fears that your new direction makes them unneeded.
Before you thrust employees into new roles, take the time to recognize them for their contributions thus far. Employees might feel that a change in direction or job title means that they weren't functioning adequately under their old title. Instead, give kudos where kudos is due and stress the point that their excellent performance was a catalyst for a new role and opportunity–not a punishment.
Don't toss your employee into the deep end and hope that he swims: offer the support and training necessary to instill confidence. If an employee doesn't feel supported in a new role, it might further play into his fears that he's just another replaceable employee.
New role onboarding frames the change as an opportunity, while mentoring and coaching helps employees feel empowered. Access to learning materials and continuing education can help pull back the curtain of confusion that can shroud a change in direction. You trusted your employee enough to assign her to a new role; now it's time to prove that trust by giving her share in her own training. Not only will it turn out better-educated employees, but employees who take an active role in their own learning.
If an employee has a general skillset, it's no wonder he might feel bleak about his trajectory with your company. By encouraging employees to specialize in certain topics and functions, you help them see their potential and worth with your organization. Whether it's going to a conference to learn about new tech or asking for volunteers to attend sales training, you're sending a clear message that your employees are necessary assets (and if they aren't yet, you're willing to invest so they become so).
As you alter your business model and mission statement to meet a changing industry landscape, make sure your employees don't feel completely bulldozed. Creating learning and growth opportunities help your workforce feel valued and needed, whether it's in their current role or while building something bigger and better.


A multiphase flow regime in which the lighter fluid flows in the center of the pipe, and the heavier fluid is contained in a thin film on the pipe wall. The lighter fluid may be a mist or an emulsion. Annular flow occurs at high velocities of the lighter fluid, and is observed in both vertical and horizontal wells. As the velocity increases, the film may disappear, leading to mist flow or emulsion flow. When the interface between the fluids is irregular, the term wavy annular flow may be used.


text:
Ha! GOP Tries To 'Distance' Themselves From 30% National Sales Tax
Newsmax Guest On Tyre Nichols' Death: 'It's Black On Black Crime'
Where Did BP Get The Legal Authority To Keep The Press Out Of Gulf Cleanup? Yoo Hoo, White House Press Corpse!
I keep reading all kinds of conspiracy theories as to why the press is unable to cover the Gulf oil spill and its cleanup. People say all kinds of
By Susie Madrak — June 24, 2010
I keep reading all kinds of conspiracy theories as to why the press is unable to cover the Gulf oil spill and its cleanup. People say all kinds of crazy things when there's an information vacuum. But I'm starting to wonder if there's really some sensational explanation for why BP gets to keep the press from reporting on the cleanup sites, because I haven't heard a good reason yet. Now that Helen Thomas is gone, there's no one capable of asking a question until they get a real answer:
Mac McClelland, whose reporting from the Gulf for Mother Jones has been indispensable, brings us this latest bag of bull from BP, which insists that it's not trying to restrict press access to public spaces.
According to McClelland, this was filmed on non-BP property in Houma last week by Drew Wheelan of the American Birding Association, who was stopped from filming by a Louisiana state Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's deputy:
Wheelan: "Am I violating any laws or anything like that?"
Officer: "Um…not particularly. BP doesn't want people filming."
Wheelan: "Well, I'm not on their property so BP doesn't have anything to say about what I do right now."
Officer: "Let me explain: BP doesn't want any filming. So all I can really do is strongly suggest that you not film anything right now. If that makes any sense."
It makes no sense, unless, of course, BP has some authority over police and sheriff's departments in Louisiana, a scenario that BP denies but which seems to crop up again and again. WDSU-TV's Scott Walker, whose own encounter with an official who attempted to deny him access to a public beach went viral, received an apology from a BP flack nine days later.
Wheelan's encounter didn't stop there. Read McClelland's entire report, and the next time someone asks you "Well, what do you want President Obama to do?", tell them he could start by looking into why a foreign corporation seems to be allowed to act with extralegal authority on U.S. soil. It's the sort of thing you'd think the Tea Party might care about, too.
UPDATE: (via Drew Wheelan) The original story on Mother Jones Magazine has been corrected, and I would like to correct it here. It was NOT the Louisiana State Police, but the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff's department that pulled me over, bullied me and harassed me at the behest of BP. Please direct all anger at them, and not the State Police who have been very cooperative in this debacle.
activist, bp, cleanup, conspiracy theories, gulf oil, Gulf spill cleanup, Louisiana, Media Criticism, oil spill
Can you help us out?
For 18 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but now Facebook is drowning us in an ocean of right wing lies. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.
Become a subscriber:
To become an ad-free subscriber please select one of the following two options. Once you click your selected plan a window will open taking you to Admiral, our ad-free partner.
Enjoy ad-free browsing while paying as you go.
Just $1 for the first month
$6.99/month thereafter
Enjoy a full year of ad-free browsing.
**Does not apply to Comments, YouTube or any other embedded service ads. View our Ad-Free FAQ for more information.
If you don't mind the ads and would rather donate, please select one of the options below:
Kindest
Via Snail Mail
payable to: Crooksandliars
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272-9997
Judge Accepts BP Version Of How Much Oil Was Spilled In Gulf, Caps Fines
Susie Madrak — Jan 16th, 2015
We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.


Our trained students are gained fully employed with various top notch merchant navy companies across the globe. The continued patronage and encouragement extended by these companies have been the source of motivation for us to excel in the course delivery and placement activity.
Our aim is that each of our candidates be placed in the best place suitable to his skills & capabilities. Our dedicated placement cell takes care that we fulfill our aim to the maximum possible extent. The placements for the embedded trained candidates starts once they are done with 70% of the course. We offer Direct Admissions Merchant Navy with 100% placement assistance with in the course duration and even after the course completion. With a long and proud maritime heritage, the INDIA remains a major force in the international shipping industry, and commercial shipping is a significant contributor to the economy of this country. Seafaring offers a stimulating, fulfilling and well-paid career for people who enjoy the associated challenges and responsibility, and who want more from a career than the usual 'nine to five' routine. A career at sea brings with it a wealth of opportunity, providing individuals with the training and experience for a lifetime of rewarding challenges, which in the longer term can be continued either at sea or ashore. While many will aspire to reach the ranks of captain, chief engineer, chief electro-technical officer or hotel operations manager on board ship, others may decide later on to move ashore and pursue one of the many opportunities available to experienced mariners in the international maritime industry or elsewhere.
The placement for cadets passing out the Institute is fully assured. Cadets passed out from the institute are employed with various Indian / Foreign Shipping companies. We maintain the highest standards in the industry and comply with ship owners' and charterers' requirements by following a comprehensive maintenance program. This includes both planned maintenance systems and regular inspections that are proven to help in asset preservation, cost efficiency and are focused on maximization of revenue days.
A Marine Engineer, unlike other Engineers, has to work with his own hands as well as manage other Engineers and Crew under him. Onboard a Merchant Vessel, the Engineers have set working hours with a minimum of 8 (Eight) hours of rest between two spells of Duty. However, working hours often stretch to 10-12 hours per day at a stretch especially for Junior Engineers, due to exigencies of work.
It is for this reason that the Profession demands that all fresh entrants should be both physically and mentally strong to face the rigors of sea life. In addition to tough working conditions, the Marine Engineer has to give his best by way of leadership and comradeship in the adverse condition at sea i.e. during bad weather when, often, a person may not be able to eat / sleep etc. properly for days at a stretch. It is in these conditions that all Engineer Officers on board have to be able to direct and assist their subordinates and ensure that all engineers carry out their duties in the best possible way. In our endeavor to produce not just good Marine Engineers, but also good seafarers, the Institute selects candidates, who are physically tough, mentally strong and alert and have aptitude for sea life.
A day of a Ship Deck Officer :-While the safety of the vessel and everyone onboard is your prime responsibility, all deck operations and maintenance are also managed by the team. Deck officers are a vital part of the onboard management team, taking charge of an expensive vessel and its equally valuable crew and guests. You will take key decisions on maneuvering of the vessel and controlling its navigation, communications and security. Deck (navigation) officers maintain watches on the bridge at sea and about the ship in port. They are responsible for passage planning, the safe navigation of the vessel, cargo loading and discharge, ship stability, communications and the maintenance of the hull and deck equipment.
Members of the deck department are well-trained and experienced mariners, having gained and developed their professional expertise and skills in one or more of the maritime sectors. You will need to be decisive, unflappable and able to inspire confidence in others as well as being a good team member and have effective communication skills. Confidence, enthusiasm and self-reliance are also essential attributes.


text:
Early Warning for 02 April 2019
By Samuel Culper • April 2, 2019
Good morning. Here's your Early Warning for Tuesday, 02 April 2019.
Politics & Governance
President Trump is scheduled to meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg. Other U.S. officials will attend a NATO Ministerial Policy Planners Conference today.
President Trump wants to make another hire: a "border czar" would be responsible for heading up policy and action on the border crisis. Former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, who oversaw President Trump's commission on voter fraud, is on the short list.
Axios is reporting that President Trump is 'saving' Judge Amy Barrett to replace Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. "I'm saving her for Ginsburg," President Trump reportedly said last year.
Other border news: President Trump is reportedly serious about closing the border with Mexico unless the country shows appreciable efforts in dealing with the migrant crisis. (AC: Shutting down the border would likely present another crisis of its own for the Trump administration, along with numerous areas of the border region where both Americans and Mexicans travel for daily work. Plus, if you didn't see it, there's a story about how the U.S. avocado supply would deplete in just three weeks. Gasp.)
The Daily Beast is reporting that the Department of Homeland Security disbanded a domestic terror intelligence unit last year. As a result, "We've noticed [the Office of Intelligence and Analysis] has significantly reduced their production on homegrown violent extremism and domestic terrorism while those remain among the most serious terrorism threats to the homeland," said one source. According to a statement from DHS, officials want to ensure that their work is not 'duplicative' of other agencies tracking domestic terrorism, and confirmed that they will provide potential threat data to appropriate agencies, regardless of the threat's ideology. [source]
Senate Democrats today are expected to propose a constitutional amendment to abolish the Electoral College. The bill is supported by Senators Dick Durban (D-IL), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY).
It's another busy day on Capitol Hill. Here are some of today's hearings that we'll monitor:
"The State of Western Water Infrastructure and Innovation" (House Cmte on Natural Resources)
"How Climate Change Threatens U.S. National Security" (House Cmte on Foreign Affairs)
"The Rural Economy" (House Cmte on Appropriations)
"The Future of NATO" (House Cmte on Foreign Affairs)
"NATO at 70" (Senate Cmte on Foreign Relations)
Far Left Daily
"This is a perilous time for our country… The Trump administration is a walking, talking, living, breathing threat to national security, and we just have to call it out." – Sen. Elizabeth Warren
"The crown jewel of America… is our refugee resettlement program." – Rep. Nancy Pelosi
Economy/Finance
In the past 30 days, the Atlanta Fed's GDPNow, which estimates economic growth, has risen from 0.4 percent (expectation) to 2.1 percent for Q1 2019. JP Morgan also upwardly revised their expectations to 2 percent, up from 1.5 percent. That's an astounding increase, especially considering that the partial government shutdown, which lasted through most of January, was expected to have very detrimental effects on the economy. The change is due to better-than-expected numbers from the economy.
Strategic/Defense Situational Awareness
USS Wasp in South China Sea with large load of F-35s
U.S. to halt F-35 program for Turkey
Army multi-domain battle unit will be 'a game changer' in future wars
Philippines protests presence of Chinese boat 'swarm'
China warns U.S. on F-16V sales to Taiwan
"I'm a member of the straight arm club. Pretend that I have a cold. You have a cold." – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's answer to a question about Joe Biden's touchy-feely ways, saying that she doesn't hug
Samuel Culper
Samuel Culper is a former military intelligence NCO and contract Intelligence analyst. He spent three years in Iraq and Afghanistan and is now the intelligence and warfare researcher at Forward Observer.
Early Warning for 01 April 2019SHTF Intelligence & Decision-Making
Combat Mindset and Killer Instinct


small occasional tables living room medium size of appealing occasional tables for living room end alluring small archived on table ideas living room theater fau.
small occasional tables living room small end tables for living room coffee table round end table with drawer living room coffee small end tables for living room living room theater movie times.
small occasional tables living room coffee table top small side tables for living room wood glass coffee table lift top coffee table with storage short coffee table red coffee table round living room.
small occasional tables living room medium size of narrow side tables small for living room table with drawer bedside bedroom white living room theater movie times.
small occasional tables living room black glass coffee table set small occasional tables modern black glass coffee table coffee tables and living room decor wall.
small occasional tables living room m a small side table living room end table cocoon living room furniture layout.
small occasional tables living room medium size of coffee glass side table small white end table narrow side living room decorating tips.
small occasional tables living room large size of coffee living room table sets wood coffee table occasional tables living room furniture.
small occasional tables living room table table tall skinny side table small occasional tables living room e table decor tree living room chairs for sale.
small occasional tables living room small occasional tables living room pallet end tables ideas decorating on coffee table magnificent glass for living room theater seating.
small occasional tables living room coffee tables white wood coffee table elegant set of inspirational picture piece sets under small occasional living room furniture arrangement.
small occasional tables living room small round occasional table small round living room tables round coffee table wood small round metal coffee table buy coffee table round gold glass living room rug.
small occasional tables living room fantastic small occasional tables living room within home developing inspiration with small occasional tables living living room rugs ikea.
small occasional tables living room coffee glass side table small white end table narrow side table small occasional living room chairs cheap.
small occasional tables living room coffee table small and cute bunching tables coffee tables and end living room sets under 1000.
small occasional tables living room coffee table living room end tables small accent table small occasional tables unusual coffee tables small end living room decor ideas 2018.
small occasional tables living room large size of coffee coffee table and end tables small occasional tables living living room ideas color.
small occasional tables living room small occasional tables living room center table living room ideas dining on silver coffee table ideas living room sets ikea.
small occasional tables living room sofa back table table table sets small occasional tables living room living tables furniture sofa furniture living room decorating tips.
small occasional tables living room bowl small occasional table side table small occasional table living room tables and coffee living room ideas decor.
small occasional tables living room small oak side tables for living room living room modern narrow side table with white oak living room curtains on sale.
small occasional tables living room medium size of coffee small occasional tables occasional table set white glass coffee living room curtains amazon.
small occasional tables living room table with storage corner side table dark wood side table side table with living room theater seating.
small occasional tables living room medium size of contemporary long low console table narrow sofa mid small occasional tables living room living room theater movie times.
small occasional tables living room table cocktail table sets small black occasional table small cocktail tables table cocktail table living room ideas color.
small occasional tables living room small side tables for living room narrow side tables for living room round side tables with living room ideas with tv.
small occasional tables living room modern side tables for living room crimson inside plans living room curtains.
small occasional tables living room small occasional tables living room tray tables ideas self assembly sofa on coffee table glass and living room sets for sale.
small occasional tables living room large size of coffee low coffee table grey wood coffee table folding coffee living room theater movie times.
small occasional tables living room best small coffee table ideas on small space coffee table coffee table for small space and small table ideas living room colors with black furniture.
small occasional tables living room medium size of rectangle side table topic related to small occasional tables living room cube coffee living room ideas with fireplace.
small occasional tables living room small end tables for living room living room benefits and functions of putting end tables for living room decorating tips.
small occasional tables living room coffee tables coffee table stirring stand and set pictures design soft modern furniture living room living room sets under 1000.
small occasional tables living room large size of coffee black glass coffee table living room table sets small living room colors paint.
small occasional tables living room small oak side tables for living room croft side table occasional living room furniture on coffee living room rugs cheap.
small occasional tables living room medium images of small side tables for living room living room occasional tables tables in living living room ideas modern.
small occasional tables living room large size of coffee unique side tables small occasional tables glass coffee table living room chairs cheap.
small occasional tables living room living room side tables coffee side tables living room coffee table sets small occasional tables living living room colors grey.
small occasional tables living room medium size of coffee black glass coffee table living room table sets small living room colors with brick fireplace.
small occasional tables living room small occasional tables living room most popular interior paint colors check more at living room rugs near me.
small occasional tables living room living room rugs ikea.
small occasional tables living room cube coffee tables medium size of coffee end coffee tables small occasional tables living room cube living room colors 2017.
small occasional tables living room medium size of coffee black occasional table small black coffee table living room living room ideas modern.
small occasional tables living room small occasional tables living room end tables ideas on coffee table and end sets living room chairs wayfair.
small occasional tables living room round end table living room furniture coffee and sets small dark wood modern cherry oak set slate top occasional tables black rustic with storage living room rugs f.
small occasional tables living room living room occasional tables wonderful inch end table furniture side tables on living room occasional living room furniture ideas.
small occasional tables living room small images of coffee tables for living room living room round tables furniture living room tables living room colors ideas.
small occasional tables living room small occasional tables living room decorating end tables ideas table on white end tables ideas living room colors paint.
small occasional tables living room side tables living room living room rugs modern.
small occasional tables living room medium size of coffee coffee and side table set side tables for living living room theater gift card.
small occasional tables living room long side tables for living room side tables for living room splurge and save living room chairs for small spaces.
small occasional tables living room coffee tables living room glass tables sets coffee table living room rugs near me.
small occasional tables living room small images of small occasional tables living room small occasional tables living room living room curtains with valance.
small occasional tables living room glass table living room medium size of coffee narrow accent tables coffee table small occasional tables living room theater ideas.
small occasional tables living room large size of rectangle side table topic related to small occasional tables living room cube coffee living room furniture sets.
small occasional tables living room best sofa side table ideas on stand and end tables bedside lamps in next and stand ideas for living room living room theater beaverton.
small occasional tables living room large size of coffee coffee and side table set side tables for living living room ideas decor.
small occasional tables living room small end tables for living room coffee living room tables end tables coffee and end tables living room furniture sale.
small occasional tables living room coffee table occasional tables slate top coffee table modern cocktail table living room table design retro coffee table small living room colors 2017.
small occasional tables living room medium size of occasional tables also with a living room wood small engaging coffee table archived living room chairs cheap.
small occasional tables living room medium size of coffee small occasional tables living room coffee table small accent living room ideas modern.
small occasional tables living room easy small occasional tables living room to your inspiration to remodel home with small occasional living room decor 2018.
small occasional tables living room large size of coffee unique side tables small occasional tables glass coffee table living room furniture arrangement.
small occasional tables living room large size of coffee small occasional tables occasional table set white glass coffee living room decorating tips.
small occasional tables living room small images of end tables living room furniture living room occasional tables round living room end living room ideas small.
small occasional tables living room side tables living room round accessories fur carpet living room sofa living room furniture cheap.
small occasional tables living room barn cast metal side table w x living room sets for sale.
small occasional tables living room cube coffee tables medium size of coffee end coffee tables small occasional tables living room cube living room sets.
small occasional tables living room coffee contemporary side tables small glass coffee table round glass coffee table living living room rugs home depot.
small occasional tables living room medium size of coffee occasional tables black coffee table cream coffee table small living room decor diy.
small occasional tables living room medium size of coffee small occasional tables occasional table set white glass coffee living room chairs with ottoman.
small occasional tables living room coffee tables living room coffee table sets small occasional tables stand with wheels shabby chic living room ideas modern.
small occasional tables living room medium size of rectangle side table topic related to small occasional tables living room cube coffee living room rugs.


In shooting around the cities this summer, it has become painfully aware that people spend far too much time on their mobile devices. Mostly, this is our smartphones, which have increasingly penetrated our lives to the very core. The vast majority of us are now addicted to them, slavishly devoting every spare moment to them. Studies have recently shown that this constant exposure is, in fact, re-wiring our brains permanently. Before we even know what we are doing to ourselves, the changes may have already created lasting effects. Some studies point to radiation levels emitted by cell phones, others argue that the addiction is messing with our brains…the point is that all this use of electronic devices is not necessarily good for us, and it's happening so fast that we don't have time to assess what is happening.
Let me ask you this: has your device become simply a vice?
Waiting for the bus? Send someone a text to let them know you're waiting for the bus.
People are less aware of their surroundings. How often have you seen someone walking down the street, while the text or tweet on their phone? They aren't paying any attention to where they are going, so engrossed are they in their electronic universe. Even worse, how many drivers do you see every time you go out who are texting or reading something on their phone as they drive? I see quite a few, and I live in a state where that is illegal.
Lot of good the law seems to be as a deterrent.
Waiting for the light to change so you can cross the street? Check your Facebook!
Every spare moment we have, we reach into our pockets and pull out our phones. It's an addiction. I admit, I'm as guilty as the next guy (or girl)…I have been drawn into the cell phone thing and regardless of if I am in public or at home, if I have a few minutes, I whip mine out and play with it on the spot.
Sorry if that sounded gross…but that's how it is!
Got a minute waiting on someone going to the bathroom? Send a tweet!
We can debate the merits of virtual living through various social media. Checking up on your twitter, facebook, flickr, google+, or…yes, even your WordPress blog is one thing when you are at your computer. I'm not saying that it's not an issue there as well, as the Internet is always there to distract you at work, school, or home. Internet distraction is an epidemic. Oh, and multi-tasking? Don't make me laugh. That doesn't exist, and recent studies have shown it to be a farce.
Are you actually going out to an event in public (also known as real life) tonight? Better take a minute and "check in" with your phone so your virtual friends know where you are!
I'm not on some kind of crusade, and I'm not saying that we should all go cold turkey and quit using our phones, and detach ourselves from our virtual communities. In many ways the Internet, and mobile technology, has made it easier for us to do a great many things. When I travel abroad, I can keep in touch with friends; when people move away from the local area, staying in contact is much easier with them; if I'm out and about and I forgot something, I can text or call home while I'm on the go. There are lots of reasons to be thankful for technology.
There are also lots of reasons to dislike it, and to be wary of the consequences of using it to the degree that we do. Ever seen the movie Wall-E? Yeah, 'nuff said.
At the ballpark with your kid? Better make sure all your "Facebook Friends" know what you're up to!
Tomorrow will be the second part of the series…including more photographs, and what I plan to do to counteract all this virtual living and its impacts on my real life.
Nice mini project! I notice these people all the time in real life, but it is even more interesting to see it captured in a photograph. People should be embarrassed by the real moments that are passing them by while buried in their phones.
Good series! It's so bizarre, everyone attached to these thingies, and so oblivious; none of the people in your images is engaging in any way with his/her surroundings. And this has become the norm in such a relatively short time. I don't have any of those gadgets, so I don't get the fascination.
It is getting REALLY bad. Drivers, cyclists, people walking down the street. In airports nobody is looking where they're going. I've refused to get a smart phone, prefer my dumb one instead. It's not like I'm not online way too much as it is.
Nice collection of shots. I've been compiling a some as well for a series.
Thanks for the compliment. I know what you mean…it's an epidemic!


Portland, OR -- ACTORS MODELS come get an interview to be sent out to auditions right away. There is much work and you will be sought especially if you are employed and can afford to get to Oregon or Washington paid TELEVISION commercials. We are not seeking job hunters for several reasons. We need financially secure and stable people of any age or race.Have you ever felt like this is something you could enjoy It means a 2nd income all your life We need minutes to interview you in a morning. We will send you to auditions. We are a talent agent and manager. Send us your name and ph number please. Images and contact info on Advertigo website.
I would like to make a parts of drama in India (Andhra Pradesh) for Government Channal . If any have intrested you can contact me shooting will be started in middle of November .People should know Telugu speaking and their own expenditure major part of the drama shooting in India (Hyderabad). Images and contact info on Advertigo website.
Medford, NJ -- English tutor needed for SAT/ACT preparation.


.介 紹: Spline, SwissPlus, Screw-Vent, Biomed. What is a dental implant, and how does it work? What are the benefits of dental implants?
Are you a candidate for dental implants? ... A dental implant is a small "anchor" made of titanium.
It is inserted into the jawbone to take the place of your missing tooth root.
.介 紹: Bicon. Since 1985 dentists have been offering patients the benefits of the Bicon Dental Implant System. With the Bicon implant ... function like natural teeth. We invite you to learn more about what the Bicon implant can do to help address your dental needs.
版權所有 © 2003 臺灣大學牙醫校友總會 All Rights Reserved.


after you try to log in and it fails?
> only startx to login.
> start with startx command.
It's too long to attach.
> > only startx to login.
> > start with startx command.
> It's too long to attach.
Regarding the pam_systemd error; kill-session-processes, the option was removed almost two years ago since it was unnecessary. It should be harmless; gdm adds that option in my system too.
The second error looks like your user (I'm assuming it's "mist3r") failed to authenticate. It's accounts-daemon.service running?
>> only startx to login.
>> Alt+Ctrl+F2 to start with startx command.
should be harmless; gdm adds that option in my system too.
failed to authenticate. It's accounts-daemon.service running?
Now i don't know wich upgrade causes it.
> >> only startx to login.
> >> Alt+Ctrl+F2 to start with startx command.
> > It's too long to attach.
> should be harmless; gdm adds that option in my system too.
> failed to authenticate. It's accounts-daemon.service running?
> Now i don't know wich upgrade causes it.
in /etc/gdm/custom.conf, and restart gdm.service and try to log in again? It will fill the logs with lots of information, but it could tell us where the exact problem is.
Also, when using journalctl please use the -b flag, so only the logs from the last boot are printed.
>>> only startx to login.
>>> Alt+Ctrl+F2 to start with startx command.
>> It's too long to attach.
tell us where the exact problem is.
from the last boot are printed.
I don't understand the meaning of these lines..
> I don't understand the meaning of these lines..
Could you please post the part of the logs around the message "PAM conversation"?
>> I don't understand the meaning of these lines..
There's no more log...probably this is different with the debug enabled.
> >> I don't understand the meaning of these lines..
> There's no more log...probably this is different with the debug enabled.
No, "debug" just shows up more messages. When using journalctl, the output is shows trough the less command. I'm sure there is more of it.
>>>> I don't understand the meaning of these lines..
> >>>> I don't understand the meaning of these lines..
Well that's weird. Where does gkr-pam comes from?
> Well that's weird. Where does gkr-pam comes from?
I never choose to install it.
I don't know, but seems that i'm not the only one.


In 2013 it is possible to get a 100% LVR home loan from 1 lender in Australia. Post GFC 2008, many lenders pulled back their 100% home loans as many were affected by funding issues. However, today using a particular lender we are able to get you into the property market with a 100% home loan which is underwritten by an Australian Bank.
There is one Australian bank who offers 100% LVR home loan in 2013. This lender will even lend over 100% LVR for loan amounts under $1,000,000 for the right applicant.
Do I still need a deposit for 100% home loan?
You will still need to demonstrate 5% genuine savings for a 100% home loan. In this case the lender will lend you 95% LVR + the LMI on top up to 100% LVR. There is no restriction on the cost of the LMI which is added to the loan amount. Hence the additional Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI) can cost up to 5% and can be added to the loan amount bringing the total LVR to 100%. Hence becoming a total of a 100% home loan.
The table below illustrates an example of how the funding will work for a purchase of $650,000 in NSW.
In order to get this 100% home loan, you will still need 5% genuine savings of the purchase price. Further you will need to have a stable job with demonstrated proof of affordability and a clear CRAA.
You will require 3 months genuine savings for a 100% home loan. You could overcome the genuine savings requirement by using equity in another property you own, sales proceeds from another property you sold, shares which equate to the amount of genuine savings required or a term deposit. The money you are using has to be yours for at least the last 3 months with proven demonstrated history.
Borrow over 100% LVR with this home loan?
You can borrow more than 100% LVR using this home loan product. Hence you will be able to get a $20,000 line of credit taking you over a 100% LVR to help pay for your stamp duties and legal costs if you require it to cover any shortfalls. This product is very handy for people who are re-entering the property market and are non-first home buyers and will not receive any government incentives like stamp duty concessions or the first home owners grant.
The interest rates offered by this lender for a 100% home loan are the same as a normal type of loan. Hence you will be able to get professional package discount like any other normal loan from a bank.
The costs in setting a 100% LVR home loan are the same as setting up a loan at a lower LVR. The only increase will be in the cost of the LMI. LMI charges are more on higher LVR's than let's say 90% LVR.
We have helped organise for potential clients a fuel cash back offer for clients who take up this 100% LVR home loan. Hence you will be able to get a 10c per litre fuel rebate for 2 years if you take up this loan offer. All you need to do is send in your fuel receipts every time you fill up and they credit the amount you're entitled to into your savings account!
If you are looking for a 100% home loan, Mortgage Providers will help you get this from the only lender who offers this product on the market. Further we can get you a line of credit from the same lender at home loan rates to help assist you pay for other government charges if they arise or are needed. If you thought you had no chance of entering the property market because you did not have enough deposit and the ability to meet all the other associated costs, then you will be glad you contacted Mortgage Providers. You will be one of our many surprised customers.


Last weekend, I volunteered at Big Texas Beer Fest and needed to pack something that would fill my stomach with something solid while I drank all that beer. Since the Farmers Markets are back and I have more mixed greens than I even know what to do with I figured this springtime take on a cheesesteak seemed like it would get the job done!
- Any steak preference you have will work for this. If You have leftover steak, great. If you want to fire up the grill just so you can make this sandwich then by all means get on that grill. I pan roasted this one.
- slice up your half onion and put it in a pan on low with a tabelspoon of olive oil. When the onions start to become transparent add a pinch of sugar and salt and pepper the onion. Let them continue to cook at the low heat while stirring occasionally .
-While the onions are cooking, preheat your oven to 350. You are just going to use it to melt the cheese on to the pretzel bun. Slice the pretzel bun in half and place on a baking sheet. Grate the Dubliner Cheese over both sides of the pretzel bun to preference. I like my sandwiches extra cheese, so the higher the mountain the better. Place baking sheet in oven until the cheese has melted.
- Once the cheese has melted, lay a handful of mixed greens along the bottom half of the bread. Next, spoon on the carmalized onions and finally layer your steak on top.


text:
TWO SHOWS / WORLDS APART
The Melbourne International Arts Festival 2019 presents two works at the Malthouse that may seem worlds apart but share many similarities: Brimful Of Asha and Grey Rock. They both deal with cultures that are not of our own, of matters of the heart and of aspiration and escapism.
Brimful Of Asha is like a big, warm embrace or sunshine streaming through a window in spring. Created by Toronto based Why Not Theatre, it's written and performed by mother and son Asha and Ravi Jain. Upon entering the theatre, they greet each audience member and offer a hot samosa; this performance tastes just a good as the delicious morsel.
It speaks firsthand of a culture that, for many, may be hidden: the pressure of family expectations and the processes of arranged marriages. The banter between mother and son provides humour that is tight as much as is side-splittingly cringe worthy, but throughout the performance there are moments that balance these lighter passages. Perhaps what helps this performance endear itself most is that Asha Jain is not a trained actor, but she revels in this moment.
A minor criticism is that some of the lines were lost, which could be solved with mics, otherwise the rest of the production is satisfactory and pared back, which, within this context, is fine because the material at the heart of the work is strong.
Sometimes, theatre is at its most successful when it doesn't have big questions to answer, or a burning desire to solve the world's problems. Sometimes, theatre provides simple escapism, and a look into a world removed from our own. Brimful Of Ash, is exactly this kind of theatre.
Grey Rock written and directed by Amir Nizar Zuabi, a work developed in Palestine and performed by a group of diversely talented and incredibly gifted individuals
Whenever Palestine gets mentioned in conversations within the Australian media, it is often embroiled in the political with images of conflict flooding our feeds. What this performance does is illustrate something different to the dominate discourse and it gives us real characters to feel for and connect to.
The narrative of building a rocket to the moon is hunkered down in the relationships between characters but has a whimsical and almost magic quality. As the story unfolds, we are catapulted to the greatest of heights and the lowest of lows.
It interrogates the intersection between east and west without ever dipping into the obvious. As Zuabi says in the program notes: "We live in a dramatically political context, so everything is political.". It takes the images of the 1969 USA moon landing moon and wonders what it would be like to send a Palestinian to the moon.
There is a sense of urgency or necessity in the delivery. Performed for Melbourne Festival in English, their command of language really shines.
With the most recent performance of Grey Rock taking place eight months ago in New York, it feels as though the ensemble had last performed it yesterday.
The music and soundtrack are emotive and the production is beautifully executed with projection lighting and shadow employed to great and intriguing effect.
One might wonder if the Meryln Theatre is the right venue as its cold cavernous interior unfortunately presents a barrier that is difficult to overcome. It feels like the audience need to be closer.
These dramatically different works deliver upon the responsibility of major Australian festivals to share world class companies with local audiences. In turn, because of our country's multicultural fabric, both these works go some way to break down the barriers of colonialism that so often still form part of our local theatre scene. These two works threaten to shatter the binary of the Melbourne festival demographics.
Postedby Flora Georgiou
THE EXOTIC LIVES OF LOLA MONTEZ
Postedby Ella Tarlton
HO LIFE OR NO LIFE


text:
CloudStack Architecture Overview
Feature Deep Dive
CloudStack is a Cloud Orchestration platform that pools computing resources to build public, private and hybrid Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) clouds. CloudStack manages the network, storage, and compute nodes that make up a cloud infrastructure.
A CloudStack cloud has a hierarchical structure which enables it to scale to manage tens of thousands of physical servers, all from a single management interface.
Availability Zones
An Availability Zone is the largest organisational unit within a CloudStack deployment. Typically a datacentre (DC) implementation will contain a single Zone, but there are no hard and fast rules and a DC can contain multiple Zones. By structuring CloudStack into geographical Zones, virtual instances and data storage can be placed in specific locations in order to comply with an organisation's data storage policies etc.
An Availability Zone consists of at least one Pod, and Secondary Storage, which is shared by all Pods in the Zone.
Zones are visible to end users, who can then choose which Zone they wish to create their virtual instances in. A public Zone is visible to all users, but private Zones can also be created which are then only available to members of a particular domain and its associated sub-domains.
A Pod is a selection of hardware configured to form Clusters. Typically a Pod is a rack containing one or more Clusters, and a Layer 2 switch architecture which is shared by all Clusters in that Pod. End users are not aware, and have no visibility of Pods.
A Cluster is a group of identical Hosts running a common Hypervisor. For example a Cluster could be a XenServer Pool, a set KVM Server or a VMware cluster pre-configured in vCenter. Each Cluster has a dedicated Primary Storage device which is where the virtual machine instances are hosted. With multiple Hosts within a Cluster, High Availability and Load Balancing are standard features of a CloudStack deployment.
Secondary Storage is used to store virtual machine Templates, ISO images and Snapshots. The storage is available to all PODs in a Zone, and can also be replicated automatically between Availability Zones thereby providing a common storage platform throughout the whole Cloud. Secondary Storage uses the Network File System (NFS) as this ensures it can be accessed by any Host in the Zone.
Primary Storage is unique to each Cluster and is used to host the virtual machine instances. CloudStack is designed to work with all standards-compliant iSCSI and NFS Servers supported by the underlying Hypervisor. Primary Storage is a critical component and should be built on high performance hardware with multiple high speed disks.
A CloudStack Availability Zone
March 16, 2012 /by Steve Roles
https://www.shapeblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/logo-340x156.png 0 0 Steve Roles https://www.shapeblue.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/logo-340x156.png Steve Roles2012-03-16 10:26:292021-06-04 11:22:45CloudStack Architecture Overview
The importance of hypervisor independenceShapeBlue Partners with UShareSoft


Looking Team have Video streaming product from scratch.
I've big project that video streaming in mobile and web.
Please check similar app store url.
I need design, ios, android, web version.
If you have experiences, let me know.


text:
SJ student gets visit to White House
Calvin Bell III recently visited the White House after creating an app that helps the environment
SJ student gets visit to White House Calvin Bell III recently visited the White House after creating an app that helps the environment Check out this story on courierpostonline.com: http://on.cpsj.com/2gFTZVT
Celeste E. Whittaker, @cp_CWhittaker Published 2:00 p.m. ET Nov. 29, 2016
Moorestown Friends student Calvin Bell III stands on the steps at his school recently. Bell was one of 20 young innovators to visit the White House and U.S. Capitol Building in November through the ESA Leaders on the Fast Track Video Game Innovation Fellowship.(Photo: Jose F. Moreno/Staff Photographer)Buy Photo
MOORESTOWN – Calvin Bell III would like to be president one day.
The Moorestown Friends School freshman is not referring to class president. The president. As in president of the United States of America.
COURIER-POST
Moorestown Friends student speaks the Chinese language
Other future goals include attending Yale, Harvard, Princeton or Stanford, becoming a lawyer, and getting into politics. Sounds kind of familiar, right?
Bell, 15, has already been a guest at the White House and the U.S. Capitol Building.
He was invited to the White House earlier in November by President Barack Obama along with 19 other young minorities (between 15 and 25 years old) from around the country for being selected for the 2016 Entertainment Software Association Leaders on the Fast Track (LOFT) Video Game Innovation Fellowship.
The Pennsauken resident also received a grant from ESA and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation for the continued development of his app "Waste – To – Move," which addresses environmental issues currently impacting local communities.
While the ESA program challenges them to develop video games and apps addressing social issues impacting their communities, Bell chose to focus on environmental challenges he feels some residents in urban areas face. His app allows for first-hand conversations between government and the people. He says it was created to help "bridge the void" between the two sides.
He didn't get to meet the president, who was on his way out of the country, but the experience is something that will stay with him.
Moorestown Friends student Calvin Bell III recently visited the White House and U.S. Capitol Building after creating an app called Waste -- To -- Move, which will address environmental issues in urban areas. (Photo: Jose F. Moreno/Staff Photographer)
"I went to the White House and it was very fun," said Bell, smiling widely on a recent Tuesday afternoon at Moorestown Friends.
Bell presented his app to the Department of Science and Technology as well as other correspondents for other departments throughout the White House, he said.
On the same visit to D.C., Bell also attended a panel discussion at the Capitol where he spoke with members of the House of Representatives about his app, which he says is an "environmental neighborhood watch app" for urban areas. Bell worries high-end companies are coming into urban areas and "taking them over. They're polluting these areas and causing dumping, so a lot of urban residents have decreased as these companies have increased."
His app also has photo and bilingual features and offers a wireless connection for people to get in touch with others in their community. It also provides a point system where a person can get points if a problem they reported gets fixed.
"I definitely think this app will be very impactful for the communities, allowing especially urban residents to have a voice," he said.
"I created this app knowing what people were going through in urban areas, especially because Camden is right there near this area and Pennsauken. I wanted to give back in a way so I used the feature of technology as well as science and other aspects to put them together and create an app like this."
Camden Scholars thrive at Moorestown Friends School
Bell's mother Cheri Williams says she has never had to get on Bell about doing his school work. In fact, his childhood punishments involved taking away some of his workbooks, she explained, because he cared more about that than he did watching TV or playing with toys.
"I'm very, very proud," Williams said. "Calvin has always been really into school and into his education. He's like a sponge, he picks up everything. When he was a kid, I didn't have to make him do his homework. Calvin always had everything done. He's always been pretty good at following along, catching on in class — always been a straight-A student.
"He has such big goals, I just pray everything falls into place for him."
Bell's grandmother Cheryl Chavis isn't surprised by her grandson's success, either. He currently lives with her in Pennsauken and she's played a major role in helping to raise him. She said her daughter Cheri had him as a teen, but has been right there for him.
Bell's father and other male family members have been an influence in his life as well, his family says, including his maternal uncle Marquis McGuffin, who recently graduated from Harvard Business School.
Bell was living in Philadelphia with his mother but moved in with his grandmother to be closer to school after he got into Moorestown Friends for this school year.
Chavis, who works for the Rutgers Southern Regional Childcare Resource and Referral Agency, is a part-time lecturer at Rutgers University-Camden and has her doctorate in education. She's someone Bell looks up to.
"Truthfully, I'm not surprised (about his success), he has inside of him this drive to just do so many things and he's so well rounded, from sports to academics," Chavis said. "He takes academics very seriously. He's been published for his poetry. He just goes online and he finds out about different things that he's interested in and he applies.
"He has been doing these things for many years, really. He's very resourceful about finding out about any opportunities where he can enhance his knowledge. When we received the notice that he was a recipient of the ESA LOFT Fellowship, I was like, 'Calvin when did you do this?' "
Moorestown Friends student Calvin Bell III created an app to help address environmental issues in urban areas. (Photo: Jose F. Moreno/Staff Photographer)
Last summer, he says he attended two college readiness programs, one at Emory University in Atlanta and the other at Howard University in Washington, D.C. The latter was a Summer Empowerment Academy, which is part of actor Hill Harper's "Manifest Your Destiny" program.
Students there did some work in technology, including creating apps with a program called Code as a Second Language, he said. The director of the class told them about the ESA fellows program but said "not a lot of students get in because they only select 20 fellows but they said, 'Give it a chance and you might be selected.'"
The well-rounded Bell also was a part of the recent school musical "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and played the role of "Pig Pen."
Moorestown Friends student has Hollywood movie screening
The awards and accolades continue to pile up for Bell, who was co-valedictorian at The City School in Philadelphia last year at his eighth-grade graduation. A congratulatory letter from Obama added to his growing list of accomplishments.
The outgoing and talkative Bell also likes to debate, enjoys public speaking and talking about politics. He also enjoys soccer, baseball and basketball and plans to play hoops on the Moorestown Friends team this year.
"I enjoy hanging out with my friends and family as well," he said. "I'm just a normal teenager just having fun."
Celeste E. Whittaker; (856) 486-2437; cwhittaker@gannettnj.com
Download our apps and get alerts for local news, crime, weather, traffic and more. Search "Courier-Post" in the app store or use these links from your device: iPhone app | Android app | iPad app. And be sure to 'like' us on Facebook!
Read or Share this story: http://on.cpsj.com/2gFTZVT


Last night I dreamt that I had a dream.
In the dream I had devised a word game something similar to Jumbles.
the first letters of the names of objects in each group.
commonly is associated with one word from the second group.
totally remember the details of the dream.
I can not recall what all of the objects were.
This is the result of what I do remember of the dream that I dreamt.
It wiil be relatively simple because it involves only 3 letter words.
Try this and tell me what words you get.


In the world of the ninja, the Elrod family is an impressive force.
Julie and Ron Elrod are black belts who travel to Japan annually to study their craft with Soke Hatsumi, the 34th-generation ninjutsu grandmaster. Their children, 21-year-old Kami and 24-year-old Wyatt, have followed in their footsteps, training with their parents. Experts in the art of self-defense, the Elrods are physically alert and sharp. They are not a family muggers would want to meet in a dark alley.
Despite their physical prowess and skill with weapons, the Elrods are more welcoming than intimidating. And to the students and parents at the American Academy of Martial Arts, the family's 18-year-old Howard County martial-arts school, the Elrods' physical accomplishments, while inspiring, are secondary to their other qualities.
"The Elrods are amazing people," says John Miller, whose 7- and 9-year-old sons have been training at AAMA for about nine months. "We've been blown away by the values they instill in the kids. For me, that's more important than what they're getting with the martial-arts training."
The Elrods, along with about 50 additional instructors who are "like family," teach the AAMA's 1,200 students taijutsu, or Japanese mixed martial arts with a self-defense orientation. The Elrods' approach draws heavily on the 1,000-year-old art of ninjutsu; Julie Elrod holds a ninth-degree black belt in the discipline, along with black belts in several other styles of martial arts. Kami and Wyatt have also spearheaded a kickboxing program at the school, focusing on cardiovascular exercise.
As the school continues to grow, the AAMA moved into bigger digs at the end of July. With 11,000 square feet of space, the new Columbia facility is large, open and cheerfully bright. Most of the building is dedicated to taijutsu practice space, with mats covering the floors and mirrors on the walls — and plenty of seating for parents who want to watch their kids practice. Kami and Wyatt teach kickboxing in a smaller room, tucked in the back near two large locker rooms, where students have space to move, but more privacy for practice.
Woven into each of their classes are values-based lessons that the Elrods hope students will retain throughout their lives. "While our students may at some point forget the physical moves they learned, we hope that the concepts we try to instill in them will last a lifetime," says Kami Elrod.
Those concepts — such as compassion, honesty, respect, perseverance, confidence and self-discipline — are on display in the AAMA's facilities, written in bold red letters across the mirrors in the training area. Each week, AAMA classes highlight one of those concepts as a "word of the week."
"They really focus on those things during class," says Stacy Bussing, a black belt instructor at AAMA whose two children also train at the school. "They'll ask the kids, 'What's our word? What does it mean?' They make sure the kids know exactly what it means and how they can use that word in karate and at home."
Like many AAMA parents, Bussing uses the words of the week as a springboard for conversations and lessons at home. She shares a story as an example. "One of my sons moved a worm off a hot sidewalk onto the grass and I said, 'You're really showing a lot of compassion.'" Her son replied, "Mr. Elrod says every living thing deserves compassion."
Bussing notes that the words of the week are useful lessons not just for kids, but also for adults. "One of the words of the week is courage — about facing your fears," she says. "I am not the most extroverted person. Speaking in front of a group is scary for me. But as an instructor it's something I have to do — I face my fear. It's helped me."
In class, the Elrods draw on their own experiences to illustrate the words of the week, telling stories about times they were challenged to persevere or show compassion. Julie Elrod has written a book, Moral Kombat, exploring those words from a kid-friendly perspective.
The Elrods practice the values they preach both in the studio and out.
"They're always doing something to give back," says Sue Jones, a kickboxing student whose son started training at AAMA when he was 5; he's now 18 and an instructor. "They do Wounded Warriors, write letters to soldiers, do personal stuff for the families."
The Elrods are especially involved in canine rescue. They are active with an organization called K-9 Lifesavers that helps foster dogs; they personally foster over a dozen dogs.
"It shows how loving they are," Jones laughs. "They get attached to these dogs and can't say no! They're very involved in giving back."
That loving attitude is on display at the school, too. AAMA is the largest of Maryland's 290 martial-arts schools, and the Elrod family knows each student's name, both first and last. "It's amazing how Mrs. Elrod talks to people," says Stacy Bussing. "She knows their first and last names. It makes people feel good!"
The Elrods insist they gain as much from their students as the students learn from them. "It's so neat to see the transition," says Ron Elrod. "The most rewarding thing is to see the kids as they grow."
For some AAMA students, that growth means a boost in confidence or overcoming shyness. For others, it means resisting peer pressure and staying on a wholesome path.
"We try to teach inner strength," says Julie Elrod. "Not just going along with friends, but thinking for themselves. It gives teens a support network if their friends at school are getting into trouble. And these kids grow up together."
As a child, Julie Elrod was bullied; she says those experiences fueled her interest in self-defense and martial arts — and they help her empathize with students having similar problems.
"I didn't want to go to school," she says. "Which gives me good insight into kids having trouble today. We have a zero tolerance policy towards bullying. "
Part of the AAMA student creed states, "I will use what I learn in class constructively and defensively, to help myself and others, and never to be abusive." The Elrods highlight this, emphasizing their discipline as self-defense, not an offensive sport.
For Kami and Wyatt, growing up at with martial arts has been both fun and educational. "I started as soon as I could walk," says Kami. "We've been with it for our whole lives. My parents told me if I wanted to do something different — like ballet or other sports — I could do that. They were supportive of other things, but I always came back."
Today, Kami and Wyatt run AAMA's kickboxing program and are actively involved in running the school. But that doesn't mean Ron and Julie have any plans to retire.
"It's never been just a business," says Julie. "It's our life."
For that, the Elrods' students are grateful; they hope the family works together for many years to come.
"They're just amazing people," says John Miller. "They work as well together as a family as they do as a business. It shines through."
"Martial Arts" is a broad term encompassing a variety of practices. "Martial arts are usually either self-defense or sports-oriented," says Kami Elrod, explaining that her family teaches a mixed martial arts approach called taijutsu, a broad term describing Japanese, self-defense-oriented martial arts. The Elrods' take on taijutsu draws heavily from the Japanese discipline of ninjutsu.
Judo: A Japanese martial art in which the goal is throwing or taking the opponent to the ground.
Jiu Jitsu: A Japanese martial art in which an unarmed person defeats an armed opponent with either no weapon or a small weapon via pins, joint locks and throws that harness the attacker's energy.
Karate: One of the best-known martial arts in the U.S., karate has roots in Okinawa and focuses on striking techniques, especially hand strikes.
Krav Maga: Newly popular in the U.S., krav maga is an Israeli hand-to-hand combat system using grappling and striking for self-defense.
Kung Fu: A blanket term for Chinese martial arts that includes a wide range of styles.
Ninjutsu: The martial art famously practiced by the Japanese shinobi (or ninja), ninjutsu incorporates weapons as well as the strategy and tactics of guerrilla warfare.
Tae Kwon Do: A sports-oriented Chinese martial art that often includes slow movements and is associated with health benefits.