It's easy to see why Morton's The Steak-house is considered the classic American steakhouse. With locations that span the globe, this award-winning restaurant — which first opened its doors in Chicago in 1978 — has had years to perfect its recipes and procedures. The alluring aromas of grilled steaks emanate from Morton's open kitchen and awaken your senses, while you are met with prompt and courteous customer service, and exceptional value.
Most recently, Dining Out paid a visit to Morton's The Steakhouse at Ala Moana Center and shared a feast with general manager Zyron Schoniwitz, who previously has received top honors as Morton's general manager of the year. Amid porterhouse steak and filet mignon masterpieces, sumptuous bar bites and appetizers, and decadent desserts, we reveled in all that is Morton's The Steakhouse.
DO: Over the years, Morton's The Steakhouse has been a staple on the international dining scene. What is the restaurant's philosophy?
Schoniwitz: Our philosophy is to provide guests with the ultimate dining experience. We specialize in USDA prime-aged beef, but the overall package we present to our guests — customer service, hospitality and the dining environment — is key and all up to par with our acclaimed cuisine.
DO: Who is Morton's clientele?
Schoniwitz: Our clientele is a broad range of people. On one table you can have a business group, and at the next table you can have a family celebrating a birthday, then at another table you can have a couple celebrating an anniversary. We cater to special occasions. For instance, for intimate anniversary dinners, we personalize the menus, decorate the table and our guests receive a complimentary souffle for dessert. We also have private dining rooms that can hold up to 72 people.
However, we really like to focus on our kamaaina. It's nice to have that local touch. Here in Hawaii, we definitely possess the aloha spirit — everyone on our staff is very warm and friendly. We strongly believe in building relationships and taking care of our guests.
DO: Executive chef Jean Pierre Maharibatcha makes magic in the kitchen. When did he join the Morton's ohana?
Schoniwitz: Chef came on board about six months ago and has been a wonderful addition to our team. He's an award-winning chef, classically trained in France and has more than 35 years of culinary experience.
DO: Morton's features generous portions of premier cuts of beef, succulent seafood, classic steakhouse sides and desserts. What dishes are making mouths water?
Schoniwitz: Currently, we are offering a Steak and Seafood Special ($59.99 per guest) that our patrons love. It's a set menu, which features a choice of salad (Caesar Salad, Chopped Spinach Salad, Morton's Salad), entree (Filet Mignon), choice of seafood (Broiled Sea Scallops, Jumbo Shrimp Alexander, Jumbo Lump Crab Cake, 5-ounce Canadian Lobster Tail), choice of side item (asparagus, broccoli, baked or mashed potatoes, french fries, etc.), choice of dessert (Morton's Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake, Key Lime Pie or creme Brulee). It's an unbeatable value.
A prelude to any meal often begins with an appetizer, and I recommend Prosciutto Wrapped Mozzarella ($14) served atop a bed of watercress salad and accented with a balsamic glazed and grated Parmesan cheese.
Top dinner items include Porterhouse Steak ($61), a 24-ounce USDA prime, which is the best of both worlds — filet mignon and New York steak — and is very tender and juicy; Cajun Ribeye Steak ($51) coated with Cajun spices and marinated in a light oil for 24 to 48 hours; and Center-Cut Filet Mignon, a summer favorite that's very lean, tender and extremely flavorful.
Clockwise, from top, executive chef Jean Pierre Maharibatcha, general manager Zyron Schoniwitz and assistant manager Matt Iannaccio.
Clockwise from top, executive chef Jean Pierre Maharibatcha, general manager Zyron Schoniwitz and assistant manager Matt Iannaccio.
DO: Stellar desserts complete a spectacular meal. What sweet sensations do you recommend?
Schoniwitz: Definitely Morton's Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake ($14.50), which oozes with a warm liquid center of rich chocolate.
The cake is topped with powdered sugar and morsels of raspberries. Another renowned dessert is New York Cheesecake ($12) topped with caramelized sugar and paired with sliced strawberries.
DO: Delicious! Happy Hour attracts diners here as well, correct? We've heard great things about the bar bites!
Schoniwitz: Yes. Happy hour runs from 4:45 to 6:30 p.m. and from 9 p.m. to closing every day except Saturday. Our bar bites are a big draw, especially favorites such as Prime Cheeseburgers ($15 regular, $7 happy hour), three mini cheeseburgers each served with 3-ounce beef patties, topped with melted Cheddar cheese, onion, lettuce and tomatoes on freshly toasted buns; Parmesan Truffle Matchstick Fries ($13 regular, $6 happy hour), Tuna Tacos ($14 regular, $7 happy hour) and Steak Tacos ($14 regular, $7 happy hour). We also have a fully stocked bar with a wide variety of beer, wines, cocktails and martinis. We always want to personalize every dining experience, so some of our regular guests even have their very own wine lockers.
DO: What sets Morton's apart from other steakhouses?
Schoniwitz: Two things: quality and consistency. The quality of our products is the finest available, and there's a great attention to detail in everything that we do. We always start with the best, highest quality product, and that's USDA prime aged beef, grain-fed and aged twoand-a half to three weeks. Then, we have a special cooking process, in which our steaks are lightly seasoned with our special blend of seasonings and then cooked to perfection in our 1,100to 1,300-degree oven. When you start with the best-quality beef, the end result is likely to be amazing as well. We finish it off with our house au jus. When you have high-quality beef, you don't want to do too much to it — the beef speaks for itself. We also really focus on value, we give our guests a compelling reason to come back. Our goal is to ensure that our guests are totally happy. It takes a team to run a successful restaurant, and I love the excitement and energy of working at Morton's.


Sudden onset of bilateral blindness is rare; hysteria, cortical infarction or bilateral central retinal arterial occlusion can cause this.
The authors describe a single case of sudden onset bilateral blindness in a patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which is unusual. Biopsy revealed a high-grade lymphoma. After treatment the patient made a complete visual recovery, with no evidence of visual sequelae and no clear reasons for this complete recovery.
CT and MR imaging did not demonstrate any lesions invading any part of the visual pathway or even indeed the occipital cortex. High dose steroids may have reduced the mass effect of the tumour or the blindness may have been hysterical but is unlikely.
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is one of the most common cancers in eastern Asia. Usually presenting with a neck mass and blood-tinged sputum [1, 2]. Headache and cranial nerve abnormalities have also been reported , presumably from brainstem involvement. With advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma the occurrence of distant metastases are high . Typical sites include bone, liver and lung . Brain metastasis is rare .
A 49-year-old female presented with an 18-hour history of complete visual loss. The patient denied perception of light. Six weeks prior to presentation the patient had complained of nasal congestion. This was treated with nasal steroid with no improvement. There were no other symptoms prior to her presentation.
On examination, both pupils were fixed and dilated. Direct and consensual reflexes were absent (Amaurotic pupils). Fundoscopy revealed a healthy retina with no papilloedama or vessel engorgement. Further ocular examination revealed roaming eye movements but no evidence of cranial nerve involvement. Medically, the patient was very distressed and could not cooperate to full examination. Urgent CT scan revealed a large nasopharyngeal mass (60 mm diameter) extending from the level of the base of the skull to approximately C2. The mass also extended into the right sphenoidal sinus, left maxillary sinus and bilateral nasal cavities.
A neoplastic lesion was suspected but with such widespread parasinus involvement, infection could not be excluded. The patient was given intravenous dexamethasone (16 mg) with 1.2 g Augmentin. Regular intravenous hydrocortisone (200 mg – 4 hourly) was commenced. Preparations were made for theatre and urgent drainage of the sinuses.
In theatre, a large, firm nasopharyngeal mass was noted in the left and right nasal cavities extending from the post nasal space to the posterior choanae. The mass was seen to extend down to the level of the uvula in the oral cavity. Biopsies were taken. There was no evidence of pus on sphenoidotomy.
On day one post-operatively, perception of light was denied. Both pupils were fixed and dilated. Day three post operatively the patients' visual acuity suddenly improved to 6/12 and the pupil reactions returned to normal. By day four, vision had recovered to 6/5 and she was able to read N5 print unaided. Goldmann visual field perimetry was completely unremarkable and the patient scored fully on Ishihara test plates.
Formal CT and MRI reports were obtained. Neither demonstrated optic nerve/chiasm compression by mass or associated fluid. The MRI report stated that several "high density areas in the occipital cortex would account for the patient's visual symptoms". Visual evoked potentials (VEP) were conducted and found to be unremarkable. However, there was no demonstrable field defect on full Goldmann visual field screening. Histology of the mass confirmed high-grade Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Chemotherapy was commenced by the physicians and a cure was anticipated.
Choroid metastasis from nasopharyngeal carcinoma has previously been reported as a cause of visual disturbance . There have been two case reports of visual loss being the initial presentation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma [8, 9]. These cases were reported as unilateral visual loss. In either case, the CT scan demonstrated a space-occupying lesion compromising the orbital apex area and there was no improvement in vision, even after treatment . A case of cortical blindness associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma has been previously reported . In this case, the patient had bilateral occipital lobe metastases causing permanent loss of vision. Blindness has also been reported as a result of chemotherapy in treating nasopharyngeal carcinoma .
The patient made a full visual recovery with no lasting visual field defect. This is testimony to the absence of optic pathway or cortical involvement and worthy of note. The mass effect of the tumour on the brain stem may explain the patient's fixed dilated pupils, but not her blindness. Invasion of the right sphenoidal sinus by the tumour may have caused a localized visual field defect, but this proved not to be so. The CT and MRI scans specifically reported no optic chiasm involvement from tumour or associated oedema. There was no evidence of occipital cortex infarct or oedema on either CT/MRI scans. The intensive high-dose steroids may have reduced the mass effect of the tumour/oedema. The "blindness" may well have been "hysterical" but in the context of the pupil reactions this seems unlikely.
SS was involved in the initial drafting of the manuscript. MV reviewed and modified the manuscript prior to admission. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.


Unarmed self-protection and the study of traditional weapons.
Training explores concepts of distance, timing and space.
speed or strength, making this a self protection art for anyone.
16 years of age with parent or guardian permission.


text:
Q: The image turns black when I use the mouse to rotate it All, This code
Show[
 ContourPlot3D[{x == 0, y == 0, z == 0},
  {x, -3, 3}, {y, -3, 3}, {z, -3, 3},
  ContourStyle -> {Opacity[0.8]},
  Mesh -> {Range[-3, 3, 1], Range[-3, 3, 1], Range[-3, 3, 1]},
  Lighting -> "Neutral",
  AxesLabel -> {x, y, z},
  Ticks -> {Range[-3, 3, 1], Range[-3, 3, 1], Range[-3, 3, 1]},
  FaceGrids -> {{{0, 0, -1}, {Range[-3, 3], Range[-3, 3]}}},
  ViewPoint -> {3, 1, 2}],
 Graphics3D[{EdgeForm[Directive[Thick, Dashed, Blue]],
   Opacity[0.8], White, Cuboid[{{0, 0, 0}, {1, -1, 2}}],
   Red, PointSize[Large], Point[{1, -1, 2}]}]
 ]

runs fine on my MacBook Pro (10.10.3) using Mathematica 10.1.0.0. However, when I use my mouse to rotate the image a bit, here is what happens to the image.

I've reported this as a bug to Mathematica, but am interested if this same black image results on anyone else's machine when they rotate the image a number of times.
It should look like this:

A: I contacted Wolfram Support and they recommended that I reinstall Mathematica, following these directions:
http://support.wolfram.com/kb/12473
It seems to have worked. Rotated images are no longer turning black.
We'll see how it goes in the future.
D.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Artists Photographs Disappearing Sites of Her Childhood in Eastern Germany
Photo Gallery: Childhood Memories Documented in Ruins
Foto: Sarah Schönfeld
Lost Places Photographer Documents Ruins of East Berlin
After the Berlin Wall came down almost 23 years ago, many neighborhoods in the former East Germany began falling into disrepair. Artist and photographer Sarah Schönfeld, who grew up in the East Berlin district of Lichtenberg, describes how she began to document the decline in photos -- partly as a way of saying goodbye to the past.
German artist Sarah Schönefeld was 10 years old when the Berlin Wall came down. In the two decades since, the buildings where she spent her childhood in East Berlin began slowly disappearing. Deeply affected by the process, Schönefeld revisited the places of her past over time with a camera to document the abandoned buildings and ruins. This served as the inspiration for a major photo series by the artist, an impressive documentation of dilapidation and loss. Her photographs often deal with issues surrouding memory. Some of her work is currently featured in a major Hamburg exhibition, "Lost Places. Sites of Photography."
SPIEGEL ONLINE: When did you realize that many sites that featured in your childhood in the former East Berlin neighborhood of Lichtenberg were disappearing?
Schönfeld: My kindergarten suddenly disappeared one day. It had given way to a supermarket parking lot. I saw that, and it affected me.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Why?
Schönfeld: I spent a large amount of time there because my mother was a single parent. And the (East German secret police) the Ministry for State Security was located around the corner. As a child I was naturally interested in it. What was the Stasi? I knew that our family, among others, was being observed because my grandfather was a pastor in an independent church. The Stasi was the almighty overseer, and its headquarters were so close to my kindergarten.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Did your kindergarten then serve as the catalyst for your photo series?
Schönfeld: I have old photographs of my kindergarten that I like: A photo, for instance, in which I am dressed as a musical clef. After reunification, I returned time and again to my kindergarten, to see what kind of condition it was in. Over the years, I noticed that other places were falling into disrepair as well. At some point I took my camera along, and that's how this series came into being.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: How many places look now as you knew them from your childhood?
Schönfeld: Actually, not a single one. They have all either fallen into disrepair, been renovated or been torn down.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Does their disappearance bring you down?
Schönfeld: I tried to say goodbye through my photographs. The places now live on in my photos and my memories. For me, their disappearance is similar to death. Of course, they are abstract buildings and not people, but I had a very strong connection to these places. It's similar to the feeling that overcomes you at a funeral -- that sense of astonishment that someone can simply just be gone.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Which other places, apart from your kindergarten, still have meaning to you?
Schönfeld: The swimming pool for example. I spent many afternoons there during my summer holidays. I even became a competitive swimmer at the indoor pool. We would train two or three times a week. However I rarely took part in competitions, but stopped after a few years because my mother was very critical of it.
Schönfeld: The sports physician would give us shots. But it was unclear whether we were being given hormones to prepare us for future competitions.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Your school also appears in your photo series. What do you associate with it?
Schönfeld: Perhaps "The Wall of the Best". In first and second grade I was the best student in the class. My photo wasn't on the wall, however, because I wasn't a member of the Young Pioneers (the East German youth movement officially promoted by the Communist regime). Of course I was very disappointed. I didn't really understand what it all meant at the time, and my mother wasn't able to offer a sufficient explanation either.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: But surely you realized as a child that the German Democratic Republic, the former East Germany, was a country that restricted its citizens?
Schönfeld: Yes. Even from a child's perspective, one gains experiences. A clear example is packages from the West. When we got a package from relatives in the West, it was a highlight, even if the contents were from the discount store. A jar of Nutella was sacred, and would last for a year. We once had a break-in -- money and valuables were left untouched. Only the things from the West disappeared: shampoo and sweets.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Kindergarten, school -- these are places, that most people associate with their childhood. But you also photographed the Palace of the Republic, the GDR's parliament building. How does that fit in?
Schönfeld: Many cultural events used to take place there. I was always there for children's concerts. At the time, I thought it was chic. With all the lamps and the carpets, it was something special. That's not the only reason why I feature the building in my series though. I wanted to establish a link between the personal and the "official" histories.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Many of your other works, such as those on Auschwitz, Siberian gulags or legendary Berlin clubs, revolve around historical places. What draws you to the past?
Schönfeld: Everyone is confronted by things in life that can suddenly turn everything upside down. In my life that was reunification. Something like that creates an underlying insecurity that needs to be processed. Historical awareness is also tied in with the question of the future. In my opinion, it is better if one knows, from where one comes, to have a better idea of where one wants to go. It was only during my studies that I realized how much the past fascinates me.
SPIEGEL ONLINE: Is that why you became a photographer?
Schönfeld: No, it's not that simple. But photography is a medium that has been telling human stories for over 150 years. Today, we are closer to those photographs than paintings. That interests me greatly. I never planned my career. Instead, I became more heavily involved with the medium. And I can still say that analog photography continues to draw, fascinate and amaze me.
Editor's note: This article originally appeared in German on einestages.de, SPIEGEL ONLINE's history portal. The exhibition "Lost Places. Sites of Photography" runs until Sept. 23 at the Hamburger Kunsthalle's Gallery of Contemporary Art in Hamburg.
Interview conducted by Ariane Stürmer
Culture Art Berlin East Germany
19 Bilder Photo Gallery: Childhood Memories Documented in Ruins
A past buried: In winter 2005, photograher Sarah Schönfeld returned to the outdoor swimming pool in Siegfried Strasse in Berlin's Lichtenberg district. She found trees and bushes growing between the tiles of the pool where ...
... as a child she had spent many an afternoon. She even learned to swim there. This photo shows Schönfeld at the pool when she was four years old.
A glimpse at the past: When Schönfeld returned to her former school in Berlin's Lichtenberg district as an adult in 2005, she found a building that had fallen into disrepair. There is little to suggest in this photo that the room was once used as a gymnasium.
Lights Out: Former government-owned East German graphite product producer VEB Elektrokohle Lichtenberg built an events center in Lichtenberg's Herzberg Strasse where Schönfeld once performed with her violin ...
... but today it only consists of abandoned rooms.
Schönfeld is pictured here inside her kindergarten in Lichtenberg in 1986. Being brought up by a single mother, Schönfeld spent much time there as child. In a recent art photography project, Schönfeld revisited the disappearing sites of her East German childhood to bid them farewell.
Schönfeld has sought to suppress some memories from her school years that confused her as a child. Although she was one of the brightest pupils during her first and second years at school, her achivements were never recognized on a wall dedicated to the best students because she wasn't a member of the official, Communist Party-endorsed youth organization.
But she did receive this certificate in year two for "good learning in the Socialist school," commending her for "good learning, exemplary social skills and extracurricular work" during the 1987-88 school year.
Dinosaurs in the Undergrowth: After German reunification, the former state-owned Kulturpark, or cultural park, in East Berlin was earmarked to be redeveloped as a West German-style amusement park. Due to high entry prices, however, visitors stayed away, and East Germany's most famous amusement park closed its doors in 2001. Since then, the site, now known as Spreepark, has fallen into disrepair. The ferris wheel is rusting, while the dinosaurs are overrun by undergrowth and ...
... the carousels that Schönfeld used to ride (as she did in this 1985 photo) have stopped for good. According to the photographer, the best thing about visiting the amusement park were the views from the nearby Plänterwald S-Bahn commuter train station, rather than the rides. "From there," she remembers, "we could see the high-rise buildings in West Berlin."
Schönfeld named a three-part photo series she created in 2004 "Mama, you sow," after a piece of graffiti that is now scrawled on the wall of her former kindergarten classroom, which had since been abandoned. In the works, the photographer hid black-and-white photos of herself as a child in the disused rooms of the kindergarten. This one, located on the right windowsill ...
... shows Schönfeld (on the far right) dressed as a clef during Mardi Gras-like carnival celebration in 1984.
The final pictures: Schönfeld's kindergarten in Bornitz Strasse in Berlin has since been torn down. Today, it is the site of a supermarket parking lot. In this photo, the artist hid a childhood photograph of herself in the room. It shows ...
... Schönfeld in the same room in 1986.
A ruined coal heater that was typically used in East German times: Over two decades ago in this room, Schönfeld posed ...
... together with other children in her peer group for a photo taken in 1985.
A concrete desert: The Palace of the Republic, East Germany's former parliament building, also features in Schönfeld's work. The artist used to attend children's concerts in the building, which was home to the Communist Party's rubber-stamp legislature. She recalls being impressed by the glamorous people and the carpets in the events hall, which was mockingly also referred to as "Erich's Lampenladen," or Erich's lamp store, a reference to former East German leader Erich Honecker and the scores of lamps that hung from the ceiling.
Empty halls: By the end of 2008, the Palace of the Republic had been torn down. Schönfeld wandered through the rooms a year earlier to take some final photographs.
Hunting for motifs: Berlin artist Schönfeld's works are featured in museums and galleries around the world. She prefers analog photography -- meaning she has to decide which shots she is going to take on location, and not later at her computer.
Foto: Kathrin Krottenthaler

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Welcome to the first ever industry leading Cleanroom Glossary supplied to you by Connect 2 Cleanrooms Ltd. Browse the Glossary to find explanations to cleanroom terms that you may not be familiar with.
An actuator is a mechanical component that can move a mechanism or system.
Feet that can be adjusted to ensure a level system is created, even on uneven floors.
The amount of time a cleanroom can completely replace its air volume within an hour.
Connect 2 Cleanrooms support the implementation of Air Handling Units only in certain circumstances.
Airborne particles are sub-micron particles, which are invisible to the naked eye.
A cleanroom may need to be extended to allow organisations to react to increased market demand.
There are a number of reasons for which a cleanroom may need to be relocated.
A fan filter unit is a motorised unit which supplies clean, filtered air to a cleanroom.
The main cleanroom flooring options are loose lay flooring and vinyl flooring.
Hardwall panels are robust, with a high resistance to alcohol and solvents.
A HEPA filter is a filter media which is efficient at removing submicron particles from the air.
Industry 4.0 is the 4th industrial revolution - the digital transformation.
For optimum space utilisation, integrated benching can be installed in cleanrooms.
LED light fittings can be optimised to support minimum working plane Lux requirements.
A micron is one thousandth of a millimetre.
Rapid roll doors are effective at providing a large opening into a cleanroom for goods in/out.
A sporicide is a disinfectant that is effective against spores.
A vent protector can stop any large object entering the cleanroom.
We hope you enjoyed using our Cleanroom Glossary, we will continue to populate the Glossary with more interesting cleanroom information. Please visit us again.


What if a person could indefinitely predict the outcome of a coin flip? I understand that's not much of a question; but I want to know what that would mean in terms of either that single person, or the universe in general. If it happened tomorrow, what happens next?
I'm not sure I understand the question: Is it this? Let's say we have a fair coin, C, and that it is going to be flipped once every minute starting at noon tomorrow. Now let's imagine a person Fred. Fred is about to have an amazing streak of luck. Each minute, he is going to call "heads" or "tails", and Fred is going to get it right every time, and he will continue to do so for as long as he keeps going. I don't see anything impossible about that. Maybe it's unlikely, but it's clearly possible, and nothing much seems to follow.
Now we don't have Fred making an infinite prediction here. So maybe we should change the story. Let's say that Fred says that the first flip will be even, every even flip will be followed by an odd one, and every odd one by an even one. And now let's suppose that, for as long as we keep flipping the coin, Fred turns out to be right. We can even suppose that we flip the coin forever, and Fred is always right. Again, that's clearly possible, if very unlikely, but nothing much seems to follow.
But perhaps what you are wondering is this. Let's go back to the original case. Suppose Fred has been right for several days. So he decides to start making some wagers. He offers you two-to-one odds on the next coin flip: If he's right, you pay him $2; if he's wrong, you get $4. Do you take the bet? Is it rational for Fred to offer such odds? There are clearly two sorts of responses here. One is that Fred's past success is no guarantee of his future success: He's just been lucky, and his odds of getting it right the next time are even, as always, so you should take the bet, and it's irrational for Fred to offer it. The other response is that something's clearly up with Fred, and I ain't goin' there.
Something about this problem strikes me as similar to Newcombe's Problem. Imagine the following experiment. Fred is wealthy a psychology professor, and he offers you the following choice. He puts two boxes before you. The right box, he tells you, contains $100 more than the left box. You may either take just the money in the left box or you may take the money in both boxes. Obviously you take the money in both boxes, right? Well, there's a catch. Before putting the boxes down, Fred has carefully considered what he thinks you will do. If he thought you would take both boxes, he put no money in the left box and $100 in the right box. If he thought you would take only the left box, he put $10,000 in it and $10,100 in the right box. He has given this little test many times before. He has always been right about what he thought the person would do. So everyone who has taken two boxes has gotten $100, and everyone who has taken only the left box has gotten $10,000.
What do you do? Are you a one-boxer or a two-boxer? As I believe Robert Nozick was the first to mention, everyone seems to be absolutely sure what it is right to do. But they don't all agree. Some are very sure you should one-box, and others are equally sure you should two-box. Me? I haven't a clue.


text:
Click to play our newest game, yahtzee!
Dominos for Beginners
By: Katherine Harder Updated April 12, 2017
Dominoes image by Nedda from Fotolia.com
You've most likely seen the iconic black-and-white dominos game pieces creating snaking trails across tabletops, but if you've never played the game yourself, how they got that way may be a mystery. Domino pieces are called tiles, and the entire game focuses on matching the ends of these tiles to other tiles on the table to slowly whittle down your pile of tiles to zero.
As late as 1120 A.D., the Chinese played a matching game using ivory or bone tiles, although the game's origins probably precede that decade by several centuries, according to "A Little Giant Book: Dominoes" by Jennifer Kelley. Their very long rectangular tiles, like modern domino tiles, were divided in their centers by a line that separated groups of dots. Europeans later adapted the game to include shorter tiles and some pieces with blank ends. Although many people used domino tiles for domino games, others used dominos as arithmetic tools. According to authors Elizabeth Jaffe, Sherry Field and Linda Labbo, some tradespeople and bankers kept the tiles around to help them count.
Game Pieces
Each domino game includes 28 tiles. Although ancient players constructed their dominoes from bone or ivory, the dominos you'll play with probably are made of molded plastic, poured polyester resin or wood. These tiles are usually black with white dots or vice versa, but sometimes they are made with two other colors, multiple colors or even shapes or portraits instead of dots. Each tile is shaped like a rectangle, and the rectangle is bisected by a line, which creates two squares on the face of the tile. Inside each square, a group of dots represents a number. The back of each tile is completely blank.
Basic Game Play
Before you can begin playing, you set out all the tiles on the table and turn them all so their blank sides face up and their dot-filled sides face down. You then move them around to mix them up. This is calling shuffling. Every player then chooses one tile, and the player with the largest amount of numbers on their tile selects their seven tiles first and takes the first turn. Extra tiles are left on the table in a pile called "the stock." The first player places whatever tile they want out of their pile onto the table, face up. For example, this tile might have five dots on one side and four dots on the other. The next player then must lay a tile with five or four dots on one end against the matching end of the first domino. The player can also play a domino that have two ends with fives or two ends with fours. Tiles with equal amount of dots on both sides are called spinners. This tile is played perpendicular to the matching end, and then players can play off its long side or off either short side. If the player has no matching tiles, he must either pass or draw from the stock, depending on the number of players. After a player lays down a tile or draws from the stock, it's the next player's turn, and so forth until someone runs out of tiles and wins the game.
Once you've mastered normal dominos game play, you can learn about all the dominos variations. Some variations require special dominos, such as dominos sets with extra dominos and larger numbers or multicolored sets, but many variations only require you to learn new rules and strategies. Many of these variations have colorful names, such as tiddle-a-wink, chickenfoot, muggings and seven-toed Pete. Learn new dominos varieties with a favorite dominos partner to keep the game fresh and interesting to play, or learn some of the solo games to play by yourself.
"Great Big Book of Children's Games"; Debra Wise, Sandra Forrest; 2003
Acción Puertorriqueña y Amigos: Dominoes Home Page
MSN Games: Online Dominoes Game
Katherine Harder kicked off her writing career in 1999 in the San Antonio magazine "Xeriscapes." She's since worked many freelance gigs. Harder also ghostwrites for blogs and websites. She is the proud owner of a (surprisingly useful) Bachelor of Arts in English from Texas State University.
How to Play Dominoes With Kids
What Games to Play With Double Twelve Dominos
History of Mexican Train
How to Play UNO Dominoes
Rules for Mah-Jongg
How to Play Double Nine Dominoes


A part of the fabric of Australia's stage and screen world, Sigrid Thronton has fulfilled her love of telling stories while maintaining her commitment to the arts and the community spirit she cherishes.
Read about her incredible story in our May 2016 issue of MiNDFOOD.
Fiddler on the Roof is playing at Sydney's Capitol Theatre until May 8.


We here at Print.DVDcover.Com respect your privacy. Your privacy is of paramount importance to us and we are always committed to safeguarding it.
Print.DVDcover.Com does not collect any personal information about you such as your name, address, phone number or email ID without your knowledge. When you provide your email ID while contacting us we never share it with anyone. We only use it to respond to your email.
We measure visitors to our website using Google Analytics. This records what pages you view within our site, how you arrived at our site and some basic information about your computer. All of that information is anonymous so we don't know who you are; just that somebody visited our site.
You can also manage many companies cookies used for online advertising at the US-based aboutads.info choices page or the EU-based Your Online Choices.
Please feel free to contact us for any questions or concerns regarding your privacy.


text:
SSR in Practice
Support to developing IDB risk mitigation guidelines for Justice and Citizen Security programming
Target country
Mandator
Switzerland has requested ISSAT to support the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in their process of developing human rights risk mitigation guidelines.
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has been involved in citizen security projects for almost two decades, in response to the clear and significant impacts that poor levels of citizen security and justice provision have on economic outcomes. Despite these long term citizen security efforts, the IDB has not yet completely integrated these projects into country and regional approaches, and has faced challenges in developing the required knowledge, expertise, and risk management processes to support such programming. A 2014 evaluation of the IDB's citizen security remit concluded that one of the key elements of sustaining competitive advantage in citizen security was the development and implementation of risk mitigation guidelines.
Switzerland is a strong supporter of the work of the IDB in Latin America and the Caribbean, in particular in Honduras where SDC is working with the IDB through its programme Integrated Security Sector Reform and Violence Prevention in Honduras.
Mandating organisation / agency / department / ministry
Target organisation type(s)
Mandate outputs / products
The mandate output will be a comprehensive and practical set of risk mitigation guidelines, supported by one or more technical information field visits to help the IDB to ensure the guidelines are correctly aligned with IDB programme structures and processes, and realistically achievable in specific country contexts.
Outcome objectives of mandate
The expected outcome of the mandate is that the IDB will be better able to assess the risks associated with engaging with those actors implicated in citizen security programming (such as police, penitentiary staff or judicial officers) who may also contribute to the levels of insecurity in a country in terms of human rights abuses. In addition, the IDB will be better able to manage risks at the country level by supporting suitable targeted citizen security projects.
Specific Lessons Identified
DCAF-ISSAT Terms and Conditions of Use
SSR Methodology & Guidance
SSR Overview


While little ghosts and goblins, bulky Hulks and green-faced witches are still recovering from Halloween's sugar overload, many in the Latin world are getting ready to spend the two following days celebrating not scary monsters, but putting on colorful fiestas with their loved ones — the loved ones who have died.
On Nov. 1 and 2 children and adults throughout Mexico and parts of Latin and South America will welcome the spirits of the dead back for a visit. La Dia de los Muertos, a public holiday in Mexico, is a time when it is felt the separation between the living and the dead is the thinnest. It is a time when believers can honor, pray for, and even talk with those who have departed. And they can party.
Five people who plan on celebrating the Day of the Dead chatted at St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church in Quincy where they were attending a retreat. From Puerto Rico, Chile, and Mexico, young and mature alike talk about and look forward to the food, the face-painting, the music, and the general street-fair atmosphere that will surround the cemeteries holding their departed. From country to country the customs vary slightly, but each says it is a day to remember and reconnect with those who have left.
The custom of communicating with dead spirits is thought to have originated in pre-Colombian times with the Aztecs. It became institutionalized in Mexico in the 1960s as a public holiday and a mechanism for uniting the southern and northern states.
Originally, Nov. 1 was celebrated as the Day of the Innocents, when children were remembered, and the 2nd for deceased adults. But for Mexico and Latin America where family is cherished, it is a time for reuniting.
Hilda Solano of Mexico City says that she particularly loves making the huge floral wreaths of cempoaxochitl, marigolds, that are known as the "flowers of the dead." And the skeleton costumes.
Calacas, skeletons, are seen everywhere, and not just as costumes. Calavera, skulls, that are elaborately painted on pretty girls' faces, are also turned into pink, green, and blue candies, thick with fancy detail and adorned with the deceased's name.
From home-made ofrendas or small altars where fruit, nuts, soft drinks, or perhaps a beer or whiskey the departed favored that are placed graveside, to the huge parades with floats filled with dancing skeletons and women dressed as La Calavera Catrina, a mocking version of a high-born Spanish lady, who like the rest of mankind, will one day be but a skeleton, the countries of the Spanish-speaking Americas turn the somber into a joyous reunion.
Even American-born 12-year-old Omar Hernandez looks forward to the day. "I know from what my parents have told me how to celebrate," he says.
He knows that in Mexico, his relatives will be cleaning the graves, dusting away dirt, pulling weeds, maybe painting the tombstones in brilliant colors. "Sometimes they spend the night there next to the tombs." And he will go with others here in America, though he says no one of his family is buried here.
But for Omar, as for the others who are deeply attached to family, to custom, to tradition, and to culture, the Dia de Los Muertos is not a day of sadness, but rather a reinforcement of what unites them, during life… and across death's divide.
Family is family, no matter how far away.
Contact Marina Brown at mcdb100@comcast.net.


It taste wonderful and it touches the bottom of the heart and it gives a good feelings all over the body.
the same as when you swallow your pride.
What is the name of a Cream Pie?
Does tofu taste good? What's your favorite tofu recipe?
How does a pomegranate taste?
Is there a fruit you can think of that you think wouldn't go very good in a pie?
If it smells good does it usually taste good?
What two foods taste good together?
What absolutely does not taste good no matter how well seasoned?
Are you a pumpkin pie person?


text:
Tag: NJ High School Basketball
St. John's Hoops Offers Gill St. Bernard Hot HS Prospect Denver Anglin
July 14, 2021 by jdelpriore1, posted in College Basketball Recruitment, High School Basketball, New Jersey High School Sports, SPORTS
Denver Anglin reaches 23 Division college hoop offers with St. John's throwing its hat into the ring.
Tagged Denver Anglin, Gill St. Bernard High School Boy's basketball, NJ High School Basketball, NJ High School Boys Basketball, St. John's University Men's basketballLeave a comment
Roselle Catholic Guard Jamarques Lawrence Garners Shockers' Hoops Offer
Jamarques Lawrence picks up 7th D I hoops offer.
Tagged Jamarques Lawrence, NJ High School Basketball, NJ High School Boys Basketball, Roselle Catholic High School Boys' Basketball, Wichita State Men's BasketballLeave a comment
Blair Academy's Jayden Williams Picks Up Towson Hoops Offer
May 11, 2021 May 26, 2021 by jdelpriore1, posted in College Basketball Recruitment, High School Basketball, New Jersey High School Sports, SPORTS
Additionally, the 6-foot, 160-pound Williams has offers from St. Peter's (NJ) and Sacred Heart.
Tagged Blair Academy Boy's Basketball, Colonial Athletic Association Men's Basketball, Jayden Williams, NJ High School Basketball, NJ High School Boys Basketball, Towson Men's BasketballLeave a comment
Manasquan HS Hoops' Ben Roy Earns Toledo Offer
May 3, 2021 by jdelpriore1, posted in College Basketball Recruitment, High School Basketball, New Jersey High School Sports, SPORTS
Roy, a junior point guard who also plays for AAU hoops for Team Rio Univeristy, drained 287 points in 12 games for the Big Blue Warriors this past season. For his high school career, Roy has dropped in an impressive total of 1116 points in three years at the Jersey Shore school.
Tagged ben roy, manasquan high school boy's basketball, NJ High School Basketball, NJ High School Boys Basketball, Team Rio BasketballLeave a comment
Knights HS Guard Samir Thomas Earns NJIT Hoops Offer
March 29, 2021 March 29, 2021 by jdelpriore1, posted in College Basketball Recruitment, High School Basketball, New Jersey High School Sports, SPORTS
Additionally, Thomas holds offers from Robert Morris and Hofstra Univeristy.
Tagged Gill St. Bernard High School Boy's basketball, NJ High School Basketball, NJ High School Boys Basketball, NJIT Men's Basketball, Samir ThomasLeave a comment
Ex-St. Thomas Aquinas Hoops Star Quadry Adams Earns St. Bonaventure Offer
March 18, 2021 by jdelpriore1, posted in College Basketball Recruitment, High School Basketball, New City High School Boys Basketball, SPORTS
The Piscataway, N.J., native averaged 18.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 2.7 steals his senior season, leading his team in scoring on the way to a 23-5 record and a ranking as one of the top 15 players in the Garden State that year.
Tagged NJ High School Basketball, NJ High School Boys Basketball, Quadry Adams, St. Bonaventure men's Basketball, St. Thomas Aquinas High School Boy's Basketball, Wake Forest Men's BasketballLeave a comment
The Patrick School's Brendan Mykalcio Gets Offer from Gardner–Webb Hoops
March 3, 2021 by jdelpriore1, posted in High School Basketball, New Jersey High School Sports, SPORTS
The 6-foot-7 class of 2021 athletic player is currently averaging 26-plus points per game on the season. Last year with Don Bosco Prep, Mykalciao shined on the hardwood, dropping in 386 points, 190 rebounds, 33 assists, 26 blocks, and 33 steals in 27 contests.
Tagged Brendan Mykalcio, Don Bosco Prep Boy's Basketball, Gardner-Webb Men's Basketball, NJ High School Basketball, NJ High School Boys Basketball, The Patrick School Boys BasketballLeave a comment
Jayden Lemond of Blair Academy Picks Up Providence Hoops Offer
February 13, 2021 by jdelpriore1, posted in College Basketball Recruitment, High School Basketball, New Jersey High School Sports, SPORTS
The 6-foot-4 Lemond also plays AAU ball for the PSA Cardinals and holds offers from TCU, Auburn, UConn, St. John's, and Seton Hall, while Georgia, Stanford, and Michigan have shown interest, per sources.
Tagged Blair Academy Boy's Basketball, Jayden Lemond, NJ High School Basketball, NJ High School Boys Basketball, Providence Men's Basketball1 Comment
Cherokee HS Basketball's Gabby Recinto Kicks it into High Gear
January 2, 2021 August 3, 2021 by jdelpriore1, posted in Combat Sports, High School Basketball, High School Girls basketball, New Jersey High School Sports, SPORTS
Gabby Recinto played four sports: basketball, soccer, volleyball, and marital arts.
Tagged Amerikick Medford martial Arts, Cherokee High School girl's basketball, Exodus NYC, Gabby Recinto, Mike Recinto, NJ Girls High School Basketball, NJ High School Basketball, NJSIAA Group Tournament 20204 Comments
Blair Academy's Jaylen Blakes Receives Offer from Illinois Hoops
December 29, 2020 by jdelpriore1, posted in High School Basketball, New Jersey High School Sports, SPORTS
The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder is currently the third ranked player on the New Jersey high school basketball scene, per 247sports.com.
Tagged Big 10 Conference Men's Basketball, Blair Academy Boy's Basketball, Jaylen Blakes, NJ High School Basketball, NJ High School Boys Basketball, University Of Illinois Men's BasketballLeave a comment


These Triple P workshops will help parents navigate their way through parenthood and all of its challenges. This is a three week session looking at the five core principles of Positive Parenting. Parents can use these principles to teach their children important values and skills and offers suggestions on helping children learn healthy coping skills.
Dealing with Disobedience: strategies to help prevent problems and to handle disobedience if it happens.
Developing Good Bedtime Routines: develop a good bedtime routine and teach your child to fall asleep in their own bed and stay in their bed until morning.
Hassle-Free Shopping with Children: strategies to help you manage shopping trips.
Managing Fighting and Arguing between Children: help prevent problems and manage those times when they lose their cool.
Contains 4 sessions between 20-40 minutes.
Each session is only with the parents. The child/children are not involved.
After assessing the current problem, the practitioner will work out an individual parenting plan with the parent, including active skills training.
The practitioner will fine tune the plan with the parent if necessary.
The one on one consultation aims also to increase the parents' confidence in their parenting ability and to promote parents self-sufficiency in managing future difficulties.
To make an appointment, please call Tilly 403-309-8210 or email her tremy@fsca.ca.
Parents and caregivers with children 0-12 years old.


Join the fun at our opening reception for our next exhibition, Peanuts…Naturally. Also our Little Elf Workshop. Select up to six projects to complete and take home. Recommended donation of $1.00 per project.


Why Personal Training Required ?
as some way to unwind.
quicker rate than as hostile going it alone.
become a preferred selection of the many folks.
that writing an inventory that is sort of endless.
giving the tools necessary to live a safe life.
Burns are another reason for hospitalization.
The PowerPoint PPT presentation: "Personal Training Perth" is the property of its rightful owner.


We have these faux leaded glass panes in the closet doors. We don't like them, so off with their heads! I have all this curtain fabric, and was thinking of making small curtains to set into the spaces on little dowel rods, top and bottom. But why sew when I can use duct tape! I'm so glad I thought of this.
So I took my neat rectangles of masonite, placed them on the curtain fabric on the floor, and stretching the fabric into place, duct taped it all together. It's not pretty on the back side, so I'll sandwich a custom cut mirror on the back of one, and ribbon-wrapped bulletin boards on the others.
(I haven't done the bulletin board parts yet - have to find ribbon somewhere in Taos...) I'll glue the fronts and backs together with Liquid Nails, and hold them in place in the closet doors with little corner brackets. So easy, and no sewing! Yay! And notice the beautiful wood steps Rick built. I'll show them off properly when they have all the Varathane coats finished. He did a great job. He likes power tools.
This will be much better. and by the way, this is my entire closet. Rick's is half this size. This will be interesting!
Good deal :). Hot glue can work wonders as well!
Gorgeous! Just what one would expect from the "creative set"!
i think this is stunning--save one hanger for meeee!
Try Uncommon Thread for some ribbon. I bet they'll have something cool for your fabulous closet update! You guys really ought to write up this "re-do" for DIY TV. It's impressive to say the least!
So Clever Kim! I think i saw actual interior designers do something like that on HGTV! I would NEVER have thought to personalize & customize your roving home like this; how smart you two are - and it really will be home.
I agree with what Ag Alchemy said about doing a writeup for DIY or something - they would really be taken by your work. LOVE the flowery fabric; sorry 'bout the closet confines. Now you'll REALLY see what makes your favorite / MUST HAVE pile!
Can't wait to get my latest goodies from your studio - i recently added the AMAZINGLY beautiful heart i acquired from you, to my personal 'altar' space. It just seemed right to be there among my other treasures.


AMERICAN NUDIST, a feature film I'm in was voted as one of the most distinctive posters at this year's 66th Annual Festival de Cannes! Presented by the Hollywood Reporter.
The poster for my recent feature film, AMERICAN NUDIST just won its category in The Hollywood Reporter 's 2013 Cannes Poster Awards.
It was awarded the "Most Nakedly Patriotic" at the 2013 Cannes International Film Festival this week!


text:
Kate Howard via Twitter
Strange Dog Appears on Woman's Lawn, She Uncovers They Share a Secret Past
By Conner Goodman
After uncovering the shocking connection that she had to a stranger's dog, Kate Howard's life was altered forever. And it's since captivated users everywhere. Here's her inspiring story of serendipity and second chances.
Kate Howard was just living her life and minding her own business when a random canine unexpectedly appeared on her front lawn. Little did she know then how this moment would impact her life as she knew it.
@JournoKateH via Twitter
Up until the life-changing exchange, the 37-year-old writer was working as a managing editor of the Kentucky Center for Investigating Reporting. But when she wasn't busy at work, Howard spent time sharing her life with her Twitter followers. There was one story, in particular, that quickly gained traction.
Howard had a really good friend named Hiedi, she explained to her Twitter followers. "Heidi for a second: she was a journalist too, and she faced her diagnosis with incredible grace and bravery," she explained. Unfortunately, her dear friend had health problems, and she passed away.
ADEK BERRY / Contributor via Getty Images
Since the memorial services fell on a Monday, Howard needed to request a day off from work. So, on the day of the funeral, instead of spending her time working hard at the office, the writer was sadly saying her final goodbyes to one of her closest friends.
Howard had no idea just how emotional that afternoon would soon become. She revealed on Twitter how it all began: "today I was sitting on my porch, enjoying the sunshine and the rest of my day off after returning from the memorial service of a friend who died far too soon."
@june_scott_design via Instagram
Suddenly, things took a turn. "A woman and her dog stopped at my yard, and the dog plopped down on my grass," she continued. Now, because Howard was a big lover of puppies, she wasn't annoyed or bothered by this - instead, she actually enjoyed the company. She would later find out why she felt that way...
A "Charming" Canine
The canine that had approached Howard's front lawn was especially adorable, according to her. The journalist explained, "The dog was cute, a brown pitty girl with white markings. All dogs are perfect, but she was particular charming." There was an instant bond between Kate and her new furry friend.
So much so, that the dog refused to leave the lawn. Despite trying to get her canine's attention, the stranger's pet simply wouldn't budge. "Her owner was trying to get her rolling again, but she was staying put," Kate recalled. But things took a turn when the stranger began to scold the puppy.
Questions Arise
Originally, Howard didn't think too much about the whole situation - she was just relaxing outside, and a cute puppy wanted to play with her. But those thoughts quickly shifted when the dog's name was revealed to her. "She (the owner) called her. 'Winnie! Come on!' Her name was Winnie!" Howard explained on her Twitter thread.
The writer was taken aback: She thought there was no way that was really the dog's name. All of a sudden, there were many thoughts racing through her head. "I realized it instantly when the owner called her Winnie, and I knew her answers to my questions were going to prove it," Howard later recalled to Global News.
Memories Come Flooding Back
That previous year, in November, she had fostered a dog with the same name as the one now sitting on her front porch. Hearing the name 'Winnie' made all the memories from that time come rushing back. "I just immediately started trying to scramble off my porch and get down to her so I could pet her," Howard explained.
"I fostered a dog for the first time over Thanksgiving. She was a soft wiggly baby puppy I named Winnie. I cried for three days after she was spayed and went up for adoption, worrying about whether she had found a good home," Kate confessed to her social media followers.
Winnie's Heartwarming History
When Howard had fostered the mutt that prior Fall, she was given the opportunity to name her by herself. The writer confessed to TIME Magazine how she came up with it. Her mom had actually been the one to suggest the name Winnie because when Howard was a little girl, she adored the cartoon Winnie the Pooh.
@poohdisney_love via Instagram
After getting to know Winnie so well during their foster time together, it was difficult having to let her go. So when she met another puppy with the same name, a whirlwind of emotions came back to her. As far as Kate was concerned, there had to be more to the story here. And she was right...
The Painful Goodbye
Although Howard didn't want to let Winnie go, she, unfortunately, had to due to the size of her then-apartment. "She was a really sweet, perfect puppy who I would have been extremely tempted to foster-fail and keep if I had a yard when I fostered her," Howard revealed to TIME.
"But I was in an apartment, and she was too rowdy for old Foxy," she said, referring to her permanent dog Foxy whom she had been the proud owner of for nearly 13 years. So while it was a difficult goodbye, Howard knew that letting someone else adopt Winnie was the best choice for both her and the canine.
A Brewing Mystery
Howard was worried about whether or not her beloved foster puppy was gonna end up in a loving home. Especially after the two had created such a special bond - she truly cared about her well-being, but sadly she had no way of knowing where Winnie eventually ended up living.
Or at least that's what she thought… but luckily for Howard, she eventually managed to find out that Winnie was living her best life with new owners who cared and loved her. Yet the way that this information was revealed to her was completely unexpected…
She Closed That Chapter
Howard had no idea that she would form such a strong attachment. After having to deal with many tears and heartache, the journalist made the decision that she would never foster again. Even though she knew many puppies out there needed it, she couldn't bear the pain again.
But after discovering that everything worked out for Winnie, she changed her mind. "I was thinking about trying to foster again once I moved," she recalled. "If and when Foxy's toes heal up, and she might be up for company, I'd definitely think about trying again."
The Tragic Truth
A large reason why Howard had been so concerned with Winnie's future was that she was familiar with the statistics regarding foster animals. Based on reports from the American Humane Association, one-tenth of all puppies that got adopted from shelters or rescue homes eventually ended up getting returned.
Nearly 1.2 million canines a year were tragically euthanized because they were unable to find a forever home. "I was so worried about whether she found a good home that I asked the shelter to put my name in her file in case she was ever brought back," Howard recalled. But thankfully, since Winnie was a puppy, she quickly got adopted.
Trying To Move On
Despite the good news, no one from the shelter ever called and notified Howard that her foster pup was adopted, so she decided to just try and move on. That following year, in August 2019, the journalist moved out of her apartment and into a new home in Kentucky.
@binkzack1 via Instagram
But just a couple of months later, in October, as Kate was trying to get over the heartache, an adorable female puppy with one ear ran onto her new home's yard. That day didn't just give Howard the answers to the many questions she had pondered for months - it also changed her life for good.
The Interrogation Begins
Sure enough, Howard bombarded Winnie's owner with endless questions regarding the mysterious puppy. After chatting for a while, she came to learn that the women's former dog had sadly passed away just a few months prior. To get over the heartache, she decided to get a new furry companion.
The stranger standing on Howard's porch explained to her how she had started searching on an animal service website when an adorable dog caught her eye. She immediately felt a connection to Winnie and knew that that was going to be the puppy she would adopt.
A Permanent Home
"When (she) saw Winnie's precious face on the Animal Services website, she got to the adoption site EARLY, intent on making sure she was first in line to adopt her when she became available," Howard recalled on her Twitter thread about the story the women had told her.
'"She is a great, well-behaved pup,'" Howard added. This made her happy, but she couldn't help but become more curious as to why she felt like she already knew this strange puppy. She needed to get to the bottom of it. So she continued to interrogate the stranger.
Although it was a long shot to assume so, Howard had to explore the possibility that she might know this dog. "I asked the woman whether she adopted Winnie with that name," Kate recalled. "She said yes, as she didn't want to change her name and confuse her."
"I asked when. She said last November," she continued. There were too many similarities between the dog sitting on her porch and the dog she had said goodbye to last year. This made the journalist even more suspicious. Could this be the same Winnie she took care of?
An Appalling Revalation
As the two women continued talking, they came to a surprising realization: Winnie was indeed the same dog that Howard fostered back in 2018. "By then, I was practically leaping off the porch screaming. I FOSTERED THIS DOGGGGG," Kate recalled of the heartwarming exchange.
Howard was beyond surprised - but even more happy that this was her beloved Winnie. Everything started to click and make more sense. It was no wonder that when the dog first jumped onto her yard, she didn't wanna leave! These two knew each other from the previous year. She couldn't believe it.
"My Heart Is Going To Burst"
What were the chances of this reunion happening? Howard was in disbelief that she was getting to see her first foster puppy once again. She rushes to Twitter to share the remarkable exchange. "I feel like my heart is going to burst because it's full of rainbows," she gushed.
"Now, I just moved into this house a couple months ago. And it turns out this house is a block over from Winnie! I would have been at work, not on my porch, this afternoon if not for traveling from the memorial service of my friend Heidi, a tremendous lover of dogs," she shared about the coincidence.
Did Winnie Remember?
After realizing that she knew Winnie, Howard wondered if the puppy had any memories about her. "I have no idea if she actually remembered me, but she might have," Howard hoped. "After she sniffed me, she came over and rubbed on my legs and let me pet her," she gushed to Global News.
@dogsofshelters via Instagram
Based on the canine's reaction, we're going to assume she knew who Howard was when she went running onto her front porch. It's an even sweeter story once we learned that it wasn't even the same house that Winnie had lived in previously. Howard must have been an incredible foster mom.
Feeling Grateful
Howard described to her Twitter followers how it felt: "it was beyond comforting for my first foster dog to turn up on my front lawn today, her fur still soft and her ear still crooked and her tail still wagging." She even included images of Winnie as a puppy and an adult for her followers to see.
After being worried for so long about where Winnie was, Howard was filled with positive emotions after learning about her new life. "It was such a relief to see that she was well cared for and happy," she confessed. "I just felt overwhelming gratitude for the woman who adopted her and is obviously giving her a great life."
A Heartwarming Discovery
Not only was she happy to be reunited with her long-lost foster puppy - but Howard was also delighted to learn that at the end of everything, Winnie was adopted into a loving home. She had spent so much time concerned and was relieved to finally get some answers.
"Oh, no... I would NEVER bring her back!" Howard recalled of the new owner's thoughts on returning Winnie to the animal shelter. In a remarkable twist of fate, it seemed like the two of them both harbored an endless amount lot of love for that special pup.
Sharing Her Story
When the unexpected turn of events had happened, Howard knew that many others would get a kick out of hearing her incredible story. She typed up several heartfelt tweets and posted them on her social media account. Soon enough, her thread had gone viral amongst many dog lovers.
Kate Howard via LinkedIn
On October 15, 2019, she shared every detail of the coincidental events - from Heidi's memorial to questioning Winnie's new owner, she didn't leave out one detail. Who would have thought that a foster dog and her former foster parent would end up living just a few blocks away from each other!
The viral story had more than 13,300 retweets and hundreds of heartfelt comments. One Twitter user wrote, "A serendipitous foster dog reunion tugs right at the tear ducts." Other users had even revealed that reading Howard's words made them feel emotional.
@furry_friends_rescue via Instagram
The sweet tale of how Winnie and Howard were able to reconnect was truly heartfelt. Some people even left comments about what the anecdote had meant to them: "the moral of the story for me is you get back what you feed into the universe, so choose wisely," one comment noted.
Similar Situations
The things that Howard had written led many other individuals to be reminded of their very own serendipitous moments. Many Twitter users shared that they, too, had incredibly similar experiences. We guess reconnecting with former animals is more common than we had thought!
@petsmart via Instagram
"This reminds me of a story of mine, about 11 years ago my parents gave up our lovely puppy for adoption bc of divorce, and I was sad for years," commented someone under Howard's tweets. "Then a couple of months ago, I was @petsmart for lizard food and met a dog that looked like him but older, same name… turns out it was him."
A Dog's Sixth Sense
Howard explained to TIME, "Dogs (and cats, for that matter) can be the most comforting presence. They know when you're sad or sick, and they really help. So that added an extra layer to the beauty of her showing up on my lawn," Howard said. "I didn't even know I needed her and there she was."
Our furry friends are truly amazing creatures who can probably sense how humans feel. It was almost as if Winnie could sense that her former owner was having a difficult time being separated from the puppy. This story just gets more and more wholesome!
A Newfound Hope
After receiving hundreds of comments and many messages, Howard finally spoke up. "I have heard from so many of you who have loved rescue dogs and fostered yourselves. Thank you!" she gushed. Howard was an advocator for adopting animals over shopping for them, and it seemed other people felt the same.
She even explained how the whole situation had started to change her respective about fostering again. "I was SO sad after I brought Winnie back that I wasn't sure if I was cut out for fostering, but seeing her yesterday made me think maybe I can give it another shot."
Luckily for Howard, Winnie didn't live too far away from her new home in Kentucky. "Her mama agreed to come by in the future so I can see her," she shared. "Me and my pup Foxy aren't doing much walking around the neighborhood because she's been injured pretty much since we moved in."
Alongside a sweet picture of her long-time furry friend, "Get a load of this sweet baby," she wrote. One Twitter user suggested she get Foxy a kiddy wagon, to which she answered, "Good idea. I'm a little worried she will try to jump out... still got a lot of spunk and energy despite the sedatives!"
Old Footage Emerges
Howard continued updating her many followers. She even gave them a glimpse into her life by sharing a video from the time that Winnie was living with her. The clip showed Winnie following Foxy and the older dog trying to get away from the puppy.
"Side note: Winnie loved foxy more than foxy loved Winnie," she tweeted along with the laughing, crying face emoji. It seemed like Foxy wasn't too fond of Howard giving the foster dog all of her attention. LOL. But luckily for the veteran dog, Winnie didn't stay for too long.
Nearly 3 years later, Howard has continued to be a great puppy mother. Sadly after Foxy passed away, she went on to adopt two new dogs, Violet and Bodhi. "Sometimes my puppy tries to sit on my other dog, and she just.... stands up. And he is stuck up there, with his long legs flailing everywhere," she joked.
More recently, the journalist also noted that she was leaving her job at Kentucky Center For Investigative Reporting after spending 6 years with them. "It's the best job I ever imagined I could have," she said. Does this mean she has more time on her hands to foster or even adopt more adorable canines?
The Legacy Lives On
But perhaps the most remarkable part? The memorial that Howard attended the day she reunited with Winnie was for her friend Heidi - who, ironically enough, was also an avid animal lover! The journalist wanted all her followers to know this about her late friend, so she posted two images showing off Hiedi's former dogs.
"And these were her dogs: Griffin and Chiweenie Thunder," she gushed alongside two adorable images. We can't help but wonder how things would have turned out had Howard gone to work that day. We guess that sometimes things really end up happening for a reason.
The Journey Continues
Even though the story received a ton of traction and had gotten loads of positive reactions, there was one important person who wanted to remain anonymous to the public. Winnie's new owner, aka the one who got bombarded with questions, didn't want anyone finding out her identity.
Her wish was granted because, since 2019, the story has only been associated with the name Kate Howard. Yet still, we're sure the two of them constantly see each other since their homes are only a short two-block distance from one another. In other words? This story is just getting started...


Many varieties of marketing can help you accomplish your potential clients. In today's age, it's proved that digital promotion is a remarkable tool which enables you to promote your merchandise or services to the international market when sitting in the comfort of your remote office or house. Digital Marketing is a contemporary phenomenon which enables you to promote your goods or services all around the world. Nowadays, the business is now customer-centric instead of product-centric. Many businesses pick a Malaysian server since there are lots of alternatives to begin looking into. Look at FAI's World championship and join the science. On the flip side, improving overall efficiency is among the best methods to turn a struggling business around. By the time the company incorporates lots of different services for its customers. Modern-day business no longer happens within four walls. All contemporary businesses need websites, a fact that has made a big market for those who understand how to build them. Quite honestly, it is a tip that no modern company can overlook. Indeed, modern-day business is the largest source of jobs that enable men to put knowledge to productive use.
It's so beneficial to come up with your organization and without a site of your own, the growth of the trade can't take place at a quick pace. In the modern climate, all businesses (online small business novice or not) should be happy to get a strong internet presence. If you're on the lookout for a business to host your website, web hosting Malaysia has many advantages. Companies can store and keep up an enormous amount of historical data economically, and employees gain from immediate access to the documents they require. Read more about how and why Max Polyakov supports Noosphere Engineering School. If a company may attain the same quality of work at a less expensive cost then picking a freelancer from overseas is in the best interests of the provider. Companies want to supply their customers and the world with the finest quality products, but in addition share world-changing ideas. Most of the internet businesses outsource their work to cut back costs and find the improved superior output in the desired time. Other companies who must concentrate elsewhere also have the exact issue, their data protection suites are just a small portion of a larger picture, and for that reason can lack the correct focus and struggle to keep pace with market leaders. A modern company employs technology for a catalyst for change.
Companies shouldn't be scared to require customers to cover services where they receive value. They need to learn how to be real. They can get support and expert-level knowledge to maintain their ERPs by hiring an ERP development company. To begin with, a product company is one which sells a special type of solution to a problem across a particular sector or kind of industry. There are several techniques to describe product businesses and platform providers, so I would like to clarify how I see the two. Information technology is the sole technology which provides you with the chance to analyze certain data and plan your company journey accordingly. You can get more information in this post. Electrical engineering is a substantial field in science and technology related studies and ought not to be ignored. Software engineering is the use of engineering to software. Technology has to be in a constant state of improvement to fulfill business requirements. You may discover more about our privacy-protecting technology here. Blockchain technology that's the core technology behind cryptocurrency is undoubtedly described as a primary disruptor of the international small business procedure.


Soar to new heights with the Air Hogs Atmosphere! This powerful levitating sphere requires no remote control and hovers above any surface! Its spherical shape allows the Atmosphere to smoothly bounce off walls and ceilings for non-stop flight. You are the controller with the high-tech hovering power of the Air Hogs Atmosphere!
The Helix X4 Stunt is a high-performance RC stunt quad-copter! It is aggressively maneuverable and incredibly fast! Perform 3 incredible stunts with the push of a button as you flip, barrel roll and 180 flip. Its full 4-channel control enables the Helix X4 to easily out fly any obstacle and out stunt any other RC vehicle. Nothing moves like a Helix! Experience the future of flight with the agile Helix X4 Stunt!


At our MICDS Language Immersion Camps, participants will "visit" different countries and experience Hispanic culture through cooking, nature, art, music, film and games while being fully immersed in the target language.
Ideal for heritage and native speakers, as well as those with limited exposure to the target language.
Perfect for students who want to immerse themselves in Spanish without the cost of travel or for those who are preparing for middle or high school Spanish courses, whether they are just starting or are entering an AP level course.
When: June 10-14, 2019, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Cost: $270 (Covers the cost of some lunches, all supplies and includes a fee for training and participation in the older participant camp.
Participants: Ideal for heritage and native speakers, as well as those with limited exposure to the target language.
When: June 17-21, 2019, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
When: June 17-21, 2019, 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: We utilize airconditioned rooms on the Upper School campus, the theater, the newly constructed aquatic center and outdoor places all over the MICDS campus.
Nurse: MICDS summer programs staff a full-time nurse who provides care to our program participants and contributes to training our staff. If you have any questions regarding health, please contact our nurse (314-995-7472). Health forms must be received by the Aventureros camp director to be able to participate in the program.


King's novel was published in 1986 and previously adapted as a 1990 miniseries. A sequel to Muschietti's movie has not been officially given the green light but is already in development.
Fortunes are looking less favorable for mother!, which is on pace to come in well below industry projections of about $11 million. That puts the Paramount film in third place for the weekend and resets the bar as the lowest nationwide release of Lawrence's career (displacing The House at the End of the Street and its $12.3 million five years ago).
Sliding between It and mother! at the No. 2 spot is another R-rated film, American Assassin. The new release, which marks Dylan O'Brien's first time back on the big screen since his serious injury on the set of Maze Runner: The Death Cure last year, will gross about $14.8 million this weekend. It's a satisfactory start for the action-thriller, about equal to that of the original John Wick (which just got a second sequel).
Directed by Michael Cuesta (Kill The Messenger) and released by Lionsgate, American Assassin stars O'Brien as a CIA black-ops recruit under the tutelage of a Cold War veteran (Michael Keaton). Critics were unimpressed by the film, but audiences gave it a respectable B-plus CinemaScore.
And on the specialty front, Mike White's dramedy Brad's Status, starring Ben Stiller as a middle-aged family man questioning his life choices while touring colleges with his son, is leading the pack with an estimated $100,179 from four locations. That breaks down to a solid per-theater average of $25,045 for the Amazon and Annapurna release.
According to ComScore, overall box office is down 4.9 percent year-to-date. Check out the Sept. 15-17 figures below.


If your kitchen is not working in a way you would like, then it might be time to consider making a few changes. There are plenty of companies that offer a kitchen remodeling in West Bloomfield, MI. However, you should always meet with someone first before allowing them to work. During this first meeting, there are quite a few questions you should ask in order to feel absolutely comfortable with the process.
Obviously, good work should never be rushed, but it can be helpful to get a sense of how long you will need to open your home up to workers. There may be a specific deadline for when the kitchen absolutely has to be finished, or you may be more lax in that area. Regardless, you do not want to deal with people who show up haphazardly and are still working months down the line.
This is crucial to many people in deciding whether to go through with the renovations. You should do your research beforehand to get a rough idea of how much it will all cost. However, you should also have a contractor see your kitchen in person in order to be provided with an estimate. It can be a good idea to get a few estimates from several companies to get an overall sense of what the average price is. You should be mindful of contractors that provide you with an estimate that seems overly high or low. An excessively low price could indicate shoddy craftsmanship, and your kitchen is worth spending a little time and money on. You can be confident that the professionals at Transitions Remodeling will always give you a quote that is fair and accurate.
Anything else you want to know should certainly be asked during the consultation. By knowing exactly what will be going on with your kitchen remodeling in West Bloomfield, MI, you will be able to rest easy knowing everything will be going as planned.


The London Design Week 2018 party got into full swing when the biggest names in design came together for a legendary evening. Celebrating the brightest talent at spring's unmissable interiors event, international A-listers mingled with industry insiders over Moscow Mules and lychee martinis, beneath a revolving sign in bright pink neon. Dazzling conversation and plenty of colourful light effects using cutting-edge LED technology kept everyone entertained before Ella Durston took to the decks for a live DJ set.


text:
package director

import (
	boshdir "github.com/cloudfoundry/bosh-cli/director"
	boshuaa "github.com/cloudfoundry/bosh-cli/uaa"
	bosherr "github.com/cloudfoundry/bosh-utils/errors"
	boshlog "github.com/cloudfoundry/bosh-utils/logger"
)

type Factory struct {
	config Config
	logger boshlog.Logger
}

func NewFactory(config Config, logger boshlog.Logger) Factory {
	return Factory{config: config, logger: logger}
}

func (c Factory) New() (Director, error) {
	director, err := c.director()
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	return DirectorImpl{director}, nil
}

func (c Factory) director() (boshdir.Director, error) {
	info, err := c.info()
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	dirConfig := c.config.UserConfig()

	if info.Auth.Type == "uaa" {
		uaa, err := c.uaa(info)
		if err != nil {
			return nil, err
		}

		dirConfig.Client = ""
		dirConfig.ClientSecret = ""

		dirConfig.TokenFunc = boshuaa.NewClientTokenSession(uaa).TokenFunc
	}

	taskReporter := boshdir.NewNoopTaskReporter()
	fileReporter := boshdir.NewNoopFileReporter()

	return boshdir.NewFactory(c.logger).New(dirConfig, taskReporter, fileReporter)
}

func (c Factory) uaa(info boshdir.Info) (boshuaa.UAA, error) {
	uaaURL := info.Auth.Options["url"]

	uaaURLStr, ok := uaaURL.(string)
	if !ok {
		return nil, bosherr.Errorf("Expected URL '%s' to be a string", uaaURL)
	}

	uaaConfig, err := boshuaa.NewConfigFromURL(uaaURLStr)
	if err != nil {
		return nil, err
	}

	uaaConfig.CACert = c.config.CACert
	uaaConfig.Client = c.config.Client
	uaaConfig.ClientSecret = c.config.ClientSecret

	if len(uaaConfig.Client) == 0 {
		uaaConfig.Client = "bosh_cli"
	}

	return boshuaa.NewFactory(c.logger).New(uaaConfig)
}

func (c Factory) info() (boshdir.Info, error) {
	dirConfig := c.config.AnonymousUserConfig()

	director, err := boshdir.NewFactory(c.logger).New(dirConfig, nil, nil)
	if err != nil {
		return boshdir.Info{}, err
	}

	return director.Info()
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Tag Archives: local
"All the Lonely People: Where DO They All Come From?"
She always comes in here, right around this time (which probably says a lot about her, and the same — about me).
And when she appears — she is impossible not to notice.
You can tell a lot by the way a person enters through the door. Some come in with certainty, as if they own the joint. Some have indeed been here before: They call out to the sleepy cashiers or the slightly baffled manager, and the rest of us are meant to take notice of the commotion they've created. Others slip in quietly: They tread their ground with no presumption; and I would like to think they spend their days causing the least amount of damage, in the world.
Local young couples come in here, to play out yet another day in the perseverance of their love. It's them against the harsh world — together. Them — against us! And I don't blame them: Togetherness — is hard enough. So, I watch them seeking refuge in each other's company, because they still haven't lost their love's ability to hear — to receive each other — completely. They still haven't taken the privilege of their intimacy for granted. Lucky kids!
Other times, this is the place for friends: buds and girlfriends, best friends. And they vent to each other about the little injustices in their relationships and lives; and expect alliances from the people at the other end of the table.
But she always comes in here alone, right around the same time. It is her voice that I hear first: It sounds like baby-talk that comes from a child who's having a hard time growing up. I've often heard that voice from children with newly born siblings. They aren't ready to share their parents' love yet, and they still cannot comprehend where their self-importance has gone. So, they regress, even if only in their voices. And that's exactly how she sounds.
Her clothes are simple, most likely begotten from a thrift store: A pair of loose jeans of no particular label and a long-sleeved crew neck sweater of pastel color. She wears thick, beige socks around her perpetually swollen ankles and a pair of nursing shoes. It's not that she appears poor, just not well-off. And for that, the rest of the joint finds her at fault.
Or maybe, it's her face: Something is not right with it. Her brown skin is deeply lined, although there is an overall puffiness on her cheekbones, forehead and neck; and under her eyes. The distance between her ears and chin has collapsed due to her absent teeth; so, she protrudes the lower jaw and smacks her lips a lot. The eyes are bulging and big, striking in the lightness of their hazel color. They make you lower your own gaze when confronted with hers. They are fully present, no matter how far and how long her mind appears to have been gone, by now.
"Can I sit here?" she'll say, in that baby voice, asking for a group of girlfriends to move their purses from the chairs at the table she prefers.
That table is the worst! It's right by the door, in the outer row, with the draft hitting her from both the outside and the overhead vents. When sitting there, there is no way she wouldn't get in the way of people, coming over for their refills of coffee and water; and I've seen a few act discombobulated by her positioning. But she is sitting right by the door, as if already apologizing for not fitting in here. And before we notice — she will be gone.
The girls always act rushed when they move their bags, and they get uncomfortably silent once she finally sits down.
"Can I have some ice for my drink?" she'll ask the Mexican fry cook, from behind the glass counter.
It'll take a few tries to notice her: She is tiny, plus, she's got that baby voice on her. And sometimes, if the kid at the fry station is new, he cannot understand her while he studies her face with embarrassment.
And I suspect it is her face: We all get stuck on it a little. Something is not right — with her face.
She'll then sit down quietly and eat her meal so methodically she betrays her lack of family and money. Only the people that have known poverty eat like that. And I wish to apologize to her — for all of that pain and injustice; and for the shunned reactions of others. They think if something isn't right with her face — something must be not right with her.
But her only fault, really — is the lack of beauty. She is not exotic, as retired youth has a chance to become. Neither is she dignified from the excess of money to take care of herself. She is simple, plain and just a little strange.
She comes and leaves alone; and while completely alone, she starts and finishes her meal.
One of these days, I shall strike up a conversation with her (but only if she's willing to let go of her loneliness), and we'll share a meal. And we may even share a silence.
Because she always comes in here, right around this time, alone; which probably says a lot about her, and the same — about me.
Posted in Love, Self
Tagged "All the Lonely People", alone, attention, beauty, compassion, empathy, goodness, home, humanity, insanity, intimacy, Juliette Binoche, kindness, local, loneliness, love, neighborhood, peace, poverty, silence, solitude, space, strange, survival, The Beatles, witness
"And It's a Hard, It's a Hard, It's a Hard, It's a Hard: And It's a Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall!"
It was her first fall in LA-LA.
"What is — this place, out here?" she thought, when she noticed that beauty wasn't throwing itself, suicidally, into her face. Or, humanity, for that matter.
"May I, at least, have some humanity, around here?"
On those first mornings when she woke up in soaked sheets, she would slide open the windows to air-out her bedroom. But it made no difference. The heat would keep hanging at the ceiling of her top floor apartment — much more spacious than the one she dwelled in, back in New York. And by the end of the day, its molecules smelled of smog — and of her own sweat.
And the sweat was different here, too. In the heat of August that made New Yorkers flee the City, she loved to venture out into the streets, still just as crowded, but mostly with baffled tourists — not locals — who would jump out of her way, startled by her outraged footsteps. She would walk around for hours, feeling the unmistakable humidity that made the City smell like rotten garbage and, yes, human sweat. And while she stood on subway platforms, she could feel the drops of her own perspiration slide slowly from her ass cheeks to the back of her knees, under her long skirts. She felt the whiff of sex, hers and others': And it promised — more life.
There seemed to be some unexpected romance in those days: For the first time, she finally felt like she was belonging. But how could she belong in a place she was leaving, so soon?
The one-way ticket already had been bought by her mother, who upon hearing the news of the divorce, put away her dramatics and got stoic, for a change:
"You're coming to California," motha said over the phone.
"You make me sound like a folk song," she thought, in response. Yet, she obeyed.
It was the wisdom of the women of her motha's clan — to never plead or grovel for a man to change his mind.
She was going to California.
There would be plenty of chaos upon her landing: Finding an apartment seemed easier; for there always seemed to be plenty of departing who packed up their shit into double-parked U-Halls, sweating and swearing at the city's expense. But the city's leasers seemed indecisive and slow.
"Everyone keeps acting as if they've got better choices, out here," she told her best friend in New York. "Or, they just namedrop."
Like the little man with glistening eyes who, despite being bound to a wheel-chair, managed to lurk over her when interviewing her for a roommate position. On his living-room wall, she could see a framed, autographed poster of a recently released indie flick that was pretty well reviewed in The Times, that summer.
"I produced that," the little man said, reminding her of one those exotic birds on the Discovery Channel that puff themselves up into alien shapes — just to get some tail. From under the smeared lenses of his glasses, his narrow eyes were sliding up and down her body. His face was glistening with sweat. She got up, feeling like she needed a shower at the closest motel she could find, on Sunset Boulevard.
"Well, what do you think?" the little man wheeled after her, to the door, lurking. "I could make you a star!"
She walked out.
"Really?" her best friend said calmly. "Do they actually say things like that, out there?"
And then, there was the job search, in which every lobby looked like a waiting room for an audition or a cattle call. And no one else seemed to be breaking a sweat, after driving in the apocalyptic-degree heat.
"We aren't making any decisions right now," the interviewers kept saying. "But we'll keep your resume on file."
"Then, why did you waste my time?" she actually said to a group of young entrepreneurs who looked like the cast of Entourage and, after sliding their eyes up and down her body, asked her to tell them "something they couldn't have known — by looking at her". (She told them she was good at harakiri.)
She walked out, got back into her car and wasted more time. The heat outside was still insatiable! And in the midst of it, everyone was always up for a hike. Or "a coffee date, sometime".
The rain would finally come by the end of October. And it wouldn't stop.
The roads would get shiny at first, and for the first time, since landing, she would smell the nearing of another season — not of her own sweat. The nights would get cold, and she would insist on walking, to any outside cafe, on Sunset Boulevard, and getting soaked. It was the first time she would cry the tears worthy of the women of her motha's clan: They weren't filled with self-pity anymore, but with rage. And rage — was always better, for survival.
Finally, there would be a callback for a maitre d' position at some pretentious overpriced restaurant, on the West Side, with a diva-chef in the kitchen. She would swim in her motha's decade-old clunker to other side of the city. Driving in the middle lane seemed safer, but some maniac in a German car would always honk and zoom past her, on the right, and give her car a full rinse with the filthy water from the gutters.
"You're terribly overqualified," the general manager with a bulldog's jaw would tell her, at the end, after the two-hour drive.
She got up and tried to make it to the door without breaking down into another outraged tear shed. Her scuffed shoes made a chomping sound: Her feet were soaked. So was her hair.
He would follow her, to the door:
"We'll keep your resume on file though," he'd say.
"Please, don't!" she actually said.
Because it was the wisdom of the women of her motha's clan to never plead for a man to change his mind.
Posted in Break-Up, Love, Self, Sex, Travel
Tagged "A Hard Rain's A Gonna Fall", anger, auditions, autumn, beauty, Bob Dylan, California, callback, choices, competition, courage, departure, despair, divorce, fall, heartbreak, heritage, humanity, interviews, local, Los Angeles, mother, moving, New York, Paz de la Huerta, pride, rage, rain, rainfall, seasons, self-pity, spirit, strength, Sunset Boulevard, survival, tourists, waiting rooms, West Coast
"What the World. Needs Now. Is…"
Doing 80 on the 405, at midnight.
The Valley is glistening behind me, at a safe enough distance: It's pretty, like a flat lake with reflecting stars. Kinda like in the old country. So, naturally: I prefer not finding myself on that side of the hill.
The Mulholland Drive Bridge ahead is a mess. Even in the dark, the demolition site looms like a war zone — or a film set for yet another apocalyptic flick, gratuitous with violence. What it doesn't resemble, though, is the hopeful vision by LA-LA's officials that it's meant to be: For the sake of easing our commute. Oh, but how many delays this vision has cost us already! And how many more to come! (Thanks for looking out there!)
But at least, at nighttime, it's safe to roll down the windows: The dust of the daytime construction has long settled.
And at midnight — we are all moving. We are trying speeds otherwise impossible, in the daytime.
Yes. We're moving. We're going.
Ow! But not so fast! Nearing Sunset, several pairs of standing construction lights give warnings of another mess ahead. I'm in the right lane, at this point, mostly out of habit: On this stretch of the road, I prefer sacrificing a few numbers on my speed dial in the name of changing my mind — and getting the fuck off this fucking freeway, at the very next exit! Here: I prefer to have a choice. So, at least until Wilshire West, I hang to the right. And I slow down.
The truck next to me seems to be having troubles staying in his lane. Its aluminum trailer with no written indications of its product, origin or destination, keeps swaying across the neon line and into my lane. I swear at him, back up and loom just a few meters behind — and to the most right. As soon as this curve in the road straightens out, I'm thinking, I'll zoom past the wheeled monster whose driver must be delirious with the lack of sleep. Because I keep thinking: Only the most hardened of us take on these jobs. And in their own way — they are the most heroic.
For nearly a mile, I hang back; and when I finally pass him, I watch myself skip a few breaths at the sensation of being way too close to the concrete freeway divider, to my right. But, oh, how trilling it is — to be moving again!
Ow! But not so fast! Soon enough, I notice a yellow construction tank leading the traffic in the left lane.
"What the hell are these things called anyway?" I think of the clunky machinery of that exhausted yellow color, the sight of which on any road in LA-LA usually means bad news: Closed lanes, "Road Work Ahead"; indifferent construction workers, dust clouds; and a cop car with a bored rookie.
And the crawl! Alas, the crawl of traffic! The crawl of time, in LA-LA!
"Fuck it!" I think. "I'll just call it 'a tank'." And this tank is crawling in the left lane, with a flashing yellow arrow threatening us into yielding.
But still: We are all moving, at midnight! We're going!
The road narrows. We've long passed Mulholland. And I can no longer see the glistening Valley behind me. It's kinda like the old country, but slightly more brutal — in the daytime. So, naturally: I prefer not finding myself, on that side of the hill.
"What could they be possibly constructing at this hour of the night?!" I think.
By now, I'm balancing somewhere in between 60 and 70, but still: I'm moving! We — are moving.
I'm feeling overwhelmingly grateful. And there is no cure for that.
I'm heading home.
It's been a long day. I've hustled, I've freelanced. I've driven all over this city. I've crawled in its traffic, chalking up the wasted time — to an investment in my dreams. And when most civilians have called it a day and taken their place in the crawling drudgery of the 405, heading home, I've left to spend my night in the company of artists. For hours, we've played, tonight; and we've cried.
And we've felt ourselves moving. Yes: We've found ourselves living!
So, yes: I'm feeling overwhelmingly grateful. And there is no cure for that.
By now, I'm doing 80 on the 405, at midnight.
I get off a few exits before mine. Thinking: I'm gonna cook at home.
Ow! But now so fast! The roads are ridiculous, here: empty at this hour, but always bumpy. I start speeding again. I'm alone, with an exception of other adrenaline addicts, in their German cars. I'm sure they too have had to hustle, today. But now: They are moving.
We — are moving.
The autumnal selection of vegetables at the market snaps me into yet another degree of inspiration: It's gonna be one of those creamy, hearty soups that can heal a soul, or a broken heart — or to bring back my love. To bring him back home. The day is long gone, but I'm still feeling overwhelmingly grateful. So, I'll just carry it into the next day.
I load up my car. Speed home. Start up the chopping, the sizzling, the simmering. I substitute. I improvise. I think of my love. I think — of my loves, from earlier in the day.
And for the first time, I slow down. Because it's already the very next day. And even though, I've carried my gratitude into it, I'd much rather start it up slowly.
I'm moving, slowly. And I'm living, well.
Well: I'm living!
Posted in Art, Love, Self
Tagged "What the World Needs Now", 405 Freeway, Angelino, autumn, beauty, beloved, car, commute, cooking, discipline, driving, fall, gratitude, home, local, Los Angeles, love, Marisa Miller, midnight, Mulholland Drive, nighttime, old country, road, Russell James, slow, slowness, soup, speed, stress, Sunset Boulevard, survival, thrilling, time, traffic, Wilshire Boulevard, work, yield