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Why did Jane Austen?
February 25, 2012 February 26, 2012 / whisperinggums
What is it about Jane Austen? We all know the basic dichotomy. You know, the division between those who dismiss her as being slight, inconsequential, fluffy, chicklit and those who read her again and again swearing that each time they do they find something new to enjoy and appreciate. But, do you know about the dissensions that rage amongst the ranks of the latter? I often wonder how a writer so loved and admired can engender such huge and ongoing debates amongst those very ones who love and admire her!
Fanny sewing in Mansfield Park (Illus. Brock, Public Domain, via Wikipedia)
Here are some of the issues Janeites debate ad infinitum:
Fanny should have married Henry Crawford, not Edmund (Mansfield Park)
Marianne and Colonel Brandon could never be happy (Sense and sensibility)
Emma's relationship with Mr Knightley is too "incestuous" to be acceptable (Emma)
Fanny is a weak and boring heroine (Mansfield Park)
Henry Tilney didn't really love Catherine but married her out of honour for his father's poor treatment of her (Northanger Abbey)
You would think, wouldn't you, that fans of her books, those who read them multiple times, would agree at least on basic plotting and characterisation? But not so.
Why is this? That is, how can readers disagree with Austen and yet love her? Well, I would argue that it's her wit and humour, her comedy – and the fact that her comedy is pointed, wicked even, but not bitter. Mr Collins (of Pride and prejudice), for example, is one of her silliest, most comic creations. He's a snob, he's tactless, he's boring, but does he get his come-uppance? No. He ends as he always was, sublimely unaware of his failings – and fortunately (for him) married to the tolerant, sensible Charlotte. Then there's Mr Wickham, the villain of the same novel. Far from getting his come-uppance for his dastardly deed – other than being stuck in a marriage with a silly girl – he receives help from the families he wronged:
Though Darcy could never receive him at Pemberley, yet, for Elizabeth's sake, he assisted him farther in his profession.
Perhaps I should rephrase this. It probably is a come-uppance for Wickham to be stuck with the silly Lydia. Likewise, for Maria Bertram (in Mansfield Park) to end up as she did:
It ended in Mrs. Norris's resolving to quit Mansfield and devote herself to her unfortunate Maria, and in an establishment being formed for them in another country, remote and private, where, shut up together with little society, on one side no affection, on the other no judgment, it may be reasonably supposed that their tempers became their mutual punishment.
But these punishments are mild by comparison with what happened to "villains" in most novels of the 18th and 19th centuries. This comes about because Austen's characters exhibit a psychological realism that is somewhat unusual for the time. Her characters aren't archetypes. They are fully realised creations who move and act in a comprehensible way. We've all known (or been!) an over-emotional Marianne, a proud and reserved but reliable Darcy, a silly boy-chasing Lydia, a mine-is-bigger-than-yours John Thorpe, a too-willing-to-judge Elizabeth Bennet. To so accurately render humanity was Jane Austen's aim, as she most clearly expressed in Northanger Abbey when she described a novel as something
in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the world in the best–chosen language.
And this is why we Janeites keep reading – and arguing about – her.
19th century literature, Reading
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40 thoughts on "Why did Jane Austen?"
Hi Jane Austen addict!
whisperinggums
Hi back … you too?
Thought so …. And do you think Fanny should have married Edmund!?
I think this means I should read some Jane Austen. (It has been ages and I never completed her oeuvre, so I still have new ones to read. Not that that matters, as you point out.) Emma is on the shelf and, still, unread by me. This will be the year.
Loved the post, even if I don't have anything intelligent to say about the debates. While not an addict, I have very much enjoyed every JA novel I've read.
Thanks Kerry. Chances are then that you'll like Emma. Some have gone so far to describe it as a "perfect" novel. And I must say that on my last rereading I was awed by the meticulous plotting. I look forward to your review … After TOB perhaps?
Yes, sometime after TOB. I am also planning on getting to some long-overdue Australian lit, so you input there will be much appreciated.
FYI, so far, I have penciled in Thea Astley, Elizabeth Jolley, Kim Scott, and Gail Jones (Five Bells). Patrick White's A Fringe of Leaves is on hand and will be one of my first post-TOB reads.
They are great starts … also, in terms of contemporary writers (but I can't recollect what you've read) are Tim Winton and David Malouf. So many others but what you've got in your pencilled in list is a great start.
I have read Dirt Music by Tim Winton. I thought it was good, but not so great that I have sought out more by him. Malouf is another I should get to. Thanks!
Guy Savage
I've always considered it a fairly risky venture to put a bunch of Jane Austen fans in one room.
Ah, good one, Guy. It is … As I can attest given I do it every month with my local JA group … Which rather inspired this post!
Well if you come back with a black eye, don't say I didn't warn you.
I won't. Promise, cross my heart!
You totally win all these points 😛
Oh, and by the by, I have recently allowed Fanny to move higher in my estimations. At least she's better than the bloody pure-as-sickeningly-pure-as-can-be Esther in Bleak House! 😉
Poor Esther … still, glad you are starting to see something in Fanny, Hannah.
There are numerous reasons to love Jane Austen despite numerous criticisms. Since you've mentioned a few regarding Mansfield Park, there's this one from the post-colonialist critic Edward Said, accusing Austen as an sympathizer of imperialism since she mentions Sir Thomas Bertram's Antigua plantation. I really don't care what critics say about her… my mind is made up. 😉
Oh really, Arti …sometimes I think people just look for something to be provocative, don't you! My mind is with you … of course! (BTW Looking forward to the Oscars though unfortunately I will have to watch a little delayed as it's on at midday Monday our time and I have a meeting, for which I'm secretary, to attend.
Christina Houen
I loved this post, not least the quotes, especially the last one.
It inspires me to return to my loved set of JA (a school prize set, dated 1955, of which, sadly, Mansfield Park is missing, cos I lent it to someone years ago and they never returned it). I started my eldest daughter on reading Jane Austen, one year when she was 14, and we were holidaying on Rottnest Island (WA); she was entranced, and moved from Mills and Boon to literature overnight.
Good story, Christina! I started reading JA when I was 14 too … and although I hadn't been quite a Mills and Boon reader, it did mark, I think, the real beginning of my maturity as a reader.
I love Fanny as a eroine…But I think I'm the only one in the World!
Welcome Alessia – particularly as you are a Fanny defender! I'm a Fanny defender too. Too many people see her in the light of late 20th/21st century and not in terms of a girl plucked out of poverty to live with wealthy relatives most of whom treat her poorly, and during a time when class and social etiquette were important things.
Claire Tomalin's biography of Austen has been sitting on my shelf forever and day. Need to get around to that this year. I resolve.
Naughty me has it on my shelf too but I have only dipped into it … I have SO many Austen books.
Arnie Perlstein
"You would think, wouldn't you, that fans of her books, those who read them multiple times, would agree at least on basic plotting and characterisation? But not so. Why is this? That is, how can readers disagree with Austen and yet love her? Well, I would argue that it's her wit and humour, her comedy – and the fact that her comedy is pointed, wicked even, but not bitter."
Try this as another explanation for all the disagreements about Jane Austen:
http://sharpelvessociety.blogspot.com/2011/01/jane-austens-anamorphism.html
Cheers, ARNIE PERLSTEIN
@JaneeAustenCode on Twitter
Thanks Arnie … that's a fascinating and mindbending post. I will share that with my JA group here I think. I do like the idea of the overt and shadow stories. You're suggesting that the disagreements are based on which of these "stories" people see and respond to?
A simple example—in Emma's overt story, Jane Fairfax has been engaged to Frank all along, Harriet Smith is a naive ditz, and Miss Bates has nothing interesting to say, whereas in Emma's shadow story, Jane Fairfax has been concealing a pregnancy, Harriet Smith is a manipulative social climber and Miss Bates is speaking nonstop about the shadow story, but Emma (and therefore also the reader unaware of the shadow story) is not listening.
This same double structure holds in all of the novels–so when readers unaware of the shadow story have glimpsed a chunk of it, in which a given character appears opposite to the normative way of seeing them, there is an argument!
That's it in a nutshell. But if you browse in my nearly 800 blog posts, you will find hundreds of examples of what I talking about.
Cheers, ARNIE
@JaneAustenCode on Twitter
I haven't read Jane Austen for years now (I did prefer the Brontes!) but I did make a special pilgrimage to Bath, trying to imagine her life there with her afternoon teas and needlepoint and empire dresses.
Oh Catherine! I did love the Brontes when I was a teenager too .. but somehow it's Austen with her sharp, clear eye on humanity that has won my mature love! The president of JASA, though, I think loves them equally … and to be fair, I should read Emily again. I did enjoy rereading Jane Eyre a few years ago.
Ah Kerry, people have their favourite Wintons … I suggest you try him again before giving up on him. Probably Cloudstreet – oft touted as a possible great Australian novel – is the one to read. The turning – more like connected short stories is good too. Also Breath. But Malouf, yes, you must try him one day if you haven't at all. (And if you are interested pop over to Read, Ramble – link in my blogroll – for her review of a Jolley short story, Woman in a lampshade).
It's good harmless fun, isn't it? The North American Jane Austen conference is going to be in Minneapolis next year I believe. I plan on being there and I am looking forward to it in all it's Jane obsessed glory. 🙂
It will be in NYC, Stefanie:
http://www.jasna.org/agms/newyork/index.html
Better join JASNA or you won't know when attendance goes up for grabs in the Spring. They are limited and they will go VERY fast, you can be sure!
Good advice Srnie. I think your mag is Pesuasions, isn't it? I've read articles online over the years. JASA's journal is Sensibilities. Peer reviewed. But perhaps you know that.
Yes, I know about Sensibilities, but have never actually had an issue in my hands. There are two journals put out by JASNA, Persuasions (which is in print, but which is accessible via scholarly databases a year after publication) and Persuasions Online:
http://www.jasna.org/publications/index.html
You can browse to your heart's content about a hundred Austen topics, but they don't go where i go with shadow stories, I am too heretical for them, although I have addressed 10 different Austen Regional Chapters and I also spoke at the 2009 AGM in Portland Oregon.
Oh I do hope you get there. I have been to a couple of JASA conferences. Smaller than JASNA but growing, and great to attend. I want to hear your report!
whisperinggums, Imagine a large ballroom at a large hotel filled to capacity with 650-700 Janeites–that is what a JASNA AGM is like! An experience not duplicable in any other way!
When Andrew Davies addressed the last AGM in Ft. Worth, it was standing room only in the ballroom!
Oh Andrew Davies would bring them out in droves I am sure, Arnie. Our conference is more in the 125-150 but bursting at the seams so it is on the rise and new venues are needing to e found.
Ah yes, I remember now that there are the two versions of Persuasions and of course it's the online one I read every now and then.
As for heresy, you do sound somewhat so! Is one of your shadow stories the fact that Marianne was pregnant when she was ill?
"Is one of your shadow stories the fact that Marianne was pregnant when she was ill?"
Exactly so, yes! But the same is also true, e.g., of Jane Fairfax in Emma, with even more clues!
And concealed illegitimate pregnancy is only one part of the complex shadow story of each of those two novels…
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Lot's of food for thought Whisperinggums: how valid is it for readers to interpret characters differently from what the author meant? And if we do think differently, does that mean the author didn't do her/his job properly or that she/he did such a great job that his characters were complex and "real life" enough to become independent?
PS: I always list Catherine and Tilney in my list of "Couples who won't be happy after the Happy Ending", right there with Amy and Laurie…
Very good question, thanks Alex. I think of readers who decide that a character is, say, autistic when the author hasn't told us so. I prefer to say that the character exhibits autistic like behaviours than to say the character IS autistic. I tend to prefer to stick to the text. But I guess there's a grey line here … There is always an element of interpretation in our response to what we read isn't there and we can't always KNOW the author's intention beyond the facts on the page. So I think there is room to move … The question is just how far, eh?
You're not alone re Catherine and Henry … Though, you know, as with Amy and Laurie, opposites attract. I think that was Alcott's point wasn't it?!
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text:
Elizabeth Taylor ran an illegal safe house to get new drugs to HIV patients
The late icon put her own neck on the line to help those in need at the height of the Aids crisis.
This article was first published on 2 December 2015.
By the end of her life, Elizabeth Taylor was almost as renowned for her tireless HIV/AIDS activism as she was for her legendary screen appearances.
But a new interview with Taylor's long-time friend and confidante Kathy Ireland reveals that the late star's commitment to fighting the crisis extended far beyond her role as the public face of the American Foundation for AIDS Research and The Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, which she founded in 1985 and 1991 respectively.
Speaking to ET Online to mark World AIDS Day (December 1, 2015), Ireland revealed that Taylor also developed a secret Dallas Buyers Club-style underground network to help get experimental HIV drugs to patients during the height of the crisis, despite the threat it posed to her own freedom.
"Talk about fearless in her home in Bel-Air," Ireland said. "It was a safe house. A lot of the work that she did, it was illegal, but she was saving lives. It was in a time when it was not something to do.
"Business associates pleaded with her, 'Leave this thing alone.' She received death threats. Friends hung up on her when she asked for help, but something that I love about Elizabeth is her courage."
Ireland and fellow star Ricki Lake - who recently traveled to Malawi to film new HIV/AIDS documentary Treatment for All - also praised Charlie Sheen for going public with the news that he was living with the virus.
"My heart and our payers go out to [Sheen] and for everybody who is dealing with this," Ireland said.
"It's heartbreaking." "I think it was incredibly brave of him," Lake added. "It's good anytime we can raise awareness."
Of their new documentary, Lake explained: "These children have nothing. They are orphaned by AIDS and all of their parents have died from this disease. They have nothing really but the clothes on their back and this opportunity to be educated, and yet they are so filled with joy and hope.
"I really take a huge responsibility for being able to do some good and be able to help these people that are our neighbors. Yes, they're across the world, but they're just like us."
Meanwhile, Liz Taylor's granddaughter spoke candidly about the star's ongoing legacy earlier this year, admitting that her late grandmother would "horrified" by the rising rates of HIV among gay men today - click here to read more.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
1417 Voice Of His Life Matrix
"If that's the case, then it's not as if we can't agree to it…"
"After all, One Dao Sect is incredibly powerful, and it's said they have a Great Dao Paragon. In fact, I even heard that One Dao Sect's creator… is one of the three Great Dao Gods…"
"The three Great Dao Gods are just a legend. Besides the Emperor of Ancient Zang, no one has seen a second one, but even though it's just a legend, it's impossible for it to have sprung out of nowhere."
"Forget whether there is truly anyone in the ninth level of Dao Divinity Realm, since there is less than thirty people in the whole of Ancient Zang—the seven sects, the twelve clans, and the royal capital—who have reached the eighth level of Dao Divinity Realm!
"Compared to the near sixty seventh level Dao Paragons, Great Dao Paragons are an existence akin to heaven itself!"
"Great Dao Paragon… if the great sect elder of Seven Moons Sect's first line had not been injured in the past, he might have already become a Great Dao Paragon."
Su Ming did not speak, but as he listened to the sighs of the sect elders around him, he came to realize that there was no Great Dao Paragons in Seven Moons Sect!
And there were less than thirty Great Dao Paragons in Ancient Zang!
'Then the blue-robed cultivator in the seventh layer of Sky Beyond the Sky is clearly in the seventh level of Dao Paragon Realm.'
Su Ming was deep in thought, but he knew exactly why the leader of the seven sects would want the disciples of the last two cycles of sixty years.
'They might… be looking for me!' A barely noticeable glint shone in Su Ming's eyes.
"This matter has already exceeded the scope that we as the sect elders can discuss. Great Sect Elder Dao Han, I wonder if you have already made your decision," Lan Lan said after being silent for a long while.
She was not the only one who thought like that. In truth, all the sect elders were old monsters who had practiced cultivation for many years and were very calculative people. They had intentionally said the words before to affect others. They would not voice out their own true thoughts.
The red-robed man was silent for a moment before a fierce glare shone in his eyes. At the instant the sect elders noticed it, their expressions became stern.
"One Dao Sect has given us the terms for the exchange… No matter what their goal is, it's not like we can't do it… but there are two people involved who cause me a bit of trouble.
"One of them is my disciple, Ye Long. He has extraordinary potential. After coming under my tutelage, he will soon become someone outstanding. As for the second… it's Sect Elder Wang Tao."
When the red-robed man said those words , most of the elders in the area looked at Su Ming.
In truth, all of them had thought of this problem before, but the matter involved a sect elder, and since Su Ming did not seem like he was sometime kind-hearted, it was only natural that no one said anything about it.
Su Ming remained as composed as ever. His face was very calm, and he did not speak.
"If that is the case, then we cannot relent in this matter. Besides Sect Elder Wang, all other sect elders, I order you to leave the fifth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. Bring your disciples along and guard the thirteen corners of Seven Moons Sect!
"Only call for the members of the same line as you. They might not be sect elders, but they have extraordinary power as well. They can serve to defend our sect.
"Notify the disciples from the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky that they are to patrol our sect. As for those in the first sect… the outer sect will be sealed off!
"I will personally act as garrison and activate the Seven Moons Snow Sect. This is not child's play. All of you, take care of yourselves! If you run into any danger you cannot fight against outside, immediately hide on the Rune.
"As for… Sect Elder Wang, since there is a possibility that you are the person One Dao Sect seeks… please continue to remain in the fifth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. Unless it is absolutely necessary, please do not go out."
Su Ming was stunned. He lifted his head and cast a deep glance at the red-robed man. In silence, he remembered the person dressed in the sky-blue Daoist robe. That person had decided to take him in as a disciple right after seeing him and given him the status of a sect elder. Then, even after being under One Dao Sect's pressure… the red-robed man had made the decision to fight.
No matter what their goals were, their actions still made Su Ming slowly get up in silence. He wrapped his fist in his palm and bowed to the red-robed man.
The red-robed man remained calm after seeing it. His expression did not change in the slightest. He only nodded before he shiftd his gaze to the pearl on his palm. He remembered his conversations with the thirteen great sect elders on his trip back to the seventh layer of Sky Beyond the Sky.
"All orders are to be executed immediately!"
The red-robed man stood up while saying that and swung his arm, which broke the seal covering the field they used for the meeting. When the group, including Su Ming, turned into long arcs and flew out, only the red-robed man and the cold, black-robed young man by his side remained.
"Master, I do not understand. It's highly unlikely that One Dao Sect came for junior brother Ye Long. Chances are high… that they came for Sect Elder Wang." The young man frowned and looked at the red-robed man.
"I know," the red-robed man said after staying silent for a while.
"Then why?" the young man asked, feeling rather worried, while looking at his Master. He still remembered that Sect Elder Lan Lan had mentioned that his Master and Wang Tao's Life Matrices clashed against each other, and the formed showed signs of death.
"This is a decision all the thirteen great sect elders, including me, made together. This person… is the most valuable person in Seven Moons Sect!"
The red-robed man was calm as ever. When he spoke, no one could tell how he felt from his expression.
The young man fell silent. He sighed in his heart, then wrapped his fist in his palm, bowed to the red-robed man, and left respectfully.
Once he was gone, the red-robed man stood alone on the mountain and quietly stared into the distance.
'Seven Moons Sect can fall, but nothing must happen to him—these are the words of the great sect elder of the first line… He is the key for him and the other great sect elders to become Great Dao Paragons!
'He is also the key for me to become a Dao Paragon…' The red-robed man had expectation in his eyes. When he turned around, he disappeared into the hall.
Once the sect elder flew out of the mountain belonging to the thirteenth line, they turned into long arcs and returned to their own mountains in the fifth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky to carry out the orders from Great Sect Elder Dao Han.
As for Su Ming, he traveled with Lan Lan and returned to the mountain in the third line. They never spoke to each other. However, when they were about to return to their cave abodes, Lan Lan came to a stop.
"Do you want me to tell a fortune in regards to your survival?"
"I don't believe in destiny."
Su Ming turned around and walked to his house on the cliff. When he returned to his real body sitting in the house, he overlapped with his real self.
Lan Lan fell silent. When she turned around, she went back to the palace on the mountain.
Soon after, as all of Seven Moons Sect roared, snow fell down and covered Seven Moons Sect. Then, a sun made of ice appeared above!
Within the icy sun, a figure could be seen. It was the red-robed man. Once he rose with the sun, snow filled with a grim air enveloped Seven Moons Sect.
At the same time, a loud bang shot up from within the first layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. The entire outer sect was instantly encased by ice and snow, sealing the mountain. The Seven Moons Sect in the basin was covered in a layer of snow, without a single hint of what was within being able to be seen.
Soon after, thirteen long arcs flew out from the fifth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky. They left the mountains and walked out of the Sky Beyond the Sky, spreading into thirteen directions within Seven Moons Sect. Those thirteen directions were the areas where there were the most cracks in the world.
Similarly, a large number of inner sect disciples ventured out of the fourth layer of Sky Beyond the Sky and started to patrol Seven Moons Sect as if they were preparing for something.
Only Su Ming remained sitting in his house, immersed in fusing with his seven shadows. He could already sense the signs of fusion. With just a little more time, he would be able to fuse his seven shadows together and turn them into his Dao Shadow!
Time passed, but even after bringing out a tight defense for three years, more cracks appeared beyond Seven Moons Sect. On one rainy day in summer, while snow fell in Seven Moons Sect...
A sound that was even louder than the average volume of a thunderclap rang out. As it echoed in the air, countless cracks appeared in the sky beyond Seven Moons Sect, and it looked as if the sky was about to collapse. The cracks immediately formed a huge picture in the sky. It was the outline of a statue!
Needless to say, it was one of the three statues belonging to One Dao Sect. Once its outline appeared, loud bangs came from the ground. As huge ravines rose and fell, it seemed like Seven Moons Sect was surrounded by all the cracks in the world.
At that moment, an ancient voice echoed in the world.
"One…"
The voice only uttered a single word, but astonishing howls came from the ravines. As the howls rose and fell, multiple figures shot out of the cracks.
At first glance, they seemed to have flown out of the ground, but in truth… they had come from the cracks. Those figures had cold expressions on their faces, which gave them a grim and murderous appearance. The moment they showed up, they charged at Seven Moons Sect.
"Dao…"
When the second word came, the sky tumbled about. A dozen figures instantly descended from the crack that formed the outline of the statue. Each of those figures exuded an ancient presence. After they appeared, they charged at Seven Moons Sect!
At the same time, the thirteen sect elders who defended Seven Moons Sect opened their eyes. Their bodies vanished, and when they reappeared, they were in front of the dozen something figures. Booming sounds echoed in the air, and they kept those people back.
Immediately after, the Seven Moons Snow Rune was activated. If anyone looked at all of Seven Moons Sect at that moment, they would find that it looked as if it no longer existed. It was enveloped by a huge layer of ice, snow, and whirlwinds that shot into the clouds. From a distance, it looked like an ice dragon was roaring at the world.
"Sect!"
The voice echoed in the world again. When it said the third word, booming sounds from the air in front of Seven Moons Sect being torn apart rang out, and a huge ravine which was millions of feet long appeared in the air. That ravine looked to have been torn apart by invisible hands. At the instant it was torn, a black wind dragon filled with cracks charged at the ice, snow, and whirlwinds.
"Hand over all the inner sect disciples from the last one hundred years! Or we will fight!"
"If you want to fight, then… we will fight!"
In the whirlwind, a face showed up at that moment, and it belonged… to the red-robed man!


After years of anticipation, Tesla on Thursday evening finally unveiled its Model 3 electric car, the first affordable high-tech Tesla car for the masses.
The Model 3 starts at $35,000, not including federal tax exemptions. It'll start shipping to customers later next year, hopefully.
First of all, let's talk about looks. We'd heard many reports about the car's specs like its range and speed prior to this event, but the biggest unknown was the physical looks of the car. And in this department, Tesla did not disappoint at all. This is one beautiful looking car.
Tesla showed off three colors on stage: red, silver, and a metallic gray color. All three looked smooth and gorgeous in their own right, but my favorite is the dark gray model. This one right here.
Stunning. Love the angles of this car.
The car isn't lacking in specs either. It can go 0-60 miles per hour in just six seconds, and it boasts a starting range of 215 miles. Musk said that more expensive versions of the car will achieve faster speeds and longer range. "We don't build slow cars," Musk said on stage.
Like the Model S and Model X, the car is incredibly roomy with seats up to five people and cargo space in the front and rear trunks. Musk even said the Model 3 can fit a 7-foot surfboard. I don't even own a surfboard and I'm excited about this fact.
Families will like this car — all Model 3's are built to be incredibly safe and sturdy, which is an aspect we look forward to seeing in further tests down the line. But it'll also appeal to techies, too. The car comes with a large built-in touchscreen for information, entertainment and navigation, but it's interesting that Tesla also designed this screen to show all the car's information like current speed. It's possible this design could change before the car hits production next year, but it'll be interesting to see how important heads-up display information will be presented to the driver.
Another very awesome note: Every Model 3 also comes with Autopilot and supercharging standard.
Supercharging will allow Model 3 owners to charge their cars anywhere there's electricity — including free long distance travel on Tesla's supercharger network.
As far as Autopilot, which can help drivers steer, change lanes and even self-park, Musk tells Tech Insider that those "convenience features" will cost extra (they cost $3,000 for Model X and Model S owners), although the Autopilot hardware and safety features like avoiding obstacles and collisions will be standard.
There's lots of other questions to ask about this car, but all in all, Musk and Tesla put on a great show for the Model 3. The event was only about 30 minutes long, but it did its job in generating excitement for the car. As Tesla's alluded to many times, the company's future depends on this particular car, the affordable Model 3. Thankfully, it doesn't look like Tesla cut corners to cut down on cost. The car looks gorgeous and sounds impressive, and I know many of us at Tech Insider can't wait to try it.


Ginnie Hart: I hope it stays lonely forever, Michael!
A very lovely, frosty comp!
Ginnie Hart: Thank you, Elizabeth. Lots of things need to " cool off."
It feels like people will never learn.
Ginnie Hart: History has indeed taught us that, Michael!
...and to imagine that this canon was also used to shoot Napoleon.... He was 'in town' in 1813-1814..
Fabulous picture. Love the frost frozen on the trees.. Wonderful POV.
Ginnie Hart: That added bit of history makes this so much more dramatic to me, Astrid. THANK YOU.
Joli paysage givré. Le rouge du canon fait une tâche très gaie.
Ginnie Hart: Thank you, Martine. The red loved taking center stage in its spot that day.
Presumably tis cannon commemorates something Ginnie?
Ginnie Hart: It stands on our citadel wall as in days of yore, Chris, to fight off the enemy coming in from the Merwede River nearby. Astrid says it was even used to shoot at Napoleon back in 1813-14.
The cannon is the symbol of my football club, Arsenal, Ginnie. They are known as The Gunners.
Ginnie Hart: Well, then, Chad. This is for YOU!
Beautiful! The warmth of red of the carriage really stands out against the cool of the frost. It;s amazing that anything was hot with a gun such as this. All high tech in its day, though.
Belle prise de vue ..c'est sur si tout cela pouvait se terminer !!
Ginnie Hart: Merci, Claudine. One can still hope against all hope!
Ginnie Hart: I know, Bill.
Ginnie Hart: Yes, Lisl. You're right! It wouldn't be needed if the hostilities ended?
yes, 'can't we all just get along??'... that would be nice... that canon stands in stark contrast to the beautiful surroundings... lovely picture!!
Ginnie Hart: If only, Elaine. If only. Thank you.
Ginnie Hart: Then we're off to a good start, Louis!
If that cannon goes of, Ginnie, it will shake all the ice off the trees.
Ginnie Hart: You've got that right, Ray!
Unfortunately it's a man thing.
Ginnie Hart: Actually, Richard, I'm glad you were the one who said it, and not me!
The shot of red in the frosty landscape is wonderful, Ginnie.
Ginnie Hart: Thank you, Mary. The kind of shot we don't mind hearing!
I can't argue with your thought for the day Ginnie. I think this is a great angle to take this beautiful old cannon from.
Ginnie Hart: Love sweet love, indeed, Peter. Love always wins!
A nice frosty photo, Ginnie...If only..
So what's after Germany, Turkey?!
Ginnie Hart: Don't get me started, LC. Astrid often reminds me that Europe (think the Netherlands!) is in between whatever happens between Russia and the USA!
Ginnie Hart: I hope not, Larry! Nowadays it makes for a good photo op with the kids climbing up all over it.
Ginnie Hart: Thanks, JP. Heard all around the world?!
IF ONLY!!! This is just gorgeous.
Ginnie Hart: I know, Robin. If only, indeed. Thank you.
The red colour of the canon really pops in this photo! Beautiful!
Ginnie Hart: It was that kind of day, Charles! Thank you.


Please be sure to follow the instructions, this form will register you for the Pepsi State Finals only, If you qualified for the Handicap Scholarship Singles, please go to the registration page for that event. Be sure to complete all information requested.
Squad #2, Sat at 12 Noon is now full.


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NewsPosted on 02.11.2020
Voting is Now Open for the Just Eat National Takeaway Awards 2020
The Just Eat National Takeaway Awards return today, for a 7th year, to support your favourite local restaurants.
This year, Ireland's restaurant industry has shown great resilience and innovation in response to the challenges of 2020, and so it's more important than ever to recognise and reward these efforts.
The Just Eat National Takeaway Awards 2020 will be facilitated entirely online, where you, the customer, can cast your vote digitally for your favourite local restaurants and be in with a chance to WIN Takeaway for a year.
The shortlisted restaurants will then be announced on Wednesday 18th November and the final winners on Friday 27th November, so stay tuned!
So, now all you have to do is make sure that your customers VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE LOCAL RESTAURANT! It couldn't be easier.
Simply go to nationaltakeawayawards.just-eat.ie to vote.
Voting is open for all takeaway restaurants throughout Ireland today online at nationaltakeawayawards.just-eat.ie.
When does the campaign start?
The first phase of nomination voting starts on Monday 2nd November, closing Sunday 15th November, with a shortlist announcement on Wednesday 18th November. The second phase of voting will commence on Wednesday 18th November until Wednesday 25th November 2020.
When are the winners announced?
The winners will be announced on Friday 27th November 2020.
Cast your votes now!


If you want your child to enrol for a professional course like MBA, IIT, CA, CS or attempt acompetitive examtest like GATE, more often than not, she would want to attend coaching classes. And, the fee for such coaching classes can drill a big hole in your pocket.
Firstpost checked out with a few coaching classes. For JEE, theentrance exam for IIT, the fee was as high as Rs 2 lakh. Even for GRE, GMA and CAT, the fees were easily in the range of Rs 40,000 to Rs 60,000. With EMIs for variousloans (home, car and personal) to be remitted every month, credit card repayments and income tax related investments to be made, it does get a bit difficult for common people to keep aside enough money to pay for such coaching classes, especially if it is not planned. If you are in such a spot, you really need not worry. Now two banks give you a special kind of education loan to pay for coaching classes.
No prize for guessing that public sector banks are the ones offering these loans. Not all of them have this product, though. The banks that give such loans now areCorporation Bank (Corp-Tutor Fee loan) and Central Bank of India (Cent Comp-Exam loan). Of course, all other banks will gladly pitch their personal loan and tell you to pay the coaching class fee using that. Unlike an education loan, which can be taken by students too, a coaching fee loan is given to parents, guardians or a close relative of the student.
Courses: As mentioned above they offer loans to pay fee for coaching class for JEE, CAT, GMAT, GATE, GRE, CA, CS, AIEEE, PMT and UPSC, among others. Of course, banks do have condition that the class should be reputable and also stipulates that it should have been in business for a minimum number of years.
Finer details:The loan amount is up to to Rs 2 lakh. The rate of interest you will need to pay is linked to the bank's base rate and in the range of 12.35 percent to 14.50 percent. But, it's still cheaper than taking a personal loan, since the rate of interest on a personal loan is on an average 16.5 percent, and could go as up to 19.25 percent. Like most loans, here too you will have to pay a margin money, which is 10 percent of the total loan amount availed. You will also have to bear a processing fee of a few hundred rupees. The most important thing to keep in mind is that this is a short-term loan and you will need to pay back within two to three years through the EMI route. Also, if you pledge any kind of asset like an NSC or LIC policy, or an immovable property you could possibly negotiate for a concession on the interest rate. But do keep in mind that, if you avail an unsecured loan, you might have to offer a third-party guarantee.
What should you do:"If you have funds in your PPF, it's all right to withdraw the same towards paying the child's coaching class fees, provided you make regular payments in the PPF account, like you would have done via EMIs if you would have taken this loan." Nowadays, coaching classes accept credit card payments. But we recommend you to stay away from any such modes of payment. Of course, unless you don't mind paying 40 percent per annum as interest. Also, instead of going for a personal loan, taking this special education loan makes much sense. "If you have no options (like PPF money) going for the lowest interest rate loan makes much sense," Dani says.
Ideally, you should have planned for such an expense in advance, but if you haven't, may be you could avail this loan now, tide over, and take your financial planning more seriously in the future.


Dr. Rosa M. Navarro was born and raised in Tijuana, Baja California. Dr. Navarro studied at the University of Southern California where she received an Engineering Degree. Her interest in the medical field and desire to give back to the community inspire her to obtain a medical degree from the University of Illinois and finished her residency in Anesthesiology from the University of Chicago. She completed her Pain Management fellowship at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C. She has more than 15 years of medical experience and is currently in private practice treating acute and chronic pain. Navarro Pain Control Group, Inc., was established in 2010. Dr. Navarro proudly practices Pain Management in Chula Vista, servicing primarily the Hispanic community. Dr. Navarro and all of her staff are bilingual and can address all of your concerns in the most caring and respectful manner. Her goal is to educate patients and their families, and to help them understand the options available to treat their pain concerns. She welcomes the opportunity to help you and your Pain Management needs and will work with you to provide a better way of life!
Copyright © Dr. Rosa M. Navarro, MD. All rights Reserved.


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D'Arcy Conrique
2029 Century Park East
Email : d'arcy.conrique@btlaw.com
D'Arcy Conrique is senior advisor for entertainment contracts in Barnes & Thornburg's Los Angeles office, where he supports the Entertainment, Media and Sports Practice Group.
Working closely with attorneys, D'Arcy uses his extensive background in film production and distribution to assist in entertainment finance transactions for clients. As a 27-year veteran of the international film industry, he offers a diverse background in and complex understanding of film and television production and finance to his clients, specifically in the areas of agreements for single-picture production loan financing and credit facility transactions.
D'Arcy has developed relationships with key industry players and works with entertainment partners in strategizing and cultivating key potential deals for clients. He acts as a liaison to clients ranging from major bankers to major slate and investment financiers in the entertainment industry, and works with key finance and international distribution sales executives on the distribution and sales activities utilized to collateralize the production finance of motion picture films and television series.
Prior to joining the firm, D'Arcy worked for a Los Angeles-area law firm and was president of production and distribution for Arcadia Film Group, a production and distribution company that handled worldwide distribution and production of motion picture film properties. There, he managed motion picture film production, acquisitions and distribution in all forms of media including theatrical, video and television distribution and marketing. He also served as a senior sales executive at J&M Entertainment, a London-based production and distribution company and senior vice president of The Kushner-Locke Company, a mini-major studio.
Active in the industry, D'Arcy is a member of the Producers Guild of America ' Diversity Committee, the National Association of Latino Independent Producers and an active participant in the Independent Film and Television Alliance.
He earned his B.A. in 1987 from California State University-Los Angeles.
D'Arcy Conrique Professional
d'arcy.conrique@btlaw.com
California State University, Los Angeles, B.A., 1997
Barnes & Thornburg Casts D'Arcy Conrique as Senior Advisor for Entertainment Contracts in National Entertainment Practice


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Q: Like button for Facebook page Is possible to add on a website a like button where user likes a specific Facebook Page? Or this action is only possible when the user accesses my Facebook Page?

A: Check this out :
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/like-button
You can specify the page you want people to like, the size, everything.
You can also make a page plugin, which allow your users to like a Facebook page, see who likes it, etc :
https://developers.facebook.com/docs/plugins/page-plugin

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$6,555 MutualOne grant supports professional development at Framingham State University
Robert P. Lamprey, chairman of the MutualOne Charitable Foundation, announced that the Foundation has awarded $6,555 to support the Suitable Solutions Program at Framingham State University.
The Suitable Solutions Program prepares students for the world of professional work, while also educating them about the networking and "soft" skills that are imperative for emerging professionals.
"It is important that graduates are exposed to the real-world work environment," said Lamprey. "The Suitable Solutions Program is designed to develop skills that students will use in their future careers, and we are pleased to support that effort."
Celebrating the MutualOne Foundation's grant to the Suitable Solutions Program at Framingham State University (FSU) are (l-r): Clarice Santos, VP client services & electronic banking at MutualOne Bank; JoAnne Amann, FSU career counselor; Christen Caragian, Suitable Solutions student participant; Sarah Falber, FSU career counselor; Dawn Ross, FSU director; Jill Gardosik, FSU internship coordinator; Meg Nowak Borrego, Ph.D., FSU dean of students; and Greg Kennedy, SVP retail banking at MutualOne Bank.


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The Deaths of Tao
by Wesley Chu
Wesley Chu
Epub (Kobo), Epub (Adobe) Publication Date: 29/10/2013
Digital Delivery
This item is delivered digitally
The sequel to The Lives of Tao.
The Prophus and the Genjix are at war. For centuries they have sought a way off-planet, guiding humanity's social and technological development to the stage where space travel is possible. The end is now in sight, and both factions have plans to leave the Earth, but the Genjix method will mean the destruction of the human race.
That's a price they're willing to pay.
It's up to Roen and Tao to save the world. Oh, dear...
File Under**: Science Fiction** [ Manning Up | A Long Journey | Bye-Bye Mankind | Personal Space ]
Epub (Kobo), Epub (Adobe)
Watkins Media
Wesley Chu was a finalist for the John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His debut novel, The Lives of Tao, earned him a Young Adult Library Services Association Alex Award and a Science Fiction Goodreads Choice Award Top 10 slot.
Be the first to review The Deaths of Tao.
Science fiction Fantasy romance


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DTCI honors Defense Lawyer of the Year, Diplomat, Outstanding Young Lawyer for 2021
11.24.2021 Written by DTCI as appeared in The Indiana Lawyer
Norris Cunningham
Defense Lawyer of the Year
This award is presented to a licensed lawyer who, in the opinion of the awards committee, as approved by the board of directors, has promoted the interests of the Indiana defense bar since the last annual meeting of DTCI in a most significant way in the fields of litigation, legislation, publication or participation in local, state or national defense organizations.
Norris Cunningham, a name partner in the Indianapolis firm of Katz Korin Cunningham and a member of the DTCI Board of Directors, is the 2021 recipient of this honor. He has worked tirelessly to increase the membership of diverse lawyers in DTCI and has promoted DTCI generally by doing so. He has served the community by promoting scholarship efforts and leadership opportunities.
Diplomat of the Indiana Defense Law Counsel
This award is given to members of the Indiana bar who, in the judgment of the officers and directors of DTCI, have distinguished themselves throughout their careers through outstanding contributions to the representation of clients in the defense of litigation matters and, therefore, have been designated recipients of the award Diplomat of the Indiana Defense Trial Counsel.
Kevin Tyra
Kevin Tyra, who practices in the Tyra Law Firm in Bloomington, is the 2021 diplomat. He has represented clients in the defense of litigation matters in Indiana for more than 30 years. He served on the DTCI Board of Directors from 2010-2017 and as the Insurance Section chair from 2007-2009. He has shared his time and knowledge with his DTCI colleagues at numerous DTCI conferences and CLEs, including insurance primer presentations at the Rookie Seminar and multiple presentations on topics such as insurance coverage, insurance investigations, insurance defense, mediation and the role of second chair in a jury trial. Throughout his career, he has helped his clients defend and resolve cases, including taking cases to jury trials with successful results.
Jordan Slusher
Outstanding Young Lawyer
This award is presented to a member of the Defense Trial Counsel, less than 35 years old, who has shown leadership qualities in service to the Indiana defense bar, the national defense bar or the community.
Jordan Slusher, a senior associate in the Indianapolis office of Frost Brown Todd and a former chair of the DTCI Young Lawyers Committee, is the 2021 outstanding young lawyer. In addition to his work heading the Young Lawyers Committee, he has been active in organizing all publications from the Product Liability Section and is the publisher of the new DTCI newsletter.•


This resource kit is designed for association executives who are interested in learning, practicing and implementing a WE at their association. These concepts can be immediately implemented in every facet of the association including workforce, membership, and leadership.
When an association values differences and creates a welcoming environment – one that is comfortable, inclusive, and empowering – it opens the door for innovation, increased participation and an elevated sense of community and belonging for all.
Forbes: Is Neurodiversity the right path?
Russell Reynolds Associates: Who Sits at the Boardroom Table?
One of Association Forum's Core Values is to be a Welcoming Environment®: We are a welcoming environment that actively seeks to enhance the larger community by recognizing the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. We will make everyone who interacts with us feel welcomed, represented, engaged, inspired and empowered.
The environment we create communicates our beliefs about the people we serve. Association Forum has made a commitment to building a Welcoming Environment® (WE) in our community and to equipping members with the tools that they need to build a WE at their association. Association Forum's value and wisdom draws upon and reflects the population we serve, and that which our members serve.
Welcoming Environment® is defined as the creation of a sense of belonging and connectedness that engages individuals in an authentic manner in which uniqueness is valued, respected and supported through opportunities and interaction.
A Welcoming Environment® drives deeper engagement and increased participation with the Association and will ultimately increase revenue and build sustainable relationships.


NEW YORK - A top Facebook executive says ads linked to Russia trying to influence the U.S. presidential election should "absolutely" be released to the public, along with information on whom the ads were targeting.
Earlier this week, the House Intelligence Committee said it plans to release a trove of Russian-backed Facebook ads from the 2016 election season after officials from Facebook and two other tech giants testify publicly in November.
The company disclosed last month that it found ads linked to fake accounts - likely run from Russia - that sought to influence the election. Facebook says these ads focused on divisive political issues, such as immigration and gun rights, in an apparent attempt to sow discord among the U.S. population. The ads included promoted events and amplified posts that show up in users' news feeds.
Sandberg said Facebook didn't catch these ads earlier because it was focused on other threats, such as hacking. Facebook, she said, does owe America an apology.
Sandberg didn't say whether she believes Facebook played a role in electing Donald Trump as president, as critics have said it did by allowing the spread of fake news on its service.
Besides discussing election meddling, the Congressional Black Caucus also pushed for Facebook to improve diversity in its workforce, particularly in its upper management.


The Work at Height Regulations 2005 as amended by the Work at Height (Amendment) Regulations 2007. The regulations apply to all work at height where there is a risk of a fall liable to cause personal injury.
The aim of this course is to keep it simple and real, while all the key subject areas are covered of how to work safely at height.
The course concentrates on what the delegate really needs to know for the type of the work being done, for specific applications and work locations.
All delegates will have the ability to assess the risks and requirements needed for safely working at height in their scope of work. They will also be able to use their job specific fall protection equipment with a high level of efficiency and confidence, as well as have the practical ability to utilise all equipment provided, correctly and safely.
All delegates receive an information pack and a certificate of completion.


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Hands-on STEM adventures delivered right to you!
Ever make Mentos + Diet Coke explosions as a kid? So did we! Our goal: Empower the change-makers & problem-solvers of tomorrow, today. Explore a new STEM topic with 3+ hands-on activities delivered each month. All the materials are included to foster curiosity and a passion for science, technology, engineering, and math in a fun and engaging way.
Building curiosity for and exposure to STEM at a young age!
This box is filled with multiple activities that all work together to teach a theme. I ordered it for my 4 year old and it was a little to advanced for her. It requires understanding of about a 2nd grader.


Discuss, learn and exchange valuable resources related to social issues that we face, in our nation today!
Offering Free school / after school programs to utilize to support the emotional wellbeing of students and to increase safety in our schools! Video's and more information upon request !! I will be updating this soon- as I learn more !
As the office begins to accept new clients, a unique opportunity will be afforded to you. Taking the step to connect, and become a client, gives you access to a clinician that therapeutically designs a plan to assist in your ability to gain CLARITY. This provides strength and eases tension as we utilize methods to see both issues in life differently, and our power to manage them.
All of this combined, can clear pathways to solutions that even extinguish unwanted symptoms that we experience. It is simply amazing what you can accomplish with a different mindset!
All scheduled upon need .. some sessions will be listed and advertised.
If you have a group, school, camp , .org. W interest fill out contact page with info !


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The Filthiest People Alive!
Finally got around to seeing Precious.
After weighing mainstream reviews against a handful of contrarieties and spoilers, I thought I knew just what to expect, but my preconceptions were dashed
about ten minutes in when I picked up on what no critic of any cultural
or political stripe seems to have noticed. The film is camp. A fro-hair shy
of John-Waters-in-blackface.
I'm not saying the highminded
and bleedy-hearted are wrong to see in the Oprah-endorsed urban picaresque a kind of inspiring underdog
story. As the top critics emphasize, Precious has heart. But so did Pink Flamingos.
Nor do I mean to suggest that HBD-savvy curmudgeons are being overly
cynical to interpret the film as an incest-obsessed paean to the
custodial state — that would be roundly condemned as racist had it
been scripted and produced by whitefolk. There's something to both
counterpoints, I am certain. But available though it is, this
reading seems more tuned to SWPL moodswings than to the content of the
reel, which you really have to see for yourself — preferably after
some time has passed, and preferably when you're stoned. The over-the-top schlock
giveaways aren't hard to spot; conspicuous clues and cues are on display in several stylized fantasy sequences, one where the titular heroine of limited
horizons peacocks before flashing paparazzi in full-on dragshow glitz
and pomp (a'la Divine in I forget which one). But the most telling
evidence is to be found in the story itself, about which you've already been gratuitously informed. You can play the game of breaking it down; try to re-imagine a few infant-hurling gags played out with melanin-deficient trailertrash mutants standing in. Or you can stop at
the detail that gives the game away — when it's revealed this that a po
woe-begotten duckling, raised by wolves and saved by lambs, is
baby-mamma to a daddy-sired tard-child named … Mongo. I shit you not and I rest my case. Lee Daniels knows just what he got away with. Surely an off-broadway musical is in the cards, and I'll
be cheering for Gabby and Mo'Nique during my next fabulous Oscar party.
I've got my mind on the movies and the movies on my mind. Still annotating my list.
Posted on January 13, 2010 by Chip Smith in Uncategorized 4
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4 thoughts on "The Filthiest People Alive!"
Prime says:
I will definitely be watching this now. How safe is it to laugh during the movie though?
Agreed. The problem is that Waters was channeling Douglas Sirk with the glamour upended into shabbiness, and while doing that injecting a metric shit ton of funny. Precious is both shabby and militantly humorless. Everything was in place as it would be in a Waters flick, but with the inherent racial/sexual/class/fatty tension created by the subject matter vs. the demographics of the audience that watched the movie, no one could really be allowed to laugh at a retarded kid named Mongo. It's so clear that you couldn't laugh that if you had, in the theater, laughed like this was a Waters flick (which I did at home), police or at the least theater security could have been called.
I think this was done intentionally, and is an underhanded trick to put the flick into the class of "Oscar contenders." Nobody will remember this movie in five years, but they would have if at some point in the movie, either Precious or Precious' mother had cooked and eaten Mongo in a twisted bid for revenge.
MRDA says:
R-rated, woman's-weekly-article-worthy soap opera seems an accurate descriptor. Can't argue with the acting pedigree though.
I agree and I haven't even seen Precious. Lee Daniels' performance at the Independent Spirits Awards ( or whatever it's called) was a real giveaway.


In collaboration with iPresentee, iWebTemplate (http://www.iwebtemplate.com) has introduced iWeb Christmas and Holiday Templates to be used with Apple's website building application.
This package includes five Christmas themes and five New Year themes. Approximately166 iWeb templates are now available.
They require Mac OS X 10.4.3 Tiger and later and iLife '08-iLife '11. The iWeb themes are US$6.99 each.


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Former White House Chef and Senior Policy Advisor Sam Kass Has Joined Innit to Transform Cooking in the Home
Food tech startup unlocks information within food to tackle consumer challenges in cooking, wellness and food waste
April 03, 2016 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The kitchen of tomorrow has arrived and attendees of the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference got a preview today during a keynote session with former White House chef and senior nutrition policy advisor Sam Kass, who has been working on Innit's founding team over the last year and has now been named chief consumer experience officer.
Innit, based in Redwood City, Calif., was founded in 2013 and emerged from stealth mode in November 2015 with $25 million in funding. Innit's team of chefs, nutritionists and engineers use cutting-edge food science and technology to help people manage and prepare their food with ease. The Innit platform identifies and measures food using advanced sensors in the kitchen, recommends recipes based on inventory and executes expert cooking techniques on connected kitchen appliances to produce perfect results every time.
"I know how challenging it can be to manage food and cook at home, and to date technology and innovation have been missing to help people succeed in the kitchen," said Kass. "Over the past decade I've seen many projects aimed at improving how people eat, but I can't recall one that has greater potential impact than Innit. By bringing the right technology into the equation, we can unlock information within food to help people with food management, preparation and cooking. We can tackle some of the toughest food challenges for consumers and get people cooking more often at home, which is the foundation of a healthier lifestyle. I'm thrilled to be part of the Innit team."
Innit's co-founders have deep expertise in food and technology. Eugenio Minvielle, president and founder, previously served as president and CEO of Unilever North America and CEO of Nestle for multiple regions. Kevin Brown, CEO and co-founder, is a 20-year Silicon Valley veteran who built multiple infrastructure technology firms. Francisco Deolarte, chief development officer and co-founder, is an award winning chef and food and beverage innovation industry leader.
"The Innit team is passionate about empowering people to get the best out of their food," said Minvielle. "Sam brings a tremendous level of experience and energy to Innit, and has already made major contributions in shaping our mission and strategy."
While IACP attendees got a preview of how Innit-enabled kitchens will offer culinary, nutrition and sustainability advantages, the first public demonstration of Innit's platform will be on display in May in New York City. Innit has announced its partnerships with Good Housekeeping and with PIRCH, an interactive retail concept curating the leading kitchen, bath and outdoor living products, who together will showcase the Innit Connected Food platform starting with the opening of their SoHo showroom in Manhattan.
Consumer trials, where home cooks will be able to test the Innit platform in their kitchens, are expected to begin in the second half of 2016.
About Sam Kass
Sam Kass is the chief consumer experience officer for Innit. He is a food entrepreneur, former White House chef and senior policy advisor for nutrition. During his White House tenure, Kass took on several additional roles including executive director of First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move!" campaign. Kass is the first person in the history of the White House to have a position in the Executive Office of the President and the Residence.
In 2011, Fast Company named Kass to their list of 100 Most Creative People, and in 2012, Kass helped create the American Chef Corps, which is dedicated to promoting diplomacy through culinary initiatives.
Kass is the founding partner of Trove, a strategy firm to support businesses, organizations and governments who are serious about improving the health and sustainability of the food system.
About Innit
Innit empowers people through food. The Innit platform combines personalized culinary and nutritional science with cutting-edge information technology to power the emerging Connected Food ecosystem. For more information visit www.innit.com.
Follow Innit on social media: Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter
Innit is a registered trademark of Innit Inc. Innit Empowered and Listen to Your Food are trademarks of Innit Inc.
About IACP
The International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP) is a worldwide organization of nearly 3,000 members from more than 32 countries. Offering a forum for the development and exchange of information, knowledge, and inspiration within the professional food and beverage community, the organization includes chefs, restaurateurs, foodservice operators, writers, photographers, stylists, marketers, nutritionists, and academia, hailing from hospitality, tourism, publishing, and many other disciplines. For more information, visit www.iacp.com.
Arianna Ames, 631-327-3537
aames@webershandwick.com


India best tour circuit Golden Triangle Tour that includes tour of some of India's most famous city Delhi,Agra, Jaipur can now be completed in three days to make the most of your three days holiday. Your journey starts from Delhi, then a visit to Taj City Agra, after that tour of city Jaipur. Our agency will provides you drivers that are well mannered and behaved, properly dressed and speak English language. With our unmatched quality of service, your journey will be a memorable one with beautiful memories.
Your Golden Triangle Tour 3 Days start early in the morning. You will depart Delhi for Agra, the journey takes around five to six hours, you will be traveling in a deluxe car . Before reaching Agra city, you will get to visit a famous site Sikandra, there you will see Great Akbar mausoleum. Now you will proceed for a guided tour of city's pride The Taj Mahal. It was built by Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved queen Mumtaj Mahal. it took almost 17 years to built Taj Mahal, now it stands as a symbol of never ending love and attract tourist from all over the world, the impression left by its sheer beauty of pure White marble has touched the hearts of many over time. In the evening you are free to shop around Agra's market where you will find Mughal style jewelery, leather shops,Petha (sweet),handicrafts,garments.
Your overnight stay will be at Agra hotel, on your second day of your Golden Triangle Tour of three days you will leave for Jaipur in the morning. On route to famous 'Pink City' you will visit Fatehpur Sikri, made of red sandstone built by the great Akbar. There are many sites to see at Fatehpur Sikri like the Salim Chisti's tomb, Jama Masjid, the Diwan- i- Khas, the Diwan- i-Aam and the Queen's palaces.
Later in the afternoon your guided tour of Jaipur city will begin with your first site being Palace Of Winds. Famous for its intricate latticework, the Hawa Mahal is Jaipur most distinctive landmark. Rest for the night at Jaipur Hotel. There's many great sites left for you to explore in the morning.
Your last day of Golden Triangle Tour 3 Days includes visiting some of famous Jaipur sites like Amber Fort, City Palace, make your experience unique with Elephant ride available at Amber Fort. Just 12 km from Jaipur Amber Fort is located , you can observe the fine blend of Hindu and Muslim architecture in its design. Later visit of City Palace, a fine example of Rajpur and Mughal architecture. You will find Chandra Mahal, a seven storied building, in the Centre of City Palace.
In the afternoon head back to Delhi where you will be dropped at railway station or airport station, whichever you prefer. Your Golden Triangle Tour 3 Days or you can say Delhi Agra Jaipur Tour 3 Days ends with happy and everlasting memories created by some of most wonderful and amazing sites of India's travel destination.


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Weather and Climate Information Services for Africa (WISER)
The WISER programme's mission is to make a step change in the quality, accessibility and use of weather and climate information services at all levels of decision making for sustainable development in Africa.
WISER will:
Focus on service delivery, directed by user needs, which support poverty reduction and development
Work holistically to inform climate risk decision making bringing together research, policy and practice
Work with regional, national or sub-national plans, which have involved users
Work through existing and mandated organisations and channels where possible and appropriate
WISER is funded with UK aid from the British people and will deliver maximum value for money by working in partnership and collaboration, capacity building and leveraging funds to ensure long term sustainable delivery and improvement of weather and climate services in Africa.
Find out more about the programme in our infographic.
Fund management and technical leadership
The Met Office has been commissioned by the UK government's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to act as fund manager for the East Africa component of the programme, focussing on the Lake Victoria Basin and surrounding region (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda). This component aims to improve the quality and relevance of weather and climate information and support its uptake and use.
The Africa Climate Policy Centre (ACPC) is acting as fund manager for the Policy & Enabling Environment Component (PEEC) of WISER, focussing on improving the governance and enabling environment for weather and climate services.
As fund managers, the Met Office and ACPC provide technical leadership and programme development, allocating funds for WISER projects. Details of opportunities as they arise are available on our WISER programme opportunities page.
Under the East Africa component five quick-start projects using WISER funding were commissioned in late 2015 and commenced work early in 2016. A further series of projects began in 2017. In the commissioning of new projects, applications will be invited to access WISER funding in line with the WISER strategy. Details of any open application rounds can be found on our WISER programme opportunities page.
For information on projects under the Policy & Enabling Environment Component (PEEC) please visit the ClimDev-Africa website.
You may also be interested in the following websites:
African Climate Policy Centre (ACPC)
Building Resilience & Adaptation to Climate Extremes & Disaster (BRACED)
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)
Future Climate for Africa (FCFA)
Completed WISER projects
Current WISER projects
WISER knowledge and learning
WISER news
WISER programme opportunities
WISER guidance


When it comes to hiking in the Northeast, Mount Washington is a crown jewel. Aside from being just the regional high point, its rugged alpine beauty, a network of multi-sport trails and routes, and its sometimes-ferocious difficulty make it one of the premier adventure destinations anywhere. But, with all the people that travel over the mountain every year, there's one way very few get to experience the mountain: at night.
In cooperation with the Mount Washington Observatory, which staffs a weather station on the summit 24/7, Eastern Mountain Sports is offering you the chance to spend a night on top with the observers and see Mount Washington like you never have before.
You'll have the opportunity to see what goes into weather recording and forecasting, which go a long way towards keeping hikers and explorers safe in its notoriously volatile conditions. EMS is a sponsor of the Observatory's annual Seek The Peak event, which helps raise money for the weather station. Sign up to help out here!
Lunch, dinner, and breakfast served at the Observatory.
A hike with the Observatory's staff.
A tour of the Observatory's weather station.
Sunrise and sunset viewing from the top of the Northeast.
Transportation back to the base of the mountain.


The garden of the Bethlehem Natural History museum is divided into sections. Each section is related to the gardens research. One of the sections contains a terrace agriculture setup.
Terraced fields can be found throughout the Palestinian Territories. By cutting the hillside into flat terraces, more land can be opened up for cultivation. Many terraces contain Olea europea groves, these are also grazed by goats.
The museums terraces are designed to be a "No Dig" set up (That's no annual digging after you have dug them!). A trench is dug behind the terrace walls and lined with stone. This collects water during the rainy seasons. The water fills the trench then soaks slowly into the ground, irrigating the terrace deeply. Below I've included a diagram showing how the trench collects water and pictures of the trench being constructed.
Displaying and teaching traditional agricultural techniques is highly beneficial. In an area where man made resources can be expensive and scarce, traditional methods are very useful. They typically require minimal inputs, of materials found in the local area. The only limit is the number of hours you can spend digging in the heat!
Last week my Israeli visa came and shortly thereafter I was on a plane to Ben Gurion Airport. During the past month, the warnings about security and the difficulties of entering the country have been playing on my mind, but, as it turned out, all of my concern's were needless. It took me less time to get through security than it did when I visited Canada earlier in the year (Who said Canadians were friendly?). Tzvia (The Programs and Educational Coordinator) picked me up at the airport and shortly dropped me at my new flat in Jerusalem – a nice smooth start.
Currently, I'm sharing the apartment with Eric, another student who has come here from Australia and is in the last month of his nine month term. When we begin work on Sunday (the working week here is Sunday-Thursday), Eric will start handing over the projects he's worked on during his time here, and so the cycle of students continues.
On Friday morning Tzvia, Eric and I went into Jerusalem and they helped me sort out the boring essentials like phone contracts, shopping and public transport – things that are a godsend to have help with in a foreign place. We also got breakfast and I had my first taste of Israeli cuisine. I had a dish called Shukshuka, which is poached eggs in a tomato sauce with chilli and onions – good food that's defiantly very different to what I would normally eat. Having completed the essentials, Eric and I returned to the flat with the plan of cycling to the old city later for some site seeing.
Our apartment is a few kilometres from Old City and it's a hilly few kilometres at that. It's also worth noting it's about 25 degrees here at the moment so the ride was rather uninviting! We made it though in good time. Eric knows his way around the city, so I could just follow him, and on the way he pointed out sites and shared interesting facts, making cycling a nice way to view the city.
Seeing the Old City for the first time was incredible; photographs fail to do it justice in terms of its scale. We locked our bikes up near the Jaffa gate and proceeded on foot. The Old City is divided into four sections: Jewish, Christian, Muslim and Armenian. Each section therefore has a totally different feel to it. The Muslim section was definitely the most interesting; the narrow streets lined with market stalls selling everything from spices to knock off gucci feel totally surreal. Walking around here it began to sink in how far from home I am culturally as well as geographically.
Many of the sites in the Old City we visited were packed with tourists, understandably so. Sadly this makes them difficult to photograph as people are always in the shot. When we entered the Church of the Redeemer luck was on my side and it was empty. I had time to set up my camera and take a long exposure before anyone else entered the church.
Our trip around the Old City only scratched the surface of what there is to see and I hope to return many times during my stay, hopefully when it's a bit quieter. I was unable to visit Temple Mount as it's only open to tourists at certain times due to its religious purpose, another treat for another day! After leaving the Old City we cycled up the Mount of Olives to watch the sun set and grab a few more photos, closing out an interesting and exciting first day.
A walk along the Ennerdale Valley to Great Gable.
I set off at 7am from a footpath just beyond Croasdale, a gentle climb leads up through a maze of stone walls alongside Gill Beck, Borne looms in front. It's a dull overcast morning with a cold easterly wind rushing down the side valley between Bana Fell and Great Borne. The hope is to reach the top before 8am and catch the sun rising behind the Gable Group in the East, the weather looks poor for this though. From here I will hike along the High Stile range to Great Gable then return along the bottom of the Ennerdale valley.
I reach the top of Great Borne, breathing heavily from the steep climb. I turn round to see a buzzard (Buteo buteo) hovering just behind me. The bird catches my eye, and startled, it plummets swiftly down into the valley. As I trudge towards the cairn the cloud starts breaking and the sun glimmers through; quickly setting my tripod and camera up I manage to grab a shot of the rising sun.
From Great Borne, my walk continues along the High Stile range, the grassy tops are barren and desolate and, with the cold wind whipping across them, feel unwelcoming. As I walk over Starling Dodd the cloud breaks further and the wind begins to die, and by the time I reach Red Pike I'm wearing a T-Shirt and sunglasses. I stop on Red Pike to photograph the rising sun again as well as a shot of the fells behind Buttermere.
Red Pike sits about two thirds of the way down the High Stile range, well into the fells. Now, up at 750m, the terrain has begun to change; the stiff grass is littered with large granite boulders, as though an asteroid storm just rained down. The ground becomes drier, firmer underfoot and the ratio of moss to grass in the ground-covering vegetation decreases. Though the environment has became ecologically harsher, it feels more inviting than the barren grass tops of the morning. The granite cliffs can be seen rising in the distance, illuminated by the sun; a sign of whats ahead warranting further exploration.
From Red Pike, a short climb leads to High Stile, the fell from which the range takes its name and, of course, the tallest, at 807m. A raven (Corvus corax) soars around the cliff edge; I look for its mate but can only see the one. Ravens are often seen in pairs because they tend to mate for life and patrol a chosen territory. I see them often when I hike in the fells and enjoy watching them floating around the cliff tops — it's seems to require them impossibly little effort to stay airborne. I continue down to High Crag to take my next photograph, a shot with Great Gable framed in the distance.
Descending onto Seat sees the end of the High Stile range and the first person of the day. Hiking up into Scarth Gap from Buttermere is a popular way to access Haystacks, you will always meet someone on this hike. Scarth Gap also sees the divide between the High Stile range and the Gable Group, a break in the mountains to a low of 445m. The gap is steep sided and rocky requiring a short technical scramble to cross onto Haystacks. Halfway up onto Haystacks I stop on a rocky outcrop, a perfect view point for a picture up the Buttermere valley.
At the top of Haystacks, I encounter more groups of people – this is likely to be the busiest place on the walk. It's described by Alfred Wainwright as his favourite summit, "for beauty, variety and interesting detail, for sheer fascination and unique individuality, the summit area of Haystacks is supreme. This is in fact the best fell-top of all." The legendary guidebook author's testament has made Haystacks forever a popular summit. Standing at the summit I take a picture of the most beautiful fell top of all, so you can see if you agree.
Walking down from Haystacks main peak along the ridge, towards the lower South East Top, is a lovely scene. Rocky outcrops pierce the marshy ground, coated in lush blankets of moss. The lower elevation brings wetter ground littered with small ponds and tarns. They reflect the sun and from a distance shimmer like pearls on the landscape. Sadly, I must depart the tranquil landscape and walk onto Brandreth.
Brandreth is a smooth grassy lump with a shallow incline rising from Haystacks toward Green Gable. For me, the mountain lacks character — I find myself calling it Blandreth instead. The endless expanse of grass is a disappointment after the craggs, knolls and pools of Haystacks. I traverse the area as swiftly as possible, then have a late dinner at the foot of Green Gable.
The path up Green Gable is a straight up slog, best performed quickly with a stop half way for a drink. Green Gable is 801m, a significant peak in the Lakes, but always looks tiny on the flank of its big brother Great Gable. The sun beats down intensely now but the air is still fresh and cool; it's hard to believe it's the 1st of November. I don't stay long on the top. I descend the scree path at the south east end of the peak into Windy Gap. The steep sided gap is a clear divide between the two fells and is often hiked up to from Styhead tarn in the East as a route onto Great Gable. The gap also provides a tremendous view back down the Ennerdale valley towards Haystacks and the High Stile range.
I'm tired now but only one last climb remains: the assent from windy gap onto Great Gable. A steep climb up rocks cut by years of footfall sees me quickly to my final destination. The summit always makes me catch my breath, or is that the climb? The summit area is massive to behold, a vast plateau, around half a mile across, covered with boulders, craggs and cliffs. Small patches of vegetation cling desperately to life among the rocks, only to be grazed by a sheep looking for an exotic meal at 899m. Great Gable is a popular fell, one of the largest in the Lake District, and a relatively difficult assent (unlike Scafell Pike or Skiddaw). It has a prestige associated with its name; Wainwright muses "the name appeals magically. It is a good name for a mountain, strong, challenging, compelling, starkly descriptive, suggesting the pyramid associated with the mountain from early childhood." My photographs fail to show this pyramid shape because is only occurs when the mountain is viewed from Wasdale valley to the South West.
Great Gable is held in such high regard among fell walkers and climbers that at the top stands a memorial plaque commemorating members of the Fell and Rock Climbing Club who died in WW1. In 2013, the 70kg plaque was carried down the mountain on a stretcher by thirteen soldiers to be replaced because it contained spelling mistakes. The replacement was installed later in the year by royal engineers. Every year on Remembrance Sunday over a hundred people gather on the summit for a remembrance service.
I depart from Great Gable down towards Beck Head having enjoyed the terrific views the lone summit offers. The decent is steep and hard on my tired legs — it's been some time since I've hiked and the distance has take its toll. Evening is rolling in quickly now, the sun has begun dropping towards Pillar Group on the south western side of the Ennerdale valley. The air is cool and fresh and the light has become soft and forgiving. I stop in Stone Cove, a recess at the valley head formed between Green and Great Gable. Here I rest, drink, and take a few photos down the Ennerdale valley making the most of the good light.
Leaving the rocky terrain, I walk a grass and dirt path along Tounge, a spit of land jutting from the base of Windy Gap into the valley. My breath becomes visible as the air cools further, and the bronze hue of the fading bracken is amplified in the red tones of evening light. The landscape has begun to soften, ready for night to engulf it. At the base of Tounge, I stop, and take one last exposure out of the valley towards the coast. I then briskly walk the last 5km to the car before the light dies.
Having spent the last year working in East Sussex, it's been nice to come home and spend a few weeks in the Lake District before leaving for Jerusalem. Sussex is a brilliant landscape; I was living in the Weald, an AONB (Area of outstanding Natural Beauty) and one of the most densely forested areas in England today. The rolling hills covered with mixed deciduous woodlands of mostly Fraxinus excelsior, Quercus robur, Corylus avellana and the less welcome Acer psuedoplatanus, create a tranquil setting. But no landscape in England can match the Lakes for me. It's probably because I grew up there, but when I live where it's flat I always yearn to see the mountains. The sight of them rising in the distance adds such drama to the scene. All this to say, it's good to be home and yet, I can't wait to get to Israel.
I hate packing, I always forget something. It's never something insignificant either, it's always an essential. So here I sit, like old santa checking his list, laying out my essentials in font of me. For 8 months I seem to have surprisingly little which is good, the more space I have the more books I can take with me. In all honesty that's the hardest part of this packing is choosing which books to take. Apparently English books can be expensive in Israel so I'm keen to take as many as I can!
I've never been to the Middle East before so for me this is going to be all new. That's what excites me most — as much as I love revisiting places or going to culturally or climatically similar places, totally new is the best. No amount of preparation can actually prepare you, you just have to go with it and embrace the place. New places are the ones you remember the best. There will be things I'm familiar with, especially in terms of plants: Colchicums, Cyclamens, Verbascums, Irises, Alceas are just a few of the cultivated plants that wild species of can be found in Israel. But there will be many more that I have never encountered. I'm also excited for the architecture, especially in Jerusalem. England has incredible Cathedrals and Castles which are often many hundreds of years old, but the age of many of the building in Israel is in the thousands of years — it's absolutely mind blowing.
In Jerusalem, I will be spending 8 months working as a propagation intern in the Jerusalem Botanical Garden. Working with plants in their natural habitat should lead me to better understand how to grow them well — I find plants that I associate with a place are easier to remember. With this blog I hope to share with you both the plants I see and work with and the places I visit. I will also post regular photos on my Instagram (Link on top of page) from my trip. My next post will hopefully come from Israel; I'm waiting on my Visa but should be flying out soon!