1. Kevin Harvick (LW: 3): The first driver to four wins in 2018 is deserving of the No. 1 spot. Harvick's been as consistent as Kyle Busch and Joey Logano and now has more wins than any of them. He's also had more speed too. With 201 laps led on Sunday, Harvick has led 741 laps in 2018. Busch has led the second-most with 498.
2. Joey Logano (LW: 2): Logano was one of three drivers who pitted during the caution that happened when Kyle Busch's driveshaft when kablooie. He never regained the track position he lost. Logano ended up 13th.
3. Kyle Busch (LW: 1): Busch's 35th-place finish at Dover is his worst finish since he was 35th in the spring race at Bristol a year ago. Busch knew his car had a problem in the early stages of the race and sure enough, it only made it to lap 271.
4. Clint Bowyer (LW: 9): Bowyer is suddenly turning in his best season since 2012. He's fourth in the points standings after finishing second to teammate Kevin Harvick and would have won the race if NASCAR called it after 320 laps because of rain.
5. Kurt Busch (LW: 7): Busch continues to help make Stewart-Haas the best team in the Cup Series. He finished fifth on Sunday and is sixth in the points standings, meaning half of the top six positions in the points are occupied by SHR drivers.
6. Denny Hamlin (LW: 5): Guess what? Hamlin got another pit road penalty on Sunday! It wasn't really his fault, however. He was one of many drivers trying to make it to the end of the first stage without making a late pit stop and he ran out of gas right as the stage ended. He then had to pit before the pits were open to make sure his car didn't come to a stop on the track.
The end of the first stage was intriguing as hell, and it's a shame that NASCAR broke its own rules to help teams who needed gas get that fuel sooner. NASCAR opened the pits earlier than normal at the end of the first stage because of the fuel situation that had developed during the stage.
Why? Because according to NASCAR vice president Scott Miller, the sport is in the "entertainment" business.
It's a lame excuse and one that shouldn't be tolerated by fans, even if there's no rule on when NASCAR actually opens the pits in the middle of a stage. Cars running out of gas trying to make a strategy play is entertaining too. And the sport shouldn't be changing its protocol on the fly because some teams tried something. It's unfair to the teams who weren't out of gas.
7. Chase Elliott (LW: 4): Elliott was 12th and third among Chevrolets. That second statistic shows just how poor the new Camaro has performed. While Ford may have rebounded from 2017, how much of that is because Chevrolet has taken a step back with its new car?
We have no doubts Chevy teams will get faster as the season goes on, but it's remarkable that the learning curve is as steep as it seems.
8. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 6): Johnson was best in class once again, finishing ninth and best of all the Chevys. It feels mean to demote him two spots after a top-10 finish, but it also feels mean to demote Elliott four spots after finishing 12th. So it goes.
9. Ryan Blaney (LW: 8): Blaney was eighth and there's no post-race quote from him in Ford's notebook. So this will once again be a short entry for Blaney. Kind of weird for a guy being touted as one of the sport's future stars, but there's a lot of weird things in this sport.
10. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 11): Truex finished fourth at the one track that's legitimately his home track. His post-race comments reflect the quality of racing at Dover on Sunday. Yeah, there were multiple grooves, but passing didn't seem all that prevalent.
11. Kyle Larson (LW: 10): Larson bounced back after starting at the back of the field and getting a pit road penalty on lap 98. He got a lap back on Busch's caution and then worked his way back through the field to 10th by the end of the race.
12. Brad Keselowski (LW: 12): Keselowski was far better at the beginning of the race than he was at the end. He was third in the first stage, second in the second and then finished sixth.
"We kind of fell apart on the last two runs," Keselowski said.
The Lucky Dog: Daniel Suarez tied a career high with a third-place finish.
The DNF: Corey LaJoie's engine made it a whopping 20 laps.


text:
Woman sentenced for trying to burn store during 2020 protest
Jeff Roberson/AP
A member of the St. Louis Fire Department wraps up their work outside a vandalized and burned convenience store, Tuesday, June 2, 2020, in St. Louis.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — A woman was sentenced Tuesday to more than two years in prison for trying to set fire to a 7-Eleven store in St. Louis during a 2020 protest that followed the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
Nautica Turner, 27, pleaded guilty in February to a federal charge of conspiracy to commit arson. She was sentenced in U.S. District Court in St. Louis.
Federal prosecutors say that on June 1, 2020, Turner poured lighter fluid to start a fire at a 7-Eleven store in the downtown area of St. Louis. She first tried to light a cardboard box, and when that failed tried to light a fire in a trash bin outside the store, according to her plea agreement.
The trash can fire also failed, but someone else later started a fire that burned the convenience store to the ground.
The fire occurred on a violent night of protests that followed Floyd's death on May 25, 2020.
In September, Justin Cannamore of St. Louis County was sentenced to three years in prison in connection with the fire. Prosecutors said he demonstrated a technique using lighter fluid to better burn the convenience store.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Upon arrival at the airport, you will be met by your private guide and then be driven to your hotel of choice. Luang Prabang is considered the best-preserved traditional city in Southeast Asia. The tranquility and charm of Luang Prabang of green natural scenery and rich cultural heritage make it one of the most attractive travel destinations in Laos.
After refreshment, you'll head out for a walking tour of Luang Prabang taking in the impressive stupa of Wat Visoun and the shrine of Wat Aham, Wat Mai. In the end, you'll climb up to the top of Phousi Mount for an exploration of the sacred, gilded stupa and the stunning sunset over this lush countryside city and the Mekong River. Enjoy leisure time for the remainder of the day.
After breakfast, you enjoy a visit to the city's oldest temple of Wat Sene and the magnificent Wat Xieng Thong which is typical of the classical architecture of Luang Prabang temples. Then you will board a little motorboat for a cruise upstream of the Mekong River which offers a fresh view of the tranquil countryside. Along the cruise, you'll stop at the village of Ban Xanghai, which is well known for the strong local rice wine. Your cruise brings you to Pak Ou Cave, a pilgrimage place for Laos Buddhists. The cave is home to thousands of lacquered Buddha statues of various sizes.
On the back, you'll have a visit to Ban Xang Khong and Ban Xienglek, well known for its hand made of Jute Sar paper.
Later in the morning, you'll visit the morning Phosi Market where a wide range of exotic goods are for sales including dried buffalo skin, local tea, salt, chickens, vegetables and hill-tribe weavings… Later in the morning, you'll visit Ban Ouay, Hmong Hilltribe, Ban Ou, Lowland Lao and Ban Thapene of the Khmu People. Then we'll continue onto to the beautiful Khuangsi Waterfall where you can get splashed in the cool water or enjoy walk along the forest paths and a tour to Ban Phanom, a well known weaving village. Travel back to Luang Prabang and enjoy the sunset at Wat Siphouthabath.
In the morning, you check out of the hotel and enjoy a visit to the National Museum which was the Royal Palace earlier which displays the full collection of artifacts showing the richness of Lao culture from the early days to the last royal families. Then we'll move onto the Central Market before transferred to the airport for the flight to Vientiane.
Arriving at Vientiane Airport, you'll be welcomed by our local team and transferred to the city. Enjoy a tour of Vientiane taking in the major sights of the capital city: the oldest Wat Sisaket with thousands of miniature Buddha statues and the former royal temple of Wat Prakeo previously housed the famous Emerald Buddha Statue, the sacred structure of That Luang, and the Patuxay Monument, which is well known as Vientiane's version l'Arc de Triumph.
Early morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Pakse. Upon arrival, you are welcomed and transferred to Vat Phou Cruise departure pier at 10:00am. You'll arrive at Champassak in time for a riverside lunch, followed by a guided tour of the mysterious pre-Angkorian 10th century temple of Vat Phou.
In late afternoon, you will board the Vat Phou Cruise for a relaxing cruise down the river, adoring the tropical sunset on the deck. Dinner is served on board while the boat docks for the night alongside a remote Laotian village.
In late afternoon, our cruise continues into the wild paradise of the "4,000 islands" and arrive at Khong Island. Then we'll visit a traditional Laotian Village where the way of life has not changed in centuries. Dinner is served on board.
Breakfast on the deck, while cruising to the small village of Ban Veuthong where you will board a small long-tail boat to Khone Island. After the visit, you will take a long tail boat back to the mainland for lunch.
After lunch, take a minivan to the splendor of the Khong Pha Peng waterfall, "the Niagara of the East", close to the Cambodian border. Then you'll drive for two hours to Pakse. You'll arrive in the afternoon and enjoy free time for the remainder of the day.
The sleeping beauty of Southeast Asia, the Republic of Laos has been isolated for decades and therefore tourism is still very much in its infancy here. Time seems to slow down in Laos, as even in the capital city, Vientiane, the pace of life is refreshingly unhurried. The government is instigating a green approach to its development, with the intention of keeping Laos' pristine ecological system as natural as possible. This makes Laos a dream destination for nature and wildlife lovers, who are seeking for the true meaning of getting away from it all.
Besides being a land where no one is in a hurry, Laos is also a land of Buddhist traditions where you will find saffron-robed teens peek curiously out from wats (temples). And while earning the title of being the world's most heavily bombed country hardly seems like a ringing endorsement, a visit to Luang Prabang's World Heritage temples soothes the soul. Explore Vientiane, the world's smallest capital, as it moves at the same serene pace as the Mekong river floating by its shores.
The best time to visit Laos is between November and March. During this time the country experiences the least amount of rainfall without becoming too hot.
Laos has two distinct seasons – wet and dry.
The dry season runs from November to April. November to February is cooler while March and April are blisteringly hot, with April being the hottest month.
The wet season runs from May to October, though it may start a little early in a couple of Laos' Northern provinces. August is the wettest month.
Visas can be obtained prior to arrival from Lao embassies and consulates abroad, through a tour company recognized by the Lao PDR, or on arrival at the international checkpoint.
Visas must be used within three months of being issued, but the validity of the visa starts from the day of entry into Laos. Tourist & business visas last for 30 days, and can be extended twice for 30 days each time, ideally through travel agencies.
The Lao criteria for visa photos are 5 cm high x 4 cm wide (but half a centimeter off within these sizes is acceptable), on a plain or light-colored background eg white or light cream. FYI, for those wishing to obtain a Lao passport, the passport photo criteria is the same as above, but the size is 6 cm high x 4 cm wide.
Notes: On entering Laos, ensure that you receive an entry stamp in your passport, as the fine for not having one is high.
Discover all the best-known destinations in Laos with your family in this educational and kid-friendly adventure.


Executive Mosaic is honored to announce Eric Fanning, president and CEO of the Aerospace Industries Association, as an inductee into the 2018 edition of Wash100 – Executive Mosaic's annual selection of the most influential voices in the government contracting arena – for advancing U.S. national security capabilities and his work in defense acquisition reform.
AIA announced his appointment in September 2017 and Fanning formally assumed the role in January. "The aerospace and defense industry represents more than 2.4 million proud workers, representing over 13 percent of the nation's manufacturing force from all 50 states, who passionately understand the gravity of their contribution to our economy and national security," he said in the release. The aerospace industry recorded $872 billion in 2016 sales.
In May 2017, Fanning was named to the board of advisers at the Center for a New American Security. Prior to AIA and CNAS, he served as secretary of the U.S. Army where he cited acquisition reform and efforts to address emerging threats as immediate priorities.
During his tenure, he established a "rapid capability office" to help advance military readiness in electronic and cyber warfare, survivability and position navigation timing, as well as give the service branch a technological edge over potential adversaries.
"The Army Rapid Capabilities Office is a major step forward, allowing us to prioritize cross-domain, integrated capabilities in order to confront emerging threats and advance America's military dominance," Fanning said in a statement.
Fanning has held several leadership roles at the Defense Department including: chief of staff for the defense secretary; acting secretary of the U.S. Air Force; and deputy chief management officer of the U.S. Navy.
The 25-year government veteran has also served as associate director of political affairs for the White House, as a staff member on the House Armed Services Committee and as senior vice president for strategic development with Business Executives for National Security.
Executive Mosaic congratulates Eric Fanning and the AIA team for their selection to receive this award.


Four 20-something women in New York try to figure out what they want - from life, from men, from themselves and each other.
As Season 5 begins, Hannah (Lena Dunham) has put her writing ambitions aside and is teaching alongside Fran (Jake Lacy), her new boyfriend. Marnie (Allison Williams) realizes that she needs more space after her honeymoon with Desi (Ebon Moss-Bachrach). While working towards becoming a therapist, Jessa (Jemima Kirke) also manages a budding relationship. And Shoshanna (Zosia Mamet) is thriving at her new job in Japan, flirting with her boss despite her long-distance relationship with Scott (Jason Ritter). Honest and uproarious, with unexpected surprise turns, the fifth season of Girls promises to maintain the series' place as one of the most talked-about shows on television.


text:
Spotlight On Israel Market Challenges Stunting Biopharma Growth
by Lucie Ellis
Topics: BioPharmaceutical |
Provided by Scrip: industry news and insights |
In its 70th anniversary year, Israel can rightly celebrate the boom in its high-tech sector over the last couple of decades. But while ICT companies lead the country's economy the Israeli government is set on promoting advancement in other high-tech fields, including biopharma – currently, a less developed industry.
Despite a wealth of promising research spilling from the country's universities and establishments like the Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel has three key hurdles to overcome to facilitate a biopharma ecosystem that can compete on a global scale: its big pharma void; limited access to experienced management teams; and restricted funding options for emerging businesses.
On a visit to Israel, Scrip discussed these challenges with local companies, investors and the head of the Israel Innovation Authority, Aharon Aharon, to get insight into how the country will continue to grow its biopharma industry.
Coaxing Big Pharma Into Israel
There is limited R&D activity by innovative big pharma companies in Israel and this presents a challenge for the whole sector as businesses seek to grow and foster new technologies and top level talent. While Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. has a huge presence in the country, the ailing pharma company has slipped from its top spot in the region's corporate economy. Teva's decline is having a ripple effect on the sector. In any case, as a predominantly generics business, the company does not fulfill the biopharma field's need for a strong big pharma R&D presence. (Also see "Schultz Swings The Cleaver At Teva, Cutting 25% Of The Workforce" - Scrip, 14 Dec, 2017.)
Aharon, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority – an organization founded in Israel around 45 years ago, that was previously known as the Office of the Chief Scientist of Israel's Ministry of Economy – recognized that the lack of global pharma companies in Israel was an issue that had impacted growth of the sector. However, he said good news was expected on this front soon. In 2018, Aharon hinted at negotiations with a top 20 pharma player to establish business in Israel, not just for R&D but including manufacturing. He added that this would likely not be mass manufacturing but facilities for prototype manufacturing – a big step forward for the pharma field in Israel.
Aharon also toldScripthe authority was keen to foster the entrepreneurial spirit held by Israel's ICT sector and replicate this in biopharma. The mission of the Innovation Authority is to create economic prosperity by encouraging and supporting innovation, and strengthening public-private partnerships designed to stimulate R&D in several sectors.
The industry already has a few leaders – more advanced companies with years of experience under their belts such as Compugen Ltd. and BioLineRx Ltd.– but younger businesses are emerging that could change the face of Israeli biopharma industry.
Human Capital Concerns
There are many biopharma startups in Israel, venture capital interest in the sector has grown substantially and surges of companies are coming from incubator initiatives and securing funding to get off the ground with new technologies.
However, while emerging companies make up a healthy sum of Israel's biopharma field, getting to the next level is proving a challenge for some. A weakness for the biopharma sector was being able to scale companies, Simone Botti, CEO of Metabomed, toldScrip. This is driven, in his opinion, by a lack of seasoned biopharma managers with the experience to take companies from preclinical and early-stage developments into large-scale, registrational studies.
Aharon concurred, noting that multinational companies were a good source of managers. "We have in Israel around 380 multinational companies that envelope several technology areas and there are companies in this 380 that belong to the life sciences but not many," he said.
How to attract these experienced biopharma managers to Israel is a "chicken and egg problem," Aharon noted. To draw in experienced management teams, there needs to be an established industry for them to be a part of. "Most of these managers are not are not looking to build something from scratch because they have already managed a few hundred people," Aharon highlighted. "But we are trying to solve this by bringing anchor companies to Israel," he said, nodding to the fact that the country still needs to entice pharmas to establish R&D units in Israel.
Botti, whose company Metabomed was founded in 2014 and is focused on targeted cancer therapy development, said more needed to be done to entice Israelis back home from where they have been working in management roles abroad.
Simone Botti, CEO of Metabomed
Botti highlighted that Metabomed, a preclinical stage company, had "very strong abilities when it comes to computational biology and metabolic research." He added that emerging businesses like Metabomed in Israel tend to invest a lot more "in the nuts and bolts of the company: we build bottom up and during discovery this is important."
The culture of work at Metabomed is "extremely flexible, open and built for delivering high quality science very fast," he said, noting that the company's team of around 10 employees was very efficient.
However, he said there comes a time for every company when it must focus on building its "top level" and this was where Israel trails behind other countries. "There is a lack of people at the highest levels of biotech management that can confidently package a company and market it at the same premium that you get from a company that was born and bred in Kendall Square [in Boston, Massachusetts]," Botti said.
One solution would be to generate incentives to bring back Israelis with management experience from larger companies, those who had already gone through the process of taking a drug from concept to product, Botti said. "You need people who have spent 20 years in pharma or who have founded numerous biotech startups. They know the ins and outs. There is a certain level of management experience that you cannot do without if you want to scale a company," he added.
This scarceness of senior talent in the biopharma sector in Israel had led to companies mainly being bought at the early stages of clinical development because they cannot scale, Botti said. "Boston is filled with talented Israeli and US managers who could come to Israel. There needs to be more openness in the Israeli government to encourage these types of people to work here with less bureaucracy."
Aharon said that in fact this was already happening; though he agreed more engagement here would bolster the biopharma sector for the future. He said that in the ICT sector, the same thing happened: as the industry grew, experienced managers came back to Israel to manage companies nationally. He cited himself as an example, "I grew up at IBM Research as manager in the US, but when Apple was looking for someone for Israel they looked for a seasoned manager who could make things happen." Aharon took on the role as CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority in 2017, but previously he was chief executive of Apple's Israeli activities.
Access To Cash
Israel's private capital market has a growing interest in biopharma and the life sciences, with a handful of VC firms now dedicated to the space including Orbimed Israel Partners, Pontifax Venture Capital, Arkin Holdings, Israel Biotech Fund and aMoon. However, access to cash is still more limited than it is in other countries, such as the US and Europe, where life sciences VCs are a dime a dozen in comparison.
To complement VC backing, the Innovation Authority runs an incubator program that covers various sectors, with 19 incubators currently active. In biotech, FutuRx holds the Innovation Authority's tender, working as a biotech accelerator. FutuRx is a collaboration between the Innovation Authority, Johnson & Johnson Innovation, Takeda Ventures Inc. and OrbiMed Israel Partners. FutuRx envisions its role as a catalyst for drug development, bridging the gap between concept and proof-of-concept.
FutuRx's recently appointed CEO Esther Lukasiewicz-Hagai toldScripthat, in addition to the strong support of the Innovation Authority, having partners like J&J, Takeda and Orbimed involved in the accelerator opens more doors to attract the best science. Companies in the incubator are based on technology licensed from leading Israeli or international academic institutions. Lukasiewicz-Hagai mentioned that some of the current companies are based on discovery from prestigious US institutes such as John Hopkins University or Stanford University.
Esther Lukasiewicz-Hagai, CEO of FutuRx
"We allow translational research and projects to start their journey and give them the opportunity to reach, during their lifetime in the incubator, an inflection point that will allow them to raise additional funding in a series A round. Usually, these are projects at the risky stage, and too early for VCs. We mature projects that will then be of interest to the likes of Orbimed or pharma companies," Lukasiewicz-Hagai said.
Companies at FutuRx usually stay in the incubator for up to three years, and 11 companies have been accepted into the incubator since it was established in 2014. The companies receive $2.3m, which is all for R&D purposes. They are based within FutuRx's own facility with office space and lab benches. They also benefit from the guidance and mentorship of the multinational partners of the incubator. The majority of funding for FutuRx companies comes from the Innovation Authority (85%) with the rest coming from the partner companies. Companies can also receive an additional $0.5m during their incubation period from the dedicated RMGP Bio-Pharma Investment Fund.
FutuRx is running on an eight-year tenure from the Innovation Authority; it expects to accept the last company into the incubator at the end of 2021. In 2018 alone, the incubator is aiming to accept seven new companies. The hope is that at the end of the three-year accelerator program the startups are in a better position to compete for cash.
One caveat for Israeli companies involved is that accelerator businesses are expected to keep their operations, or at least their R&D facilities, in Israel.
"This is the objective we have, to build biotech companies here to promote innovation in Israel," Lukasiewicz-Hagai said. She added, "All efforts are done to ensure the companies, or at least their R&D, will be able to stay in Israel if they succeed." If accelerator companies do eventually leave Israel there is a fee to be paid back to the Innovation Authority.
"We want to enable those new startups to grow in Israel," Ora Dar, former head of the life sciences sector at the Innovation Authority, added. "If they prove to be successful they should have the path to move forward in Israel."
Aharon highlighted the importance to the sector of innovation remaining in the country. For example, he noted that Kite Pharma Inc. was built on technology from Israel – but the success of this business has had little impact on its home region.
"Kite is a wonderful company, but while the IP is based on research from the Weizmann Institute the benefit to Israel of that company's success was almost zero because it was founded in the US. I would like to see a Kite Pharma here in Israel," Aharon said.
Kite Pharma, a developer of personalized CAR T-cell therapies, was acquired by Gilead Sciences Inc. in 2017 for around $12bn. (Also see "What's Gilead Getting From Kite For Nearly $12bn?" - Scrip, 29 Aug, 2017.)
Aharon Aharon will be delivering a keynote talk at the upcoming MIXiii-Biomed conference, to be held in Tel Aviv, May 15-17, 2018.
Scrip: industry news and insights
J.P. Morgan Conference Updates
By Mandy Jackson
Updates and coverage of the 2020 J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco.
Topics Business Strategies Deal trends Reimbursement
Datamonitor Healthcare: data analysis and insight, Biomedtra...
RNA Targeting Poised To Share The Spotlight With Gene Therapy
By Daniel Chancellor
As the biopharma industry concludes its annual pilgrimage to San Francisco for the JP Morgan investor conference, much of the talk around town inevitably was about gene therapies.
Topics Cell and gene therapy
O'Day Lays Out Plan For Gilead's Continued HIV Dominance
By Joseph Haas
Biktarvy's powerful sales growth and the potential of a first-in-class capsid inhibitor in both prevention and heavily treatment-experienced patients are key to Gilead's plan for staying on top in HIV.
Topics Business Strategies Infectious Diseases
Trialtrove: gold standard clinical trials intelligence
Trialtrove is the go-to resource for clinical trial research. Easily track your competitors' clinical R&D activity with expert insights and continually monitored trials.
Medtrack: full healthcare business coverage
From discovery to patent expiry, and coverage spanning both ethical and generic drugs, Medtrack has you covered. Stay current on key financing, drug and biologics development and drug manufacturing information, all with a single tool.
ProductsScrip


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I know I haven't posted in over a week...I had no choice but to take time-out to work on tax preparation!
I decided to make a different sympathy card for a swap I had joined, than the one I had originally posted about (a smaller version of the recent inspirational card I made using the Light Unto My Path stamp set).
Sympathy cards are the one type of card that is best to have on-hand, so when you need one, you don't have to worry about being creative on short notice....creativity doesn't come easy at such times, for me, so I decided I need to spend some time making more of them.
The color of this photo isn't coming up quite accurate-it's more teal than blue, but if you are familiar with Stampin' Up!'s IN COLORS Soft Sky and Blue Bayou, you will know the difference.
This card is not difficult to make, but it if you have to make a bunch at one time, it rates as moderate on the time scale. (the bow-making can slow you down if this is something you struggle with).
I chose the striped Soft Sky Designer Series Paper and the Blue Bayou Double-stitched Ribbon complements the striped pattern nicely.
a straight piece of ribbon vertically along the left side of the D.S. paper. I cut it longer than the paper and wrapped the ends behind the paper. Then I made a bow with another piece of ribbon and attached this to the center of the ribbon with a mini glue dot.
Next, I used the Crop-o-Dile to attach the white eyelets. This tool makes eyelet setting a breeze to do, plus it's QUIET! The Crop-o-Dile also works great on ribbon, as well as paper!
(variations of one color for entire card), I used Blue Bayou ink and paper, and Soft Sky papers, which coordinate. The saying stands out more when stamped with black ink. Part of the saying is stamped on the front of the card, the rest of the saying is stamped on the inside! This is one way of using a saying stamp in a different way if you don't have an appropriate saying such as "With Sympathy".
The words come from a 4-line stamp in the God's Blessing set. I used the "omitting technique". To do this technique, select the words you want from a larger saying. Color only these words with the brush tip of a black Stampin' Write marker held sideways. Stamp. Using the Stampin' Mist cleaner & Stampin' Scrub pad, thoroughly clean the ink from the stamp, then color the next set of words with the marker. If you get interrupted during this process, you don't have to color words all over again-simply breathe on the stamp to moisten the ink, then you'll be able to get a nice inked image. For a full strength inked image, you will have to repeat the coloring process each time you want to stamp the image.
HOST A WORKSHOP-UNTIL April 30, earn an EXTRA $25 in product!
If you have never stamped before and would like to learn more about it, consider hosting a workshop-where you will earn hostess benefits which include free stamps and products and hostess-only sets, while I teach you and your friends the decorative art of rubber stamping! It's a fun night for you and your friends! To learn more about being a hostess, visit my Stampin' Up! website.
To learn various stamping techniques, I sometimes host Technique Classes at my in-home stamp studio in Sussex County, NJ. To learn more about classes and events I offer, sign-up and join my mailing list (see link on upper left sidebar under my photo), or visit my calendar on my Stampin' Up! website.
To view the products used in this card, check out the on-line Stampin' Up! Spring-Summer Collection 2008 or the Occasions Mini Collection catalogs.
Today, April 7th is our 34th wedding anniversary! I created this card months ago, with this anniversary in mind...I love the Baroq Motifs stamp set and will really miss Soft Sky and Blue Bayou IN COLORS used in this card, after the Spring/Summer 2008 Collection ends.
We don't go out to eat often...so before I tell you about what we did tonight, I have a funny story this reminds me of. Maybe about a month ago, my daughter (15), husband and I decided on a nice Sunday afternoon we wanted to go out to dinner. Our son was "on duty" as he is a volunteer for the local Hardyston Township EMS Squad, so he was not included in the "vote". We were trying to decide where we wanted to go, and my daughter and I were naming places like Red Lobster, Outback, Applebee's etc. and my husband wanted to go to the newest restaurant that recently opened in Franklin, since he hasn't been there yet...The Irish Cottage. However, that was "old hat" to us-we had already been there several times...so to settle the dispute, I suggested we put all the names in a basket and Tom could pick one-we all agreed we would go with the restaurant chosen.
My daughter (15) started writing the names of restaurants mentioned on pieces of paper...Applebee's, Red Lobster, Outback, then kept going...Outback, Outback, Outback and looking at me for approval, she started crumbling up anything but Outback! Normally, I would have said oh no-that's not fair...but I got in the spirit of my daughter's harmless joke and gave in. Sometimes, families just gotta have fun... my husband usually picks the restaurant (and he always expects us to agree with him) so my daughter thought of this fun idea to get him back! We let him "pick" the restaurant and bet you can't guess what he picked? OUTBACK...what a surprise! ha ha! I agreed not to say anything until AFTER we ate, so after our meal, my daughter innocently said to her father-"so Dad, did you enjoy your meal?" To which he responded "yes, it was very good". Then she looked at me for that "is it ok to tell him now, Mom?" signal, and I nodded yes, with a smile.
Well-I wish I had my camera so I could have taken a picture of the look on my husband's face when my daughter told him how he had been "swindled"! Thank goodness he has a good sense of humor- he just laughed and shook his head while saying "I can't believe it-outwitted by the women!"
My husband came home with flowers today and a "hand bought" card which was really lovely (after 18 years of getting hand-stamped cards from me, I still can't get him to make his own!) He announced "We are were going out for dinner!" WOOHOO! I've been cooped up for days, working on dull income tax preparation...so this was MUSIC to my ears!
CHOCOLATE DIPPED STRAWBERRIES-ON A CARD?
One thing I love about getting together with stamping friends, is we always share our thoughts and ideas...and sometimes someone comes up with a great spin-off of an idea already expressed! This is what happened when I attended myStampin' Up! upline Tina's meeting in March.
It's hard to tell from this photo that I brushed Crystal Effects over the strawberry...but, nevertheless, Kathryn Roberts, one of my stamping friends said it would be cool to make it chocolate-dipped! Well, we got excited at that and then I added,-or white chocolate! She liked that idea, too! I couldn't wait to get home and try it!
How did I do this? It's really quite simple; I mixed several drops of Stampin' Up's Crystal Effects with one drop of Chocolate Chip Ink Refill...then painted it onto the bottom of the stamped strawberry! Then let it dry...and voila! Cool, isn't it?
I LOVE it! It's so much fun to play around with products and make such simple little changes, but get a totally new look!
This was done again, by mixing Crystal Effects, White Craft Ink refill, and just a touch of Creamy Caramel ink refill. I simply painted it on the bottom of the strawberry, over the Crystal Effects, after it dried.
I'd LOVE to see your creations using this idea! Please leave me your comments or e-mail me them to me-or if you post them to your site, I'd love to see them! Please track-back to this site if you post your creations using this idea!
I LOVE anything Nautical and beachy or tropical-so much so, that it's also the theme I chose for my Stampin' Up! group of demonstrators in my downline called the S.O.S. Team (S.aving O.verwhelmed S.tampers).
To me, the lighthouse is a symbol of watchfulness, protectiveness, looking after, a guiding light...a reminder that I am here, to my stamping friends, when they need me, so I use symbols like this with my team. I wanted the recipient of this card to feel that he/she is being watched over and looked after by God, and remembered by those of us who are thinking of him/her during this time of affliction-whenever he/she looks at the card.
There are only 2 stamps in the set: a lighthouse, and a sentiment which reads "Thy WORD is a LAMP unto my FEET, and a LIGHT unto my PATH. -NB. I embossed this saying.
I also used the "Thinking of You" saying from the set Sincere Salutations and stamped it in Blue Bayou for this card, but this card can easily be converted into many other themes: birthday, Sympathy, etc.
Unfortunately, I am in need of a sympathy card right now so I will be using this card again for that purpose. I also have a Sympathy Swap I've signed up for and this card will be perfect! I will scale it down in size for the swap, to a 5 1/2 x 4 1/4, so I will have to change it a bit, but this card works as either a masculine or feminine card.
I really like the new Afternoon Tea Designer Series Papers which is available in our new Occasions Mini Collection 2008... have you seen all the cool STAMPS, PAPERS, and ACCESSORIES in this mini catalog yet? Check it out, because this mini catalog is only good thru May 2008! To order from our main catalog or the mini catalog, please e-mail me.
I want to do more with this set...after my taxes are done, I'll be able to "play" with this set and do some more stamping and creating again! I have another card to share that I made for a swap this month for two meetings-one I attended at my upline's, and our own team meeting. I'll be back soon with that one-you will love it! Here's a hint: it has to do with strawberries.....yum! Can you guess which set I will be using?


Reddit user rjohnstone13 shared the family dog contract that he demanded be signed before allowing his kids to have a pooch.
The entertaining rules include dad never having to pick up dog poop, dad having veto power over the dog's name and the dog never being referred to as a child, sibling or family member.
He also wrote: "The dog does not slobber or have a runny nose. All parties agree that those kind of dogs are gross."
His children also had to agree the dog wouldn't be included on the family Christmas card and that they wouldn't get bored with it.
The father said after they had agreed to all the rules and signed the agreement, the family did get a dog.
They rescued a fluffy three-year-old pup called Kershaw from a shelter who he admits is a "fantastic addition to (though not member of) our family."


Fairway has a thing for art games. Today he picks up master game artist, Reiner Knizia's, Masters Gallery and released by Eagle Gryphon Games. Find out if Fairway is as good a gallery manager as he is a paint-by-cube artist.
Fairway's a lawyer, not a mechanical engineer. But this week, he takes on the machine-building, worker-placement game, Steam Works, by Tasty Minstrel Games and manages not to make any machines explode.


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Fallout 4 DLC Release Timeline
Bethesda's not stopping with the initial Fallout 4 release. No, the company will be adding to the game with Downloadable Content (DLC).
The company confirmed plans to release Fallout 4 DLC starting early next year. We're still not sure what's coming to Fallout 4 but you can expect new quests, locations, items, characters, and more.
If you're confident that you'll want all of the DLC, you can purchase a $30 Season Pass that will net you all of the DLC Bethesda releases for the game. The company says that it will be worth at least $40, maybe more. Keep an eye out for deals on the Season Pass.


Maya's combination of fundraising smarts, campaign experience and her deep commitment to environmental justice make her a valuable new leader at TEA who will help us work with our supporters to continue building a greener city for all.
Maya joined the team after Justin Conley, our longtime Development Director, said farewell to TEA and Toronto. After almost 7 years of helping TEA raise the money we need to build a greener Toronto for all, Justin Conley bid us farewell to move on to a new challenge. Thank you and best wishes Justin and welcome Maya!
Justin started as TEA's Canvass Manager in June 2010. He led the development of an amazing team of people who knock on over 80,000 doors every year and inspire Torontonians to join together, through TEA, to build a greener Toronto for all. In 2012, Justin became the Development Director and took the lead in designing and building a stronger financial base for TEA, increasing our donor base every year. As a result, TEA is a stronger and more resilient organization.
Thanks to Justin's efforts, the rest of the staff team could spend more time advocating for green policies at City Hall and Queen's Park. But all good things must come to an end. In early March, Justin moved on to another challenge that requires his skills and commitments.
So, thank you Justin for your hard work, for your dedication and for being such a great member of the TEA Team.
And welcome Maya! We are excited about getting to know you and working with you to build a greener city for all!


We all know the saying "A picture is worth 1,000 words." But why can't they be worth even more?
10,000 Words Photography strives to bring you photos that are worth 10,000 words, or even better, simply leave you speechless.
10,000 Words Photography is located in Savoy, IL, and serves Champaign, Urbana, and surrounding communities.
It offers services in wedding, engagement, and senior photography.
For more information, email 10000wordsphotography@gmail.com.


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Tidal now offers kid-friendly playlists
Evan Selleck on March 25, 2020
If you happen to be a subscriber to the music streaming service Tidal, and have kids stuck at home, then there might be some new playlists worth checking out.
Announced today, Tidal is lifting the curtain on more than half a dozen playlists that are built for a kid-friendly environment. The announcement says that the new playlists can "help make homeschooling engaging and fun". There are plenty to choose from, with hit songs from films, as well as singers that found stardom through Disney Channel shows. And yes, there's even a station that plays only "Kidz Bop" versions of songs.
I'll break it down in a bullet list with links just below.
Disney Pixar Hits: All your favorite Disney Pixar songs from Toy Story, Coco, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Up, Ratatouille and more in one playlist.
Rockabye Baby! Essentials: Since 2006, Rockabye Baby Records has been transforming popular music into instrumental lullabies for parents who want to get their offspring primed with the classics as soon as possible. Although geared toward newborns and infants, these innocent renditions of rock and pop favorites are decidedly enjoyable to listen to for all ages – from Bowie and the Beatles, to Radiohead and Nirvana, to Jay Z and Eminem. Here's a long list of hits from Rockabye's massive and growing catalog.
Disney Pop Stars: This playlist consists of great songs by singers that have played important roles in successful Disney Channel shows (Jonas, So Random, Lizzie McGuire) or Disney movies (Frozen, High School Musical, Teen Beach). We've also included some of the biggest stars of modern pop music that got their start participating in the classic Disney variety show The Mickey Mouse Club.
Reggae for Kids: A collection of well-loved reggae tracks perfect for skankers of all ages. No overt political statements, no ganja references, no trippy dub bass – just fun, optimistic tunes with catchy melodies and good messages.
Canciones de TV Para Niños: Unlike the calm and collected Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, the Spanish-language children's shows (El Show de Xuxa) popularized in the '80s and '90s were chockfull of flashy costumes, hip-shaking dance numbers, and songs that were as catchy as they were educational.
For Kids of all Ages: Teach your children well; sing along, dance and discover the classics with this playlist of songs kids of all ages should know and learn.
Kidz Bop Essentials: Since 2001, Kidz Bop compilation albums have served to soundtrack the childhood of many a youngster. Primarily featuring the day's most popular hits, the music on each and every compilation is performed by and for kids in what has proved a successful formula for years. Check out the some of the best work that franchise has offered thus far.
The new kid-friendly playlists are available to start streaming right now on Tidal. And if you aren't already a subscriber but want to try it out, you can get four months for just $4 for a limited time. Click this link if you want to try it out.
With so many schools all across the globe shut down for extended periods of time due to the global coronavirus pandemic, launching a variety of playlists like this definitely makes sense. It will be interesting to see if Apple Music or Spotify follow suit.
Tesla is working on adding support for Apple Music
Tidal launches Dolby Atmos Music support for soundbars, TVs, and speakers
How to transfer your playlists between different music services with TuneMyMusic


That's your automatic reply isn't it? But if you think about it, is everything good, all of the time?
There are times when you just don't want to show things aren't perfect. There are times when you might not even want to acknowledge that yourself.
So you answer, "Fine, thank you".
This campaign is for you. We want you to know you are not alone.
"I didn't see that coming. I knew something wasn't right, but I just didn't know what it was. My own prejudices flew to the surface. I don't want this thing! I don't want to worry about medication or mood swings."
Silvia is not alone. Not in Uganda. Not in the world.
300 million people suffer from depression worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). In Uganda, a research study showed that as many as up to one in six inhabitants in two districts, Adjumani and Bugiri, showed signs of depression. That's every sixth person around you.
And it is a growing problem. By 2020, WHO predicts that depression will be the second leading cause of world disability and by 2030, it is expected to be the largest contributor to disease burden in the world.
What's even more troubling is that individuals from the lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) community are TWICE as likely to suffer from major depression as compared to the general population.
If you have felt something similar to Silvia, rest assured: you are not alone.
"I was 25 when I was first diagnosed with depression. Then, to my shock, I found that my best friend was telling my LGBT friends to stay away from me. He even told my boyfriend to stay away. Maybe he thought they were going to catch it from me or that my depression would make me go on a crazy rampage. This was my first encounter with the stigma attached to mental illness."
"The reason I use drugs is basically depression. That, and stress and financial constraints. When I take drugs, it's a pleasurable feeling."
Depression is not the only common issue. There is also violence. There is violence from strangers. But there is also violence from the ones you love the most. Violence from your intimate partner can be even more hurtful, physically and psychologically. You're left without a sense of security, even at home.
The Global Database of Violence Against Women shows that 51% of Ugandan women have experienced violence from their intimate partner during their lifetime whereas 35% have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) in the last year. Those numbers are higher than in both Tanzania (39% lifetime, 26% last 12 months) and Kenya (42% lifetime, 30% last 12 months).
Many LGBT individuals have experienced psychological and physical abuse as sexual minorities, making it difficult for them to seek help for IPV. As sexual minorities experiencing IPV, LGBT individuals are at higher risk of depression and substance abuse than are non-LGBT individuals.
Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and Icebreakers Uganda have come together to provide information and counselling for the LGBT community across Uganda.
We are aiming to bring light to the growing burden of mental illness in Uganda and to do away with the stigma that prevents ourselves or our loved ones from seeking the care that we need and deserve.
Remember, you are not alone. We are here for you.
Remember, no one is invisible.
This is a campaign by Sexual Minorities Uganda (SMUG) and Ice Breakers Uganda (IBU).
It was supported by DATA4CHAN.GE and Voice Global.


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Topic WAN
SLAs, not infrastructure management, critical to WAN application delivery
Wide area network (WAN) engineers who focus on infrastructure are missing the big picture, analysts warn. Everything should be framed in terms of applications, not routers. WAN professionals need to know how to develop and deliver on internal service-level agreements (SLAs) for critical applications. Everything else is just gravy.
The good news in this paradigm shift is that not all applications are created equal, even if end users think otherwise.
"A good-sized organization has hundreds of applications," said Jim Metzler, vice president of Ashton, Metzler & Associates. "There's only five, eight, maybe 12 that companies absolutely need."
Identify that handful of applications and ensure that they are in top shape while delivering reasonable service on the rest, Metzler advised, and IT departments will see happier users and will align more closely to business objectives. That latter factor becomes critical when budget season arrives. The WAN team will be able to demonstrate the value it creates and not just the dollars it consumes.
Identifying critical WAN applications
Identifying critical WAN applications is key, and these can come in all shapes and sizes: point-of-sale terminals that use only tiny amounts of data, electronic trading platforms that are not only high-bandwidth but also super latency-sensitive, and software as a service all might demand continuous uptime for a business to succeed, but few businesses have exactly the same needs.
Unfortunately, asking various user groups what is critical may or may not be the best way of figuring out which applications are most important.
In a recent study Metzler conducted on behalf of NetQoS, a network performance monitoring vendor, 41% of respondents said that they queried business managers about critical applications.
"You're damned if you do and damned if you don't," Metzler said. All too often, he warned, when asked about "critical" applications, business managers tag every application they have.
The upside is that getting business manager input can show IT alignment with corporate objectives, so he recommends seeking out the input but taking it with a large grain of salt.
Metzler suggested that a more accurate monitor is listening to user complaints.
"See what you get beaten up for not working," he said. Help-desk tickets can be one indicator, but so can the verbal thrashings that come in over the course of time as applications invariably fail at one point or another.
Another method is to look at network traffic, at least to identify the applications that are out there.
Such a view can often result in surprising insights because business managers sometimes do not even know that a critical app they rely on exists until it goes down.
"It seems every time we talk to a customer and give them full visibility, they're really surprised about what's out there," said Patrick Ancipink, director of product marketing for NetQoS.
Ancipink recounted how the Navy, for example, once contracted an outside vendor to manage 1,000 applications on its network, only to discover that it was running 10,000 applications.
Regardless of the total number, however, Metzler said it is critical to narrow that range down to the absolutely necessary ones and focus on them.
"Culturally, it's difficult for IT organizations to do that," he admitted. "They say, 'Jim, in our organization, everything's the highest priority,' but that also means everything's the lowest priority."
Create a secret WAN app SLA
Ultimately, the goal of identifying critical applications should be to create and maintain an SLA with business units to show, in indisputable terms, where the IT investment is going. Jumping right into that can be a risky proposition, however.
"Over-promising and then coming up with an SLA you can't meet because it's too complex to do isn't good for anyone's career or the reputation of the IT organization," Metzler warned.
Instead, a secret SLA might be the way to go, at least as WAN managers test what their groups are capable of delivering reliably.
"I often advise IT shops to identify one or two business-critical applications, develop an SLA with it, and don't tell anyone," he said.
Moving past IT silos
Ultimately, the move to a more SLA-centric WAN future is a step toward breaking down IT silos, Metzler said.
The networking teams, applications teams, disaster recovery (DR) teams and more will all work in concert, he predicts.
"The network becomes a means to an end and not the end in itself," Metzler said. "Now, my goal might be the uptime of the WAN. As long as I've met the uptime of the WAN, great. In the new world, I have the uptime of the WAN plus the performance of 50 or 60 applications."
Thoughts on this story? Suggestions for story ideas? Contact article author Michael Morisy via e-mail or follow him on Twitter.
Network - Software Defined Solutions and Services –Apcela
Dig Deeper on WAN technologies and services
'Best-of-breed' SD-WAN option supersedes big boxes, expert says
Dell EMC code contributions restructure OpenSwitch architecture
Are you getting what you're paying for with your WAN SLA performance?
Virtual WAN optimization tools: Is speed really a factor?
Looking Ahead: Enterprise Cloud Trends for 2020 –IBM
Secret WAN optimisation plans improve network ... – SearchCIO.com.au
The link between network management and application ... – SearchNetworking
Expand Networks acquires software-based WAN ... – SearchNetworking


This easy hummingbird food recipe attracts lots of birds. Follow these simple steps using a clean feeder and a mixture of water and cane sugar in a ratio of 4:1. The recipe below makes 2 cups. Double if you want more nectar. Half if you want less nectar.
Pro Tip: The hummingbird food recipe ratio is 4:1.
Hummingbirds are not native to Hawaii. This bird nectar recipe can be used for some nectar-eating bird species in Hawaii. However, it is best to use this recipe in places like Vermont, Maine, Idaho, Montana, or California, where there are a lot of hummingbirds.
Glass, plastic, and metal are common types of hummingbird food feeders. In my experience, First Nature 3055 32-ounce Hummingbird Feeder ">plastic hummingbird feeders are harder to clean, but are cheaper and less likely to break if they drop. Metal feeders are less common because they tend to rust.


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'Serial' Tells Bowe Bergdahl's Story in His Own Words
Uncategorized December 10, 2015 War Is Boring 0
On a summer night in 2009, U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Bowe Bergdahl wandered off his base and into the Afghan wilderness. The Taliban...
On a summer night in 2009, U.S. Army Pvt. 1st Class Bowe Bergdahl wandered off his base and into the Afghan wilderness. The Taliban captured the soldier and held him for five years before negotiating his release in exchange for five Guantanamo detainees.
When he came home, initial celebration in the media gave way to speculation and punditry. Why did Bergdahl flee? Was he a coward and a deserter? Had he contacted the Taliban before fleeing his outpost? Would the Pentagon court martial him? Was one American private worth five Taliban soldiers?
While the media and public mulled these questions, the person who could give them some of those answers remained silent. Bergdahl did not talk to the media and his motivations stayed in the realm of speculation.
Until now. The popular podcast Serial just released the first episode of its second season. It's all about Bergdahl … and much of it in his own words. On the same day Serial released this episode, the House Armed Services Committee published its 108 page investigation into the prisoner exchange that freed Bergdahl.
"The transfer of the Taliban Five violated several laws, including the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014," the House investigation stated in its first finding.
It seems that the world will finally get some answers to one of the most persistent and bizarre mysteries of America's war in Afghanistan. But it probably won't be the answers anyone expected.
Bergdahl hasn't spoken to the media, but he has talked with a screenwriter. Mark Boal — who wrote Zero Dark Thirty and The Hurt Locker — has recorded more than 25 hours of conversation with the wayward soldier. Those conversations are the basis for this season of Serial.
But Serial isn't interested in just Bergdahl. Host Sarah Koenig and her team investigated the young Army private and spoke with his fellow soldiers … and the Taliban. "What I was seeing, from my first unit all the way up into Afghanistan … was … leadership failure to the point that the lives of the guys standing next to me were literally … in danger," Bergdahl tells Boal.
Bergdahl figured no one would listen to the complaints of a lowly private. But if went missing it would trigger a DUSTWUN — -the Army's abbreviation for "duty status — whereabouts unknown." That signal would send ripples through the chain of command.
https://medium.com/media/6c11c02ed9ca997bb53f60464cb6eafd/href
"A man disappears from a [traffic control point] and a few days later, after DUSTWUN is called up, he reappears at a [forward operating base]?" He explains. "Suddenly, because of the DUSTWUN, everybody is alerted. The CIA is alerted. Marines are alerted. Air Force is alerted. Navy is alerted. It's not just the Army."
With all that attention on him, Bergdahl figured someone might listen to his complaints about the U.S. military's command. Instead, the Taliban grabbed him.
"This one idiosyncratic guy makes a radical decision at the age of 23 — to walk away into Afghanistan," Koenig says at the top of the show. "And the consequences of that decision, they spin out wider and wider … to get the full picture, you need to go very small. Into one person's life. And also very very big into the war in Afghanistan."
Serial isn't known for offering easy answers. The show's investigation into the 1999 murder of Hae Min Lee came to few conclusions, but riveted listeners with its explorations of every facet of a case some thought long solved.
Many of us have already drawn our own conclusions about the wayward soldier, and Serial probably won't change any minds. But it lets Bergdahl air his version of events, as odd and unsatisfactory as they may seem. Maybe, just maybe, we'll learn something about the war in Afghanistan in the process.


Rainbows are beautiful– AND delicious! If you have spent any amount of time looking up kids recipes online, I am sure that you have been inundated with images of stunning, bright and bold treats. Rainbow cupcakes, cookies, cheesecakes, ice cream sundaes… the list goes on (and on). If you made every rainbow recipe that you found on the web, you children would probably turn into a pile of sugar. My pet unicorn, Sprinkles is pretty much the only one I know that can eat that much sugar and benefit from it. Luckily, nature is also full of rainbows and healthier alternatives for your kiddos (and you!) so you can munch colorfully without feeling guilty. Here are a few of my favorite ways to fill up on rainbows– check em' out!
Hey! It's Sprinkles (Nickey's pet unicorn).
Oh, Valentine's Day. I know that for some people it is a bit depressing at times (I have been there– there aren't very many unicorns in Colorado)… but I am not gonna lie… I love it when the aisles fill up with a thousand shades of pink and hearts. It's so pretty! One of our Valentine's traditions is to make extra chocolatey hot chocolates and topping them with some beautiful and super yummy whipped hearts. They are perfect if you are having a Valentine's Day or "Gal-entines Day" party!
Here is a fun way to use up those Peeps that will inevitably make it into your children's Easter baskets and backpacks this spring. It's just like making a regular s'more… except it has a pinch of rainbow melted in the middle. Sweet and simple.
St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner. Time to start looking for something green to wear so you don't get pinched, right? While my pet unicorn and I do wear green on St. Paddy's day, we have a little more fun than that. You see, as I have mentioned in previous posts, The Cotton Candy Kingdom (where my pet unicorn is from), is a huge vacation spot for all mythical creatures and holiday icons. That being said, over the years we have developed a pretty good relationship with the St. Paddy's Day Leprechaun and his whole family. While he isn't able to visit every single home individually like Santa (he doesn't have a magical sleigh and reindeer), he does make a pit stop at our house every year… and boy is it fun! I have put together a list of our St. Patrick's traditions that we have with the Leprechaun and step by step ways for you too to create a little Irish magic in your home.


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This is a simple website showcasing information about me!

https://truecounterfeit.github.io/About-Me/

User Stories
7/16/17

About-Me replicate DS Website format

Sections

Home Page
About Me
Portfolio
Top Ten
Contact Me
 - Submits button event listener click with mail to: function, uses inputs to send me an email
 - Contact Form in JS, on the footer of each page

 turn Navigation Bar into Hamburger nav

use Flex styling

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


BEST SHORT STORY ENTRY, 2018!
"Skeletons in the Closet" is a thirty-one-page story (7139 words) of a good family man's encounter with at least two "skeletons in his closet": an ex-girlfriend and her son have come home to roost.
"Hi, Dad!" was all he said as he looked me in the eye.
his blue eyes piercing right through me.
"I'm sorry?" was all I could manage to respond.
in an "I live here; who are you?" type of way.
time. Then I stepped aside.
He stepped into my apartment and looked around.
around here. Nice gated community," he rambled.
"I used to know an Isabelle," I repeated stupidly.
"Anything happen to her?" I blurted out.
needed to find parts or a complete engine.
the border in Upstate New York.
light turned red, I jumped out of the truck.
I could have been wrong. After all, it was May, but the weather was brisk.
or steak, potatoes and peas).
me she knew people in California, too.
didn't so we walked around for a while until we found a hotel.
talking to the Saab guy about my engine.
I paid off the cabbie and knocked on the mobile home door.
although we were both careful to wipe off the top of the cans first.
engine overhaul and assorted work.
because I liked her but I didn't because I was afraid of the consequences.
glaring at me, but I returned to the past.
what the future might bring?" said my alleged and most perspicacious son.
it was from me. She wanted me to go to Toronto to see her.
(because I had moved) so she must have called 'Directory Assistance'.
called her back the next day.
facts, so I carried on.
She peered at the newcomer.
too happy to see my daughter, his half-sister.
"Why don't you get changed and snack at the cafeteria?" I ventured.
My son continued to stare at me.
"And you, what do you do all day?" he asked me impertinently.
milk? There was none for the morning. What about Josh's breakfast?
father-son bonding that might develop, or was this all in my brain?
My mind was racing as we walked down the steps to the car outside.
the five-mile-an-hour driveway and out the gate.
immediately and went back to the car.
what she was trying to do.
instinct of a mother protecting her home from outsiders.
had been taught to do in school.
started shaking and slammed down the pan.
"What is going on!" she exclaimed, turning to face both men.
"I'll tell you, but it'll take awhile," I murmured.
to the electric toy motorcycle he drove all over the apartment.
"Look at me! Look at me now!" he kept yelling, quoting from Dr.
this strange thirty-year-old man was staying over for dinner.
'Dad'?" She looked scornfully at Brian.
Joshua sleeps in your marital bed, then there won't be any problem for me!
his head remained perfectly still.
"And who is this 'Mommy' you keep talking about?!! Where is she?!
with rage and Brian with bemusement.
had been on for a while on low volume.
"What's wrong, Mommy?" Joshua wailed, beginning to tear.
bedroom. I stood in front of her and held her firm.
of the table and looked at the two of them.
me for a long time. Then we both looked at Brian.
and ready to be aggressive. I was both happy and sad to see her.
now it was a shiny bottle job, dazzling to the eyes but unsettling to the spirit.
a superficial nod and then turned back to me.
"You still look good, Mike, after all these years".
and then went to my fourteen-year-old.
"You didn't have to crush it," my ex-girlfriend said.
quickly, staring her right in the eye and not moving away.
head on this one, so she quickly left the room and went back to her bedroom.
the bed, and then slammed the door and locked herself inside.
"Well, well, you married someone with a temper!" Sylvia purred.
"He looks a lot like you too, Isabelle. That was thirty years ago!
"Work for it!" she hissed.
created a mess like this?
inherited a few years back, your kids' schools, their interests, their activities.
"Exactly. Revenge!" Sylvia confirmed, her voice mounting in tone.
beauty—in her own room. She wouldn't have to change rooms, poor girl!
had too much to drink. She was falling asleep through the emotion of it all.
fought against this falling feeling and shook myself awake.
me awake. I was surprised to find myself in pajamas.
back to sleeping," I blathered.


Lahan, Sept. 3: Voters in Siraha are looking forward to exercise their franchise in the September 18 local level election in favour of those candidates who are pro-development, social workers and understand their hardship.
The voters are making up their mind as aspirants and possible candidates area reaching to the people's door steps seeking their vote. Leaders of the NC, CPN-UML, CPN-MC, RJP and Federal Socialist Forum Nepal are adopting various ways to convince voters to vote for them.
Tea shops, rest places, paan shops and chowks of the district have now become popular locations for election talks and debates. Many are expressing their support in favour of those who can bring development including health and education and those who have contributed to the society.
They are looking forward to choose those who have remained active in politics and made contribution to the society, rather than those who have become candidates for petty personal interests.
Voters of Siraha, who are longed for peace and development after suffering from to armed conflict and other geographical adversities, said that they would make the capable candidate victorious as they now want development and prosperity.
Pratham Chaudhary of Lahan Municipality-18 said that now voters should think seriously to make only the capable candidate victorious in the election.
He said, "There will be development and good governance in the villages only if we make such candidate, who works for development and knows the pain of people, win the election."
Similarly, Mahendra Bishwokarma of Mirchaiya Municipality said, "The person who becomes a candidate for some personal interest cannot fulfill the dreams of people. So I will vote to a candidate who has contributed in politics and social service."
Saburi Sada of Lahan Municipality-19, who is happy for getting opportunity to elect representatives at local-level after 20 years, said that in past election, candidates used to win the election after distributing money to poor voters but time has changed now.
Sada said they will make the candidate victorious in the election who works for the uplift of poor farmers, women, Muslim and Dalit communities.


text:
Captain Zaraza
How Chris Dali saved San Francisco from getting caught with the America's Cup...
Chris Daly
How Chris Dali saved San Francisco from getting caught in the America's Cup...
Port official Jonathan Stern walks as fast as he says, and San Francisco's new mayor, Ed Lee (took office in mid-January - itBoat), a man of pocket size, kept up with him with great difficulty - both verbally and physically. At a press presentation late last month, Stern wore like a turbocharged realtor, showing the newly appointed mayor a set of barely alive port buildings that are about to become a sparkling stronghold of the Thirty-fourth America's Cup by 2013. Stern's lexicon is teeming with "our current vision" and "we're going to tear this one down.
Lee was delighted, and no wonder: it was impossible to think of a more beautiful morning to demonstrate the north coast of San Francisco. When it came to hosting the Cup, "not only did San Francisco make the right decision," said Mayor Lee, proudly standing against the glittering bay, "but the whole world made the right decision.
Former Supervisory Board member from the sixth city district, Chris Dali, was not among a bunch of elected politicians and officials who had gathered then on Pier 27 to politely applaud the mayor's speeches. It was impossible to even think about a gallant former observer going in there. However, if it hadn't been for him, no one would have even been there.
In this city, it is difficult to find anyone who treats Dali neutrally. He is either loved or hated. If it had occurred to him to promote the use of water, many residents would immediately stop washing - on principle. His reputation as a "black belt of boorishness" has been perpetuated for centuries in the memory of people in the last days of his tenure, when he and other progressists fell victim to some political manipulation that eventually led to the anointing of Lee as mayor. This failure inspired Dali's last epic tirade against his enemies, and the tirade was volcanic even by his own high standards. The overthrown official walked in the conference room and watered his colleagues from their hips, not stingy, eventually crowning the flow of eloquence with the words "Khana to you! "You'll shit all polymers!" to Council Chairman David Chiu, Lee's ally. For a man who spent 10 years in a very public position, it was an unsuccessful Dembele chord. It turns out that the outgoing Dali managed to simultaneously and beautifully slam the door, and cry like a girl.
But the real dreary gift of Dali to this city was his resistance to the manic aspiration of the previous mayor Gavin Newsom to drag to San Francisco America's Cup and to conclude on this occasion, an expensive deal neatly before his departure for a new post in Sacramento (since January 2011, Newsom holds the post of Deputy Governor of California - itBoat).
In the process of this confrontation, Dali managed to break an agreement to hand over the Pier 50 Cup, near AT&T Park on the central waterfront. The losses that the city would have suffered only on this deal were later estimated at about $58 million at once and about the same amount later, at the expense of land allotments. The agreement, which is now in effect, refers only to pier 27, and the area of land transferred to the head of Oracle, billionaire and yachtsman Larry Allison, is reduced from 14 to about 8 hectares. Such oppression of the Cup (mainly achieved by the exclusion from the conversation of the 50th pier) should save the city very substantial money. According to the plan for the development of the northern coast of San Francisco will now lose $ 12 million, but the money can then be "repelled", and even more.
Dali was known for his belligerent assertiveness, and the pressure was overwhelming when he bore the original Cup deal from the height of his position in front of all those who were ready to listen (and before many who didn't want to listen at all). Although the form of his sayings left much to be desired, their content was difficult to ignore.
"I have to pay tribute to Chris Dali for bringing up the question of how much the central waterfront option would cost the city," says Chiu, who brought Dali's wrath upon himself. The conversation that observer Dali had then started helped the city save a lot of money," says another member of the Supervisory Board, John Avalos. - Otherwise, I'm afraid we would have had to get into a very bad deal."
The fears Dali expressed in public have long been a source of concern to many of his colleagues. Well, or they would have been pestering when they were checking the numbers. The important thing is that it was Dali who eventually forced the Council's accountants to disclose the amounts.
Although many city officials have told us that the San Francisco Port Authority was terrified of the idea of giving Allison huge pieces of land along the central coast for no reason, in fact the port has already publicly signed the original plan. As it turned out, the city needed someone who didn't care about its political future. Someone who did not tremble awe at the thought of hosting the largest sailing show in the world and was immune to the dazzling fever of the America's Cup. Someone who could officially, excuse me, shit all the raspberries with a finger in the books. Anyway, San Francisco needed a jerk, with horns of great punch.
Dali was great for that role.
When it comes to how wonderful the whole America's Cup catavasia looks, San Francisco officials are reflexively drawn to knocking on wood. Instead of the originally conceived expensive accommodation with the center in Mission Bay, a dark neighborhood punctuated with variations of the building that adorns bottles of Stolichnaya, the future complex is elegantly arranged on the north coast.
If the deal with the 50th pier would have destroyed the port's budget and then sucked millions more dollars out of the city's fund, the current arrangement looks suspiciously good for all parties involved - at least the version that was signed in mid-December. City financiers estimate the direct losses of the city at 11.9 million dollars, while auditors estimate the direct losses at 13.3 million dollars. At the same time, accountants say that the city can barely repay this money for the next seven (!) decades, but the auditor foresees a profit of almost 24 million.
Costs for the upcoming Organizing Committee of the race, established by Ellison, also greatly reduced: they have to invest "only" 55 million for infrastructure construction, which is very modest compared to 155 million in the original plan (the city will have to reimburse this money in the future course of the case, but it has already been accounted for in accounting analyses).
Potentially unaffordable dredging costs will now be borne by the organizing committee. Also, the placement of the America's Cup on the north coast will require overcoming fewer environmental barriers. And on top of that, moving the race northwards will not negatively impact the nearly one billion dollars in profits that the race is expected to bring to private business. And there was no doubt that the coming billion-dollar gold rain will spill over into local hotels, restaurants, construction companies and other institutions, even in the most skeptical analyses.
Some city officials claim that all this beauty was kind of predetermined from the beginning. They say that instead of subscribing to a very expensive project, the legislative process "worked by itself" and voila! - San Francisco now enjoys the best possible option. But the legislative process didn't have to work by itself. San Francisco regularly encounters bad deals, and it could do the same with the America's Cup. Or he couldn't have made any deals at all and successfully flew past the Cup.
Most city officials are too obsessed with posing against the backdrop of the spectacular sketches of the upcoming Cup, where huge boats rush dashingly in front of crowds of furious spectators to recall how the current happy result was achieved. Despite our many requests, the port management has not condescended to comment on this article. But the majority of politicians from the municipality say that they are fed up with porters whining that the mayor's office is clutching them, and at the same time they are preparing a deal that will suck millions of dollars out of the city in the form of tenants expelled from the port, construction costs and free land rent for the Organizing Committee of the race.
Port Director Monique Moyet has not responded to our requests to comment on this. But Dali claims that she once took him aside and complained that she was "the last to know" about plans to rent pier 50 and other facilities to the Organizing Committee for a period of 66 to 75 years. "I told her she couldn't be the last to know, because, understandably, I was the last to know," Dali says. This fact made Dali particularly angry, because the lion's share of the allotted land was in his district.
Several people from the city administration told us that the port authority was very concerned about the plan for the "central" location of the Cup, and that the port was simply stunned by the scale of the upcoming spending. Calculating the long-term and short-term costs associated with the transfer of large port-land plots to the Organizing Committee is not a quick matter, and the decision should have been made no later than December 31. Uncomfortable financial issues, which Dali spit out like from a machine gun, remained unanswered, and the financial and analytical report with all the figures was still under development. "We were less and less pleased with some of the provisions of the treaty and the inconsiderate answers coming from the administration," says Ross Mirkarimi, also a member of the Council and one of the key negotiators. - There was no information about the benefits of all this business for the city, and the mayor's office was already galloping to sign the agreements. The mayor's office, for its part, makes a good point that if the city "hadn't demonstrated concrete measures and achievements, we would have missed our chance.
All this storm of passion, however, could not knock Dali off his favorite course - to stay for the America's Cup enemy number one. After ten years of defiant antagonism on his part, the people of the mayor did not even think about canvassing him to vote until all the numbers are fully counted. If there was anything good about my membership on the Supervisory Board," says Dali, "the other side didn't even try to compost my brain.
There are many hurried judgments about Dali based solely on his unfriendliness, donkey stubbornness, love of strong vocabulary and ugly beard. But that's not all he's made up of. Even his most ardent enemies admit that he is exceptionally smart and competent. But he can't do it any other way. It's impossible to treat people like him and travel on the same charm.
In addition to being stubborn, Dali had other reasons to object to the first options for the America's Cup deal. As a former chairman of the budget committee, he has a rich history of spending cuts. He rewrote the city's administrative procedures, forbidding departments to produce and print holiday greeting cards with public funds (this happened, as he recalls, "after I got a mountain of those damn Christmas cards"). Huge, with "War and Peace" the size of his annual reports were ordered to be sent only electronically ("This shit nobody reads anyway. Well, I certainly wouldn't").
No wonder Dali was wary when he saw a contract on the horizon giving free land to a billionaire yachtsman for construction in the city's coastal area, and pushed by his sworn enemy, the mayor.
Dali's most convincing argument was math. Roughly calculating the figures provided by the port and the city department of labor and economic development, he saw that they do not promise anything good to the city. "I am not a big fan of Larry Ellison," he said. - And this race of his is just a pompous party for the elite," he said. But even if it was, the real reason I was against the San Francisco bid was because we'd just go broke. Even the Port Authority agreed with me, even though they shouldn't have said so.
When the America's Cup presented its plan for the deal to the Council, Dali brought with him a piece of paper written with very sensitive questions. What will it cost to demolish port facilities on pier 50? How much will it cost to relocate tenants? Re-locating port facilities? Will the port be able to afford it? And the city? How much money will it pull out of the city fund - now and in the future?
The press then wrote that Dali said so much that his colleagues had to remember the rarely used "ten-minute rule" (that is, as in our Duma, "turn off the fifth microphone" - itBoat). In the end, instead of a bunch of serious and substantiated economic questions asked of Dali, everyone remembers only his despotic promise to blow the whole project with environmental lawsuits, "so that these boats will not be able to see the water here".
That is, in fact, Chris Dali's paradox. Crazy behavior can help draw attention to important issues, but only to a certain extent. With his attacks on the America's Cup, he has simply earned a reputation as a maniac protesting against a great idea. The mayor's representative even had the pleasure of telling the press for the millionth time that "well, it's just Dali in his usual repertoire".
The only thing that saved Dali was that he was right.
"He raised issues that could not be dismissed," said his administration colleagues. - He was right when he talked about the original contract and what it meant to the city. It seems simple that in this case the idea did not reach the public because of who (and how) voiced it".
It was easy to get rid of Chris Dali. What he was talking about was harder to get rid of.
He and all the other Cup opponents were waiting for an audit report to be published, like the children of Christmas. When the report was published, he didn't disappoint. The report's author concluded that meeting the conditions set by the Cup organizers would cost San Francisco up to $56.5 million at once and 143 million in the long run. The Cup town on the central coastline would have cost at least as much - another 101 million in total.
The expenses of the Organizing Committee were also planned astronomical - to improve infrastructure required 150 million dollars. In addition to providing the Allison Group with a free 66-75 year lease of land for development, all these costs would have to be later reimbursed to the city.
As a result, the plan to place the Cup in the central coastal zone was losing more and more supporters. Even the San Francisco Giants baseball team intervened, and outraged to discover that the plan was for Allison to leave a number of areas that the team had long leased from the city and for which they themselves had big plans.
In general, Dali began to gain support from those from whom it was not expected at all. Dissatisfaction of port managers and baseball players became a powder keg, on which fell sparks carved by Dali. It burst instantly, so that the original plan did not leave any scrapes. That's exactly what our unrestrained Sixth Circuit watcher was counting on.
In the end, it turned out that Dali, who dreamed of ruining the deal, helped make it better for the city. Instead of killing the America's Cup, he made it stronger. Without wanting it, he helped the city.
It was because Dali didn't know the city had room for manoeuvre until almost the end of the process. He saw the negotiations on the central coastline as "all or nothing". Waving the audit report like a sledgehammer, Dali served as a destructive force. Everyone else - the port, city hall, the Supervisory Board - had to serve as a creative force: to pick up the wreckage and build something new out of it.
There is an explanation for the fact that the northern coast was not initially considered as a possible place for the Cup at all. The city proceeded from the assumption that the Cup would be held on traditional single-hull boats, for which special protective barriers - breakwaters - had to be built at the entrance to the port. Pier 27 was planned to be turned into a terminal for cruise ships in the long term, so breakwaters were out of the question there. But when it turned out that the races will be held on two-hull catamarans, which are so stable that there is no need in breakwaters, pier 27 returned to the agenda.
As a result, to the apparent dissatisfaction of the organizing committee of the Cup, the variant with the northern coast became the basis of the official application of San Francisco. The city won with it, getting the right to host the Cup, although the organizing committee at that time had been demonstratively flirting with the city of Newport for three weeks, trying to get San Francisco to return to the "central plan".
Now the city has to figure out exactly what it's got. Auditors and accountants have a long way to go before the contract, in which full 16 pages were crossed out and edited after (!) Organizing Committee and City Hall put their signatures under it. There will be a place for other Cup opponents to play, but not Chris Dali anymore.
Dali now penetrates into another accounting: now he is a modest owner of a bar called "Buck Tavern", where he and I sit while he exams another candidate for bartending for English and Spanish.
Dali says, "The city may have gotten into a very shitty deal. But the previous plan was even shittier. Much shittier."
Now that Dali is pouring drinks instead of watering his fellow Council members, there is clearly more harmony in the Council. But it remains to be seen whether their consent and decency alone will suffice to stand up to an unfavourable deal that is in full swing on clearly well-oiled skis.
"There is an advantage," Dali admits, "in having someone on the Council who is not concerned about a career or what the newspaper people think, and is not thinking about getting an invitation to the mayor's next reception. If those are your main concerns, you will never be able to do what I have done. Anyway, I'm proud to have been an official goat in that situation."
Source: How Chris Daly saved San Francisco from a bad America's Cup deal (SF Weekly) by Joe Ashkenazy.
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Just wanted to thank God, for taking control of the service and enabling us to enjoy a night of testimonies, special numbers and blessed Poems. Thanks to everyone who was involved, you did an amazing job!! To: Patricia and Victoria who hosted the event. Great job!! And to Ruth O. Seremi, Oju, Victor, me, Ike, The NLBC Boys!!, Pastor Sam, Sound of Worship band, Pastor Lena and Aunty Yannieke. MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL IN JESUS NAME.
And thanks to youth who were able to invite someone to the event. God really moved in the service and we thank him greatly for that. I am so proud of everyone, May you continue your good works, and may God multiply all your talents a thousand. Anyway, look forward to the next unplugged evening, lt will be even bigger and better then our last event by Gods Grace. Continue to listen to Gods word, and let your light shine Bright so that people will see that your different.
God bless, Victoria. Jama, signing off!!


Complete your gaming jewelry creation with this charming 14kt gold cutout ace of spades charm. Charm is crafted out of polish finish with open back design; it measures 9/16" wide by 13/16" high and weighs approximately 1.9 gram(s). Perfect gift for any charm bracelet or necklace.


Lizzi Sullivan of Denver, Colo., and Daniel Beyer of Kennewick exchanged wedding vows Aug. 14 at Christ the King Parish in Denver. Father Daniel Leonard officiated.
She is the daughter of Kathryn and Gene Sullivan of Denver. He is the son of Deana and Doug Beyer of Kennewick.
Honor attendants were Colleen Sullivan and John Beyer. Other attendants were Mary Sullivan, Erin Beyer, Kristi Beyer, Thomas Sullivan, Jevon Sparks and Paul Martin.
Flower girl was Kathleen Shea.


I am about to make pitch to my Product Owner in why this tool is needed and how will it help improve process. Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Supposedly it'll help you complete testing "90%" faster.
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Cython, pybind11, cffi – which tool should you choose?


Do you remember that stretch of road or river or mountainside you immediately felt a connection to? A place where the draw was so visceral it elicited a feeling of peace and excitement concurrently? It might have resulted from sensory delights like the sun on your face, fresh air in your lungs, a spectacular view—or from a scene that stirred your imagination or recharged your faith. However this attraction defined itself, you were thoroughly transfixed, wanting to stay longer and feel more.
Early Celtic Christians once called such experiences thin places, where the veil between the natural world and spiritual realm seems especially transparent—where time stands still, beauty enthralls, the bigger picture is glimpsed… where one feels closer to an omnipresent God.
In Gaelic, the name for thin places is Caol Áit or "keel awtch", and it's no wonder that the name probably originated in a land known for its diverse beauty and lushness... Ireland.
Indeed, to stand beside an Irish ruin and wonder at all the untold stories of the past or to sit atop an Irish mountain and reflect on the boundless glory of God is an experience that transcends the senses. It is a reminder that we are both finite body as well as timeless spirit, the latter in union with God's spirit always, but at special times exuberant and even giddy upon glimpsing the scope of God's greatness as seen in his creation.
For as much as beauty, mystery, and serenity might draw us to a particular view, it is the unexpected brush with otherworldliness that ignites our imagination, reinvigorates our soul, and brands our memory irrevocably.


Hailing from Disney Hall, the Grammy-nominated LA Master Chorale has been described as "the nation's most pioneering major chorus". An independent and innovative professional vocal ensemble, the Master Chorale performs choral music from the earliest writings to the most recent contemporary compositions at their own concerts and those of the LA Philharmonic. In taking on the rebrand and marketing of the Master Chorale, we sought to rethink the visual codes of classical music and choral singing. By portraying choral music in a contemporary way, we demonstrated how, in our increasingly digital world, a thoroughly analog, elemental art form like choral singing is as compelling and relevant as ever.
For too long the Master Chorale has been considered one of LA's best kept (cultural) secrets. In order to evolve from "underground" to "icon", we worked with the Chorale on a comprehensive brand & marketing strategy. Our goal – to challenge perceptions about the relevance of choral music now and in the future, while bringing their art to the widest possible audience.
An early insight was that singing was one of the first arts. Incredibly egalitarian, it requires no tools or instrumentation, and has a nearly transcendental effect on those who hear it, regardless of background. With this in mind, we drew inspiration from these deeply human aspects of music to create a set of custom typefaces that evoke the mechanics and feeling of the human voice.
By looking at the Master Chorale through the lens of our new visual identity, we were able to tell a more compelling and cohesive story: one that's accessible, candid, and real. We wanted to break down the barriers between performers, audience, and institution.
We created photography and film that intimately portray this uniquely talented and eclectic community of singers. For this season's campaign, we used the open mouth to evoke the raw and personal emotion of the singer, and the uniquely transformative power of the human voice. In combination with Arnaud Pyvka's photography for the seasonal performances, we mixed the classical and the contemporary through the lens of today's vibrant and colorful Los Angeles.
Our aim was to profoundly connect the Chorale with contemporary LA: to look beyond the concert hall and fashion a unique voice that perfectly encapsulates the notion that the Master Chorale is much more than you expect. To do this, we needed to challenge the visual codes of "classical" music by acting and appearing deeply human, sun drenched, and unexpected – quintessentially LA. No longer "the voice of the Walt Disney Concert Hall", the Master Chorale represents the many "voices of LA".