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Don't trust the b—- in apartment 23
Posted on April 14, 2012 by Dominique Vaz
Don't trust the b—- in apartment 23 is a new sitcom that aired on Thursday night. "B—-" obviously stands for bitch, but I guess they can't advertise it like that on TV. Just like how GCB couldn't be advertised as Good Christian Bitches. Maybe one day we'll all get past the word bitch and they'll be able to write it as well as say it? Or not. At least in this case, b rhymes with 23, so I think they thought their rhyme was super clever.
This show revolves around June, played by Dreama Walker, who's just moved to New York, landed a great job, is engaged, and right where she feels like she's supposed to be in her life. But then the company she's supposed to work at is shut down before she can even start, and she finds herself with no place to live. Thus begins her search for a roommate.
And she finds one. Who seems nice and perfect at first and is great at selling herself. But then turns out to be a total bitch. Or should I say b—-. Turns out Chloe, played by Krysten Ritter is a bit of a con artist, going through roommates fast by scaring them off with her questionable morals and inappropriate behaviour. She does this so that she can get their deposit for the rent money, only to have them leave right away because they can't stand to live with her. Pretty clever actually, however horrible. Chloe resorts to tactic such as inviting June to join her in a foursome, walking around naked, and walking in on her while she's in the tub and making inappropriate and awkward conversation.
Thinking her new roommate will soon leave, just like her past roommates have, Chloe is surprised when June, who is super sweet and naive, actually fights back, selling all her furniture to get back at her for stealing from her by taking more money from her than was actually needed to pay the rent. But then when she says she really needs her ottoman back, June helps her even though she's been a total bitch. Chloe has a newfound respect for her after this.
Chloe then discovers that June's fiance has been cheating on her. But when she tells her she obviously doesn't believe her because she knows she can't trust the bitch. So naturally, Chloe sets it up so that June walks in on them having sex on her birthday cake. Because that was the worst case scenario she could come up with to convince her what a cheating bastard he was.
There's a lot going on here, but the best thing by far about this show is James Van Der Beek playing himself. He plays Chloe's friend, who she says is "like her gay bff but straight". And he plays himself well. I never watched Dawson's Creek, but I love it when actors play themselves and can make fun of themselves which is exactly what he does. I think I would watch this show just for him.
I'm interested to see what the rest of the series holds, now that the roommates are sort of friends, and Chloe shouldn't really be conning June or trying to get rid of her anymore. But I guess she'll just continue to make her life difficult in order to teach her lessons about the hardships of living in New York. If I never amount to anything, maybe I'll end up stooping to something like that, getting rent money off people and then scaring them off. Although I probably won't have to try very hard to get a person to not want to live with me.
Posted in Comedy, Funny, Humour, Sitcoms, Television, TV, TV Shows, Uncategorized	| Tagged awkward, birthday cake, dawson's creek, don't trust the b---- in apartment 23, don't trust the bitch in apartment 23, dreama walker, funny, GCB, humour, james van der beek, krysten ritter, new roommate, new york, questionable morals, roommates, sitcom, tv, tv show	| Leave a reply
Posted on March 21, 2012 by Dominique Vaz
Touch is the new television series starring Kiefer Sutherland that aired last Thursday. I find there are a lot of complex one hour dramas to keep track of that all seem to be on Thursdays. I'm sure you've seen several commercials for Touch by now. I know I saw the same one over and over again which made me sick of it before it even began. But I decided to watch it anyway.
The premise of Touch is that Kiefer Sutherland's character, Martin Bohm, has trouble connecting with his 11-year old son Jake, played by David Mazouz. Jake never speaks and doesn't let anyone touch him. He's constantly preoccupied with writing down numbers and no one knows why. But in the beginning of the show, Jake explains the the viewers about some ancient theory that we are all connected and there are certain connections between people who's lives were meant to touch. And apparently for some reason it's his job to keep track of them all. I think that would be an awesome role for an actor to play, just having to look upset and disturbed, and never having to memorize any lines.
Martin goes to see a man named Arthur Teller, played by Danny Glover, who tells him that his son can see all these connections and patterns in the world that the rest of us can't, and that the numbers mean something, and it's up to Martin to follow these connections and figure it all out. Or something like that. But how does he know that without having even met the kid? He also says that his son sees so much beauty in the world, no wonder he doesn't talk. I don't see the connection there. Why would being overwhelmed with the world's beauty make a person not talk ever? And if he's seeing all this beauty, then why does he look angry all the time?
Jake climbs the cell tower three times in a span of three weeks while he's at school, causing a social worker, Clea Hopkins, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw to have to intervene and take him in for assessments. Martin tries to tell her that there are patterns in what Jake is writing down and showing them, but she refuses to believe there is any meaning behind them. But then Jake arranges popcorn kernels in groups of numbers, which are the same as her mother's phone number, and she receives a call from her right after. It must be incredibly annoying for them that Jake can't talk, and that they have to follow his indications and clues in order to figure out what the hell he's trying to tell them.
There are also worldwide connections shown throughout the show, ones which don't seem to have anything to do with Jake. A man loses his cell phone, and it consequently ends up being passed around the world and connecting the people who come across it. The man who loses it needs it back, as it has pictures of his daughter who died a year ago. Because of the way the phone is passed around, he ends up seeing these pictures on a jumbo tron in Japan, because someone put a video of a girl singing, in hopes that the next person to find the phone would discover her. Then, a girl in Japan made sure everything on the phone was put onto the jumbo tron because she wanted to start a fan club for the singer.
Meanwhile a boy in the middle east tries to steal an oven for his family who is in need, gets caught, and ends up with a bomb strapped to him, with the phone attached to it. The original owner of the phone had made a request to get it back, and so the boy gets a call from the call centre on that phone. Coincidentally, the woman at the call centre is the same woman who was recorded singing on the phone. When she realizes he has a bomb strapped to him, she convinces him to take out the battery and not go through with it. He says the only thing that would get him to stop would be an oven for his family. Conveniently, the original owner of the phone is a restaurant supplies salesman, so the call centre woman is able to acquire an oven for the boy. She also realizes the video of her singing has received many hits on youtube.
I don't know why her friend couldn't have just put the video on youtube to begin with, as opposed to sending it off on a phone. And I also wonder why the cell phone owner's only pictures of his daughter were on his cell phone. Did he not own a camera? And did he not ever upload the pictures to his computer? And as for the boy in the middle east, the men he tried to steal from still know who and where he is, so wouldn't he still be in trouble, even if he was able to get an oven for his family? And what does any of this have to do with the mute boy writing down numbers?
My mom mentioned they didn't really need the boy, they could have just called the series "Phone" and focused on how it was randomly passed around and connecting people. The part that does have to do with the kid, is that he is preoccupied with the numbers 318, and tries to indicate to his dad that there's something he needs to do. What Martin ends up doing, is going to the terminal at 3:18, and trying to use the payphone. He gets in a fight with the guy at the payphone, causing him to miss his train. Later on the news, we find out this same man was able to save a bus full of children, something he wouldn't have been able to do if he hadn't missed his train.
Coincidentally, this man had been on the phone leaving a message for Martin at the time, informing him that he had been a fireman who had tried to save his wife when she was killed at the world trade centre on 9/11, but had left her not knowing whether or not she was really dead. He had played lottery numbers significant to that date ever since, and had just won. I think they would have called this show "Numbers", if the title hasn't already been used previously.
My mom remarked that this show may even be more confusing than Awake, if that's possible. And I remarked how we're only dealing with one reality here. I don't know, I suppose the connections and everything are interesting. But do I really care that much? I guess the show will progress with the kid trying to predict other various things and getting his dad to do certain things in order to make connections. It would be funny if he just showed him random numbers that didn't mean anything for fun. But I guess he takes his job seriously. But I still don't get why it's up to him and why this prevents him from talking.
Posted in Drama, Life, Television, TV, TV Shows, Uncategorized	| Tagged 318, 9/11, Awake, bomb, bus, cell phone, cell tower, connections, Danny Glover, David Mazouz, drama, fireman, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, jumbo tron, Kiefer Sutherland, numbers, one hour, oven, pictures, Touch, train, tv show	| 5 Replies
No, I'm not writing a blog post about something that I've lost. I'm writing a blog post on the new TV series that aired last Thursday. Missing stars Ashley Judd as Rebecca Winstone, a former CIA agent whose son, Michael, played by Nick Eversman, has just gone missing. Her son goes off to college in Rome, on his own for the first time. We see a flashback from when he was a boy and his father, played by Sean Bean, is killed when his car blows up. Luckily, the boy goes back inside where he has forgotten his soccer ball, or else he would have been killed as well.
Before going off to college, Michael comes up with a code which he can text his mother which means "I love you". He explains to her that he can't possibly text the words "I love you" when he's with his friends. I forget what the code is. Something like 26@4a something. That's probably not even close. But whatever. Soon after he leaves, she checks her phone and receives that text. But seriously, he's not with his friends yet at that point, he could easily have just texted "I love you".
As the weeks go by, Rebecca stops hearing from her son, and senses that something is wrong. She finds out that he's left his dorm and stopped going to classes and been kicked out of the program. This isn't like him, so she goes to Rome to find him. I thought it would've been funny if it turned out that he actually had just decided to drop out and he was totally fine. But I guess that's not the direction they decided to go in. When we first heard about this show, my mom basically told me not to end up missing somewhere, because she wouldn't do whatever it takes to come and look for me. Well she didn't say it in those words exactly, but I think it was implied. I don't blame her though, she hates travelling and as far as I know has never had any CIA training.
It's convenient that Rebecca is a former CIA agent and not just a typical soccer mom, or else she wouldn't be able to go to the lengths that she does to get her son back. Although to be fair, her son being taken probably has something to do with her being a former CIA agent. Also, I wonder if maybe her husband didn't actually blow up in the car and is still alive somewhere. Sean Bean has a recurring role, so maybe he's alive, unless it's all just a bunch of flashbacks that he's in.
Even though she's spent 10 years away from the CIA, she's retained all the skills and tactics as if she'd never left. This is a great series to watch if you love to see a lot of action scenes in which Ashley Judd kicks some serious ass. I kind of feel like it should be a movie. Partly because I have a short attention span. Or maybe I just want it to be one so I can find out sooner what happens and how it ends. I would assume it would end with her finding her son. But if they want to have multiple seasons, then how will the first season end? How long will they draw out the story of her trying to find her son?
There's a lot of action and it is interesting, so I think I'll invest in watching it for now and see where it goes. Since her son's been taken, and in Europe, I was reminded of the movie Taken with Liam Neeson for a moment. Except now it's mother and son instead of father and daughter. In terms of the "I love you" code, I think it's going to come up in every episode, because Rebecca comes to a place where her son has been, and he has written it on the wall. Convenient that no one else knows what the hell that means. I'm guessing writing "I love you" on the wall would not have the same effect. In any case, this show looks promising, and it's cool to see a mother kicking ass and doing everything she can in order to get her child back. Even if my own mother wouldn't do that for me.
Posted in Drama, Television, TV, TV Shows, Uncategorized	| Tagged agent, Ashley Judd, CIA, cia agent, drama, Europe, I love you, Liam Neeson, Missing, mom, Nick Eversman, Rome, Sean Bean, Taken, travel, tv	| 8 Replies
Posted on March 5, 2012 by Dominique Vaz
GCB is a new series that aired last night on ABC. I had seen a bunch of commercials for it and thought what the hell is GCB? I had to look it up to find out that it stands for "Good Christian Bitches". And then they changed it to "Good Christian Belles". And then they just decided to abbreviate it to save the trouble. Good Christian Belles would have been an awful title. The b obviously stands for bitches.
It's a classic story of "I used to be a mean girl in high school but now I'm a nice person but things aren't going so well in my life so I have to move back home where the girls I was a bitch to in high school are now major bitches themselves and won't let me live it down". Or you know, something along those lines.
When I saw the show starred Leslie Bibb, I thought "She was in some TV show that was popular when I was a kid". But I couldn't remember what it was. And then I realized the show itself was called Popular. I never watched it though, so that's why I had such a hard time remembering. In GCB, Leslie Bibb plays Amanda Vaughn, who used to be popular in high school. Her husband has just died and it's been revealed that he was involved in a scandal and had stolen money from investors. He also died in a car crash while another woman was giving him head.
And so Amanda has no choice but to take her two children and reluctantly move back home with her mother in Dallas. The community is small, and so everyone seems to know each other, and the women she went to high school with gossip and plot upon hearing of her return. And their husbands are all too eager to greet her when they see her. And her mother makes her go to church with her. Because they are good Christian bitches, after all.
The new queen bitch in town since Amanda's departure is Carlene Cockburn, played by Kritstin Chenoweth. When I saw she was on the show I thought "Oh, look, she's getting more work after Glee, but still playing a really annoying character". Carlene is dead set on making Amanda's stay in town miserable enough to get her to leave. Amanda used to be cruel to her in high school about her looks, but Carlene has since had a lot of plastic surgery and refuses to accept that Amanda is now a better person. She is also religious and self righteous, while being very judgemental. The other women sort of just go along with her, although one of them may be actually starting to accept that Amanda has changed.
I found it a bit difficult to keep track of all the people in town, particularly the husbands. We learn that one of the husbands says he's in love with Amanda, lures her into his car dealership and kisses her, where she refuses his advances. Another husband is secretly gay and in love with the other guy who works on his ranch. And then there's Carlene's husband who seems alright and just loves sex. And then I think there's another husband of someone who's just there but I'm not sure.
Amanda needs to get a job but can't find anything, so becomes a waitress at a bar, which the other women look down on her for and say that it goes against their moral standard, based on the outfit that she wears there. But Amanda doesn't let their judgement stop her from trying to make the best of her new life and even comes to make peace a bit with her mother who's outlook on life she doesn't agree with.
This show wasn't as bad as I expected. I kind of liked it. I heard it was supposed to be like the new Desperate Housewives. Except I never watched Desperate Housewives, so I wouldn't know. I just know there's going to be a whole lot of drama in it. I think I'll watch it again next week and see how it develops. Not sure yet if I'll follow it completely. Also I don't know if I should feel sorry for Amanda and want things to work out for her, or if I should think "While that's what you get for being a bitch in high school". But Carlene is so annoying and manipulative, I think I'll have to root for Amanda.
Posted in Comedy, Drama, Funny, Humour, Life, Television, TV, TV Channels, TV Shows, Uncategorized	| Tagged ABC, Amanda Vaughn, bitch, Carlene Cockburn, Christian, church, comedy, Dallas, Desperate Housewives, drama, GCB, Glee, Good Christian Bitches, high school, husband, judgement, Kristin Chenoweth, Leslie Bibb, Popular, small town, tv, tv shows	| 5 Replies
I really like Pan Am. There aren't a lot of one hour shows that I have the patience to sit through and follow regularly. PVR helped, since I often didn't feel like watching it late on Sunday night. But I was able to keep up with all the episodes. Apparently I enjoy period dramas. Who knew?
Pan Am focuses on the lives of 4 stewardesses and 2 pilots who worked for the Pan American World Airways in the early 1960s. Christina Ricci plays Maggie Ryan, the purser for Pan Am. When I first watched this, I thought what the hell is a purser? I believe it basically refers to the head flight attendant who oversees the rest of the crew. I like how her character stands up for herself and is very outspoken and opinionated. She demonstrates this when she talks back to the woman doing the weigh-ins, and stabs a passenger with a fork for coming onto her.
Karine Vanasse plays Colette Valois, a French stewardess. She is always very pleasant, patient, and understanding. She develops a relationship with pilot Dean Lowrey, played by Mike Vogel. Their relationship undergoes many complications throughout the episodes.
Kelli Garner plays Kate Cameron, who gets recruited by the CIA, as being a Pan Am Stewardess seems to make for a good cover. I remember my mom mentioning that it seems like throwing in the espionage into the story was sort of implying that being a flight attendant wasn't interesting enough in itself. I thought that Kate's story was still good and not too overdone as it could have been.
Margot Robbie plays Kate's younger sister who is new to the airline business. She has just left her fiance, after feeling too much pressure from her family to go through with the wedding. Her following in her sister's footsteps and becoming a stewardess allows her to experience life on her own and gain a sense of independence. Sexual tension develops between her and First Officer, Ted Vanderway, played by Michael Mosley.
I think I watched all of the episodes. I was annoyed that episode 13 was out of order. When I started watching it, I got very confused and then though that it must be a rerun of an episode I had missed. Because it didn't make sense otherwise. They could have easily played it in the proper sequence so as not to confuse people. Laura had already taken nude pictures and Ginny was already out of Dean's life, as Nico was out of Kate's life. Why bring all that back up when the series was ending?
I'm upset that it has been cancelled. I liked it as a whole, but was disappointed with the finale. I mean it sort of tied up a few things but not really. I know they couldn't just make everything end perfectly, but still, I'm left wondering what happens. Does Colette find her brother, and then get back together with Dean as he helps her in the process? Do things go back to normal when he gets his job back in six months? Does Maggie stop with the smuggling and eventually pursue something in politics? Does Kate leave Pan Am to be a full time agent? And most importantly, does Laura become Ted's mistress? That's not what either of them wanted. Maybe Amanda isn't really pregnant or has a miscarriage? But that would just be too convenient.
In any case, I guess it's not coming back, from what I've heard? I guess it was good while it lasted. Some of the episodes along the way did have a few dull parts and plot lines, but overall I think it was a good show. And it did momentarily almost make me wish I'd pursued one of my dreams of being a flight attendant.
Posted in Drama, Life, Period Drama, Romance, Television, TV, TV Shows	| Tagged airlines, cancelled, Christina Ricci, Colette Valois, Dean Lowrey, espionage, first officer, flight attendant, Karine Vanasse, Kate Cameron, Kelli Garner, Laura Cameron, Maggie Ryan, Margot Robbie, Michael Mosley, Mike Vogel, Pan Am, period drama, pilot, stewardess, Ted Vanderway, tv show	| 1 Reply
No, I'm not talking about the movie starring Hayden Christensen and Jessica Alba (which I haven't seen). I'm talking about the new TV series that aired this week starring Jason Isaacs. This show starts off with a car crash. What a great way to start off a new series, right?
The premise of Awake is that detective Michael Britten deals with two alternate realities after the car crash. In one, his son is dead. In the other, his wife is dead. The catch, he doesn't know which one is real and which one is a dream. Every time he falls asleep, he wakes up in the other reality, and each one feels equally real to him.
Upon hearing this premise, I laughed and thought really? And I thought of the movie Sliding Doors with Gwyneth Paltrow. Except in that movie, each parallel reality is based on whether or not she gets on the train. In Awake, there is nothing different that he does. And instead of just being alternate realities that could have happened, he is actually experiencing both of them.
This show has the potential to be very confusing. He is a cop, and in each reality, is working on a different case. It's going to be difficult to keep track of which case is in which reality. There are a few differences to help us differentiate. In one reality, Efrem Vega, played by Wilmer Valderrama (yes, he's getting work, doesn't this make you excited?), has been promoted to be Michael's partner. In the other, he is just a detective. I've already forgotten which reality is which.
Also in each reality, he has a different therapist. This makes sense, because if he were to have the same therapist in each reality, this would get confusing and annoying for him. He would probably be like "I already told you that!" and get frustrated having to repeat himself twice to the same person. At least with things different in each reality, there's less of a deja vu feeling for him. Each therapist assures him that this is reality and that the other one is a dream. In order to help himself remember, he wears a different coloured rubber band on his wrist in each reality, a red one for when his wife is alive, and a green one for when is son is alive.
One therapist remarks that this "dream" he has is a fascinating coping mechanism in order to deal with his son's death, and allow him to live as though he is still alive. But really, it's not a great coping mechanism. Because in the other reality, his wife is dead. He just can't win. Except this way of living would allow him to cheat on his wife if he wanted to, but not really. Because he can do it in the reality where she's dead and it wouldn't count. I only say this because there seems to be a potential love interest for him in the reality in which his wife is dead.
This is all rather confusing and it's going to be really hard to keep track of everything. It's hard enough to keep track of what's happening in one case in these shows, let alone two cases that are occurring simultaneously. Something from one reality helped him think of something that pertained to the case in the other reality. In this first episode, he successfully solves both cases. There's not really any indication yet that his life is better or worse in either of them.
At one point, he wakes up and is not wearing any rubber band on his wrist. This causes him to freak out and yell his wife's name, call his wife, then yell his son's name. And then he gets so crazy and desperate that his takes a knife and cuts his own hand. At which point his wife walks in and wonders what the hell he's doing. He then notices the red rubber band on the bed, that must have fallen off his wrist. At least now he can differentiate between the two in that his hand is injured in one and not in the other. I think he should get a tattoo in one reality, that way he wouldn't have to worry about losing it like with the rubber bands.
So which reality is real? Is his wife dead? Or is his son dead? Is one reality just a dream? Maybe it's all a dream? Maybe there's a third reality in which both of them are dead. Or maybe it turns out he's really dead and they're both alive? And they're both having dreams that he's still alive? The possibilities are endless. I kind of just really want to know how it's going to end. He tells his therapist that he's not willing to make progress and face just one reality, and would rather be able to spend time with both his wife and his son, even if that means a risk to his own sanity. This should be interesting and I'd like to see how it develops, but I know I'm going to get confused along the way.
Posted in Crime, Drama, Family, Life, Television, TV, TV Shows	| Tagged alternate realities, Awake, car crash, confusing, death, detective, drama, dreams, Gwyneth Paltrow, Hayden Christensen, interesting, Jason Isaacs, Jessica Alba, Michael Britten, reality, Sliding Doors, son, therapist, tv, wife, Wilmer Valerrama	| 4 Replies
Posted on February 23, 2012 by Dominique Vaz
I didn't really start watching this show until last year. I've watched every episode this season. I remember when I first saw commercials for it, it didn't really look like something I'd want to watch. It basically looked like they'd married off Debra from Everybody Loves Raymond with the Janitor from Scrubs and then given them three weird kids.
Taking an actor from a successful sitcom that is no longer on who played a well known character on said sitcom, and pairing them with another actor who also played a well known character on different successful sitcom often doesn't work out so well. Patricia Heaton had already previously tried it. Does anyone remember the show Back to You that she did with Kelsey Grammer? No? Good, it wasn't worth remembering.
But this time it worked. Because The Middle has a great concept which is simple and well written. When I watch it I'm able to disassociate my automatic connections to Everybody Loves Raymond and Scrubs, both of which I used to watch. I liked Patricia Heaton and Neil Flynn both in their previous sitcom roles as well their current roles now. In one episode, they showed a flashback to their characters Frankie and Mike Heck, going camping for their honeymoon. Their trip is interrupted by Mike's old annoying friend, played by Ray Romano. At one point he asks Frankie if they've met before and she says "no, I think I'd remember meeting you", which I thought was hilarious.
The show consists of Frankie and Mike trying to survive raising their three kids, Axl, Sue, and Brick, who all struggle through their own problems as well. Axl, played by Charlie McDermott, is your typical lazy slob of a teenager. He excels in sports but struggles with school and thinks homework is a waste of time. He's also full of himself and thinks he's awesome. His sister Sue, played by Eden Cher, is sort of the opposite, and is basically the epitome of the super awkward and neurotic teenage girl. Despite being a total misfit, she's optimistic and tries out for all the school activities, and more often than not fails at them. The youngest, Brick, played by Atticus Shaffer, is a quiet kid who always has his nose in a book. He might go unnoticed if he wasn't so weird. He's pretty smart for a nine-year-old, but has a bit of social awkwardness as well.
Frankie is often saying how tired she is from trying to stay on top of the kids all the time. In one episode, she describes their parenting style as relaxed. In the last episode, the kids complained that she's too much of nag and that Mike just throws out crazy punishments for them when he gets too annoyed to deal with them. They all struggle together as a bit of dysfunctional family. I think the reason the show is a success is because they're a family you can sort of relate to. Kids go through awkward phases, and think their parents are unreasonable, and parents want to make sure their kids are alright and wish they would get their act together. And when things don't go as we'd like, we can turn to shows like this and see characters who may be slightly more dysfunctional than we are.
Posted in Comedy, Funny, Humour, Life, Sitcoms, Television, TV, TV Shows	| Tagged Atticus Shaffer, Back to You, Charlie McDermott, dysfunctional family, Eden Cher, Everybody Loves Raymond, family, Frankie Heck, Kelsey Grammer, middle class, Mike Heck, Neil Flynn, Patricia Heaton, Ray Romano, Scrubs, sitcom, The Middle	| 1 Reply
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Home News Cummings: 'Liberians Yearn for a Savior'
Cummings: 'Liberians Yearn for a Savior'
Thomas T. Johnson
The political leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) says Liberians in every part of the country, especially the Southeast where he and his party toured recently, are looking for a leader that will save them from the grips of abject poverty, ignorance, deprivation and negative vices that have perpetually suppressed them.
In an interview with the Daily Observer yesterday in Monrovia, Mr. Cummings said, "None of what I'm going to say will be a surprise to you or your readers. We saw very challenging roads as we went across the country, especially, when we got beyond Ganta. I think this time of the year the rainy season has just begun. The lack of power and electricity is also a challenge. And these are not just challenges that are unique to the Southeast but are challenges throughout the nation."
"The fact that our people are generally poor and they are struggling is also not unique to the Southeast. There are no set of issues that are particularly unique to that region as they all exist in all parts of our country," he said.
Mr. Cummings noted: "What I found on my trip is that our people are looking for a savior—somebody to come and make things better."
Mr. Cummings, who is one of the few Liberians who have worked in executive posts in Corporate America, noted that Liberians need to rise up and find within themselves the heart and mind to move their country forward. At his retirement from Coca-Cola, Cummings was Chief
Administrative Officer (deputy CEO) of the company.
Cummings said his passion, his experience working for many years in corporate America makes him an ideal presidential candidate and therefore he has returned home to request Liberians to give him the chance to lead and make the necessary changes that the country needs.
"One thing that I keep focusing on is that we need to engage the hearts and minds of Liberians in the change we desire in the country because if we don't collectively own the change it will be difficult, if not impossible, if we change it, to make it sustainable," he cautioned.
He said "Though I don't know how we can solve this issue, we can figure it out collectively to play our roles in this change that we want."
Providing an example, Mr. Cummings said, "If an investment is made in a school or a health facility and it is not maintained and people steal the materials, we have to find the way to change that behavior. And I think it can be done, which could be my biggest priority.
"For whoever becomes president, we all have to collectively focus on helping him. People need to be more demanding of themselves and more also of their leaders. They should not expect their leaders to do what's right without demanding it of themselves."
He said it is an important priority of which he has asked a few Liberians to help think through what that means and what are the deliberate interventions needed to move broadly in this change for the country.
Dwelling on the country's current messy road network, he said the first thing the ANC could do as the governing party is determine how to find the money that will grow the government's revenue to address these challenges.
"This is because without money we can't do anything and we know our country's budget is around six to seven hundred million dollars, which is not enough to do all the things we would need to do to invest and change our country.
"So we've got to look at how we can expand the revenue base. Let me give you examples; how efficient are we in collecting taxes? Do we have a tax base that is broad and wide enough? What kind of changes can we make to enforce even our existing tax and revenue laws to get more revenues into government's coffers? Are we trained in leveraging the natural resource base of our country? Without changing any rules and laws, are we enforcing the current concession agreements we have to get the full benefit of these existing agreements? We believe we must get the facts for people to understand how we could do it and how it could work."
To save the situation the government would have to invest in entrepreneurship—helping to get people into business which is another way and a source of getting cash revenue which is another side of increasing revenue, said Mr. Cummings.
"I believe that there is a fair amount of waste in government and we will understand where the wastage is and how we can save money and redeploy it into areas we consider priority," he said.
He however noted that no leader can bring the much needed change except Liberians join the process, adding,"Liberians must rise up and solve their own problems."
He urged Liberians to a look at "our choices available to build the country and therefore they must look at all those interested in the presidency… our individual track records because the best predictor of future behavior or success is the person's past."
Cummings said, "I have over 30 years' career in the private sector in two very large American corporations. I have managed very large and complex budgets, and the last budget I managed before leaving is quite a bit larger than the Liberian national budget.
"I controlled over two hundred countries with all of the complexities that come with their nationalities. I have experiences with different people and I have competed against a lot of people, including Americans, Nigerians, Chinese, Japanese and others to get Coca-Cola in every country of the world." He believes that the record of his achievements is enough for Liberians to look favorably to the Alternative National Congress (ANC) as a party, and particularly to him as someone who has decided to seek their votes to bring the necessary changes that his background and experiences could bring to Liberia.
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Born unto the union of Mr. & Mrs. Johnson Tamba on May 16. Graduated from the Salvation Army School System " William Booth high school" in 2006/2007 academic year. He also went to the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA) computer program, where he graduated with a diploma in computer literate in 2008. He is now a senior student of the University of Liberia, Civil engineering department, reading Civil engineering. He is in a serious relationship with Mercy Johnson and has a junior boy name, Otis Success Johnson, born 2016, March 29.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The list below includes the cities that the US Post Office accepts for ZIP code 14537. The preferred city may not be the city in which the ZIP is located. The city for 14537 is usually the name of the main post office. When mailing your package or letter, always include the preferred or acceptable cities. Using any city in the list of unacceptable cities may result in delays.
ZIP code 14537 is located in western New York and covers a slightly less than average land area compared to other ZIP codes in the United States. It also has a slightly less than average population density.
The people living in ZIP code 14537 are primarily white. The number of people in their late 20s to early 40s is extremely large while the number of seniors is large. There are also a large number of single parents and a small number of families. The percentage of children under 18 living in the 14537 ZIP code is slightly higher than average compared to other areas of the country.
ZIP code 14537 has a small percentage of vacancies.
The majority of household are owned or have a mortgage. Homes in ZIP code 14537 were primarily built in 1939 or earlier. Looking at 14537 real estate data, the median home value of $84,800 is low compared to the rest of the country. Rentals in 14537 are most commonly 1 bedrooms. The rent for 1 bedrooms is normally $500-$749/month including utilities. Prices for rental property include ZIP code 14537 apartments, townhouses, and homes that are primary residences.
The median household income of $62,045 is compared to the rest of the country.
As with most parts of the country, vehicles are the most common form of transportation to places of employment. Pedestrians and cyclists beware. The area has some of lowest percentages of commutes without a vehicle in the country. Compared to other ZIP codes in the country, 14537 has very few people that work at home. In most parts of the country, the majority of commuters get to work in under half an hour. However, that is not the case in 14537. It has a much lower than average number of people that make it to work in under half an hour. It is much more common for employees to have to travel over 45 minutes to their place of employment than most parts of country which could indicate bad traffic or that people typically live far from where they work.
For more information, see Port Gibson, NY public school enrollment.


Cash technology solutions for the entire retail cash chain: at the point of sale, the cash office, across the store and to the bank.
Our solutions optimise your cash centre processes and workflow while minimising cash touchpoints and errors.
From the cage through the casino floor to your restaurants and stores, automating your cash processes will enhance security, increase efficiency and allow your staff to spend more time focusing on your guests.
Glory's OEM technology delivers the performance you need when it comes to cash handling in your self-service solutions, from easy integration for rapid time to market, to the reliability and security your customers demand.
The Ntegra-TS™ Plus and Pro are highly reliable compact and portable desktop solutions designed to specifically address your banknote counting and sorting challenges. With unprecedented efficiency savings through continuous and uninterrupted use, Ntegra can denominate and authenticate different currencies at a processing speed of 1,200 notes per minute.
Interested in this product and the related solutions?
Ensures organisations meet various legislative standards or specifically defined requirements.
When Caja Rural de Asturias, Spain, wanted an innovative and efficient high-performance technology solution for authenticating and sorting banknotes, they turned to Glory's Ntegra.
The Remote customer displays enable an organisation to provide valuable information to a consumer during their transaction.


text:
Jewish Studio Project: Built for Times of Uncertainty
"I felt connected and at home. It was a massive relief—I have actually spent the years since smicha without a spiritual Jewish community that felt like my home, separate from anywhere I was serving as a leader. Jewish Studio Project spoke my spiritual language."
– Participant in Jewish Studio Project's Sunday Studio Immersive
Jewish Studio Project (JSP) believes that creativity is the best tool for exploring, adapting, and coming up with new ways to thrive in an ever-changing world. Since 2015, JSP has become a leading resource for creative learning and spiritual connection across the country. Through its immersive experiences, creative facilitator trainings, professional development partnerships and community programming, JSP has served over 15,000 participants and collaborated with over 100 organizations seeking creative approaches to Jewish engagement.
"This course was even better than I expected and rather than a course that promotes art as just a "feel-good" or meditative activity, I felt really connected to my work at Hillel and in the Jewish world. Not only did this content give me student programming ideas, it also made me reflect on how I work."
-Participant in JSP's track at Hillel International's virtual Dwell conference
Amid times of challenge and uncertainty, JSP's collaborations with individuals, organizations, and communities across the country invite and inspire people to "make art about it." Whether the "it" is grief, bewilderment, fracture, or feelings of uncertainty, JSP provides sacred spaces in which new stories, prophetic imagination, and hope-filled possibilities can emerge. More than ever, individuals and organizations need tools and support to navigate the uncertainty of the moment and imagine a better future. In the midst of a pandemic, JSP digs deep into the wellspring of collective creativity to bring about profound shifts in the way people live, work and connect as a community and broader society.
These efforts are guided by the Jewish Studio Process, a unique methodology that combines creative practices from the field of art therapy with Jewish learning techniques and spiritual community building. For nearly six thousand years, our ancestors honored creativity as a sacred undertaking, interpreting and reinterpreting scripture not only so that the text might speak to the challenges and needs of their times, but itself as a spiritual practice to cultivating creative habits of mind. JSP combines this creative process inherited from Jewish traditions with the creative process of art-making from the field of art therapy to create a vital new pathway into Judaism, social change, and into each person's own soul. Individuals and teams are empowered to activate their imagination and bring emotions and intuition into their engagement with Jewish life. The outcome is an ever-more resilient and resourced people, able to continually reimagine lives and recreate the future.
"This program helped me to grapple with and release many of the pressures and difficulties I was experiencing during this last year. From Covid, housemates to racism and worldly horrors. This was a creative release and processing of emotions, difficulties and trauma. I loved the concepts, the writing and I really loved the reflections on our work."
– Participant in JSP's Creative Resilience Program, a three month immersive professional development cohort for young adult professionals in the Bay Area
Now in its seventh year, aligned with this year of shmita (of rest and release), JSP dove deep into an intensive strategic planning journey – "Immersing to Emerge Anew" – to chart JSP's next chapter. JSP has a bold plan for the next three years that is "courageous, inspiring and achievable," centered around four key focus areas: thought leadership, creative practice, network building, and R&D. As the organization begins this exciting new chapter, JSP is poised to engage far more people and inspire networks, helping them connect deep Jewish experiences with the power of creativity as a vital resource for social transformation.
The Jim Joseph Foundation is a supporter of Jewish Studio Project. Learn more at jewishstudioproject.org.


text:
Q: Parsing long structured strings in python I am trying to extract data from hundreds of text strings that have the following structure:
[{
    "x": 63.43947250969682,
    "y": 88.9877012738793,
    "id": 281281,
    "p": "S.Jones",
    "h": false,
    "t": "SYD",
    "ts": 52,
    "qt": "Q1-0:52",
    "sp": 6,
    "g": false,
    "b": false,
    "rb": false,
    "d": "First Possession",
    "di": 70,
    "a": 25
}, {
    "x": 60.321184902496682,
    "y": 89.602683737848977,
    "id": 290778,
    "p": "L.Parker",
    "h": false,
    "t": "SYD",
    "ts": 53,
    "qt": "Q1-0:53",
    "sp": 3,
    "g": false,
    "b": false,
    "rb": false,
    "d": "Effective Pass",
    "di": 68,
    "a": 27
}]

Clearly, the square brackets are used to group collections of elements, the  curly brackets {} sub-collections and the field titles are given in quotes, e.g. "x", with their result separated by ":". I am using python and have tried BeautifulSoup, but given the structure is not really typical html, I can't seem to get it working.
What is the best way to parse this? Are there any good packages that I can leverage to extract the data? Grateful for any suggestions here!

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Imaging Neuroinflammation after Stroke: Current Status of Cellular and Molecular MRI Strategies.
Cellular and molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) strategies for studying the spatiotemporal profile of neuroinflammatory processes after stroke are increasingly being explored since the first reports appeared about a decade ago. These strategies most often employ (super)paramagnetic contrast agents, such as (ultra)small particles of iron oxide and gadolinium chelates, for MRI-based detection of specific leukocyte populations or molecular inflammatory markers that are involved in the pathophysiology of stroke or plasticity. In this review we describe achievements, limitations and prospects in the field of cellular and molecular MRI of neuroinflammation in preclinical and clinical stroke. Several studies in rodent stroke models have demonstrated the application of MRI contrast agents for imaging of monocyte infiltration, which served as the foundation for pilot (small-scale proof-of-concept) cellular MRI studies in stroke patients. This may be achieved with isolated cells that are loaded with contrast agent through in vitro incubation prior to systemic administration. Alternatively, superparamagnetic iron oxide particles may be directly injected into the circulation to allow in vivo uptake by phagocytic cells. Both strategies have been successfully employed to measure the spatiotemporal profile of invasion of monocytes in and around cerebral ischemic lesions in experimental stroke models. Molecular MRI studies with target-specific contrast agents have shown the capability for in vivo detection of molecular markers after experimental stroke. For example, (super)paramagnetic micro- or nanoparticles that are functionalized with a ligand (e.g. an antibody) for specific cell adhesion molecules, such as E-selectin and vascular cell adhesion molecule 1 (VCAM-1), can target inflamed, activated endothelium, whose presence can subsequently be detected with MRI. Present applications remain limited as most of the currently available contrast agents provide relatively poor contrast enhancement, which is not easily discriminated from endogenous sources of tissue contrast. Nevertheless, current developments of more efficient particles, such as biocompatible liposomes, micelles and nanoemulsions that can contain high payloads of (super)paramagnetic material as well as other substances, such as dyes and drugs, may open a window of opportunities for promising translational multimodal imaging strategies that enable in vivo assessment of (neuroinflammatory) disease markers, therapeutic targets as well as drug delivery after stroke.
16043913 - Aggressive basal cell carcinoma in the nasal region.
6736993 - Ct scan in severe diffuse head injury: physiological and clinical correlations.
Biomedical MR Imaging and Spectroscopy Group, Image Sciences Institute, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Previous Document: Monte-Carlo dosimetry on a realistic cell monolayer geometry exposed to alpha particles.


It's that time again to update our Siggys!
Each week the girls post a different picture in their siggy. This gives each of us an opportunity to show off just a little bit more of our lives to everyone on the board. Eventually this (page and the siggy challenge information) will be passed onto another DW bride to continue.
If you can't change your siggy post it in the thread so we can all see!!!
***To put a picture into your siggy, you'll need to log into your "The Knot" Profile (NOT your bio!).
After you login to your account, click on My Knot in the upper left hand corner.
Next, click on My Bio which is located sort of in the middle but slightly to the right towards the top.
Then, click on Edit My Avatar & Sig located on the top directly under where it says My Bio.
replacing "tinyurlhere" with your personal tinyurl for that week's picture. Save your changes and your picture shoud now show up in your siggy!
Whichever works better for you is the one I would recommend.


text:
Parlour Article: A+W Dulux Awards by Lynda Simmons
We are always very proud to have the support of Australia's Parlour, world leaders in issues of equity, gender and architecture. On 5 November 2018, Parlour published an article on the A+W NZ Dulux Awards, written by Lynda Simmons. The article was written at the request of Parlour's editor Justine Clark, who has recognised the impact that the awards programme has had on the profession in New Zealand and surrounding communities. Justine was the MC at the A+W NZ Dulux Awards 2017, and along with Gill Matthewson, was the recipient of the Munro Diversity Award in the inaugural A+W NZ Awards 2014.
Filling The Gaps 5 November 2018
The article is re-printed below;
Graphic design: Studio Catherine Griffiths.
The architectural and design communities are smothered in awards programs – some would argue that there are too many awards events each year by too many organisations, possibly devaluing those awards programs with history, mana and proven high quality.
In 2014, A+W•NZ added to this already saturated field with the establishment of a new awards program, a triennial event with three award categories. Adding to the existing 'over-supply' was due to a general awareness that despite the abundance, there are clearly identified gaps that existing awards programs do not fill. 1 The lack of diversity on stage at any architectural awards event is common, proving that while the existing (mostly excellent) systems serve many well, whole groups of people working in architecture are still unseen to the profession.
With the A+W•NZ Dulux Awards, we sought to create a supplementary system that shifts the attitude, the method and the outcome – of what is measured and who is rewarded. 2
There are two core aims of the A+W•NZ Inc non-profit organisation – raising the visibility of women trained in architecture and associated with New Zealand, and enabling inclusive, equitable work environments – and the A+W•NZ Dulux Awards program works with both. By working from the already strong platform of gender, the intention is to increase true and broad diversity in the architectural profession.
Three award categories:
The A+W•NZ Dulux Awards have three award categories that recognise developing and full careers, and an overall contribution to architecture by individuals or groups. In all three categories, the awards recognise a 'body of work', as opposed to a single object or building or works on paper. The overview of each category, and why it exists, is as follows:
Wirihana Leadership Award
It has been recognised that by the second decade beyond graduation, the career progression and registration ratio between male and female graduates is skewed.3 This period is significant for all architectural careers, and it seems that just as mentoring relationships are defined and future leaders noted, females become less visible. This award aims to maintain focus on female leaders in this important stage of their architectural lives.
The category is open to all members on the A+W•NZ Database who are in their second decade after the date of their graduation. Note: the only exclusions for all three categories relate to A+W NZ Core and Awards Team members.
The naming of this award, after Moana Wirihana (Te Kawerau-a-Maki), calls attention to a rich Maori architectural lineage of women in architecture in New Zealand. Like others such as Te Puea Herangi and Dame Whina Cooper, Moana Wirihana's strong leadership overseeing the design and construction of wharenui has had a large impact on the enduring strong state of toi waihanga, whakairo and tukutuku, and their influence in contemporary society and architecture.
Munro Diversity Award
We believe that the architectural profession is made stronger through the consistent support of those who encourage and celebrate diversity, and hope this award category makes this invaluable work more visible. The Munro Diversity Award is open to all genders, and looks specifically for evidence of continued support strategies for diversity in the workplace, including but not necessarily restricted to gender. The aim is to recognise the invisible work that goes into supporting the many and varied sectors of the architectural community. It is intended that over time, the focus of this award moves from gender (when hopefully issues of gender equity are less pressing) to other areas of diversity more relevant to the era of each award round.
The category is open to all whose careers are in or around the field of architecture. Typically professional awards omit academia and other areas of our community, and the open nature of this award category bring them together.
The naming of this award category acknowledges the social systems in place in early New Zealand architecture, recognising affluence as a requirement for an architectural education, and stereotypes restricting full access to the title of Architect for women. Munro had worked in Christchurch for almost 30 years, in partnership with husband Bob and in the offices of Cecil Wood, before applying to the NZIA for registration in 1960. Her sudden requirement for registration was due to the death of her husband, so that she could continue running their office, which she did until her retirement in 1975.
Photo: Elise Cautley A+W NZ Dulux Awards 2017.
Chrystall Excellence Award
This award is a celebration of those women who have led expanded and full careers in architecture over several decades. A major focus of this career award is recognition of excellence in a body of work, leadership, and contribution to the community through mentorship. The award takes into account the broad range of areas to which women often contribute, within and around the architectural profession. The intention of this award is to make visible the talent of women at the top of the architectural field, possibly influencing generations of students as well as the future consideration for the NZIA Gold Medal – deemed the highest accolade of the profession in New Zealand and one which has never been awarded to a woman.
The category is open to all members of the A+W•NZ Database, plus pre-1972 graduating women, who have had a full career in architecture of at least three decades.
Lillian Chrystall is a role model to so many, being the first female to win an NZIA National Award in 1967, one of the earliest to set up her own practice, the first female design tutor at The University of Auckland as part of Vernon Brown's studio, and a Fellow of the NZIA. While a reluctant star, Lillian has undoubtedly generated a significant body of work, influenced many and contributed to Auckland's urban environment in both a pragmatic and uncontroversial manner. With her retirement in 2012 following a 64-year career, Lillian is one of New Zealand's most enduring and talented practitioners, and we are proud that she has lent her name to our excellence award.
It is noted by many that there is no award category for students and graduates of architecture, and this was a deliberate decision made at the time of establishing this award program. The reason for this decision is based on observation and research showing that disparities between genders for career progression do not appear until after approximately 5–7 years post-graduation. 4
We also believe that the student and graduate group is already well-served by many New Zealand award programs – such as the NZIA Student Award, AAA Visionary Award and DINZ Best Design Awards – and that there are no longer significant barriers for females at the universities, which now enjoy a gender balance nationally.5 This current situation is thanks to the hard work of many who have been before, especially those involved with the Women's Institute of Architecture in the late 1970s,6, the nationwide 'Constructive Agenda' exhibition of 1993 7, and of course the legacy of Dr Sarah Treadwell. We all owe them so much.
Small shifts have a big impact
A+W•NZ believes that constant small actions make a large contribution to change, and tend to act incrementally in all areas of our advocacy. With a view to the aims of filling identified gaps left by other awards programs available (eg. low entry rate for females, high entry cost and time commitments, unbalanced juries 8 etc), the A+W•NZ Dulux Awards were designed to have as few barriers to entry as possible, to strengthen networks through collegial generosity, and to attempt to honour work that can often go unseen. The following series of small shifts were identified and made:
1. Entry to the A+W•NZ Dulux Awards is free
To ensure the awards remain inclusive, they are structured to minimise the cost and time commitments that are so often a barrier to award entries. No entry fee is required, and no formatting time or printing costs apply.
2. Entry to the A+W•NZ Dulux Awards is by nomination
The awards are by nomination, with the aim of fostering a generous sense of collegiality among the architectural community. The act of nomination is an important aspect in this process, and the generosity of the nominator forms part of the recognition – making each nomination a joint submission rather than an individual one. (Note that the nominator remains anonymous in the public realm, although they are known to the Jury.)
The nomination process also means that the awards are inclusive of male colleagues and friends, who become part of the awards process.
3. Entry to the A+W•NZ Dulux Awards is simple
To reduce the time commitment for a single participant in the awards entry process, the request for information is spread across three parties:
i. The Nominator: Completes the entry form on behalf of their nominee and submits to A+W•NZ.
ii. The Nominee: Submits their current CV and ten images (max)
iii. The A+W•NZ Dulux Awards Team: Compiles a full file on each nominee based on the information and images provided, a search of the A+W•NZ Archives and a Google search. (A+W•NZ are able to provide links to online material and company websites (already in the public domain) and in the A+W•NZ archives to supplement the file on each entrant. Note that no further research is permissible by the A+W•NZ Awards Team at this stage to avoid bias.)
4. Only three categories
There are only three award categories, aiding each named award category to become familiar and memorable. The key themes behind each award category are Leadership, Diversity and Excellence, with aims and criteria for each as discussed previously. One of the three categories is not gender-restricted, ensuring the whole architectural community is involved in the awards program.
5. All fifteen finalists celebrated at A+W•NZ Dulux Awards Dinner
Despite having only three clear categories, the structure of the awards evening itself ensures that fifteen finalists are celebrated fully and in depth. The A+W•NZ Dulux Awards Dinner event is held at one of the main cities in New Zealand. The location of each A+W NZ Dulux Award round is decided by the current A+W NZ Core Team and always differs from the previous awards location, with an aim of broad national coverage and representation.
Within each category, the A+W•NZ Dulux Awards Jury is asked to select five finalists, and from those five finalists, the Jury chooses one winner. The Jury is selected by the current A+W•NZ Core Team and is always made up of four members: overseas academic and/or practitioner, 'senior' academic and/or practitioner NZ, 'mid-career' (minimum) academic and/or practitioner NZ, 'emerging' practitioner NZ. Each award round sees five people or groups for each category celebrated and documented in the awards publication.
The purpose of the event dinner and publication is to recognise the breadth of talent, rather than only highlight the winners in each category. Feedback from this approach has confirmed that the collegial and generous atmosphere has been felt by many.
6. Awards celebrate a 'body of work', not single objects
Often authorship of architecture can be complex to determine, and award programs that are based on recognition of a single building usually reinforce the flagship practice name.
The A+W•NZ Dulux Awards instead reward a 'body of work', an approach never taken by a full awards program in New Zealand before. 9 Judging is always based on outstanding architectural design talent, and the ability to identify and locate the 'body of work' into a wider context (of New Zealand and International architecture).
The clear judging criteria ensure that a consistent and high quality throughout the awards program is maintained. An information sheet for each award category is available on the website covering the aims, entry criteria and judging criteria. Finalists are also selected based on evidence of leadership in the architectural community and wider communities, evidence of working well in collaboration across a diverse spectrum of groups, mentoring relationships identified, and evidence of a positive work/life balance to role model to following generations.
7. Triennial
By holding the A+W•NZ Dulux Awards every three years rather than annually, they are eagerly anticipated by many in the architectural community due to the lengthy gap between each award round. The awards celebrate 'part and whole careers', which cannot be produced annually as buildings are, therefore this timing is important to the longevity of the awards.
8. Open to group entries
The awards encourage the collaborative nature of architecture to be made visible and rewarded, and invite collectives, practices and groups to enter, as well as individuals.
9. Publication naming women
When A+W•NZ was established in 2011, an important aim was to increase the number of publications featuring women in the national architecture school libraries. A book for each triennial award round ensures that the fifteen finalists gain a place on library shelves for future students and architects to study, and hopefully their names included in the future writing of New Zealand architectural history.
Since the establishment of the A+W•NZ Award program in 2014, we have noticed a positive impact on the careers of our award nominees, finalists and winners. We have heard that the act of nomination has made many practice leaders look again at the people in their teams, and we have seen promotions or significant leader positions offered soon after each award round.
We love that the awards add to the profession in a way that acknowledges the support of peers and colleagues, fostering generosity in the architectural community. Also, we have noted the addition of some new award categories in other programs that are similar in spirit to one or more of our three awards, and are honoured to see our work having such an incremental effect.
The approach that A+W•NZ has always taken to large issues affecting architecture and the profession is to act incrementally. We believe that constant small actions with intention can make a significant contribution to change, and have been heartened to see that our advocacy since forming in 2011 has had real outcomes in many areas of our profession. In fact, our incremental approach to large, stubborn issues has been our strength – we are an agile organisation able to respond and deliver quickly when issues of inequity are identified.
We call this the 'Helen Clark approach', where a well-laid overall plan can be worked towards with a series of small and consistent steps, with often rippling effects into the broader community. Clark has been described by Simon Wilson as "a steady incrementalist instead of a shake-it-all-up activist", an approach we admire and try to emulate.10
This method differs from more policy-heavy larger institutions and enables us to fill gaps they do not reach. This way we supplement, rather than compete with, the good work already being done for the profession.
At a recent Parlour event, A+W•NZ was asked if we were an activist organisation or one of advocacy.11 Our response positioned us very clearly within advocacy – because we consciously avoid the culture of blame and negativity that can accompany activism – but we admire activism, and one group formed in the same year as both Parlour and A+W•NZ who employ this approach is Moscow-based guerrilla performance band Pussy Riot. Their sacrifice, power and aesthetic style – especially the colourful balaclavas – show that the pursuit of equity through activism can be effective. We appreciate the difference, are grateful for the various approaches in action taken by so many globally, and remain firmly in our path of incremental change to fill identified gaps.
As Co-Founder and Co-Chair of Architecture+Women•NZ, Lynda Simmons combines her passion for community involvement in all things architectural with practice, research and teaching. Lynda is a practising architect with more than 30 years of experience, combined with over 20 years working in architectural education. A Fellow of the NZIA, Lynda has been the recipient of several awards, and has served on and convened many awards juries.
A survey of NZIA Awards at a regional/national level was undertaken in 2014 by Megan Rule and Lynda Simmons, showing that just 6.5% of the awards conferred in a twenty year period (1993–2013) were to (visible) female architects. See Block Itinerary No.49 Architecture By Women 2003–2013 ↵
The A+W•NZ Core Team behind the creation of the awards program in 2014 were Lynda Simmons, Megan Rule, Julie Wilson and Elisapeta Heta. Other team members assisting with the inaugural event (27/9/14) were Nicole Allan, Hannah Sharp, and Aimee Lee. Dulux became our principal awards sponsor in 2017 and the awards re-named as the A+W•NZ Dulux Awards. Dulux are committed to long-term support of the awards. ↵
See Errol Haarhoff, Practice and Gender in Architecture. A survey of New Zealand Architecture Graduates 1987-2008 (Auckland: University of Auckland, 2010) and Gill Matthewson, The Numbers in a Nutshell (Parlour, 2017). ↵
Gill Matthewson, Parlour Census Report 2011–2016: Women in Architecture in Australia (Parlour, October 2018). ↵
Julia Gatley & Lucy Treep, eds., The Auckland School: 100 Years of Architecture and Planning (Auckland: University of Auckland, 2017). Statistics show 55% female:45% male at The University of Auckland's School of Architecture and Planning. Both Victoria University and Unitec have approximately the reverse proportions. Haarhoff, 2010: The SoAP at The University of Auckland has had at least 40% female/60% male since the turn of the millennium. ↵
The WIA (Women's Institute of Architecture, later Women in Architecture) was established in 1979 by Janet Thomson, Amanda Reynolds and Fiona Christeller, and grew to include Claire Chambers, Gill Matthewson, Heather Ives and many others. https://architecturewomen.org.nz/archives/janet-thomson-women-and-archit... ↵
The Constructive Agenda exhibition was initiated by Jane Dykes (Wellington) and Amanda Reynolds (Auckland). There were many people involved in these exhibitions; more information can be found in Home and Building (June/July 1993), 22–28; architecture nz (Nov/Dec 1993), 33–51. ↵
A recent campaign called Designers Speak (Up) was started by Catherine Griffiths, calling attention to the data collected from the Best Awards results and juries since 1997, and the disproportionate absence of women. ↵
Note that as part of the NZIA National Awards, there are President's Awards that can be used for this purpose, and the NZIA Gold Medal, which does reward a full career and body of work. ↵
Simon Wilson, "The Big Read: Helen Clark and the Apocalypse", NZ Herald, 31 August 2018. "She never attacks. She never inflames. She is the quiet, persistent, step-by-step achiever. She has 'the philosophy that you know where you want to go, but you can't go there in one leap so what are the series of steps that will . . . get you where you want to go.' Being a steady incrementalist instead of a shake-it-all-up activist allowed her to be prime minister for nine years." ↵
Parlour Super Salon, 2–4pm 11 August 2018, WORKAROUND, RMIT Design Hub, Melbourne. ↵
photos: Alice O'Brien-Gortner - 2014 A+W NZ Awards


Susan, it sounds like you have a wonderful Thanksgiving Day planned for this year at the Magic Kingdom! Your dining reservations are perfect and to end it in the castle with Cinderella's Royal Table is everyone's dream!
In the past Thanksgiving Day has not been a day that the parks get to capacity. However, each year is different and it is impossible to know ahead of time if this is going to change this year. I suggest when you are there and it is time that you want to exit ask to talk with the cast manager at the gates and discuss your plans. That person should have the best knowledge on the numbers of guests in the park for that day and would advise you about leaving.


A group of journalists from Nepal are visiting Emerson College for the US-Nepal Embassy Emerson Election Project to observe and report on the U.S. presidential election and sharpen their knowledge of the American political system.
The journalists—Sunita Pahari, Nabin Khatiwada, Girish Bhattarai, Pashupati Budhathoki, and Manoj Dahal—landed in Boston about two weeks ago and have been attending workshops and rallies by the presidential candidates. A similar project took place during the 2008 presidential election, when the College hosted journalists from Indonesia.
Dr. Gregory Payne, chair of the Department of Communication Studies, is guiding this project. He and the journalists attended rallies for Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump so that they can understand the election culture in the United States from the grassroots level.
The journalists went to a Clinton rally in New Hampshire that Senator Elizabeth Warren attended, Payne said. They were at a Granite State Trump rally when the news broke that FBI Director James Comey said he would reopen the investigation into Clinton's emails.
"This collaboration represents the global reach of the [Communication Studies] department and Emerson College," Payne said.
The journalists were fascinated with the difference between the election process and campaigning in Nepal and the United States, and how campaigns here work through technology and digital platforms.
Khatiwada also said he was surprised to learn that American media will endorse candidates for office—something that no news outlet does in Nepal.
The journalists said they felt that allegations and scandals took the center stage during this election cycle, with issues of national importance and foreign policies taking a backseat. They added that from the reportage in South Asia, they assumed that America did not have issues such as wage inequalities for women or racial discrimination, but now they have a better understanding of the flaws in the American system.
However, they said they were in awe of the learning environment that has been provided for students at Emerson and felt that this experience will improve their writing and reporting skills.
In the coming days, the journalists from Nepal will also visit Washington, New York, Virginia, and Ohio.


In keeping with a coaching direction built via Dr. Joseph T. Piechocki and different specialists during this box whose contributions seem during this ebook for 2 overseas conferences at the Photostability of gear and Drug items, this article clarifies the information set via the overseas convention on Harmonization (ICH) and offers a finished historical past within the medical rules concerned about photostability testing. offering the benefits and downsides of assorted methods so the reader can decide upon and make the most of the main applicable method best-suited to their wishes, this resource contains references to present literature within the box and gives an opinion on destiny possibilities and demanding situations.
During this quantity a survey of the main correct nonlinear crack types is supplied, with the aim of examining the nonlinear mechanical results happening on the tip of macrocracks in quasi-brittle fabrics - reminiscent of concrete, rocks, ceramics, polymers, high-strength steel alloys - and in brittle-matrix fibre-reinforced composites.
25. selected were frequently cited in the literature as to their light sensitivity, a fact not necessarily always borne out by subsequent testing. The degree of deterioration of the chemicals studied was determined using the official assay whenever possible. In other instances, assays for specific impurities or color changes were used. D. dissertation (25). Results obtained on some of these same chemicals are reported in Table IV of their report as to their "General Findings as to Deterioration" (24).
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HARMONIZATION GUIDELINE DEVELOPMENT ICH Steering Committee was established and had its first meeting in April 1989. The main purpose of this organization was "…to seek ways to eliminate redundant and duplicative technical requirements for the registering new medicinal substances and products. " ICH 1, the first international ICH meeting, was held in Brussels in November of 1991. This meeting, sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries' Associations (EFPIA), was composed of three parallel workshops on the topics of Quality, Safety, and Efficacy and identified 11 topics for harmonization.
The main purpose of this organization was "…to seek ways to eliminate redundant and duplicative technical requirements for the registering new medicinal substances and products. " ICH 1, the first international ICH meeting, was held in Brussels in November of 1991. This meeting, sponsored by the Commission of the European Communities and the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries' Associations (EFPIA), was composed of three parallel workshops on the topics of Quality, Safety, and Efficacy and identified 11 topics for harmonization.


The conference takes place in Bremen, Germany, from July 4-6, 2018. It is devoted to the power of systems medicine and the implementation of systems biology approaches in medical research and medical practice.
Contributions as talks or posters for the areas of signal transduction & inflammation, metabolism, computational & experimental techniques, as well as systems medicine & clinical applications are solicited. Furthermore, four hands-on workshops that allow you to get practical insight into systems-biology and systems-medicine related tools are offered.


At Modlode we cater to the Wedding and Special Event Industry. To date we are honored to have been part of hundreds of weddings in 2017/18 and look forward to working with you too!
Make your event unique and stylish with our stunning mini Spheres. Each one is handmade in the United States using metal tubing, cut to exact lengths and woven together to form a geometric sphere. We offer our spheres in several different sizes and finishes but this listing is for a SET OF 10 of our Modlode 2.5" Small Spheres.
If you want something larger than other product listings in our store for 4", 6", 7.5", 9.5" and 11" spheres. We welcome custom requests for larger spheres.
All our spheres are made from a brass tubing that is plated with a metallic finishes of rose gold/copper, silver and black matte. None of these finishes will tarnish or change color. However, the Brass/Gold finish is a polished brass tubing which in time, will darken slightly due to oxidation. To return it to its bright, light gold color, simple rub the rods with some vinegar. We recommend keeping your brass somewhere with low humidity. If you live in an area with high humidity, keep them in a sealed bag until you are ready to display them so you don't have to use vinegar.
During the busy season, from March to August, we have a constant flow of wedding orders. Please order, if possible, at least a few weeks before your wedding. We will ALWAYS deliver on time - no need to worry about that - but we do get many, many, many rush wedding and special event orders. Customers find us at the last minute and order and we always fulfill but prefer a little bit of extra time whenever possible.
Be sure to indicate DATE OF YOUR EVENT in the notes section of checkout.
Click her to view our listing for larger spheres.


If the erasure of Hillary and a female White House aide by Brooklyn's Orthodox Hasidic newspaper, Der Tzitung, from the White House "Security Room" photo is informative at all, it's to tell us that religious fundamentalism is alive and well in America, too. If it serves a constructive function, on the other hand (which I think it does, given how many people ended up forwarding this to me), it's to visually illustrate, without so many words, how much the upper reaches of the government, particularly the military (and the security establishment, as well?) remains largely a boys club.
update 1: … And then, check out what the Hasids did with Laura Bush in '08.
update 2: Finally, there's this gem from Dependable Renegade (thank, Marc!).


The FlickLock Snow Saw is a multi-functional and essential tool for snowpack evaluation and backcountry travel.
Whether you're cutting test blocks and cleaning sidewalls in a snow pit or sawing tree branches during a tree-well burial, the Black Diamond FlickLock Snow Saw is a must-have for your backcountry toolbox. The saw easily attaches to most Black Diamond FlickLock ski pole shafts for extended reach behind large snow columns, and the durable sheath keeps it from tearing up the inside of your pack.


Irvine, Calif., May 23, 2018 – Roland DG Corporation, a world-leading manufacturer of wide-format inkjet printers, 3D milling machines, and other digital imaging technology, has announced the winners of its Global SE Awards 2018 competition. The event, which took place April 23-25 at Roland DG headquarters in Hamamatsu, Japan, tested the product knowledge and technical skills of top Service Engineers – 28 finalists from around the world that won regional contests within their respective territories. This year's competition pitted finalists against each other in two categories: Inkjet Printers, and the new 3D Devices category which included dental milling machines.
To learn more about the Roland DG Global SE Awards competition, visit https://www.rolanddg.com/en/support/roland-dg-care/se-awards-2018. For more information on Roland's complete product lineup, visit www.rolanddga.com.


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The links between parents and children need to be strong enough to keep the Chain of Tradition from breaking. Rebbetzin Spetner describes what self-chinuch is all about, and just as your emotions are felt, your children learn from your emotions the most. This session can be a game changer for you, your family and all future generations.
Despite a mother's best efforts to cover up any unbecoming emotions in her actions that may confuse a child, children can still sense that somethings off. Rebbetzin Spetner explains practical ways to be more aware of your emotions, and how to bolster your external positive actions - even if you doubt they exist in you.
Children often suffer discomfort at the hands of their parents, yet at the end of the day they exchange expressions of love. So why if we are children of Hashem is it so hard to respond in a similar way? Rebbetzin Spetner helps us experience Divine affection, and how we can bring ourselves to accept the on-going pain of growth when we are feeling unworthy?


During an upper endoscopy, your doctor will pass an endoscope through your mouth. But the light, flexible devise doesn't interfere with your breathing. Most patients consider the test slightly uncomfortable, but not painful. Your doctor might spray your throat with a local anesthetic or give you a sedative to help you relax. Recovery time is minimal, but you may experience some bloody saliva or a sore throat. You'll be able to eat and drink immediately after you leave unless your doctor instructs otherwise.
You may be able to blame that painful, burning sensation behind your chest on more than last night's meatball sub. Other factors can contribute to chronic heartburn other than spicy food and late night snacks, although those trigger-foods certainly don't help matters. Heartburn is more common in people with a hiatal hernia, where part of the stomach protrudes into the chest cavity. It can also be heightened by pregnancy. But ongoing heartburn can also be GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), a condition in which food or liquid travels backwards from the stomach to the esophagus.
Progestin for abnormal menstrual bleeding or even birth control pills Check with your doctor before making any changes.
Eating smaller meals, staying active every day and eliminating cigarettes can do more than whittle a few inches from your waistline. These get-healthy moves can also ease the symptoms of chronic heartburn. Obesity increases abdominal pressure, which can push stomach contents up into the esophagus. Even losing just 10 to 15 pounds can cause some people's symptoms to disappear completely. Switching to smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day puts less pressure on the lower esophageal sphincter (LES), decreasing food reflux. And when it comes to smoking, quitting makes sense because the chemicals in the tobacco weaken the LES.
Since the very early stages of esophageal cancer can show no symptoms, early diagnosis can be elusive. And currently, there aren't any tests used to screen for esophageal cancer in the general population. But people who have a high risk of the disease should be screened regularly with an upper endoscopy. Who's at risk? People with Barrett's esophagus, a condition in which the tissue lining the esophagus is replaced by tissue that is similar to the lining of the intestine, are considered high risk, as are heavy smokers, heavy drinkers, people who are obese and people with damage from frequent acid reflux.
Even though people with esophageal ulcers, Barrett's Esophagus disorder or GERD are at higher risk for developing esophageal cancer, these diseases don't necessarily lead to cancer. This cancer is not common, with 13,000 men and 3,500 women getting diagnosed every year. However, the incidence of esophageal cancer is increasing more rapidly than any form of internal cancer in the world. Early esophageal cancer usually does not cause symptoms, so diagnosis is difficult. However, as the cancer grows, symptoms may include painful or difficult swallowing, weight loss and coughing up blood. To be sure, every adult over the age of 40 with chronic esophagus-related conditions should be screened on a regular basis.
Experiencing some random upper GI problems can mean it is time to schedule an upper endoscopy to determine the cause. An upper endoscopy can help doctors determine the source of their patients' abdominal pain, vomiting and nausea, anemia, unexplained weight loss and difficulties swallowing. So don't suffer in silence if you are experiencing any of these problems. Schedule a visit with your doctor to determine the root of any upper GI problems.
Heartburn and heart pain are different but can feel dangerously the same. When you feel pain after a meal, it's probably just heartburn — but don't discount it as it might be a heart attack warning sign. How do you know if it's your heart? Warning signs may include chest pain along with shortness of breath, dizziness and sweating; pain spreading to the back, neck, jaw, shoulders or arms (especially the left arm); and any sudden tightening or pressure in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes. But heartburn symptoms may seem the same. So when in doubt, seek medical attention.
You don't have to wait forever to discover the results of your upper GI endoscopy. In fact, if results are ready, expect your doctor to share them with you as soon as your sedative wears off before you head home after the procedure. However, if a biopsy is needed during the procedure, it will be a few days before the results will be available.
Throat, chest or abdominal pain that worsens over time.


Now out on the Kindle store on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and other Kindle stores worldwide!
India's first fantasy novel in English.
The Simoqin Prophecies, first published in 2003 in India, was critically acclaimed and an instant bestseller. It marked the beginning of Indian fantasy writing in English.
Written with consummate ease and brimming with wit and allusion, it is at once classic sff and subtle spoof, featuring scantily clad centauresses, flying carpets, pink trolls, belly dancers and homicidal rabbits. Monty Python meets the Ramayana, Alice in Wonderland meets The Lord of the Rings and Robin Hood meets The Arabian Nights in this novel—a breathtaking ride through a world peopled by different races and cultures from mythology and history.
As the day of Danh-Gem's rising draws closer and the chosen hero is sent on a quest, another young man learns of terrible things he must do in secret and the difficult choices he must make in order to save the world from the rakshas.


text:
Argentina celebrate after gutsy draw with Japan at Women's World Cup
Mon 10 Jun 2019 16.39 EDT Last modified on Tue 11 Jun 2019 05.27 EDT
Argentina's defender Agustina Barroso (R) celebrates with Aldana Cometti at the end of the match. Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images
Argentina held the 2011 champions Japan to a 0-0 draw on Monday to earn their first ever point in the Women's World Cup. Argentina lost their previous six World Cup matches in 2003 and 2007, and missed the 2011 and 2015 tournaments and had been outscored 33-2 in the six previous World Cup matches before their 2019 opener against Japan.
"For women's football in Argentina it is great that we are starting to flourish," Argentina coach Carlos Borrello said. "We are starting on our way and just starting to face up to these powerful forces in football."
All eyes on Women's World Cup, plus the Nations League and more – Football Weekly
Argentina offered little threat but were compact and tough for Japan to break down. "I congratulated my players. The fact they understand your game plan and are so disciplined on the pitch is very satisfying to see," Borrello said. "'We couldn't play any other way against this team. We had to stay back and be very, very organised and then come out with some counter attacks. It was very satisfying to earn a point."
Japan took until the 50th minute to test goalkeeper Vanina Correa, who stopped forward Kumi Yokoyama's low shot from about 35 yards out. Minutes later Japan midfielder Yui Hasegawa botched a good chance, swiping left of the goal from close range after a cross from the right.
Correa then palmed away a low cross from the right in the last minute and was hugged by her teammates at the final whistle.
"This point is really, really important for us. We will able to show what Argentina represents as a team," midfielder and captain Estefania Banini said. "I think we can do this, we can compensate and make up for the gap that does exist. We can make up for it with our attitude."
The gap between the sides was not so evident, but also because Japan, runner-up in 2015, were lacklustre.
Japan have just one win in seven matches this year. The national team have lost twice with four draws, including Monday's against Argentina. It was a subdued evening at Parc des Princes, with the 48,000-capacity stadium just over half full a far cry from the raucous atmosphere during France's 4-0 win against South Korea on Friday.
The rise and stall of women's football in Japan
Argentina centre forward Sole Jaimes made her presence felt with heavy challenges in the first half, one drawing a gasp from the crowd. But the referee Stephanie Frappart, who next season becomes the first woman to officiate full-time in the men's French top flight, Ligue 1, did not caution her. She did, however, show yellow cards to two Japanese players late in the first half for less robust interventions.
Japan had a good deal of possession around the Argentina box but could not find a way to test Correa in the first half. However, a handling error from Correa almost gave Japan the lead. She misjudged Yokoyama's shot from 35 yards out and palmed it to her right, where the advancing Yuika Sugasawa scooped it over from a tight angle.
She made amends later with a commanding presence on corners and crosses that was a welcome relief to her teammates. "There's no doubt in my mind that the goalkeeper has a really strong bearing over the whole team," Borrello said. "She's got a lot of experience and she showed that."
Argentina play England next, and Japan face Scotland. Both matches are on Friday.
Argentina women's football team
Japan women's football team


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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


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