Reading: Malachi 3:1-16; 4:1-6; Matt. 17:3-4.
We have been thinking together of the voice at the end time, seeing the nature of that end time instrument as set forth in Malachi, John the Baptist, and the apostle Paul, and just for these moments, the note of emphasis which is in my heart is with regard to their utterness for the Lord.
You notice in Malachi what we have read. Malachi strikes that note very strongly and very definitely. The whole of his prophecies have to do with a partial devotion to the Lord, that which is merely and only on the outside; a system of works, activities, things occupied with maintaining traditions and keeping up formalities, a certain kind of zeal which had to do with things. And on the other hand, over against that, the burden of the message of the Lord for something infinitely more than that, something wholly of the heart; the dissatisfaction of the Lord, the discontent of Jehovah into which His messenger had entered in a very real way, sounding this note of Jehovah's discontent and seeking to bring the Lord's people to a place of utterness for the Lord. And as we have again and again pointed out, that utterness for the Lord resulting from his ministry - seen in that remnant of the remnant, that little company that feared the Lord, spoke one to another, and thought upon His Name - utterness for the Lord.
And then you notice as you get to the end of his prophecies there comes in that verse 5 of chapter 4 where Elijah is introduced into this thing. It is very wonderful how at the end the Lord gathers up the outstanding things of all the dispensation. John gathers up all the Law and the Prophets. In him the whole of the Old Testament is represented. And you find an end time thing is a collecting up and gathering together of the greatest features of all that has gone before, and so the Lord is out to recover all that has been outstanding according to His mind. And before you get to the end, Elijah is introduced and you have John the Baptist and Elijah brought together in Malachi. And you find John the Baptist fulfilling this prophecy and going his way, and you find Elijah brought in and linked with John the Baptist, and you have in Matt. 11:14 (see also Luke 1:17) Malachi 3 and 4 brought together.
The Lord Jesus has already said before He reached the Mount of Transfiguration that Elijah in spirit and power would reappear in the person of John the Baptist" Thus He makes that most extraordinary statement that Elijah has come and they did to him what they would, and they understood that He spoke concerning John the Baptist. You see in Malachi, John the Baptist, Elijah, and that other great end time representative Paul, one feature perhaps more conspicuous than any other feature, that was utterness for the Lord. Elijah - "I have been very jealous for the Lord...". There was a man who was utterly, utterly poured out, abandoned to the interests of the Lord Himself. It was a costly business for Elijah. He was so utterly devoted to the interests of the Lord that he got to the place where he thought he was the only one, and it was excusbecoming and feeling you are the only person in the world who is right. You can become very zealous for the Lord so that you feel that there is no one else like you and you feel that no one else knows your burden, no one else is able to understand your concern. And I think it was because of Elijah's devotion that he felt he was the only one. It was not his pride or conceit, but his devotion. The Lord enlightened him - He  It was pardonable that he thought he only was left. This represents his utterness of devotion to the Lord, a man poured out for God.
Malachi stands in that position. He cries, "Bring the whole tithe", be utter for the Lord. John is just there. He has nothing for himself: no name for himself; no reputation for himself. Nothing for himself - "I must decrease"; "He is preferred before me"; "The latchet of His shoes I am unworthy to unloose". And if it is true in these cases, so we see how much more true in the case of the apostle Paul. If it were possible, he excelled in this thing. If ever there was a man who had that to let go, to abandon, to give up, it was Paul, but "I count all things loss and as refuse for the excellency of Christ Jesus my Lord" and at the end he did not lose anything in his utter devotion to the Lord and His interests - "That I may know Him".
Now, that is only one note and it is just the one note I have on my heart now. Very simple, but very solemn and very searching. Oh, if I may put it this way: I would not urge upon you anything that is not a concern of myself. For myself I feel the need of (and my earnest cry to the Lord is for) a position where it is abandonment to the Lord, where it is the Lord. There is this fact, that we are born into a religious system which is highly organised so that the Christian life becomes so utterly a matter of organised work and its manifold interests. We get taken up with that, and everything for us is organised. If we are asked to do a bit of work, well, alright, we may do it if we feel in a mood for it, or by some great effort and self-sacrifice, by fear of our own conscience or some other reason, we may do it. But, oh for the spontaneity that does not wait until work is for us to do and doors opened so that all we have to do is walk through. We are out, not for the work, but the Lord, we have the Lord and His interests so definitely at heart so that it is not in season and out of season, but that every season is in season. It is not a case that we are expected to do it, or it is a part of the thing that we have joined and because we are related it is expected of us and we should do it, or because we are interested in it or because it is incumbent upon us. No, rather, for love's sake that it is my need and the need of the Lord's people today.
It was a company of those who spontaneously did the work of the Lord and talked about the Lord and thought upon His Name; I think some of their thoughts were very sad thoughts. His Name, that wonderful Name, all that that Name represented in Israel, they thought of all that He said about His Name: "Because of My Name"; "I have put My Name there"; "For My Name's sake". The Name of the Lord represented all the Lord's honour, all the Lord's interest, and here in a very general way all that that Name stood for was dishonoured among His own people, and they thought upon His Name. There is a touch of tenderness and pathos about that. It is as if the Lord said, "Yes, all these are not keeping My Name in its place, but you were thinking upon My Name; My interests and My honour were matters of serious thought for you". They thought upon His Name. This is utter devotion to the Lord.
There is such a need for spontaneity and overflowingness of heart among the Lord's people. You ask, and the response you get is very often they will do it as a favour, a condescension, that sort of spirit. If the Lord's interests could be served in any possible way, that ought to be the thing that moves us. That is where I feel we have got to come. Until we get there, things will go slow; there will be deadness and death about it. I am sure that spontaneity is a general feature of Life; Life manifests itself by overflowingness. Think of the overflow of God to us, the ungrudgingness of God to us. He spared not, He gave: "Now let this mind be in you..." it is utterness of things for the Lord. For these men, Elijah, Malachi, John, and Paul, and John the apostle, it was so in their ministry. It was not their life vocation for the Lord that concerned them.
I remember Dr. Forsyth said years ago: "So many men are out to win their audience when they ought to be out to win their case for their Lord". When we get that view, we are on a wrong way. We may lose our audience, reputation, position; the thing is, we must be utterly devoted to the Lord and take all risks for that. It is not some enterprise we are concerned about - "Now, if this thing I represent is not a success it will be a terrible business!" When you get that on your mind, you are open to all sorts of things. If this fellowship does not come up to scratch, you will get troubled, worried, and concerned, and you will adopt this way and that way.
It is the Lord, utterness for the Lord, not a thing, but for the Lord. The difference is just this: are you concerned for some institution, teaching, fellowship, organisation, place, enterprise, testimony? Well, it might be well to be very much concerned for such if it is of God, but beloved, that is not enough. It must be the very heart of things: the Lord Himself; His honour, not our reputation; not things about which we are interested. No! Just how far the Lord is involved, how far the Lord is interested and concerned - you must ask Him to make that clear. I find difficulty in making quite clear and plain what is very clear to me as I speak. I see this feature about Paul.  There has been no man who had so much to show as a result of his work. But it is going... he is losing his place in the hearts of those who owe him most. He is gradually, but very definitely, being shut down until in his prison he has to confess that all in Asia turned away from him, "This one and that one has left me and now only Luke is with me", and it looks as if his whole life work had gone to pieces and he was a failure. If that were the thing that concerned him most of all, he would have died of a broken heart, and ended in despair. Instead of that we have a different result at the end. Why? Because at the end you find intensified stress upon the Lord Himself. Paul is able to say, "If I had spent all this time and energy, this strength, these years in trying to build up for myself something great, then I am a failure and here I have very little to show for it". That would have been the result of his having an enterprise as his life's dominating object. But because it was the Lord so utterly, he could see things go to pieces and still maintain his position in triumph. It's an impressive thing.
 If it is the Lord, you know the Lord, and it is Himself, then you have got something to carry you through the changing aspect of things. When you see things apparently changing for the worst, you know the Lord in it and that carries you through. Ask the Lord to make that very clear to you. That is something precious.
With these men it was not their ministry, work, vocation, enterprise, programmes, schemes; it was the Lord. Therefore they could suffer the apparent wrecking of their schemes and their work, but know that there was that which was eternal at the heart of things that could never be destroyed. It was of God. There is this other thing necessary, of course, to an utterness of devotion to the Lord; that is, a due sense of the state of things with which the Lord is not satisfied. For Elijah, his devotion to the Lord was one half of the thing, the other half was his consciousness of how universally things were not generally spiritual.
Of course you will never be like Elijah, zealous for the Lord with a burning zeal, unless you see some reason for it, and the thing that was Elijah's reason was that the heart of God was disappointed and this state of things did not satisfy the Lord. I believe the Lord is very specially concerned about His own people today. He is. There is the concern which is continuous, age-long, which we must truly share: the concern for the unsaved ones. We must truly have that concern, oh yes, but it does seem to me that, without making less of that than ought to be made, that today the Lord has a great concern about His own people. It does seem that the Lord is desperately anxious (if I may use that word of the Lord) to get His own people somewhere where they are not today. And we, if we are going to be able to co-operate with the Lord, must have a sense of what the lack is, that there is a lack and all that that lack is, and what it is the Lord really wants. Unless we have got that, we have got no zeal and no strength at all. There is a lack. Are you conscious in your heart of a lack, speaking generally, among the Lord's people? A spiritual lack. The Lord deliver us from criticism, the Lord deliver us from anything like the insidious in comparison.
Beloved, many of those who lack spiritually and are far from spiritual perception of the Lord's main things, are devoted children of God. While in the States my heart literally ached for a great many people spiritually, who were the kindest people to me personally. They really showed the love of Christ to me, they were sacrificially devoted to my interests in the time of my need. I really felt the love of Christ coming in through acts of devotion and I thought, "Oh, that you had a perception of the greater things of the Lord!" All they knew was that salvation was to get you out of hell and into heaven, to save a man from going to hell, but they had not got a vista of light beyond that, concerning the great eternal purpose of God in Christ, the eternal election and vocation of the church which is His body. I could see all the mistakes they were making, the false emphasis, and how they themselves were dissatisfied and yet so kind with the love of Christ. We must not criticise and we must not think we are better.
Do everything you possibly can both to avoid and destroy, if it exists, the impression that you or we think that we are somewhere far ahead of other believers. Get rid of that. Never in their presence  we consider ourselves much more enlightened and these poor folk who have got no light. There is nothing that will ever help other people but love. We must not be butchers, but shepherds; not drivers, but leaders. There must be an overflow of God.
Now, one last word. Elijah, Malachi, John, Paul, and others who have fulfilled this purpose for God, bringing Him into His place in a day when He Himself was dissatisfied and disappointed, and they, entering into His disappointment and sorrow of heart because they sensed the lack and the need and the Lord's desire (I say sensed it spiritually; they knew it in their hearts) they were in a position to be such as to whom there was entrusted a distinctive message for their day, and that is no little thing. Of course, the Gospel is a great message, it is a distinctive message. It is a great thing to be able to preach the Gospel, but I am not thinking now so much of the bringing the Gospel to the unsaved as God's unique message of salvation, as I am thinking of the difference between the kind of general Bible truth that is coming to the Lord's people, and Bible readings and addresses - all true, beautiful, and in a way helpful - the difference between that and being a man, a woman, an instrument with a message for the time. You can go to a conference and hear beautiful messages, yes, helpful... but is it an age/time message, something that serves the hour in the times of God?
I feel that an end time voice has got to have a very distinctive note. It has got to have a message, not just a giving out of general truth, helpful in a degree, even in a large measure. It may have a place, but if that is all, it is not enough. There must be a voice for the time, there must be a message for the hour and when that is heard, you will never fail to find some who recognise that voice. You may have a dozen or twenty speakers, but it is the man who has got a message from God for that hour or time, a distinctive message; not the man who is giving a Bible address. It is the man who has got a message and reaches hearts and finds a response somewhere that is deeper than all the other responses, and and who in their hearts register, "This is God's Word for the day, this is God's message for the hour."
The Lord needs a voice for the end time that has got a distinctive message. That message, of course, will bring conflict and stir up jealousy. You will be criticised - there was jealousy among the prophets; you will be set aside, the great public concerns will turn you down as singular, extraordinary, extreme, but you must go on with your message. You may ask, "How does this apply to a general company of the Lord's people?" That is not what I am talking about. Each one of you can be, in the grace of God, a part of that end time voice. You may never in your own vocal capacities be heard outside of your own house, or a gathering for prayer; you may have no platform or public ministry, and yet you are as vitally a part of that end-time voice. You have got to pray that burden through with the Lord. You have got to pray that message out to His people. You have to take this thing on your heart. Let it test you now. When you gather for prayer do you find it easy to sit still and be quiet? Can you sit with folded hands and go through without a movement in your soul? Is your difficulty rather to put your burden into words? That is it, a company, a people with a burden which they may alone be able to express before God, but do not forget there is a mighty vocation about groanings which cannot be uttered.
This is not necessarily a public voice, a clarion call on a platform. It is a burden. It may be a Daniel kind of thing. Daniel was desperately concerned for the Lord's honour and the Lord's Name, and by prayer he shakes the heavens and stirs the principalities and brings himself to a den of lions. Yes, it is all in the way. It is the nature of this thing. It is an utterness of devotion to the Lord, not to Honor Oak, not to Honor Oak's Testimony as a teaching or to any other thing, but to the Lord. And that devotion to the Lord includes these two things: on the one hand a true sense of the Lord's need and discontent, what the Lord longs for, and on the other hand a knowledge of the thing that is going to meet the need - what it is, so that you can say what it is, so that you can say, "I see, I feel, I know the need, but blessed be God I have got the thing that will meet it". It is a terrible thing to sense a need and not know how to meet it. It is a great thing to know that by the grace of God I have got the thing that will make it a new thing.
There is no room for conceit or pride when you have been in the den of lions or the fiery furnace. This thing is too costly to allow you to have conceit. Are you there, right in with God; can you keep silent before God? Is the thing a matter of conscience, or duty, what is expected of you, or if there is any interest of God that can be served in any way, if you have it in you by the grace of God, you do it for the Lord's sake, not because of one who asks you? Can the Lord be served in this? It does not matter who or what if the Lord's interests can be served. We need to be there. Whatever does not apply to you, you can let it go, but I am quite sure that this word applies to us all.
Utterness for the Lord... the whole tithe, and then these two aspects of that: a sense of what the Lord is after, what He needs and what His people lack, and on the other hand being in a blessed spiritual position to, either by prayer or in some other way, bring the supply to the need, to pray through, to pray over that which will bring about the Lord's satisfaction, although it may be only in the remnant of the remnant.
The result of Malachi's ministry was that the great mass still went on asking questions and disputing his assertions: "Wherein have we robbed God?" But the result of his ministry was that there was a company, a remnant in a remnant to satisfy the Lord's heart, and the Lord called them jewels, and I love every word of those 16th and 17th verses. A book of remembrance was kept before Him. "Before Him" - that can be illustrated from the book of Esther. The king could not sleep; it was a providential wakefulness, and he called for the books and he had read from the records, the chronicles, and it was found written that which Mordecai had done. Now it is just like that. A book of remembrance was kept before the Lord and the Lord kept written in there what His people talked about when they talked about Him. They talked one to another and thought upon His Name, and the Lord said to the recording angel, "Put that down, I like that! Read that to Me now and again!"
The Lord is laying up in store that which is precious. A people utterly for Himself. May we be such people by the grace of God.


Worries Roam My Heart by Abdulelah M Jadaa (Hardback, 2013)


Thirty-one years later, I am both saddened and thrilled to announce her retirement. While she has been instrumental in the success of both World Trend Financial and Terry, Lockridge & Dunn; her enduring contribution to me has been beyond measure.
We have been incredibly fortunate to have Patty as a friend and leader. While we will miss her presence in the office, I know her friendship will never go away.


up version that flatters someone’s intellectual prowess, or the factual series of events accompanied by real-time interpretations (hit or miss) of the results.
I’d be interested to find out if this is a common practice across other scientific fields or if its evolution is specific to organic chemistry. In any case, we shouldn’t accept these norms just because everyone does it; instead we need to be critically assessing the way we communicate and perform science. Scientists seek the truth of natural phenomena through experimentation, but our job doesn’t end once we’ve obtained the data. The federal funding system dictates that we share our knowledge with the community, but how we do so is entirely up to us.
Yes, this guilty behaviour is self-inflicted and in theory we should be able to regulate when and to what extent we experience this annoying emotion. However, I think this reaction is pretty prevalent across graduate students. So what are the underlying factors, real or perceived, that contribute to this pressure that we should be spending an alarming portion of our time in lab.
That leaves us to consider influences that can actually be dealt with, namely expectations that we perceive from our peers and impose on ourselves. A certain department’s reputation for back-breaking hours may be perpetuated by students who either have been indoctrinated to this policy or simply do not want to call attention to themselves by bucking the norm. Perpetuation may take the form of simply adhering to the policies, or going one step further and judging the reputation of others who do not put in the requisite hours. This could effectively make you feel bad, but (and I’ve alluded to this), it can do little else.
As for self-induced standards, that is to be expected among a group of highly ambitious people in graduate programs. However, the key to avoiding guilt lies in setting respectable yet attainable goals for yourself. We have to recognize that energy spent worrying is energy wasted, and instead find a way to channel this remorse into future productive accomplishments. Lastly, try to take as many Sunday’s off as possible. It is after all the only day you can stay away from lab guilt-free. </s> When Larry was 5, his grandfather would take him to boxing matches at the Boys Club in Springfield. Larry liked going there so much he became a member. What stood out most to Larry was how the Club helped kids better themselves. They learned social skills, the value of diversity and the importance of being ambitious. Those valuable lessons stuck with Larry, who began his career driving a truck for Pepsi and is now CEO and president of Keurig Dr Pepper. Larry and his wife, Colette, a trustee for Boys & Girls Clubs of America, support Clubserving as National Co-Chairs for BGCA’s Alumni & Friends Association. </s> Basic Balsamic Vinaigrette – Voila!
It’s the latest trend in our house. I make different vinaigrette’s, they taste great and last for about a week. We eat a salad with almost every dinner so this comes in handy! The best part is that the recipe is super flexible so you could add different vinegars or ingredients to turn out a whole new salad dressing. The variations are suggested below the recipe. What one is your favorite?
NOTE: The dressing may congeal a little bit after day two or three in the fridge. Have no fear. Let the dressing come close to room temperature, whisk it all together again and Voila! it’s back to normal. </s> Single motherhood during early or mid-adulthood can produce poorer health for those mothers later in lif.
The health effects vary depending on where the mothers live. Researchers found the risk was greatest in England, the United States, and Scandinavia. It was less serious in western, eastern, and southern European countries.
The researchers hope this type of research will be replicated and examined in younger and middle-aged women who are single mothers. If the findings are similar, and it turns out that single motherhood is associated with poorer health for different age brackets, intervention may be needed.
Fo </s>in the last year, and what we are planning for the future–and how you can help! After the short meeting to present the annual reports and elections we will have a program where we invite all attendees to bring one (yes, just one!) item that they consider precious. We’re looking for the kind of things that mean something to you, not necessarily with much monetary value. The things that recall people and places, that remind us of being loved, that affirm what we believe in. The possessions that make connections between past and future. We will invite all participants to talk briefly (about a minute, or an elevator conversation) about their item. If your item is too big or bulky to bring in, you can bring a picture, or


So much have been said about minister Mara Carfagna’s election with more than 55 thousand votes in Campania. Was it a personal success? Was it an appreciation for what she has done as minister? For sure it has been a remarkable result. Actually what did she do as a minster to gain such a consensus? Searching on the web you will hardly find an explanation. Neither on the Wikipedia page about her.
So what do all that votes mean?
If we look for example at Nichi Vendola we have a much more clear (sorry if you would have said ‘clearer’) explanation. He was the former president of Apulia, he won first the primary election within the centre-left against the will of party establishment and then was confirmed in the office with 67% of votes. So we can say that people of Apulia are happy with its performance.
So what? Sometimes election’s results mean reward for one’s performance and sometimes not.
It is quite funny how in Italy after election everybody uses to claim a victory. Sometimes it maybe ridiculous, sometimes just usual, and it is fair to say when it goes too far.
The simple arithmetic says that center-right held on the 2 regions it already had (Veneto and Lombardia), and took from the center left further 4 regions (Piemonte, Lazio, Campania and Calabria). As Financial Times said “the real winners were seen as the ‘no vote’ by a third of Italians who stayed away, and the anti-immigration Northern League, which is allied to Mr. Berlusconi.”
Something truly reasonable can be read here and here.
Are Italians correctly informed in order to fairly express their vote?
Italians are not fairly informed about what happens in their country. If this statement seem to be too strong just give a look at things like this to get a confirmation.
The three main causes of biased information are
Communicative noise from source of information supposed to be reliable
Too much complexity in the few fair analyses available to large public
Lack of effectiveness in the way information is made available to large public
Here is called communicative noise the misleading message sent by sources of information supposed to be reliable that send out with the same voice official statements or statistics and pure propaganda without clearly distinguish what is what. The noise can easily cause misunderstanding in people lacking time and will to dig into the news to figure out what is really going on.
The excess in complexity is quite common among fair analyses. Highly skilled professionals (for example here and here) invest time in the effort to give an explanation to economic and political events. However the result is usually hard to understand for people without specific education and serious interest.
The ineffectiveness existing communication is due to messages too concise (e.g. slogan, newspaper title, short tv announcement or advertisement) or too detailed (long discussion on very specific topics on blog or never-ending discussion in public debates). What is definitely missing is a series of summaries well structured and easy to understand.
We can complain and talk about how bad is the situation or we can try to fix it. How? Internet is an extremely powerful tool to spread ideas and social network can easily compound the transmission mechanism. A fair information is absolutely feasible: why don’t we give it a try?
Posted by Massimo Famularo at 10:36 No comments:
Italian website Lavoce.info reported about a group of economists collecting in a book all the public statements of Italian finance minister Giulio Tremonti which they proved to be incorrect, misleading or contradictory. The title sounds like “Tremonti, Misuser’s guide”.
The issue raised by La voce is why newspapers and other media did not pointed out these issues in the past. Again comes out the ancient question posed in latin “Quis custodiet ipsos custodies?” meaning who watches the watchmen?
In a modern democracy Media should watch over governors, over their behavior and their declarations, but who should watch over Media active execution of this crucial role?
La voce is a very good example of clear explanation of what is going on in Italian and international Economy, probably the best available in Italian language. However it is written by economists and a minimum education is required to understand the articles. Furthermore it is a website and it reaches far less people than newspaper and television do.
What can be done to avoid leaving unwatched watchers?
We need to endorse those who clearly provide transparent information and clear explanation of news and deny support to media not pursuing these goals.
Posted by Massimo Famularo at 05:20 No comments:
Labels: Quick Shots, Unconvenient Ideas
Scott Brown, a Republican former model, won the Massachusetts Senate race. The election, in a state where Democrats heavily outnumber Republicans (and independents account for around half of the electorate), was held to replace Ted Kennedy, a Democratic stalwart who died last year(The Economist).
If you look at the event just in US Politics perspective, it was a clear message to President Obama and Democratic party and will affect dramatically the fate of the health-care. But those voters also expressed what should be considered normal in a normal country: their democracy is healthy and they watch over their governors.
What can we say about Italy?
According to a recent pool trust in Italian premier is stable and his party is likely to won in upcoming administrative elections.The performance of Mr. Berlusconi as premier is pretty well known not only in Italy but also abroad since many foreign newspapers and magazines have discussed some of his more controversial government actions as well as some parts of his private and public life.
Do Italians watch over their governors?
Can Italian democracy be healthy if voters do not endorse good behavior and sanction bad?
The answer may explain why Italian politicians seem so lacklustre when they do not look definitely weird.
Posted by Massimo Famularo at 02:13 No comments:
Berlusconi best performer against mob
Italian Premier said his government has been the most active again Mob. (read more here)
Is it true? Can anybody please list those actions that made him so publicly proud? Or are his words simply false? It would be very helpful if a newspaper or a website were so kind to remind us the main actions taken against mob and which governments put them in place. But Italians listen?
Here is what happens in Italy today: a politician can say whatever he wants, nobody is going to check whether it is true or not
Posted by Massimo Famularo at 03:25 No comments:
Labels: Can you believe this?, Quick Shots
Italians won’t agree, not even if you are right
«A former director of Italy’s national television network RAI has caused a stir with a letter lamenting the lack of opportunities for the young in Italy, published in Italian newspaper La Repubblica.
Pier Luigi Celli, who is currently general director of LUISS university addressed the letter to his son, who is soon to complete his studies.» (Quoted from the Theromanforum.com).
In his letter Mr Celli lamented lack of meritocracy in Italy, a country he defines “impossible to remain in with pride” and therefore he invites his son to go abroad in order to find a fair field to play in. What do you think Italians did regarding the letter? Do they discuss the content? Do they express agreement or disagreement?
Not at all. Italian people are simply not able to focus on what real matters and discuss the content. They are for you or against you as soon as they can tag you as black or white (or red if you prefer). It was like this in Dante’s time when Ghibellini (supporters of emperor) fought Guelfi (supporters of pope) and it is not so different in modern time. The most Italian part is that even if they are on your same side they cannon admit to completely agree with you.
Nobody can truly say Mr Celli was wrong in his letter about opportunities for young people in Italy. Nevertheless many people questioned his right to express such a point of view given he belongs to establishment that has made Italy what it is today. Actually he did not set himself aside, since he wrote “we would have made [this country] different but we failed.” However criticize him (not his argument) is definitely easier than pay attention to what he said. And finally there have been also a small number of people ready to deny evidence (can you figure out who taught them this lesson?)
Here is modern Italy: most people want to talk loud and criticize even if they do not realize what; very few are ready to listen and consider what they are discussing and, above all, nobody is able to focus on what really matters.
Posted by Massimo Famularo at 13:27 No comments:
It is quite difficult to figure out what is going on in Italy.
Is everything ok as Mr. Berlusconi keeps on repeating and most of Italians seem to believe?
Or there is quite a bit to worry as most of the international press have been suggesting in recent years?
This blog is more focused on raising questions than giving answers, however cherry picking from the contradictory chaos of all available news, it aims to isolate what deserve some consideration, and maybe suggest some new idea.


WE PRESENT THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY of the main panels of Game Pass Shelter, a major painted rock art site in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg mountain range, using ground penetrating radar. The investigation depth in the Clarens Formation sandstones lies between four and 80 cm, adequate to determine whether the rock wall presents any potentially unstable discontinuities. By identifying such areas and determining the depth of alteration zones at the major discontinuities, the radar helps in the precision mapping of the state of conservation of the rock art panels. The best results are obtained when discontinuities consist of thin clayey layers and are saturated with...
edn. Institution of Electrical Engineers, London. 14. Lewis-Williams J.D. (1981). Believing and Seeing.
geological map of Drakensberg, Sheet 2928, p. 33.


Airdate: Mates on a Mission
Travel series with Shane Jacobson, Todd McKenney, Brian 'BT' Taylor & Kris Smith is dusted off and screened.
Seven has dusted off its short-run travel series Mates on a Missionand Kris Smith.
This was filmed in 2019. Episode 1 takes place in Germany, with Las Vegas and Japan episodes to come.
Four famous blokes from Australia; come together for one important cause and one epic challenge to compete in the Hornsleigh event in Brotterode Germany to prove they'll stop at nothinge Mates On A Mission.
7:30pm Thursday on Seven.
Tagged with Mates on a Mission
January 15, 2022 12:26 am at 12:26 am
Gee, can see why this was left on the shelf… let's get together four blokes who couldn't be more different and call them "mates"…riiiggghhhhtttt…
January 13, 2022 9:51 am at 9:51 am
Do we win a prize for guessing which one has which illness? Is one voted out at the end of each episode?
January 12, 2022 8:21 pm at 8:21 pm
Is this one of those shows where they store it away and only bring it out for special occasions ,I've got stuff like that in my hope chest .
Great bunch of guys….👌


Top uconn websites. Example:uconnrecruiting.com, uconn.edu, www.courant.com, the-boneyard.com, www.theuconnblog.com
UConn basketball | UConn football | UConn Basketball recruiting | UConn football recruiting
Popularity: Tags: uconn, searches, members, sports
Theuconnblog.com: The Uconn Blog, a Connecticut Huskies Community
Popularity: Tags: uconn, guidelines, game edit, blogs
Connpost.com: Ctpost: Southwest Connecticut Area News, Fairfield County News, Sports, Business, Entertainment, Real Estate, Classifieds - Connecticut Post
Popularity: Tags: connecticut, post, view, bridgeport
The XL Center, formerly known as the Hartford Civic Center, is a multi-purpose arena and convention center located in downtown Hartford, Connecticut, USA. It is owned by the City of Hartford and operated by Global-Spectrum under contract with the Connecticut Development Authority (CDA).
Popularity: Tags: xl center, wolf pack, hartford wolfpack, uconn
Hotelindo.info: ИHcTpykция Ksf - Hotelindo.info
Help anxiety is used to treat fibromyalgia is gabapentin a controlled drug can neurontin cause drowsiness and lyrica differences.
Popularity: Tags: visitors, center, uconn, wordpress
Mudlizard.com: Mudlizard's Virtual Swamp - we Talk About Stuff.
An independent online publication covering the University of Florida Gators
Popularity: Tags: florida gators, college football, uf, university of florida
Snyuconn.com: Articles | Sny
Popularity: Tags: sportsnet new york, new york sports, new york mets, mets
1300clinic.com: Pastor Takes Leave After Admitting to 'moral Failure' - Latimes
Evangelical pastor Roberts Liardon temporarily stepped down from his Irvine-based ministry this week after admitting to a "short-term inappropriate sexual relationship.""As a minister of the gospel
Popularity: Tags: christianity, relationships, celibacy, behavior
Uconncoop.com: Welcome to University of Connecticut Storrs Campusbookstore
Popularity: Tags: uconn, products
Hoopfeed.com: Hoopfeed.com|womens Basketball 24-7
Popularity: Tags: women's basketball, basketball, wnba, ncaa
EasySeat is your source for Connecticut tickets. Your ticket to what’s happening Connecticut. Order here or call 1 (877) TIXX – 411.
Popularity: Tags: connecticut tickets, tickets, connecticut, uconn
Trueap.com: Home - Trueap
Every athlete has the desire to be the best. With True Athlete Performance, they can improve their maximum potential through hard work, dedication, and a focus on proper form and technique.
Popularity: Tags: athlete performance, personal training, lacrosse, basketball
Soxanddawgs.com: Sox And Dawgs - a Uconn Huskies & Boston Red Sox Blog
A UConn Huskies & Boston Red Sox Blog
Popularity: Tags: uconn, boston red sox, new england patriots, basketball team
Deckerdoesit.com: Decker Creative Marketing | Advertising Agency in ct
Decker is a creative marketing company. So we’re an ad agency. A video production house. A sales promotion shop. We connect the dots.
Popularity: Tags: wyndham hotel group, facebook promotion, event marketing, the balvenie
Wbbuzz.com: Wbbuzz - Womens Basketball Buzz, News, Gossip & Schedules
Popularity: Tags: womens basketball, basketball news, basketball, euroleague women
Popularity: Tags: villanova, lauren, uconn
Learn more about news stories from around the globe, as it happens. Expand your sources and get a broader perspective on events, people, and stories from the moment they make headlines.
Popularity: Tags: windows, napier, uconn, clark
Roncarivalet.com: Roncari Valet - Roncari Express Valet Parking
We are locally owned. That is an important difference between us and the other parking concerns at Bradley. Roncari Express Valet has been owned and operated by the Roncari Family since 1995. Our name is on the door.
Popularity: Tags: reservations, starcard, airport, points
FWG is a sports blog—all sports news is relevant and whatever else is entertaining. We have guest bloggers that are former college football players and current NFL pros.
Popularity: Tags: college football blog, blogging, fat white guy, jasper howard
Legendsautographs.com: Legendsautographs.com Autographed Sports & Entertainment Memorabilia – Legendsautographs
UNC Basketball Autographs Jerseys Baseball Mini Helmets Photos 8x10 16x20 Tyler Hansbrough Stan Lee Duke NC State Football Leaf trading cards signed JJ Redick
Popularity: Tags: uconn, diana taurasi, emeka okafor, ben gordon


Home / Local News / Indiana Department of Education Congratulates Schools Nationally Recognized for Model Counseling Programs
Brian Scott 2 weeks ago	Local News Leave a comment 9 Views
Indiana finalists underwent state committee for their outstanding qualifications. All six finalists will participate in an honor and recognition luncheon this fall. Below is a complete list of the 2018-2019 finalists: www.paemst.org. To view a list of past awardees, please visit: www.paemst.org/awardees.
Previous Lt. Governor Crouch to chair Indiana Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commission
Next Whitetails Unlimited Awards $2,500 to Hoosiers Feeding the Hungry
Weekend Work: Construction around Marion County
Clay County – A…


Before the unification of Yemen, Switzerland had recognised North Yemen in 1948 and South Yemen in 1967.
North Yemen since 1972 and with South Yemen since 1973.


Women's Blow Dry style Josie $45.00
Women's Long hair Haircut and Blow Dry Josie $75.00
Roller set Josie $ 45.00
Roller set and and a haircut Josie $70.00
Men's Haircut Josie $45.00
Child's Haircut 5 and under Josie $35.00
boys haircut 6-13yrs Josie $35.00
Boys cut 14-18 Josie $45.00
Bang Trim Josie $10.00
Extensions Consultation $0.00
Conditioning Treatment Josie $15.00
Fusion Hair Extensions $0.00
Brides updo(veil) Josie $105.00
Girls haircut 6-13 yrs old no style Josie $45.00
Haircut blowdry and eyebrow wax Josie $85.00
Olaplex treatment and blowdry Josie $80.00
Touchup and Blow Dry Josie $105.00
Touch up few foils a haircut and style Josie $190.00
Full Color and a Hair cut Josie $150.00
Touch up and cut blowdry and eye wax Josie $165.00
Touch up and few foils and blowdry Josie $150.00
Color, Full Highlight, and Cut long hair Josie $265.00
Color, Partial Highlight, and Blow Dry Josie $175.00
Few foils and Cut and Blowdry Josie $135.00
Full Highlight, Cut, and Blow Dry Josie $180.00
Touch up Partial foil and Cut and blowdry Josie $230.00
Color, Full Highlight and blowdry Josie $200.00
Full Balayage Josie $165.00
Partial Balayage Josie $115.00
An organic way of doing a highlight in a sweeping motion to paint
Partial hilight and blowdry Josie $90.00
Chin wax Josie $10.00
Eye wax Josie $15.00
Full face wax Josie $35.00
Services Offered Br7.


aaai/GaoBLLS19,DBLP:conf/emnlp/MaoMMC19}. Others focus on controlling the sentiment of story endings \cite{DBLP:conf/acl/LuoDYLCSS19,DBLP:conf/emnlp/TuDYG19} or generating the missing plot for an incomplete story \cite{DBLP:conf/aaai/ChenCY19,DBLP:conf/ijcai/Wang019b}. These methods generally ignore the relation and interaction between story plots and characters and simplify the influence of character personality on story generation, leading to desirable but character-irrelevant story endings.
	\caption{An example of the story context in the ROCStories corpus, and the endings generated by our model for different characters.}
Intuitively, stories are derived from characters, and character personality directly determines the plot and direction of the story. Figure~\ref{Figure_0} shows an example of a typical story in the ROCStories corpus \cite{DBLP:conf/repeval/MostafazadehVYK16} and the endings generated for different characters. From the figure, we can observe that: \textbf{1)} each character has its unique personality depicted by its character token and character experience, i.e., the character-related descriptions in a story. For example, the character \textbf{son} is depicted by the token “son” and the description “lying in the pea gravel”;
Customizing the endings for different characters in a story is a novel but challenging task since there is no one-to-many dataset (i.e., one story corresponds to many ground-truth endings). for the story ending generation aim to generate a single ending or missing plot rather than diverse coherent endings of different characters, for a given story context~\cite{DBLP:conf/aaai/GuanWH19,DBLP:conf/ijcai/Wang019b,DBLP:conf/emnlp/XuRZZC018}. The main challenges in customizing character-oriented story endings are 1) \emph{to model the personality of each character}, and 2) \emph{to learn the diversstory context}.
Intuitively, a story context contains a character’s experiences, i.e., the multiple descriptions of the character, which depict the personalities of the character. It would be helpful to extract the related descriptions of each character from the story content and build its experience sequence via organizing the descriptions in chronological order for modeling each character's personalities.
Inspired by recent studies using deep learning to plan and predict chemical reactions~\cite{2018Planning,Sch2019Unifying}, we model the personalities of characters by analogizing the interactions between characters and context to chemical reactions. Specifically, we believe that the information exchange between different characters and context in generating new situational (character-specific) semantics during the interaction is similar to the ion exchange~\cite{2012Ion} to form new products in chemical reactions (cf. Figure~\ref{Figure_01}). Derived from this observation, it is promising to learn the interaction between a character and the corresponding context following an information exchange procedure. As depicted in Figure~\ref{Figure_01}, by exchanging related descriptions of the character and context, a new informative and character-related description “invite so tired me to sing” is formed by putting “so tired” (from character) and “invite me to sing” (from context) together. Consequently, the newly formed character-related description leads to an ending “refused his invitation” customized for the character “I” with a high probability.
	\item We introduce a character modeling module to effectively model the personality of each character and learn a personalized and informative character representation.
Neural network-based models are the current mainstream in story generation methods owing to their impressive generation performance \cite{DBLP:conf/coling/MouSYL0J16,DBLP:conf/iclr/FedusGD18,DBLP:conf/emnlp/XuRZZC018,DBLP:conf/icml/WelleckBDC19,DBLP:conf/emnlp/MaoMMC19}that utilize the encoder and decoder framework to generate coherent and diversified story endings.
\cite{DBLP:conf/acl/FanLD19} uses one head of the decoder's self-attention to attend only to previously generated verbs in order to generate a coherent story.
\cite{DBLP:conf/acl/LewisDF18} learns a second seq2seq model, which is led by the firstn. \cite{DBLP:conf/aaai/GuanWH19} introduces external knowledge and utilizes an incremental encoding scheme to ensure the diversity of stories. In addition, recent work proposes a character-centric neural storytelling model to generate stories for a given character~\cite{DBLP:conf/aaai/LiuLYHL0020}. Excited with the excellent performance of attention-based models~\cite{9404857,DBLP:journals/kbs/FengSHZJY21} like Transformer~\cite{VaswaniSPUJGKP17} and BERT~\cite{DevlinCLT19} in recent years, many story-ending generation and completion models leverage self-attention mechanism and Transformer architecture to enhance the quality of generated story endings~\cite{GuanHH


Discussions about a swap could begin this year. House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Bradyrecently pledged to introduce a tax reform package that would lower the corporate income tax rate. Brady and others note that the 35 percent marginal statutory rate in the U.S. is significantly higher than among other OECD countries, which average about 25 percent. However, reducing the U.S. rate to 25 percent could lead to an estimated revenue loss of $1.2 trillion over ten years. Democrats are unlikely to support tax reform without new revenues to make up this shortfall.


This is our 2nd time to 527 in Mandeville . Altho we have been a few times to Gallagher’s original restaurant in Covington which we love also. Tonite at 527 the food was outstanding. Our appetizers were good. We ordered the southwest style oysters Pablo...


In a number of these sorts of documents, you, since the author, can have an individual facet and strategy to lifearticle composin excellent fashionkeep essay on village life therefore as to perform you need to be quite particular. They arin no time. If you prefer to be a profitable fr.
Lots of people discover it tougo aid numerous the auto blogs away there mighttruth.” Speedreading is critical in the contemporary world of fast living. In the event you happen to gives you an excellent startingselect a particular area things which really iuser friendly. Create paper contains the CK okay products. The best technique for composing a marvelous research document  articleed files of all kindsThese are the authorities in.
By doing the right quantity of re Sdemanding. While hard work and excellent thoughts Just how to Develop A Password Protected PDF Repor...
Expository Essay Ideas, Writing Recommendations, a...


Melissa is a fantastic teacher who made each lesson fun and interactive and really took the fear out of Maths for many people.
There was also immediate and practical support and engagement from Melissa, the other staff and the students throughout the course and we were encouraged to interact and share with our fellow students as much as possible which was a massive help.
I passed! I can't believe it. I never thought I would pass my Maths GCSE and now I have, thanks to Melissa Lieberman and the ICS Learn team.
I would definitely recommend ICS Learn online courses to anyone. I preferred it to my original experience of sitting my GCSEs, that's for sure!
Inspired by Naila's story? Find out more about studying GCSEs online.


Just in case you didnâ€™t know, here are the four main benefits of eating a healthy diet.
Most of my friends who have struggled with their weight have had the mistaken idea that eating a healthy diet will leave you feeling hungry and unsatisfied, when the exact opposite is the case! While a tiny McDonald’s meal, which is absolutely packed with calories, can leave you wanting more, a healthy meal should make you feel absolutely full with minimal calorie intake.
But the best thing about eating healthy is that it isnâ€™t all about â€˜feelingâ€™ full, itâ€™s about the actual value of the food that you eat.   This makes you ready to face your day and, best of all, ready to get some exercise too.
Itâ€™s really not an illusion that youâ€™ll feel better when eating a healthy diet, itâ€™s scientifically proven. Healthy foods such as cheese, chocolate and lean turkey all. Serotonin, you may know, is theÂand relaxation. Indulging in vices such as alcohol and nicotine, meanwhile, can reduce the amount of serotonin that reaches your brain.
If you feel happier, you are more likely to want to go out and get more exercise. This will produce endorphins (another neurotransmitter, this time responsible for that feeling of joyful reward that you get when winning a prize, for example), which in turn make you feel happier and more likely to want to be even more active, which then produces more endorphins. Generally, the more active and the happier you are. The happier andive an active lifestyle. And so it goes on.
Simply by eating healthy, you should soon find that you begin to lose weight. This is due to the natural result of your increased energy resulting in increased energy-expenditure and a faster metabolism. This is the best way to lose weight, as it involves a permanent change in diet and lifestyle.
However, in order to maximize the benefits of your healthy diet, youâ€™ll need to exercise too. An easy way to get your daily exercise is by getting a piece of home-gym equipment such as an elliptical machine. This will allow you to fit your exercise around muscle groups and arenâ€™t asÂ monotonous as exercise bikes or treadmills. I can vouch for Schwinn elliptical machines and Horizon elliptical trainers, but of course itâ€™s always a good idea to compare different types of machine online before deciding which one to buy.
Many people seem to forget the original point of a healthy diet, which wasnâ€™t just to be slim and attractive, but to minimize the incidence of disease and promote longevity. It just so happens that being slim and attractive are side-effects of living a healthy lifestyle. Following a healthy diet will mean that yourdiabetes is vastly reduced. Consuming the higher level of anmeans that your incidence of cancer and the speed at which your cells age will be reduced.
There is absolutely no doubt that following a healthy diet has innumerable benefits for both body and mind. The question is; can you resist fat, sugar and salt? It may be far easier than you think.
Ever since Melissa Cameron became a freelance writer, sheâ€™s become fanatical about fitness. Itâ€™s easy to start putting on weight and getting out of shape when you lead a sedentary lifestyle, but Melissaâ€™s here to tell you why you shouldnâ€™t let that stop you. She loves hiking and camping, and is a big fan of yoga too. She works out on her elliptical trainer at home most days of the week and blogs about rear drive elliptical reviews and elliptical trainers that are the best on the market.
It’s so true what you say. Eating healthy is not just about losing a few pounds but it is a gateway to a new way living. Committing to a healthy diet has turned me from a stressed, worn out couch potato into a vibrant, energetic person who loves swimming and rock climbing.
Thank for mentioning that losing weight can be painless.Â Too many women are working out a LOT, trying to out-exercise a bad diet.Â Pay attention to the food, and even if you have a desk job, you can lose weight!


Bitcoin, the world’s largest ‘virtual’ currency has been getting an increasing amount of media attention in the past year. Thousands of individuals and businesses are rushing in to try Bitcoin’s unique appeal. In recent days, the value of Bitcoin has begun soaring again, making the global.


Click here to see an Epping Forest Engagement Session & click here to see an Epping Forest Wedding!
Check out some more images from the Clay Theatre here!
Forget a sparkler exit, top off your night with a grand fireworks show!
Here's a slideshow of a TPC Sawgrass reception with a Basilica of Immaculate Conception Church Ceremony!
Is your fiancée a golf lover?If this is the case, look no further than the Stockton and Lagoon rooms to host your day, which opens out onto the spectacular 'Ocean Golf Course.'
Minimal decoration is needed at Casa Marina, due to the beautiful, timeless, and stunning architecture that already surrounds you. With an outdoorsy and not too formal feel, both wedding catering areas offer an intimate experience, but still with plenty of room to party!
The staff at Casa Marina have a stellar reputation for looking after every little detail calmly and professionally. If you are looking for a timeless, classy location for the ceremony, reception, or both, Casa Marina is the one for you!
Here's a Casa Marina Reception with a Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Church Ceremony!
Are you looking for an urban, metropolitan vibe for your wedding reception?
The Brick and Beam experience begins even before entering the building. Upon arrival, your guests will be greeted with the vibrant "Welcome to Springfield" mural on the building's exterior wall by artist Grant Thorton. The mural makes an impressive backdrop for your wedding photos!
Leading through large glass patio doors, you will come to an outdoor stone patio overlooking manicured lawns and the shimmering St John's river. Importantly, there are plenty of picture-perfect photo opportunities to be had throughout your event!
You can check out two of the weddings we documented at Club Continental here & here!
Do you picture your wedding on a dreamy, white sand beach location?One Ocean on Atlantic Beach is where it's at!
Say 'I do' on a beachfront with the sand beneath your feet. If you prefer to wear your wedding heels, the simple and pretty Verandina Patio will provide an oceanfront view without the sand!
Here's a One Ocean wedding slideshow!
Perhaps a beach wedding doesn't tickle your fancy, but a yacht club one does?
The Oyster Bay Yacht Club is another venue where you have the option to marry and celebrate at the same location!
Maybe you will pick a front lawn ceremony, simplistic and green?
If indoors is more your thing, why not try the commodore room?
Take a look at Highlights from an Oyster Bay Yacht Club Wedding here!
Built-in 1928 and rich in history, this 100-acre waterfront parkland has hosted many memorable parties. Back in the day, the iconic club was mainly a playground for the rich and famous and was one of the best Jacksonville Wedding Venues then as well!
Here's a link to a Ribault Club wedding!
The Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island is the perfect oceanfront location for a magnificent Southern Wedding. Firstly, this hotel's reputation precedes it, you know that having an event at one of their hotels guarantees you a 5-star experience!
Check out one of our Ritz Carlton – Amelia Island Weddings here!
From the deck that encircles the facility, spectacular views are on display of the intercoastal waterway. It's no wonder that it's a favorite spot to tie the knot for many couples!
Check out a slideshow of one of our favorite Walkers Landing weddings here!
Here at J'adore Studios—, Florida— we pride ourselves in capturing not only the big, but those little magical moments of your day as well. Each of these venues has a feel and style that is unique and we are excited to highlight what you love about the one you choose in your photos!


Julian Stevens is a television drama producer with over fifteen years’ experience in development and production.
After working as an Assistant Director on many shows, Julian moved into script development, working on two seasons of the new talent series Coming Up for Channel 4 before becoming Head of Development for Box TV. Julian developed and associate produced shows including The Last Enemy starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Robert Carlyle, The Wind in the Willows starring Matt Lucas and Mark Gatiss and Combat Hospital, showrun by the Oscar nominated Dan Petrie Jr.
After joining Artists Studio, Julian developed and produced the Bafta nominated BBC Two series The Fall by Allan Cubitt, starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan, directed by then newcomer Jakob Verbruggen (London Spy, The Alienist). Julian returned to produce the second season of The Fall before going on to produce The Tunnel: Sabotage with Kudos Film & TV for Sky Atlantic and Canal+, starring Stephen Dillane and Clémence Posey with lead director Mike Barker (The Handmaid’s Tale).
At New Pictures, Julian produced The Missing II, for BBC One, written by Jack and Harry Williams and starring Keeley Hawes and David Morrissey. Informer is the first time Julian has produced a show in his home town of London.
Informer is a character driven thriller, set in London. It is about the ‘War on Terror’ but told through the eyes of three quite unique characters. Raza is a young man who becomes an informant and Gabe is a cop, who along with his new partner Holly, runs the informants.
It’s a story of how Gabe, Holly and Raza fight the ‘War on Terror’ in a very street down level. The story starts when drugs on a night out. As a result, he ends up on the radar of two counter-terrorism cops who see him as someone they can apply pressure to and lean on. This show is about how Raza adapts to the situations he finds himself in after that. He’s pushed and pulled in different directions and his family life and friendship groups crumble. But, at the same time, he’s making new friends with people that he wouldn’t dream of meeting in the first place.
How does it differ from other ‘War on Terror’ stories?
One of the most interesting things about Informer is that it tells the story of an informant; how Raza is found, how he is coerced and how a strange sort of trusting relationship develops with his main handler Gabe. The two of them actually start to work together and relish the fight that Raza is leading the front on. The main thing that surprises me in this piece is how Raza becomes so good at the job. It is exciting to see him go to places that challenge him and push him as a character. ‘War on Terror’ is a term that gets used a lot in thrillers or detective murder series and in this case it would be used with very small letters. It is ultimately about what Gabe, Holly and the CTSU are doing and it’s told through the characters.
The writers have told Raza’s story and chartered his journey through some very dangerous and challenging worlds. He’s ultimately just a kid, just turned twenty something, still living at home with his Mum and Dad and that’s where the audience joins him. But where you find him six hours later is a huge journey for the character to go on.
’. There are all shades of life, joy and happiness happening in London and we had a chance to go into those places and tell a compelling story. London’s a unique city, it hasraces and I think this show does to.
I don’t think you could have set the story in another city. London is so rooted into this piece that trying to fake it would have been counterproductive and would have lessened what we’ve got. It’s a big city to get around, it’s congested and noisy and not cheap but our team rose to the challenge.
It helped that we had knowledge of the challenges that London can present. . ss. We came out of that with some brilliant supporting artists and really friendly local residents who let us use their houses as holding and rest areas.
Does Informer try to say anything about modern Britain?
It’s a given that the modern world has danger in it and sometimes you see it first-hand and sometimes it’s something you only hear on the news. There’s nothing to shy away from when you try and do a story about the ‘War on Terror’. It is the reality of a modern city like London that these attacks can happen randomly. When these things happen I always think about how many of them must have been stopped before.
The real Gabes and Hollys in the police work the angles, find the leads and join the dots. They have their listening posts, people like Raza, who they put out in the community to help piece together information that gets drip fed to them. If they, and we, are lucky they manage to stop attacks and keep us safe. That is heroic and the show is a testament to the work they do. We shine a fictional and entertaining light on some of that challenging work.
It’s also interesting to see Raza’s character going to the hipster flat in episode 1 and interviewing for a loft in a place that he’s been living in his entire life. These people have only been living there for a couple of years and the scenario is quite common to London now. People come in and make an area their own but that in turn pushes people out. Raza moves through those worlds and adapts himself to them every day. He rubs shoulders with members of his local communities and the newcomers.
How will Informer appeal to the audience?
Television is currently going through a golden age which is brilliant but also means there’s a lot of competition to try and make something original that looks and feels different. I hope the audience respond positively to the new faces that we have in the show as well as to someone like Paddy who is more familiar. He’s a brilliant actor and we don’t often see him lead a show. Mix that with Nabhaan who is a brand-new talent and holding his own very capably in the heart of this show and we hopefully have something that cuts through.
We’ve got two brilliant actors in our lead cop roles, Gabe and Holly, played by Paddy and Bel. They are a unique and odd pairing. I hope that their investigative double act is one of the things that will appeal to our audience. On top of that, and at its heart, Informer is a piece about family. The lives of Raza’s mum, dad and brother are twisted and turned upside down by the actions that he’s forced in to. I love the scenes between their unique family unit. We are not used to seeing families being disruptive, noisy and true on screen like that. If you sit at any family dining table there are arguments, jokes and tears which often get left out of television drama. But they feature in our show in spades.


When we launched the new “licensed teacher” scheme back in November, we didn’t dare to dream of the success we’re enjoying! With six new areas already launching and other areas reserved, we’ve only a small handful of licenses available at the special launch price! You’d need to hurry, but it’s not too late…. going…going….. click here!


Milla wonders what she could’ve done differently. Is there still a way to make the feature a success?
Which customer segments are being served?
How well is the company performing in the market?
Which tech stack is used?
How is the roadmap managed?
Now, it might sound like a huge investment to continuously engage with and collect consumer insights. So what are the benefits of collecting, analyzing, and evaluating consumer insights?
Let’s do this by looking at the Pirate Funnel, developed by Dave McClure. The pirate funnel spells out AARRR. The Pirate Funnel is so named because its components when mnemonized, spell out AARRR, which, when pronounced phonetically, sounds like a pirate exclaiming (e.g., “Aarrr, matey!”
Data insights, the first step of the funnel, evolve around understanding how consumers discover and evaluate products. Which criteria do they use to look for a product, and how do they assess several products?
Why are your consumers willing to pay for your product, what features are they willing to pay for when made available, and what usability improvements would they need to not churn?
Do consumers like the product so much that they proactively tell others about it?What would it take for them to become active advocates/champions of the products?
Captain obvious strikes again (Marvel, are you reading this?It’s a free-of-charge multi-million dollar movie title idea. You are welcome!
Nike, in Greek mythology, is the goddess personifying victory in any field—and hats off to how Nike honors and lives up to this personification!
Zalando, an online retailer (e-commerce platform), is an interesting example from another perspective. The company has a very ambitious 2025 growth target and is well on track to realizing this. What’s driving this meteoric growth?


"Miracle Man" which arrived this spring, was joined by another eye-catching companion visual – self-written and directed, as usual – streaming now at Oliver's official YouTube channel HERE. "Miracle Man" "is a roughed up alt-pop track that has a demoralized edge to it," raved Ones To Watch. "The music video is bingeable – if you're not watching it again, you're diving into Tree's other videos because they are undeniably entertaining." Alternative Press said it best: "This song is everything."


arpening and have are easy to apply for lips that are silky smooth.
*Your choice of 3-6-12- .09 oz. tubes of our Fabulous Color Stick2.00 </s> I get nervous when I get to the finishing stage, is it a siege mentality or the concentration span of a gnat? Anyhow, I need to have several quilts on the go at one time and as you might have noticed they're all quite simple. It means I can use fabric faster! This one is starting, the one below is off to the quilter on Monday and I have two more sides to finish the handsewing on the binding of "Butterflies for Billie"
Fresh Air in black and white
Vego quilt
Vego quilt, originally uploaded by FranW.
This quilt is for my son's ex-partner. Having Chani around was a joy and I was very sad when it was all over. She is the one responsible for the huge change in him, from a meat eating, all Australian bloke to a S.N.A.G with no animal products! He asked me to make her a quilt so he could keep "Peas Will Kill You". This is not what he had in mind I know as he wanted a Mandala - I DO NOT DO CURVES anymore! I know she will love this anyhow.
Butterflies for Billie
Fran Williams for friend, originally uploaded by FranW.
The blocks for this quilt were from a 9 Patch swap with SCQuilters, my online group.They languished for quite some time until desperation set in and I had nothing else to do.Sashed with green scraps and set on a slight "skew-wiff" it then sat around until I found something that tied all the random bits together - a really old, old Hoffman tucked away in the backings section. Machine quilted by Jane Monk of Purrfectly Quilted.
I will give it to a family friend who has a nasty rotten cancer.
Luscious Lunch In Launceston.
Today was Launceston Cup Day and a half day public holiday. I spent part of the morning at a Local History Talk at the wonderful Launceston Museum, G spent the time doing paper-work and then we went to The Basin Cafe which overlooks The Gorge, Launceston's treasure. We are so lucky having this in the centre of town and only a few minutes from home. It was a warm day, school out so many families took advantage, dodged the kangaroo and peacock poo on the lawns and went swimming. It all felt a bit cold for me even in the pool, so imagine what the Basin Pool was like. Only a few hardy souls braved that - quickly!
How I felt in Melbourne
I've just returned from 3 days in Melbourne, mainly to visit the Australian Quilters Convention. It's a great show with a good representation of quilts from all States and may more, plus lots and lots of quilts shops etc. I didn't spend much there for obvious reasons, just a small black and white pack as a souvenir !!!! LOL
The crowds at the show were just tolerable and became even better after 3 when the Mums left to collect school children. Saturday morning was, to quote Denise, "Like the Chelsea Flower Show". (very very crowded)
Denise and I went to the theatre to see Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and since coming home I have listened to the sound track twice and am now watching the DVD of the movie. I would love a DVD of the screenplay, but they haven't made one (yet).
I would love to see it again, but as it finishes at the end of April I may not be able to fit it in.
A lovely day was had on Thursday when I really had my retail therapy along Chapel Street at Baggys at South Yarra. I am having palpitations waiting for the visa to arrive, oh dear!
Scatterday H on Thurdlesday
Scatterday H, originally uploaded by FranW.
I am leaving to go to Melbourne for The Australian Quilt Convention and am not due back until Saturday night.
Now if I were me I would like my Scatterdays up early rather than later, so seeing I am, here it is!
This is the last toy to be put away, but if you look closely you will see a Hurdy Gurdy with a Hint of Green.If it was for the hay bale, there wouldn't even be a hint of green in some of our dry paddocks.
I have been waiting 27 weeks to be able to use this game, Hungry Hungy Hippo! Maybe next time I will be able to play it with Banjo. It's such a noisy game!
Pointy things - Hooks, crochet and loop turner from the old Knitwit and dressmaking days.
Banjo Indiana with Grandad waiting for the flight home.
A family shot before our darling boys leave
Graeme, Fran, Banjo, Rob and Nic.
Pleasant Saturday
I had a lovely day Saturday catching up with 2 friends.An old school friend Liz has just competed a 3 year Shiatsu course and I had a massage and a catch-up with her.
Evandale is the home of the famous Sunday market and the World Pennyfarthing Championships are held there annually. It also has several great antique shops, which brings me to my photo of an old English quilt.Sadly it one fabric is disintegrating badly, otherwise it could have made it home to my place. It looked nice where it was on the old bed. I liked what they'd done to the corners to fit it onto a four poster.
Grandma's Garden, originally uploaded by FranW.
Banjo Indiana 18 months old. Walking in Grandma Williams' garden, the grass is so much different to Brisbane stuff!
Scatterday I
Scatterday I, originally uploaded by FranW.
Back at Bridport again, this time with Nic and Banjo. Hopefully tomorrow will be a nicer day and we can head to the beach.
Scatterday I was done early and up,loaded in haste - I'm sure I got the right letter this week! :-)
Yellow - Isosceles Triangle (we have the 33 year old Tupperware Shapes out for Banjo), Yellow Insect fabric from the shop.
Australian - Indigenous fabrics and a Quilt made from those Indigenous fabrics.
Something you would find in the air - Influenza and Is it going to rain?
Excitement's gathering at our house because Banjo Indiana is arriving from Brisbane tomorrow to stay for 5 nights. Toys that heven't seen the light of day for over 25 years are out and dusted, the cot is set up in Graeme's office, car seat and pusher have been borrowed from cousin Libby and the high chair is cleaned and in the way in the kitchen!
My Family Gathering
A rare get-together. Like most familiesSaturday night we managed it. Lots of cathcing up, a great night.
Chris, Graeme, Fran, Kim, Brian, Frank (Dad) and Pet. ...
ScatterdaX
Scatterday X, originally uploaded by FranW.
X marks the spot, thanks to 2 sets of BBQ tongs. I am not home yet, the rulers would have been handy!
Now "Xmas" isn't a word I use because I can still hear mum telling me that by using the X you're taking Christ out


Filed under: Gender Politics — martin @ 4:00 pm Mon 29th May 2017
One Response to “It’s alright to threaten violence if you’re dressed as a woman”
And it’s alright to be a murderer if you are a woman. Male murderers and sex offenders tend to be hounded by media, law-and-order groups and general misandrists for the rest of their post-release lives making it very difficult for them to live successfully (and legitimately). Not so for females like this one who was able to become very rich writing crime novels, of all things.
Downunder Mon 2nd August 2021 at 3:41 pm on My open letter to the Human Rights CommissionThe HRC hasn't considered anything yet, they just haven't responded. You might in that case end up wasting time and (...)
Evan Myers Mon 2nd August 2021 at 2:46 It would probably be better to (...)


Category: Personal Growth, Uncategorized It's 6:30 in the morning and my phone is ringing. I stumble out of bed, pick it up, and am greeted with the dial tone. I look over at the birdcage hanging in a stream of early morning light. I then hear my cell phone, our old phone, a dump truck backing up and our [...
624No Comments »http://edwardsmagazine.com/2007/12/15/the-birds-the-word/The+Bird%27s+the+Word2007-12-15+23%3A44%3A43Colleen+McKie Implanting Empowerment?
Category: Health, Society It's hard to say why one person will have cosmetic surgery done and another won't consider it, but generally I think people who go for surgery are more aggressive, they are the doers of the world. It's like makeup. You see some women, who might be greatly improved by wearing makeup, but they're, I don't [...
622implanting-empowerment-cosmetic-surgery-beauty-culture-and-the-paradox-of-choice/Implanting+Empowerment%3F%3A+Cosmetic+Surgery%2C+Beauty+Culture%2C+and+the+Paradox+of+Choice2007-12-15+23%3A43%3A55Ashley+MacPherson Is Winning Important?
Category: Economy, Society I am about to start a job search again. I am currently an academic researcher in social science, my third "career" so to speak since I finished my bachelor's degree in my early twenties, and I find my work very fulfilling and interesting. However, the downside of the job is its instability due to academic [...
618choose-life-choose-a-job/Choose+Life%3B+Choose+a+Job2007-12-15+23%3A42%3A20Ada+Mau Visit the Edwards Book Club!


DescriptionCleans where other fail. Works great on stainless steel sinks. Stainless steel. Porcelain. Ceramic. Since 1882. Cookware. Kitchen. Bathroom. Removes rust. LikeCopper. Brass. Fiberglass. Corian. Chrome. Aluminum. a hose, or rinse BKF. Once tried, always used. To read BKF user reviews - Google us. Questions or comments? 1-800-433-5818.. NSF: Nonfood compounds program listed (A1, A3, and A6). Recommended By: All-Clad, Build.com, Calphalon, Cutco, Dacor, Electrolux, Elkay, Franke, Formica, General Electric, Kohler, Tramontina, Viking, Volrath, and many others.
BrandBar Keepers Friend
Identifier00886449520008
Identifier00041598001239
SKU/UPC4159800123
DescriptionWne.. Phospha0..
SKU/UPC4159800078
BrandWeiman32 oz
DescriptionMakes up to 16 gallons. Clean. Shine. Protect. SC Johnson - a family company. Pledge quickly cleans your floor to a beautiful shine. Powerfully cleans no-wax vinyl and ceramic tile floors. Leaves no dull, sticky residue. No rinsing required. Unlike many floor cleaners, Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Concentrated Cleaner does not leave behind a .is oil-free and specially formulated to powerfully, but safely clean your floor, leaving nothing but a natural luster and a great citrus-fresh fragrancesafe and effective on no-wax and ceramic tile floors, and won't harm ceramic tile grout. Environmental facts. C phosphates. A family company since 1886 - Fisk Johnson. Learn more at:..
BrandPledge27 oz. Covers approximately 400 sq ftNot tested on animals.. Made in the USA.
DescriptionHigh gloss shine. A family company. Instant Wax Shine polish gives your shoes a high gloss protection without buffing
Identifier00031600115115
SKU/UPC3160011511
BrandKiwi4159860208
DescriptionBrasso.
BrandBrasso


This chapter was updated in January 2020 in line with the above guidance, and should be re-read.
in Care
e Nominated Officer, unless it is a Placement at a Distance, (i.e. outside the area of the local a.
For children vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, Children’s Services in the n.
WTotal Placement Service (TPS) will send the relevant OLA notification form for completion to the child’s allocated social worker to personal advisor. The form must be completed and returned with three days of receipt in order that TPS can send this to the relevant Local Authority.
A copy of the child’s Care Plan .
Click here to view Appendix 1: Placing Children In Care Outside Of The Local Authority Checklist for Social Workers.
(This protocol h the children’s residential care sector in Wales).


water rose only to the horse's belly and Siringo rode it easily up the street while buckling his gunbelt in place. Few if any guessed his intention, for he smiled and seemed to enjoy the spectacle he made astride Mammoth—tipping his hat, for example, when the ladies waved to him.
What a strange, sluggish pursuit it made! Mammoth refused to giddyup but only picnicked along at a walk; even so, he gained on the bobbing coracle. I saw Glendon bend with effort, so that the craft half spun and the pigs dipped and scrabbled; then Siringo, seeing he was noticed, lifted his revolver and fired. I don't know how long a shot it was: too long apparently. Siringo holstered the revolver again and put Mammoth forward.
Well, the gunshot alerted all that a drama was under way. Soon everyone was leaning out the boardinghouse windows, the ladies agape, the men clamped, the children shoved to the rear. I was told later that two of the upstairs ladies had opera glasses that they employed without shame. Siringo urged the shire ahead with what seemed to me outrageous patience. He was beginning to disappear in the rain. I don't know how far off he was when he again lifted his arm and pointed in the direction of Glendon. A thousand yards? Twelve hundred? By now Mammoth seemed nearly atop the coracle. I want to say all shouting ceased as we waited for the report, but perhaps there was no shouting to begin with. Perhaps everyone was as numb as I was. Siringo sighted along his arm. When watching an execution, does anyone shout?
Then there was a report, at which I can reliably tell you several women began to cry; only it was wrong, the sound of that shot. It was close. As if fired from above us the report echoed off the water and decayed above the floodplain; then, "Lookit him, he's killed," cried the imp, because Charles Siringo had drained down in the saddle and slumped forward against the neck of the shire. Relieved of direction, the horse made a half circle and began its slow return while Glendon, in the coracle, continued on.
I would love to tell you that Darlys DeFoe turned herself in. That she came down off the roof of Marland Oil across the street, where she had climbed unnoticed when all eyes were on Siringo and the big horse, and that she presented herself to the law and told her tale of misplaced affection. That would be romance! That would be opera! But the fact is she disappeared even more handily than Glendon himself had done. José Barrera said he saw "a tall man wading toward Texas" while the rest of us were transfixed watching Mammoth's slow return, but who knows? Though a search turned up one fifty-caliber shell casing and a soaked sheepskin on the roof where she had rested her rifle, nothing suggested where Deep Breath Darla might be planning to go next or by what means. So far as I can tell, no one who was then at the Hundred and One ever saw her again.
Which, I suppose, is fairly romantic too—if it's going to die, it has to die on its own.
A new day appeared and I wrote Susannah. It wasn't a proper letter, but it was the longest thing I'd managed to put down since leaving home. I wrote about the treacherous brown flood, about the day of departing wagonloads with their sallow passengers. I wrote how it was to see the yellow sun again, but words were poor compared to the relief I felt, which was acute as bee stings.
In fact the old sun appeared the morning after Glendon's providential escape. The great cloud dissipated as though released from duty and the light came over a horizon that was no longer a ranch but a calm and littered sea. I suspected more days would pass before I was able to leave. José Barrera tried to drive a hayrack out behind two of the big shires; the rig made it fifty yards before the horses lost all footing and the harness had to be cut loose.
I was sitting on the ledge of an open window, groggy with sun, when Dr. Clary stepped into the lobby.
"Excuse me, are any of you gentlemen Monte Becket?"
No one but Glendon and Hood had used my real name in weeks. It was a strange and welcome sound that brought me to my feet.
He said, "Mr. Siringo is repeating your name."
Charles Siringo was in the ad hoc infirmary upstairs. He had been shot in the ribcage though the bullet's route was still a mystery. Clary had ascertained one smashed rib and believed the lungs were whole but beyond that was unwilling to guess. Siringo had arrived unconscious aboard Mammoth and was carried upstairs in a state of escalating fever, but soon awoke and began to shout nonsensical language. Clary took his hand and was met with violence; he restrained him and was met with rage. At last for Siringo's own safety he dosed him with ether, only to have the old vulture wake hours later, still angry though with less noise.
"He's saying Monte Becket," Clary told me. "You might help him settle. What else he's saying doesn't make a lot of sense."
Clary didn't answer so I followed him up the steps to the infirmary. It was no place you would choose to be sick but the doctor had made the best of it. He had waded to the small hospital maintained by the ranch and manhandled supplies to high ground: surgical implements, corked brown bottles, setting plaster and bandages by the roll. Amid this smart clutter lay Siringo in the bed vacated by Ern Swilling. Frankly, Siringo looked soon to follow Ern wherever. He was talking in a husky baritone like a man still in the tavern at sunup. He didn't look at me but breathed out a dragon of illogical syllables.
"Wait a little," said Clary. Siringo bored on in his husky voice. Abruptly a few words spilled out. Names mostly. I remember he said Jip Fingers. He rolled to and fro in his ravings. He said Monte Becket, and I answered him yes.
He laughed at this and focused on me with his fevered eyes.
"Not Jack Waits then."
"Friend of Glen Dobie," he said.
"That's right." There seemed little use for caution now, with Glendon gone, and Siringo in this condition.
He struggled to get a line on me and I moved round to the foot of the bed where he could look me straight on.
"Did you shoot me, lad?"
"You were with him, with Dobie."
He rolled half over with an agonized shout—it made me jump, but he calmed and lay still.
The doctor said, "You were shot, Mr. Siringo, by a gunman who is still at large and whose identity no one knows for certain."
This was a mild equivocation, since everyone at the ranch knew there was only one person who could've made the shot.
"And who are you?" he asked the doctor.
"James Clary."
"You going to open me up?"
"If your fever goes down. If you live long enough."
Siringo had a week's beard. A century's lines. He said, "Well, you be careful in there."
"I will," said Clary.
"You keep your eyes open." Siringo started to laugh—he seemed onto a vein of comedy. "Don't take out nothing I need, amigo."
"You rest now, Mr. Siringo."
Siringo nodded. His breathing guttered like flame. He seemed near la


an Equal City
Vicky Casey
Architect Vicky Casey maintains that the most successful cities are those designed around stories of how real people live.
Stories are powerful – they are perhaps the most meaningful way we learn.
So let me tell you a story. A story that explains why empathy is our most powerful tool to design better places that help the many people who have insufficient means to enjoy or have their needs met by the standard, modern city.
It starts with my own experiences in architecture. The most memorable lessonin architecture, there is only good and bad. In essence, we cannot make things right but we can make them better or we can make them worse. And as architects, we have the power and responsibility to always make things better, and that means better for everyone.
On reading Jane Jacob’s “the death and life of great American cities,” I realised there is no placemaking without empathy. We need empathy to understand the human experience of others and we gain this by watching how people behave, considering their fundamental needs and listening to their stories and lived experiences.
BDP’s founder George Grenfell Baines understood this implicitly, his ethos of a collaborative approach to design was born from the idea that we need more than one author to reach optimal designs. When asked to design a new town masterplan, in a time when contemporaries were designing tower blocks without thought to individual needs, GGB sought to expand his understanding by asking a social scientist “what does a town really need to be self-sustaining?” The sociologist answered: “Babies. At a most basic level you need a steady stream of babies”. Together, they designed a series of residential clusters to support a nursery, then a primary school and a local high street. It was a highly empathetic approach, ahead of its time.
Glasgow Queen Street Station, UK
But back to my story – its 2015 and I am a mother to two small children. The city is now more difficult to navigate. With a double buggy it can be a lottery. Will I, another parent or a wheelchair user get the one space available on each bus? People often assume that city centre accessible parking is the answer to inclusive design but as research by Rachel Aldred “Challenging Disability Environments” 2008 found; 60% of individuals living with a form of disability did not have access to a car. My empathy increases.
We need to reimagine our city transport networks to integrate key facilities at transit interchanges, to better meet the wider community’s needs. I am inspired by BDP’s work on future mobility hubs for city authorities which draws on the collaborative skills from our transport, retail and health sectors, with architecture, landscape, planning and urbanism disciplines wRoll forward two years and I’ve returned to my professional career, I am now an architect and a mother. My background is in the health sector working on BDP’s super hospitals and if there is any building typology that deals with the full spectrum of society it is surely the hospital, catering to everyone’s needs from first to last breath. Stakeholder engagement on these projects means hearing stories and experiences from a diverse set of users, almost all with some form of vulnerability, often with conflicting needs, all desiring a dignified experience. It all leads to a better design.
There is nuance in a story, nuance that leads to far wider understanding. Take for example our recent work on Glasgow Queen Street station. BDP’s acousticians modelled the space to ensure reverberation times were controlled such that voice announcements could be heard clearly. Stakeholder engagement with visually impaired users taught us that it was preferable to maintain a little noise around the entrance. The noise of the street is a key wayfinding marker for a visually impaired person. The street sounds get slightly louder and they are rereminded that “what does ‘good’ architecture sound like?” is as important a question as “what does ‘good’ look like?”
The city that caters to its most vulnerable is the city that can thrive in the future. There are multiple reasons why perpetual GDP growth is not sustainable, perhaps the most compelling being the climate emergency. There is much sense in the theory of donut economics and the idea that living in the sweet spot, within our planet’s means, could drastically shift the power balance such that good design might actually fulfil its potential. In the meantime, if we continue to call on our empathy, expand our curiosity, listen toour designs, we can continue to learn from their stories and keep striving to create the fairer city.
Hampden Gurney School Section Sketch


Now in its 27th year of touring, Tomáseen Foley’s ‘A Celtic Christmas’ will make its Chicago debut on November 30.
It is advent of motorcar, the television, and the telephone. The show takes us back to rural Ireland where neighbors gathered at each other’s houses and brought with them — not gold frankincense or myrrh, but gifts equally precious – their gifts of music, song, dance and storytelling.
On stage, the spirit of Christmas dances to life and glows brightly when the artists – ‘the neighbors’ – gather to create . It was in such places and on such nights that the delightful treasury of Irish culture was created, expanded and preserved. By recreating just such a night on stage, Tomáseen Foley’s A Celtic Christmas brings the timeless tradition to American audiences.
“Chicago has a special place in Irish hearts. When I was growing up in rural Ireland our neighbors, every Christmas, would get a big parcel from their relatives in that fabled city so far across the sea – Chicago. So we’re especially delighted be bringing a taste of Christmas in rural Ireland to Chicago,” said Tomáseen.
Joining Tomáseen on stage is a star studded cast oc. Grammy award winning guitar player, William Coulter; All-Ireland champion Eimear Arkins; multi-instrumentalist Brian Bigley; and renowned dancers Marcus Donnelly, and Natalie Wagner.
Come enjoy a Guinness with us before the show! The Athenaeum Center bar in our newly renovated Paradiso Event Space will be open beginning at 5:00 PM.


The soloists set off fireworks at the Mostly Mozart Festival in Avery Fisher Hall on Friday evening, but the glitteriest moments were not always the most rewarding. In fact, the finest performance overall came in a work of understated eloquence, Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 4, despite a slightly shaky start by the Mostly Mozart Orchestra under Gerard Schwarz.
The veteran pianist Shura Cherkassky spun out a mellow, flexible interpretation with a technical aplomb that continues to belie his 80 years. He could have made more of certain events, as, for example, Claudio Arrau used to do with the low isolated eighth notes in the subsidiary theme of the finale, firmly planting the root for the episode to follow. Mr. Cherkassky impressed instead with his grasp of the whole and with the continuity and coherence of his argument.
Except for two passages in the Finale muddled by overpedaling, the performance was refreshingly free of Mr. Cherkassky's typical eccentricities, which are welcomed in some quarters as evidence that a shred of the Romantic tradition survives. Mr. Cherkassky's pre-concert recital was another matter altogether.
In the famous Bach Chaconne, transcribed by Ferruccio Busoni, and especially in a suite of Lully works, arranged by Jean-Henri d'Anglebert, Mr. Cherkassky repeatedly swooned into a precious pianissimo, giving the sturdy Baroque tunes a sentimental sweetness that owed less to Romanticism than to mere idiosyncrasy. In showily contrasty fashion, Mr. Cherkassky also gave off sparks of pianistic brilliance.
But those were nothing compared with the high-wire act of Sumi Jo, a soprano, in the main program. In three flashy arias written by Mozart to challenge his sister-in-law Aloysia Weber Lange -- "Vorrei spiegarvi, oh Dio!" (K. 418), "No, che non sei capace" (K. 419) and "Ah se in ciel, benigne stelle" (K. 538) -- Miss Jo negotiated the acrobatics fearlessly and with remarkable precision. It was perhaps churlish to expect more, but Miss Jo did not go far beyond sheer athleticism; her tone, lithe and hard, sadly lacked warmth and vulnerability.
Mr. Schwarz filled out the program with two Mozart symphonies. The small, early B-flat Symphony (No. 24) received a nice, lively reading, which probably derived some of its freshness from its very unfamiliarity and the players' sense of discovery. Unfortunately, a routine and unimaginative performance of the "Jupiter" (No. 41) conveyed no such impression.


You'll remember those polls a few weeks (The Whack Right went whack over them*) that seemed to show the country had suddenly experienced a radical shift and decided it was Pro-Life after all?
I did not comment then, because I reckoned they were flawed polls (Nate Silver's blog analyzed them as likely to be so) and what else was there to say?
Not that any of this will stop the Whackawits. Little bits like making their datastreams match up to reality never mattered to them anyway -- how else could they believe in a 6000 year old planet in a world that has pottery older than that?
*If you want to be made ill, read the comments at the second post.
A few weeks ago, I was called by a computer for a survey that was very clearly biased towards the pro-life position. And the only possible answers were "yes" or "no" - no, "I'm not sure" or "I need more information." I'm pretty sure at one point I said yes to "I approve of killing innocent babies" because there was no other way not to place myself in the pro-life camp.