MG:  How did you get your start rapping?

IL:  I started writing short stories as a child in elementary school. I was always in love with words. I used to have to read the dictionary and learn a word a week.  I started to watch Rap City and Yo! MTV Raps and then it was over.

MG:  When did you start linking up with the likes of Aesop Rock and Slug?

IL:  I met Slug, Eyedea and all of the Rhymesayers through Dose One of Anticon. We both went to the University of Cincinnati and he knew all of those guys. At that time people would trade tapes and it was the early days of the underground hip hop boom of the late 90’s/early 2000’s. At that time Rhymesayers was the crew Headshots and they were the first crew that I ever knew that was touring. We met when Atmosphere was in Cinci for a show in ‘98. Actually Weightless and Rhymesayers started the same year. We were all of like minds and whenever they came to Columbus we would open for them and the rest is history.

With Aesop Rock, again Dose One hipped me to his music around ‘98 but we didn’t actually meet until 2000 when Weightless did the Unforseenshadows and Up To Speed re-issues on CD. They were only available on tape before that. Atoms Family and Aesop Rock came down from New York and opened for us. Atoms Family at that time consisted of Vast, Vordul (Cannibal Ox pre-Cold Vein), Cryptic One, Alaska, Wind N Breeze and Kazim. This was also Aesop Rock right before Float came out. Aesop and Wind N Breeze actually did my backups on the song “Verbage” at the release party. It was a memorable show that is still considered a staple in Columbus Hip Hop History.

MG:  At what point did you know that you could have a viable career making independent hip hop?

IL:  Honestly I’ve never had a viable career with hip hop (laughs) but after we released Unforeseenshadows and the people started responding we knew we had something. Once we dropped Got Lyrics? I really started touring. Eyedea (RIP) actually took me on my first tour. We (Weightless) were the first crews out of Columbus that actually started touring regularly. To this day the fans have allowed me to continue to make music and make an impact on their lives and I am greatly appreciative of them for that.

MG:  Columbus, Ohio was once a creative hub for hip hop. There was Blueprint, yourself, The Spitball crew with DJ PRZM, MHz crew with the likes of RJD2, Copywrite and the late Camu Tao plus more emcees than I could even count.  At the same time Cincinnati had Scribble Jam, Lone Catalysts and even Dose One at some point.  Where did all that creative energy come from and what was its collective pinnacle?

 IL:  Honestly, I have no clue (laughs). Ohio has always been a hotbed of musical talent from the great funk bands of the 60’s and 70’s to the talented rock bands and jazz musicians that we have produced. I think we are just in a place where we draw from everywhere and make our own interpretations of the world that people are drawn to. I think this goes for the Midwest in general.

MG:  What would you say separates an Ohio emcee from those of other regions?

 IL:  I think it’s our perspective. It’s that same way with artist from all regions. Our perspectives come from our surroundings. I think that all regions have their time in musical influence. The East Coast had their time and the West had their time. The West Coast time was secretly ours because they stole the funk sound of our 70’s groups.  I don’t think that we have a specific style or time because we pull from everywhere so our time has always been.

MG:  Have you noticed a decline in the popularity of underground hip hop?  If so, when did it start and how has it affected you personally?

IL:  I don’t think that there has been a decline at all. I think the lines have been more blurred as to what underground hip hop is and what it is not. I think now “underground” is more of a style as opposed to a genre, because in all honesty Drake is or was an underground artist. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis are underground artists along with countless others, but in the same vein so am I. Underground used to mean that you didn’t make as much money as a major label artist. It used to mean that you did not have the notoriety or the reach. Now the class system of underground and above ground artist has been turned on its ear. Much of that is due to the internet. Now I would describe underground as going outside of the box or coming with something from left field that no one else is doing.

MG:  These days, rappers usually take one of two routes.  Either they have a label doing promotion or an agent booking their tours.  On the flip side, some have taken a road that is do-it-yourself for ethical reasons or out of sheer necessity.  Which path would you suggest that independent artists use?

IL:  I would say do what is best for you and the furthering of your career.

MG:  Your lyrics are often deeply personal, poetic, and honest.  Those factors can strike a cord in the listener.  What is the best thing a fan has either said or done for you?

IL:  Fans have done a lot from tattoos to paintings. Just knowing that I have touched people’s lives in some way is enough. When a fan tells me that I have helped them in some way or got them through a difficult situation in their lives that is the ultimate reward.

MG:  What other mediums besides hip hop would you like to explore?

IL:  I have a few books in the works right now. I would also love to get into producing because I do have a musical background and a good ear for samples.  I really would like to have my hands in everything that I possibly can. You might even see me DJ sometime in the future, I don’t know, I don’t like to limit myself at all.

MG:  You have been rather prolific when it comes to releases in the last few years.  Do you have a favorite one?

 IL:  I love all of my music. All of it has it’s time. It depends on the day. My fans favorite is Celestial Clockwork though.

MG:  What does the future hold for Illogic?  Do you have any surprises up your sleeve?

IL:  Lots of music, a few books as I mentioned and I would love to hit the road heavy this year. Other than that, just taking care of my family and loving life.

IG: Illogic614

RUST BELT HAMMER CAN BE FOUND @RUSTBELTHAMMER OR ON FACEBOOK  https://www.facebook.com/rustbelthammer


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• Sung Park

    Sung Park

    Executive Chef and Master Sushi Chef

    Born in South Korea and raised in New Jersey, Chef Sung Park, admittedly, was not originally a raw fish connoisseur. He grew up fishing with his father, and at just 4 years old when he had his first taste of sushi, he was not a fan. His aversion continued for years. It wasn’t until high school that Park developed a taste for the texture and flavors and developed a true appreciation for the complexity of raw fish.

    His appreciation continued to grow, and after graduating high school, Park started working at a sushi restaurant as an apprentice where he honed his techniques and knife skills. In 2008, opportunity called out west and Park moved to Las Vegas to become the Lead Sushi Chef at SushiSamba. The popular Japanese fusion restaurant tested Park’s skills, but ultimately furthered his craftsmanship. After nearly five years managing the restaurant’s sushi bar, Park was offered the opportunity to open award-winning Chef Akira Back’s Kumi at Mandalay Bay. Kumi gave Park the ability to continue advancing his Japanese and sushi skills, while incorporating his Korean roots.

    In 2016, Park was ready for a change and joined the burgeoning team at Sake Rok, where he developed the sushi menu. Today. Chef Park continues to lead the restaurant’s vibrant fish program, bringing clean, simple yet balanced sushi to diners from around the world.

    When he’s not in the kitchen, Park enjoys spending time with family, cooking Korean favorites and taking advantage of the great outdoors.


This is the Northern Ireland weekend itinerary I designed and followed during our last family trip North. It is crafted to include some of Northern Ireland highlights and has stops suitable for families with young children.  Should you be travelling without children, I recommend you follow our tips for the Saturday and substitute our Sunday activities with a tour of the city of Belfast.

I don’t often use the word ‘breathtaking’, to describe a place. I find the term abused, inaccurate and lazy, a little bit like a ‘hidden gem’ or ‘best kept secret’.

However, when a turn of the road suddenly revealed the rugged beauty of the Northern Ireland coast, it took my breath away. It came our with a ‘oh wow’ sound and left me uncharacteristically speechless.

Family friendly Northern Ireland weekend itinerary: day 1

Day one of our Norther Ireland itinerary was our exploration day. I put a lot of research into what to see and after interrogating blogs, forums and maps,  came up with an itinerary that could be easily covered in one day and would show us some  of Northern Ireland most acclaimed spots without proving too tiring.

The itinerary is as follows:

  • Morning: Dive from Belfast to the Dark Hedges, then  Carrick-a-rede bridge
  • Lunch: Giants Causeway
  • Afternoon: Giants Causeway, Dunluce castle, drive back to be in the Hotel in time for dinner

We left our hotel at about 10 in the morning. It was a little later that I had hoped but May in this part of the world comes with long hours of daylight so that we were able to take our time without excessive stress. Our first stop was the so called Dark Hedges’

At a glance: how to make the most of a weekend in Northern Ireland

The Dark Hedges: what is it?

The Dark hedges is a road in Northern Ireland framed by impressive beech trees. It is a landscape feature, created by the Stuart family to impress the visitors approaching their mansion, and indeed is a sight to behold.

The dark Hedges norther Ireland in spring

The Dark Hedges are one of the most photographed spots in Northern Ireland. In recent years they gained popularity after featuring in Game of Thrones and fans flock here from all over the world to see them.

The dark hedges are an extravaganza of knotted branches and bare tree trunks, bending towards each other and creating a tunnel effect over an otherwise nondescript country road.

The road is one of the most photographed spots in Northern Ireland and one of the compulsory stops on all Norther Ireland organised tours. The reason for this popularity is twofold. The obvious one is its beauty. The less obvious one, or at least less obvious for me, is that the dark hedges appear in an episode of Game of Thrones and is therefore now a location of ‘pilgrimage’ for the TV series fans.

the dark hedges northern ireland

The Dark Hedges Northern Ireland

How to visit the dark hedges

Since the dark hedges are, effectively, just a road, I wasn’t sure what to expect on location. Would there be a car park, would we just see them from the road, would we drive through them?

No practical information seemed to be available online but thankfully, a visit to this spot turned out to be easy.

The dark hedges are indeed just a road and technically you can simply drive through it (it’s well indicated once you are in the area). However, since the road is not very long and full with tourists taking photos, driving is not advisable: the better option is to park your car in the Hedges Estate Hotel just in front (for free), walk across their grounds and take a stroll under the hedges themselves.

Visiting the Dark Hedges with kids

Something for the kids. I had talked the dark hedges up for the kids trying to get them excited and while they were not overly impressed, they enjoyed the walk under them.

However, the real highlight of this stop for them was the fairy village in  the grounds of the Hedge hotel! We used the hotel only as a parking spot to visit the hedges but soon realised there were reasons to spend time on their grounds too.

Their extensive lawns host a beautiful fairy village and it’s a dream for kids: tree stumps, tree trunks and bushes have been transformed into fairy houses and little widows and doors peek out of the vegetation, inviting kids to knock on their whimsical frames. It is a fabulous spot for little ones and one the evocative dark hedges could not compete with, in the eyes of a 5 year old!

Is a stop at the dark hedges worth it?

I enjoyed our stop at the dark hedges. We spent about half an hour there, took photos and marveled at the beautiful trees. It was a nice first stop on our day trip and a good way to break up the car trip to the Giant’s causeway, since they are located just a few kilometers off the main road up there.

However, I am not sure the dark hedges are a destination in itself. The road is beautiful and if you were to stumble upon it unexpectedly while driving around the area, you would definite stop in awe. Once you take away the surprise though, once you have seen many photos of them and find yourself taking the same pictures of the trees as the many other people beside you, its magic subsides.

My suggestion is to visit the dark hedges like we did, as a stop on a longer itinerary or to base yourself in the Hedges hotel one night, to be able to see the dark hedges outside of the tour bus rush hour (evening or early morning).

Carrick-a-rede bridge

Our second stop after the dark hedges was Carrick-a-rede bridge, the iconic rope bridge that graces the covers of so many Norther Ireland travel brochures.

Driving to Carrick-a-rede

The drive to Carrick-a-rede is the one I mentioned above as taking my breath away. Driving up from Belfast, the first part of the journey is inland, but once you get close to the coast, the scenery changes drastically and opens up to the vast, rugged beauty of the Antrim coast.

Getting to Carrick-a-rede is easy: the coastal road here is beautiful, well kept and well signaled and soon we found the right turn to the National Trust manages site.

The road is scenic but does not follow the cliff edge and is therefore safe to drive even for people who are afraid of heights (this is not the case for other parts of the coastal route!)

Carrick-a-rede is a tourist spot and as such has a large car park and a small cafe.

We parked in the lower car parked and ventured towards the site entrance.

The highlight of the trip here is, for many, the actual rope bridge but there is a lot more to this wonderful stretch of coast than the thrill of crossing its wobbly length.

Walking towards Carrick-a -rede bridge

The bridge itself is about 1 km away from the car park: the path is wide and well kept and except for some steps towards the end of it, overall buggy friendly.

At the start of the path you find a ticket office but access to the site is free: what you pay for is access to the bridge, an experience that is managed by the National Trust and that is organised in slots.

View of the Carrick-a-rede castline

View of the Carrick-a-rede castline

I have a fear of heights and this combined with two young children under the age of 7 made me think missing the crossing was probably the best idea.

The Carrick-a-rede rope bridge is a suspended bridge connecting the mainland to a small, rocky island. It was originally built by local fishermen to make the onerous tasks of retrieving their nets easier and access to it is now strictly regulated.

At the end of the 1km path,what you find is a long line of people queuing up in front of a small door. This doors opens onto steep steps and is guarded by a site employee who mages sure there are no ‘traffic jam’ on the bridge.

Carrick a rede suspended rope bridge

Seriously, would YOU do it?

Can you visit Carrick-a-rede with a fear of heights?

There is no way a person with severe fear of heights can cross the Carrick-a-rede bridge. The bridge itself is suspended over 100ft between two rock faces dropping almost vertically into the waters below and the fact that is made of rope means it tends to wobble in the wind. However, what was really insurmountable for me wasn’t even the bridge itself but the steps lading to it.

I only had a glimpse of them and while scenic, the steps really give you that sheer drop feeling that the vertigo-prone needs to stay away from, lest they get dizzy and faint in the least suitable spot of all!

What a  person with fear of heights can do, however, is enjoy the long walk to the bridge.

The path leading there is safe, not exposed to the cliff edge and non vertigo inducing. Depending on the severity of your fear, you can walk to and from the bridge along the same path or follow a slightly different way back.

This second path allows you to catch a good view of the bridge but sadly has one little stretch of road (no more than a couple of meters) that has no fence and is therefore possibly problematic (I would have done it without the kids but the path there is narrow and holding hand was at the same time necessary and impossible)

One more snap from our weekend in Northern Ireland. This is Little Ms E on the path towards Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, one of Northern Ireland most famous attractions. She is looking at the sea because of the beautiful view but also looking away from me to express her disagreement over having to walk!! The path to the bridge is about 1km from the car park and very easy but any walking is too much walking for this child 🙄 do your kids like hiking? #sea #bluesea #seaview #lovesea #travelstoke #traveltogether #traveltheworld #bestdays #letthekids #bbctravel #vacationmode #gorgeous_shot #beautifuldestinations #view #viewpoint #northernireland #traveltherenext #guardiantravelsnaps #tbscommunity #femaletravelbloggers #maketimetoseetheworld #tbin

A post shared by Family Travel Writer 🌍 Marta (@learningescapes) on

The Giant’s causeway

We spent in Carrick-a-rede a long time and the kids were starting to get tired. Our late start meant lunch was now overdue so our next stop had to first involve food: thankfully, I knew the Giants’ Causeway had a well equipped visitors’ centre with a cafe and restaurant so this is where we headed next.

The giant causeway is not far from Carrick-a-rede bridge. A short drive brought us to the vast welcome centre and we quickly got access to the large car park.

Giants causeway arrival and visitors’ centre

The Giant Causeway itself is a  natural area and access to it is is free. However, use of  the audio-guides, facilities and even the car park is paid for and tickets are checked when leaving the premises.

This means that unless you are staying nearby and are able to walk there, you need to budget for entry to the site.

The visitor centre is large and very well equipped: as well as the cafe, it has a souvenir shop and a fantastic area for kids and adults alike to learn about the causeway. This learning area has specimens from the causeway, it explains about its peculiar history and entices the kids to learn about the legends of the causeway, its marine inhabitants and its special geological importance.

Access to the actual causeway is easy. From the visitors centre a very large road meanders down the coast opening up to a gorgeous view.

The first type of landscape that opens up in front of you doesn’t include the famous basalt columns that make the causeway so famous but it is stunning nonetheless and unmistakably volcanic in origin

The view immediately outside the Giants' causeway visitor's centre

The view immediately outside the Giants’ causeway visitor’s centre

Giants causeway walking paths

The causeway can be discovered following several paths, colour coded.

Blue trail: this is the easy path and is more a road than a trail. It leads you from the visitors centre down to the coast and can be followed by people of pretty much all levels of fitness.

If you cannot or do not walk, part of it is even served by a bus (price not included in the ticket, about 1£). The road can be easily walked even by kids in approximately ten minutes.

This is what I call the ‘default trail’ the one you take if you just follow they lay of the road in front of you. The blue trail leads you down to the part of the causeway where visitors are allowed to climb onto the basalt columns.

Red trail: we didn’t take the red trail but this is a 2 mile trail following the upper edge of the causeway. It is marked as ‘difficult’ but promises beautiful views

Yellow trail: this trail stems off the red one and is described as ‘challenging’, therefore we deemed it not suitable for children

The start of the walk towards the giants' causeway

The start of the walk towards the giants’ causeway

Visiting the Giants Causeway with kids

The path we followed was the blue one. We walked down the large road and the first thing we noticed was how incredibly beautiful the coastline is.  People talk about the causeway because of its peculiar geological meaning and the basalt columns, but no one ever told me that even without those, the  place is stunning.

The coastline here is high and rugged and the bright green of the grass created a vibrant contrast with the dark black of the volcanic rocks.

The road leads you up to the waterline and here is where the first basalt columns appear. The columns are a geological marvel and have different sizes.

Some are small and some are really tall, creating a very peculiar ‘steps’ effect.

The basalt columns of the giant causeway. On a dry day, it is possible to walk on them and use them as steps to get to the top of the causeway

It is possible to walk on the basalt columns and, with caution, kids can enjoy the experience too.

The easiest way is to just stay on the lower ones but if you can (i.e. if you have older kids or one adult per child, to hold hands) the best way it to climb up to the top of the gateway: from the bottom, the climb seems harder than it is and the causeway is surprisingly safe once on top.

The high coast of the giants causeway as seen from the causeway itself

When walking on the Giants Causeway, don’t just look at the sea in front of you: turn around to see the incredible coast behind you!

The view from there is spectacular: the causeway stretches into the sea as a geological, geometrical pier and with waves crashing on it two sides.

You can marvel at the columns under your feet and the blue sea for hours but the real surprise is not in front of you but rather, behind your back. When you turn around, thinking your causeway experience has come to an end, the coast stunned me with the impressive view of its highest cliff, towering over me.

Stepping on the stones of the Giant's causeway

Stepping on the stones of the Giant’s causeway

I know I am am enthusiastic traveller but there is no other way of saying this: that cliff is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen, anywhere in the world.

Dunluce castle

After the beauty of the giant’s causeway I had expected our day to slowly wind down and prepared myself for a nondescript drive back to our hotel.

However, I had read that close to the causeway the was a castle and I decide to stretch a few kilometers in the hope of catching a glimpse of it. I was not disappointed.

Dunluce castle is perched on a promontory of the Antrim coast and its turrets emerge from emerald green grass to control the vast coastline.

Since we got to Dunluce late in the evening we didn’t visit the castle but simply pulled over into the small car park to take some photos.

Stunning Dunluce castle Northern Ireland

Stunning Dunluce castle Northern Ireland

What is there in Dunluce castle for kids?

We haven’t visited Dunluce castle but we saw many families there, enjoying the sun on the large lawn in front of it. The spot doesn’t offer much to kids but it is a nice location for a picnic and can be a nice spot if you want to avoid spending for lunch at the pricey causeway cafe.

After this final site, we got on the road back to out hotels and with no additional stops we got to the hotel in no time

Northern Ireland weekend itinerary day 2

My original idea on how to spend our second day in Northern Ireland was to explore Belfast city. However, the beautiful weather made me want to stay outdoors, so we headed out of town to the Ulster Folk and transport museum.

Ulster Folk museum

The Ulster folk museum is easily reached by car from Belfast. It is an outdoors museum with an old Ulster village reconstructed and it’s a lovely place to visit with kids.

After you get you ticket, you can explore the village at your own pace: you can stroll along its roads, enter the house of the seamstress and see how they used to live  (yes, my children did ask why there was no TV! Talking about an educational visit…) and learn about traditional jobs, from the baskets weaver to the iron monger and the village photographer.

Ulster Folk Museum

Traditional Ulster street: some of the houses are open and you can see how life used to be. The one on the left is the house of the seamstress with all her paraphrenalia still on display

For me, the highlight of the visit was the picture house. Here you can see how the old projection room works and watch old movies. The kids had never seen anything like this and were surprised to see there were no words involved and the music was played by a piano in the hall!

I also enjoyed very much the post office and the police station. This also had some interesting information about the troubles, a hugely important part of history in this area and beyond. Some photos there were disturbing so, depending on your child, you may want to make sure they are not walking around alone.

The Ulster transport museum

The folk park is a lovely place for a family day out and we spent a good bit of time in the onsite cafe.  Soon however, we decided to move to another part of the museum complex, hosting my children most beloved objects of all: trains!

Ulster transport museum

The impressive train section of the Ulster transport museum

The transport museum is just down the road from the folk park and an absolutely delight to visit with kids. As the name suggests, it is entirely devoted to transport and the star of the show here and huge steam and diesel locomotives, kept in a vast room where a old turntable and train station has been recreated.

The kids were absolutely in awe of the trains and indeed they are a sight to behold. The locomotives are immense, colourful and so reminiscent of Thomas thank the kids felt they were almost in a theme park!

The kids are allowed to climb onto some of the locomotives and to have a go at riving the train (perfect photo op!). The room itself is built to resemble an old train station and  has some little touches such as the warning to ‘mind the gap’ beside steps that made even us adults get in the spirit of things.

After the trains, we moved to the airplane section which is smaller but also interesting for kids. Here you can see how airplanes are built, peek inside one and see how flying machines developed over the course of the years.

Since we got to the museum late, we only had about 30 minutes here, definitely not enough to enjoy all it has to offer. Had we had more time, we would have also explored the miniature railway on the museum grounds and enjoyed the vast outdoors spaces surrounded the several museum pavilion.

Instead, we climbed back into our car and, our eyes full with the beauty of Northern Ireland, headed back South. Our next adventure will be in Dublin city: stay tuned for a full report! Did you enjoy this Northern Ireland weekend itinerary? Would you like to follow our footsteps and visit?

Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate link and, should you make a purchase through them, we may get a small commission at no extra cost to you. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to and affiliated sites

The perfect itinerary for a weekend in Northern Ireland with stops for all ages. With this itinerary, we saw some of Northern Ireland most famous attractions and included some family friendly stops such as the fairy village near the Dark hedges and a the Ulster Folt and transport museum, fun for the whole family. The itinerary includes breathtaking scenery such as the Dark Hedges, Carrick-a-rede rope bridge, the giants causeway and Dunluce castle

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Saturday, 31 October 2015

When to do a scene break

3. Have my characters run out of things to say?

5. Do I need to use a flashback?

‘The colours are amazing.’

(Scene break, and new scene below)

(Scene break, and new flashback scene below)

Saturday, 24 October 2015

Tricks to Hook Your Reader

I’ve touched on this in previous articles, but it’s one of those subjects that are eternally popular with writers, especially beginners, who are keen to employ as many tricks as possible to get their novels noticed, and one of those ways is to engineer a good hook – something that grabs the reader from the outset.
But how do you grab the reader in the first place?
Open some of the books on your bookshelf and make a note of how they begin. What is it that grabs your interest and compels you to read them? Does the book engage your curiosity or fascination? Does it start with a bang? Or does it start slowly and gain momentum, yet at the same time is interesting or quirky? You’ll find the results will be varied – some books are great openers, some take a while to warm up while others are a damp squib.
So, what elements make a great hook?
The Crucial Moment
Start at a crucial moment. Every writer should know this one. If you start at a pivotal moment within the story – the protagonist in a bad situation, for instance – you stand a better chance of hooking the reader, who will immediately want to know what happens next, because it forces them to immediately become part of the story. It creates immediacy. They simply have to know what happens, for example:
“It was a wrong number that started it, the telephone ringing three times in the dead of night, and the voice on the other end asking for someone he was not” - City of Glass by Paul Auster.
“We started dying before the snow, and like the snow, we continued to fall” –Tracks, by Louise Erdrich.
Create Intrigue
If you create intrigue, then you create a sense of curiosity, which draws the reader’s attention. Intrigue acts as a lure to get the reader to keep reading. Like the crucial moment, it engages them, makes them wonder. For example, in George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty Four, intrigue is created by the use of the surreal:
Iain Banks’ The Crow Road has a great opening, one that creates intrigue and surprise in equal measure: "It was the day my grandmother exploded."
Create Memorable Description
Some experts advise against opening with description, but in truth there is nothing wrong with this, as long as it is well written, it engages the reader with the right imagery and has enough intrigue to compel the reader to continue reading.
The idea is to make the description compelling, whether it is tonal, atmospheric, beautiful or action-led. The right words help to draw the reader from reality and into the fictional world you’ve created. The imagery you create should transport them and they won’t want to leave. Many books begin with description, as these examples show:
“The cold passed reluctantly from the earth, and the retiring fogs revealed an army stretched out on the hills, resting" - The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.
Introduce the Protagonist
Don’t spend three chapters setting the scene with no hint of your protagonist until page 4. Introduce your main character immediately and make them interesting, fascinating, exciting or heroic. He or she will carry the story, so you have to ensure that the protagonist is the kind of person the reader will want to know all about, and like.
Readers will have questions. Why is the main character in that situation? What has brought them to that opening, that crucial moment? How will they get out of it? Those are questions readers ask, and they will continue to read in order to get the answers, so get your main character on as soon as the page is opened.
Open With Conflict
Conflict is the driving force of your story, and readers love conflict because – just as in real life – we just can’t help but get involved with (and sometimes enjoy) disagreements and arguments. It’s human nature to fight of flight. That means you might open with a tense standoff between characters. Or perhaps a fight scene. Or a chase scene.
Whatever you decide, readers will want to get involved in the same way as we do in real life, they will want to know what’s happening, why it’s happening and how it will be resolved.
Open with a Bang
This doesn’t always have to be literal – when we say ‘open with a bang’ we mean that the opening should start right in the action – maybe it’s a chase scene, maybe there has been a car crash, maybe there’s a battle of some kind. And of course, you can actually open with a literal bang – an explosion of some sort.
Whichever you choose, opening in this way is a short burst that will grab your reader’s attention. They will want to know if your protagonist is going to be okay, if he or she made it out of the car crash, survived the explosion or managed to avoid being caught in the battle…
Making the Hook Work
To make the hook work there are several factors at play that should not be overlooked. Firstly, writers don’t have to use every one of them, but instead, employ some of them as a means to lure the reader and make them invest in your novel.
Whether you have used conflict, opened with action or you’ve placed your protagonist in peril and started at a crucial moment, make that hook work by keeping the momentum you have created. Don’t start with a bang and end the chapter with narrative that grinds to a stop. Keep the story moving at all times.
Wherever possible, try to foreshadow. Hint to the reader that something is impending – it keeps their interest and creates that all important intrigue.
Don’t stop teasing the reader. Just because you’ve hooked them doesn’t mean you can relax. You have to keep them hooked, right to the end. Ensure you keep the reader turning the page – keep them intrigued and curious, get them to ask ‘what next?’ If you start with an impact, keep the stakes raised. Don’t make it easy for your protagonist, make it hard, and make the reader want to share the protagonist’s journey.
You’ll see that most of these hooks are interrelated – the engaging characters, crucial moments and descriptive elements etc. They can all connect together to give the best chance for hooking the reader. Think carefully how you open your novel – it’s the difference between being read and enjoyed to not being read at all.
But by far the best thing that keeps a reader interested, however, is a well developed, rounded and well written story that knocks the reader’s socks off.
Next week: Chapter or Scene Break? How and when to use them.

Saturday, 17 October 2015

Why Character Actions/Reactions Are Important – Part 2

In Part 1, we looked at the complexity of character actions and reactions and why they’re an important part of the story writing process. In Part 2 we’ll look at other factors that make this essential tool so necessary – Direct Actions and Emotions.

Direct Action

Without a doubt, a character’s actions have a quite a bearing on other actions and reactions, rather like a ripple effect, and like dialogue, it’s a useful way of revealing character.

Direct action refers to what your character does in response to other characters or what he or she does in order to provoke reactions from others. And provocation is always a good thing; it creates conflict, which every story should thrive on. All this allows the writer to influence how the story evolves. Cause and effect is always in play.

What does that mean exactly? Imagine if Character B reveals a secret about one of the protagonist’s loved ones, and threatens to share this information. How will the protagonist react? And what will that reaction do to affect the story arc? Will his or her reaction influence others? Will it create a huge amount of conflict? Will it cause the protagonist to do something completely out of character, something extreme?

For every action there is reaction and the ripple effect influences things further down the line. Reactions often mirror the actions, for instance, taking someone’s hand and holding it means you care for that person, you like them.  A gentle kiss on the forehead tells the recipient that he or she is loved. These subtle actions garner subtle reactions by return, perhaps a squeeze of the hand or a smile. Conversely, more aggressive actions are usually met with aggressive reactions.

Remember that actions can:

  • Reveal character
  • Direct the story arc
  • Influence other characters
  • Provoke further reactions, which creates conflict

In the same way that silences work within dialogue - they can tell a reader so much in terms of the character’s responses and behaviour, the same is true for actions and it is usually emotion that drives this kind of reaction.  As explained in Part 1 – holding back from reaction and remaining silent is a powerful response; it is like a character that is unwilling to truthfully reveal him or herself.

Remember that every action creates a reaction, and that actions always evolve from motivation.  In real life, there is always a reason behind what we do and say. This is true for characters, so what they do and say will affect other characters and compel them to react.

The subject of emotion is a little more complex, because as writers, we can control, manipulate and feign a character’s emotions in order to influence other characters or a situation. We can provoke other characters, hurt them even.

Often, emotions arise from reactions to something said, someone else’s actions or an event. They are a clever way of revealing character, in much the same way internal thoughts do. Our raw emotions can be very revealing, especially when we don’t want them to be, because once emotions get the better of us, we end up revealing our true personalities.
That said, we can also control emotions to affect others, to our own advantage. This Machiavellian approach works well for antagonists in particular. They love to manipulate or control other people’s emotions.

Emotions can also be intentionally held back in order to reveal someone who may be cold and calculating, or perhaps they are fearful of showing their feelings, for reasons known only to them and the writer. Whatever the reason; by creating emotion and having your characters react with emotion reveals character. It also creates empathy and immediacy with the reader.

Emotion is a powerful tool to work with; they tend to override logical thought. It makes people do strange things, whether that emotion is positive or negative, and that’s why it is so complex.

If your characters don’t react to other characters and situations, there would be little substance to the story you are telling, because without character actions and reactions to help drive the story forward, there would be little characterisation, little emotion, lack of conflict and no depth for the reader to delve into.

Remember, cause and effect happens in real life so it must also happen in your fiction. Give them reasons to act and give the rest of the characters reasons to react.

Next week: Tricks to hook your reader.

Saturday, 10 October 2015

Why Character Actions/Reactions Are Important – Part 1

One of the fundamental and complex parts of characterisation comes from the actions and reactions of your characters – their interactions are constantly evolving throughout the story because they are continually acting and reacting with each other and various events and the story. Without action and reactions, there would be no determinable relationship between any of your characters, and therefore little to give the reader.

Why are character actions/reactions important?

Actions and reactions are great way to reveal character without the need for lots of explanation or large info dumps. As writers, we can show, rather than tell, by virtue of how they respond. Everyone is multifaceted and complex and your characters should be no different.

You can show a reader as much as you want through character revelation; what they do, what they say, and sometimes what they don’t do or don’t say.

The action/reaction equation is complex on many levels, because responses rely entirely on actions, which also rely on catalysts – the very things that set in motion the events that lead to your character to react in various different ways. There is always a reason behind what we do and say.

What made them react – what is the reason?

How do they react?

Why do they react?

Do they react at all?

Reason - Action - Reaction = Character revelation.

Characters respond to other characters and situations in so many ways, and what they do can reveal certain information to the reader that helps them understand your character’s behaviours, personality and motivations. For example, if your character saves a dog from drowning, it tells the reader that the character is caring and kind, maybe a little impetuous, but all without the need to explain this.

If the character reacts angrily to something, like being stuck in a long queue and seeing queue-jumpers, for example, then it shows that the character can easily become annoyed or irritated by the behaviour of others, since queue jumping is a sign of mad manners.  On the other hand, if a character doesn’t react, then it shows the reader that they don’t get upset about that kind of impolite behaviour from others, because they are more tolerant and easy going.

Of course, it’s not just actions that create character responses. A character could also react to someone else’s words. Think of real life situations and how we react to other people – what they say to us forms the basis of how we react and respond to them.

The way your character acts and reacts reveals the kind of person your character is. They are complex because actions and responses can be subtle or overt, they can be vocal, they can be silent, and they can even be hidden.

There are many ways a writer can manipulate actions and reactions by using dialogue, direct actions, emotions and internal thoughts. How a writer does it is key to how effective it becomes.

The great thing about dialogue is that is can be manipulated to illicit responses from the reader. A character may talk with passion or anger or heightened emotion…or none at all, and what they say in conversation should draw your reader and engage them.

Of course, what is really interesting is that what your character says in response to others can reveal so much about that character. Not only that, but writers can also engineer conflict from their character’s responses this way. Arguments and disagreements can be powerful; they can provoke heightened or sometimes irrational responses, and in so doing, reveal more about your character to your readers, because what they see is true emotion, not feigned sentiment.

In everyday life we are constantly reacting to others when in conversation. Sometimes we say something funny, sometimes we lash out and say things we don’t mean, sometimes we snap and shout, and sometimes we don’t say anything at all, for fear of saying the wrong thing or because we know we’re at fault.

Sometimes, we stay silent because anger and emotion prevents us, so crafted silences can be just as powerful as conversation. Therefore, what a character doesn’t say can be just as powerful as what he does say.  A character might hold back for many reasons – it’s up to the writer to show this to the reader.

Internal Thought

Your character can also react to the actions of, or conversations with, other characters by using internal thought. They are another great way of revealing character personality without the need for exposition – they allow the reader to see the character’s true feelings, opinions and emotions.

As an example, a main character may say something in response to another character, but he could be thinking something entirely different. His responding action might be a forced smile, but his thoughts might reveal his silent anger or offence. His true reaction is therefore revealed in thought, not actions, and because the reader is privy to those thoughts, a sense of immediacy will help them connect with the character.

In Part 2 we’ll look at how a character’s direct actions and their emotions affect the dynamics of actions and reactions and overall characterisation within the story.

Next week: Why Character Actions/Reactions Are Important – Part 2


Etruscan Collection

This collection of Findi Flooshki is one of the artist’s original collections. It reflects the artist’s archaeological and scholarly interest in supporting new understanding about the origins of Western civilization.

The collection arose from the artist’s encounter with Tuscan museum collections that showcase the relatively new subject of Etruscology. The subject has gained considerable international interest for its potential to overturn established views about the supremacy of Greek and Roman influences on Western civilization.

Wandering museum collections, it became clear that many features of Etruscan civilization were appropriated by Romans, including ancient insignias and symbols, religious ceremonies and calendars, symbolic hierarchy of colour, advanced metallurgy and knowledge of hydraulics.

It is the creative individuality of Etruscan artists and artisans that is highlighted in this collection. Designs hint at winged figures, emblems and authentic ceramic decorations.

The red, black and terracotta palette in these Findi Flooshki reflect the Etruscan palette that was in turn borrowed from Ancient Greek black and red ware. Just as Etruscan antiquities originate on Tuscan soil, which also cradled the Italian Renaissance- these Findi Flooshki are an interesting pre-cursor to the Renaissance collection.


Russian Travel Digest

Visa-free travel regime for Russian citizens

Create: 07/20/2015 - 13:05

In 2014, Russian citizens had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 100 countries and territories ranking the Russian passport 38th in the world. The following infographics provided by Itar-Tass shows the world map highlighting countries having simplified visa regime with Russia.

Russian Travel Digest


(English Index)

(Original Index)

In Israel particularly, the language Judaeo-Spanish is commonly called Ladino (לאדינו, a variant of "Latin"). The language that is also called in Hebrew Spanyolit, refers to the dialect of North Africa, especially Morocco. As a Jewish language, it is influenced heavily by Hebrew and Aramaic, but also Arabic, Turkish and to a lesser extent Greek and other languages where Sephardic exiles settled around the world, primarily throughout the Ottoman Empire.

In pre-Expulsion times in the area known today as Spain the word meant literary Castilian as opposed to other dialects. Following the expulsion, Jews spoke of "the Ladino" to mean the traditional oral translation of the Bible into archaic Castilian. By extension it came to mean that style of Castilian generally, in the same way that (among Kurdish Jews) Targum has come to mean Judaeo-Aramaic.

In short, Ladino is only Hebrew clothed in Spanish, or Spanish with Hebrew syntax. The famous Ladino translation of the Bible, the Biblia de Ferrara (1553), provided inspiration for the translation of numerous Spanish Christian Bibles. Nowadays "ladino" is a Spanish adjective that means "sly" or "cunning", far away from its historical meaning.


I'm a software engineer and designer in New York City.

This summer, I'm joining the engineering team at Bowery Farming to help bring the purest produce imaginable into folks' homes. I couldn't be more excited and Bowery is hiring.

Previously, I spent the better part of my working life making software to engage a broader audience with art and material culture through the Internet. I've had the excellent fortune to work with great talents and customers at Artsy, Electric Objects, 20x200, and a number of other teams along the way.

Given time, some inclement New York City weather and a little slack, I'm liable to pursue many other small projects—some of which are documented here.

You can find me elsewhere: GitHub, Twitter, Are.na, Keybase & Instagram.


A seal pup has been nicknamed “Miracle” after being rescued when a one-tonne boulder was shifted in South Wales.

The seal was trapped between heavy rocks and boulders by a sea wall near Port Talbot steelworks, an area known locally as Aberavon Pier.

Access to the seal was difficult, and the rescue took significant planning, including detailed consultation with specialist engineers.

The RSPCA worked with other agencies, including Associated British Ports, Sea-Lift Diving, British Divers’ Marine Life Rescue, the RNLI and Neath Port Talbot Council, to complete the rescue.

A specialist lifting gantry was used to move the heavy rocks and boulders and access to the pup was secured with a grasper before it was placed in a “vari-kennel”.

Nic de Celis said: “Without doubt, this was the most technical and complex rescue I have dealt with as an RSPCA inspector. This poor seal pup was trapped amid rocks and boulders, and access to the animal was exceptionally difficult.

“A one-tonne boulder literally had to be moved out of the way, before we safely got hold of the seal and did a thorough welfare assessment.

“Fortunately – despite the ordeal – the seal appears unharmed and is now being transferred immediately to specialist RSPCA wildlife facilities in Somerset.

“We’re grateful to the local community for their ongoing concern for this poor seal, which is testimony to how much most people care for animals and their welfare.

“All at the RSPCA are over the moon that we were able to save the seal in what was a bit of a miracle for the seal known as Miracle.”

It is expected that the seal will be returned to the wild.


Important for belief system to be congruent with reality

I was never really religious but as a teenager I had been to quite a few cell group meetings and bible study sessions. I went to these sessions because it seemed to me that my Christian friends were so serene and unruffled by the amount of suffering and injustice in the world. I thought they knew something which I didn’t.

Unfortunately, the more I found out about Christianity, the more I realized that it simply didn’t make any sense. There were numerous conflicts with various scientific disciplines such as archaeology, biology, astrophysics and geology. There was no way I could become a Christian in spite of its lure because it was important to me for a belief system to be congruent with reality.

Regardless, I couldn’t believe that so many people could be so wrong about something so important; hence, I remained agnostic. However, as I learned about cognitive biases and heuristics, and other limitations of the human brain, as well as how vulnerable we are to social conditioning and indoctrination, I gradually accepted the reality that a vast majority of my fellow human beings were deluded by the fables of our ancestors. That’s how I became an atheist.

Chan Yue Kong


Ten things you should know about: Waste King's fluorescent bulb recycling procedure

Ten things you have to know about: Waste King's fluorescent bulb recycling process

Fluorescent lightbulbs are the best and resilient lightbulbs accessible today. With the move toward more energy efficiency and environmental responsibility, fluorescent lights have become more common fixtures worldwide. Below are some of the significant things which you must know about Fluorescent lightbulbs:

Waste King's nine-step fluorescent bulb recycling procedure is:

The approximate capacity for one inch fluorescent tubes, is 150 x 6feet or 450 x 2ft tubes.

The container is put in the site storage area to await processing.

For processing in a puppy love and separationplant waste King loads the lamps.

The plant is fully automatic. It allows processing of the various kinds and sizes of lamps, dividing them into soda lime glass, aluminium end caps, lead glass /ferrous metal parts and phosphor powder.

The crush and sieve plant works at sub-pressure, thereby preventing mercury from being released into the surroundings as exhaust air (which can be continuously eliminated through the internal carbon filters).

The whole crush and separation plant is incorporated in a container by which the tubes are fed by a conveyor into a hammer mill. The resultant joined fractions are air-conveyed through a separation tower, where metal and the glass are removed. The glass and metal components are subsequently crushed further and air-carried to a second separation tower. Glass resulting from the sieving operation (after the first separation tower) is crushed further and air-carried through a third separation tower. The glass fragments are fed into a rotary drum-feeder and transferred to your discharge conveyor to skip hire stevenage transfer the byproduct from the processing unit.

The air stream that has passed through the separation towers contains phosphor powder.

The air stream then passes through four- carbon filters to remove any mercury vapour before passing into the atmosphere via a combined vent.

Aluminium, found glass and metals are sent to other businesses for use as raw materials or for further processing.

Every time a customer has filled a âcoffin' with spent fluorescent tubes, Waste King's operatives will arrive, accumulate the container and entire process continues.

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Historical Nostalgia By David Reid Otey

Nostalgia: The old shows, the old comedy, staying up late for a trip to the past, to remember what was funny then and see if it is today, when it really doesn’t matter.  That’s what I thought, at first. But when talking about it with a friend I realized it does matter in the ways of ”seeing” history being made. Being able to watch the process and progress of thoughts and issues portrayed in simulated comedies and dramas.  We watch how ”the ways of the past” built up and progressed to become our ”ways of the present” which will someday join the box of ‘ways of the past’. An endless cycle because the types of thoughts, philosophies, beliefs and patterns used to create establishments, governments, businesses and cultural standards never cease to exist. They ”take turns”, having generations of people and  time to exist within.

The ”old stuff” really isn’t old. It is still current in showing us how we shape and how we change beliefs, thoughts and life patterns.  Our own personal histories  go through the same process, from something  simple and immediate ( like dropping a coin into a gumball machine, twisting the handle and collecting the gum ball ) to complex and consistent ( like crocheting a baby blanket ).  In the realms of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual, change is the results of ideas worked in real life situations.

The issues of the past are still the issues of today, although they might have shifted from the top of the news list to a lower placement. The themes remain the same; love, life, death, joy, trials, community, etc.

High school plays are 90% nostalgia plays :classics from three or four generations past.  There is a series of birthday cards where you can buy one for the year you were born and see the list of the top songs, tv shows, inventions, news events, etc. Nostalgia is ‘recurring style’ in clothes fashions, music, building designs.  Recently I read that current country music is a “ripoff” of the 1970’s rock music. “Ripoff” should simply be called ‘recurring’ because the essence of an era cannot be copyrighted. Newness of anything is  limited because ”there is nothing new under the sun”, especially when you consider the length of time humans and ideas have existed so far.

More often throughout the past thirty or more years you will see a mixture of themes and styles from multi-eras borrowed and blended to appear like a new perspective, similar to the blend of peanut butter and grape jelly you can find in stores (as simplistic as that comparison might seem). This is good in a way because such combinations create enhanced perspective of each era through complimentary comparative connection, if that can be considered a reasonable, realistic or even possible term for style. Yet there is also a  danger that combining eras can also distort the ”real meaning” of an era’s phase in the history of what and how thoughts, beliefs and ideas came out of each other. Sometimes combinations would trivialize serious, meaningful lessons learned from very intense moments in history such as the Holocaust that impacted world cultures.

The past is always part of the foundation that current systems stand upon. The past should always be known and understood as much as possible, to prevent giving up any specific freedoms we may take for granted such as marrying whoever we want to from any culture or race, to prevent falling into a trap of agreeing to give up a standing of respect or opportunity that was fought for and earned by the lives of our ancestors such as civil rights. The past strengthens our lives, adding solidarity from other’s experiences that created wisdom we can add to our own lives. We can dream more, believe more and become more by complementing the past with our personal growth and with our supplemental contributions in life to reinforce the structure that bonds the progressions made so far.

There used to be an image of wisdom represented by a bearded wise man in a robe who lives on top of the highest mountain. Seekers of truth would climb that mountain to learn the truth of what they should do, should be, and which path they should follow in their lives. Wisdom is not one truth alone. Wisdom is combined truths because all knowledge is interrelated. There was a time in the past when many women could not vote, could not own their own properties, could not be leaders in government. In fact, the government made laws to prevent women from progressing. So the passion of freedoms ignited a long and very effective fight resulting in great changes for all future generations of women who will hopefully know and understand this part of history. There was a time in the past when slavery of one race was condoned, accepted and practiced, where one race of humankind was considered property to be bought or sold at will, to be treated however the owners wanted to treat them without that race having any protections under the laws of the land. In fact there were laws made against them, to keep them bound, enslaved and extremely limited in their lives. So, again, the passion of freedoms ignited a long and very effective fight resulting in great changes for all future generations of one race who will hopefully know and understand this part of history. The past is the place for reference to receive encouragement, wisdom, ideas and aid in supporting your own life dreams.

Let the past be strength for your progress instead of an escape from changes. Let the past be the voice of cheering you on to keep making life better for yourself and others, to become involved in the communities, instead of retiring into a bubble of “my times way back when” in seclusion of the life around you that came from those past moments. Let the past teach you rather than imprison you, empower you instead of coddle you. Honor your past by continuing the process of constant recreation by seeking or becoming a cause for someone or something. let your present become a memorable past for someone else to be empowered from. Create your life to a favored piece of nostalgia for your family and for your community, for your spirit and soul.   The End.

Marriage life thrives from Touch. By David Reid Otey

Touching, hugging, making love: for most people these are the elixir of life second only to breathing. These three acts reflect the most important part of existence: to feel, to belong physically to another person, to have daily sensuous contact, body to body on any level. It can be as slight as holding hands and light massages. But among adults it should include all three actions at least within every three days.  Loving Touch soothes, heals, bonds, excites and balances emotions.

Some of us miss being touched with passion, with desire, with the plan to make it go from light to heavy and then to the dance of love.  Touch is life. The right touch makes the best feelings: hugs, fondling, caressing, joy, deep breathing. Touch is the way God made to let us know the meaning of that phrase, “and let there be light”.  A passionate hug pulls away stress, softens the harshest times, gives relief, offers hope, fills with strength needed to go the next step, the next mile.

It is  dangerous and unwise  for a spouse or partner to change the relationship with their spouse from often sensually physically intimate to mildly or hardly physically intimate. It cracks the emotional and spiritual bond, wrinkles the confidence and could open the door for infidelity.  To withhold the intimately passionate physical expression of love  could be called a type of infidelity, because the main partner has closed off and shut down one of the main promises to each other in being together in marriage; to give to each other’s needs desireably, willingly and affectionately from the heart. This promise of physical expression was never and  should never be based upon obligation nor by force, nor by ownership, for those are not a foundation of love toward each other.

Withholding  the sensuous bonding act is to tear apart the bond of loyalty and devotion, creating a possible domino effect upon the other levels of sharing. Withholding creates a change in perspective, from loving another for what YOU can give them to make their life happier, to loving them for what THEY can give you to make your life happier regardless of what they need. That is a formula for producing emotional pain that borders on subtle cruelty. One sided giving gets lopsided quickly and forces devotion and loyalty in an unbalanced and unnatural form.

In one case, a man visualizes having an affair with someone else–a friend–for the purpose of playing it through in his mind. He knows the joy would be great because he knows the feelings would be mutual and honest. But he also foresees that this situation would be desired again, and that it would be against his nature to use another woman for intimacy. He would be truly loving with his giving and he would receive honest joy and equal affection as well.  Then he thinks about his kids and grandkids, what they’d think, how disappointed they would be, how it would affect their confidence in their own abilities to be faithful for decades without ‘falling’, how they’d look at him as weak and as not being the same man anymore and, to some degree, maybe create an emotional distance between them . He can foresee  the awkwardness of holidays and family nights. No, it is safer to take care of his needs in a solitary manner. One depending more upon imagination than reality, upon fantasy.

I, for one, need touch to feel like life is great.  Empathy, compassion, sensuality and sexuality are the strongest passions we have.  They are the most common traits of human desire that businesses use for  themes in advertising their products.  Touch is the prime reward for performing the other common traits of human desire. We live for give and take. If that circular balance is disrupted between two people, other parts of a relationship soon deteriorate. Anger, arguments, insults, derogatory remarks of contempt: these can be temporary and logical reasons for withholding, since they interrupt the necessary feelings of desiring each other.  These can and should be remedied as soon as possible.

Otherwise, another possibility is ”falling out of love” with someone. No longer feeling desire to touch them, to want them physically, to feel their touch in return. What reason is there for that ?  Has each stopped seeking to do the ”little” things that make emotional and physical foreplay ?  Has one of them changed into a person now repulsive, now unattractive in any or every sense ?

Has one partner’s body and mind simply aged to the point of shutting down any relationship to the more intense passion of love’s expressions ?  Do they only want for themselves the simpler expressions of holding hands, sitting close, being present together and nothing more ?  How do two life partners balance this troubling situation ?  Perhaps one partner’s body has become weakened or deadened to the strong desire of intimate physical passion because of poor health, whatever the cause. Does that mean they do not realize the loss ? Does it mean they avoid talking about it, hoping the other partner will leave them alone and figure out their own remedies ?

These variations create an unwanted maze to stumble through. The success or failure of coming out of this maze with the same life partner and with the same desired loyalty and devotion that began  the relationship depends upon the thoughts of self-worth, of reasonable expectations with respect to changing physical conditions and of quality of life for oneself. And all of these reflect a system of belief that must be evaluated again for deciding what changes to make and how. Who should matter more ? God, culture, family, self ?

Life is not an easy road,  simply because of changes that alter physical and mental abilities, hopes and dreams, and conditions that affect self-respect and confidence.  We all walk the same road yet in our own paths that sometimes join together either for a lifetime or for a number of seasons. Some of the potholes we can handle easily together, one pulling the other out to safety. Sometimes one gets left in a pothole too deep to be helped. But those times, when such separation is so distant as to be out of reach, happen because someone let go of the other’s hand to see something else apart from each other or to not be slowed down. There is no easy answer. Each one of us will study as long as we are willing, as long as we are able to understand, and finally choose an answer, an action that is either acceptable or justifiable.                    The End.

If I start falling….. By David Reid Otey


How did Christopher Columbus' "discovery of America" change the world?

Expert Answers
gpane eNotes educator| Certified Educator

Columbus's discovery was world-changing as it helped to establish the existence of the Americas in European awareness, and vice versa. He was not the first European to travel to the Americas, but he was the first to leave a long-lasting impact in this regard. The really significant factor in his voyage was the era which it tool place: the era that has come to be known as the Age of Discovery. This was the age when Europeans began to travel further and further afield, often with royal sanction, as in the case of Columbus who was financed by King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. Spain and Portugal were the pioneering voyaging nations at this time. There were several reasons for this ever-increasing exploration abroad. A major factor was the attempt to find new routes for trade, particularly to the lucrative commercial centres of the East; this was what Columbus was attempting, and on making his first landfall in the Caribbean he thought he had reached India. Another important reason was the drive - particularly on part of the devoutly Catholic Hispanic powers - to convert heathen peoples to Christianity.

The later fifteenth century, then, was a time of great voyages by Europeans and on one level Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas was just another of these. But his turned out to be the most far-reaching one (metaphorically if not literally) because he helped open up an entire new section of the world for further investigation. At a time when geographical exploration was being actively encouraged by governing European powers, it was inevitable that many more voyages would follow along the path that Columbus established. In this way, a truly global awareness began to take shape for the first time. The cultural, material exchange between the eastern and western hemispheres became systematized, not just haphazard.

Columbus, then, paved the way for numerous other voyages from Europe  to the Americas, thus firmly establishing trans-Atlantic connections. This was the beginning of a fruitful exchange which still continues today. But it also caused problems, particularly for native American populations which often fell victim to an excess of Christianizing zeal on part of Europeans which led to the depreciation of indigenous cultures; they were also driven back before European technological superiority (and rapacity). Most of all, though, the native American peoples suffered from the influx of new diseases that Europeans unwittingly brought with them, like smallpox, to which Americans simply were not immune, and which decimated their numbers. There was much hostility between the peoples of the Old and New World, a conflict of mentality also, which often exploded into violent confrontation.

However, the very real sense of wonder and excitement on both sides of the Atlantic at the discovery of unsuspected other realms and cultures cannot be denied. Columbus’s first voyage to the Americas, then, was a true world event in every sense of the term. Its ultimate achievement  was not merely in re-shaping geographical and cultural knowledge, and establishing new routes for the exchange of goods and ideas, but in enlarging the imaginations of peoples across the world and forging a new global perspective.

moustacio | Student

Although Christopher Columbus was not the first person to discover the Americas - the Vikings had discovered the continent as early as 1000 BCE and Ming China in the early 1400s, he was the first explorer to return to spread tales about his voyages. Columbus’ discovery brought about the establishment of the Columbian Exchange, which saw the movement of plants and animals between the Americas and Europe, Asia and Africa. Crops, such as potatoes and corn, that were only found in the Americas, transformed the European continent after they were brought back from the New World, whilst animals, such as horses and pigs, were shipped to the continent. Since they could be grown on marginal and non-arable lands, their introduction into agriculture led to an increase in food production, which brought about population booms in cities and towns. The interactions between the native Americans and the European merchants, however, led to the introduction of new diseases, such as smallpox, that the Americans had never encountered before, which decimated entire populations. On the other hand, the discovery of the continent greatly boosted international trade and produced vast amounts of wealth for the European states through the extraction of silver, allowing for example, Spain to become a large, wealthy empire by the 1500s. Perhaps the most important effect Columbus’ discovery had was the emergence of new understandings amongst the Europeans, who had their imaginations opened up to various new possibilities that the world held for them beyond what they had been told - individuals began to question their traditions, religious institutions, and the general “truths” that had been accepted by society, and became increasingly open to new radical ideas that paved the way for the intellectual, industrial and scientific developments of the day.

misscrump | Student

Christoper Columbus discovery changed the world in many different ways. One way was after hearing about Columbus discovery more nations and people wanted to set out on voyages of their own. This caused new land to be discovered and people searching for new colonies to live.

This also expanded to trading of spices and raw materials that was new to Europe and profitible, inculding the discovery of gold and silver.

It also let to many diseases being spread to different countries, as well as war over new land.

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National Distributor of Quality Maintenance Supplies Since 1958

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Zip Code:

SDS Sheet 0066580

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SECTION 1: IDENTIFICATION

1.1.  Product Identifier
Product Form:
Product Name: WD-40 Multi-Use Product Aerosol NOT FOR SALE IN CALIFORNIA
CAS No:

1.2.  Intended Use of the Product
Use of the substance/mixture: Lubricant, Penetrant, Drives Out Moisture, Removes
and Protects Surfaces From Corrosion

1.3.  Name, Address, and Telephone of the Responsible Party
WD-40 Company
1061 Cudahy Place (92110)
P.O. Box 80607
San Diego, California, USA
Phone: 92138-0607

1.4.  Emergency Telephone Number
Emergency     | 1-888-324-7596, 1-800-424-9300, 1-703-527-3887
number        |

SECTION 2: HAZARDS IDENTIFICATION

2.1.  Classification of the Substance or Mixture
Classification (GHS-US)
Flammable     |Category 1
Aerosol       |
Gas Under     |Compressed Gas
Pressure      |
Aspiration    |Category 1
Toxicity      |

2.2.  Label Elements
GHS-US Labeling
Hazard Pictograms (GHS-US)   |Flame |Gas Cylinder |Health Hazard
Signal Word (GHS-US)         |DANGER!
Hazard Statements (GHS-US)   |Extremely Flammable Aerosol.
                             |Contains gas under pressure; may explode if
                             |May be fatal if swallowed and enters airways.
Precautionary Statements     |Prevention
(GHS-US)                     |Keep away from heat, sparks, open flames, hot
                             |surfaces - No smoking.
                             |Do not spray on an open flame or other ignition
                             |Pressurized container: Do not pierce or burn, even
                             |after use.
                             |IF SWALLOWED: Immediately call a POISON CENTER or
                             |physician. Do NOT induce vomiting.
                             |Store locked up.
                             |Protect from sunlight. Do not expose to
                             |exceeding 50Â°C/122Â°F. Store in a well-ventilated
                             |Dispose of contents and container in accordance
                             |local and national regulations.

2.3.  Other Hazards
Other Hazards Not Contributing to the Classification:

2.4.  Unknown Acute Toxicity (GHS-US)

3.1.  Substance
Name                            |Product identifier   |%       |Classification
                                |                     |        |(GHS-US)
                                |                     |        |
                                |                     |        |
                                |                     |        |
                                |                     |        |
                                |                     |        |

Full text of H-phrases: See Section 16
3.2.  Mixture
Name                            |Product identifier   |%       |Classification
                                |                     |        |(GHS-US)
Aliphatic Hydrocarbon           |64742-47-8           |45-50   |Flammable Liquid
                                |                     |        |Category 3
                                |                     |        |Aspiration
                                |                     |        |Toxicity
                                |                     |        |1
Petroleum Base Oil              |64742-56-9           |<25     |Not Hazardous
                                |64742-65-0           |        |
                                |64742-53-6           |        |
                                |64742-54-7           |        |
                                |64742-71-8           |        |
LVP Aliphatic Hydrocarbon       |64742-47-8           |12-18   |Aspiration
                                |                     |        |Toxicity
                                |                     |        |1
Carbon Dioxide                  |124-38-9             |2-3     |Simple
                                |                     |        |Gas Under
                                |                     |        |Pressure,
                                |                     |        |Compressed Gas
Non-Hazardous Ingredients       |Mixture              |<10     |Not Hazardous

SECTION 4: FIRST AID MEASURES

4.1.  Description of First Aid Measures
First-aid Measures General:
First-aid Measures After Inhalation: If irritation is experienced, move to fresh
First-aid Measures After Skin Contact: Wash with soap and water. If irritation
develops and persists, get medical attention.
First-aid Measures After Eye Contact: Flush thoroughly with water. Remove
minutes. Get medical attention if irritation persists.
First-aid Measures After Ingestion: Aspiration Hazard. DO NOT induce vomiting.
1-888-324-7596 immediately.

4.2.  Most important symptoms and effects, both acute and delayed
Symptoms/Injuries: May cause eye and respiratory irritation. Inhalation may
Symptoms/Injuries After Inhalation:
Symptoms/Injuries After Skin Contact:
Symptoms/Injuries After Eye Contact:
Symptoms/Injuries After Ingestion:
Chronic Symptoms:

4.3.  Indication of Any Immediate Medical Attention and Special Treatment
Immediate medical attention is needed for ingestion.

SECTION 5: FIRE-FIGHTING MEASURES

5.1.  Extinguishing Media
Suitable Extinguishing Media: Use water fog, dry chemical, carbon dioxide or
the surface and spread fire.
Unsuitable Extinguishing Media:

5.2.  Special Hazards Arising From the Substance or Mixture
Fire Hazard: Contents under pressure. Keep away from ignition sources and open
surfaces to remote ignition sources and flash back. Combustion will produce
of carbon and hydrocarbons.
Explosion Hazard:

5.3.  Advice for Firefighters
Precautionary Measures Fire:
Firefighting Instructions:
Protection During Firefighting: Firefighters should always wear positive
self-contained breathing apparatus and full protective clothing. Cool
containers with water. Use shielding to protect against bursting containers.

SECTION 6: ACCIDENTAL RELEASE MEASURES

6.1.  Personal Precautions, Protective Equipment and Emergency Procedures
General Measures: Wear appropriate protective clothing (see Section 8).
all sources of ignition and ventilate area.

6.1.1.      For Non-emergency Personnel
Protective Equipment:
Emergency Procedures:

6.1.2.      For Emergency Responders
Protective Equipment:
Emergency Procedures:

6.2.  Environmental Precautions

6.3.  Methods and Material for Containment and Cleaning Up
For Containment:
Methods for Cleaning Up: Leaking cans should be placed in a plastic bag or open
Report spills to authorities as required.

6.4.  Reference to Other Sections
See heading  8, Exposure Controls and Personal Protection.

SECTION 7: HANDLING AND STORAGE

7.1.  Precautions for Safe Handling
Additional Hazards When Processed: Avoid contact with eyes. Avoid prolonged
flames. Unplug electrical tools, motors and appliances before spraying or
can touch battery terminals, electrical connections on motors or appliances or
puncture, crush or incinerate containers, even when empty.
Hygiene Measures: Wash with soap and water after handling.

7.2.  Conditions for Safe Storage, Including Any Incompatibilities
Technical Measures:
Storage Conditions: Store in a cool, well-ventilated area, away from
materials Do not store above 120Â°F or in direct sunlight. U.F.C (NFPA 30B) Level
Aerosol. Store away from oxidizers.

7.3.  Specific End Use(s)

8.1.  Control Parameters
Occupational Exposure Limits
Aliphatic Hydrocarbon
1200 mg/m3 TWA (manufacturer recommended)
Petroleum Base Oil
5 mg/m3 TWA OSHA PEL
LVP Aliphatic Hydrocarbon
1200 mg/m3 TWA (manufacturer recommended)
Carbon Dioxide
Non-Hazardous Ingredients
None Established

8.2.  Exposure Controls
Appropriate Engineering      |The Following Controls are Recommended for Normal
Controls                     |Consumer Use of this Product: Use in a
                             |well-ventilated area.
                             |For Bulk Processing or Workplace Use the Following
                             |Controls are Recommended:
                             |Use adequate general and local exhaust ventilation
                             |to maintain exposure levels below that
                             |exposure limits.
Personal Protective Equipment|
Materials for Protective     |
Clothing                     |
Hand Protection              |
Eye Protection               |The Following Controls are Recommended for Normal
                             |Consumer Use of this Product: Avoid eye contact.
                             |Always spray away from your face.
                             |For Bulk Processing or Workplace Use the Following
                             |Controls are Recommended:
                             |Safety goggles recommended where eye contact is
Skin and Body Protection     |The Following Controls are Recommended for Normal
                             |Consumer Use of this Product: Avoid prolonged skin
                             |contact. Chemical resistant gloves recommended for
                             |operations where skin contact is likely.
                             |For Bulk Processing or Workplace Use the Following
                             |Controls are Recommended: Wear chemical resistant
Respiratory Protection       |The Following Controls are Recommended for Normal
                             |Consumer Use of this Product: None needed for
                             |use with adequate ventilation.
                             |For Bulk Processing or Workplace Use the Following
                             |Controls are Recommended: None required if
                             |ventilation is adequate. If the occupational
                             |exposure limits are exceeded, wear a NIOSH
                             |respirator. Respirator selection and use should be
                             |based on contaminant type, form and concentration.
                             |Follow OSHA 1910.134, ANSI Z88.2 and good
                             |Hygiene practice.
Thermal Hazard Protection    |

SECTION 9: PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

9.1.  Information on Basic Physical and Chemical Properties
Physical State                      |
Appearance                          |Light amber liquid
Odor                                |Mild petroleum odor
Odor Threshold                      |Not established
pH                                  |Not Applicable
Relative Evaporation Rate           |Not established
(butylacetate=1)                    |
Melting Point                       |Not established
Freezing Point                      |Not established
Boiling Point                       |361 - 369Â°F (183 - 187Â°C)
Flash Point                         |Not established
Auto-ignition Temperature           |Not established
Decomposition Temperature           |Not established
Flammability (solid, gas)           |Flammable Aerosol
Vapor Pressure                      |95-115 PSI @ 70Â°F
Relative Vapor Density at 20 Â°C     |
Relative Density                    |0.8 - 0.82 @ 60Â°F
Specific Gravity                    |
Solubility                          |Insoluble in water
Partition coefficient:              |Not established
n-octanol/water                     |
Viscosity                           |2.79-2.96 cSt @ 100Â°F
Lower Flammable Limit               |0.6%
Upper Flammable Limit               |8%

9.2.  Other Information
VOC: 412 grams/liter (49.5%)

SECTION 10: STABILITY AND REACTIVITY

10.1      Reactivity
Not reactive under normal conditions.

10.2      Chemical Stability

10.3      Possibility of Hazardous Reactions
May react with strong oxidizers generating heat.

10.4      Conditions to Avoid
incinerate containers.

10.5      Incompatible Materials
Strong oxidizing agents.

10.6      Hazardous Decomposition Products
Carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.

SECTION 11: TOXICOLOGICAL INFORMATION

11.1. Information on Toxicological Effects
Acute Toxicity:
established criteria. It is an aspiration hazard.
Skin Corrosion/Irritation:
Serious Eye Damage/Irritation:
Respiratory or Skin Sensitization:
Germ Cell Mutagenicity:
carcinogen by IARC, NTP, ACGIH or OSHA.
Reproductive Toxicity: None of the components is considered a reproductive
Specific Target Organ Toxicity (Single Exposure):
Specific Target Organ Toxicity (Repeated Exposure):
Aspiration Hazard:
Symptoms/Injuries After Inhalation: High concentrations may cause nasal and
respiratory irritation and central nervous system effects such as headache,
dizziness and nausea. Intentional abuse may be harmful or fatal.
Symptoms/Injuries After Skin Contact: Prolonged and/or repeated contact may
produce mild irritation and defatting with possible dermatitis.
Symptoms/Injuries After Eye Contact: Contact may be irritating to eyes. May
redness and tearing.
Symptoms/Injuries After Ingestion: This product has low oral toxicity.
may cause gastrointestinal irritation, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. This
pneumonitis, severe lung damage and death.
Chronic Symptoms: None expected.

SECTION 12: ECOLOGICAL INFORMATION

12.1. Toxicity
No specific aquatic toxicity data is currently available, however components of
this product are not expected to be harmful to aquatic organisms.

12.2. Persistence and Degradability
Component are readily biodegradable.

12.3. Bioaccumulative Potential
Bioaccumulation is not expected based on an assessment of the ingredients.

12.4. Mobility in Soil
No data available.

12.5. Other Adverse Effects
None known.

13.1. Waste treatment methods
Waste Disposal Recommendations: If this product becomes a waste, it would be
proper classification and method of disposal. Do not puncture or incinerate
Additional Information:

SECTION 14: TRANSPORT INFORMATION

14.1 In Accordance with DOT
Proper Shipping Name |Aerosols
Hazard Class         |2.1                    |<PICTOGRAM PHRASE>
Identification Number|UN1950                 |
Label Codes          |                       |
ERG Number           |

14.2 In Accordance with IMDG
Proper Shipping Name |Aerosols
Hazard Class         |2.1
Identification Number|UN1950
Label Codes          |                      |<PICTOGRAM PHRASE>
ntification Of The   |                      |
Substance/m          |                      |
EmS-No. (Fire)       |                      |
EmS-No. (Spillage)   |                      |

14.3 In Accordance with IATA
Proper Shipping Name |
Identification Number|                       |<PICTOGRAM PHRASE>
Hazard Class         |                       |
Label Codes          |                       |
ntification Of The   |                       |
Substance/m          |                       |
ERG Code (IATA)      |

SECTION 15: REGULATORY INFORMATION

15.1      US Federal Regulations
under the Clean Water Act and many states have more stringent release reporting
Section 313 Toxic Chemicals: This product contains the following chemicals
to SARA Title III.
Section 313 Reporting requirements: None
Section 302 Extremely Hazardous Substances (TPQ): None
US EPA and states adopting the OTC VOC rules but does not comply with CARB.
SARA Section 311/312 Hazard Classes |Acute Health, Fire Hazard, Sudden Release
Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) |All of the components of this product are
                                    |listed on the TSCA inventory.

15.2      US State Regulations
product does not contain chemicals regulated under California Proposition 65.

Revision date   |July 20, 2014
Other           |This document has been prepared in accordance with the SDS
Information     |requirements of the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard 29 CFR
GHS Full Text Phrases:
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Grainger disclaimer.


The divorcee, the SMSF and the tax bill

After millions were removed from the SMSF, the wife was slugged with a massive tax bill.

PORTFOLIO POINT: Millions of dollars were removed from the couple’s SMSF after the divorce, leaving the wife with a crushing tax bill.

The rapid growth of self-managed super funds (SMSFs) and upcoming changes to superannuation – such as reduced concessional contribution caps, and personal tax rate changes from July 1 – mean super will continue to feature in the news.

The flexibility and control offered by SMSFs have prompted many people (often married couples) to set them up. However, having these funds in the family doesn't always work out.

Recently, the Administrative Appeals Tribunal affirmed that an SMSF was a non-complying fund for the year ended June 30, 2005 – essentially because money was withdrawn by the husband trustee before the fund members had reached their preservation age.

The fund's trustees were a husband and wife – Mr and Mrs Shail. The fund was established in January 1994 and became a regulated SMSF in November 2000. The two trustees had been married since December 1980 but divorced in 1992. There was a division of marital assets, although Mrs Shail relied on her husband to be her financial adviser. He also acted as her tax agent. The super fund continued after the divorce.

Between May 9 and June 6, 2006, about $3.4 million was removed from the fund's cash management account and transferred to an overseas bank account of Mr Shail. Mrs Shail claimed she knew nothing of this. The fund also claimed a deduction for the misappropriated funds.

At the time of the transfer, neither Mrs Shail nor her husband had reached their preservation age, and no condition of release for the payment of benefits had been met. In addition, no income tax return for the fund was lodged for the 2005 year.

The AAT said Mrs Shail argued that she was not liable to pay tax (as a trustee or otherwise) on income taken from the fund by her husband.

The tax commissioner issued a notice of non-compliance to Mrs Shail and a default income tax assessment assessing the taxable income of the fund to be $3,369,944 with associated tax payable of just over $1.5 million. In addition, the Commissioner also issued a penalty assessment of $1.4 million in relation to the shortfall.

Mrs Shail argued that since she had no knowledge of her husband's acts as co-trustee, she could not be held accountable for his actions. In addition, she said she had not derived any income as a trustee or in her own right or in any other way, as a consequence of her husband's breach.

She also argued that, in any case, the fund was entitled to a tax deduction in respect of the misappropriated amount, which would have meant that the taxable income of the fund would have been nil. Mrs Shail also claimed that the 75% administrative penalty imposed was incorrect as there had been no intentional disregard of the law.

While the tribunal acknowledged that it was not difficult to feel some sympathy for the position in which Mrs Shail found herself, it said that any appearance of unfairness to her as an individual should not obscure the nature of the fund itself, the role of trustees or the regulatory regime within which they function.

It held that the fund was nonetheless a non-complying fund for the year ending June 30, 2005, as it had failed to pass the compliance test in the superannuation legislation. The tribunal found the tax commissioner was justified in issuing an assessment.
It said that "although the taxation consequences are clearly significant to [Mrs Shail], this is insufficient in the Tribunal's opinion to overcome the seriousness of the contravention". It said if it had found that the fund was complying under the law, that finding would have undermined the objects of the legislation and the policies underpinning it.

Further, the tribunal held that no deduction was available for the misappropriated funds to reduce the taxable income of the fund as the relevant tax law requirement was not satisfied (as the funds were not misappropriated by an employee or agent).

The tribunal considered that it could not be the intention of the law that a fund would be entitled to deduct a loss for which the trustee was responsible. It also said there was no evidence that Mrs Shail knew of the loss in the financial year ending June 30, 2005, and hence no deduction would be available in any case.

In relation to penalties, the tribunal said Mrs Shail bore the onus of proving that the amount of taxable income assessed exceeded the actual taxable income of the fund, and she had failed to demonstrate that the tax commissioner's estimates were excessive. Hence, it held the 75% shortfall penalty was appropriate given the "flagrancy of the breach by the trustee of the Fund as an entity" and that there was no basis for remission.

The tribunal did note however that the tax commissioner had implicitly acknowledged in the course of proceedings that Mrs Shail may have grounds for claiming a remission of the General Interest Charge imposed with respect to her lack of knowledge of the assessment and penalty notice during the period May 15, 2006 to April 16, 2009.

The laws and rules governing self-managed super funds are detailed and can be complex to understand. Having a husband and wife as the only trustees is not necessarily a problem. However, where a marriage breaks up, there can be consequences for the super fund. The trustees are liable for the fund, and any breach of the relevant laws will have consequences for the fund, whether both trustees are aware of the breach or not.

Terry Hayes is the senior tax writer at Thomson Reuters, a leading Australian provider of tax, accounting and legal information solutions. This article first appeared in SmartCompany.


Use above +10 C (+50 F) and below + 35 C (+95 F)

To apply water sealers to either wood or masonry, both the surface and the liquid must be above freezing and stay there for 48 hours. Rain will not penetrate the sealer, but can cause water marking if it arrives before final curing. Some products must go on a dry surface, others can go on a damp (no standing water) surface. Some require no freezing for 72 hours.


BBC newsreader Emily Maitlis helped learning disabilities charity Langdon raise £400,000 by hosting its awards dinner at The Millennium Hotel in central London.

Awards were presented to Langdon’s members for doing things regarded as ordinary for most people but for them are extraordinary. Daniel Bourla picked up the award for the person who has achieved new skills in the workplace, for the four different jobs he does during the week.

Elliot Cohen won an award for fulfilling his dreams by marrying the love of his life, Celine, while Paul Sonenfeld was honoured for being a supportive friend to his flatmate, Adam, during his liver transplant.

Up to 300 guests heard Jonathan Joseph, Langdon’s incoming chairman, make a special appeal, saying: “We need to reach the many others we know have learning disabilities within the Jewish community.”

Credit Blake Ezra Photography

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