This was my view at about 7:30 this morning as I prepared to go for a bicycle ride. Only a small journey from where this picture is taken is a small clearing I like to go to and think, read or just relax. It not only provides me a nice walk in the park, but it gives me a place to recharge my soul.

In today’s busy world where we are constantly surrounded by people and technology, it can be hard to escape. That is why this weekend I recommend you have an escape. If you don’t have a special spot like mine, it may be a good time to start pondering where a good place for you might be. Ideally, this place should be a spot in nature. Losing all of the urban sounds that we experience daily will give you more peace than you can imagine. Even if you live in the heart of the city, find a park like I did where you may not be able to escape the sounds of the modern world entirely, but you can lose yourself by focusing on the sounds of nature. The wind blowing through the trees, birds singing, maybe even a small brook or creek near by.

The other caveat about selecting a spot is it should be somewhere you can be alone. As you can see in the photo above, you might have some visitors from time to time. In a world filled with constant interaction, whether it be in person, or now even on social media when we are by ourselves, finding time to spend with the person in the mirror is far and few between. Isn’t it great to spend time with others? Of course it is, but without spending time alone with our thoughts we can end up feeling lost. What do I mean by this? That is a great question. Let me ask you something and you tell me if it rings true for you. Have you ever found yourself feeling overwhelmed? Have you ever walked into a room and forgot if you were coming or going?

A lot of us are so focused on giving to others we forget to stop and think of what we may need or what our goals for our life is. We are focused on giving to our families, our job and our friends. There is nothing wrong with helping others and being a productive member of society. If we do that at the expense of ourselves we can end up feeling burnt out and unable to give anything to anyone.

Take time to escape this weekend. Spend at least 30 minutes alone and preferably in nature. If you are anything like me you will leave not only recharged, but with a sense of joy and inner peace you did not have when you arrived. Begin to think of your spot today and escape with yourself this weekend. I would love to hear how it affected you. Feel free to come back to this post on Monday and share in the comments below. Even though you will be by yourself, you never know who you will meet.

It is always entertaining to discover the ways that some of the most life-changing knowledge comes to our attention. What is even more amusing is that often these moments stem from what can initially be defined as a negative experience. Another example of modern day alchemy. We all have the power to turn a negative experience into a positive one. Before I lose everyone completely, allow me to share with you the exact experience I had and the realization that came out of it.

The other afternoon I was riding my bike in the park. It was a rather hot day and I was taking my time enjoying nature in all its glory. Ahead of me was a young man around the age of 6 I would guess. As we rounded the curve in the trail there were a few birds sitting on the grass. As the young man approached them he yelled “Get out of here stupid birds! You are ugly! Goodbye stupid ugly birds!” It appeared the young man had really no malice in his words or towards the birds, but hearing that made my heart sink. My first reaction was to feel bad for the birds. I know this may sound silly as birds to not speak the same language as humans, but sending out that negative energy towards another living thing cannot be constructive. A little while later down the path, when asked his opinion of a certain tree, the child replied using the same descriptions of ‘stupid’ and ‘ugly’. Again, it is my opinion this was more a product of environment and not any malice as the young man seemed rather happy at the time.

As I found my own spirit a little brought down by the young man’s words it got me thinking. In the past I would have felt a little foolish, or even weak for allowing another person’s words and actions affect me. Now I realize it is just part of my gift as an empath and spiritual person. The event stuck in the back of my mind as I went about my day.

3 a.m. found me awake and reading on the couch when the experience popped back into the front of my mind. I began thinking how someone should tell the young man about the law of energy. It may sound silly to do so to someone at such a young age, but if we wait often habits and language patterns can become set and harder to change. What is the big deal about what words we use? Imagine several random people coming up to you and informing you that you are ugly or stupid. Can you imagine how you would feel after that? Even if you give their opinion much weight, it still would not be a good feeling. Now, imagine several random people coming up with wonder in their eyes and informing you how beautiful or inspiring you are. Can you think about how that would feel?

Words do not only affect others. When we, like the young man in the story, go around calling everything stupid or ugly. When we look for things to criticize about people, places and things. Our world becomes filled with things that we see as ugly, stupid or some other negative description. Can you imagine how it would feel to be surrounded by ugliness and stupidity every day, all day? By speaking in such a manner and seeking out the faults in everything we chose to do that to ourselves.

With my feelings working their way downward as I was thinking about all of the people who do this to themselves as well as how often I still find myself doing the same thing, a great realization came to me. If we can make our lives a living hell by the words we chose to use, could we use that same power to transform our lives to one of beauty and joy? Of course we can. There is always two sides to every story.

Immediately my mind began to work on how this could be put into use. The answer was simple. To create joy and positivity all we have to do is the opposite of what brought us the pain and negativity. In this case, what if that young man was taught to find the beauty and magnificence in everything he saw? What if we all learned how to see everything as a miracle. It was Albert Einstein who said, “There are only two ways to live your life: as though nothing is a miracle, or as thought everything is a miracle.” If one of the smartest minds on the planet lived by this concept, I felt it might be wise for me to as well.

Today I am going to begin to look at the beauty in everything I see. In addition, I am going to use words like ‘wonderful’ and ‘beautiful’. If we find the beauty in everything we see, no matter how hard it may be, our lives will be filled with a great amount of beauty and joy. Can you imagine how different it would feel if we were surrounded daily by everything we thought was beautiful? Our lives, in turn, would become beautiful.

One great key to finding the beauty in even the toughest situations was supplied to me by a quote from Mr. Rogers. This quote was sent to me by a neighbor who knew I was a fan of the children’s television show host. The quote was “Frankly there isn’t anyone you couldn’t learn to love once you’ve heard their story.” Perhaps if the young man in our story know that birds he was calling stupid could navigate 2000 miles without the use of a map he may not think they were so stupid after all. The greatest irony of all. After all the knowledge that came out of the afternoon in the park, the young  man’s words became a thing of beauty for all they taught me and all I could share with you.

Here is a picture of a leaf I saw while walking on a trail with my mother the other day. I took the picture because to me it looked like a heart and I was thinking of the love of my life who was working hard at home at the time.

This may sound a bit over the top for some of you, and that’s ok. My point here is you find and attract in the universe what you look for. In this case my mind was focused on the beautiful lady I love and so I happened to notice this leaf. There were other examples of love all around me. There were ducks in the stream and birds in the tree loving each other. The plants rising up to love the sun and soak up the rain that was falling.

There were also signs of other things around us that night. Signs of the plants struggling against the weeds, the shore struggling against the forces of erosion and many other signs of struggle. There were signs of death everywhere too. Insects killing and eating each other, birds killing the insects, even a worm that feel victim to a bicycle tire.

The funny thing is we either did not notice these signs or dismissed them as quickly as we noticed them. Instead we were lost on how the rain brought out all of the fragrant smells of nature. How it was quiet and you could hear the sounds of nature. The songs of the different birds, the leaves blowing in the wind, even the creek as it made its way along next to us.

This may sound like we were wearing rose-colored glasses and to some point that would be correct. Why were we not upset that it was raining? Why did we not feel very sad about all the animals that were falling victim to others or in the case of the worm a bike tire? Simple, we were on a different vibration focused on enjoying ourselves and finding things to be happy about.

Some may say this is foolish and didn’t change the reality of any of the bad things. In regard to the second part they would be right. The only thing our perception and attitude changed was how we felt. Which, in essence, is how we define our lives. What is wrong is always available, but so is what is right. What we choose to focus on is what we feel.

This week look for things around you that make you feel joy, happiness and love. As for me, I am already planning another walk in nature with my mom!

Going into the new year a lot of us think of things we would like to change about ourselves or our lives. If you follow my work at all one of the axioms I base my work on is that it is far more productive and successful to add positive things to your life, than to work on removing negative. Just how the brain is wired. Recently, I sat down with Margie and discussed things I would like to add to my life in the coming year. This is where this post becomes ironic.

I told Margie there are three things I would like to get better at in 2018. I would like to spend more time both reading and writing, I would like to spend more time in nature (hiking, camping or even just sitting), lastly, I would like to spend more time just thinking.  When composing my last book it was often just sitting in a park watching the birds, or Starbucks sipping a coffee pondering life’s great mysteries that some of my best ideas came to me. As any supportive spouse would do, Margie simply replied (she has a gift of keeping things simple which is very helpful dating someone like myself) “Well you should do that then.”

In an effort to quickly make use of this sentiment of hers before it changed I decided to do that today. I had a survey I had to complete, then I was just going to relax and think. The advantages of this is that it engages your subconscious mind to begin thinking about what you are pondering. This is especially useful if you are spending time on things like worthwhile goals you are aspiring to, ways in which you can be of more service to your world, or even just how to make someone’s day brighter. What happens is your subconscious mind will begin to think of this very thing, and continue to do so in the background while you go about your day. Then, at what seems like an random moment, an idea will pop in your head that is a solution to what you had been pondering. This works especially well if you are an author.

Do you see my dilemma with this? As this idea occurred to me, another voice in my head spoke up. It never amazes me how many there seems to be in there. This voice said, “You should write a blog and let everyone else know this.” Which, as you can tell by what you are reading I decided to follow.

As ironic as writing about taking time away from writing is, it brought to like another principle I spoke about at my last author symposium. When we use our brains the in the same fashion over and over, like finding daily things to be grateful for, we begin to train them to do so on their own. Before long, even if it is subconsciously, the voices in our head (assuming you have more than one like myself) will begin to ask, “What can we be grateful for?” Same holds true with me being diligent in my writing and spending over twenty years looking for ways to improve life and then sharing them with others.

My message for you hear is to take time to just think, but know it may be a struggle with yourself at first. I am going to prepare to DJ now, so I will continue to work on carving away time to think again tomorrow. Have a great week my friends!

Many times in my life I find myself in situations where I do not come out on top. Almost always those situations leave me with a great lesson or at the very least a great story. This is just such a story.

During high school I had a friend named Matt. We are still friends, this just happens to take place when we were both in high school. Often we strolled home together and discussed life,love and our philosophy about them both. During one such conversation when I remarked what an amazing day I was having a pigeon, in what was surely an attempt to keep me humble or prove how good his aim was, decided to use me as his personal bathroom. After my companion had a chuckle at my expense we began to do our best to remove the memory of the bird.

Fast forward a few days later, the next time the two of us found ourselves walking the same path. As we passed a local historical society I saw…a pigeon. I calmly and politely asked Matt for a rock and informed him I was going to have pigeon for dinner.

His response is one I will never forget. He looked me dead in the eye and said “you can’t hate all pigeons because one pooped on your head. That’s like racism”. After giving him a look that most have looked like a mix of insanity and confusion, I stopped looking for a weapon, shrugged my shoulders and walked on.

Other than providing you with a bit of humor in your day, this story serves a purpose. When someone treats me harshly I am reminded to look further to what may be behind their actions. I also do not judge the group based on the actions of the select few.

So next time you see a pigeon remember this story and remember to not hate any person (or bird) based on the actions of one.


Releasing High-Quality Packages

php[world] 2018

Releasing open-source libraries involves much more than sharing your GitHub URL with the world. There are many considerations and steps involved, especially if you want your project to be successful and long-lived.

Debugging Effectively

Web Developers Central NJ Meetup

Software bugs are inevitable; some are especially difficult to track down, causing you to waste countless hours before throwing your hands up in defeat. It doesn't have to be this way! The mental fatigue and wasted time can be avoided by using strategies like identifying the most-appropriate tool, taking a logical & objective approach, challenging assumptions, listening to variables, isolating the code path, and reinforcing code with automated tests.

I recently upgraded my system from Ubuntu 16.04 with Unity to Ubuntu 17.10 with Gnome Shell 3. One of the "features" I found annoying was that my IDE PhpStorm was not popping to the front and receiving focus whenever breakpoints were hit. I eventually figured out a solution and wanted to document it in case others were also searching for a solution.

I first confirmed that "Focus application on breakpoint" was indeed enabled in my settings:


New Lincoln MKX Gaithersburg MD 20879

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Load your family into the 2018 LINCOLN MKX. A 3.7 liter V-6 engine pairs with a sophisticated 6 speed automatic transmission, and all wheel drive keeps this model firmly attached to the road surface. Lincoln infused the interior with top shelf amenities, such as: adjustable headrests in all seating positions, power front seats, automatic dimming door mirrors, heated and ventilated seats, air conditioning, heated door mirrors, and the power moon roof opens up the cabin to the natural environment. With high intensity discharge headlights illuminating your path, you'll always appreciate maximum visibility. Lincoln also prioritized safety and security by including: dual front impact airbags, front side impact airbags, traction control, brake assist, a panic alarm, an emergency communication system, and 4 wheel disc brakes with ABS. With electronic stability control supplementing mechanical systems, you'll maintain precise command of the roadway. You will have a pleasant shopping experience that is fun, informative, and never high pressured. Please don't hesitate to give us a call.

Tags: SUV, New, Lincoln, MKX
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Just six months into his current assignment, South Korean Ambassador to India, Shin Bong-kil, has already made a mark. Having joined the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1978 Ambassador Bong-kil has had a long and distinguished career as a diplomat.

In the last four decades, he has held several senior diplomatic postings both at Seoul and Korean missions abroad, including as Special Advisor at the Office of Planning for the North Korean Light-Water Reactor Project (2002-2003), Spokesperson for the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2003-2004), Minister at the Korean Embassy in Beijing (2004-2007), Ambassador to Jordan (2007-2010), Secretary-General of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS) of China, Japan, and Korea (2011-2013) and the President of the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (2014-15).

In 2015, Bong-kil retired from the Foreign Ministry and taught China and Korean peninsula issues at the Graduate School of International Studies in Yonsei University. He was appointed as Ambassador to India in January 2018 after the Moon Jae-in government took office in May 2017.

Recently, Bong-kil, along with Korean electronic-giant, LG, felicitated Indians, who participated in Korean War (1950-53). On the sidelines of the event in New Delhi, the Ambassador spoke to Rakesh Kumar about the upcoming South Korean President’s visit, the war veterans and Seoul relations with other countries. Excerpts:

There is so much buzz about your President’s visit to India. When is the visit scheduled?

Actually, he is coming in July.

What is on the agenda during the President’s visit?

Well, the President’s visit itself is an agenda and it’s a way of strengthening the relationship between the two countries. Of course, there are many economic and political issues. But at this moment, I can’t say anything specific.

Is he going to visit any other city other than Delhi?

No, he will visit only Delhi.

You have announced the building of a war memorial. When will it start and when is it planned to be completed?

Actually, the War Veteran Association has contacted me to build a war memorial. We are helping them and basically, the talks are going on there. The War Veteran Association should get a piece of land. There are a couple of difficulties and it’s not yet decided. I hope it will be decided soon, and then the Korean government will lend the support financially to build this monument.

What was India’s role in the Korean war?

During the war, India sent the first medical team of around 350. The battalion is still in Agra and it was part of the 60th Parachute Field Ambulance. Other than this, India has also sent a custodian force to maintain order in the Prison of War (POW) camps. India was instrumental in kind of maintaining order and peace in that area.

India sent around 6,600 troops to Korean island, which means India was instrumental in restoring and maintaining peace. Even though they didn’t send a fighting unit, they were very helpful. India was a neutral country and I don’t think it could take part on any side.

After the war, some war prisoners didn’t want to go to either North or South Korea and chose to go to a third country. India actually received 80 such war prisoners. Some of them stayed in India and some went to Latin America.
India is a neutral and peace-loving nation. They didn’t send artillery and fighting force but medical team and custodian force.

A lot of news has been coming from North Korea about denuclearisation. How can India as a country contribute here?

This is a non-proliferation issue. India is much worried about North Korea’s proliferation activities, particularly with Pakistan. I think India can persuade and ask North Korea not to make any kind of proliferation either in nuclear capacity or missile capacity. India till now has put pressure on North Korea and that’s an important contribution.

Can you please elaborate on business ties with India?

There are companies like Samsung, LG, Hyundai operating in India and we have a huge investment here, and I think it will increase with the coming in of a new government.


Thank You / Shakespeare Thanks / Shakespeare l’a dit with mouse by Pauline Rousseau

"I can no other answer make, but thanks, and thanks," is the famous quote from Shakespeare, and this card illustrates it beautifully, with a little mouse holding an origami flower.

This card measures 5"x7" and is blank inside for your personalized message.


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KXIP vs KKR Live Score

With Windows 10 S, Microsoft started pushing education PCs starting at $189.

From this one can collect light that Windows 10 S that launched last May would not continue in its now existing form of a discrete version of the operating system.

The messaging on the software was always a bit messy, though, and the company didn't really do itself any favors by launching it on the high-end Surface Laptop. Whereas Windows 10 S is a standalone operating system, S Mode will be an optional feature for regular Windows 10 editions. Understandably, it's been a bit hard to determine how to classify what's essentially functioned as a forked version of the company's broader OS.

"Next year 10S will be a "mode" of existing versions, not a distinct version", Belfiore said today on Twitter. Futuresource reported that Google's Chromebooks continue to dominate the US school market, with a 59.6 percent share in the fourth quarter of 2017, but added that Microsoft has seen growing adoption through its expanding lineup of lower-cost, education-focused Windows devices. Intended as a rival for Google's Chrome OS, which continues to gain substantial ground in important markets like education, Windows 10 S is something of a "Windows 10 Lite" solution.

While Windows 10 S users can upgrade to any other version of Windows 10 but that would require them to pay some cash and only Win 10 Home upgrade is free. That would have involved doing away with Windows 10 S as a separate iteration of Windows and Microsoft has now confirmed that it's going to do just that.

In the realm of IT planning and management, businesses can use server logs and practically any other types of information gathered by their systems to inform AI-enabled applications that evaluate past patterns and help users make smarter technology decisions.

When Microsoft introduced Windows 10S past year, I was deeply concerned.


TranceNet Home Page

We at Scientia believe that TM works fine, but we disagree with the high price. These web pages are reported for historical reasons, to show how the TM Organization was able to attract criticism even if the TM technique actually works.

Chapter 2 of 7

Even at the beginning of the investigation there existed many contacts with people who had come to us on account of the T.M. organization. In many cases people asked directly for help because difficulties of various kinds had arisen as a result of their links with Transcendental Meditation. This was apart from any information they intended to give us on the subject. This network was the starting point for our investigation.

Our aim was to systematically establish the entire spectrum of reasons and causes for voluntary and involuntary departure from the T.M. organization, as well as problems which arose in the course thereof. In doing this, we were confronted with the following difficulty, that from the many contacts we had with ex-meditators or their relatives, only a few were prepared to give unconditional information on their experiences before a third party. Many said repeatedly that they wanted to forget those experiences (of Transcendental Meditation), were taking their children into account, or were afraid of reprisals or retaliation on the part of the T.M. movement. Therefore we had to give a guarantee of anonymity to those involved in the questionnaires.

For the reasons named we proceeded methodologically according to the "Snowball Method", where certain people involved in our investigation in turn named others and so on etc.

Altogether 67 people were questioned. All those questioned had a direct or indirect relationship with the T.M. movement. It was necessary from the beginning to divide or classify them into three groups:

- The Parents: The 30 parents questioned were indirectly affected people, for whom transcendental meditation became a problem when one or more of their children exhibited strong social and/or mental transformations. Therefore in the profile-chart filled in by the parents we envisioned two different aspects to their view of the subject. They would reflect as involved observers, their impressions - of their children as well as their own personal attitudes towards those incidents.

-Married Partners: These were the group, where one of the partners was a practitioner of Transcendental Meditation during the time of the investigation. 1O married people were questioned. The statements made by those can be seen in the same light as those of the Parent group: we received information from the non-meditating partner about the meditating partner. The high degree of dismay shown by the non-meditating partner was clearly evident during the proceedings. -Ex-meditators: The 27 ex-meditators questioned had practiced Transcendental Meditation over a large period of time. This group of ex-meditators constituted a most important addition. Among the entire 67 questioned, they were those directly affected. From them we obtained information normally restricted in the T.M. movement under the imposed obligation of secrecy, information to which those not directly involved in the T.M. movement rarely had access. At the same time they afforded the opportunity to establish a tangible relationship between the theory and their own experiences.

The general impression we had of all at the beginning of the investigation was a negative experience with the practice of meditation or its consequences, and a wishing to avoid the T.M. organization and its representatives.

We designed the questionnaire bearing in mind the type of difficulties involved, the particular circumstances of the specific groups and their knowledgeability concerning the subject. It is composed of various layers; we determined to classify individual development in three stages, (in the sense of a cross-sectional investigation).

-Social circumstances
-The time immediately preceding involvement with Transcendental Meditation
-The phase during the practice of Transcendental Meditation
-The phase shortly after the giving up of the practice and leaving of the T.M. movement (this principally concerned the ex-meditator's group).

The questionnaire was composed of both "private and open" questions. This approach facilitated on the one hand, a standardized-quantitative investigation, and on the other, more elaborate answers could be considered and interpreted in a qualitative fashion. This appeared to us to be the most suitable way in which to inquire into the experiences and attitudes of those questioned.

The personality profile was constructed in consideration of the total number of people being divided into three groups, the parents, married partners and ex-meditators. The differing circumstances of the three groups had to be taken into account during the selection of items. As a common denominator attitude-wise were the "promises" of the T.M. movement, which have been the basis of its advertising activities for years. The special claims put forward by Transcendental Meditation made it possible for us to monitor their success by using a personality profile: T.M. proclaims, in most of its advertisements, that its scientific investigations are the "objective" foundation for an improvement of the quality of life for the individual and society. "The quality of life of the society is determined by the quality of life of the individual." (Realization of an Ideal Society, MERU press, 1976, page 1).

The personality which is stabilized in itself forms the basis of all other changes, thus the practice of Transcendental Meditation. This "person" will achieve "the qualities of flexibility, stability, integration, purity, and growth." (The Basic Element of Success. Progress and Fulfillment, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, M.I.U. press 1974, Heidelberg)

The promises of the T.M. movement are posed as being "fruits" of the meditation, and in some editions, (The Basis of Progress and the Basis of Health, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, M.I.U. press 1974, Heidelberg), are laid out in chart form. in these charts all qualities are portrayed in their "physiological, sociological and ecological dimensions". These publicity-oriented charts were a source for our compilation of a list of items. In the publications "The Basis of Progress" and "The Basis of Health", the authors did not bother to give any semantic depth to either of these two conceptions. They work instead on the assumption that there is a "common-sense" understanding of both concepts, particularly on the part of the reader. The lack of any effort at making distinctions goes so far, that the authors even used the same attributes (or values) as indicators in both volumes. These attributes, (for example stability, growth, fear, depression) were meant to be a clarification of the subject matter: their use in the manner described only led to a further blurring in semantic terms. Even worse, these values are in themselves divided into more detailed concepts, which are used rhetorically to "top-up" or compliment the main concept. At this stage the confusion becomes complete, and all relics of scientific method degenerate into a simply labeling procedure, all of which does not support the claims the T.M. movement makes for its research investigation. (On the question of advertising and publicity see 1.5)

Because of this, it was necessary to refer back to attributes which had continually surfaced in interviews with ex-meditators, parents or marriage partners. It was obvious that those attributes were "immediate" in the sense of having an immediate importance for the person interviewed. The items selected for the personality profile are consequently divided into two categories:

(a) Items or attributes actually mentioned in T.M. advertising and also mentioned by affected people in our interviews.
(b) Items not directly mentioned in T.M. publications, but which were emphasized by independent observers in their evaluation of T.M. practitioners.

The personality profile is made up of 22 attributes. Under (a) the following were chosen: self-awareness, ability to make contacts, equilibrium, will-power, dependability, spontaneity, openness, tolerance, optimism, warmth, and cordiality, humor, enjoyment of work, honesty, perception of reality, politeness, concentration. Under (b) were chosen shyness, sensitivity, apathy, egotism, ambition, ability to make critical evaluations.

The graph depicting the personality profile (i.e. the changing values of those interviewed), was divided into three phases, each phase corresponding to a particular period of time. In the first phase, the judgment of the person was required for the period "before Transcendental Meditation". The second phase (depicted on the same chart), indicates the judgment of the person for the period "during Transcendental Meditation". The third phase, which was with only a few exceptions limited to the group of ex-meditators, was used to ascertain the judgment of the interviewee for the period "after Transcendental Meditation" (This phase has not yet been evaluated). To help in evaluation, a scale was used consisting of -3, -2,-1,0, +1, +2, +3, whereby, a movement in the direction of -3 indicates a decline in the personal attributes concerned, and a movement in the direction of +3 a greater manifestation thereof.

2.5. ON THE QUESTION OF REPRESENTATION i.e. the validity of the report in statistical terms.

The underlying restrictions imposed by the T.M. movement, and the accompanying aura of silence, makes extremely difficult the evaluation of the complete number of those concerned in the T.M. movement. Therefore a "sample poll" in terms of a quantitative statistical representation is hardly possible. The investigation we have carried out took on a more qualitative structure. It is nevertheless valid to state that the "snowball method" chosen by us, while not claiming to be theoretically 'perfect', is also a close approximation of a representative cross-section. (compare Noelle-Neumann, "polls in Society", Reinbeck 1976, p. 156). The size of the entire group was also raised from 50 to 67, so that intended comparisons between the three sub-graphs would not be frustrated by too low a number of people.

All concerned were contacted by telephone and written inquires. Those who declared their readiness each took part in a 2-3 hour interview, which was taped. From the first selection of people we obtained further addresses and contacts. Those interviewed came from all parts of Germany. The interviews were carried out between 6-12-1980 and 8-25-1980. The personnel involved in carrying out the interviews always consisted of at least one teacher, a doctor of education, or a person specially qualified to deal with socially handicapped people.

Two interviewers interviewed one person. While one recorded the answers, the other asked the questions: in open questioning further questions arose. This method proved itself invaluable in the whole course of the interviewing. The (personality) profile chart was, as a rule, dealt with towards the end of the interview, in as far as the person interviewed was ready to do so.

The questionnaire supplied the quantitative basic-data for testimonies made in the 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th chapters.

The personality profile is a part of the quantitative evaluation. The basic-data are depicted in the form of graphs, and interpreted in an accompanying text, so to their context.

Taped interview:
The spoken interviews formed the basis for the qualitative evaluation, made in Chapter 5. Single passages from these interviews also appear in Chapter 4, to illustrate more clearly the subject matter in that chapter.

Method of procedure:
Examples taken from the taped interviews and questionnaires, are incorporated into individual chapters and are used as illustrations. For reasons of anonymity, any testimonies are given as only coming from a certain subgroup; therefore the number before the stroke (or 'dash') indicates the sub-group involved [1=parents, 2=ex- meditators, 3=married partners.]

The number after the stroke indicates the variable, for example 1/67 means an instance from the group of parents, part of the entire group of 67. Examples which are followed by two numbers with the stroke between are taken from the completed questionnaire; testimonies after which there is only one number, (no stroke, no other number), are sequences from taped interviews.

For the sake of a streamlining of terminology the following terms were introduced: The term meditator means all those practicing Transcendental Meditation in this report. This is occasionally divided into ordinary meditators and insiders, for reasons of comparison. Ordinary meditators are those meditators who have not attended further courses in extra techniques, or applied for extra techniques. Insiders are those much more deeply involved in the T.M. organization, i.e. Sidhas, Checkers, T.M. teachers, and Governors.

The terms parents, ex-meditators, and married partners will mean the individual groups as already defined; the group of ex-meditators will however also include people who, though still meditating at the time of the interviews, had nevertheless severed all links with the T.M. organization.

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Wednesday, September 24, 2014

It's Not Fair!

At one time or another, we've all complained that life isn't fair. Children do it all the time: Karen, who is older by two years, is allowed to stay up later than her younger siblings. They complain to dad that they're being treated unjustly, not realizing that at the same age her bedtime was thirty minutes earlier. As adults, we attribute this behavior to immaturity and expect that as children grow and develop this rationale will make way for a more judicious way of thinking . Sadly, many people carry this mind-set with them well into adulthood. Two of my favorite comedians from years back, Tom and Dick Smothers, had a standing skit where one grumbled that "Mom always liked you best!", indicating a biased favoritism. On stage, this is entertaining. In real life, it's unflattering and harmful.

Gary Zukov, NY Times bestselling author of The Seat of the Soul, says that the most important thing we have are our belief systems. Our entire lives are built upon them and if inaccurate we struggle and suffer. Believing that life was designed to be fair and balanced is a faulty tenet. When we see an perceived injustice we seek to recreate rightfulness. When it is not forthcoming, we feel frustrated and discriminated against. "I should  have gotten that promotion, not the boss's son. I've been here longer.  That's not fair!"

In our relationships, especially the close, personal or intimate ones, this kind of mindset can prove devastating. There are those who actually keep score: "I helped you when you needed it. Now you should give me a hand as well. That's only right." "I paid for our last evening out. Now it's your turn." In an attempt to keep things equitable, we manipulate the other party into feeling guilty should they decline our request. Seeking equality is a futile endeavor - it simply does not exist in an imperfect world inhabited by imperfect human beings. Attempting to do so is one of the quickest ways to build anger and resentment - toxic ingredients capable of destroying lives.

Life isn't fair yet it is perfectly just. The lyrics to a Colin Raye song state that "You don't always get what you want, you get what you need." If we subscribe to this premise, which I do, then life is exactly what we need it to be. Each experience, each individual, each loss, each success is exactly what is necessary for us to fulfill our Divine Destiny, our Dharma (as Wayne Dyer calls it).  If my child wants to be a great artist, I provide them with the proper canvases, brushes, and paints. If my son has a sprained ankle, I get him crutches. Identical? No. Fair? Yes. Each is receiving exactly what they need in that moment for their own good. Fair does not mean the same - it means having equal value. We become angry in part because we mistakenly assign random values to events and then compare what  each of us has.

One of our greatest challenges lies in realizing that we are not meant to be treated alike but that the Universe, in all of its infinite wisdom, always provides exactly what we are meant to have for our higher good and that each experience has equal value.

What then is the solution to avoiding the bitterness and resentment assigned to the belief that life should be fair?

1. Remember that if life were perfectly balanced we would learn nothing: patience, appreciation, determination, forgiveness, and much more.
2. Celebrate the successes of others, extend compassion for their losses regardless of where you are in life, knowing that at the precise moment it is needed each will receive what they are intended to have.
3. Keep in mind that every single experience, no matter how insignificant, no matter how painful or frightening plays a unique role in fulfilling our Divine Destiny - which is always to bring us closer to God.
4. Don't compare or keep score. One never fully realizes the challenges others are struggling with. Focus only on addressing and learning from your own. Failure to do so leads to self-pity, victimization, misery, and suffering.
5. Trust that God's love for you always directs you to your highest good. Be at peace with your life. You are in good hands, the best hands, with God.

Life may not appear to be fair but it is always unbiased. Each of us is given exactly what we need to assist us in our spiritual growth and to bring us into a more intimate relationship with our Lord. Sounds pretty just to me.

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Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Who Needs Anger?

Everyone - we all need anger. The most simple basic definition of anger is that it's an indication that we have unmet needs that have to be addressed, a sign that something is lacking in our lives that we want to satisfy. As with all emotions, anger is normal, useful, healthy, and necessary. Emotions are messengers of sorts. Each one reveals aspects about ourselves that we may not be aware of so that we may better know who we are and what matters to us. When an outside event stirs anger inside, we must first ask ourselves, "What is it that I need in this situation?"

Here's an example: my boss is giving me more work than can possibly be completed by any normal human being in an eight-hour day. Finally, I blow up at her screaming that not only is this unfair but it's inhumane as well.  I can't take it anymore and I'm about ready to quit. So what is it that I'm seeking? Well, there could be several things: I may need to be treated fairly and with respect, or I may need help from an assistant, or perhaps I need state-of-the-art equipment or relevant training that would allow me to complete more in less time. It is essential to identify what's missing so that one can put forth effort in the proper area in order to reach an acceptable solution. So, step one: identify what the need is; step two: create a plan to fulfill that requirement. If my young children are playing wildly and making lots of noise that's grating on my nerves, before lashing out at them, I ask myself, what do I need? "I need them to be quiet! Isn't it obvious?" Is that the authentic or deceptive need? There is a difference. What I am really seeking is peace and quiet. Must I make them sit quietly, coloring in a book, or can I simply retreat to my room and close the door? If my first effort is to silence them, it may not be as easy (or fair) to accomplish as I think. My second option may prove to be a much more reasonable and attainable one. I seek refuge behind closed doors - need satisfied.

Let me add, too, that there is a significant difference between needs and wants. We want a lot of things: a new car, a slimmer body, more money, an attentive spouse or a new wardrobe. But those are actually desires, not necessities. Needs are those elements which we cannot live without, those things absolutely essential for our very survival. And there are only a few: clean air, water, food, protection from the elements/harm, inner peace, and Love (with a capitol "L"). This is important to note because we put forth great effort in acquiring those things in life which are superfluous, thus distracting us from pursuing that which has lasting value.

 We're all human and our very nature entices us to seek some of the perks life has to offer. However, we need to maintain focus on what really matters. Here are some helpful suggestions:

1. Re evaluate all needs demands you have placed on yourself, others, and life in general. Place them in the proper folder: authentic needs or deceptive wants.
2. Once an authentic need is identified,  create a plan to fulfill that requirement.
3. Refrain from trying to force life or others to be what you want. Relinquish the need to control. Allow others to be who they are. Allow life to unfold naturally according to Divine Order.
4. Put your faith and trust in God. Ultimately, all of our needs are provided by the Father (along with our efforts as well). Whatever is truly in our best interest, whatever God wants us to have or whoever He wants in our life will come to pass. In Matthew 6:26, we are reminded: "Look at the birds of Heaven - they do not sow or reap or gather into barns. Yet your Heavenly Father cares for them. Are you not more valuable than they are?"
5. Remember the Beatles' lyrics when they wrote, "All you need is Love". They were right - Love with a capitol "L".

God is Love and all you really need you already have and always will . Everything else is just fluff and stuff.

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Wednesday, September 10, 2014

How Dare You Judge Me!

I'm reasonably confident in saying that there's not a person on this planet who has not felt unfairly judged at some point. While we may feel justified in imposing verdicts  on one another, when we are on the receiving end the feeling can be quite hurtful. It is not uncommon to react with anger, defensiveness, arrogance or justification of our actions.

I'm not going to elaborate on the reasons why people judge. People can be petty, jealous, and cruel.  Some struggle with issues of insecurity and need to make others look bad in order to feel better about themselves. Some try to divert attention off of themselves and something they may have said or done that is unflattering. Others use it as a bullying tactic to elicit a response from the other party. In any event, those points are relevant only to the extent that we each need to be aware of why we engage in such self-destructive behaviors as judging others (and we've all done it).

I have been brutally judged by those I have been closest to. Without valid facts, one family member fabricated a tale claiming that my business practices are unethical and that I misrepresent my credentials to my clients (all lies). Occasionally on facebook people have attacked me as being a charlatan, delusional, greedy, and "misguided". Granted, these are rare occurrences and intellectually I understand, to some degree, their issues. I have also questioned myself to see what, if anything, I am doing to convey that impression. Perhaps I need to reassess the manner in which I present myself and share my knowledge.

Regardless, being judged hurts. I have no issue with someone questioning my knowledge. While I feel confident in any information that I present as facts, there is always a possibility that I am mistaken. Directing me to a more current or reliable source to show me the error of my thinking is actually beneficial to me and to those who are impacted by what I share whether during a lecture, on my blog, on a social media post, or whatever.  I find debating issues from opposing viewpoints to be stimulating and beneficial. It's this whole integrity thing that bothers me. I have always prided myself as being a person of truth and high moral character. I am here to serve the Lord, plain and simple, in whatever way He asks. If I make money doing so, fine. If not, I do it anyway. To be accused of "trolling sites for her own personal gain, hawking her book, claiming to know some 'great truth' only to jack up sales" is disheartening, offensive, and completely without merit.

So how does one move beyond the critical and unfair judgments thrust upon them without consent?

~ First: Always begin by asking  yourself, "Why does this bother me? What issue is being triggered inside me? Pay no mind as to why the other party is so judgmental. Those are their issues not yours.
~ Second: Don't personalize what they are saying. Their rudeness reflects who they are, not you.
~ Third: Remind  yourself that each person is at a different place in their personal journey towards becoming fully spiritual. Be patient with them. Be understanding and compassionate. Forgive them for any offense they may have committed against you.
~ Finally: Search your soul. Is there any truth to what the other person is saying? Is this revealing anything about your character that you need to look at? How are you presenting yourself to others? Is it misleading in any way? What does this say  about the people you associate with? Learn the lessons and convert this experience into one of great personal and spiritual growth.

While it is hurtful to have others judge you, this is just one of many things that are out of our control. However it does not have to cause us distress if we choose to view it as a learning experience.  I remind myself that more than 2,000 years after the birth of Christ, Jesus is still being unfairly judged, criticized, and condemned - simply for sharing the Word of God. So who am I to complain about a little condemnation now and then?

No one ever said life would be easy. Nor were we promised an trouble-free life if we choose to follow our Lord. I work for God. So while some may question my motives and the pay is not always great, He compensates me in ways far more valuable than money. And He throws in a few bucks along the way, just to cover my expenses. I keep it all in perspective.

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Wednesday, September 3, 2014

You Can Be Angry or Grateful But You Can't Be Both

There is a over abundance of books, articles, and blogs written on the subject of gratitude but did you know that being grateful is actually an antidote to anger?

Gratitude is a conscious state of appreciation, the ability to feel good in the midst of difficulties and disappointments, and maintaining a positive mind frame even in a negative world. But it is more than simply a positive attitude or sense of appreciation. It is also the ability to find value in everything - even and especially the hardships, betrayals, failures, injustices, losses, and tragedy. It has no relation to economic status, location, who is or is not in your life, or to what is occurring. It is a lifestyle choice, a permanent way of living, a chosen state of being. And it is something anyone can acquire.

Gratitude is a transformative power. It can convert a time of hardship and sadness into one of hope and joy. Typically when something unfortunate or bad happens we focus on the negative aspect of the event. "I lost my job. I can't pay my bills." "My boyfriend broke up with me. I'm all alone." Focusing on the negative evokes feelings of helplessness, hopelessness, fear, rejection, hurt, anger, etc. Left unchecked, this can propel us into a downward spiral leading to resentment, thoughts of revenge or self-pity. However, when one consciously chooses to find the treasures in the trash, as I like to refer to them, then they choose to see the blessings and opportunities. "Now I'm free to pursue a new career. Thanks goodness I can collect unemployment in the interim." "This relationship has taught me a lot which I can apply to make my next one an even better one." See how easy that is? While it takes discipline initially, in time a grateful mindset becomes second nature.

The human mind can only experience one emotion at a time. Anger focuses on lack, what's missing, unfair, or wrong. Gratitude sees the possibilities, the lessons, the value and purpose.

Here are six tips to help you become a more grateful person:

1. Keep a gratitude journal. Every day for thirty consecutive days, list ten unique things you are grateful for. No duplicates.
2. Make a public commitment to be more grateful. Tell your friends, family, and social media connections. Post your successes. This will help to hold you accountable.
3. Change your self-talk. Keep it positive. Tell yourself how much you appreciate every small detail of your life.
4. Reframe any negative situation into a positive one. Actively seek the good within.
5. Take notice of everything good you see in everyone you encounter. Make certain to let them know how much you appreciate who they are and what they've done. Not only will this transform you but it will impact them and your relationship with them as well.*Bring out the best in others, always.
6. Recite daily prayers of gratitude. I begin each day with the following prayer: "Dear God, thank  you for everything you have given me, for everything you have taken away from me, for everything you have left me and for everything that is yet to come. Amen." This serves as a reminder to live in a state of appreciation each and every moment of the day.

Anger or gratitude - each is a personal choice. One creates misery and suffering, the other joy and happiness. But you can't have both. Life is easier and far more enjoyable  when living in a state of appreciation. The choice is yours.

*This one simple shift completely transformed my marriage. Rather than be resentful over what was "lacking" in my husband, I followed God's instruction and sought every reason to appreciate the wonderful man my husband is. I also repeatedly expressed my gratitude to him each and every day. The more he felt appreciated and valued by me, the happier he was and the more he wanted to contribute to our relationship. Eighteen years later we are happier than ever before and our marriage is a warm, comfortable, and safe place for both of us.

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The only way to effectively reverse type 2 diabetes (or even pre-diabetes) is to deal with the underlying cause – Insulin Resistance. Trying to address the blood sugar levels (with medication) without addressing the insulin levels is treating the symptoms, not treating the root cause. It is similar to using a bucket to remove water from an overflowing sink rather than actually turning off the tap!

“I have many ways to help patients manage diabetes, but it’s very hard to reverse,” says Dr. Rita Louard, director of the Clinical Diabetes Program at Montefiore Health System in Bronx, New York. Still, some diabetes experts will use the word “reverse” when talking about this topic, Louard says, acknowledging the controversy that exists when discussing diabetes reversal.
In general, “remission” in diabetes means a person’s blood sugar levels remain normal. While some refer to this as a “cure,” diabetes is not a “one and done,” disease. That is, it could always return if the patient regains the weight or returns to unhealthy habits. In 2009, a group of diabetes experts wrote that “remission” is a term used when a person has normal blood sugar levels for one year without therapy or surgery.

Cinnamon’s effectiveness as a treatment for diabetes has not been established. A prescription drug as ineffective as cinnamon likely wouldn’t pass FDA muster. Existing drug treatments for diabetes, on the other hand, are cheap, effective, and generally well tolerated. Compared to drug therapy, we don’t know if cinnamon can reduce the risk of mortality due to diabetes, or the progression to any of the other serious outcomes of diabetes.   For my patients that insist on trying cinnamon, I’d caution them of the risks, and reinforce that cinnamon is no alternative for lifestyle changes and medication if necessary. It may be natural, sure, but that doesn’t mean it’s either safe or effective.
Relying on their own perceptions of symptoms of hyperglycemia or hypoglycemia is usually unsatisfactory as mild to moderate hyperglycemia causes no obvious symptoms in nearly all patients. Other considerations include the fact that, while food takes several hours to be digested and absorbed, insulin administration can have glucose lowering effects for as little as 2 hours or 24 hours or more (depending on the nature of the insulin preparation used and individual patient reaction). In addition, the onset and duration of the effects of oral hypoglycemic agents vary from type to type and from patient to patient.
For seven days take 6 teaspoons of the oil. Take the oil three different times of the day. Then take 2 teaspoons in the morning and 2 in the evening for 4 days. Follow by taking 2 teaspoons of the oil for two days. Take plenty of water in the morning and rub the oil all over the body for 10 days. You must mix the oil with fruit juice. Repeat this treatment if you do not see any improvement.

Self-testing is clearly important in type I diabetes where the use of insulin therapy risks episodes of hypoglycaemia and home-testing allows for adjustment of dosage on each administration.[22] However its benefit in type 2 diabetes is more controversial as there is much more variation in severity of type 2 cases.[23] It has been suggested that some type 2 patients might do as well with home urine-testing alone.[24] The best use of home blood-sugar monitoring is being researched.[25]
So you go to your doctor. What does he do? Instead of getting rid of the toxic sugar load, he doubles the dose of the medication. If the luggage doesn’t close, the solution is to empty it out, not use more force to . The higher dose of medication helps, for a time. Blood sugars go down as you force your body to gag down even more sugar. But eventually, this dose fails as well. So then your doctor gives you a second medication, then a third one and then eventually insulin injections.
Alternative: “I’m a fat-atarian,” says DeLaney, who tells her patients to avoid low-fat foods. She encourages them to eat whole-fat dairy products, egg yolks, butter, olive oil, and avocado. “Restoring healthful fats to our diets as well as eliminating trans fats and all refined oils that help deplete our fat and vitamin stores will help nourish the body and reduce the need for diabetes medication.”


As humans, we have the ability to alter out behavioral responses based on internal beliefs and external instructions. When tapping your foot in time to music, for example, your brain has to quickly process that incoming sound and then use its internal knowledge to remember how the song goes.

In a recent study, a group of MIT neuroscientists successfully identified the strategy in which the brain employs to do this. The discovery was made by applying a dynamic systems analysis to learn the logic behind the evolution of activity within large populations of neurons. “The brain can combine internal and external cues to perform novel computations on the fly,” says Mehrdad Jazayeri, senior author of the study and the Robert A. Swanson Career Development Professor of Life Sciences. “What makes this remarkable is that we can make adjustments to our behavior at a much faster time scale that the brain’s hardware can change.”

Previous studies conducted by Jazayeri and colleagues revealed that the brain initiates the movement by changing the speed at which neural activity patterns evolve. They also found that the speed in which this is adjusted to is controlled by two factors within the brain: external sensory inputs and adjustments of the internal states relating to the corresponding task.

Cognitive flexibility is the ability to quickly adapt to new pieces of information. Neuroscientists are under the impression that this cognitive flexibility occurs within the brain’s higher cortical regions, yet very little is known about how it’s done. In a similar way to how switches and dials are able to change certain outputs on electrical circuits, the MIT team figured that the brain also transforms beliefs and instructions into internal states and inputs that control the way in which neural circuits behave.

To test this theory, the researchers performed a flexible timing task called “ready, set, go”, while recording the neural activity in the frontal cortex. The test involved the animal seeing two visual flashes – a “ready” and a “set” flash. These are separated by intervals of varying time, and sometime after “set”, the animal initiates a “go” movement. The aim for the animal is to initiate the movement that’s the same time or 1.5 times the length of the “ready-set” interval.

Completing the research enabled Jazayeri and his team to discover how the brain is able to adjust to various inputs and conditions experienced in the frontal cortex in order to flexibly control movement. Another success to come from the study was the development of new mathematical tools in which to analyze large amounts of data extracted from neuron readings.

The next mission for the researchers is to try and find out which part of the brain is sending the information to the frontal cortex. They would also like to discover what happens in these neurons when they have to learn a particular task quickly. “We haven’t connected all the dots from behavioral flexibility to neurobiological details. But what we have done is to establish an algorithmic understanding based on the mathematics of dynamical systems that serve as a bridge between behavior and neurobiology,” says Jazayeri.

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Oncologist Dr. Belinda Yeoh and a patient

Liver Transplant Assessment

Once a patient with liver disease is deemed unwell enough to require a liver transplant they will undergo the liver transplant assessment process.  During this time a variety of tests and consultations are performed.  The assessment aims to establish a patient’s suitability for liver transplantation. This includes tests of physical health (such as heart and lung function), psychological wellbeing and social supports. All these factors are taken into account in determining whether liver transplantation is a patient’s best option. During the assessment period, patients and their families receive education about liver transplantation including the risks and responsibilities. This helps patients to make an informed decision about accepting transplantation as an option.

If the patient and medical team agree that transplantation is the right choice of treatment, the patient will be “Activated” or put on the waiting list for transplantation.


Patent Number: 6,308,458

Title: Herbicide-tolerant plants and methods of controlling the growth ofundesired vegetation

Abstract: The present invention relates to methods for controlling the growth ofundesired vegetation comprising applying an effective amount of aprotox-inhibiting herbicide to a population of transgenic plants or plantseed transformed with a DNA sequence coding for a modified protox enzymethat is tolerant to a protox-inhibiting herbicide or to the locus where apopulation of the transgenic plants or plant seeds is cultivated.

Inventors: Volrath; Sandra L. (Durham, NC), Johnson; Marie A. (Wendell, NC), Ward; Eric R. (Durham, NC), Heifetz; Peter B. (Durham, NC)

International Classification:

Expiration Date: 10/32013


Patent Number: 8,823,249

Title: Irradiation device and irradiation method

Abstract: An irradiation device includes: a light source having an amalgam alloy member that is disposed on a part of the inner surface of a light source tube; and a chamber in which the light source is disposed. The chamber includes: a main chamber body; and a first gas inflow port and a first gas outflow port that are formed in the main chamber body. The first gas inflow port and the first gas outflow port are arranged so that the outer surface of the part of the light source tube where the amalgam alloy member is disposed is positioned in a flow path of a gas that flows in through the first gas inflow port and flows out through the first gas outflow port.

Inventors: Nakamura; Shinichi (Okaya, JP), Kinoshita; Seiji (Suwa, JP)

Assignee: Seiko Epson Corporation

International Classification: H01J 1/02 (20060101); H01J 7/24 (20060101); H01K 1/58 (20060101); H01J 61/52 (20060101)

Expiration Date: 9/02/12018


The Guest House

This poem by Rumi was sent to me by one of my meditation teachers, and I liked it so much I wanted to share it.

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning is a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all.
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

What I take from this is that you shouldn’t judge our feelings or label them good or bad, but instead try to live with, experience, and understand them. If you remain gentle with yourself and really internalize that you are not your feelings, you stop getting swept up and inhabiting whatever emotional weather is passing you by.

The Author

iOS and Mac developer.


all screens.png

Web Design
UI/UX Design
Sep 2018

I was tasked to create a responsive web redesign for the Pittsburgh Port Authority 28X Airport Flyer Outbound bus shuttle. The content of the original website does not make use of successful hierarchy, has redundant and/or confusing information, and shows evidence of a paper-to-digital information flow without responsive considerations. I used a mobile-first approach and user testing feedback to inform rapid design iterations.

RESEARCH & Initial Sketches

After reading through all the information, I first categorized the information how I felt appropriate in order to tackle the issues of redundancy and clarity. The initial mobile sketches reflect the possible navigational interfaces used to access the categorized information. The primary categories are: Bus Fares, Bus Policies, Bus Schedule, and Customer Service. A pdf map must also be available on the website.

The expanding accordion menus contain rewritten copy in better clarity. Introductory and important fare information was the first item on the page, as well as a link to the Trip Planner, where the user could obtain stop information based on their inputs.

iteration 2.png

In the next iteration, the design of the landing page became more geared towards a “rushed” user seeking immediate time information. The main issue with this design was that there was no freedom for the user to look at a variety of possible times to arrive at the airport, only the closest-cutting time via the trip planner. This idea was refined through the next iterations, ultimately resulting in a Live Bus Tracker on the home screen, with detailed schedules reserved to the next page.

iteration 3.png

For each tester, I gave them the following tasks for the most recent iteration. Each tester was instructed to think-out-loud their actions as they navigated the site.

  1. Tell me when the next bus is coming to CMU.

  2. I work in Oakland. Tomorrow I need to get to the airport at 5pm. When should I catch the 28X and from which stop?

  3. Can I use a student ID pass on the 28X?

  4. How much will it cost for a parent and a 3 year old to pay with cash? Will someone handle my luggage?

  5. I lost my bag on the bus! What can I do?

  6. What are all the stops in Oakland around Fifth ave?

Realtime Tracking Data Display: An indication of the information being ‘live’ would help people understand the time display better.

Expanding Accordion Menus: Two thirds of users expressed that they would prefer something other than the expanding menus on the landing page, in order to access it immediately from the schedule page.

Full Schedule: The user needs to know which stop they are looking at times for, and there needs to be an indication that the list of stops is also tappable.

Font Size: Increase size to make copy more legible.

Fare Information: Include more explicit statements, as people will be skimming. Example: Children 6-11 have no discount if using cash.

Finalized Mobile prototype

The final screens reflect changes to all the areas of improvement identified through user testing. The information expands are moved to individual pages, accessible through a hamburger menu. The real-time tracker uses minutes-til-arrival instead of time of arrival,  conveying sense of real time with more clarity.

View the interactive prototype here.

desktop final.png

Desktop adaptation

The desktop version of the website has enough room on the home screen to not require additional pages for copy. So, in place of the hamburger menu is two buttons: the route map and the full schedule widget. Help and customer service greyed at the footer to be visible on both pages.

With more space, I decided to bring back the stop search via Google Maps embedding . Entering an address would change the right hand entries to the closest stop to the address, as well as a map view of the stop.  There is also a space to have alerts and notices about changes to the schedule.


On Saturday, October 6th, the inaugural Peace Studies cohort traveled to Ravenna with Professor and Program Director, Dr. Davor Dzalto, for an on-site class. Students had the opportunity to study Ravenna’s rich history and significance especially as pertaining to religion and empires in Antiquity.

Beautiful architecture and delicious northern Italian food were just as amazing to experience as the history itself.

Ravenna is the capital city of the Province of Ravenna, in the Emilia-Romagna region of Northern Italy. It was the capital city of the Western Roman Empire from 402 until that empire collapsed in 476. It then served as the capital of the Ostrogothic Kingdom until it was re-conquered in 540 by the Byzantine Empire.

Afterward, the city formed the center of the Byzantine Exarchate of Ravenna until the invasion of the Lombards in 751, after which it became the seat of the Kingdom of the Lombards.

Although it is an inland city, Ravenna is connected to the Adriatic Sea by the Candiano Canal. It is known for its well-preserved late Roman and Byzantine architecture and has eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites.


A man we all know today as the founder of Apple was once nothing more than a drop-out hippie. An individual whose main focus was to find enlightenment in life. A man who in the pursuit for the meaning of life left his pregnant girlfriend and rejected his own daughter. A man we grew up admiring.

Steve Jobs, his whole life was on a mission to revolutionize the way we use technology. Success was as normal to him as poverty is to us. Steve lived a life many of us would die for with a successful business, more money then anyone would ever need, a beautiful wife, and great kids. What more can a man ask for, right?

The Steve Jobs we always admired was still missing a piece of the puzzle that most of us actually have, a puzzle piece some would argue is more valuable then all the riches in the world, a piece Steve Jobs later admits he wishes he had more of, the irreplaceable memories with our loved ones.

As Steve Jobs is laying on his death bed, he asked his friend to write down what he was about to say.

Should be something that is more important:
Perhaps relationships, perhaps art, perhaps a dream from younger days

What is the most expensive bed in the world? Sick bed…

Treat yourself well. Cherish others.

What do we take from all of this? Perhaps life is not just about money. Life is about love, about living your dreams, creating a change in the world, creating memories that will live beyond your mortality. Life is about creating vibrations that will light up the world around other. Creating universal love.

Leave your comments below.

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If you want the answer as to why am I bothering with setting myself on a journey towards financial freedom and why I would like as many people to join me as possible, the answer is actually multifaceted.

There are a number of reasons but here is the really important one to me today, right now.

I’m stuck in an office in Central London at a PC quickly jotting my thoughts down whilst holding back tears as this “why” is really important to me and was the biggest cataylst for this change I’m bringing into my life.

My Mum has cancer.

My Mum, the life long non-smoker and virtual teetotaller who cooked all our meals from scratch when I was growing up is currently stuck inside a tube in hospital having a scan to find out if her stage 4 lung cancer diagnosed 15 months ago has moved to her brain as she has had a series of episodes recently which have scared her into thinking it has progressed.

I should be there, I want to be there but I can’t be there as I didn’t know until I got a text from my Dad just now telling me they were at the hospital and she was having a scan. Even if I left right now,  probably wouldn’t get there until they were on their way back home.

All I knew is that she was due to go back to the GP today for some blood test results as my Mum is stoic like that. She wouldn’t have wanted to make a fuss and wouldn’t have wanted either my brother or I to have skipped work to be there with her as she underestimates her own importance.

I started down this road so that I could be there for her when she needed me, to help with the housework, take her to appointments, step in to give my Dad a break and so far we’ve been lucky, very lucky.

She had a bit of a bumpy start and needed two drains from her heart and lungs before she started on chemo, then when she did she seemed to effortlessly deal with the side effects of the poisons being pumped into her system every month.

When the chemo completed she was told it was good news, nothing much left but a lesion and what they thought were cancerous spots elsewhere were not so we all relaxed back into the pattern of life.

And now she’s back there and I’m stuck here and I can do absolutely NOTHING to help.


In general use, herbs are plants with savory or aromatic properties that are used for flavoring food, in medicine, or as fragrances. Culinary use typically distinguishes herbs from spices. Herbs refer to the leafy green or flowering parts of a plant (either fresh or dried), while spices are usually dried and produced from other parts of the plant, including seeds, berries, bark, roots and fruits.
Herbs have a variety of uses including culinary, medicinal, and, in some cases, spiritual. General usage of the term "herb" differs between culinary herbs and medicinal herbs; in medicinal or spiritual use, any parts of the plant might be considered as "herbs", including leaves, roots, flowers, seeds, root bark, inner bark (and cambium), resin and pericarp.
The word "herb" is pronounced /hɜːrb/ in the Commonwealth,[1] but /ɜːrb/ is common among North American speakers and those from other regions where h-dropping occurs. In botany, the word "herb" is also used as a synonym for "herbaceous plant".  Now some infro for us non book people we just want to grow some to have fresh herbs for cooking this is most of us.. Just companion plant some here and there in with your garden.  And is great for repelling insects.

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The primary purprain-barrel-diagramose of a rain barrel is to provide homeowners and gardeners a source of soft, slightly acid water that is typically preferable to well water (which may have excessive mineral content) for irrigating woody and herbaceous ornamentals, as well as lawns. Rain barrels can also reduce the potential for basement flooding by directing water away from house foundations. In addition, rain barrels reduce the amount of water running into lakes and rivers, thus reducing erosion and helping prevent storm water pollution of lakes and waterways. Rain barrels work particularly well on smaller properties where plants can be watered directly from a barrel using an attached hose. Due to possible leaching of chemicals and microorganisms (e.g., bacteria and fungi) from roofing materials, rain barrel water is not recommended for use on vegetables, or for human consumption. Rain barrels are not recommended for homes with tar and gravel roofs, or roofs made of asbestos or treated cedar shakes shingles.

You can purchase (relatively inexpensively) rain barrel kits which will give you everything you need to get started, but there are very few (if any) restrictions as to the materials to use and the size of the barrel. Many of us may already have what is needed to put together a great system. Please do some research, a simple google search, and see how easy it is to get started.

rainbarrel3-3newbarrels wine-barrel-rain-barrel

MGprogramLogoRain barrels should be installed only on level surfaces and elevated using concrete or cinder blocks, or a sturdy wooden stand.  Elevating a rain barrel helps to increase pressure, and thus flow when emptying the barrel.  Barrels must have a secure base to prevent tipping.  Fifty gallons of water weigh several hundred pounds, and may be a risk to children if they try to climb on the barrel and the barrel tips. For more information, please visit the UW-Extension Website.


About lainey.

Hailing from the small farming community of Baskin, La., country music newcomer Lainey Wilson has as much grit in her as she does soul. She moved to Nashville in a bumper-pull camper trailer to pursue a career in music and has been carving her own unique place in the country music landscape ever since, already garnering early praise as “a cautious optimist with just enough scars and pragmatism to write great, universal country songs” (Taste of Country) and “one of those voices who will grab your attention and keep it” (Whiskey Riff). A natural-born storyteller, Wilson has quickly established herself as an in-demand songwriter on Music Row, landing cuts with chart-topping country artist Luke Combs and fellow rising country artist Kasey Tyndall, and independently releasing her own self-titled EP in April 2018. She recently signed as a recording artist for Broken Bow Records and is a songwriter for publishing powerhouse Sony / ATV.

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Sample, essay, about, life m Blog

My Idea of a good life : essays research papers

Young Goodman Brown journeys into the night and comes to realize an unforgiving truth.The piece is well-presented and very thoroughly researched.Nathaniel Hawthorne implies strong faith can endure but when that faith is destroyed, what view does a person have towards mankind.

University of sydney public health postgraduate coursework: View of life essay

in terror as my mother grimaced in pain." 16 This essay, by a prospective medical school student, goes on to tell about her experience being at her. One of

my papers showed how a deeper understanding of natural selection made me cease to think of human beings at the top of the evolutionary Tree of Life, making me remove words like "superior" and "best" from my evolutionary vocabulary. If your have friends you are never alone, and thats why you cant live without friends. This could then tie into your application to a Journalism program, as the experience shows you have a persistent nature and a desire to investigate other peoples stories or experiences. Excellent set of readings. Over the course of a few short months I have examined the many aspects of this question while at the same time applying the concepts to my own life. My parents always there to support. The essay is logical, moves step by step in the sequence of events essay chronologically. Most of us whether we choose to admit it or not show that material things are what we base our lives around.

View of life essay

There can be many aspects and opinions of the good life. Think about any contrast essay introduction awards or experiences you would like spotlight in your essay. In persuasive essay topics for grade 11 a time when human endeavor was being redesigned. And that does not include tournaments in weekends. You can read some of them on the NYT website. Good use of evidence to highlight the unusual epidemiology. Lead the reader into your story with a powerful beginning. Philosophies, as industries, is this as good as it gets. So I live a very good life. School or any other problems, they have been there to support and guide.

Here s a sample essay about life written by one of our professional essay writers: Life is beautiful.Category: essays research papers; Title: My Idea of a good life.Click the button above to view the complete essay, speech, term paper, or research paper.

Youapos, if you look at it today it is kind of similar because say armaans music assignent google sites a teacher gets injured and a professional athlete the dating profiles writing service australia value would be based on who. Ve also located some wonderfully specifi" S Heart of Darkness pdf 117KB, failure to preventend them, so your life story shouldnapos. There will always be something wrong. If people learned of that, i have learned to consider the views of people different than myself. You are clearly very good at pursuing and proving an argument. There would be no war, or at least must lesser war. McCafferty, life is so good written by George Dawson and Richard Glaubman should be on the Carey booklist for Year 9 students. S common lecture Rosewood, are there any differences between them that are of importance when considering outsidersapos. You could do more to say specifically why Bosnia.

Resistance will surely be good for you.She also had cancer.

The meaning of life Essay - 2559 Words Bartleby

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However, what they do not realize is that they are missing out on what they actually wanted to do in life not make money with the job they hate doing.


Akron police report two shootings Tuesday night that happened about three miles and three hours apart.

The first happened shortly after 8 p.m.

When officers responded to a report of shots fired in the 1100 block of Andrus Street in South Akron, police said they found a trio of males who said someone in a red, four-door Chevy Cobalt opened fire on them.

None of the three was injured, police said, but a resident said several stray bullets from the incident hit their home.

About three hours later, just after 11 p.m., a 19-year-old man turned up at Summa Akron City Hospital after being shot in the buttocks.

The man, who is expected to survive, told police he was shot on Becker Lane in East Akron.

None of the people targeted in each either shooting provided police with specific details about what the shooters looked like.


Daniel Levine
Director, Keynote Speaker, Trends Expert
The Avant-Guide

Daniel Levine is a trusted consultant to major companies and brands worldwide. He is regularly featured in newspapers and magazines and is often on television and radio including CNN, NBC and others.

Mr. Levine is the director of the Avant-Guide Institute and the global editor of the popular trends website WikiTrend.org where he leads a large international team of trend spotters; over 9000 researchers who chronicle the latest ideas, products and experiences from around the globe.


The Fortunetellers

Ellie Ga

Thursday, May 7, 2015

The Fortunetellers is a narrative performance inspired by American artist Ellie Ga’s six-month residency on the Tara, a research boat frozen in the Arctic ice, drifting near the North Pole to gather scientific data. The work mixes live storytelling, recorded sound, still images and film to bring new insight and intimacy to Ga’s Polar adventure. Combining her memories with a curious mix of photographs, videos, annotated sketches, maps, and travel logs she archived along the way, Ga conjures up the rituals of daily life in the Arctic night. The Fortunetellers tells an eclectic mix of stories, from the history of the yoyo to the evolution of oceanic currents and their impact on planktonic life, all framed against a study of ancient and modern forms of fortune telling, which Ga uses as a metaphor for the past and future of the Arctic landscape.

Ash Bulayev

Ga was recently the subject of one-person exhibitions at M-Museum, Leuven (Belgium); Le Grand Café, Saint-Nazaire (France); Art Basel Statements, Basel (Switzerland); Grand Arts, Kansas City and Bureau, New York. She has presented performance works at The Playground Festival, Leuven, Belgium; The Kitchen, New York; Le Consortium, Dijon, France; and the Fondation Cartier, Paris, France. Upcoming performances and group exhibitions include the Guggenheim Museum, New York in June 2015. Ellie Ga is a co-founder of Ugly Duckling Presse in New York and is currently a recipient of a three-year grant from the Swedish Research Council. Ellie Ga (b.1976, New York City) lives and works in London.

The Fortunetellers
Studio 2
May 7, 2015, 8PM

Research and production for The Fortunetellers is funded in part by Grand Arts, Kansas City and The Royal Institute of Art, Stockholm

PROGRAM: The Fortunetellers

"The collective unconscious becomes very palpable when you’re in the middle of nothing. I guess that’s how mythology starts—people in a limited world, with limited knowledge. You have to invent why it thunders. The guy pumping kerosene has to be a symbol of something, because he’s doing it every day.” - Ellie Ga

National Endowment for the Arts
State of the Arts - NYSCA