Project Failure Statistics Among Capital Intensive Industries
Abstract capital-intensive industries face significant challenges in successfully delivering large-scale projects. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of project failure statistics in these industries, examining the prevalence of cost overruns, schedule delays, and failure to meet objectives. This paper concludes with recommendations for improving project performance based on industry best practices and lessons learned.
Capital-intensive industries, such as construction, oil and gas, and infrastructure, often face substantial project failures due to the complex nature and scale of their projects. This paper aims to provide an in-depth analysis of project failure statistics, drawing from multiple sources and studies to give a well-rounded view of the current state of project performance in these industries.
Project Failure Statistics
- McKinsey & Company (2016): Nearly 50% of large capital projects were over budget, with an average cost overrun of 43%. Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/the-construction-productivity-imperative
- Jergeas & Ruwanpura (2017): 64% of large oil and gas projects faced cost overruns. Source: Jergeas, G. F., & Ruwanpura, J. (2017). Reasons for cost overruns on large oil and gas projects. International Journal of Project Management, 35(4), 663-674
- Flyvbjerg et al. (2020): 66% of capital-intensive infrastructure projects experienced cost overruns, with an average overrun of 44%. Source: Flyvbjerg, B., Ansar, A., & Budzier, A. (2020). Big is Fragile: An Attempt at Theorizing Scale. International Journal of Project Management, 38(1), 50-63
- McKinsey & Company (2016): Over 75% of large capital projects were behind schedule. Source: https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/the-construction-productivity-imperative
- Jergeas & Ruwanpura (2017): 73% of large oil and gas projects experienced schedule delays. Source: Jergeas, G. F., & Ruwanpura, J. (2017). Reasons for cost overruns on large oil and gas projects. International Journal of Project Management, 35(4), 663-674
- Flyvbjerg et al. (2020): 61% of capital-intensive infrastructure projects faced schedule delays. Source: Flyvbjerg, B., Ansar, A., & Budzier, A. (2020). Big is Fragile: An Attempt at Theorizing Scale. International Journal of Project Management, 38(1), 50-63
Failure to Meet Objectives
- Independent Project Analysis (IPA) Institute (2016): Approximately 65% of industrial capital projects failed to meet their objectives (cost, schedule, and business requirements). Source: Merrow, E. W. (2016). Assessing the maturity of a company’s capital project system. Independent Project Analysis.
Recommendations for Improving Project Performance Based on the project failure statistics presented, the following recommendations can be made to improve project performance in capital-intensive industries:
- Conduct detailed feasibility studies to ensure project viability.
- Develop comprehensive project schedules with clear objectives, deliverables, and performance indicators.
Effective Risk Management
- Identify, assess, and prioritize potential risks.
- Develop risk mitigation plans and assign responsibilities.
- Monitor and control risks regularly throughout the project life cycle.
Strong Project Governance
- Establish clear roles and responsibilities for all stakeholders.
- Implement effective decision-making processes.
- Foster a culture of accountability, transparency, and communication.
- Identify and engage all relevant stakeholders, including suppliers, contractors, and regulators.
- Communicate project objectives, expectations, progress and performance regularly through a simple and intuitive dashboarding tool.
- Address stakeholder concerns promptly to maintain their support and commitment.
- Adopt agile methodologies to adapt to changing conditions and requirements.
- Implement regular progress reviews and adjust plans as needed.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement, learning, and innovation.
- Ensure adequate availability of resources, including financial, human, and material.
- Monitor resource utilization and make adjustments as needed to avoid overruns.
- Manage resource dependencies and conflicts effectively.
- Employ experienced project managers and technical experts.
- Provide adequate training and development opportunities to enhance the team’s capabilities.
- Leverage industry best practices and lessons learned from previous projects.
Quality Assurance and Control
- Implement quality management systems and processes to ensure the project meets the desired quality standards.
- Conduct regular audits, inspections, and tests to verify compliance and identify areas for improvement.
- Employ a lessons-learned approach to identify and correct quality issues.
- Develop accurate cost estimates and budgets.
- Monitor and control project costs to prevent overruns.
- Implement a robust change management process to handle scope changes and budget adjustments.
In conclusion, project failures in capital-intensive industries are a significant concern, as evidenced by the high prevalence of cost overruns, schedule delays, and failure to meet objectives. By implementing the recommendations provided, organizations can enhance their project management capabilities and improve the overall success rate of their projects, ultimately reducing waste and improving profitability.


Reading 1 Is 40:25-31
To whom can you liken me as an equal?says the Holy One.Lift up your eyes on highand see who has created these things:He leads out their army and numbers them,calling them all by name.By his great might and the strength of his powernot one of them is missing!Why, O Jacob, do you say,and declare, O Israel,“My way is hidden from the LORD,and my right is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not knowor have you not heard?The LORD is the eternal God,creator of the ends of the earth.He does not faint nor grow weary,and his knowledge is beyond scrutiny.He gives strength to the fainting;for the weak he makes vigor abound.Though young men faint and grow weary,and youths stagger and fall,They that hope in the LORD will renew their strength,they will soar as with eagles’ wings;They will run and not grow weary,walk and not grow faint.
Responsorial Psalm 103:1-2, 3-4, 8 and 10
R. (1) O bless the Lord, my soul!Bless the LORD, O my soul;and all my being, bless his holy name.Bless the LORD, O my soul,and forget not all his benefits.R. O bless the Lord, my soul!He pardons all your iniquities,he heals all your ills.He redeems your life from destruction,he crowns you with kindness and compassion.R. O bless the Lord, my soul!Merciful and gracious is the LORD,slow to anger and abounding in kindness.Not according to our sins does he deal with us,nor does he requite us according to our crimes.R. O bless the Lord, my soul!
R. Alleluia, alleluia.Behold, the Lord comes to save his people;blessed are those prepared to meet him.R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mt 11:28-30
Jesus said to the crowds: “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light.”
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
Readings courtesy of USCCB


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Investigation of cancer gene expression profile in context of tissue-specific genes hasn’t been studied in detail. In this study, we aim to understand genetic alteration of tumors in context of tissue-specific genes. Specific genes for various healthy tissues were determined using extended tau which is a robust and rigorous method generated in our previous study. Tissue-specific genes were joined with breast cancer expression data. Utilizing a statistical approach, we identified genes which are specific to a tissue other than breast but having high expression in cancerous breast, not in normal breast. We pinpointed 34 genes specifically expressed in breast cancer, although they are specific to ovary, placenta or testis. This unsuspected phenomenon was also observed in different cancers. Some of cancer-testis genes, MAGE, TEX and PAGE family members, have been confirmed by our study and we observed additional cancer-testis genes such as CT83, SPANX family members. Several placenta and testis- specific genes are highly expressed in only breast cancer, while some of them are also expressed in lung and liver cancer. Consequently, detected genes have potential to be adopted as early diagnostic markers and immunogenic therapeutics. Germline and placental genes should be studied in detail to reveal cancer cells behaviors.


Hiya, I’m Lacuna. Welcome to my website!
Writing steamy romance with a paranormal twist!
I write both fantasy and contemporary romance with a paranormal twist. I live in beautiful New Zealand where I enjoy writing books over a cup of earl grey tea or a glass of rosé wine, and eating all the delicious foods! I love learning and have studied herbalism and completed a diploma in hypnotherapy. I’m also a total astrology geek!
A Taste of Spice and Splendor
A reverse harem romance with a reincarnation theme
When life hands you lemons, why not swap them with limes and make margaritas with your four sexy Mediterranean soul mates?
Available on Amazon in print or ebook!
Book two in the Circle of Souls series is out on 1 August!
This one is even steamier with an added ghost story!


All the submitted papers will be peer reviewed by 2-3 reviewers. It takes 20-30 days for the result coming out. If the paper needs revising, it should be resubmitted for peer review again. For papers of accepted by CCISP 2019, we offer two options for publishing as follows:
All the registered and presented papers will be published in the volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS)(ISSN: 1742-6588) , which will be indexed by Ei Compendex, SCOPUS, Inspec, Conference Proceedings Citation Index – Science (CPCI-S)(Thomson Reuters, Web of Science) and other databases.
** All registered and presented papers will be online publishing.
CCISP 2017 & 2018 conference proceedings has been published in Journal of Physics: Conference Series (JPCS)(ISSN: 1742-6588), and indexed by Ei Compendex & Scopus.
Selected papers with extension can be recommended for publication in International journals.


Three books, and one more just published!
I was so excited when it became possible to publish book through Amazon—I could start to put together all the knowledge I had gained about tea into books that would be accessible to everyone.
In the first book, "Three Basic Teas & How to Enjoy Them," I began my discussion of taste and flavor, and how tea processing leads to the differences in flavor we experience with green, oolong, and black teas. After tasting many many different teas, I was able to describe my experience with them and to make recommendations for brewing and pairing these teas with food. Also included some myth busting and fun facts, and also a bit of chemistry explained for non-chemists so you can understand why the flavors work the way they do.
My next book, "Tea: a Nerd's Eye View", expands on the information in my first book, to include much more about our flavor systems, the plant Camellia sinensis itself, and details about how growing and processing leads to the different kinds of tea with their different flavor profiles. I included history about the plant and its cultivation as well—the book is indeed somewhat encyclopedic.
Loved the book. Provides scientific explanations for how we taste and smell, that is easy to understand. Can tell author is a tea lover. Good introduction to the many facets of tea drinking.Love to carry out experiments in my kitchen, so my next book is called "A Nerd's Tea Lab.". It's filled with experiments you can carry out in your kitchen, so you can really understand your teas and how to brew them for the most enjoyable flavors.
For those of you who are interested in a spiritual side of tea, my latest book, "A Nerd Contemplates the Japanese Tea Ceremony" brings you the elements and development of the chanoyu as a meditation practice. Here's what a tea person who previewed the book said:
I feel absolutely enlightened. This is a different aspect to tea I have not come across before...a unique blend of science, history, religion, culture and tea appreciation. The book is also very personal with snippets of your personal stories, experiences and what you do currently. Pure poetry.


I thought of a labyrinth of labyrinths, of one sinuous spreading labyrinth that would encompass the past and the future and in some way involve the stars. Absorbed in these illusory images, I forgot my destiny of one pursued. I felt myself to be, for an unknown period of time, an abstract perceiver of the world. The vague, living countryside, the moon, the remains of the day worked on me, as well as the slope of the road which eliminated any possibility of weariness. The afternoon was intimate, infinite. The road descended and forked among the now confused meadows. A high-pitched, almost syllabic music approached and receded in the shifting of the wind, dimmed by leaves and distance. I thought that a man can be an enemy of other men, of the moments of other men, but not of a country: not of fireflies, words, gardens, streams of water, sunsets.
– Jorge Luis Borges. “The Garden of Forking Paths.” Trans. Donald A. Yates. In Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Other Writings. New York: New Directions, 1964, p. 23.


On a walk through your city or town, there are all sorts of sights and sounds to take in—big buildings, parks and patches of green space, roaring vehicles, and people strolling around. But according to Roman Mars, host of the 99% Invisible podcast, you need to look at the smaller, often unseen details to decode what’s really going on in the city.
In the new book The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design, co-authors Mars and Kurt Kohlstedt show that you can learn a lot about the place you live in by taking a closer look at tucked-away architecture and pavement markings. There’s meaning behind the etchings on the covers of maintenance holes and water lines, and the cryptic spray painted symbols on the street that signify network and telecommunication cables. These signs and structures can tell stories about a city’s past and present. Ira chats with Mars about the overlooked details built into our cities and how our urban environments are adapting to the pandemic.
- Read the new book, The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design.
- Listen to episodes and read stories on 99% Invisible.
- Learn more about hidden infrastructures and spotting telecom lines in New York City in Ingrid Burrington’s Seeing Networks project and illustrated guide.


Rufino Endicott's attempt to reclaim a part of his lost life hasn't gone well thus far. Betrayed and left for dead by the druid-sorceress, Kiralyn Frostwhisper, the little vampire now finds himself enslaved by the dark magic of an unstable necromancer. To make matters worse, his captor has raised an entire army of zombies for the purpose of assaulting the nearby township of Tundora, home of twenty thousand innocent people.
Rufino is now faced with an awful choice. He can do nothing, which will guarantee his own survival at the cost of his soul, or he can risk almost-certain death to try to save a town full of people who would kill him in a heartbeat simply for being a vampire.
The road to recovery is seldom smooth, but Rufino's is full of potholes. Betrayed by Kiralyn and enslaved by Teo'edal, my little vampire is worse off now than he was at the beginning of Leap of Faith. The Darkest Depths is about hitting rock bottom not once, but twice, and finding the courage to keep fighting. One must never stop fighting.


O Mistress mine, where are you roaming?
O, stay and hear; your true love's coming,
That can sing both high and low:
Trip no further, pretty sweeting;
Journeys end in lovers meeting,
Every wise man's son doth know.
What is love? 'Tis not hereafter;
Present mirth hath present laughter;
What's to come is still unsure:
In delay there lies not plenty;
Then, come kiss me, sweet and twenty,
Youth's a stuff will not endure.
TAKE, O take those lips away
That so sweetly were forsworn,
And those eyes, the break of day,
Lights that do mislead the morn:
But my kisses bring again,
Seals of love, but seal’d in vain,
Seal’d in vain!
Love Sonnet 154
The little Love-god lying once asleep
Laid by his side his heart-inflaming brand,
Whilst many nymphs that vow'd chaste life to keep
Came tripping by; but in her maiden hand
The fairest votary took up that fire
Which many legions of true hearts had warm'd;
And so the general of hot desire
Was sleeping by a virgin hand disarm'd.
This brand she quenched in a cool well by,
Which from Love's fire took heat perpetual,
Growing a bath and healthful remedy
For men diseased; but I, my mistress' thrall,
Came there for cure, and this by that I prove,
Love's fire heats water, water cools not love.
Love Sonnet 1
From fairest creatures we desire increase,
That thereby beauty's rose might never die,
But as the riper should by time decease,
His tender heir might bear his memory:
But thou contracted to thine own bright eyes,
Feed'st thy light's flame with self-substantial fuel,
Making a famine where abundance lies,
Thy self thy foe, to thy sweet self too cruel:
Thou that art now the world's fresh ornament,
And only herald to the gaudy spring,
Within thine own bud buriest thy content,
And, tender churl, mak'st waste in niggarding:
Pity the world, or else this glutton be,
To eat the world's due, by the grave and thee.
Love Sonnet 2
When forty winters shall besiege thy brow
And dig deep trenches in thy beauty’s field,
Thy youth’s proud livery, so gaz’d on now,
Will be a tatter’d weed, of small worth held:
Then being ask’d, where all thy beauty lies,
Where all the treasure of thy lusty days,
To say, within thine own deep-sunken eyes,
Were an all-eating shame and thriftless praise.
How much more praise deserv’d thy beauty’s use,
If thou couldst answer ‘This fair child of mine
Shall sum my count, and make my old excuse,’
Proving his beauty by succession thine!
This were to be new made when thou art old,
And see thy blood warm when thou feel’st it cold.
Love Sonnet 18
Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate:
Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
And summer's lease hath all too short a date:
Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
And often is his gold complexion dimm'd;
And every fair from fair sometime declines,
By chance or nature's changing course untrimm'd;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
When, in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state
And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries
And look upon myself and curse my fate,
Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
Featur’d like him, like him with friends possess’d,
Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope,
With what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
Haply I think on thee, and then my state,
Like to the lark at break of day arising
From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate;
For thy sweet love remember’d such wealth brings
That then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Love Sonnet 40
Take all my loves, my love, yea, take them all;
What hast thou then more than thou hadst before?
No love, my love, that thou mayst true love call;
All mine was thine before thou hadst this more.
Then if for my love thou my love receivest,
I cannot blame thee for my love thou usest;
But yet be blamed, if thou thyself deceivest
By wilful taste of what thyself refusest.
I do forgive thy robbery, gentle thief,
Although thou steal thee all my poverty;
And yet, love knows, it is a greater grief
To bear love’s wrong than hate’s known injury.
Lascivious grace, in whom all ill well shows,
Kill me with spites; yet we must not be foes.
Love Sonnet 44
If the dull substance of my flesh were thought,
Injurious distance should not stop my way.
For then, despite of space, I would be brought
From limits far remote where thou dost stay.
No matter then although my foot did stand
Upon the farthest earth removed from thee.
For nimble thought can jump both sea and land
As soon as think the place where he would be.
But, ah, thought kills me, that I am not thought,
To leap large length of miles when thou art gone,
But that, so much of earth and water wrought,
I must attend times leisure with my moan,
Receiving naught by elements so slow
But heavy tears, badges of either’s woe.
Love Sonnet 55
Not marble, nor the gilded monuments
Of princes, shall outlive this powerful rhyme;
But you shall shine more bright in these contents
Than unswept stone, besmear’d with sluttish time.
When wasteful war shall statues overturn,
And broils root out the work of masonry,
Nor Mars his sword nor war’s quick fire shall burn
The living record of your memory.
‘Gainst death and all oblivious enmity
Shall you pace forth; your praise shall still find room,
Even in the eyes of all posterity
That wear this world out to the ending doom.
So, till the judgment that yourself arise,
You live in this, and dwell in lovers’ eyes.


- This event has passed.
Innis College — INDIGNATION Screening with James Schamus and Sarah Gadon
September 7, 2017 @ 6:50 pm - 10:00 pmFree
Innis College and the Writing and Rhetoric Program invite you to a screening of INDIGNATION on Thursday September 7th at 7PM.
A discussion with filmmaker James Schamus and actor and Innis alumna Sarah Gadon, moderated by acclaimed broadcaster and writer Eleanor Wachtel, will follow the screening.
Registration is required to secure your space at this free event.
Doors open at 6:50PM
This event is co-sponsored by Innis College, the Writing & Rhetoric Program, the Department of English, and the Centre for Comparative Literature.


After losing all his money in a business venture gone wrong, Warren Stelman does the unthinkable. He gets involved in a sweepstakes scam and makes dirty money.
In August of 2012, his world comes crashing down when he is arrested by Interpol in Santo Domingo and extradited to the Southern District of New York by the United States Government to face justice for the crime he committed.
This is his story—his journey through hellish conditions in third-world jails, fourteen months in the super-max Metropolitan Correctional Center, New York, and four more years in a United States Federal prison.
Released in January 2018, he is now home and reunited with his wife and four children. In Gorilla Tango, he recounts the harrowing events that took him from a cushy life-style in the Caribbean to the bowels of prison and how at fifty-three years old he had to adapt to survive in a brutal, violent and unforgiving world. It is a story of personal redemption, spiritual growth, and survival.Click Here to Buy Now
A truly remarkable story of survival in the US prison system! A MUST READ!
I loved this book because there were a lot of life lessons taught about loss, getting your normal life stripped away from you and getting back up again from the deepest darkest place. The author pulls no punches, he tells his story of how he spends his days in prison and how he survived it.
A great read! Couldn't put it down from page 1!
Loved this book. If you have ever wanted to know what life is like in the U.S. prison system, this book will give you as close to the experience as you'll ever want to get. Stelman does an amazing job of describing day to day life, the culture, the economy and the emotional rollercoaster of incarceration. Beautifully written.
I highly recommend this book!
Great book, that is fast paced with detailed narrative of the day to day life of a white collar prisoner. Warren really connects by sharing details of what it is like to put himself in a really tough spot. He shares his perspective of prison life with hardened criminals and disconnected prison staff I couldn't put the book down!
True insight Into what happens in prison.
A compelling and true story of one person‘s experience in the federal prison system. Stelman writes a straightforward and stark book on what he experienced in jail. His life went from steak and lobster to prison fare overnight. His writing style grabs quickly as he discusses his years in prison, the impact on his family and what he ultimately learns.
Good read, can’t put the book down!
While reading I felt connected to the author and his family and could not put the book down until I finished reading. Very touching look into a very personal experience. I will recommend this book to all. Can also be a very good resource for students, teenagers and anyone who has a loved one in prison.


The Mark Twain House & Museum has restored the author's Hartford, Connecticut, home, where the author and his family lived from 1874 to 1891. Twain wrote his most important works during the years he lived there, including Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court.
Mark Twain and his family enjoyed what the author would later call the happiest and most productive years of his life in their Hartford home. He wrote: 'To us, our house...had a heart, and a soul, and eyes to see with us; and approvals and solicitudes and deep sympathies; it was of us, and we were in its confidence and lives in its grace and in the peace or its benediction.' Financial problems forced Sam and Livy to move the family to Europe in 1891. Though he would complain about other places the family lived compared to the Hartford house ('How ugly‚ tasteless‚ repulsive are all the domestic interiors I have ever seen in Europe compared with the perfect taste of this ground floor')‚ the family would never live in Hartford again. flickrphotos


Douglas A. Sirois Illustration
Signed by Douglas A. Sirois
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A children's book written and illustrated by Douglas A. Sirois
About the Book
Micah is upset because he can't find his imagination.
With helpful suggestions along his journey down a wooded path from some forest friends, Micah learns a few key lessons to help find his imagination before returning home.
A sweet enduring picture book with a how-to-find creativity hook, detailed natural and fantastical illustration, THE PATH is sure to inspire and spark any child's imagination.
About the Author
Douglas A. Sirois was born and raised in Massachusetts. He has since illustrated and designed everything from toys, children’s books, graphic novels to clothing and apparel. His children's book, The Path, is Doug's first book as author and illustrator. After living in sunny southern California for ten years and earning a MFA in illustration, Doug currently resides back in Massachusetts with his wife and two children and a dog named Ginger.


Visuality in the Novels of Austen, Radcliffe, Edgeworth and Burney
About This Book
‘We’ve long understood that late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century British culture was structured around seeing and being seen, but it’s taken Jessica Volz’s fine book to reveal how four famed women novelists of the era used visual patterns and cues to promote social change. With its perceptive readings, marshalling theories of visuality, gender and aesthetics, Volz’s book persuasively argues that fiction writers narrated images – visual and verbal portraiture – to push back at and shed light on gendered constraints. Visuality in the Novels of Austen, Radcliffe, Edgeworth and Burney is a compelling study of a surprisingly under-examined set of narrative patterns that have been hiding in plain sight.’
—Devoney Looser, Professor of English, Arizona State University, USA
There are many factors that contributed to the proliferation of visual codes, metaphors and references to the gaze in women’s fiction of the late-eighteenth and early-nineteenth centuries. 'Visuality in the Novels of Austen, Radcliffe, Edgeworth and Burney' argues that the visual details in women’s novels published between 1778 and 1815 are more significant than scholars have previously acknowledged. Its innovative study of the oeuvres of Jane Austen, Ann Radcliffe, Maria Edgeworth and Frances Burney shows that visuality – the continuum linking visual and verbal communication – provided women writers with a methodology capable of circumventing the cultural strictures on female expression in a way that allowed for concealed resistance. Visuality empowered them to convey the actual ways in which women ‘should’ see and appear in a society in which the reputation was image-based.
The discussion moves from self-referential coordinates exterior to the self in the novels of Austen and Radcliffe to the drama of reflections, fashion and the minutiae of coded self-display in the novels of Edgeworth and Burney. The analysis engages with scholarly critiques drawn from literature, art history, optics, psychology, philosophy and anthropology to assert visuality’s multidisciplinary influences and diplomatic potential. The non-chronological structure embraces overlapping themes rather than the illusion of a conclusive departure from the reciprocity between the appearance and the essence.
'Visuality in the Novels of Austen, Radcliffe, Edgeworth and Burney' explores how in fiction and in actuality, women negotiated four scopic forces that determined their ‘looks’ and manners of looking: the impartial spectator, the male gaze, the public eye and the disenfranchised female gaze. In a society dominated by ‘frustrated utterance’, penetrating gazes and the perpetual threat of misinterpretation, women novelists used references to the visible and the invisible to comment on emotions, socioeconomic conditions and patriarchal abuses. Austen, Radcliffe, Edgeworth and Burney provide ideal case studies in this regard because they were culturally representative figures who also experimented with and contributed to different approaches to the novel. This book thus offers new insights into verbal economy and the gender politics of the era spanning the Anglo-French War and the Battle of Waterloo by reassessing expression and perception from a uniquely telling yet largely overlooked point of view.
Dr Jessica A. Volz is an independent British literature scholar and international communications strategist whose research focuses on the forms and functions of visuality in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century women’s novels.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Caroline Jane Knight; Preface; Introduction: Visuality in Profile; 1. Jane Austen’s Aesthetic Vocabulary of Character; 2. Ann Radcliffe’s Gothic Reconstructions of Female Identity and Experience; 3. The Gendered Gaze and ‘Made-up’ Women in Maria Edgeworth’s 'Castle Rackrent', 'Ennui' and 'Belinda'; 4. Optical Allusions in Frances Burney’s 'Evelina' and 'The Wanderer'; Conclusion; Selected Bibliography; Index.


- The use of dehydroepiandrosterone therapy in clinical practice
Clinical trials suggest that 50mg of oral DHEA, but not <30mg, can increase serum androgen levels to within the physiologic range for young adults with primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency, possibly improve sexual function, improve mood and self-esteem, and decrease fatigue/exhaustion.
- The effect of six months treatment with a 100 mg daily dose of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on circulating sex steroids, body composition and muscle strength in age-advanced men and women
Biotransformation to potent androgens near and slightly above the range of their younger counterparts occurred in women with no detectable change in men. Given this hormonal milieu, an increase in serum IGF-I levels was observed in both genders but dimorphic responses were evident in fat body mass and muscle strength in favour of men. These differences in response to DHEA administration may reflect a gender specific response to DHEA and/or the presence of confounding factor(s) in women such as oestrogen replacement therapy.
- Replacement of DHEA in aging men and women. Potential remedial effects
DHEA in appropriate replacement doses appears to have remedial effects with respect to its ability to induce an anabolic growth factor, increase muscle strength and lean body mass, activate immune function, and enhance quality of life in aging men and women, with no significant adverse effects. Further studies are needed to confirm and extend our current results, particularly the gender differences
- Effects of replacement dose of dehydroepiandrosterone in men and women of advancing age
Aging in humans is accompanied by a progressive decline in the secretion of the adrenal androgens dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA sulfate (DS), paralleling that of the GH-insulin-like growth factor-I (GH-IGF-I) axis. Although the functional relationship of the decline of the GH-IGF-I system and catabolism is recognized, the biological role of DHEA in human aging remains undefined. To test the hypothesis that the decline in DHEA may contribute to the shift from anabolism to catabolism associated with aging, we studied the effect of a replacement dose of DHEA in 13 men and 17 women, 40-70 yr of age. A randomized placebo-controlled cross-over trial of nightly oral DHEA administration (50 mg) of 6-month duration was conducted. During each treatment period, concentrations of androgens, lipids, apolipoproteins, IGF-I, IGF-binding protein-1 (IGFBP-1), IGFBP-3, insulin sensitivity, percent body fat, libido, and sense of well-being were measured. A subgroup of men (n = 8) and women (n = 5) underwent 24-h sampling at 20-min intervals for GH determinations. DHEA and DS serum levels were restored to those found in young adults within 2 weeks of DHEA replacement and were sustained throughout the 3 months of the study. A 2-fold increase in serum levels of androgens (androstenedione, testosterone, and dihydrotestosterone) was observed in women, with only a small rise in androstenedione in men. There was no change in circulating levels of sex hormone-binding globulin, estrone, or estradiol in either gender. High density lipoprotein levels declined slightly in women, with no other lipid changes noted for either gender. Insulin sensitivity and percent body fat were unaltered. Although mean 24-h GH and IGFBP-3 levels were unchanged, serum IGF-I levels increased significantly, and IGFBP-1 decreased significantly for both genders, suggesting an increased bioavailability of IGF-I to target tissues. This was associated with a remarkable increase in perceived physical and psychological well-being for both men (67%) and women (84%) and no change in libido. In conclusion, restoring DHEA and DS to young adult levels in men and women of advancing age induced an increase in the bioavailability of IGF-I, as reflected by an increase in IGF-I and a decrease in IGFBP-1 levels. These observations together with improvement of physical and psychological well-being in both genders and the absence of side-effects constitute the first demonstration of novel effects of DHEA replacement in age-advanced men and women.
- The use of dehydroepiandrosterone therapy in clinical practice
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) therapy is controversial due to sensationalized reports of epidemiologic studies and the over-the-counter availability of DHEA. Human clinical trials have investigated the potential efficacy of DHEA therapy in multiple conditions with resultant inconsistencies in findings. DHEA is unique compared with other adrenal steroids because of the fluctuation in serum levels found from birth into advancing age. The lower endogenous levels of DHEA and DHEA sulfate found in advancing age have been correlated with a myriad of health conditions. Also, some studies suggest gender-specific actions of endogenous and exogenous DHEA.We reviewed only pharmacokinetic studies and human clinical trials investigating the efficacy of DHEA therapy that were placebo-controlled as these provided the most reliable scientific basis for the evaluation of DHEA therapy. Pharmacodynamic studies suggest that doses of 30-50mg of oral DHEA may produce physiologic androgen levels, especially in women. These studies report a dose-dependent effect and lack of accumulation of serum androgen levels. Pharmacologic studies also reveal a gender-specific response to DHEA therapy such that testosterone levels are increased in women but not in men.Clinical trials suggest that 50mg of oral DHEA, but not <30mg, can increase serum androgen levels to within the physiologic range for young adults with primary and secondary adrenal insufficiency, possibly improve sexual function, improve mood and self-esteem, and decrease fatigue/exhaustion. Whereas DHEA replacement therapy may be effective in treating patients with adrenal insufficiency, human clinical trials investigating its efficacy in conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus, HIV, Alzheimer disease, advancing age, male sexual dysfunction, perimenopausal symptoms, depression, and cardiovascular disease have not provided consistent findings.
- Dehydroepiandrosterone replacement therapy
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) replacement therapy has attracted considerable attention over recent years. Significant beneficial effects of DHEA replacement have been reported in patients representing the pathophysiological model of complete DHEA deficiency, in other words, adrenal insufficiency (AI). This includes effects on well-being, energy levels, mood, and libido, which is usually impaired in AI, particularly in female patients. DHEA exerts its action mainly indirectly via downstream metabolism to sex steroids, and conversion to active androgens is likely to play a major role. In addition, DHEA has well-described neurosteroidal properties, and by exerting anti-gamma aminobutyric acid(GABA)ergic action it may have antidepressive potential.
- A prospective study of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, mortality, and cardiovascular disease
It has been postulated that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate ester, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), the major secretory products of the human adrenal gland, may be discriminators of life expectancy and aging. Our conclusions are limited by the single determination of DHEAS levels, but the data suggest that the DHEAS concentration is independently and inversely related to death from any cause and death from cardiovascular disease in men over age 50.
- Is dehydroepiandrosterone an antiobesity agent?
The steroid hormone intermediate, DHEA, has been proposed as a therapeutic agent for the treatment of obesity. Its effects on lipogenesis, substrate cycling, peroxisome proliferation, mitochondrial respiration, protein synthesis, and thyroid hormone function have been reported. The results of these studies suggest that the antiobesity function of DHEA is not simply one of inhibiting fat synthesis and deposition but is one of affecting a number of pathways that contribute to the maintenance of the isoenergetic state rather than the promotion of positive energy balance.
- DHEA(S): the fountain of youth
It has been known that DHEA can lower the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). It should be pointed out that chronic inflammation is known to play a critical role in the development of the killer diseases of aging: heart disease, Alzheimer's disease and certain types of cancer. In conclusion, DHEA or DHEAS administration combined with conventional treatment may be implicated in particular conditions to improve the quality of life.
- Low dehydroepiandrosterone and ischemic heart disease in middle-aged men: prospective results from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study
The adrenal steroid dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and its sulfate (DHEAS) have been characterized as "protective" against ischemic heart disease (IHD), especially in men, on the basis of sparse epidemiologic evidence. The authors used data from the Massachusetts Male Aging Study, a random sample prospective study of 1,709 men aged 40-70 years at baseline, to test whether serum levels of DHEA or DHEAS could predict incident IHD over a 9-year interval. Low serum DHEA was similarly predictive. These results confirm prior evidence that low DHEA and DHEAS can predict IHD in men.
- Age-related decrease of dehydroepiandrosterone concentrations in low density lipoproteins and its role in the susceptibility of low density lipoproteins to lipid peroxidation
The incidence of atherosclerosis and related diseases increases with age. The aging process may enhance lipoprotein modification, which leads to an increase in the susceptibility of low density lipoprotein (LDL) and high density lipoprotein (HDL) to oxidation. Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the most abundant steroid hormone in humans, has been shown to have antiatherogenic effects. This hormone also decreases dramatically with age. Our results suggests that DHEA exerts an antioxidative effect on LDL, which could have antiatherogenic consequences. Careful clinical trials of DHEA replacement should determine whether this ex vivo effect could be translated into any measurable antiatherogenic (cardioprotective) action.
- Altered salivary dehydroepiandrosterone levels in major depression in adults
Lowered dehydroepiandrosterone levels are an additional state abnormality in adult depression. Adrenal steroid changes are thus not limited to cortisol. Because dehydroepiandrosterone may antagonize some effects of cortisol and may have mood improving properties, these findings may have significant implications for the pathophysiology of depression.
- Pharmacology and therapeutic effects of dehydroepiandrosterone in older subjects
Man and higher primates have adrenals that secrete large amounts of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) [prasterone] and its sulphate (DHEAS) [PB 008]. A remarkable feature of plasma DHEAS levels in humans is their great decrease with aging. Researchers have postulated that this age-related decline of DHEAS levels may explain some of the degenerative changes associated with aging. Moreover, administration of DHEA to laboratory animals has demonstrable beneficial effects such as prevention of diabetes mellitus, obesity, cancer, heart disease and positive immunomodulator effects.
- Androgen therapy with dehydroepiandrosterone
The physiological role of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and DHEA sulphate (DHEAS) is poorly understood. It depends in a large part on their transformation into testosterone and estradiol. The capacity of DHEA as a neurosteroid, the recent discovery of putative specific DHEA receptors on endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells, the steady decrease of DHEA production from the 40s on, together with certain human epidemiologic data as well as various beneficial effects of DHA supplementation in rodents have suggested the possibility that this steroid is involved in cognitive and memory, metabolic and vascular, immune and sexual functions and in their aging. However, epidemiologic studies are conflicting, and no well-designed clinical trials have definitely substantiated the role of DHEA in these functions in humans, or the utility and safety of DHEA supplementation. However, beneficial effects seem plausible in women with several conditions according to the results of double-blind placebo-controlled trials: the dose of 30 to 50 mg seems beneficial to the mood, sense of well being and sexual desire and activity of women with adrenal insufficiency. The only long-term trial of supplementation devoted to women over 60 reported significant increases in bone mineral density and, in the 70-79-year-old subgroup, in sexual desire, arousal, activity and satisfaction. The dose of 200 mg also proved to decrease disease activity in systemic lupus erythematosus. Lastly, high DHEA doses have improved mood in various groups of patients of any age and gender with depressive symptoms.
- Androgen replacement therapy with dehydroepiandrosterone for androgen insufficiency and female sexual dysfunction: androgen and questionnaire results
This study revealed that there was a significant decrease in sexual distress, a significant increase in sexual function in the domains of desire, arousal, lubrication, satisfaction, and orgasm, and a normalization to values within the physiologic range in the following androgens measured: total testosterone, free or bioavAilable testosterone, DHEA, DHEA-S, and androstenedione. Side effects included increased facial hair (11%), weight gain (7%), acne (5%), temporary breast tenderness (1%), loss of head hair (1%) and skin rash (1%). Preliminary results suggest that androgen replacement therapy with dehydroepiandrosterone is a safe and effective treatment for androgen insufficiency and female sexual dysfunction. However, further research is needed, including prospective, multi-institution, placebo-controlled double-blind studies.
- Postmenopausal serum androgens, oestrogens and breast cancer risk: the European prospective investigation into cancer and nutrition
Considerable experimental and epidemiological evidence suggests that elevated endogenous sex steroids - notably androgens and oestrogens - promote breast tumour development. Our results have shown that, among postmenopausal women, not only elevated serum oestrogens but also serum androgens are associated with increased breast cancer risk. Since DHEAS and androstenedione are largely of adrenal origin in postmenopausal women, our results indicated that elevated adrenal androgen synthesis is a risk factor for breast cancer. The results from this study caution against
Maagdarmstoornissen: Candida infectie - Prikkelbaredarmsyndroom - Crohn - Colitus Ulcerosa - CVS/ME: Chronische vermoeidheid Syndroom - Diabetische complicaties: Bloeduiker stabilisatie - Neuropathie - Retinopathie - Nefropathie - Hart- en vaatziekten: Cardiomyopathie en Hartfalen - Hoge bloeddruk - Cholesterol verlaging - Aderverkalking (atherosclerose) - Spataderen - Levensverlenging: 100 jaren jong - DHEA - Melatonine - 65+ - Kanker: - Ondersteuningstherapie bij kanker - Bot en gewrichtsaandoeningen: - Artrose - Artritis - Osteoporose - Fibromyalgie: - Fibromyalgie - Urinewegaandoeningen: - Prostaatklachten - Blaasontsteking - Vrouwenklachten: Menopauze - Premenstrueelsyndroom - Overgewicht: - Overgewicht - SLIM - Oogaandoeningen: Staar - Slecht zien Andere artikelen: - HPU - Astma - Multiple Sclerose - Psoriasis - Depressie


Easy to understand Bible is an application by Bibles free. Easy to understand Bible was first published on April 15, 2022. The app is available on the following platforms: Android, Other.AndroidIf you are a proud owner of the Android device, Easy to understand Bible is compatible . The most current version is 4.0 Before diving headlong into Easy to...
Easy to understand Bible Review
Easy to understand Bible is an application by Bibles free. Easy to understand Bible was first published on April 15, 2022. Easy to understand Bible is accessible on Android, Other.
If you are a proud owner of the Android device, Easy to understand Bible requires . The most current version is 4.0 Before diving headlong into Easy to understand Bible consider content rating:
Easy to understand Bible will take up 8.7M of empty space on your mobile.
Download this easy to read and understand Bible on your phone: the Bible you were expecting, free on your phone!
We offer you the Bible in Basic English to download on your phone or tablet. This version of the Holy Book was created to make the Bible easier to read. It has simpler vocabulary and shorter sentences.
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The Holy Bible online consists of 39 books in the Old Testament (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings , 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations , Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi ) and 27 books in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation)
This Bible version is written in everyday language, to help people to understand the Bible. Enjoy now this version of the Bible on your phone!
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I'm a sucker for a good title, so when I first heard about Ted Orland's classic photography book Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity I had to have a look, and quickly purchased a copy. The title continues on... The Photos and Writings of Ted Orland, so you know at least some text is involved, and there is plenty of text actually, but also enough interesting, beautiful, and often just plain funny photographs to keep the visual side of your brain engaged too.
Ted Orland's book in my back yard...
The book is part memoir, part rambling art philosophy, and part photo album. Orland worked for years as a printer for Ansel Adams in the 1970's, and doing so allowed him to meet a great number of the West Coast photographers of note. He recounts in some detail many of these meetings and outings, though the general impression is that he leaves a lot of detail for historians to figure out, likely a good thing. If he had called this book "The True Story of Ansel Adams' Underpaid Printer from The Crazy 70's" he might have sold a few more copies, but he likely would have had to deal with a little blowback from readers over accuracy, as I've noticed Sam Kashner has on Amazon for his similar young-guy-with-masters memoir, When I Was Cool
Orland had the advantage of not hanging out with so many intravenous drug users, perhaps. The book is fun, and something I keep picking up and paging through even after a thorough read. Certainly worth adding to your bookshelf.


Honoring Our Heroes is a voluntary student writing contest that was sponsored by the East Cobb County Council of PTAs. Students of all ages wrote about their everyday hero, a real life role model that made an impact on their lives. The Council is no longer sponsoring this program, but it is a great program to host at your local unit. Past entry forms and details are here for reference if you would like to host this at your local unit. ***Check with your local unit PTA if they are hosting this program.
Documents needed to run your successful program:


Scott Denham, PhD
Scott Denham, E. Craig Wall Distinguished Teaching Professor in the Humanities and Charles A. Dana Professor of German Studies, has taught at Davidson College since 1990. He received the Hunter-Hamilton Love of Teaching Award in 2002 and the Thomas Jefferson Award in 2015. He studied at Chicago, Marburg, the FU Berlin, and Harvard, working primarily in German studies, but also in comparative literature and history. His teaching and research interests include German studies; modernism and narrative theory; the Holocaust and its representation; literary translation; second-language and writing pedagogy; and questions of identity, loss, and memory in the central European context. He is currently working on translations of the novels and essays of Jagoda Marinić.


I’VE WRITTEN A BOOK ABOUT MY PROJECT.
I have designed, built and now have raced a 750 formula car. My book tells the story from the first thoughts to the first race. Its not a technical manual, it’s simply my story and charts the mistakes along the route as well as the successes.
The book is titled “Getting to the Start Line” and as a self- published book is only available from me. Postage is £2 and the book costs £12. (Europe postage is £4)
Please email me so that I can send you an invoice and hopefully you will enjoy hearing my story.
Attached is a picture of the car, racing at Donington.
This link is to a series of pictures of the build - Please take a tour of the site.
This video is from Silverstone at the weekend.


Complete In Him – Online Devotionals
There are many challenges that are faced daily. In the current culture, there are many pressures, demands, and false perceptions of what a man or woman should be. The pressures experienced can lead to feelings of inadequacy, frustrations, insecurities, fear, anger, bitterness, and wrong choices.
Multiple implications presented by the media and the culture can lead to various distractions and discontentment. The constant struggles to meet the expectations that are presented are never attainable and seem insurmountable as the world continues to place expectations on what a “perfect” man or woman should be.
In the book of Colossians, Paul addressed the saints at Colossae and warned them of the various deceptions and delusions that were presented through persuasiveness of elementary principles of this world from traditions of men rather than from Christ and the true Gospel (Colossians 2, New American Standard Bible). Just as the saints at Colossae faced various deceptions as it pertained to the true Gospel and the finished work of Christ, which made them complete in Christ, as a believer in Christ, you face persuasiveness, deceptions, and traditions of men that evoke pressures to follow elementary principles of this world rather than Christ. These types of pressures will always lead to discontentment and seeking to pursue completeness through acceptance from people, relationships, and success. As these endeavors are sought, frustration, pain, and fear may result as you will never meet the never-ending unrealistic expectations that accompany them. If you are a believer in Christ, you have been made complete in Christ, by His sacrificial work alone (Colossians 2:10, NASB). In Christ, there is completeness and it is not of your own merit but it is by grace through faith in Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8, NASB). As you read various devotionals, I pray that you come to know Christ intimately and that your relationship with Christ is strengthened as you grow in learning to love God and love others.


The 2015 summer reading requirements for Shattuck-St. Mary’s School are as follows:
- Middle School Students (Grades 6-9) must read two choice books.
- Upper School Students (Grades 10-12 and Post Graduates) must read three choice books.
- Students with assigned summer books for Advanced Placement (AP) classes may count them as part of their three choice book requirement. (Note: Not all AP classes have an assigned book to read.)
- The Summer Reading form issued with Health and Permission forms needs to be submitted with the titles of the books read by the student by August 21, 2015.
Photo source: iltaccodibacco.it/puglia/eventi


A Cup of Rage by Brazilian author Raduan Nassar is without a doubt the odd one out on this year’s long list for the Man Booker International prize. 80-year old Nassar is the oldest nominee and at a mere 64 pages, his book is by far the shortest on the list. It has also been around for the longest. Originally published in 1978, the novel arrived in its current English version with a forty year delay.
In the run-up to the Olympic Games with the world’s attention on Brazil, this book and Nassar’s only other novel Ancient Tillage from 1975, have been released in new translations by Penguin Modern Classics. These two novels almost comprise Nassar’s entire literary output. Shortly after publishing A Cup of Rage he gave up writing and set up a model farm which he ran until 2011. Not counting a collection of short stories written in the 1960s and 70s and published in book form much later, his considerable reputation as one of Brazil’s great modernists rests on an oeuvre barely exceeding 200 pages.
The plot of A Cup of Rage is deceptively simple. It is the story of an odd couple: he, an older, conservative land owner; she, a younger, progressive journalist. He arrives at his farm, while she is already there, they spend the night making love and the next morning have an enormous fight. Nassar chronicles the descent from erotic rapture, to rage, to utter despair, in only seven chapters told in one long sentence each.
It is an amour fou, a red-hot dance of domination and submission told in the first six chapters from the perspective of the landowner, and with a liberal dose of machismo thrown in. The last chapter, like the first, entitled “The Arrival”, starts the cycle again, this time, however, shifting to her perspective.
Despite its brevity, the book is by no means an easy read. It is not the barely-there tale that matters here, but the telling. The story unfolds in breathless detail. Heaping clause upon clause, piling phrases and sentence fragments onto each other, the language threatens to overwhelm and bury the reader like the erotic passion and rage that finally crushes the narrator. The style has elements of a stream of consciousness but with the clauses separated by commas and the occasional semi-colon, it is more tightly constructed and develops its own hypnotic rhythm.
Imagination “is very quick, or its time is different, and it uses and simultaneously confuses separate and unexpected things,” Nassar’s narrator muses early on and the text spreads out accordingly in an associative cascade of words intertwining the personal, political and even spiritual. It is a web of observations, emotions and ideas that incorporates literary allusions and gross insults, the trivial, the profane and the transcendent in one big sweep.
Nassar manages to build up to and then sustain an agitated, almost manic tone in the longest section of the text, “The Explosion”, propelled by a restlessness expressed in a series of clauses searching for grammatical as much as emotional closure. A style that works itself up to a climax of fury, artfully teetering on the brink of outright hysteria and only occasionally over-egging it, as in Nasser’s (or possibly the translator’s) phrase “I started punching holes in the haemorrhagic discourse of my cerebral stroke.” Yet, even though this makes very little sense, it still conveys the irrational frenzy gripping the narrator at the height of the fight with his lover.
The style for which A Cup of Rage is rightly famous achieves the paradox of simultaneous compression and expansion. The outer world is reduced to key moments, snapshots registered by the consciousness of the narrator: the “rope of her arms”, the “brazen greenness” of the mulberry trees, the “fucking leaf-cutter ants” which, irrationally, trigger the fight between the lovers. At the same time, this insistent accumulation of detail in close-up opens inner and outer vistas that belies the shortness of the text. It is this sensuous quality of the writing that makes Nassar’s take on the battle of the sexes unique, and makes the readers’ effort of cutting a path through the torrent of words a worthwhile and rewarding exercise.
Raduan Nassar. A Cup of Rage (translated from Portuguese by Stefan Tobler). Penguin Modern Classics


Learn about Dr. Seuss
Fun Facts About the Doctor!
1. On March's second day, we must say "Hooray!" with a "Yip, yip, yippee, yay!!" He was born on March 2, 1904!!
2. His full name is Theodor Seuss Geisel. He used Dr. Seuss as his pen name, but he was not a doctor. However, his alma mater, Dartmouth University, eventually bestowed upon him an honorary doctorate.
3. His first book, And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was not a success to begin with. It was rejected by 27 publishers before he finally found a publisher for it in 1937.
4. He coined the word, NERD. The first recorded instance of the word, nerd, is found in Dr. Seuss's book, If I Ran the Zoo, published in 1950.
5. He is a Pulitzer Prize winning author and an Academy Award winning filmmaker. He won an academy award for writing an animated short called, Gerald McBoing-Boing, in 1951. Watch it below.
Visit Seussville and have a blast with
Dr. Seuss's Characters and Books!
Visit The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That Page!


I know, I know – …yet another goth blog, and if you’re sick and tired of these, I’m not going to twist your arm and make you stay.
I wanted to write this blog because I – as a goth – have an inherent passion for educating people, and the goth subculture is victim to a myriad of misconceptions I aim to put straight, in a manner of speaking. In this blog I will attempt to explain what the goth subculture entails, where it came from, what it means to be “a goth”, and hopefully correct at least a few of the misconceptions. Also, and perhaps more importantly from a (sub)cultural stand point, this might serve as a source of information for aspiring babybats out there.
Be forewarned, however, this will be a biased blog, as it is written by someone who identifies as “one of them gothy types.” This blog will be based upon my own interpretation and understanding of what goth is, what it is not, how the culture evolved over time, and so on.
I am in no way, shape or form any sort of “authority” on the subject of goth subculture as such. I am, however, a goth – and I have been one for several years: Going on my twentieth as I write this. I didn’t always ‘proclaim’ myself as one, but I always felt more at home in the “goth” crowd than anywhere else, and now I’m old enough to confidently say that I am – in fact – a goth.


One of my favourite things as a child was looking at our family albums. I loved seeing things I couldn’t remember and traveling to times when I wasn’t even existing. Who my parents and my brother were before me, how they looked and what they did. There was so much nostalgia in those pictures.
As a child, I also loved books and drawing. I remember dreaming in the evenings about the colours and subjects I would draw the next day. And with all the side-paths (bachelor of media engineering, office work, etc) I’ve taken in life and being a stay-at-home mum for three years, I keep coming back to those same things over and over again: visuals and stories.
So here I am. Documenting honest stories about life, love and connection. The beauty of life, little things, quiet moments and real wild love. The messiness, the whimsy and weird, the dreamy and magical, and the ordinary. Those fleeting memories you want to hold on to. Everyone’s story is unique and I want to tell yours.
“Finding beauty in the ordinary”
The image here of my daughter holding my hand is one of the most cherished photographs I have of her. I just love that image and the story in it. It’s a simple image of something very common. We are walking together, hand in hand. She’s observing the world around us with the wonder that only a child could have. It’s a real and beautiful moment, something that’s our everyday now but someday it’s only a memory.
I believe happiness is in the little things and moments like that. And I think that’s what my purpose here on earth is. Seeking the beauty of life that lies in the most simplest things and to document those honest moments with my own style.
“Inspiration is found in everyday life, little things and connection with others”
My inspiration comes from people and their different stories, human connection, natural light, movement, nature, blue hour, traveling, films, the little things that often go unseen, the in-between moments, summer nights with friends, sitting in the silence, seeing the world through the eyes of my 4-years and listening to her playing.
“Simple living, a good story and endless ideas of things to create”
Drawing, painting, cooking - creating with my hands is something I truly enjoy. I’m one of those people who always has an endless list of things they want to learn and create.
Reading, watching good documentaries and films - I surely love a good story!
Swimming in a lake, riding bikes around the city, having picnics with friends - I enjoy the simple things in life. I truly value being with my family and loved ones. Exploring nature, bathing in a sauna and walking around our neighbourhood. I also love traveling. It always leaves me very happy and inspired.
My approach to shooting is documentary, natural and simple with an artful touch. It’s about real moments and genuine feelings. I follow what unfolds before my eyes to create honest photographs of you.
I’m a silent director. When I’m shooting I’m quiet but I’ll also give you cues and direction when needed. I might ask you to walk, sit down or lean to each other or something like that. But I won’t put you in stiff poses and ask you to smile for the camera. We’ll keep it simple and natural, true to you.
It doesn’t matter if you are feeling nervous and awkward. I get that it is extremely vulnerable to be in front of the camera and I’m forever grateful for the people who are willing to do that. I work hard for you to feel comfortable and natural by having a lot of time for the session.
I am allowing you to be yourselves while embracing the beauty and the unexpected, the in-between moments. So don’t mind if everything doesn’t go as planned. Windswept hair, clothes getting dirty, kids running away. Because it doesn’t matter. Life is not perfect and I want to capture all that.
My style is a reflection of the people and their story, the place and the weather. So it’s not about doing everything the same way every time. It’s about you and your story.
The photo shoot was a real fun experience and we felt completely at ease during the whole time!
The shooting session with Eija felt easy and natural. Eija gave us instructions, which were easy to follow. At times, we almost forgot the presence of the camera.
For us being photographed hasn’t felt that easy and natural before but Eija’s gentle approach and compassionate persona made us both feel relaxed and enjoy the new situation.
We felt trustful being photographed by Eija – it was easy to relax and the photoshoot felt natural and wonderfully special. She understood our wishes perfectly and fulfilled them even more beautifully than we could hope for.
Everyone has a story. My mission is to capture memories of this moment in your life through beautiful imagery.


Not every incestuous relationship is consenting. Some occur as a type of sexual abuse, visited upon the victim by members of their own family. Such was the case of Virginia Woolf who was assaulted by both of her older half-brothers when a child and a young woman- actions which may well have been at the root of the mental health problems Woolf suffered for her whole adult life.
Virginia was born on January 25, 1882, to Julia and Leslie Stephens. Both of her parents had been previously married, and each had children from these earlier relationships. Julia had three other children besides Virginia, her sister Vanessa and their two brothers: George, Stella and Gerald Duckworth. Julia and her new husband were distant parents – which probably explains why they had no idea what was happening with their youngest daughter.
Virginia recorded her incestuous abuse in her diaries and later in her novels and memoirs. The abuse began when she was six, with her eighteen-year-old brother, Gerald. Virginia later recalled in “Moments of Being” how Gerald would stand her in front of a mirror just outside the dining room and explore her private parts. These events had a profound effect on Woolf. They stayed in her memory and left her with an intense distaste for sexual contact.
After the death of their parents, George took over the abuse of Virginia. He was then twenty-nine. She was thirteen. In âReminiscences” which she wrote at age twenty-five, Virginia recalls her initial hero worship for this brother, which declined over the years, taking him from someone thought of “strong and handsome and just” to “little better than a brute.”
It was clear that Virginia felt this abuse bitterly because it made a lie of the person she had believed her brother to be, as much as anything else. She began to satirized George, likening him to a pig.
The effects of sexual abuse by her much older brothers, one at least who had been well-loved, had a profound impact on Virginia. She suffered depression from a very early age, as well as anorexia and body dysmorphia. On her marriage, the strain brought on by her distaste of sex brought about a breakdown. Such illnesses are common amongst abuse victims. In the light of her history, the mental illnesses that blighted Virginia Woolf’s life- but never her writing- can be seen as a direct result of her incestuous abuse.


By Denelle ‘Elle’ Justine Ramos
Have you ever found yourself disregarding your present because you are thrilled with the endless possibilities the future can offer? But at the same time worried, and frantic if you will ever achieve these goals. When did we start overthinking? When did we become ahead of ourselves? Can we ever stop this?
Let me share one of my favorite quotes in Patrick Rothfuss’ book, ‘The Name of the Wind’. It says: “When we are children, we seldom think of the future. This innocence leaves us free to enjoy ourselves as few adults can. The day we fret about the future is the day we leave our innocence behind.” We are no longer children. Now, we are adults trying to figure out everything. Once we become aware of the societal issues, experiences, and hurdles we are about to face in life, the ‘tendency to overthink’ is inevitable. Why? Because our survival instinct (self-preservation) starts to emanate.
It is terrifying to be left behind, right? To seemingly feel that everyone around you has it all figured out. Well, let me tell you this. We are all trying to figure out life. No one has it all figured out. Every day we learn, witness, discover, and experience new things. What we want today might not be what we want tomorrow. Often, life can be puzzling and complicated.
Besides, I applaud you for the fear you have within you. That is normal and healthy because it means you want to succeed. Fear can both; be considered as the driving factor to your success or failure. But who desires failure? No one. We always want the best for ourselves. There are things simply more favorable to some. That’s what we call ‘privilege.’ But that doesn’t mean you will not achieve your goals in this life. How you measure your success and happiness depends on you and only you. Do not let societal standards dictate how you should live your life. Each of us moves at a different pace. You are not in a hurry; you will never be too late. Remember that. And if you feel overwhelmed with your future, below are three things you may do.
Focus on Yourself.
When you know what you want in life, you will feel happier. Thus, it lessens the tendency to get insecure, bitter, or intimidated by others’ success. Instead, you will let the success of others serve as an inspiration to better yourself. The tendency to compare lessens when you are firm with your goals. You will be supportive and happier for them.
Enjoy the Present.
Today is your day. To ponder your future is completely fine but to let it control your present is wrong and unhealthy. Keep in mind, that you would never experience your present the second time around. Make the most of it and focus on what you can control. Your future depends on how you live your present. Stop thinking that your present is not your day. Because every present is a blessing which you must treasure and enjoy.
Trust the Process.
A tiny voice in your head might suddenly pop up at unexpected times wondering: ‘Am I doing this right?’ ‘Was this the right decision?’ ‘Should I have picked the other decision, would I have felt better?’ You are skeptical about life decisions. You are doubting yourself and the process. Thus, you attract negative energy. If you are firm with your values, principles, and beliefs in life, you would know that you have made the right decision. There is nothing to be worried about. If it does not work, another door would open for you. Accept, and move on. Stop letting your past drag you around.
See if these work for you. Remember that everyone is busy with their own lives. Focus on yourself. You are far more capable than you think. Success starts with believing in yourself.
You can do this… now.
The opinions expressed here by Communicare contributors are their own, not those of Communicare Training and Development.
About the Contributor
Denelle ‘Elle’ Justine Ramos, 22, is an incoming fourth-year student majoring in writing at the University of the Philippines Los Baños. One of her dreams is to be part of a Broadway musical. During her pastime, she tries to write some songs that she someday wishes to share with the world. Today, she is focusing on her education, volunteer work, and self-development.


I Don't See The Monkeys
This fanciful children's book by Kathy Collins Barber is a story about a group of monkeys who disappeared one day from their treetop home and a resulting search to find out where they went. It was inspired by and is dedicated to her grandson, Logan, who first noticed the monkeys were missing. This book is extra special because it was illustrated by Jayden Bryce Chester, our sister Janice's eight year old grandson (he was seven when he drew the pictures). "I Don't See The Monkeys" can be purchased by contacting Kathy Barber at email@example.com.
Jayden's Debut as an Illustrator
This is the picture of Jayden that is on the back of the book, and here's his bio:
Jayden Bryce Chester is the son of Amber Hill and Jeremy Chester. He lives in Clintwood, Virginia with his mother and his older sister, Allie. He is eight years old and is in third grade at Longs Fork Elementary. Jayden loves to draw anything he sees and is an avid fan of Peyton Manning and the Indiana Colts. He wants to be an artist or a football player when he grows up.


Now, its my favorite time of the contest and that is to announce who our winners are. It just so happens that we had two contests going on at the same time. The first was in celebration of our one year anniversary on January 23rd. The contest for that event was a Bug Out Bag with 12 survival items thrown in there. We received almost 21,000 entries and I am so excited that this contest was a success. The winner of that contest was Craig T. Craig is going to be receiving a great Bug Out Bag to use for her family. Congratulations Craig!
The next contest we had was our first book giveaway. The winner of this contest received a free signed copy of When there Is No FEMA by Richard Bryant. The winner of this contest was Tres who was chosen randomly. Congratulations Tres!
I have contacted both of them to get the shipping information.
Stay tuned for more contests. I have a feeling we will have a new one this week! My goal is to be able to give away great survival gear from time to time as resources allow as a way of saying thank you for making the Prepper Journal what it is today. I really appreciate all our readers and hope this shows it in some small way.


The next day was not any better; in fact, in Maria’s eyes, it was worse. Prince Emil had one of the male workers bring down the painting and asked his brother, who had come that morning, whether it looked more like Lady Thea or Maria.His brother, Prince Malthe, was basically a younger version of Prince Emil, with the exception that Malthe had telltale sideburns, and his dimples were not as obvious as Emil’s. For a few seconds, he stared at the painting and even cocked his head to get a better angle. “Definitely looks like her,” Prince Malthe concluded, pointing at Maria. “Her eyes and nose are not as . . . established as Lady Thea’s.”
That night, when Maria entered the kitchen, a small bag with her belongings was sitting on the table. The cook, who was a very wide lady, was standing behind the counter and abruptly said, “She kicked you out.” Then, she passed Maria a note that simply stated that her help was no longer needed and that she would need to be gone by dawn the following day.
Not saying a word, Maria trudged out onto the rainy streets that she had called her home for so many years. Six years of serving Lady Thea with great honor and respect, and now, she was rewarded with a new home, back out on the streets. At least, her lowly uncle would give her a job at his cafe, even if it was long, underpaid hours; it was a job nonetheless.
“What do you mean she’s gone?” Prince Emil questioned. “According to your staff, she was one of the best workers you had!”
“Why worry yourself about her? She’s simply a servant,” Lady Thea laughed at the breakfast table.
Prince Emil, in his anger, stood up from the table, motioning his brother, who hesitated, but then, followed him into the hall.
“Let us search the city; she could not have gone far,” Prince Emil whispered, and donned his coat, making his way to the door. Prince Malthe just rolled his eyes and followed him. Searching for a girl in the thick fog instead of sitting and eating seemed ridiculous, but Prince Emil was older, and he always got what he wanted.
“Can we get a drink? At least a bite? It is lunchtime,” Prince Malthe prodded his older brother. After an hour of nagging, Emil finally gave in and headed to a local eatery, where Maria was serving another table. Emil elbowed his brother and whispered something in his ear.
“Can I have a table please?” Emil tapped Maria’s shoulder.
“Of cour-” Maria stopped in her tracks and just stared at the two princes in her uncle’s cafe.
Eight Months Later
As the carriage turned the bend, Princess Maria gasped in amazement. “It’s so beautiful. Large,” she paused. “That must be a pain to clean,” she sighed, leaning back in the velvet seat.
“You will not have to lift a hand, Maria,” Prince Emil laughed softly at his wife, who was clearly new to the ways of the royals.
“Then, what will I do all day?” Maria retorted.
“If you want to clean the oven, then I suppose I cannot stop you,” Emil replied shaking his head softly. A gentle smile spread on Maria’s face-indeed, this was going to be an adventure.