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Many possibilities are discussed in the TV Tropes page for "Super Registration Act": http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SuperRegistrationAct .
One particular one which seems likely to me is that mages would not be explicitly forbidden to use their magic, but would be so tightly regulated that magic use became next to impossible in practice. You'd have to submit an application in triplicate three months in advance before you cured a wart.
A good effect of this from the government's point of view would be that mages would be willing to join the government research programme or the army simply to get a chance to use their powers - without the government having to introduce conscription, or fend off civil rights lawyers.
How would magic affect the subjects taught in school?
In another bizarre twist for the campaign of Donald Trump, the reality-TV star turned presidential candidate, the Huffington Post learned that the directors of the white nationalist American Freedom Party (AFP) have decided to “tone down” the rhetoric in order to get Trump elected. Emails obtained by the Huffington Post show the AFP’s directors working to “moderate” their message to obtain broader appeal.
Johnson claims to have personally answered hundreds of replies to the robocalls, which “were surprisingly favorable to Donald Trump. So yes, there is merit in toning down a white nationalist message to reach Trump supporters.” Trump has disavowed Johnson and his group, but it should surprise no one that according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the AFP was “initially established by racist Southern California skinheads and aims to deport immigrants and return the United States to white rule” – beliefs consistent with Trump’s rampant xenophobic stump rhetoric.
Trump is likely to be the Republican nominee for president. A man who incites violence at his rallies, is a serial liar (Politifact reports only 7% what he says is true), a racist, and a misogynist. Trump is also a rampant xenophobe, who has threatened to deport 11 million immigrants and ban all Muslims from this country. Donald Trump is a fascist authoritarian, and whether or not he publicly denounces white supremacist groups, his actions show he is aligned with their ideas and clearly the groups also believe that to be the case. Is this really the man we want representing the American people and American values throughout the world?
A new month brings a new bookish prompt in Six for Sunday world.
For those who don’t already know, Six for Sunday is a weekly list-based meme created by Steph @ALittleButALot and has a different weekly prompt based on a monthly theme. April is all about children’s literature and as a primary school teacher I am definitely ready for ‘Kids Lit Represent’!
This Sunday, we are discussing children’s books we love. This was quite a difficult topic in many ways; not because I can’t think of any books I loved…but because as a child, I would always have my nose in a book. Many of them have a place in my heart for multiple reasons that I could probably write a Sixty for Sunday instead. I also feel that the meanings of books, or the reasons why you fell in love with them changes as you get older and the morals and messages translated within them also take on new life as society changes and adapts to our modern world. To me, this is why children’s literature is so fascinating; you could read it at different times or stages of your life and still take away something new.
Now… yes, I talk about this series a lot; yes, it features in nearly, but not every, list I write about books; yes, I am positive this comes under the umbrella of children’s books which is why it’s here!
Not only did this book keep my love for reading alive, even through those teenage years when “reading wasn’t cool unless you were reading Cosmo or one of your Nan’s Mills & Boon novels” (you can’t see me air-quoting and eye-rolling but believe me, I am…), it has also inspired so many children I have taught to actually pick up a book by choice rather than their Xbox or Nintendo and start to enjoy reading. That’s just one reason why I love it and why it’s here.
When I was at primary school, my Mum was doing a course which involved going to the library a lot to use the computers; this was the 90s after all and we didn’t have one at home yet. When I went with her after-school, I would have the entire run of the Kids’ section, which was huge to a 7 year old. It was filled with squashy beanbags in reading nooks and was decorated with brightly painted animals on the walls. It really was a special place. Whilst there I read so many books, but one set that stood out was a set all about Wizziwig the Witch by Geraldine McCaughrean. I’ve mentioned them in a previous post but I never see these books anymore so they’re probably out of print. I’d hire them out of the library multiple times just to reread them. There was one with a crazy cooker, a singing car, a sweet machine and I’m sure there was another one with either a washing machine…or it could have been a time machine! Either way, I loved these books so much that I wanted to grow up and BE Wizziwig!
This was my first ever Roald Dahl book and it was a prize won from cereal tokens. I remember collecting the tokens, sending them off, then sitting on the stairs every morning waiting for my book to come in the post. When it did…😍Roald Dahl really is a staple in any children’s literature list; his storytelling is amazing and his books just seem to have an edge that others didn’t. Perhaps it was because he made up words such as ‘snozzcumber’, or perhaps it was because he created a plethora of amazing characters which were either talking animals, dream-eating giants or witches who hated children. I could have included any of his books here, but the whole pretense of waiting for a book to arrive in the post – let’s face it, this was my first ever book mail – and then finding out it’s all about a boy who inherits a chocolate factory…what kid wouldn’t love that!
As a child this book scared me slightly, however I used to know the words off by heart as it had lines which were repeated at certain points throughout the story and the plot was so cleverly constructed. Heckedy Peg is a witch who lures away a Mother’s children whilst she is out at the market. She turns them into items of food and their Mother, after she has tracked down Heckedy Peg, has to guess which of her children is which to break the spell and get them back. For children it’s a pretty frightening story which shows you what can happen if you disobey your parents and let strangers into your house. The illustrations were fantastic and highly detailed too.
Part story, part activity book I loved trying to solve the mystery of who stole the ruby red herring. You had to use the text and the pictures to solve the clues and work out who the thief was. In true crime novel style, all of the characters had a hidden motive and backstory which attempted to catch you out. All of the pictures in the book also had a number of hidden fish and you had to try and find them all. It kept me entertained for ages and is still on my bookshelves today.
Although this is a picture book it is one of my all-time favourites. It was the winner of the Caldecott Medal in 2007. I only discovered it a few years ago when I went on some English training for school. The two ladies who lead the course showed us how you could plan an entire curriculum topic just from that one book. It’s really changed my attitude to teaching through texts in the classroom. The illustrations are stunning and the story takes a few twists and turns that you don’t expect. I’d strongly recommend any teacher, or anyone who loves picture books to pick Flotsam up.
Where’s Wally– can you tell I like finding things in pictures…?
Care of Henry by Anne Fine– A cute dog story where the cover had Henry’s name fit really snuggly onto his collar.
Scribbleboy by Philip Ridley– I read this in secondary school and bought a copy for myself a few years back.
The Queen’s Knickers by Nicholas Allan– another great one for the classroom!
What would make your top list of children’s books you love? Have you read any of the ones on my list? As always, drop me a comment to chat!
One of my favorite children’s books is “Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney. I read it to my class every year at least twice. To be fair, I didn’t actually read it as a child; I was in college when I discovered it. I also really like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory; it was definitely a fav as a kid.
At City Insurance, we like to look out for talented individuals to join our teams. Our core business is high volume sales of Car, Van and Home Insurance, offering the highest standards of client service, arranging new policies and providing full back up aftercare.
We also have specialist Commercial and Private Client Insurance divisions advising on Business Insurance and High Value Home Insurance.
At the heart of our success is good knowledgeable friendly staff, competitive products that perform well and high levels of service.
We have a simple approach, we want naturally helpful staff who have a good standard of education, proven sales ability and who are enthusiastic and team players.
If this sounds like you, we would like to hear from you!
You can apply for a role stated below by sending an email to jobs@cityinsurance.co.uk clearly stating what role you are applying for and attaching your current CV and any other relevant information.
Working in a busy team mainly on the telephone, dealing with predominately sales of car and van insurance but other products too including home and travel insurance. Dealing with enquiries and generally providing a Can Do Attitude aiming to impress and please our clients. We work in a busy environment arranging and renewing policies and you will need to be used to working in such a fast pace.
Have patience, politeness and maintain professionalism working in a busy environment.
Ability to communicate with both clients and colleagues at all levels of seniority.
Liaise effectively with other internal departments and external insurers.
Good team working skills and ability to work with minimal supervision.
Understanding the Data Protection Act.
Be able to empathise and show a caring attitude.
Selling, advising and arranging personal line insurance.
Demonstrating a positive, enthusiastic attitude towards clients and recognising the importance of being a team player.
Understanding clients needs and requirements and working to impress them with knowledge and helpful attitude.
Providing client service in line with company policies and internal compliance.
Being a point of contact for clients needs and dealing with these requirements to successful outcomes.
To maintain a good level of personal smartness and presentation.
To attend staff meetings and training as required.
Previous experience in the Car Insurance sector.
To provide administrative and other miscellaneous support to the department dealing with personal lines insurance, predominately, Car, Van and home Insurance. Ensuring that relevant administration is carried out with a good level of detail and to the best of your ability. Dealing with enquirires from clients in relation to policy administration. Keeping good records and maintaining an up to date position as far as possible.
Deal with relevant incoming enquiries from clients/insurance companies whether by email, post and telephone. Preference is given to calling clients for queries rather than continued letters and chasers.
Deal with diaries generated by system and make contact with clients/insurance companies where necessary.
Deal with all enquiries arising out of clients paying their premiums by direct debit.
Administration processing, liaising with insurers, finance firms and any agencies connected with clients policies.
Previous experience in Motor Insurance sector.
Under the guidance of the commercial team, you will be trained on the principles of business insurance and assist in the day to day handling of commercial business, including quoting for new policies, renewals and mid-term adjustments.
You will provide high quality support and assistance to the commercial team caring for existing clients and helping, developing new business in order to meet growth targets.
We have a range of commercial insurance products from a selected group of leading insurers, we are price competitive and look to go over and above client’s expectations in order to provide the best service possible.
Naturally helpful person prepared to work hard.
Providing high levels of administrative support to the commercial insurance team.
Assisting in the day to day handling of commercial insurance business, including quoting for new policies, renewals and mid-term adjustments, processing data and administration.
We have a range of commercial insurance products from a selected group of leading insurers; we are price competitive and look to go over and above client’s expectations in order to provide the best service possible. This can only be achieved with high quality back office support.
Previous experience in a business administration role.
Working on your own initiative, this will be a varied role, looking after; SEO, Website Content Creation, Blogs/News Letters (particular interest and enthusiasm for cars will be useful) product testing on Comparison sites, maintaining and looking after Review sites and providing feedback, creating email campaigns, cross selling to existing clients. The role will suit someone who is multi skilled with a proven record of success be it an enthusiastic web user or experienced marketeer. You will possess a good understanding of getting the best out of the web, social media and a flair for all things marketing.
The poet’s soul bleeds words onto the page. I believe our most powerful words flow when that bleeding comes on behalf of others. I am a Human Dreamer. I dream of a day when we love our global neighbors as the human family they are.
Home » BC Network » Recent Updates » Heidi MacDonald To Sing Karaoke Again. World Trembles.
Have these people learned nothing? Do they actually want to raise money for charity? I only ask because the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund appears to be running a Live Rock And Roll Karaoke night during the MoCCA festival in New York.
And it’s being co-hosted by comics blogger, editor and PR maestro Heidi MacDonald.
You don’t understand, I’ve been there, I experienced the horrors of Heidi’s karaoke for myself. I even tried to warn you all with the YouTube video featured below.
But you wouldn’t listen. You’re giving her the mike again. And she’s going to start belting out Deep Purple like there’s no tomorrow. And maybe, after she’s finished with us, there won’t be one.
Do whatever you can to stop this travesty. Go to M1-5 in Tribeca from 7pm this Saturday. Pay the suggested donation. Get close to Heidi. Wait till she gets close to the microphone.
Why did you switch to NF?
For the last 20 years, there hasn't been any miraculous increase of the production in chemical farming. Chemical farming is reaching a plateau. There were really no miraculous achievements. Instead, we suffered from the rising cost of the inputs leading to an increasing cost of production. There isn't much scope for growth and development. So chemical farming is actually not economically viable, it rather tends to destroy the small farmers, because of the debt trap (having to take more and more loans to produce).
How did you do the transition?
Five years ago, I did it all in one go, after attending workshop and studying the books of Subash Palekar and Masanobu Fukuoka.
What are the difficulties you faced during the transition period?
Mostly, I suffered from a decrease in the yield and many attacks on the crops by pests. There was also a great deal of fear and ignorance of the new model within the family. We also faced some problems due to improper use of Jeevamrita and Bijamrita. I think a complete knowledge of the method would have led to no loss and no problem at all. But there was a lack of knowledge of the new model of natural agriculture. That was the main difficulty.
Now, there is no problem at all. After one year, I realized where the weak points and the negligence on my part were, and year after year I am improving and refining my methods.
What do you cultivate on your farm and how do you do it?
My total land holding is 8 acres here (my brother possesses 12 acres and I am planning to create a banana orchard under natural farming on 3 acres of his land). The techniques that I use are those prescribed by Subash Palekar: Mix cropping, bijamrita, jivamrita, I try to follow a North-South orientation for my planting to optimize the reception of sunlight by my plants, and enhance the photosynthesis. I also use green-manure. I have only one desi cow that gives around 11 liters of milk per day (milked twice a day). I use a special method for sugarcane. I use a scruvar to take only the eyes of the sugarcane and not the pulp (which is much more economical). Then I treat these eyes with bijamrita and I leave it in fresh cow dung for 4 to 5 days. During this lapse of time, the eyes grow up to 2 inches, which is usually reached only after one month when sown in the soil directly. Then, I use the eyes in a densely sown nursery after one or two months. When the plants are one foot tall, I transplant them using a 8 x 2 feet pattern in order to apply mix-cropping, with vegetable, commercial crops and eventually, ginger (that likes shade).
On my farm, I practice a wheat-paddy rotation, I grow sugarcane and vegetable in intercropping, I also grow pulses. Paddling and flooding, using azola as a nitrogen fixing water plant and I practice mulching when I grow wheat.
My other sources of income are raising poultry and renting of my combine-harvester.
Where do you get the seeds from?
How do you promote NF?
I try to organize and attend event. I rely a little bit on word of mouth. I recently held a food festival on my farm. I also encourage people to come and visit my farm, especially the youngsters. I let them compare my budget to those of chemical farmers. I also spread the message just by speaking.
For marketing, honesty is very important, because it is mostly our reputation that creates our market. And I practice direct marketing mostly with people from the neighborhood. It is becoming easier because nowadays there is a craze for healthy food among educated people, who are health and environment-conscious. The farmer’s name and fame is quite important in the marketing of the product. People are now aware of the world-crisis and of the ill-effects of chemicals for the environment, the health and the economy of a country. I sell my products at a premium price which is at least double that of conventional products market price. Because of the fear of poisonous food, well-settled families want nutritious and healthy for their children.
What do you think the government agricultural policy should be in Punjab and in India?
I think we should not have hope for or be dependent on subsidies. Natural farming is also zero-budget farming and therefore it is independent farming. Nature is the teacher to learn how to practice farming, not the agricultural department, or some universities… The farmer should consider himself as a scientist: doing experiments with new techniques and methods in the cultivation of crops. Chemical farming will be in decline in the future. Yields are stable or decreasing, so there isn’t much scope for development. On the other hand, there is much scope for development in Natural farming. Natural farming should be started in a cooperative way, the farmer should sell after consultation with the cooperative. Within the cooperative, the farmers should be helping each other without relying on labor.
Is Natural farming only caring for the needs of rich customers?
No, in the initial stage, we need higher prices, to encourage and support the farmer in his initiative. When he is well settled and he can bear the price fluctuation, then he should try to apply a fair price instead of the maximum price. Then, the natural farmer can really work for the welfare of the people (but before that, he needs to be strong enough himself). Eventually, poor people should also be allowed to buy safe food.
What are the duties of the Natural Farmer?
He should practice farming carefully and consciously. He should take the firm decision and make sure that no chemicals should enter on his farm. His food should be poison-free, safe and nutritious. To determine these characteristics, it may be helpful for them to work hand in hand with laboratories. A Natural farmer should provide pure food for the public and society. He should claim the purity of his products with confidence. He should construct a cooperative group (a team of around six members) to check each other so that there is no abuse of the public’s trust. The cooperative system would make it possible to prevent fraud and the misuse of the techniques. In this way, there is no need of a policy provided by the government. The farmers can handle their work themselves.
How to transmit this sense of duty to younger generation?
For the transmission of this ideal to the new generation, we should take revolutionary action such as: food festivals, events, workshops, we should create awareness about the disadvantages of chemical farming and the benefits of Natural farming. Media and universities should be used for this mission of the spreading of the message, by writing and publishing about natural farming and by exposing the flaws of chemical farming.
What is the ideal farm?
As far as the size is concerned, I would say between 10 to 20 acres, it should be sufficient for a family of five to six members on average. The ideal farmer should work with his own hands. The basis of the marketing should be private market because public agencies with commission agents create distortions and corruption. If the farmer is hard-working, he can be successful even on three acres of land. The farmer should have devotion and dedication, and a strong system of thinking. I am also trying to convince, to give lectures and to show practically, day and night that it is possible and that it works.
How do you promote natural farming among other farmers?
The most important factor in the promotion of this model is honesty. The society is a mirror. What we give, we shall be given back. Society reflects our way of thinking and of acting through the relation that we develop with it.
Seven Spiritual Laws of Success – A Practical Guide to the Fulfillment of Your Dreams (1994) written by Deepak Chopra is a pocket-sized book that preaches the idea that personal success is the outcome of of understanding our basic nature as human beings and how to follow the laws of nature, rather than of hard work, precise plans or a driving ambition.
Chopra provides a guide on how to achieve or practice each spiritual principal on a daily basis.
The author examines and explains the interaction of the Self in the world throughout the book: “We are spiritual beings having occasional human experiences”, not the other way round, and one of the first tasks that we need to complete is to became aware of our higher Self.
The motif of the book is the unity of everything in the universe, including us, humans. By becoming more open to that unity and perfection, we assume more of its power, so we need to understand that the separateness from the world is only an illusion that pits us against the world, making us weaker in the process.
The Law of Pure Potentiality. The field of pure potentiality is the silent realm from which all things flow, from which “the unmanifest is made manifest”. When we access it, we experience our higher, pure selves, and are able to see the futility and waste of living through the ego. While the ego is based in fear, the higher self exists in loving security: “It is immune to criticism, it is unfearful of any challenge, and it feels beneath no one.” We can access the field of pure potentiality primarily through meditation and silence, but also through the practice of non-judgement and in appreciation of nature.
The Law of Giving. The more you give, the more you receive, and the author says that it’s because our minds and bodies are in a constant state of giving and receiving with the universe. The more we give, the more we are involved in the circulation of the universe’s energy, and the more of it we will receive back, in the form of love, material things, serendipitous experiences. We are never limited in what we can give because the true nature of man is one of affluence and abundance.
The Law of “karma” or Cause and Effect. Karma is both action and the consequence of that action: every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind. If we want to create happiness in our lives, we must learn to sow the seeds of happiness. Everything that is happening in our lives right now is a result of the choices we made in the past – only, most of them were made unconsciously, even it’s only a matter of feelings: you can choose to be offended or not by an insult, that’s also a choice. We should work on becoming aware of all of our choices.

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