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Getting in a relationship and then getting it destroyed is both in the hands of the partners. Similarly getting back the good relationship in original shape is also in the hands of both individuals. We have literary seen millions of people trying hard to win ex back again.
They get trapped by various so called dating experts who try to make use of their situation. They try to get involved in their lives and then make out the money. But there are only a few of handful guides on this terrain that can allow you to fully understand the basics and let go off your fears. This is because getting ex back is not very difficult. And we all know that he basic concept of retaining a relationship to work in long run is sacrifice.
So the guide points we are going to give to you are purely based upon sacrifice and understanding the overcoming of ego so that such issues do not arise in future.
Emotional Stability For How to Get My Ex Back
Getting Complete Control
The first step in those difficult times is to get control over your own self. We know that you are exhausted by your emptiness of mind and your body is not responding to your feelings. You want to get away or in severe circumstances we have seen people commit suicide. This is not the way to deal with the present situation.
You are doing more harm to yourself than anybody else can do. Thus it is important that you do the following:
Do YOGA: The first step to do is to do some kind of yoga exercises. Yoga from prehistoric times have helped men and women get control over there nerves. It helps in relaxing your body. It helps in flooding more blood to your brain. It helps in letting you maintain the blood pressure throughout the day.
And since it is done in open environment, it is helpful in increasing the fresh airflow to your brain. That is very important to release the toxins and anti-agents to get cleared from body. And by doing this, you are actually getting back that control over mind, that you had been lacking for the last many days.
Read: Benefits of Yoga In Early Morning
Go hiking: Now the second important point to do is to go on hike. This can help you not only exercise but can help you increase the blood flow to almost all the parts of body. Your legs will push the blood all round from the lower section too higher up in the body and then revolving from there it reaches finally to your brain. That fresh breeze of air and surrounding natural environment with water splashing from mountains can help you get control of your body and mind.
Remember if you keep on asking yourself How to Get My Ex Back? Without doing anything for the purpose, it's you who is doing no good to your own self. So move your ass right now and get over those hard feelings of yours.
Ask Yourself -What was the reason?
Now the second and the most comprehensive part of the plan is to ponder upon the question that what actually led to the present situation? Is it the behavior you were having with your ex for the last few months? Is it the extra work burden? Was your ego way higher than your relationship can actually withstand? Here we enlist some of the major factors that could have led to the present situation.
Ego: The worst of all and the most widely source of agitation and conflict is the ego. Suppose you are an executive member of engineer council while your wife or girlfriend is on the other hand the vice president of a bank, there is no equivalence. This may lead to the situation where you both would start talking about each other's profession and finally there comes a point where the ego is raised to the highest level. That level, from where there is no coming back. And the result is breaking of years of relationship.
Family time: Now if you two have kids then the issue may rise on the parenting of children. Your wife may be too busy to take out extra time for your babies. You on the other hand may be too hard on thinking that it is not the work of father to look after the children.
Just in the latest of cases, you may have heard of the separation between the most famous couple of the world, Brad pit and Angelina Jolie. The cause of the separation as represented by the newspapers and the media agencies was the carelessness on the part of Brad on the account of children. The situation led to the separation of the most widely celebrated couple around the world. And the point to notice is that they both are also looking for How to Get My Ex Back?
Financial issues: The third and the most important source of separation these days is the financial issues. You two are living together and fulfilling the daily expenditures collectively. But one of you resigns or is kicked out. Now the expenditures are way more than the earnings. Slowly and gradually you two will start fight on the issue of expenditures.
And then there came the separation point. Remember that the financial issues should be the last of reasons one may find to get out of a relationship. But in the present circumstance where there are less jobs and more graduates in the markets, finding jobs is difficult.
Getting attracted to: One of the least possible cases of separation is the attachment to another individual that your partner cannot withstand. For example, if your ex-girlfriend was afraid of you getting into hands of Amber, while you on the other hand was in constant touch with her, then the results could be in form of separation. And you would be left asking How to Get My Ex Back.
You Want Your Ex Back or Not?
Now since you have got into the details of the separation and the reasons, it is now time to decide what's best for your personal interest. You decide that whether you want your girl/boyfriend back or not. Is it the time to give him a second chance? Is it the time to give your own self second chance by letting that same old relation grow? This can be done in the following ways:
Remember old good times: Think about your previous spent time with your ex. Was it good? Did you have pleasure spending those beautiful sensual nights with your ex? Was your ex up to your demands and expectations.
Just think about your wedding anniversary or meeting anniversary? Is that still crystal clear in your mind? If that's so, then you are probably missing those good old times and want to have them back.
Think about your children if you have: Now the second point is to think of your children. This is very important point to consider if you are living in Asian countries or region. Because they have the family culture still developing among themselves with time.
Also in Europe there is a high percentage of women who are taking care of their children alone. When asked they share their pain and misery and ask for ways to ex back. But since then the time lapse have increased so much that it is almost impossible to sustain in that same particular relation.
But if you have some baby and your ex is away from you for some time. Then it is the need of hour to get back together since only the combo of parents can make sure that the babies reach out their perfect destination.
Still the decision is yours to make and no one can enforce you to do something about it. If you think that the capacity of taking care of your children resides within you, then you can go on alone. Otherwise it is in the best interest of children to get back in relationship. And we have seen people successfully do that.
Think about living single: what else you can do, is to think about living single for life. No one can actually survive like that. Just see the number of older people living singly in later stages of life, rise to the highest level in Europe. In Switzerland, where wealthiest people in the world reside and everyone is economically self-sufficient, people commit suicide on daily basis.
This is only because of the sense of being alone that is spreading and developing with time. SO people commit suicide. If you want to clear off those chances, it is time you think about getting back with your ex.
Exact Method To Get Ex Back
Now since you have decided in the best interest of your family to get your ex back, it is time you do the real efforts. There are many of the ways of confronting and attaching strings with your ex again, but here we will enlist some of the best that you will find easy to work upon.
Direct Method
Face to face: The first of the methods that we have in list is face to face contact. Though it is less convenient and people find it hard to work upon, but one gives it a try if he feels that he has the courage. You can contact your ex by Facebook, twitter of messaging service and ask him to see you somewhere special to you both.
Upon meeting just tell him how you live and what you have in mind regarding getting close to each other again. If his answer is positive, you can go forward. If not, then you need to use the indirect methods.
Sending message: The second technique in direct conversation methods is to involve someone who is near to both of you. Like in Asian culture, elders take on the responsibility to solve family issues. Likewise, you can take help from your ex elder whom he or she pays respect.
Talk to him and tell him about the broken relation. Tell him further that you want your ex to hang out with you again and give your family and relation another chance to grow. If agreed, the middleman will forward your message to your ex and a meeting can be set.
Upon meeting again do exactly the same as mentioned in first technique. If response is positive, you can go on and live happily after. If not, follow on and use the indirect procedures.
Indirect Method:
Now since you have failed in convincing your ex to get you back where you belong, it is time you take some hard measures. It will demand self-constrained and effort from your side, but will ultimately take you to your ex.
Find new one: Now the first technique is to get cover of another dating individual. If you are a man, find another woman who is as beautiful and gorgeous like your ex. Now take her to different beautiful spots like beach, restaurants or dance clubs. Take selfies and pictures of every single act you do like dance, swim or lay along the sand side.
Now post them on Facebook, twitter and other social networking sites. Also tag this new woman. Now, whenever your ex finds those posts on Facebook, she will think of you getting involved in new relationship. Her eagerness will evolve and she will slowly begin to inquire from people about your relationship status. Obviously that natural sense of jealousy will evolve. And this is what you want.
Make her think: Now the second of the ways you can think or work on is to develop your personality and enjoy your life. Take some leave from your office or workstation and go out to enjoy your life. Visit those places that you always wanted to.
Similarly start working out on your personality development. This includes both speaking, standing, walking and also the body structure. Join a gym if you have to. Go out for cardio every day. Lean yourself and place pictures of fitness ideal in your room. See every feature of their body like abs, biceps, triceps, shoulders and rest of all.
Now try to work hard in order to get that same particular shape. Because it has been said in a latest research that the women are mostly attracted to men who are in at least good shape. While the men who are having bulky belly with unbalanced body structure are less subjected to be noticed by the ladies.
Similarly, you can incorporate gymnastic for further lean body along with the extra cardio routine. When she will notice your body and physique, she will think that you are actually now enjoying your life. There isn't any special issue after losing her. She will then fall prey to your trap and will also start looking for answer to How to Get My Ex Back?
Bottom line
The bottom line is that you need to work hard on How to Get My Ex Back. This is not a one-day process. This is also not about losing everything in your life and working only for the love. It is about understanding the basics of a relationship that are built upon sacrifice and respect.
The key to a happy and successful relationship is to lose your own self in order to get adapted to your partner's life. You lose something to gain something and same is the case in a relationship.
Moreover, we came to know that the ego and proudness are one of the most common source of separation within the partners. You may be the vice president of a bank or you may be working at a high post earning several thousand dollars a month. But when it comes to family and home, you are just a commoner working hard to keep relations in place.
Similarly, if it takes you to lose something in order to make the relationship successful, then do it. Do not care about money, enjoyment. Because the real enjoyment is residing within a relationship that lasts with you till the last breath. So don't pay heed to people shouting for singular life. They are just enjoying a specific timeline enjoyment that is not going to last forever.


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This adventure will leave you wanting more!
Minimum Age: 10 Year(s)
Wayare camp is located at Caripe Guácharo, a gorgeous place close to a wonderful Cave (Guacharo's cave) with unique rock formations and fauna. You can camp, trek, rock climb, have a walk in the historical town and practice yoga at this beautiful place, for 5 days and 4 nights.
Any medical condition which can interfere with climbing, trekking, yoga, sleeping in hammocks; back problems, heart problems, allergies, mobility issues.
Day 1: Arrival to MaiquetÃa and plane transfer to MaturÃn. Land transfer from MaturÃn to Wayare camp. --/--/ Dinner.
Day 2: Trekking to "Poza de Chorrerón†(approx 4h) or short walks (about 30 minutes) around the jungle like area. Yoga Session. breakfast / lunch / dinner.
Day 3: Rock climbing (wall 100mts), or visit to a coffee plantation (to be chosen by the client). Yoga session. breakfast / lunch / dinner.
Day 4: Excursion to the Guácharo's Cave, Walk around the town of Caripe Guácharo (historical town). breakfast / lunch / dinner.
Day 5: Return to Maturin by land. the plane trip to MaiquetÃa. End of Service. breakfast / -- / --.

subset: commoncrawl


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Friends of the Indian King Membership levels to choose from:
Individual @ $20/year
Family @ $35/year
Bronze @ $50/year
Silver @ $100/year
Gold @ $200/year
Corporate @ $500/year (includes web link)
Donations are tax deductible and are collected by the Friends of the Indian King Tavern Museum.
The Friends of the Indian King are volunteers dedicated to the preservation, restoration and interpretation of the Tavern Museum. We plan and support 8-9 annual open house programs each year, provide re-enactors, period musicians and speakers, purchase artifacts and furnishings for the Tavern plus support research.
Coming Soon.
You can also mail donations to:
Friends of the Indian King Tavern Museum
30 Tanner Street
Haddonfield, NJ 08033.


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This Monday (8.15.2016) we will be shooting out our first monthly email to our subscribers! We are so excited to share with you thoughtfully curated content that we think you will truly enjoy each month.
The in's and out's of RATIO.
We'll share what's going on within RATIO.
Think events, announcements, contests, features and other 'stuff' we are up to.
We'll also share things we are digging outside of RATIO.
Think books/podcasts/articles we find interesting, social conscious brands we admire, good people doing good things and other relevant items of interest.
Featured visual vibe of the month.
We will go more depth over a specific piece that can be found on our online store. As a subscriber you will also receive as a special price on this item as a thank you for being part of our community.
Also, on occasion we will also have complimentary downloads that can only be found in our email newsletters.
Basically, subscribe and an email will appear from us in the middle of the month to remind you how lovely this world is and how grateful we are to be in it with you.


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"Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be?" — Marianne Williamson
Why this life and not another?
Why these fears and not others?
Why this choice and not another?
Why this interior odyssey and not another?
Why these emotions and not others?
Why these words and not a different set?
Why these relationships and not a wider group?
Why this job and not another?
Why so little happiness and not more abundance?
Why indeed?
But notwithstanding all these questions, we never stop to ask, "Who am I?"
If we did, there's a good chance that most if not all of these would become redundant — at least to the point of understanding that so long as we live our lives in our heads, nothing much will change.
Note. You may have heard of the 5 Whys as an iterative technique to get to the heart of the issue, and it is but it never really does…if you think about it.


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IAAMSLIC 2007 Conference
Aquatic and marine science librarians and information specialists will meet in Florida for the 33rd IAMSLIC Conference. Topics on the agenda include:
- Digital archiving, repositories and technology
- Author's rights, open access publishing and open data
- Grey literature
- Web 2.0, a catch phrase or a new phase for your library?
- Natural disasters: is there any way to be ready?
- Geographic Information Systems** Threatened habitats (Coral Reefs, Mangroves, etc.)
Labels: aaa, aginfo, ciard, conference, fisheries, information, libraries


text: Qualitative Communication Research Methods, Fourth Edition introduces you to qualitative research in speech and mass communication. Award-winning scholars and authors Thomas R. Lindlof and Bryan C. Taylor guide you through every step of the qualitative process, from developing research topics and questions through writing a final report. You are given numerous examples of work in the field to illustrate how studies are designed, carried out, written, evaluated, and related to theory. In addition to covering the theories and methods currently used in qualitative communication research, the authors also discuss important trends influencing the future of that research, helping you make informed judgments about the significance and consequences of recent trends.New to the Fourth Edition:A new chapter titled "The Diversity of Qualitative Research in Communication Subfields" provides readers with a complete guide to the field's distinctive subfields and enables you to identify the research agenda that best represents your own interests.Two rising subfields- Political Communication and Communication Activism- have been added, resulting in 13 subfields covered. Two major phases of data analysis have been split into separate chapters, enabling you to concentrate on the initial steps of analysis before moving on to the interpretation phase of analysis.Discussions of important intellectual and institutional trends currently reshaping the landscape of qualitative research, including Materialist Theory, Big Data, and Open-Access publishing, provide you with cutting-edge knowledge and skills that affect what you study and how you study it.An analysis of new developments in media and technology shows you how social media networks and other digital platforms are not only topics of research, but also the means for collecting and analyzing data.


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What is Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura?
Immune thrombocytopenia purpura (ITP) is a bleeding disorder. It is a reduction in the number of platelets in your blood. Platelets are small cells in your blood that stick together to form blood clots. These clots help stop bleeding at injury sites. Low platelet levels with ITP makes it easier to develop bruises or bleed even with minor injuries.
There are two types of ITP:
- Acute ITP
- Lasts less than six months
- Usually occurs in children
- Most common type of ITP
- Chronic ITP
- Lasts longer than six months
- Usually occurs in adults
What Causes ITP?
ITP is caused by a problem with the immune system. The immune system places a tag on platelet cells. This tag mistakenly identifies platelets as foreign material. Organs like the spleen and liver will then remove the tagged platelets as they pass through in the blood. Gradually, this process will reduce the number of platelet in your blood. Eventually, the decreased levels of platelets will be severe enough to interfere with the blood's ability to clot.
In children, ITP is often associated with a recent infection with a virus. ITP in adults has not been linked to viruses.
Some cases of ITP are thought to be caused by drugs or other immune disorders.
Risk Factors for Developing ITP
Factors that may increase your chances of developing ITP include:
- Children with a recent viral infection or live virus vaccination
- Women—2-3 times more likely to get ITP than men
- Women younger than 40
ITP Symptoms
Both adults and children may notice the following symptoms:
- Easy bruising
- Blood in urine or stools
- Bleeding for longer than normal following an injury
- Unexplained nosebleeds
- Bleeding from the gums
- In adult women, heavier-than-normal menstrual periods
- Red dots—may occur in groups and resemble a rash
- Bleeding within the intestinal tract or brain—rare
Diagnosing ITP at UVA
Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done.
Blood tests will be done. The doctor may use these tests to:
- Analyze levels of different blood cells, including platelets
- Test your blood's clotting ability
- Look for infections or other medical issues associated with ITP
- Eliminate other medical conditions
Platelets are created in your bone marrow. If your platelets are low, then your doctor may sample your blood marrow. This is done to eliminate conditions that may be interfering with the production of platelet cells.
Treating Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura
Treatment for ITP is different for children and adults. ITP is short term in most children, and most will recover without any treatment. Adults are more likely to develop a chronic form of ITP. Not all of these chronic ITPs will require treatment.
Some treatment options include:
- Medications
- Steroids to lower the activity of the immune system. This will decrease the destruction of platelets.
- Gamma globulin infusions to slow down platelet destruction. An infusion means that it is given by IV or through a shot. It usually works more quickly than steroids.
- Platelet Transfusion
- Surgery
- Activity Changes
Immune Thrombocytopenia Purpura Prevention
Since the cause of ITP is unknown, there are no specific ways of preventing it. However, bleeding and injury can be serious for people with ITP. To decrease the chance of bleeding injuries:
- Take precautions in your child's environment. Consider padding an infant's crib or play area.
- Make sure that older children wear helmets and protective gear when playing sports. This will help to reduce bruising injuries.
- Consider temporarily stopping contact sports such as football and rough game playing when platelet counts are low.
- Avoid medications that contain aspirin or ibuprofen. These medicines can reduce platelet activity.


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Just to finish what I started two blog posts ago, this is the last one explaining the three projects you can explore in my website, "Homeland". As the title indicates, in this collection I document urban life in my country, Spain. From the three series, "Homeland" is the purest Street photographic style, showing the people I encounter every day practising their daily routines inside the cities environments.
Humans are interested in what other human beings do, especially in cultures that are totally different. That's one of the reason I love Street Photography. I don't interact with the people I photograph and I try to catch my subjects in a spontaneous way, them being completely oblivious of myself and my camera. I would like to follow the steps of the first street photographers of the XX century like Henri Cartier-Bresson, Louis Faurer or Robert Frank, whose work documenting urban life is the cornerstone of every photojournalist, street and documentary photographer around the world.
All of these projects I have been writing about are still on-going, and probably they will for a long time as I travel across the world and in my own and beautiful country, adding new work from time to time, so keep your eyes open for my projects' updates, which will always be announce in my social media accounts: Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
"For me, the camera is a sketch book, an instrument of intuition and spontaneity" - Henri Cartier-Bresson


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Warm Star
Warm Star Fragment
Fragment is a nine channel utility module, designed to provide the features you need, as you need them. It has four functions:
• Mixer
Any number of channels can be mixed together, in groups of adjustable size.
• Buffered Multiple
Signals can be sent to several destinations, with a different level adjustment for each.
• Attenuator
A single channel can be used to provide level adjustment of a throughput signal.
• Signal Amplifier
Multiple channels can be summed to provide amplitude multiplication of a throughput signal.
The application of these different functions is determined by how the module is patched - and how it is not patched.
• An empty In jack copies the signal from the jack above it.
• An empty Out jack mixes its signal into the jack below it.
In both cases, signals move down in a cascade until interrupted by a patch cable.


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Advanced Search
Tech-Enhanced Learning
Nearly half of all teachers — 48 percent — are using games in their instruction now, according to a new Speak Up research report released by Project Tomorrow. That's more than double the percentage from five years ago (23 percent).
Things are not all positive for gaming, however. While nearly half of school and district administrators indicated they had instituted some form of game-based learning in their schools, "38 percent of school administrators and 47 percent of district administrators said they have not and they have no plans to do so," according to the report. Just 27 percent of administrators said they are providing teachers with professional development for game-based learning, while 50 percent of teachers said they are "looking for professional development to better use games within instruction" (up from 26 percent in 2012).
The report, From Print to Pixel: The role of videos, games, animations and simulations within K-12 education, is being released today as part of a Congressional briefing on education technology. It presents findings from a fall 2015 poll of more than 38,000 teachers, 38,000 parents, 2,800 school administrators, 600 district administrators, 2,000 librarians and 415,000 students.
The latest report focuses on digital technologies used in instruction.
"Many more schools are demonstrating greater use of digital content, tools and resources today than six years ago and we believe that the increasing adoption of interactive, visual media in the classroom by teachers is the driver for much of that change," said Julie Evans, CEO of Project Tomorrow, in a prepared statement. "The explosion in teacher interest and usage of videos and game-based learning could be a harbinger of a new awakening for digital learning."
Some of the findings from the report include:
"This increased emphasis on digital learning in school is also shining a brighter light on the need to address the quality of students' out-of-school connectivity, otherwise know as 'the homework gap,'" Evans added. "Thirty-five percent of students in this year's survey said they go to school early or stay late to access the school's internet, 24 percent go to public libraries and 19 percent said they go to fast food restaurants and cafes for internet access. Nearly 70 percent of teachers told us they are reluctant to assign homework that requires Internet access because they are worried about this 'gap.'"
The complete report is available on the Speak Up site.
About the Author
David Nagel is editorial director of 1105 Media's Education Technology Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal and STEAM Universe. A 25-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art and business publications.
He can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at or follow him on Twitter at @THEJournalDave (K-12) or @CampusTechDave (higher education).
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Tuesday, February 26, 2013
More Hogwash Revealed as Truth in the Bible
"Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." Matt. 10:30. Matthew could have made more sense had he been a circus clown and not a bible writer. It is, indeed, laughable also to believe that God inspired Matthew to write this kind of spiritual hogwash. Golly, we live on a speck of dust called earth. It is lost in the immensity of space and time. Human life on this earth is but a split second long, a wink of an eye, a flash in the pan compared to the life of the universe as created by a silly divinity But, according to Matthew, God seems to welcome divine anxiety for as long human stupidity will last as long as eternity? Isn't this nothing but religious insanity in order to sustain the existence of a silly divinity and to support the existence of a silly deviltry that insures so much financial success for the priesthood industry? Poch Suzara
Friday, February 22, 2013
The Truth versus Lies and Deceptions
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer The pure and simple truth is rarely pure and never simple. Oscar Wilde In our schools, colleges, and universities, we were always taught to believe and to have faith in the lies and deceptions more referred to as Divine Revelation. Especially as they masquerade as a religion, indeed, as the revealed truth; like in politics masquerading as nothing but the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Poch Suzara
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Sick Prayers to Mary, the Sick Mother of God
In our poor and backward country, since the 16th century - daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly - we Filipinos have been faithful with our prayers repeated over and over again. Look, however, at the results of our prayers for our country in this already 21st century: Millions more of us filipinos as a people today are still active and busy praying daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly; specially for the Second coming of the Lord to remedy the ills of our SICK SOCIETY as generated by our SICK SCHOOLS, SICK COLLEGES, AND SICK UNIVERSITIES - still teaching millions of Filipinos to continue praying to God for the salvation of who knows what - in this only Catholic country in Asia since 400 years ago. I said it before, I say it again: as a decent people in an endless search to create for ourselves a decent nation, isn't it time to dump our historically worthless, if not our utterly useless, nay, mindless prayers? And to think that what we have also been praying to God, and to Jesus, and to Mary, Mother of God, and to the saints to pray for us - to give us this day our DAILY BREAD, and TO LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION, and TO MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, TO PRAY FOR US SINNERS, NOW AND AT THE HOUR OF OUR DEATH, amen! I ardently hope that in the centuries to come, our children and their grandchildren will be spared of this kind of mediocrity, stupidity, and insanity of which mixed together have given birth to the existence of the silly mystery behind the holy trinity. Poch Suzara, Facebook#, Google#, Twitter#
The Truth Hurts, But Lies are Far More Damaging
Prove to me that God exist and I will prove to you that I will continue to be a devout and a faithful - humanist. A humanist is an atheist on earth who cares. I am more inclined to believe that extra-terrestrial beings from other planets arrived on this earth thousands of years ago, and they came to introduce to our primitive human ancestors the power of science and technology. Otherwise, if such extra-terrestrial beings came down to earth to save our silly souls away from eternal damnation, I said it before, I say it again: fuck that theological garbage inextricably mixed with ecclesiastical trash. Intelligence generates action wisely as in science. Ignorance enhances only inaction fearfully as in religion. In the conflict between science and religion, I am always on the side of science. Science is a self-correcting enterprise. I will never take the side of religion because it is always wrong; especially always mysteriously and maliciously wrong. After tens of thousands of years of religion, it has yet to make one simple discovery as a revealed truth to benefit, and not as a truth yet to be revealed. The truth hurts; but lies are far more damaging and the horror can last for a thousand years. Look at the Philippines - the only Catholic country is Asia since the 16th century. Today in this already 21st century - the Philippines is still being damaged with lies economically, socially, politically, culturally, indeed, historically - especially for the greater glory of Jesus on earth as he is in heaven and in hell. Poch Suzara Facebook# Twitter# Google# Atheist#
Monday, February 18, 2013
La Salle and politicians in the Philippines
Indeed, in La Salle grade school and high school, due to my basic intelligence, my religious teachers all agreed to have me expelled since I struggled against them with questions; especially in what I refused to believe in blind faith. Well, my classmates and schoolmates were also gifted with basic intelligence, but our religious teachers successfully manipulated to get their basic intelligence degraded, twisted, distorted, and mutilated. You can see the results: with colledge degrees - some of my classmates and schoolmates are in foreign countries like in Australia lifting elevators, cleaning public toilets, driving taxis. Also here in the Philippines as governors, mayors, congressmen, senators, vice-presidents, and presidents of our government; not to mention the 4 great Lords: Drug Lord, Gambling Lord, Smuggling Lord, and Praise the Lord - since the the USA in cahoots with the Catholic church declared the Philippines as an independent REPUBLIC some 60 years ago! Bertrand Russell summarized it neatly: WE ARE ALL BORN IGNORANT, NOT STUPID. WE ARE MADE STUPID BY EDUCATION. Poch Suzara
Catholics fear not only darkness, but also fear light
I can understand why religious crackpots teach our children in school to always be afraid of the dark! It is big business for the church. After all, God loves us, but He needs money, especially to keep children and adults frightened of the dark! What I find perplexing, however, is how can college-educated men and women continue to be afraid of the light? Atheist Henry Ford said: "Thinking is the hardest work there is, which is probably the reason so few engage in it." My mentor, atheist Bertrand Russell, explained why: "Men fear thought as they fear nothing else on earth -- more than ruin -- more even than death.... Thought is subversive and revolutionary, destructive and terrible, thought is merciless to privilege, established institutions, and comfortable habit. Thought looks into the pit of hell and is not afraid. Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory of man." Poch Suizara
Catholic Charity in the Philippines
I asked it years ago, I ask it again this year: If you Catholics together with your Catholic charity organizations such as De la Salle University were serious, honest, efficient, truthful, meaningful, and indeed fruitful - how come in this only only Catholic country in Asia - more poor Filipino Catholics are only getting poorer? Poch Suzara
Sunday, February 17, 2013
God Knows Not what He is Doing
The Son of God Jesus, crucified on the cross, pleaded: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" I said it before, I say it again: Jesus could have been more honest and courageous and truthful as the Son of God had he, instead, said: "Man, please forgive my Father God for he never knows what the fuck He is doing!" Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
So God Exists - So What?
The existence of a world without God seems to me less insane than the presence of a God, existing with all of his love, power, glory and perfection - creating men in his own image and likeness but only to run the risk of ending in hell deserving eternal damnation! In the meantime, what if I am dead wrong? That there is, after all, the existence of GOD and He does not like the way I live and think. Well, why is it then that I never, but never hear about it straight from GOD? I only heard about it when I was in La Salle grade school, and I still hear about it today from the religiously frightened - college-educated - spiritually-fucked morons supporting the ways of our corrupt society, huh? In the meantime, I said it before, I say it again: FUCK SATAN, FUCK DEATH, FUCK ETERNAL DAMNATION IN HELL, and, if any, FUCK ETERNAL SALVATION! Dead or alive, I would rather be on the side of common human decency always involved with the growth and endless improvement of human civilization! Poch Suzara
Monday, February 11, 2013
Let's Examine Faith
Let's examine faith. The definition of faith is hope for a circumstance or thing that is not proven to be true. There is no virtue in accepting something on faith, since it may very well be false, and it is clearly not virtuous to believe the false. Faith has also been proven through out history, time and again, that it is equivalent to massive hysteria: Crusades, Burning Times, Inquisitions, Holy Wars, flying a plane into a building, etc. On a grand scale faith, thus far, has only proven to be an intellectual weakness, and a significant barrier to scientific and moral progress. With all of this in mind, how can God possibly expect us to view faith as the greatest way to glorify him, let alone demand this of us? Most importantly, the point to remember here is that if we don't believe in him, we go to Hell, and this is a greater evil than a lack of the "virtue" of faith or a stunting of science, or anything else conceivable. If God is truly concerned about the good, he will do what he can to keep us from Hell, and withholding vital information from us is the exact opposite of this. But look at the history of the world from the 5th to the 15th century: every single man, woman, and child believed and had great faith in God. Historians refer to it as the DARK AGES! Indeed, the truth hurts, but lies are far more damaging and can last for a thousand years! In the meantime, when one man suffers from a delusion, it is called "insanity." When, however, millions suffer from the same delusion, like in the Philippines, it is called "Christianity." Poch Suzara
We Never Speak of Faith that - - -
How come we never speak of faith that 2 plus 2 equals 4; or we have faith that the world is round; or that we have faith in a triangle has only 3 sides? No, we only speak of faith when we do NOT know; and, we need to have faith in Christianity in order to remedy the ills of our sick society as generated perpetually by biblical stupidity historically! Poch Suzara
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Who were the Apostles? What were their laat names?
As we must all die, sooner or later, whether we like it or not, who cares about the death of the Apostles? Well, if we must care, the least we should do is to find out what were their last names? So we know that Judas was Judas Ascariot; but what about the rest of the apostles - who were they; where were they born; what were their real names as baptized by Jesus? Poch Suzara
The Worst of Tragedies
Self-deception is the worst tragedy of the Filipinos as a people. Teodoro A. Agoncillo This was during the 20th, 19th, 18th, 17th, and 16th century. Today in the already 21st century - the ignorance of the scientific way of thinking is the worst tragedy of the Philippines as a nation - the victim of a sick system of education. Bertrand Russell said it: The scientific attitude of mind involves a sweeping away of all other desires in the interest of the desire to know. Carl Sagan said it: "There is no other species on the Earth that does science. It is, so far, entirely a human invention, evolved by natural selection in the cerebral cortex for one simple reason: it works. It is not perfect. It can be misused. It is only a tool. But it is by far the best tool we have, self-correcting, ongoing, applicable to everything. It has two rules. First: there are no sacred truths; all assumptions must be critically examined; arguments from authority are worthless. Second: whatever is inconsistent with the facts must be discarded or revised. We must understand the Cosmos as it is and not confuse how it is with how we wish it to be." Poch Suzara Twitter# Facebook# Google#
The Sun Rising and Setting is Like the Illusion of Health
The day we are born is the day we begin to live in a dying body. The belief in Health therefore in an illusion. Just like the belief that the sun sets or the sun rises. It is all but a grand illusion. In the meantime I am fully aware of faith Healers, specially in the Philippines, like the famous Fr. Fernando Suarez. He is making tons of money off frightened sick old men and intimidated sick old women, and yet these people like me will be dead sooner or later. Oh yes, most people squander their health in search of wealth. They sweat and toil and saved. Then they squander their wealth in search of health - only to find the grave. Poch Suzara
Something or Nothing - the Similarity
Theologian: WHY IS THERE SOMETHING RATHER THAN NOTHING? Philosopher: WHY NOT? In the meantime, what is the similarity between NOTHING and SOMETHING? Answer: A NOTHING can always end up to be a SOMETHING; a SOMETHING can always end up to be a NOTHING. Poch Suzara
Friday, February 08, 2013
Oh Jesus, My Dear Jesus
Jesus says, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.(John 14:6) Oh Jesus, My dear Jesus, this is all fine and dandy. But how come you TOLD your followers nothing about your Father? How come all of your followers then and followers now, specially in the Philippines, the only Jesus Freak country in Asia, still find the existence of God, your Father, as an endless mystery? Deut 4:29 Really Jesus, if your Father God were already existing here, existing there, and existing everywhere - why do we have to seek and to find Him? Hasn't this been and still is an exercise in futility at best, insanity at worst? Poch Suzara
Tuesday, February 05, 2013
God Works In Mysterious Ways
"God works in mysterious ways." A useful dodge when the speaker doesn't understand the conflict between what the Bible SAYS and what they WISH it said; or, to know this or to know that but hardly know what "knowing" means. In the meantime, isn't it rather silly for God to work in mysterious ways? Isn't it enough that God is already existing here, existing there, and is existing everywhere? To impress whom? To accomplish what while endlessly hiding?? To become not a reality but only to prove himself perpetually as a silly mystery? Poch Suzara
Sunday, February 03, 2013
Why I do Not Believe in the Existence of God
Indeed, I do not believe in the God of the Christians; in the God of the Muslims; in the God of the Jews; in the God of the crackpots on these pages. There are far more important things to do in life than just to believe. There is to think! I refuse to believe that the purpose of life is to be frightened, silenced, useless, selfish, greedy, stupid, and insane. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, responsible, compassionate, and helpful. It is above all to matter: to count, to stand up for a humanitarian principle, to have made a difference. That we have lived not only for something spiritual, but more so for something intellectual! In the meantime, I do not believe in the existence of God because I already believe in the existence of something higher, better, bigger, and greater than God: My country. My family. Indeed, I'd rather believe in the whole of mankind - not for what she is at present, but for what, with the power of thought, mankind can become in the future generations to come. Especially with knowledge - with the power of science and technology! Why should I give a hoot for the silly existence of a silly divinity? After I am dead,I do not care to meet such a Being in heaven; nor do I care to meet with such a Being in hell! Especially, as I must first go through purgatorial fires! To begin with, such beings and such places have no justification whatsoever to exist for a reason. For millions of years before I was born, I was existing as a nothing without a God; now why should it bother me to realize that after I am dead, for millions of years, I shall, again, be existing as a nothing without a God? Happily, in the meantime, I have no need to love my enemies. I don't care to have enemies. I do love, however, my daily struggles against religious lies and political deceptions! I am having fun hating such horrors! In this connection, I defy any one who says that the power of thought is dangerous! Dangerous to whom? To what? Because with the power of thought we might discover that the nature of human stupidity and the nature of divine infinity are one and the same old holy baloney inextricably mixed with holy salami? Poch Suzara
Lies and Deceptions
I said it before, I say it again: "Blessed is the season that engages the whole of mankind in a conspiracy of love - to unite humanity; and not divide it for the sake of big business more known as the love of God - big business, and fear the devil - big business." In the meantime, the history of our world has hardly been about GOOD verses EVIL. On the contrary, it has always been about EVIL versus EVIL and EVIL always won. Look at our sick world today. Half of it is ruled by lies. The other half is dominated by deceptions. Mix the two evils together and they both add up to the EVIL that daily characterizes our sick world. Happily, only the atheists give a hoot. Never do they ever stop mocking such lies and deceptions! Indeed, who would you rather love and respect - the lies from a politician? Or, the deception from a theologian? Or, the thoughts to provoke your thoughts by a pochologian - one who is not a Believer but a Thinker! Poch Suzara
Saturday, February 02, 2013
Election 2013 or Deception
Feb. 1, 2013 Philippine Daily Inquirer Letter to the Editors, Dear Sirs: Election 2013 or Deception Election season is here again. We, the people, will vote for candidates not because of their ambitions for the good of our country; but because of the financial power hidden behind general election - the 4 Lords: Jueteng Lord, Gambling Lord, Drug Lord, and Praise the Lord. Not to mention their cohorts - the 3 Gs - Guns, Goons, and Gold. The General Election will be held on May 13, 2013. In total, there will be 18,022 national and local positions decided: 12 senators, 229 district members of the House of Representatives, 80 provincial governors, 80 provincial vice governors, 766 members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (provincial legislature), 138 city mayors, 138 city vice mayors, 1,532 members of the city council, 1,496 municipal mayors, 1,496 municipal vice mayors, and 11,972 members of the Sangguniang Bayan (municipal council In Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), there will be elected one regional governor, one regional vice governor, and 24 regional assemblymen. Party-list representative will also be elected. It is traditional. We, the people, know nothing about these candidates running for office - where they stand on nutrition for the nation; health and sanitation for our cities, towns, and barrios; especially as they should reflect love of country; law and order. What are their plans for us, the people, to have more sense as a nation and not just wait for the arrival of foreign corporations. Indeed, the arrival of our employers; while, we are educated enough to be their employees. Our national election is also about the approval of political dynasty growing and expanding steadily in our sick society. Especially where civil service eligibility does not matter. What counts is the relativity of influence, wealth, power, and glory. All that we know of these candidates is what they all share something in common together - They are all MAKA-DIOS. Indeed, we all have been raised and educated to believe in the existence of a divinity that is higher and greater than our country, or far more important than the Filipino family. A divinity always available with the power to forgive not only sins, crimes, and deceptions; but also to forgive graft and corruption. In the meantime, working for the government is a not a career of public service in our country. It is great opportunities to make money. And why not? Money made is the accepted measure of decadence in our country! Jose Rizal said it: "Corruption is the major cause of our economic backwardness." Indeed, corruption as the reflection of a corrupt system of education. Especially during our formative years in school. It is where we learn how to forgive the sins of our politicians; how to forgive law-makers as they are among the first law-breakers; how to forgive our church leaders, and the self-appointed prophets of big-business bible-thumpers! Thus, instead of more freedom and democracy - we only have more of the same old mediocrity more known as political dynasty in our poor and backward country. We hardly have the intellect to ask: where are our thinkers, writers, innovators, inventors, reformers, and the promoters of constructive evolution? How come we only have more of the same old destructive revelation? Indeed, instead of challenging ourselves with the task of generating new ideas for the new year, we only find ourselves celebrating the old ways of the old year! Oh yes, the historical struggle in the Philippines has never been about GOOD versus EVIL; but only about EVIL versus EVIL; and EVIL has always been wining! In the meantime, we have yet to find and then elect a collection of educated men courageous enough to run efficiently our government of the people, by the people, and for the people! We are told that the Philippines is one of richest countries in natural resources. Name it; we have it; except diamonds. Our educators, however, have yet, to discover the greatest and the most powerful of natural resources in our country: the Filipino mind and heart. Its precious potentials are wasted away yearly inside commercial establishments own and operated by our former colonial masters. They are still here, but no longer referred to as our colonial masters. They are more known today as schools, colleges, and universities. They are the deadliest of destroyers of Filipino minds and hearts. Such evils operate not as educational institutions; but as commercial enterprises. Tax free. Indeed, we are all born ignorant, not corrupt; we are made corrupt by education. Foremost historian - Teodoro A. Agoncillo - in his HISTORY OF THE FILIPINO PEOPLE, published some 50 years ago, wrote a simple truth still truthful today: "Self-deception is the worst tragedy of the Filipinos as a people." Sincerely, Poch Suzara, San Lorenzo Village, Makati city
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The Alan Clark Diaries (2004)
Alan Clark is the member of parliament for Plymouth Sutton, where he longs for a "proper" role as a Minister in Thatcher's government. When he gets the call he joins government but is totally unprepared for the commitment involved and is totally unable (and unwilling) to manage the rigours of bill reading and committees. Despite this he rises up the ranks, still proving his apparent penchant for controversy and evasion.
- Jon Jones
- Jon Jones
- Alan Clark
Release Date: 2004-01-15
- Language: en
- Runtime: 173
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- Published Full Review


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There is absolutely no reason for me to currently want to purchase a new sofa. I know it's a really large investment and we shouldn't even be considering it, but my brain doesn't work that way. Ideally, I would love a modular sectional, something that can be configured any way we see fit. It would be fantastic for apartment living, and it's awesome because you can just add more pieces down the line if needed.
My first pick is the Connect Sofa by Mutto. I love how easy it is to specify exactly what modules you need to create the ideal sofa shape for your space, the low profile, and of course, it's chunky base. For what we would want, this would set up back around $10,000. Not a cheap sofa by any means, but I'm a big believer in buying something that you love once, and hopefully never having to buy it again.
My second choice is the Mags Sofa by Hay. Also modular, it allows you to configure the set up based on your needs. It looks so comfy, sturdy, and the ultimate spot to lounge out on after a long day. In terms of pricing, it comes in a tad lower than the Connect Sofa above, but again, there's not exactly a deal here.
Lastly, I'm also kind of digging the Mix, the new modular sofa system by Gus Modern. Like all the above, the Mix let you mix and match components and fabrics to build a custom sectional, so you end up with whatever shape best fits your space. Plus Gus Modern is a Canadian design company based out of Toronto, and it's always nice to support local businesses that actually make awesome products. Price wise, you have to contact the store directly in order to get a quote, so I'm not quite sure what we would be looking at here.
While I love all of the above options, I was really dismayed to learn that the Connect Sofa is made from cold foam and the Mags Sofa is made out of polyurethane foam. Seeing as how these are two Scandinavian brands that I really adore, who I hoped would care about using only natural materials in their products, it's a total bummer, especially when you factor in the high price tags.
At least the Mix Sofa from Gus Modern is manufactured to meet California TB117-2013 fire safety standards without the use of flame retardant additives in upholstery foam, however, they still use some kind of foam, made from chemicals, so while they have made a step in the right direction, they definitely have a ways to go. And while the brand is open to using a different filler for their upholstery, they suggested soy foam or recycled plastic bottles as an alternative, these options are not exactly healthy or green, even though it's easy to think they can be.
It's crazy to me that in almost 2016 (less than two months away!), most people are still sitting on and breathing in some incredibly toxic substances, mostly found in sofa cushions and mattresses. Is it for a lack of information? There have been so many studies done about this, and yet it's almost as if people don't want to believe it. These toxic substances are contributing to our failing health, leaching into our bodies and making us sick. We made the switch to an organic latex mattress this summer (scroll down if you want to read my review - spoiler alert, it's one of the best decisions we ever made), and now I'm faced with the really difficult challenge of finding a organic latex sofa.
I know there are a few companies who specialize in making natural products in the US, like Ekla and Green Sofas, but unfortunately, here in Canada, our options are sadly pretty much non existent. The closet I got was Cisco Brothers, who retail through Elte, and make all of their products available for purchase using their green technology. The company states "Cisco's Inside Green technology is our smart, healthy, responsible, alternative method of building furniture made entirely from Natural Latex, organic wool, organic goose feathers and down. These natural materials are not only superior in terms of comfort and lifespan, but are inherently flame retardant and hypo-allergenic. Every product in the Cisco line can be ordered using Inside Green technology." I only wish I wanted one of their sectionals. Don't get me wrong, they are beautiful, just not what I am looking for.
For now, the search continues. But if I can't find what I want, I'm going to see if I can at least switch out our current sofa cushions for organic latex versions, if I can track down a Canadian supplier willing to cut custom sizes. Again, there is a company doing it in the US called Foam to Order, but the shipping fees would be killer. If anybody knows where to look or has any suggestions, feel free to let me know.


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Welcome to the CalVet website, and thank you for your service! You may register to get information tailored to the personal profile you create or simply browse the site anonymously.
Learn about the state and federal benefits you are entitled to receive and how to claim them. Those benefits could compensate you for a service-connected disability, allow you to begin or resume your college education, care for your health, train for or find employment, buy a home, live out your years with dignity and respect, and much more!
To find out about the benefits you and your dependents are entitled to receive, Register, Log in or Browse now!
California Department of Veterans Affairs


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Gordon International is a boutique luxury furniture manufacturer.
Gordon International is a boutique luxury furniture manufacturer, inspired by notable Italian designers, made in America. They work with 6 or 8 key partners in Italy, continuously developing new ideas that distinguish them from the competition.
Gordon is a national company with representation by 23 teams across the United States. They distinguish themselves by bringing more ideas to market than most of their competitors. Sales Manager, Candis Burns, is responsible for keeping these teams up to date and encouraging them to get Gordon specified by architects and designers. She had been traveling with each group at least two times or three times per year, but this was no longer possible. It has become more and more difficult. .Candis says, "It is challenging for anyone to have a sales manager come to their territory and dedicate 3 or 4 days traveling and doing presentations. She had to reduce travel, increase time on the phone, send .pdf's. Not a satisfactory substitute.
Phi Services scheduled time with Candis to simulate a typical training interaction. Together we identified three main challenges she faced. Candis was clearly energized by real time meetings and missed these occasions.Furnishings are about shape, color, size and configuration. Effective training begs for visualization. She required effortless, comfortable, reliable audio to replace awkwardness of holding a phone, alleviate the cramp in her arm. We assessed her comfort level with technology and agreed that an intuitive, easy to use solution would be preferable.
Phi Services recommended an interactive workspace technology and an audio conferencing system that provided a natural sense of communication. We developed a strategy to layer requisite new skills, one step at a time, We used the release of two new lines as an occasion to demonstrate and practice, hands-on, how to create digital content that incorporates text and images. We then modeled sharing it with reps and ways to collaborate in real time, including brainstorming and ideation. Last,we scheduled a web conferencing session to role play using a pervasive audio tool to replicate chatting in the same room. We provide lots of follow up,reinforce processes, respond to questions, and share new features
You work like us. We try to be extremely responsive. It helps us to stand out. You are extremely responsive. We can rely on you. We can trust you.
— candis burns, sales manager at gordon international
Upon Phi Services' recommendation, Gordon chose and adopted the Nureva Span System to visualize and collaborate, and the HDL300 to audio conference. Span saves her time, saves reps' time, saves money spent on travel. It enables more spontaneous and frequent interaction. It is flexible and easy to use. "I can work from my laptop. I like that. I can use our online interactive catalog. I can create digital content. It is easier to educate on the features of our products when I can make it visual. I put everything together in advance and share it with them. Using Skype and the HDL300 as my microphone, it feels as though we are in the same room. It is a very comfortable way to work.
Though Span cannot replace the unique energy of in-person interaction, it positively affected Candis' remote workflows and travel budget.


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Course Outline
Our full-day 7 hour Documentary Film Class offers a comprehensive session in bringing your documentary film to life.
Kevin Knoblock has been writing, producing, and directing award-winning non-fiction programming for broadcast, cable and theatrical release for 25 years.
In his 1 day and 2 day comprehensive documentary workshops, award-winning director Kevin Knoblock presents a step-by-step approach to unlocking the secrets and techniques of creating expertly crafted documentary films. Learn how to...
- Find Your Stories
- Fund Your Productions
- Create Your Doc's Look
- Gain Unique Access
- Organize Your Shoots
- Buy Or Rent Gear
- Book Heavyweight Talent
- Write, Shoot
- Produce and Direct
- Sell Your Fim and Yourself
Our Mission
We're here to help launch your career as a filmmaker, or to further the skills of industry pros at all experience levels. We're always here to help. So if you ever have a question, just get in touch and we'll be on hand to assist.
Our Experience
Check out our latest NEWS here!


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Mar. 16, 2017
Employees ran a strong operation, highlighted by a second place ranking - first among major U.S. carriers - in on-time performance.
Jan. 17, 2017
The airline led the industry with zero domestic mainline cancelled flights for the month, according to the latest U.S. DOT report.
Nov. 15, 2016
Just 10 domestic mainline flights were canceled of the more than 75,000 flights operated in September.
Oct. 14, 2016
The DOT's latest Air Travel Consumer Report shows Delta still strong in several operational metrics, despite a technology outage that disrupted flights over a three-day period in August.
Sep. 13, 2016
Delta ranked high in operational metrics in July among 13 carriers tracked by the DOT, according to a report Tuesday.
Aug. 19, 2016
Delta in June led the U.S. airline industry with the fewest cancellations and finished third in on-time performance among all carriers reporting to the DOT.
Jun. 14, 2016
Delta canceled the fewest flights on a percentage basis for the month among 12 airlines tracked by the U.S. Department of Transportation .
May. 17, 2016
Employees notched the fewest cancellations and took second place in on-time and baggage performance among 12 carriers tracked by the DOT.
Apr. 14, 2016
Delta maintained its strong operational performance in February among U.S. carriers, according to the Department of Transportation's monthly Air Travel Consumer Report, published Wednesday . With a...
Apr. 4, 2016
Delta today reported a decline in unit revenues for March, amid strong operating performance and solid forward-looking demand. Consolidated PRASM (passenger revenue per available seat-mile) dipped 5...
Delta News Hub


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Music is a discipline that stretches back to the ancient world. One of the seven original liberal arts, music maintains a place in the university as a subject of broad and passionate interest to composers, sound artists, musicologists, performers, technologists, and theorists. Our community is dedicated to furthering a knowledge and love of music. Using abundant musical resources—which include a renowned collection of original manuscripts, books, scores, current and historic recordings, and outstanding computing facilities—the Department of Music at Trinity provides an extraordinarily rich and dynamic musical environment.
Studying music will allow you to engage with a range of traditions to acquire a profound understanding of how music works in theory and in creative practice. If you are interested in understanding music's place in society, developing music technology skills, writing music, or improving your skills as an informed performer, this course could be for you. As an academic discipline, music fosters independence of thought, creativity, critical and analytical skills, and intellectual awareness. A music degree prepares students for a wide range of careers in the creative arts, journalism, music production, arts management, research, and teaching.
The single honor and two-subject courses provide a thorough grounding in the basic skills of musicianship and academic study. From the second year onwards, and especially in the third and fourth years, both courses offer a wide range of options. Our curriculum integrates practical musicianship with rigorous scholarship. We offer a musical education that provides specialisation in three key areas—composition, music technology, and musicology (the historical and analytical study of music). Students receive extensive training in aural and keyboard skills, learn the history and theory of art music from the medieval period to the present day, and can choose modules in jazz, rock, popular, and vernacular musics. Taught performance modules (e.g., conducting) allow students to contextualize their practical skills. All students complete a final-year capstone project.
Many students come from non-classical backgrounds. A wide range of musical activities takes place on the campus, with the support of many music societies. In addition to copious performance opportunities, students can gain experience of arts administration, music production, and interdisciplinary collaborations. A particular strength is the department's commitment to small-group teaching, with many subjects taught in groups of ten students or fewer.
Facilities include a recital room, practice rooms, a suite of computer workstations, a recording studio, listening equipment, and a substantial lending collection of CDs and videos. Trinity students have access to the largest research library in Ireland, in which music is extremely well served.
Since the Music Department became part of the School of Drama, Film, and Music in 2006 it has developed interdisciplinary connections, which include a jointly-taught undergraduate module in film production. In 2013, the Royal Irish Academy of Music became an Associate College of Trinity—a move designed to facilitate collaborations to benefit performing arts education and practice. In the words of Provost Patrick Prendergast, 'building on each institution's expertise, together we aim to develop an internationally renowned centre of excellence in the performing arts. Linking research to practice and focusing on the interface between innovation and tradition are key values that Trinity and the RIAM share.'
Music is the only academic department still situated in Front Square, at the heart of college life in Dublin. Alumni include Derek Bell, harpist in the Chieftains; Niall Doyle, Head of Music at the Arts Council; Deborah Kelleher, Director of the Royal Irish Academy of Music; and Donnacha Dennehy, Assistant Professor of Music at Princeton University.


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Vatican Calls Turkey Trip a Critical Test
'A planned papal trip to Turkey will be a critical test of Christian-Muslim relations, a top Roman Catholic official said Wednesday, citing a priest's slaying that a Vatican newspaper has linked to protests over cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.
"Now (the trip) becomes very serious," Cardinal Walter Kasper, head of the Vatican's office for Christian unity, told The Associated Press during a gathering of Christian leaders and envoys hosted by the World Council of Churches. '
Read more at Vatican Calls Turkey Trip a Critical Test
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Starbucks Corporation's (NASDAQ: SBUX) growth rate might be slowing, but it's making up for it by shifting its focus toward sending money back to shareholders.
With a price-to-earnings ratio of about 29, this stock is on the high end of valuation compared to other stocks I tend to buy, but in my opinion the numbers justify the current stock price, and options can help improve cost basis even further.
A Greater Focus on Dividends and Buybacks
Earlier this month, Starbucks released fiscal fourth quarter and 2017 year results, and the investor response has been mixed.
The company used to forecast 15-20% long-term EPS growth per year, but has reduced that to at least 12% annual EPS growth or higher. Here's their full long-term guidance:
- Annual comparable store sales growth: 3-5%
- Annual revenue growth: high single digits
- Annual EPS growth: 12% or higher
- Annual ROIC: 25% or higher
For a company that already has over 27,000 stores globally, maintaining high single digit revenue growth and a whopping 25% return on invested capital is incredible. Over the last 12 months, their return on invested capital has been about 30%, and their return on equity has touched 50%, without using much leverage.
Their revenue has nearly doubled over the last six years. If the company maintains 7% annual revenue growth going forward (the bottom end of "high single digits"), it'll mean a 50% increase in revenue over the next 6 years. To put that into perspective, McDonald's (MCD) has seen flat revenue and income over the same time period, yet their stock trades at nearly as high of a valuation with a price-to-earnings of about 24.
To offset this reduction in expected growth rates, Starbucks boosted its quarterly dividend 20% from $0.25 per quarter to $0.30 per quarter (up to roughly a 60% payout ratio from earnings per share), and announced plans to spend $15 billion in total on dividends and share buybacks over the next 3 years. To put that into perspective, the company paid about $8 billion in dividends and buybacks over the past 3 years. The dividend yield going forward will be a little over 2%.
According to the Q4 earnings conference call that came with the earnings release, most of this will be funded by operational cash flows, but they will also be increasing their leverage a bit while interest rates are still low. Starbucks currently has a long-term debt-to-equity ratio of about 55%, and an interest coverage ratio of 50, which makes their balance sheet absolutely rock-solid, and if anything, actually under-leveraged. I don't mean to use McDonald's as a punching bag again, but they're extremely leveraged at this point, with debt that far exceeds their equity and an interest coverage ratio of about 10.
Going forward as a dividend growth investor, I'd like to see Starbucks maintain a very strong balance sheet, but it certainly makes sense to issue some bonds right now while interest rates are low but rising. I think management is running a good balance here between stability and taking advantage of unusually low interest rates.
Dividend growth stocks are one of the best ways to build wealth, and Starbucks has now firmly shifted from being a grow-at-all costs company to a blue chip dividend payer.
Growth in China
Starbucks is doubling down on China, and expects to eventually have more locations in China than the United States, according the New York Times. They already have more locations in Shanghai than in New York City.
Earlier this year, Starbucks announced plans to acquire the remaining stake in its East China joint venture for $1.3 billion, which makes it the largest acquisition in company history according to Reuters. And according to this past earnings release, Starbucks opened 1,036 new locations in East Asia over the past 12 months, with the bulk of those being in China.
China is now the largest consumer of luxury goods in the world, and by 2018 McKinsey & Company expects China to have the largest number of millionaires in the world. This trend seems to include Starbucks. China has an extremely low per-capita coffee consumption compared to its Asian neighbors, and with a growing middle class and a strong appetite for premium brands, the potential market for Starbucks is massive.
Normally a company that pays virtually all of its cashflows to shareholders as dividends and buybacks would have trouble growing quickly, but as long as Starbucks retains its 25% or higher ROIC, it can invest a relatively small amount of capital each year and get strong revenue and income growth from it.
Tea Consolidation: Good for Shareholders
Starbucks has made a number of tea acquisitions and is now reversing and consolidating much of this.
In 1999, the Starbucks bought Tazo Tea, which it sells through retail channels including Walmart. In 2012, Starbucks bought Teavana, which has 379 branded retail locations that serve hot tea and sell tea and teaware.
Earlier this year, the company announced that it will close all 379 of its Teavana locations, because they're not making money. Teavana has a heavy presence in malls, and malls these days are closing and facing lower foot traffic. And earlier this month, as mentioned in the earnings release, Starbucks is selling Tazo Tea to Unilever for $384 million.
But Teavana is far from out of the picture. Starbucks may be closing all of its locations, but the brand itself is strong. The company will continue to sell Teavana-branded products in its Starbucks locations, and recently partnered with Anheuser-Busch to sell ready-to-drink Teavana-branded premium iced teas. The brand should grow and provide profits to Starbucks over time.
This is a smart move, and focuses on the company's core competencies. It didn't make sense to maintain two separate tea brands, especially Tazo. By concentrating on just one tea brand, and incorporating the products more heavily into its namesake coffee locations and partnering with others for broader retail sales, it should be a better use of capital. Selling both coffee and tea in its locations broadens its appeal, especially in Asia.
Starbucks Stock Valuation
Starbucks' stock price has been flat for over two years now as the rest of the market has rallied, and at about $57/share it's trading well under its 52-week high of over $64/share.
Two years ago I considered Starbucks overvalued, but as the stock price remained flat and the company continued to grow its top and bottom lines, it now trades at a reasonable valuation once again. With a price-to-earnings ratio of 29, it's certainly not cheap, but let's do a quick breakdown of what this could mean:
Using a 7.1% revenue growth rate (the low end of the company's high single digit expectations), and using an estimated EPS growth rate of just 10.4% (well below the company's 12% expectations), and assuming that as the company continues to mature its earnings multiple will decrease from 29 to 20, the stock is still poised to give shareholders at least high single digit returns over the next decade.
This isn't a screaming buy by any means, but considering that the S&P 500 is at extremely high valuations, buying and holding Starbucks is a good risk-adjusted use of capital in my opinion. It's a reasonably-priced premium stock in a sea of overvalued stock prices, and in a bullish case could provide 10% average annual returns going forward. I'm a buyer under $60.
If you want to wait for a lower cost basis, you can sell April 20, 2018 cash-secured put options at a strike price of $55 for about $2/share, which means if the stock dips in price you'll buy the shares for a cost basis of about $53/share.
Disclosure: As of this writing, the author is long SBUX.
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