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Protege: Developing the Next Generation of Church Leaders
In Protégé, we want to share what we've learned over last decade and honor the pursuit so many ministry leaders have to make great impact possible through their mastering their craft and living out their calling. My hope is that as you read this book, it's in as sense a way to open the door to your own protégé experience, where you will learn crucial things for your craft, your calling, and your essence which is rooted in Jesus, that it would change who you are becoming, and that it would contribute to the overall development of what the next generation of leadership looks like in the church.
The Protege Backstory
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What is a protégé? It is someone who desires to master their craft through the mentorship of another. A protégé is driven to excel to the best of their ability. They know they can't do it on their own, and they don't want to do it on their own. And why do they want to excel? Because they believe what they're doing with their lives can make a real difference…and because they believe they were born to do it.
But, there seems to be a significant gap between this strong desire to grow as a ministry leader and the ability to access the developmental investment that is needed. Here lies the great dilemma in developing the next generation of leaders, the dilemma every protégé must face if they want to close this gap in their own growth path, and the dilemma every mentor must face as they invest in the next generation. That's the tension I felt. And, that's why I started what we called the Protégé Program. I found myself asking the question, how are young ministry leaders going to be developed if we don't step in and do something about it? For me, personal investment was key. It's possible that I could've grown, even achieved a decent level of competency, without mentors investing in me over the years. But what I know for sure is that without them I would not be the man I need to be to do what I do. This is why Protégé Program was born.
A Leadership Experiment
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In 2005, I initiated a leadership experiment that went far beyond my expectations. And I believe that the fact that it took on a life of its own reflects the broad need ministry leaders have for investment. We designed a customized, holistic development plan that served young [in age and experience] and future ministry leaders. We got dozens applicants every year, but unfortunately had to turn many down because we were only able to select 12 annually. Over the course of this two-year journey, I came alongside protégés to help facilitate a personal, customized development plan for each of them. I served as a growth catalyst for their character formation, helped them navigate the complexities of relational leadership, coached them in areas of mission, team-building, and organizational leadership, crafted unique learning experiences to sharpen their craft of communication and stretch their theology, challenged them to become entrepreneurial leaders who overcome the fear of failure and cultivate a life of initiative and risk, and much more. Real transformation and growth became an evident reality in their lives. Now, we want to take what the protégés experienced and expand it.
Customized, Personalized Development
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We of course realize that not everyone has access to the kind of customized, personal development that the Protégé Program offered, nor can most people pause their entire life and enter a two-year leadership development program to receive this kind of investment. That's why my wife Cheri and I wrote this book, Protégé—as a way to help ministry leaders co-design their own protégé journey as well as gain insight into developing other protégés. In essence, we put the DNA of the Protégé Program inside this book. I believe every young ministry leader [in age or in experience] deserves to receive the development they're looking for. I also believe that the best mentors are always sharpening their development skills, and are looking for new and effective ways to invest in their own protégés. This book is for a ministry leader who is young and looking to grow. This book is for a person more seasoned in leadership skills who is looking to pass on that knowledge, experience, and wisdom to emerging leaders. Basically if you want to grow or help people grow, Protégé is for you. And you know, we're almost always doing both—trying to grow and trying to lead others toward growth.
A Holistic Calling
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The thing with people in ministry is that we don't see our work simply as a job but rather a calling. So, this journey is not about only attaining skills, but it embodies more holistic dimensions of development, such as character formation, cultivating intimacy with God, navigating relational struggles within our ministry lives, living on mission more effectively, and so much more…all this can be like an obstacle course that we're trying to break through in order to reach the end goal…which is impact and transformation. How do we navigate this obstacle course? What are the answers to life-changing questions such as
• How can you access mentors and coaches in your life and receive investment that is unique to you and your growth needs?
• How can you figure out how to live in the relational tensions and demands you face everyday, and how do you strike a healthy balance that serves you and the people you serve best?
• How do you gain practical tips on how to improve your communication skills and preaching?
• How can you rethink what it means to be missional?
• How can you grow not only in your leadership skills, but more importantly, how do you grow into the person you are called to be? How do you grow in character?
• How can you further your abilities to do what you so desperately want to do, which is to connect people to Jesus, and for you to be re-envisioned for why you got into this whole ministry thing in the first place?
• How do you make this dream of bringing heaven to earth a reality, especially when you know in your gut that is what you are called to do?


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subset: commoncrawl


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Dartford Cemetery has been rumored to be haunted for years because of its strange shadowy figures, orbs, unexplained sounds and apparitions of Native Americans and Civil War soldiers. Members of a family that was buried here also are said to show up from time to time. Visitors have described uneasy feelings of being observed by something unseen.
If you've had a paranormal experience here, or have any additional information about this location, please let us know!
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- Address:
- North St and King St
Green Lake, WI
United States
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- 43.85220839999999, -88.96562169999999
- County:
- Green Lake County, Wisconsin
- Nearest Towns:
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known fact it does have unusual lights & orbs after sunset visable pictures taken from camera phone . The pictures will materialize the lights / orbs & sometimes a haze like mist after you leave the area to view what findings are on your phone. There are no car light or street light interference. After hours you can park only on the outside of the cemetery. While inside before dusk please be respectful , take pictures & view them once you leave the area…
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OPINION: Obama's Middle East neglect is now everyone else's problem
by Alex Brummer, City Editor, Daily Mail
As Brussels descended into chaos and lockdown after the latest ISIS atrocities, President Obama was seen dancing the tango in Argentina. There is nothing wrong with the American president's historic re-opening of relations with Cuba and then Argentina. In different ways, both nations have been isolated from the west for too long.
Cuba hasn't seen an American leader since Calvin Coolidge visited in 1928, despite it being just 90 miles from Florida. And Argentina has been in economic isolation for more than a decade. The arrival in office of a new president Mauricio Macri has opened the way to diplomatic and commercial rapprochement.
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We shouldn't be surprised about Obama's Latin American initiatives. In his case, it is anything and anywhere other than the Middle East. As the president made clear in his recent series of interviews with Atlantic magazine, he has little time for the leaders of Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Iran, Israel and the Palestinians. In other words, anyone in the troublesome Middle East. Indeed, a presidency that began with Obama committing to remove US troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, in super quick time ends with his administration focusing on the Americas.
Obama has moved American policy a long way from the 'Carter doctrine'. Amid the misery caused in the US by oil embargoes and soaring energy prices, Carter declared the Middle East a region of strategic importance to the US.
Technological advances and the oil fracking revolution of the Obama years means that the US is once again heading towards self-sufficiency. Dependency on the oil rich Gulf countries no longer has the same pull on US foreign policy as it had in the final three decades of the 20th century and since.
Obama's disinterest and pullback from the Middle East is having devastating consequences. If the US still had 50,000 troops deployed in Iraq, control of airports, airspace and some port facilities, it is hard to imagine that ISIS would have marched into northern Iraq and captured cities and oil facilities, which created the wealth that has allowed it to export terrorism. It is that wealth which has made Libya toxic, sending extremism to the experimental democracy in Tunisia, and the establishment of ISIS cells in Paris and Brussels.
Obama's main diplomatic mission in the Middle East was to constrain Iran's nuclear ambitions and open up Tehran to commerce. But that initiative has been at the expense of relations with Congress, which disliked the Iranian deal, and Netanyahu's [pictured below with Obama] government, which publicly campaigned against it. It is no coincidence that talks on a two-state solution to the core dispute between Israel and the Palestinians came to a stuttering halt as the Iran negotiations were reaching their conclusion.
America's neglect in the Middle East has been everyone else's problem. It allowed Russia to consolidate its hold on Syria and its puppet Bashar al-Assad, despite the death and destruction he has visited on its own people. Just as critically, it helped to gift ISIS Mosul, oilfields and the huge income generated. One can understand Obama's reluctance to spill more American blood in the Middle East after the long campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. But we also know that seeking to dislodge and destroy ISIS from the air, with limited special forces on the ground, is ineffectual.
Allowing Islamic State to prosper in Syria and northern Iraq has had disastrous consequences. Beyond the oil revenues and the training facilities, ISIS is spreading a vicious form of Sunni jihadi power across the globe. The terrorists now have a sanctuary close to the border of Turkey, are entrenched in Libya and are able to shut down European cities as they have done in Paris and Brussels. They are also partly responsible for the biggest movement of refugees across Europe since the Second World War, with more than one million refugees already transferred to the EU.
Most of these are ordinary Syrian and Afghan families fleeing violence and taking their opportunity for better life. But poor border controls and security checks in Europe and a lack of intelligence sharing means that embedded among this tide seeking a better life are returning jihadists. Not only is this group hostile to Western values (which is bad enough) but, as we know from the Paris and Brussels attacks, it is also battle hardened and has skills along with automatic weapons and explosives.
In their last year in office, American presidents, finding it difficult to achieve domestic goals, often turn to foreign policy. Obama has followed this course with his opening to Cuba. A more valuable and lasting impact could have been made with boots on the ground in the territory controlled by Islamic State.
He has left it too late, leaving his successor, whoever it may be, with some big decisions to make in the Near East. There will be more on that as the US campaign gets down to brass tacks.
By Brigit Grant
By Jewish News
By Judy Elkus
By Judy Elkus


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Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving
Simple Holiday Gifts
November 1st kicks off the holiday festivities Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. It also launches unhealthy holiday and financial stress. It is natural to want to give a special gift to each of our family, friends and acquaintances during the holiday season. Most of us know at least twenty-five people or more that we would like to give a gift to including parents, sibling, friends, co-workers, neighbors and those who serve us like schoolteachers, pastors and church leaders. This is where the stress comes in like a flood if you are unprepared. Achieving this generosity unfolds beautifully when you take the time to plan out your gift giving. With out a plan you will induce unnecessary and unhealthy stress.
Simple Gifts
Here are a few favorite but simple ways to reduce financial stress and still express your gratitude, love and holiday cheer to the people in the sphere of your life in a sustainable manner.
1. Bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider (Apple and Pomegranate)
1 bag organic popcorn
1 small bottle of raw honey
SHM's kettle corn recipe printed on Christmas stationary or card
Place in a holiday gift box lined with Christmas paper
(Great for neighbors, family, church leaders, co-workers)
2. 2 Bottles of Martinelli's Apple Cider
1 Pomegranate
2 oranges
1 bag favorite nuts
1 dark organic chocolate bar
Place in a holiday basket lined with Christmas tissue paper
(Great for church leaders)
3. 1 box naturally decaffeinated green tea
1 box naturally decaffeinated Earl Grey tea
1 Christmas teacup
Place in a decorative Christmas cellophane bag and tie with Christmas ribbon.
(Great for girlfriends)
4. 1 bag of organic popcorn
1 box naturally decaffeinated green tea
1 dark chocolate bar
Place in a Christmas gift bag with holiday tissue.
(Great for neighbors)
5. 1 canister Chatfield's all natural carob powder
SHM recipe for John's Carob Latte printed on Christmas stationary or card.
Place in Christmas cellophane wrapping and tie with a ribbon.
(Great for chocolate lovers)
6. 1 journal
Write a special thought or quote to your friend on friendship.
Wrap in a beautiful Christmas paper and tie a ribbon around it.
(Great for close friend)
7. 1 bottle of wine priced under $10.00
Wrap in a shimmery Christmas paper and tie a ribbon around the top with a Christmas message.
(Great for a Christmas party or event)
8. 2 mangos
1 pineapple
2 oranges
1 bottle of Martinelli's
1 small bag of nuts
Place in a holiday basket lined with decorative tissue paper.
(Great for neighbors/church leaders)
9. Christmas bowl
SHM kettle corn
Place kettle corn in bowl and cover with holiday plastic wrapping.
Give immediately.
(Great for family and children)
10. 1 package of disposable holiday cups
1 package of disposable matching holiday napkins
1 package disposable matching holiday plates
1 package disposable holiday cutlery
Place in a holiday tin/bag and touch up with holiday tissue paper.
(Great for the entertainer)
These simple gift ideas are classic and beautifully express the holiday cheer most for no more than ten dollars if you do your homework ahead of time.
I purchase a case of Martinelli's cider, chocolate, nuts, Christmas wrapping and tissue paper, cellophane wrapping, Christmas ribbon, inexpensive baskets, candles, cards, paper products on the same day. This reduces running around. Wal-Mart is always my first choice. They have assorted, inexpensive wrappings and miscellaneous holiday baskets, boxes and bags available pretty much all season. Purchasing them early will ensure they have a variety available. You can add a movie, Christmas music and gift cards or delete any item as your budget allows. Preparation is key.
Experience how simple gift giving can be!
Website: www.simplehealthministries.com
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How to Render an AutoCAD Floor Plan with Photoshop
Alek Stanojevic, Every day is a new chance to learn a new skill!
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- 1.25x
- 1.5x
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1. Introduction1:20
2. Converting a DWG file to PDF5:16
3. Adding Colors to the Floor Plan4:53
4. Adding Patterns to the Floor Plan7:42
5. Adding Shadows to the Floor Plan7:54
6. Adding Text and Background6:33
About This Class
Dear friend,
If you ever wanted to discover the exact steps how to transform a plain floor plan created in AutoCAD into a visually appealing floor plan image filled with colors, patterns/textures and shadows by using Photoshop.
In order to start this course without wasting your time, you can download a ready-made Photoshop file with the exact same floor plan I will be using throughout this course.
>> Click here to download the floor plan (.PSD)
I will show you, step-by-step, how to:
- Convert an AutoCAD DWG file to PDF file
- Fill objects with colors
- Fill objects with patterns
- Add shadows
- And much more!
Does it sound interesting to you?
Click the blue ENROLL button now!
See you in classes,
- Alek
P.S. If you're interested you can check my other classes too:
** Top 5 FREE Home Interior Design Tools Available Online
In this class I will show you 5 Home Interior Design Tools that you can FREELY use online in a matter of minutes.
Are you discover what these tools are?
** 10 Websites to Download High QualityTextures & Patterns for FREE
In this class I will show you 10 great websites to download high quality textures and patterns for your design projects for free!


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Rotor® Brand
The ROTOR® brand is one of the world leaders in marine applications of motors for cranes, winches, propulsion, and dredging. The ROTOR® brand has and maintains global certifications in the maritime industry that include Lloyds and DNV. The brand's reputation for solving complex engineering problems is well earned by nearly 60 years of experience in the industry.
Crane & Winch Motors
Complex duty cycles and extreme conditions are the challenges in lifting and offshore crane applications. The ROTOR® brand stocks and modifies IEC63 through IEC450 frame motors in Regal's Netherlands location.
Marine Motors
These special motors have been adapted to marine and offshore application. Given the saline environment, the RN-series is available with a cast iron motor enclosure and cast iron motor shields. The ROTOR® brand produces electric motors for lower and upper deck use and additional options including brakes and encoders.
Specialty Motors
The ROTOR® brand offers high protection (IP 55/56/67/68) & C3/C5 offshore coatings for harsh environments. The ROTOR® brand produces brake motors up to 355 frame and frequency inverter motors up to 690V.
The ROTOR® brand of marine, crane, and specialty motors is applied in a myriad of applications and in an array of industries. You can find interesting solutions and innovations by clicking on the links below.


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Learn more about the healthcare finance industry's leading professional association. Combine this with the fact that Aetna has dropped out of all ObamaCare exchanges, UnitedHealthcare is down from 34 exchanges to a handful and Blue Cross this week dropped out of exchanges in Kansas and Missouri , and you don't have to be a health policy expert to realize that the Affordable Care Act is unaffordable for patients and unprofitable for insurers.
Jerry is a veteran of the interoperability and health information exchange domain, having worked in product management, strategy, and solution consulting for companies such as WebMD, CareScience, Quovadx, Healthvision, Lawson, and Orion Health; and in healthcare administration at organizations such as UCSF Medical Center and San Francisco General Hospital.
The principal contribution of the HCSA is that it redefines the commodity provided to patients as the treatment of disease (for example, cancer or diabetes) rather than the specific types of medical care that individuals purchase (such as visits to a doctor's office or the purchase of a drug), as is currently published.
With obesity in children rapidly becoming a major concern, health services often set up programs in schools aimed at educating children in good eating habits; making physical education compulsory in school; and teaching young adolescents to have positive self-image.
Antibiotic resistance is another major concern, leading to the reemergence of diseases such as tuberculosis The World Health Organization , for its World Health Day 2011 campaign, is calling for intensified global commitment to safeguard antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines for future generations.


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KABUL, Afghanistan — Two of the most contentious issues dividing the United States and President Hamid Karzai's administration re-emerged as the Afghan leader condemned American-led forces for killing eight women in airstrikes on Sunday and denounced his American allies for continuing to hold hundreds of Afghan prisoners.
After the coalition initially said that it needed time to investigate Afghan reports of the deaths, by evening it confirmed that the civilians had died in airstrikes launched early Sunday in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan. It said the strikes were carried out "solely with the intent of countering known insurgents," and offered its sympathies to the families of those slain. It did not give a number of dead; Afghan officials said eight women who were out collecting firewood had died.
While Mr. Karzai's condemnation was likely to rankle some Western officials, it was in keeping with how he has responded to the killing of Afghan bystanders by both coalition forces and the Taliban, which is responsible for the vast majority of civilian deaths in Afghanistan. Instead, the presidential palace reserved its strongest language for the continued detention of some 600 Afghans at what was once the main American prison here. Mr. Karzai's office said in a statement that keeping the prisoners was a "serious breach" and a "serious violation" of a deal struck this year, under which the United States agreed to transfer control of the prison to Afghan authorities on Sept. 9.
"The continued holding of Afghans in American custody runs in contradiction with the spirit of mutual friendship," it said. "The people of Afghanistan consider the issue of prisons and detention of their fellow citizens a matter of their national sovereignty."
After a summer in which American and Afghan officials were more often than not on the same page, the confrontational tone of the statement was a sharp reminder of the acrimony that has often characterized relations between Mr. Karzai and his American benefactors. As recently as March, Mr. Karzai referred to Americans as "demons."Continue reading the main story
The statement came after Mr. Karzai met with Ambassador Marc Grossman, the United States special representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, who was in Kabul on a previously unannounced visit. The men discussed the prison issue and stalled efforts to strike a peace deal with the Taliban, the palace said.
The Americans were holding roughly 3,000 people at the prison, which is next to Bagram Air Base north of Kabul, when the United States and Afghanistan signed a memorandum of understanding in March that laid out a six-month timetable for the transfer. But Afghan officials say 600 people detained since March remain in American custody, along with about 30 of the original prisoners considered too dangerous to release but too difficult to prosecute because of a lack of admissible evidence.
American officials have not said anything about the 600 figure, but they have acknowledged holding the men detained before the deal was struck. They also have said they want the Afghans to agree to detain those men indefinitely under stipulations in the Geneva Convention that permit wartime detentions without trial.
Sunday's statement from Mr. Karzai's office said Afghan judicial authorities would soon "express their views" on how or whether a system of indefinite detention would comply with Afghanistan's laws.
Rangin Dadfar Spanta, Afghanistan's national security adviser, said in an interview last week that the Afghan government would eventually implement such a system but wanted control of the prisoners immediately. The Americans want a guarantee that the Afghans will leave intact the American detention system that allows the indefinite holding of prisoners deemed dangerous if there is insufficient evidence to try them.
"It is like the egg and the chicken," said Mr. Spanta, who is viewed as one of Mr. Karzai's more pro-Western advisers. Mr. Spanta said in the interview that he needed "a little space, two or three days, to find a diplomatic solution." But with no solution at hand, the Karzai administration appeared to be taking the negotiations public with Sunday's statement.
In response, the American Embassy stressed that "there is no question of our commitment to fully implement" the prison transfer accord. "Ambassador Grossman made clear in his discussion with the president that the United States fully respects Afghan sovereignty," it said in a statement.
Sunday's civilian deaths were the latest case of innocents being caught up in an operation by the coalition, which has reduced civilian casualties in part by limiting the use of air power.
The airstrikes took place in the Alingar district of Laghman Province. The coalition said the strikes were called in around 2 a.m. during a firefight with insurgents that had been spotted moving through the area.
According to Maj. Lori Hodge of the Air Force, coalition forces "engaged with precision munitions and direct fire" — airstrikes and gunfire — with about 45 insurgents. She could not say how many insurgents were killed.
Coalition forces were apparently unaware that village women sometimes go into the woods in the early hours of the morning to fetch wood for cooking fires they need to have going by breakfast time.Continue reading the main story


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There are so many wonderful libraries here in Oaxaca and I like to spend afternoons at the Instituto de Arte Grafico de Oaxaca (IAGO) with all the books that you'd usually never be allowed to get your grubby paws on: expensive monographs, rare editions, oversized giants, handmade books submitted by artists themselves. It's an incredible place to get lost in. I found Ellsworth Kelly: Plant Drawings, a book of drawings that were just up the Met this past summer. SIMPLICITY at it's finest. The master of color doesn't need more than a pencil or ink and a few lines to create the most elegant representations of flowers and leaves. I bought a bamboo brush and ink just because of these and it feels so damn good to draw again!
images via two coats of paint


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Race Report #5, Saturday, July7th, Wisconsin State Pro 1/2 Criterium Championships, Elkhorn, WI On Thursday, July 5th, we picked up our Toyota Landcruiser from the dealership where we had new bearings put in the front right wheel – a result of overtightening of a tech's wrench when we had the brakes done a couple weeks earlier. We then dropped off our other car (the BMW 740iL of splashing oil fame) at Patrick BMW to have brakes and wipers done as well.
On the way home, my wife Shannon received a bad telephone call – her grandmother in Detroit had gone into the hospital for immediate double bypass surgery, and given her relative age and state of health, the outcome was uncertain. Shannon's parents picked her up at the house on their way down from Madison a couple hours later and headed on their way to Detroit. The surgery was to take place the next morning (Friday.)
So, it was now Katelina and papa time, and after saying goodbye to mama, a tearful Katelina climbed into the recently fixed Landcruiser and we headed to a park in Elgin on the banks of the Fox River where we could ride the Fox River Trail.
Enroute to the park, and suddenly every dummy light is glowing red on the black plastic Toyota dashboard. Engine Oil, Battery, Transmission oil, AT Temperature, Brakes, Fuel – you name it. I quietly cursed the Toyota dealership and called Shannon to vent – "every damn light is on – its like Christmas on the dashboard – they must have 'done something' to it at the dealership." Otherwise it was running fine…
Upon arrival, I pulled Katelina, my 6 year old daughter, in the Burley trailer for about 90 minutes and then rollerbladed while she rode her little pink bike. We ended up doing about 5 miles down the Fox River Trail. Her lean long little legs turning the white plastic pedals on her little pink bike, her tires weaving and her long blond tresses tossing left and right with each pedal stroke. Suddenly she skids to a stop – noticing a strange little flower growing by the path. She picks it and hands it to me "for mama" she says, and we continue on our way.
By the time we return to the car, the sky has darkened with only the blazing clouds near the horizon providing a memory of the brilliant hues of sunset. I put Katelina's bike in the car and remove my rollerblades and we both buckle in to our respective seats. I turn the key and receive the audible cues of the motor turning over - but without a spark. I try again pushing on the pedals. And again. Eventually the starter slows. Another try – and another. Within the space of a few minutes, I'm resolved to the dreaded "click-click-click" when I turn of the key and I sit in stunned silence in the darkening shadows of the car, Katelina sitting oblivious in the back.
I try to sort out what to do. Shannon is hours away, so I try friends on the cell – Mike, Matt – leaving messages. Kevin is out of town. Do I know anyone else? No…
"Katelina – how about a special magical bike ride to town through all these fireflies?" I ask. Elgin is only a mile away… through the dark on an unlit path…
"But Papa… Its dark… I'm scared…"
"Lets try it – just a short trip into the fireflies – I'll hold your seat if you want."
And we headed off into the tunnel of blackness under the dark arches of the trees. It had become so dark that the path became a strip of "light black" but… the hundreds and thousands of fireflies created a magical backdrop – it was like swimming into the universe, wading through the stars in the black currents and eddies of the evening.
I kept up conversation with Katelina to reduce her fears and we floated down the path into the evening, kept buoyant with our lighthearted conversation. It was so dark underneath the trees that I had to stop and wade forward, arms in front, feet stepping higher in case of an obstacle, but 5 minutes later the lights of Elgin began to appear. We wended our way through town and shortly thereafter Mike Dienhart returned my call and came to pick us up. Still – I will always remember that journey "through the stars."
I took Friday off and played with Katelina most of the day – but what to do on Saturday – as Shannon was not back and I really wanted to hit my second race of the season: Wisconsin state championships in Elkhorn, WI.
My friend Matt came to the rescue and I dropped Katelina off in St. Charles at his house where she proceeded to play with his kids - swimming in their portable pool and bouncing on their trampoline, playing hide-and-seek, and generally doing everything a child should do on a 92 degree July afternoon.
Meanwhile, my own journey to Elkhorn proved daunting. Even as I was trying to hydrate for the 90 minute, 40 mile Pro 1 & 2 State Championships Criterium, I was baking in the sun in our one remaining automobile: the black 20 year old convertible with no air conditioning. A breeze would have helped, but my mapquest route up highway 12 led to an average speed of 33 mph and interminable periods of sitting in traffic baking in the heat and humidity and sun of a hot Midwestern July afternoon.
The drive to the race was only 70 miles, but it took me two hours and due to the traffic delays I only had a little time to warmup and register. I had probably the largest cheering section of the race, with friends Gary Goebel, Monica, his two tow-head boys, and several of their siblings, spouses, and children in attendance.
When I arrived, I registered quickly and then returned to the car shimmering in the heat of the sun. I then began the dreaded ritual cyclists without RV's the world over face: the snakeskin dance into your skinsuit.
The seats were already hot enough to sting as I sank back into the leather and then looked around. Oblivious to the crowds around, I removed my shorts, pulling my shirt down into my lap and then pulled the legs of my skinsuit over my feet, wriggling against the sticky hot leather in a frustrated fashion trying to help the tight folds of spandex and lycra to allow my sweaty skin to slide through. Further awkward contortions brought my arms into their holes and then, under the merciless sun and heat, I bent and put on my shoes, helmet, and gloves. I then had to do the top part all over again because I realized I had not put on my heart rate monitor.
On days like these, there is no need to warmup.
It was windy.
It was hot.
There were lots of corners.
I hate this – why do I do it?
The starter's gun sent us off, and within 100m my pulse hit 170bpm. By the middle of the second straightaway it hit 180bpm. And there it stayed. From a brief low of 176, to a high of 195bpm in the final sprint, my overall heart rate averaged 180bpm for the whole 90 minutes: right at or slightly above my aerobic threshold in high heat (it is several beats lower when it is cooler)
Translation: I was running at or near my maximum. Nonetheless, I never really feared getting dropped and focused only on finding a good rhythm and a good spot in the peleton. Actually, when my heartrate is high without too much suffering, it means I'm properly rested. Superweek would show the effects of multiple races on my average pulse…
I surfed the pack in the six corner, ¾ mile course for the requisite time and then began my preparations for the sprint finish. 7 riders had made it away in a breakaway, so we were sprinting for 8th place but that really was not my concern. I was a little too far back on the last lap and managed only a 4th place sprint finish, coming in 11th overall. Generally I was pleased that my first race of the season at Elm Grove the week prior wasn't a fluke, and that I could actually finish a pro1/2 race.
And then I began an even more dreaded ritual in the cycling world. When the car is parked in public view, and has been baking for hours in the sun, there is one alternative (other than risking arrest for public indecency) to changing in the car. The pluses are that you can stand up, you have complete privacy, and you do not have to wriggle against hot leather in an exposed area. The downside is that the "Port-o-Let" or "Port-a-Pottie's" are inevitably placed directly in the sun, and the temperature inside of the blue plastic igloos seems to be exactly the right thermal index to encourage odor causing bacteria to spawn: in the never ending battle of blue vs. brown, brown wins when it is hot… Even as I rotate the large plastic latch into place behind me, the heat, and the raging humidity, active with arguing forces of offal and septic cleansers locked onto my nostrils and the first breath nearly made me swoon and as I swayed in the narrow confines I tried not to touch anything.
In the 130 degree heat and stench, I wriggled out of my skinsuit, and the flush of sweat in the interior helped it to drop limply to the floor and I quickly climbed into my shorts and t-shirt, exploding out of the blue plastic door before requiring my second breath. God I miss the RV…
I returned to the car, neatly dis-assembled my bike into the parts of the small vehicle that would take those parts, and then slid my over-heated, dehydrated body onto the 150 degree leather seats for the 2 hour journey home in the 92 degree heat with no air conditioning, shade or respite. I was reliving my youth all over again…
Time to get the RV out of storage…


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This weekend, I finished the first round of shows for Illusions of Grandeur with my friend, Tyler Wilson. The goal was to create a true close-up magic show, instead of a show on stage that people had to watch from a distance. The worst seat in the house was 12 feet away from the "stage". The feedback we've received so far has been extraordinary. Tyler and I would like to thank everyone who was able to make it out. Putting together the show was an amazing experience. We had to assemble and script everything by email and there were several of Tyler's in the show that even I didn't even have the chance to see until the day before when Tyler arrived in Toronto.
At the moment, we don't have any concrete plans to remount the show anywhere, but I've spoken with Tyler and it's not entirely off the table... so keep an eye open for the possibility.
Here is the first round of photos from the show:
These are just the iPhone photos. The Abracadabaret elf, Chris Mayhew, is busily working on the nice ones.


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The tires got flat over the last few days, which is kind of worrying. I got a compressor and I've inflated the tires to 2 bar.
After some more stripping down decorative and unnecessary parts we're getting closer to a bare bones kart. All we need now is a seat and the kids can pushed around on a smooth rolling kart. The following picture shows the kart in our garage, its usual position is to sit on those two little Ikea tables so we can access all parts easily.
We'll be checking out a kart shop on Tuesday to try and get a seat and brackets to install it. Maybe we can get our hands on an engine mount as well.
Walle will be getting his head wrapped around setting up the circuitry for the engine. The fact that we'll be pumping 4800 Watt through the circuit (100 Ampère at 48 Volt is the normal mode, we could get the motor up to 300A for its peak if we want) is somehow frightening to me.


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While today humans have the awesome luxury of being able to look up at the skies and observe countless galaxies, planets, and stars, this won't always be the case. One day, far away in the future, humans will look up at the night sky and see… only our galaxy. Is this groundbreaking astronomy we're talking about? Absolutely. However, it's groundbreaking astronomy that was fresh news in the latter years of the 1990's. If you missed the newsflash, you're not alone. The headlines are tremendously profound, and yet somehow managed to miss a majority of the public. The revelation is this: the universe is expanding, and the universe is expanding at faster and faster speeds.
Hold the Phone
In 1998 two completely separate labs studying the expansion of the universe reached the same conclusion simultaneously: that the universe's expansion is accelerating. The Supernova Cosmology Project and the High-Z Supernova Search Team obtained evidence showing that rather than expanding at a steady or a decreasing rate, the universe was expanding more and more rapidly. This conclusion came as a complete shock, for it seems contrary to everything already understood about the universe and forces such as gravity. Imagine if you threw an apple up into the air and, instead of falling to the earth, it kept going and continually increased its speed. You'd be bewildered, right? As were the scientists who discovered that the universe was expanding faster and faster.
A Quick Look at the Science
The Supernova Cosmology Project and the High-Z Supernova Search Team used type Ia supernovas as "standard candles" to measure distances in distant galaxies. They found that the cosmic scale factor has a positive second derivative, meaning that the velocity at which a galaxy is receding from an observer is continuously increasing with time. Later evidence from other scientists such as that found in baryon acoustic oscillations and the clustering of galaxies has only confirmed, rather than refuted, what was originally found. Three members of the two aforementioned groups were awarded Nobel Prizes for their discovery, demonstrating the gravity (no pun intended) of their finding in the scientific world.
So… What Happens to Us?
Scientists aren't sure. Fortunately, those of us experiencing the discovery as being "new" won't have to worry about it in our lifetime. Nor will our children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on. However, when the generation comes who will have to worry about it, they may be dealing with an impossible and inevitable conclusion to the universe. Scientists speculate that one of the following may happen:
- Big Freeze – Black holes dominate the universe and eventually themselves fade out
- Big Rip – All material is disintegrated and the end state is a singularity
- Big Crunch – All matter and space-time collapses into a dimensionless singularity
- Big Bounce – The collapsing universe spawns another universe through a Big Bang-like event
- Multiverse – This universe may reach a heat death, but other regions of the Whole Universe aren't
- False Vacuum – The universe splits into several new worlds
Don't be too depressed. There's also the option of "cosmic uncertainty," which implies exactly what it seems to: we don't really know all of what we're talking about. There's a strong chance scientists could be completely wrong about everything.
Think Happy Thoughts
Remember that all of this is science significantly dumbed down, and there is much to learn about each topic to fully grasp the gravity of the situation. Regardless, every human could mature a little as a result of learning that the universe is, effectively, going away. And it's going away faster and faster. Enjoy the night skies while you can, as they won't always be so lavishly filled with twinkling stars and swirling galaxies.


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Lord of the Rings Characters – Saruman the White Saruman was one of the Istari or Wise Wizards bought to Middle-earth to help overcome the Dark Lord. He was very wise and spoke with a compelling voice and was the leader of the White Council – anRead more →
Archive for the Latest News Category
Witch-king of Angmar The Witch-king is the lord of the Ringwraiths – so called due to the affect of the rings of power which have made them spirit like and therefore they cannot be seen by mortal eyes. As Sauron keeps the rings which enslaved them onlyRead more →
Denethor II- Steward of Gondor. Denthor II, the Steward of Gondor acted as the King of the country after the last ruling king of Gondor went missing, as no one was entirely sure the King was dead, the stewards started to rule in perpetuity until time "theRead more →
It is a strange fate that we should suffer so much fear and doubt over so small a thing. Such a little thing" Boromir – Fellowship of the Ring 2001 The One Ring does not immediately spring to mind as a weapon of mass destruction, it isRead more →


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As Wicked Sound System, DJs Garth, Jenö, Thomas and Markie helped to raise a generation of Bay Area house music lovers and connoisseurs.
A collective of British expatriates who had soaked up that nation's rave culture, Wicked debuted in San Francisco with a Full Moon party on Baker Beach. It was a lunar tradition they would keep, later moving to various locations including Bonny Doon in Santa Cruz and inspiring similar renegade events in Southern California and beyond. They've mostly moved to different cities; Garth, for one, is pursuing twin careers in DJing and acting in Los Angeles, for example, but still maintain a musical and social bond.
The crew turns 22 this year and the DJs are celebrating with a reuniting "Return of the Prodigal Sons" party on July 6 at Mighty. The event is expected to draw a wide age range of Bay Area dance enthusiasts.


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Born in Chichester, England, on 7 April 1972, Tim graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1992, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in flight dynamics and evaluation from the University of Portsmouth in 2006. He has flown as a reconnaissance pilot in Germany, the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, Northern Ireland, Kenya, and Canada. During his career, he has logged over 3000 hours' flying time on more than 30 types of helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft.
Tim joined ESA in 2009 and completed his Astronaut Basic Training in 2010. He was appointed an ambassador for UK Science and space-based careers, and is involved in working with the UK Space Agency in developing the UK's microgravity research programme. He is keenly interested in promoting science and engineering as career possibilities for school pupils and students.
Tim is married with two sons. In his spare time he enjoys skiing, scuba diving, cross-country running, climbing, and mountaineering. He has also completed the London Marathon, and his other interests include quantum physics and aviation.
Tim is based at ESA's European Astronaut Centre in Cologne, Germany. He was part of the Principia mission, involving a long-duration flight to the International Space Station.
You can:


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Hike for Happiness 2018
Family Service Thames Valley
Hike for Happiness is a non-competitive family friendly walk to raise funds to support those with limited financial means to be able to have mental health treatment. The Hike for Happiness offers participants the opportunity to enjoy a morning walk with their friends and family in one of London's Environmentally Significant Areas (ESA).
All Donations go towards helping individuals access mental health treatment at Family Service Thames Valley. Family Service Thames Valley is offering a weekly walk-in clinic for individuals, couples and families in the community coping with mental health, emotional, or relational concerns that could benefit from quick access to counselling.
Come hike with us and support this great cause! Every dollar received counts towards helping someone in need of counselling and support. Even the smallest contribution can help someone through a difficult time in their lives. No amount is too small, so please contribute today and help brighten someone's day!
Date : Sunday, September 23rd, 2018
Start time: 9:00 am
Location: London, ON - details of venue will be share with fundraisers
Wear Yellow to identify participants in the group
Bring water
Must wear walking/hiking shoes
You must be able to walk on uneven, unpaved trails
No pets allowed


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I would like to begin this chapter with the following scene from Anna Karenina, which is based on one of Tolstoy's personal experiences.
After lunch Levin was not in the same place in the string of mowers as before, but stood between the old man who had accosted him jocosely, and now invited him to be his neighbor, and a young peasant, who had only been married in the autumn, and who was mowing this summer for the first time.
The old man, holding himself erect, moved in front, with his feet turned out, taking long regular strides, and with a precise and regular action which seemed to cost him no more effort than swinging one's arms in walking, as though it were in play, he laid down the high, even row of grass. It was as though it were not he but the sharp scythe of itself swishing through the juicy grass.
Behind Levin came the lad Mishka. His pretty, boyish face, with a twist of fresh grass bound around his hair, was all working with effort; but whenever anyone looked at him he smiled. He would clearly have died sooner than own it was hard work for him.
Levin kept between them. In the very heat of the day the mowing did not seem such hard work to him. The perspiration with which he was drenched cooled him, while the sun, that burned his back, his head, and his arms, bare to the elbow, gave a vigor and dogged energy to his labor; and more and more often now came those moments of unconsciousness, when it was possible not to think what one was doing. The scythe cut of itself. These were happy moments. Still more delightful were the moments when they reached the stream where the rows ended, and the old man rubbed his scythe with the wet, thick grass, rinsed its blade in the fresh water of the stream, ladled out a little in a tin dipper, and offered Levin a drink.
"What do you say to my homebrew, eh? Good, eh?" said he, winking.
And truly Levin had never drunk any liquor so good as this warm water with green bits floating in it, and a taste of rust from the tin dipper. And immediately after this came the delicious, slow saunter, with his hands on the scythe, during which he could wipe away the steaming sweat, take deep breaths of air, and look about at the long string of mowers and at what was happening around in the forest and the country.
The longer Levin mowed, the oftener he felt the moments of consciousness in which it seemed not his hands that swung the scythe, but the scythe mowing of its own, and as though by magic, without thinking of it, the work turned out regular and well-finished of itself. These were the most blissful moments.
The Turn Within
This happiness and the refreshment that we enjoy when we recognize and surrender to pure consciousness is true meditation.
Meditation is your own thing.
Just like sleep is our capacity to turn within, it does not belong to some religion or country. Sleep is our own state. The three states - deep sleep, dreaming, and waking - are witnessed by you. The Witness, pure consciousness, is the fourth state.
Meditation is being the Witness only.
It's not something new, which has to be learned, nor is it something old and exotic. The capacity to focus the mind on one point is common to us all. And the joy that arises from within when the mind is still is also common to us all.
Be the Witness only.
Not escaping, not desiring, not avoiding, not complaining.
Notice your experience of this moment. The moment is so elusive and so brief that we can't even think about it before it has gone. Reality has already departed before thought reaches where it thought it was.
Our experience is nonintellectual. This moment is always here, since we know no other moment than the present moment. Experience is always being born, always new, emerging rapidly from that complete unknown which we call the future.
We are seeing that our experience is momentary, it is being preserved in the present and it is always dying, dissolving, always becoming the past, more rapidly than imagination can conceive. Thinking about it almost makes you breathless!
Yet there is continuity in this process. The uninterrupted existence of the essence of this moment is you.
Be the Witness only.
Not thinking, not experiencing, not separate, not gaining.
It is consciousness itself which makes experience possible. It's like daylight, which makes everything visible while itself remaining invisible.
So consciousness is present in every experience, yet is not an experience. To recognize your Self is not an experience. It is the discovery of the timeless space – the eternal now – in which every experience takes place.
As 14th century mystic Meister Eckhart said,
"The now-moment in which God made the first man, and the now-moment in which the last man will disappear, and the now-moment in which I am speaking are all one in God, in whom there is only one now.
Look! The person who lives in the light of God is conscious neither of time past nor of time to come, but only of one eternity. Therefore he gets nothing new out of future events, nor from change, for he lives in the now-moment that is, unfailingly, ever new life."
We look to the future because the present seems empty. We want more and more time to go on searching, ever hopeful of satisfaction just around the corner.
Experience now the place of deep peace within yourself.
Be the Witness only.
Not seeking, not changing, not empty, not satisfied.
Meditation Instruction
Meditation is easy. It's been working for people since the beginning of time. Meditation easily and spontaneously leads you to focus your mind and allows you to reach a calm center inside. A great source of happiness and peace lies right inside you. You can discover a new dimension of yourself and approach your life with great calm and joy.
Meditate on the one who is meditating on you all the time,
the Witness.
Now, as you sit erect, breathing regularly and slowly, just sit erect, breathing regularly and slowly. When there is a thought neither accept it nor reject it. Then you will find yourself to be what you are, the Witness.
Meditation allows the mind to become still, then the bliss of the Witness manifests by itself. It's very difficult to take mud out of water but if you let it be, it will clear by itself.
The art of living meditation is neither careless drifting on the one hand, nor fearful clinging to the past and the known on the other. It consists in being completely sensitive to each moment, in regarding it as utterly new and unique, in having the mind open and wholly receptive.
Your True Identity
There is a Chinese story of one who came to a great sage, saying, "I have no peace of mind. Please pacify my mind."
The sage answered, "Bring out your mind before me, and I will pacify it."
"These many years," he replied, "I have sought my mind, but I cannot find it."
"There", concluded the sage, "it is pacified!"
Be the Witness only.
Not full of mind, not knowing, not attached, not stressful.
Realize yourself as the ocean of consciousness in which all happens. This is not difficult. A little attentiveness, a close observation of yourself, and you will see that no experience is outside your consciousness.
Mind is intermittent, full of gaps. Yet there is a continuity of identity. What is this sense of identity due to, if not something beyond mind?
There is no need to change anything. The mind is changing all the time anyway. Look at your mind dispassionately. This is enough to calm it. It will settle down and recover its purity and strength.
Your true identity is very subtle, but your mind is full of gross thoughts and feelings. Calm and clarify your mind and you will know yourself as you are.
Knowing by Being
From the Mahanarayana Upanishad:
"By dedication to the practice of meditation comes mental power.
From mental power comes sense withdrawal (pratyahara). This makes deep reflection possible.
From reflection comes calmness of mind. This leads to illumination or conclusive experience of truth.
This illumination intensifies remembrance of truth.
This remembrance produces continuous remembrance, continuous remembrance leads to unbroken, direct realization of truth.
By such realization one lives as pure consciousness."
There is only one waveless and profound ocean of pure nectar, sweet through and through, blissful everywhere. That consciousness is the Witness of the rise and fall of all beings. Know that to be the immortal state of supreme bliss.
Be the Witness only.
Not "I", not embodied, not resisting, not even understanding, but only Being the one who is the Witness.
When you are practicing meditation, don't try to stop your thinking. Let it stop by itself. If something comes into your mind, let it come in and let it go out. It won't stay long.
When you try to stop your thinking it means you are bothered by it. Do not be bothered by anything.
It appears as if something comes from outside your mind, but actually it is only the waves of your mind, and if you are not bothered by the waves of your mind, gradually they will become calmer and calmer.
Be the Witness only.
To know by being is direct knowledge. It is based on the identity of the seer and the seen. The primary purpose of meditation is to become conscious of and familiar with our inner Witness. The ultimate purpose is to be this source of life and consciousness.
To know, you need a knowing mind, a mind capable of knowing. But your mind is ever on the run, never still, never merely reflecting.
Know who you are. Don't ask others. Don't let others define you. Look within and know.
True happiness cannot be found in things that change and pass away. Pleasure and pain alternate. Happiness comes from the Witness and can be found in the Witness only.
Be the Witness only and all else will come with it.
Meditation leads directly to realization by removing the obstacles which make you think that the Witness is not already realized.
Context vs. Content
I still practice on 18th Street in New York City under the guidance of Shihan Yamada Sensei. I now live on the West Bank of the Hudson River in Hoboken. We are coming up on the 10th Anniversary of my own dojo here in Hoboken. I am currently reading David R. Hawkins, M.D., Ph.D., who reports from his own experience in Power vs. Force:
"The question then arises: How does one know what's being experienced by the mind? By observation and introspection, one can witness that thoughts have no capacity to experience themselves, but that something both beyond and more basic than thought, experiences the sequence of thoughts, and that something's sense of identity is unaltered by the content of thoughts.
What is it that observes and is aware of all of the subjective and objective phenomena of life? It's consciousness itself that resonates as both awareness and experiencing, and both are purely subjective.
Consciousness itself isn't determined by content; thoughts flowing through consciousness are like fish swimming in the ocean. The ocean's existence is independent of the fish: the content of the sea doesn't define the nature of the water itself. Like a colorless ray, consciousness illuminates the object witnessed, which explains its traditional association throughout world literature with 'light.'
Identification solely with the content of consciousness accounts for the experience of self as limited. In contrast, to identify with consciousness itself is to know that one's actual self is unlimited. When such circumscribed self-identifications have been surmounted so that the sense of self is identified as consciousness itself, we become 'enlightened.'
Enlightenment is said to be relatively rare, not so much because of the difficulty of following the necessary steps to get there, but because it's a condition of interest to very few, particularly in modern society. If we were to stop 1,000 people in the street and ask them: What is your greatest ambition in life? how many would say: To be enlightened?"
Our practice is centered on meditation because the goal of meditation is to realize the inner truth, not just to relax a little and get some peace. I would like to close with these clear words from Dr. Hawkins.
"Ignorance does not yield to attack, but it dissipates in the light, and nothing dissolves dishonesty faster than the simple act of revealing the truth.
The only way to enhance one's power in the world is by increasing one's integrity, understanding, and capacity for compassion.
The initial effect of taking responsibility for the truth of one's life is the stepping stone to higher levels of consciousness.
The Courage to face truth leads eventually to Acceptance.
This in turn leads to Love.
Knowing our own, and everyone else's, human foibles gives rise to Forgiveness, and then to Compassion.
Compassion is the doorway to Grace, to the final realization of who we are and why we're here, and to the ultimate source of all existence."


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Here at Huntington Beach Honda, we honor all warranty work and factory recalls. Our staff can accommodate any type of problem that may arise with your Honda in an efficient, precise, and timely manner. Also, find great OEM Honda parts for sale or get in touch with our Parts department.
Please call our Service Department at (714) 842-5533 to schedule your service work or click the button below to be taken to our Service Request Form:
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I love shopping for babies. Everything's so cute and tiny and adorable. But most of the things that I'm drawn to aren't going to be very useful to the new parents. I got the skinny from two experts (with babies) who say that the following items are the most appreciated – all quotes are from the mouths of moms!
"Onesies are wonderful because they reduce the need for daily laundry. Yep, daily." For the price of a super-cute sailor outfit or a customized shirt that says "Future Doctor," you can get several basic onesies at Target or Wal-Mart.
Diapers and diaper accessories
If you're organizing a baby shower at work or among friends, contributing to a diapers.com account will allow the parents to order diapers as needed. But diapers themselves are always appreciated, as are extra supplies of Desitin, Vaseline, and baby wipes.
Toiletries and baby supplies
Other toiletry items like shampoo, powder, and baby lotion will also come in handy. "The convenience items that you are always going to need and never want to run out of are the most important things." Gift cards to Target, Walmart, or the grocery store are also much appreciated – "when you're at the store getting diapers, and you remember you need nipple cream and ex-lax and a nasal aspirator, it's nice to have that stuff covered."
Gift cards to restaurants near their home that you have checked will deliver to them are a wonderful gift. If you're close friends or family, dropping off frozen food that can be heated up for a quick dinner or sending them a surprise delivery dinner from a favorite spot will get you nominated for sainthood.
Parents' nights out
Movie tickets or a gift card to the local theater company, along with a coupon for free babysitting from you (if you're able or willing), are a great boon to parents who haven't been out of the house without the baby in weeks. Just make sure they aren't date-specific in case "life happens." And sincere, time-specific offers to take the baby out, even for a few hours so the parents can take a nap, are always appreciated. If you give them a coupon for your services, follow up a few weeks later so they know you're serious, and can set up a specific day.
Day to day items
Coffee and ibuprofen might seem like a gag gift at the shower, but according to my experts they're going to come in handy. Also, if they don't already have one, an electric kettle can be very useful for making a cup of tea quietly.
A head start on college
Especially for a shower with a large group, starting a 529 for the baby is a lovely idea. Each person won't have to contribute much to get a nice sum, and believe me, when the baby gets to college, both the baby and parents will appreciate every dollar (plus interest).
The cutie-poo gifts we love buying
From my experts – "The sentimental items won't be sentimental until the other person (the gifter) makes them sentimental – for example, a disposable camera used for pictures of time spent with the baby is strongly preferred over a darling embroidered pillow that they'll throw up on."
Readers, what items did you find useful at your baby showers? How many onesies did your kids go through a day?
(photo credit: sarahemcc)


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Gerard Butler Suits Up for Chanel's Pre-BAFTA Party
Gerard Butler looks handsome on the red carpet as he arrives at the Pre-BAFTAs Awards Party hosted by Chanel on Saturday night (February 17) at Mark's Club Mayfair in London, England.
The 48-year-old actor went clean-shaven in a blue suit as he stepped out for the party.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Gerard Butler
Other stars at the event included Tessa Thompson, Letitia Wright, Haley Benett, and Minnie Driver.
The 2018 BAFTA Awards take place tomorrow afternoon, Sunday February 18.
10+ pictures inside of the stars arriving at the party…


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Eliminating the mouse from our computer use diet seems like a real possibility, especially when you consider the number of touch screen technologies now available. The idea of touching the screen instead of moving an arrow around on it seems not only more intuitive, but also easier. However, the way our computers are currently set up was not designed for this type of control.
If you are a PC user, you're likely familiar with Windows 7. It was designed to be controlled by a mouse. As such, icons, menus, buttons, and other points of contact within Windows 7 and small, in anticipation that the user with interact with a mouse pointer, not their finger on the screen. In our experiences working with adults 55+, we find it challenging for users to be precise enough to use Windows 7 on a touch screen monitor. For instance, when closing a program, the user often needs to tap the "X" to exit the program 3-4 times before they manage to press the exact spot. A similar result happens when trying to tap buttons on Facebook and in web email, such as Gmail.
Luckily, Windows 8 has been redesigned specifically for touch screen monitors. The way we use and control our laptop and desktop computers is about to change substantially over the next 2 years.
Can you believe we'll eventually phase out keyboards too??? It's almost hard to imagine. For those with the ability to type quickly… not too far down the road, that might be a useless skill. Who would have thought ?


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I am on my way back from Berlin after meeting Professor Benno Brinkhaus, a German pioneer of clinical acupuncture research, at the Charité. A window seat on an Intercity Express train, traveling at 250 kph, is one of my favorite places to work. And they serve such good coffee! Unfortunately, the journey will only take an hour and a half. But it looks as if I may be traveling this route more often in the future. Benno and I are planning some exciting collaborations in acupuncture basic research.
Talking to Benno I thought it might be a good idea to feature some of the important people in complementary medicine research working on somatosensory therapies with a series of interviews. Lucky for me, Benno agreed to be the first scientist featured by this series. The following interview was conducted on 28 July 2015.
For those of you, who do not know him, Prof. Brinkhaus is currently head of the Complementary and Integrative Medicine Research Unit and head of the Outpatient Clinic for Complementary and Integrative Medicine of the Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology, and Health Economics at the Charité – Universitätsmedizin in Berlin.
A new kind of medicine: Benno, cross your heart: If you have a headache: Needle or NSAID?
Prof. Brinkhaus: [chuckles] Both! It depends on the situation and in particular whether I have the have time to go and see an acupuncturist or to stick a needle myself.
You needle yourself?
Of course!
What about your wife?
[chuckles] I have treated her several times. My wife is Catalan, you know? And southern Europeans seem to be a little bit more anxious compared to northern Europeans when it comes to needles… Nevertheless, I have had good success in treating her. Especially, when treating her in preparation of the birth of our children.
Well, I can assure you from my attempts to treat my own wife that this problem is not limited to southern Europeans…
I also started to treat my older children but have recently given up on that.
Because I think that it is better when the doctor is not a family member. As a specialist for internal medicine who also used to work in the ICU, I also feel that I may be a bit too relaxed, when it comes to ordinary diseases.
Can you tell our readers what kindled your interest in complementary medicine?
[chuckles] Oh, that is a long story. I studied medicine in Vienna and later in Düsseldorf. Towards the end of my studies, however, I was fed up with studying medicine. It completely lacked the creativity I was looking for and I also was not too happy with my ambitious fellow students. So I decided to finish my medicine studies and then continue with another discipline, for example architecture or arts.
But then I graduated and during my practical year I noticed that it is a completely different thing to study medicine than actually doing it. And I began to like it. However, I also felt that conventional medicine was not the only way I wanted to practice medicine as it was not very individualized and sometimes was not successful, particular in chronic diseases. So I thought it might help to get in contact with other medicine traditions. Searching for my first employment, I then found a unique position in Erlangen, where I could learn and practice internal medicine but at the same time be part of a complementary medicine department. At that time, Erlangen, was one of the very few places in Germany, where this was possible. Later, I decided to learn more about Chinese Medicine and took my first trip to China to learn the basics. I was fascinated by this kind of medicine, the way of thinking and the theory behind it. Back in Germany I started to study acupuncture in depth at the International Society for Chinese Medicine (SMS) in Munich, Germany.
Are there people that criticize your work?
Of course we always have colleagues that criticize our work. But I think this is o.k. as long as it happens in the scientific context. Now, after we have published in high-ranking journals, like Lancet, JAMA, and Annals of Internal Medicine, I think they acknowledge that we are doing good research and try to answer important questions.
Acupuncture is 60-80% placebo, homeopathy 90-100%
Let us continue with some more scientific questions: How much of acupuncture's effect do you think is due to placebo effects?
[chuckles] I think our studies show that the unspecific effect is indeed quite large. It probably depends on the indication, on the patient, as well as on the doctor. If you have an empathic doctor and a patient with high expectations, the unspecific effect may amount to 60 or even 80 percent. But of course we have this serious problem that sham acupuncture is not a real placebo, it is just only a sham intervention and it probably leads to wrong estimates.
What about homeopathy? How many percent unspecific effect?
[chuckles] Oh, I think more than 90 percent. Probably 100 percent.
Do you apply acupuncture and homeopathy in your clinic?
Yes. Both in our outpatient clinic, however, my specialities are naturopathy and acupuncture or Chinese medicine. I'm not a homeopathic doctor.
Don't you see any problems in using treatments that you believe are largely based on the placebo-effect?
In our clinic, we usually combine multiple therapies, like acupuncture and osteopathy, with movement therapy and nutritional as well as life style advice. I think the most important goal is to stimulate change in our patients' life style. Acupuncture is a great tool for this as the patients have to come back regularly to receive their treatment. So the sessions offer the opportunity to track the progress of such life style changes and make adjustments when necessary.
What do you consider your most important professional achievement so far?
I think the ART studies in pain diseases which we performed together with Claudia Witt, Klaus Linde and Dieter Melchart as well as the ACUSAR study in allergic rhinitis patients including the two pre-studies were ground-breaking. In ART we had four RCT trials, each with the same population number. We used the same design and methodology in all trials and for all indications. It was quite interesting to see that we got very different results for the sham (i.e. minimal acupuncture) groups. For example we saw a big response to the sham treatment in both headache groups (tension-type and migraine) but not in the osteoarthritis group. Of course, we were also able to show that acupuncture works in patients with allergic rhinitis, especially in seasonal allergic rhinitis. And it was very interesting that acupuncture showed long-time effects of more than 6 months and still reduced allergy symptoms in the following year.
Now let us talk about mechanisms for a moment. How do you think acupuncture and related techniques work?
This is one of the most important questions to answer these days. I believe that at present we only have some parts of a big puzzle. What we know is there seem to be different mechanisms of acupuncture for different diseases. In pain disorders acupuncture probably works by different mechanisms than e.g. in allergy or hypertension. We know that there are local effects that manifest themselves in the region close to the needle. Then there are effects on the spinal level and also in the brain. For the non-analgesic effects, acupuncture seems to modulate the activity of the autonomic nervous system as well as the immune system. Both effects are probably linked.
So the bottom line is that acupuncture works by neurally mediated mechanisms?
Yes, by the central and the autonomic nervous system, I think.
If you look ahead, what is your next most important goal?
I think it is quite difficult at the moment to get good projects funded. I surely would like to continue my work on acupuncture in atopic diseases, like seasonal allergic rhinitis placing a stronger emphasis on mechanisms. I would also very much like to work on acupuncture in stroke.
Acupuncture for serious diseases
That brings me to my next question: Do you think we should treat more serious diseases with acupuncture and related techniques?
Absolutely! As I said I would be happy to do a study on stroke patients if I had the funding. The problem is that you need to treat patients early and not start three or four weeks after the attack as many previous studies have. This of course means that you need one or better two acupuncturists at the stroke unit, which unfortunately is rather uncommon. I am also convinced that acupuncture would well complement emergency medicine, especially in the ambulance on the way to the hospital.
So apart from stroke, which other serious diseases should we treat with acupuncture?
Probably heart attacks. Of course only in addition to conventional therapy.
From your own experience, are there differences between somatosensory interventions in terms of what works best for a certain disease? For example, do you have patients where you only use cupping and others where you only use acupuncture?
I use more acupuncture than cupping or other interventions. This is because I have made very good experiences with acupuncture and consider it a stronger stimulus than e.g. cupping. Of course some patients do not tolerate needles or explicitly want to be cupped. But otherwise I prefer needles. However, we have also done two clinical studies with cupping for knee arthritis, where we compare cupping plus routine care to routine care only and got very good results. The results of a recent study, where we used a form of sham cupping for chronic low back pain, which means cupping with very little suction, are just being analyzed.
The medicine of the future
What is your vision for the future of integrative medicine?
My vision is that complementary medicine will transform conventional medicine into a modern form of medicine, let's call it integrative medicine, which from my point of view is the medicine of the future. I hope that we will not be so dependent on pharmaceutical drugs any more and that patients will take more responsibility for their own lives including their health. If humans care more for themselves, maybe they will also care more for the society and the environment. In the end, medicine is not only about your own health but about the health of the social system and the health of the environment.
Benno, thank you very much for this interview and all the best for your future work!
Thank you!


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Rakon managing director Brent Robinson and marketing director Darren Robinson got pay rises last year even as the shares more than halved in value and the company continued its policy of not paying dividends.
Brent Robinson's remuneration rose 6.7 per cent to $846,573 and Darren Robinson received an 8 per cent increase to $691,800 in the year ended March 31, the annual report said. Shares of the Auckland-based company fell 4.6 per cent to 42c on the NZX yesterday.
Rakon, founded by the Robinsons' father Warren Robinson, was a market darling when it first listed in May 2006 and the shares peaked in May 2007 at $5.80.
Interests associated with the family have about 23 per cent of the shares and a separate family company, Trident Investments, leases property to Rakon on commercial terms.
Brent and Darren Robinson got pay increases of about 5 per cent and 3.6 per cent respectively last year.


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A cool cat meme can come out of nowhere and break the internet in less than an hour. These pictures are shared with friends and family members that also love cats just to be passed along again until they are considered "viral". Cat memes are some of the most viral photos of our time!
Our generation is filled with liberal cat lovers that sit at their computers all day waiting for these pictures to surface. A good example of this is my good friend Jason who is always waiting for the internet to explode in cat excitement. Jason will be ecstatic when I send him this article but will likely yell at me because it does not include his favorite cool cat meme. He is pictured on the right and single if there are any ladies out their looking for a "crazy cat guy".
In an internet filled with meme's and videos full of people doing stupid things, it's good to see that cute pictures of cats will still make people smile. Whether you make your own cool cat meme, or use one of the generators below, you are sure to enjoy a smile or two!
Memegenerator – Grumpy Cat
This website has a good grumpy cat meme generator. They do not have many options to customize your image, but they make it easy for beginners. Simply enter your two lines of text and select which of the two pictures you prefer.
Imgflip – Grumpy Cat Meme Generator
ImgFlip has a more customizable meme cat meme generator for those of you looking for a little more control. They allow you to type the two lines of text and adjust the position, shadowing, and color of the text. This gives you more control of the overall product.
Cats are here to stay ladies and gentlemen! You might as well jump on the bandwagon and pick a favorite cool cat meme for your Facebook Picture. With so many different meme generators online to choose from, you have no excuse.
If you aren't into cats, there are other meme's you can chose from all over the internet. We have posted several articles on popular meme generators and even lists of our favorite memes.
Get your imagination running and get out there to start creating your own. You never know if your picture could go viral and take over the internet!


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Music News & Reviews
Album review: Carla Bruni
Carla Bruni
Comme Si De Rien N'Etait | 4 stars out of 5
Former Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton dater and current French first lady Carla Bruni's third album can't help but underscore the impression that the French are somehow fundamentally different than us (even if the guitar-strumming Mrs. Nicolas Sarkozy is Italian, after all).
Still, the supermodel-turned-chanteuse sings en francais on all but one of these diversely diverting tracks — a bittersweet cover of Pee Wee King's You Belong to Me. And it's hard to imagine Laura Bush fitting the time to make such a disarmingly enchanting disc into her social and diplomatic calendar. (Although had Hillary Clinton won the White House, one can imagine saxman Bill keeping busy recording an album of Junior Parker covers.)
It might be to Bruni's benefit that non-Gallic speakers will be unable to discern what she's singing about. (The coy title translates to "As if nothing had happened.") But with production assistance by Dominique Blanc-Francard and string arrangements from Benjamin Biolay, unfailingly pretty Bruni-penned Rien tracks such as La Possibilite D'Une Ile (adapted from Michel Houllebecq's novel of the same name), the bluesy Tu Es Ma Came, and the autobiographical L'Amoureuse all navigate wistful Euro folk-pop territory with a certain je ne sai quoi, not to mention an admirably understated élan that avoids the kitsch factor that spoils so much French pop.
Dan DeLuca, The Philadelphia Inquirer


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Grounds Maintenance Services for Schools and Colleges
Bawden Managed Landscapes has built up significant expertise in providing grounds maintenance and landscape maintenance services to schools and colleges across Hampshire and Wiltshire over the last thirty years. As a result Bawden has a clear insight into the needs of schools and colleges in terms of grounds maintenance service standards expected, flexibility in scheduling visits, and providing value for money.
The range of grounds maintenance services taylored for schools is extensive, below are some of the key disciplines:
- Grass cutting and sports pitch mowing.
- Sports pitch line marking.
- Athletic track marking.
- Redgra sports surfaces maintenance.
- Hedge trimming.
- Playground painting and car park marking.
- Sweeping and litter picking.
- Maintenance on woven Willow structures.
- Winter services and gritting
- Tree surgery and tree surveys
- Weed control
Furthermore Bawden deliver these services within an eye on professionalism at every turn. Standards that help benchmark Bawden against other suppliers include:
- Bawden is accredited to ISO9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001
- Directly employed experienced and qualified staff.
- DBS checked staff available if required.
- Uniformed staff and liveried vehicles.
- Members of RoSPA and Institute of Groundsmanship
Bawden Managed Landscapes welcomes enquiries from schools of all sizes, academies, colleges and universities. Where schools are part of a cluster then discounts can be achieved when grounds maintenance services are provided across the whole group. One off projects, short and long term contracts all are of interest to the Bawden team.


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If you would like to be notified of vendor opportunities click here to be added to our vendor contact list.
Science Week
Throughout the week there are various science topics explored through hands on activities for you and your family.
Movies in the Plaza
Enjoy a fun evening at the movies with the Recreation Division hots the Annual Movies in the Plaza Series, with one movie a month from May to October.
Cityhood Celebration
We celebrate Oakley's birthday on the first Saturday of every July with children's activities, food, vendors and a firework extravaganza.
Fishing Derby
The Oakley Kids Fishing Derby provides a day of fun catch and release fishing. Bring your pole, bait will be provided, your whole family is welcome to come and enjoy the day.
Heart of Oakley Festival
Each year we close Main Street for the Heart of Oakley Festival featuring wine, micro-brews, food vendors, entertainment and children's activities.
Cultural Booth Application 2019
Harvest Festival
Enjoy the Annual Oakley Harvest Festival with a costume parade, pie eating contest and more.
Hometown Decorating Contests
Compete with your neighbors to have the best decorated house. Homes are voted on by the public and one winner is selected. Contests are held for Halloween and Christmas.
Christmas Tree Lighting
Join in the holiday spirit and help Santa light the Christmas Tree, this event provides an opportunity for you to come downtown and enjoy all it has to offer.
Breakfast with Santa
A continental breakfast is served, with children's crafts and your chance to take a picture with Santa.
Taste of Oakley
Come sample food from various Oakley restaurants, and catering services.


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A sheer magic cast into stone
"If dreams are cast in stones or if stones can sing they would be like the exteriors and interiors of Bikaner havelies"
Bikaner is situated in the northwest of Rajasthan and it can legitimately boast of some unique architectural marvels of India. It has an ancient fort unparallel in its splendor. It can boast of many attractions for anyone interested in culture or art or architecture. Apart from Junagarh fort, Jain temples like Bhandasar temple, Neminath temple, Adeshwar temple are simply adorable. Lallgarh Palace is built in Victorian style but its stone and wood carvings are typical combinations of Mughal and Rajput art developing a typical Bikaner I flavor of architecture. Carvings find the best expression in Bikaneri havelies. Havelies are marvels in home architecture. Such havelies or residential houses do not exist anywhere in the world. They are the pride of Bikaner, says great author and philosopher, Aldous Huxley. They are situated in narrow lanes in the old city. Splendid abodes can be seen in the midst of streets that look serpent-like and peaceful. They are marvelous mansions made of red stone and stand magnificently.
They stand spreading magic around. Their jharokhas (casements), entrances, latticed windows, divankhanas, Gumaharias or basements, are exotic. The -red stone gives a look that is like a red carpet forcing one to look and admire. The havelies were the residence of wealthy merchants who had a fancy for beauty and art. Nine months in a year they lived in far off lands to earn money and then came to this city to rest and enjoy and build havelies and live in them, show their wealth and status, their love, fascination for architecture and colors. The oldest haveli is perhaps four hundred years old but most of them are hundred years in age or around it. That is why they indicate a pattern of their own. They charm each and everyone who happens to see them. Their exterior is dominated by the jharokhas at once charming and capable of keeping spellbound. The jharokhas are exquisite carvings made alive by artistic creators. They marvel at the beauty that lies in them and not merely in beholder's eyes. They are generally six feet long and three feet wide proving that small is beautiful.
Smaller they are, the more beautiful they are likely to look. They form the most picturesque part of the haveli face. They also indicate the love for nature these creators of havelies had. leaves and flowers decorate every jharokha giving it an astonishing and pleasant natural effect. Jali or stone with small holes create unbounded beauty.
The most famous cluster of havelies is the Rampuria Group of Havelies. Built by Balujee Chalva under instructions from Rampuria family its carvings show surprising skill. Rampuria havelis are many in number and are big in size and being located at nearly adjacent positions make great impression almost like the great havelies of Jaisalmer, the Patwa havelies. Theirs appears an undeniable similarity between the two havelies perhaps because both of them were mainly conceived and built by Vishwakarma clan. The interior scheme of decoration of the two havelies is very different. The Patwa havelies were built earlier and emphasized on exterior decoration and minute carvings on Jaisalmer stone while the Rampuria havelies were built of dulmera stone. The jaisalmeri stone is yellow in colour. The dulmera stone is red.
Both are soft red stones. Exquisite and minute carvings come naturally to both the stones. The patwa havelies have more carvings in the interior also. The Rampuria havelies are decorated with golden work of the highest quality. They have dankhanas (Drawing Room) which take us to the mughal and rajput period of amalgamation and synthesis. They have Victorian influence in abundance. The wood carvings in Rampuria Havelies are more exquisite and are far more beautiful. Another distinguishing feature is that Rampuria havelies have diverse exterior and each haveli has a pattern of its own. The Patwa havelies have more intricate carvings but the Rampuria havelies show a more varied face.
The most beautiful carvings on the face side are those of Rikhji Bagri ki Haveli situated near mohta chowk. Bikaner. It is very little known and is small in size. It is a poetry written on stone. Such artistic exterior is unparallel and perhaps does not exist anywhere on earth. The other and much better-known havelies including the great patwa havelies fade when the carving of this haveli show off the minutest details in a most delicate manner. Be it a peacock, an elephant, a flower or a pot, everything is natural. living and just enchanting. The more you look at them the more joy you get out of the view. It is a beauty forever, eternal and irreplaceable. If dreams are cast in stones or if stones can sing they would be like the exterior of Rikhji bagri ki haveli. Arched entrances and captivating jharokhas look more beautiful because of the flowers embossed on them which are more beautiful than the real flowers.
Another cluster of havelies which attracts the onlooker is the cluster of Daga chowk havelies. There are a number of havelies in daga chowk. A salient feature of these havelies is the fact that they are scattered like the scattered clouds. They are adorned with carvings of flowers. The rose is there with its freshness. The lotus flowers are there with their charm, Other flowers are there with their leaves. The walls are all flowery and take the viewer in a world of nature and its infinite splendours. The carvings on jharokhas are simply artistic to say the least. They are exquisite. They look like projected pieces of priceless jewelery. They take the viewer to a cocktail of architectural excellence. Daga family had a fascination for deevankhanas. The deewankhanas or drawing rooms gave prestige to the family. They were decorated with taste and were their show cases. They were a treasury of art and a matter of their pride. They preserved valuable murals also. They exhibited old and contemporary faces of Indian painting. They also demonstrate the increasing English influence.
The European influence is more evident in the haveli of Bhairondan Kothari. Its exterior is not so attractive or artistic but once you enter. it you are just enamored with its charm, it excels in marble work. It imparts fascinating beauty to its floors. Marble tiles are studded in the floors of the haveli. Marble magic is evident in every corner. It is the beautiful poem of Kamayani written by soft marble stone. Its marble work is unmatched and can match marble work any where in any part of world. It is this consideration which has forced some to include this haveli as one of the most beautiful houses of India, one of the fifty most beautiful.
Another remarkable haveli near this haveli is the haveli of Poonam Chand Kothari. Its exterior carvings are as beautiful as those of Daga havelies. Its wood work is better. Havelies of near by dhadhon ka chowck are also beautiful. Chandmal dhadha haveli is very beautiful in the eyes of some critics. Mohta havelies in Banthia chowk are all important. Havelies in mava patti and kothari Mohalla and those in dammani chowk deserve special mention.
In every haveli the dankhana is the most adored room and most prestigious too. The guests are received here. It is significant to mention that every haveli has two dankhanas. One for men and another for women and these are situated at the main entrance of the haveli. There may a few havelies who are not big enough to accommodate two dankhanas. seperate space is kept in the same dankhana for ladies and gents.
A dankhana generally has six pillars. Every pillar has a glass mirror with gold frame. This frame is engrossed with flowers mostly roses. The flowers of various colours illuminate the diwankhana and add to its beauty. The flowers and the leaves adore all walls of the diwankhnna. They may be curved on stone or may be painted, they give illusion of nature and natural beauty. Then every diwankhana has paintings of gods and goddesses. Lord Ganesh and Laxmi and Parwati are the most prevalent among them. Lord Shiv and Bhagwan Ram and Lord Krishana are the other Godswho generally decorate this room. Taken as a whole, the havelis contain a number of paintings of Radha Krishan and Ram Sita also. Apart from religious deities and flowers, the leaves fruits like apples, grapes, oranges and bananas also find place in most havelies in Bikaner. They had great fascination for peacocks and parrots and these are shown hovering over the fruits. The ceiling of a diwankhana was always beautiful and artistic. It was a wooden ceiling generally and was embossed with flowers with six or eight leaves. Some of the havelies have golden work on the ceiling and some like the Bhairnodan kothari haveli and Rampuria havelis excel in this type of work. The owners of the havelies were mostly religious people and every haveli has a temple.
Every haveli has at least a second story. A mol or mahal is the most beautiful and artistic portion of this part and is normally adorned with golden work of carving . Mahal is the symbol of status. lt is rich in carvings. Golden carvings are the ardour of the mahal because it is here that dancing girls used to give performances in mahfils (parties). The richer the mahfil.the richer is the owner in the eyes of the society. The paintings of Indra ,the king of heaven sitting on his throne or his elephant with beautiful fairies dancing .enhances the beauty of the mol linking it with Hindu fables and stories and myths. Some mols contain valuable master pieces of art. Most of the rooms in Sampatlal Agarwal haveli are adorned with large priceless paintings of Raja Ravi Verma. They are as old as eighteen hundred ninety four. Large courtyards, sals, and oras turn these ancient houses into depositors of history, art and architecture in their own small way. Their another feature is the impressive beautifully painted ceilings. Some havelis have ceilings which instantly attract the viewer, earn his appreciation, amaze him, delight him. Every haveli consists of a number of rooms, big and small, made for special purposes and suitable for those purposes. A sal is a rather half open multi purpose room for internal use of the family. An ora is a small bed room again for the members of the family. It is also a box room. Barsali is the passage from enterce to the interior portion of the haveli. It is follwed by Angan or chowk. Angan is surrounded by kitchen, Pujaghar, and water store or parindha. Almost every haveli has more than one stories. Sometimes five to six but normally three.
An interesting feature of havelies is that there are no urinals in them. This was because water was a scarce commodity and it was to he utilized with utmost care andnot a drop of it was to be wasted. There were no flush latrines. Purity was another consideration. The pujaghar or temple was to be as away from the urinal place as possible. The toilets were situated in near by kotries or large open spaces with only toilet buildings. The courtyards or boundaries were always there to surround a kotri. Most of the havelies are situated in narrow streets in the old city or the walled city.
These havelies are priceless treasures of heritage.