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Volvo S60 Lease Deals 2019
Why lease a Volvo S60 in 2019?
Volvo have an amazing ability to produce cars that are stylish, perform well and keep you safe. The S60 and is an elegant business car, but practical enough for family use. One thing is for sure, no matter what you use it for, you don't have to worry about your safety in the S60.
Something about saloons says "sophistication" and the S60 is no exception. Depending on your trim level choice, there are a number of ways you can tailor the S60 to your taste. The interior is available in several different colours and the high quality material creates an inviting atmosphere.
Although the S60 has yet to undergo its Euro NCAP safety testing the similarly engineered V60 scored the full five-star rating in its last Euro NCAp safety test and the car also comes with Volvo's IntelliSafe and has a range of systems that ensure your safety. City safety, which comes as standard with new Volvo's, identifies obstacles on the road. If you don't react it will brake for you. Other features include CleanZone which filters the outside air, so the air in the car is cleaner than the air outside.
Volvo offer the S60 fleet with a full range of engines. The most greenest and most frugal of these is the D2, with 74.3mpg and CO2 emissions of only 99g/km.
Blending performance with economy, the 2.0-litre 187bhp D4 diesel engine delivers over 70mpg and also produces a top speed of 143mph and a 0-62mpg time of just 7.1 seconds.
Naturally, a manufacturer with the reputation of Volvo does not scrimp on the in-car technology. The standard infotainment system includes a 5-inch interactive TFT screen, DAB radio, and a hands-free Bluetooth system. Upgrades include Sensus, which gives drivers online connectivity, SatNav, plus HDD music storage, and more.
We have some of the most affordable Volvo S60 lease deals available, so we're confident that we have the right deal for you. However, should you like any assistance, simply give our friendly support team a call and they'll answer any questions you may have.More info > Interested in leasing this vehicle?


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This past weekend I attended a conference at Regent University in Virginia Beach - The Holy Spirit, Science and Theological Education. This is an annual conference that Regent University hosts on the topic of Renewal Theology. I learned of the conference through a monthly … [Read more...]
Chronic Stress Can Lead to High Cholesterol. How Your Faith Can Help.
In the Health Section of today's Wall Street Journal, there is an informative article, Stress Raises Cholesterol More Than You Think. I've long understood this and have tried to educate others on this topic so that they might be able to better control their high cholesterol … [Read more...]
Your View of God – Its Effects on Physical Health
The following is taken from the February, 2016 issue of Crossroads, a Newsletter of the Center for Spirituality, Theology & Health, Duke University. Many of you will find this research interesting. ---------------- In one of the first reports from the Landmark … [Read more...]
Spiritual Assessments for Health Practitioners
Today, the July issue of CROSSROADS...exploring research on religion, spirituality and health, a publication of Duke University's Center for Spirituality, Theology & Health, was published. A new resource, mentioned in the newsletter that is now available, is a free 5-part … [Read more...]
You Are Wired to Be Connected to God
You were wired to be connected to and in a relationship with God. Research has shown that a prayer of 12 minutes or more will cause physical changes in the brain. I imagine that this is why God instructs us to 'pray without ceasing.' See 1 Thessalonians 5:17 And there … [Read more...]
Church Attendance, Social Isolation and Mortality – Recent Reserch Findings
Crossroads is the Newsletter of the Center for Spirituality, Theology & Health at Duke University. The November, 2013 issue was just released. In this issue, six research studies were highlighted and summarized. The one that most interested me was a study about the value of … [Read more...]
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subset: commoncrawl


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|John B. T. Campbell III
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 48th district
|Assumed office
December 6, 2005
|Preceded by
|Chris Cox
Member of the California Senate
from the 35th district
|In office
December 2004 – December 2005
|Preceded by
|Ross Johnson
|Succeeded by
|Tom Harman
Member of the California State Assembly
from the 70th district
|In office
December 2000 – December 2004
|Preceded by
|Marilyn Brewer
|Succeeded by
|Chuck DeVore
|July 19, 1955
Los Angeles, California
|Political party
|Catherine Campbell
|John Bayard Taylor Campbell IV
Logan Campbell
|Shady Canyon (Irvine, California)
|Alma mater
University of Southern California
|accountant, automobile dealer, politician
John Bayard Taylor Campbell III (born July 19, 1955) is a Republican U.S. politician who is currently a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing California's 48th Congressional District.
Born in Los Angeles, California, Campbell graduated high school from the Harvard School in 1972 and earned his B.A. in Economics from UCLA in 1976 and his M.S. in Business Taxation from USC in 1977. After receiving his Master's degree, Campbell became a CPA and joined Ernst & Young as a tax accountant.
In 1985, Campbell became President and CEO of Campbell Automotive Group. In 1990, he became President and CEO of Saturn of Orange County. Campbell became Chairman and CEO of Saab of Orange County in 1999.
Elected to represent southern Orange County's 70th District in the California State Assembly in 2000, Campbell won 60% of the vote in a five-way race to replace term-limited Assemblywoman Marilyn Brewer. Campbell was reelected in 2002 with 67% of the vote.
In the 2004 race to replace the term-limited Ross Johnson in the 35th State Senate District, Campbell won the Republican primary with 61% of the vote against fellow Assemblyman Ken Maddox, who garnered only 30% of the vote. In the general election, Campbell won 64% of the vote.
As a Senator, Campbell served as Vice Chair of both the Business Professions and Economic Development Committee and the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee. He was also a member of the Budget and Fiscal Review Committee; the Energy, Utilities, and Communications Committee; the Environmental Quality Committee; and the Government Modernization, Efficiency, and Accountability Committee.
On June 17, 2009, Campbell signed on as a co-sponsor of H.R. 1503, the bill introduced as a reaction to conspiracy theories which claimed that U.S. President Barack Obama is not a natural born U.S. citizen.[1]
In 2009, several watchdog groups accused Rep. Campbell of taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from used car dealers, and then introducing legislation exempting them from consumer protection laws.[2][3][4]
After Congressman Chris Cox resigned to become Chairman of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Campbell became a candidate to replace Cox in the 48th Congressional District Special Election, scheduled for October 4, 2005. Campbell received endorsements from most of the important Republican officials in the state, but faced some criticism as his stance on illegal immigration was seen as being too lenient. Campbell faced a strong third-party challenge from American Independent Party candidate Jim Gilchrist. On October 4, Campbell garnered 45.5% of the vote, below the 50% needed to avoid a runoff. He faced Democrat Steve Young, American Independent Jim Gilchrist, Libertarian Bruce Cohen and Green Bea Tirtilli in the December 6 runoff, which he won with 44.4% of the vote. Campbell was sworn in on December 7.
Campbell was re-elected to his first full term in 2006 with 60% of the vote. In 2008, he was re-elected to his third term with 55.7% of the vote.
|Political offices
|Preceded by
Marilyn Brewer
|California State Assemblyman
70th District
|Succeeded by
Chuck DeVore
|Preceded by
Ross Johnson
|California State Senator
35th District
|Succeeded by
Tom Harman
|United States House of Representatives
|Preceded by
Chris Cox
|Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 48th congressional district
December 7, 2005 – present


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Hospital Food Like You've Never Imagined
Latvian restaurant Hospitalis is making people sick, and it's not what you think.
Inspired by a recent trip to the ER, which, by the way, was terrible ( the song "They Don't Care About Us" ran through my mind like a broad on a treadmill – the lyrics about being invisible and being ignored really stand out.) I decided to write about this pop restaurant that I heard about a little while ago. Nestled in the youthful capital of Riga, Latvia, Hospitalis offers [ Continue Reading ]


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Introduction to the Mathematics chapter of Datalabcc's "Foundations in Data Science" series.
Primer on elementary algebra
Primer on linear algebra
Primer on systems of linear equations
Primer on calculus
How calculus relates to optimization
Big O notation
Basics of probability.
How does the brain learn? This lecture discusses the roles of development and adult plasticity in shaping functional connectivity.


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Wow! Has it really been over 2 weeks since my last post? A lot has happened since then, including the trending of the #20BeautifulWomen tag that I'm sure most of us on social media have seen. The purpose of this challenge is to post something that makes you feel beautiful, both inside and out. I've had the honor of being tagged, and I've decided to mix it up a little bit! Instead of the typical selfie, I thought I'd kill two birds with one stone: rise to the #beautifulwomen posting challenge and finish another blog post!
In order to do that, I'm going to list 20 things in the last two weeks that have made me happy….Because everyone knows you are the most beautiful when you are happy!
1. Saw almost all of the Hoffmann clan in Green Bay last weekend! Lots of swimming, munching, and of course…chatting! It was definitely worth the long drive
2. Squeezed in lunch and supper dates with an old friend (:
3. I passed my Finance quiz and did better than I expected!
4. Received a Valentine's card from my always-on-the-balI, A+ friend, Miss Kelli Heeringa (with mint dark chocolate, I might add)
5. Watched the drama-filled episode of the Bachelor—sad I know. But there is something so intriguing about it! Ashley I & Kelsey….c'mon people that is funny stuff!
6. I've been able to get back on that work-out grind! Sooner than later, I will be strong and buff (shoot for the stars, right?)
7. FaceTime! Seriously, this piece of technology makes me SO happy!
8. This bullet point is dedicated completely to someone who makes me happy: loving brother, Jamison. His response to me getting a blog was: "unless you talk strictly about me, I probably won't read it." So shout-out to my very honest, silly, brother! You rock, bud, and always make me laugh (well, almost always). And now you have to read my blog!
9. My extra-long jeans came in the mail….SO. MUCH. LENGTH! I almost cried of happiness. #tallgirlprobs
10. Read devotions based on 2 Corinthians 5:17: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" Now that is something that should make everyone feel beautiful!
11. Derek, my wonderfully handsome, charming boyfriend, traveled to see me! And I get to look forward to this coming weekend when I get to see him again….2 weeks in a row! Lucky him! me! (;
12. Miraculously, I did not take any falls while ice-skating at the Maggie Daley Park, which is VERY surprising and clearly something to be happy about
13. My rear sat in the most beautiful Camaro I have ever seen. Thank you, Chicago Auto Show.
14. I had a class cancelled so I could listen to the CEO of the company that created Franzia talk about wine. Only downfall was there were no samples…nuts!
15. Stayed up late giggling with a friend, all while quoting Kristen Wiig's hilarious performance in Bridesmaids. So, so very hysterical!
16. I made it through two more full, full weeks of work and school
17. I filed my taxes all on my own!!
18. Listened to one of my favorite songs on repeat….a lot. Still don't know the lyrics, but I'll get there (hopefully!)
19. Heard a great sermon on spiritual warfare, which has prompted me to reread C.S. Lewis's Screwtape letters. It is such intriguing and eye-opening piece. Find a library and check it out!
20. Sitting here now typing this up! It is so refreshing to look back and smile at the little things, moments, and people that have made me feel so happy!
I hope each of you readers have the chance to look back and reflect on those moments in your life that have made you smile, and then thank God for each of them! Be happy and beautiful! Have a great week and thanks for reading (:
"I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds." Psalm 9:1 ESV


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Linda S. Faucett
St. Petersburg, Florida 33710, United States
As a St. Petersburg gay Realtor, you can count on me to help you with all of your Real Estate needs. I am here for you! St. Pete has a wonderful GLBT community. There are many activities and events to enjoy all year long. I am an Accredited Buyers Representative, and Relocation Specialist and would love to help you with
St Petersburg native and lesbian Realtor. Expert on area history & current housing trends & utilizes wide variety of marketing strategies. Our cities are very gay-friendly an offer just about anything for you to do. Beaches, sunsets, art & music culture, dog friendly parks, colleges, micro-breweries and professional sports through out the whole Tampa Bay area. The land of paradise!
Named one of America's Top Agents by Homelight, Top 5% Buyer's Agent & Top 5% Negotiator – Skilled Professional. "It was an amazing experience working with Rob. He made the buying process a breeze even though we live out of state. His knowledge of the area made us feel confident with our decision. I highly recommend him." Steve R., client
Barb and her partner Suzanne love working with people in our Community and have been helping people relocate and find neighborhood that fit their lifestyle and comfort! We help people by taking them on a tour of areas and neighborhoods, introducing them to our Gay Community, assist in letting them talk to others who have gone thru the process for
Hard working and licensed since 2000. I enjoy giving back to the community as I work with my husband who is the president of pride for the largest employer in Tampa Bay. We're proud to say Tampa Bay is becoming one of the fastest growing LGBTQ communities in Florida. I specialize in condo/townhomes, single family homes and commercial. One stop
Realtor with Smith and Associates Real Estate specializing in Residential Real Estate. As a native of Ohio, Pia moved to the Sunshine City of St Petersburg Florida in 2010 but will never forget her roots as a Buckeye!!! As a proud team member of the Platinum Group at Smith and Associates, we have over 20 years experience selling Real Estate


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Offering $3,000 Sign On Bonus!!
Diversicare is a premier provider of post-acute healthcare services with a strong legacy of quality care. We strive to foster a culture of transparency, support, and innovation. Our Mission is to improve every life we touch by providing exceptional healthcare and exceeding expectations . We are proud to provide work/life integration for our team members and offer a comprehensive benefits package.
Diversicare operates 76 centers in ten states primarily in the Midwest, Southeast and Southwest. As Diversicare team member, you will play an instrumental role in the care of our patients and residents, our most important responsibility. We are seeking compassionate team members to assist our patients and residents with activities of daily living. We are committed to providing a supportive and collaborative work environment for our team members. A qualified candidate is responsible for all key accountabilities in a manner that is reflective of Diversicare's Mission and Core Values: Integrity, Excellence, Compassion, Teamwork, and Stewardship. If you are looking for an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of patients and residents you serve, Diversicare is the place for you.
Contact: Ginger
• Assumes responsibility of center in absence of Administrator.
• Implements policies/procedures with follow-up and supervision of staff to ensure compliance; works closely with Medical Director, Health Department, C.D.C., etc. to ensure current standard practices are in place; recommends to regional office changes in policies/ procedures as needed.
• Assists in preparing budget for the department; administers approved budget.
• Recruits, selects, coaches, disciplines and terminates employees of the Nursing Department; ensures Nursing Department employees are scheduled; develops efficient work functions; conducts performance evaluations timely for nursing professionals.
• Analyzes and evaluates nursing and related services rendered to improve quality of resident care and plan better utilization of staff time and activities.
• Ensures positive outcomes are accomplished for residents; responsible to develop systems and work schedules that respect resident's lifestyle and ensure the resident reaches the highest attainable level of functioning; makes rounds at least daily; follows up daily on each shift to ensure changes in status are reported and recorded.
• Current R.N. License by State Board of Nursing required with demonstrated managerial and administrative ability.
• Prefer experience in the long-term care profession or working with geriatric population.
• Must have at least two years supervisory experience.
• Skills in organizing and planning programs and assigning personnel to provide nursing service for residents.
• Ability to evaluate reports, programs, and other data against both judgmental and verifiable criteria.
Diversicare is committed to being an equal opportunity employer. Diversicare does not discriminate in employment opportunities or practices on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity), national origin, age, or disability, sexual orientation, citizenship, marital status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Job ID 2019-33306
Type Regular Full-Time
Location Name Sedgwick Nursing & Rehab Center
Address 712 North Monroe Ave
Location US-KS-Sedgwick


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This one at BrainJar is a must read if you want to design your own theme or layout of your webpage.
The best illustration I have seen so far to explain margin, padding and border etc is here. You should always make these links handy unless you are designing things like this for a living.
Last but not least this reference in Particletree is also very useful.
Friday, July 7, 2006
Learning CSS
by sfong15 at 8:26 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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Steps to adoption or to be put on my messaging list
Step 1
View my available rats!
Step 2
Read through my adoption form. This form recognizes that you are aware and accept of all terms and conditions. If you adopt, it is implied that you have read this form and agree to all that is written.
Step 3
Please read my "All About Rats" section and fill out my questionnaire. This helps me assess your level of knowledge on ratties and give advice! The questionnaire must be sent to me before any reservations or adoptions are made.
When all of this is complete, send me a message!
If there are no rats currently available
and you would like to be messaged when they are, please send me a filled out questionnaire to be put on my messaging list. When you are on my messaging list you will be sent a message when babies are born and when babies are available for reservation (usually between 2 and 5 weeks of age, though this may vary) and at the time when you receive the message that babies are available for reservation they are "first come first reserve". Please note that everyone on my messaging list will be receiving updates via email only.
If you do not receive a message back within 24 hours please feel free to send me another message.
After you are approved for adoption:
I will meet with you at the Don Mills Public Library with your rats and any other materials you may have requested (carrier, food, treats, etc.). I usually prefer that the adoption fee is payed in cash at the time of pickup but e-transfers pre-adoption are also accepted.
If you cannot pick your rat/rats up within 1 week of the time that they are ready to go to their new homes, I do require a 50% deposit on each rat and a $5.00 deposit per week on each rat that is being held. If you are adopting an older rat (a rat over 6 weeks) a 50% deposit is required immediately and if you cannot pick them up within 7 days after you reserve them, the same $5.00/week is required.


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Attractive full-screen interface. In-app store. Fast delivery of books. Lots of options. Syncs books, bookmarks and notes across platforms. Periodical subscriptions.
Poor file support. Store interface is very basic. Can't lend books.
Bottom Line
Kindle for Android is an excellent way to read books on your Android-powered device, though its interface isn't as nice as some other reader apps.
With the ubiquity of the always-on smartphone has come a boom in people reading everything from blog posts to classic novels on their phones. Amazon's Kindle ecosystem has been building out support for those small-screen readers, with free apps for iOS, BlackBerry, and Android. The Kindle for Android 2.0 app (free, for Android 1.6 and later) is one of Amazon's best, offering an immersive reading experience, syncing of books, bookmarks, and notes with all other Kindle platforms (smartphones, Kindle devices, PC, Mac, and Web), and access to Amazon's enormous ebook store. Thanks to a recent update, the Android app also supports newspapers and periodicals, on both a subscription and single-issue basis. Amazon's usual file support limitations apply, but the Android experience is an superb one for the Kindle fan.
Similar Products
Getting Started and Finding Books
One of the great advantages of Kindle for Android is its integrated bookstorewhile Kindle on every other platform launches the browser when you want to shop for books, Kindle for Android's store is part of the app. The store itself doesn't look much different from the Kindle mobile Web site. It's a very basic way to search and browse the store, but it does make for a much more seamless experience if you're able to buy and read within the same app.
The store offers the same enormous Amazon selection available on all Kindle devices and appssee PCMag's review of Kindle for iPad (Free, 3.5 stars) for more informationsave for one excellent upgrade: Kindle for Android supports newspaper and periodical subscriptions. I purchased single issues of PC Magazine and The New York Times from the Kindle Store, and then subscriptions to both, and the first issues downloaded immediately to my Samsung Fascinate ($199.99, 4.5 stars). Downloads took a while to complete, especially for image-heavy publications, but they worked well. There are currently about 100 newspapers and periodicals available for single-issue purchase or subscription.
If you've bought a book from the Kindle bookstore before, Amazon's Whispersync technology will automatically sync the books you've purchased and read, as well as your place in books, your bookmarks, and your notes to your Android device. If you read something with Kindle for Android, your progress will be synced seamlessly back to all your other Kindle devices.
The Reading Experience
Kindle for Android offers an excellent reading experience, well-suited for a phone or tablet. When you're reading a book, the app takes over the entire screen, removing the menu bar and any distractions. A single tap brings up the menu bar, and another makes it disappear again. You can read in either orientation, and the text automatically re-flows when you rotate your device. Turning pages takes a quick swipe or tap on the screen, or you can also set the volume buttons to turn pages via the Settings panel.
The app is very simple, emphasizing just choosing and reading books. You can find menus and options, but there are fewer animations and fewer graphical niceties than in the Android app complementing Barnes & Noble's Nook ($149, 4 stars). I preferred the simplicity of Kindle for Android, but fans of big icons and animated page turns will be unsatisfied.
Most menus, settings and options are accessed using the Menu key on your deviceAmazon hides them when you're reading, so there's nothing on the screen except the book itself. The options available while reading are plentiful: you can change the size and font of the text or the color of the page (white, sepia or black), quickly navigate to another place in the book, bookmark the current page, search for a word or phrase within a book, or share your current place in the book via social networks. Long-press on a word to take notes, highlight the word, or define it using Wikipedia or Dictionary.com.
The small screens on most Android devices don't lend themselves particularly well to image viewing, so Kindle for Android allows for zooming in on images. Images are displayed in-line, and come up on their own page when tapped. That makes the experience of reading a magazine, where images are important, work much better on the device, without them taking up the entire page in-line.
Kindle for Android is, thanks to its in-app bookstore and periodical support, the most advanced Kindle application that isn't built into a Kindle device. It does, unfortunately, have the same file-support limitations that Amazon imposes: no ebook-standard EPUB files can be loaded, and there's no way to borrow books from a library or lend them to a friend like Nook users can. That aside, the app's access to the huge Kindle library and app ecosystem, and its excellent reading experience make it a great choice for anyone wanting to read on an Android-powered tablet or phone.
More Android App Reviews:
Apple Music
Google Android 10 (Q)
Google Android Pie (9.0)


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Author Mary Alice Orcutt Henderson will sign copies of her new book, "Douglas Shively: An Artist's Life," a biography of the beloved Santa Paula painter from his birth to his early career as a artist. The book features stunning images of Shively's works including 40 oil paintings, 40 watercolors, 40 sketches, and a collection of his travel slides. Many of the images have never before been published! Also shown are family photographs and images of the four residences that he designed for his family homes.
The book will be available for purchase during the event for the price of $50.00 each.
Admission is free for everyone.
Image credit: "Ferndale" by Douglas Shively, 1974 and 1986, oil on masonite, 4' x 8', Collection of Santa Paula Community Bank © The Shively Estate


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Pick of the Medal Events
Rowing: Men's Coxless Four Finals (13:40 BST) - The Team GB quartet are aiming to secure gold for the fifth games in a row as the nation enters the final unbeaten since missing out to Australia in 1996. The Brits are by far the favourites to win the title, but watch out for the Australians who would dearly love to deny Great Britain their moment in the spotlight.
- Odds: Great Britain 3/10, Australia 5/1, Italy 7/1 - Bet365
Athletics: Women's 10,000 Metre Final (15:10 BST) - A trio of British athletes take to the track for the women's 10,000 metre final, but Jo Pavey, Jess Andrews and Beth Potter will all have their work cut out to overcome the formidable force of Almaz Ayana and reigning Olympic champion Tirunesh Dibaba, with both Ethiopians going all-out for gold. It might also be worth keeping an eye out for the Kenyan Vivian Cheruiyot, who will be hoping to improve on her bronze medal finish in London.
- Odds: Almaz Ayana 1/4, Tirunesh Dibaba 7/2, Vivian Cheruiyot 10/1 - Sky Bet
Cycling: Men's Team Pursuit Final (22:20 BST) - Sir Bradley Wiggins will have his sights firmly set on securing his eighth Olympic medal as Team GB enter the velodrome as favourites to secure gold. The 2012 Tour de France champion will be joined by Owain Doull as well as Ed Clancy and Steven Burke, both of whom know what it takes to win Olympic gold in this event having triumphed in London four years ago. The Brits won't have things all their own way, with old adversaries Australia looking to go one better than the silver they won in 2012.
- Odds: Great Britain 8/15, Australia 2/1, New Zealand 16/1 - Paddy Power
Best of the Rest
Heptathlon: Women's Heptathlon 100m Hurdles/High Jump (13:35 BST) - Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson begin their pursuit of gold in the women's heptathlon. Ennis-Hill famously claimed the top spot on home soil four years ago, but could her younger Liverpudlian teammate produce something special in Rio to upstage Team GB's golden girl?
Rowing: Women's Coxless Pair Final (15.04 BST) - The Brazilian weather has caused chaos with the rowing schedule, but hopefully that won't deter Helen Glover and Heather Stanning from clinching gold out on the water. The Team GB pair are overwhelming favourites to defend the title they won in 2012, but are certain to face stiff competition from New Zealand and Team USA.
Hockey: Men's Hockey Pool A (21:00 BST) - Great Britain's men are in desperate need of a win as they take on Spain. The team sit fifth in a six team league with only a win and a draw to their name. Victory over the Spanish is vital, but still might not be enough to rescue the Brits for early elimination.
- Sports.net's top tip: Tirunesh Dibaba to Win Women's 10,000 Metre Gold - 7/2 with Sky Bet
*Please note, odds may fluctuate.
**Disclaimer: Neither Sports.net nor the advertisements displayed on this page are affiliated with the Olympic Games in any way.


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Children are scientists. They observe, enquire, predict, test and re-test, with not a single white coat in sight. Watch the excitement on children's faces when exploring the bubbling qualities of baking soda mixed with different liquids; or marvel at how the child not using words to communicate indoors will find the words he needs to show his excitement of the sensory garden or of his freshly planted seeds. Scientists don't need desks, they need to wonder out loud.
Providing an environment rich in wonder and opportunity, the Preschool of Sciences celebrates the naturally enquiring minds of children. We believe children who see themselves as capable of making a difference go from learning about their world to being the difference in it. This focus on confidence and individuality is entwined in the culture of our school and we consider developing children socially and emotionally, working hard on their confidence in their abilities and ensuring there are no mistakes in learning to be the cornerstone of a foundation for life.
During their early years children are instinctively driven by their senses, and motivated by real experiences that are meaningful to their world. At Pre-School of Sciences we focus on the STEM approach, that being the understanding of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Really though, STEM simply gives a label to what children are already doing naturally during play… exploring, observing, asking questions and predicting. Children choose to play that way because it is fun for them, and by encouraging children to take this lead, they are developing cognitively with real learning rather than just memorizing. Simple really. "There are no greater natural scientists and engineers then young children. Inquisitive learners who learn STEM concepts through play. High quality early learning environments provide children with the structure in which to build upon their natural inclination to explore, to build, and to question." (JD Chesloff shared by Rae Pica in "What, Teaching STEM in Preschool, Really?"
Adults have lots of requirements of their child's pre-school and hopefully the information in these pages helps answer most of your questions, but for children it is much more simple. They want to have fun! Our school lives and breathes this. Play and learning are one and the same and we embrace how children can construct their own learning much better than any adult can. After all, our children have very specific ideas about what they like with vivid imaginations to go with it. Our job is to celebrate that individuality and turn it in to the confidence to investigate.
Close relationships with key adults offers a secure base from which children naturally gain the confidence to become independent and full of initiative. Playing alongside adults with a deep understanding of how children think and learn, the role of the adult is one of collaboration. Our children are not given answers by their teachers. Their enquiries about rainbows, about why it goes dark at night, about why the class gecko has webbed feet, about growth, decay and life are met with an adult who also declares, "I wonder?" Children gain understanding and have the time to naturally absorb the logic they have discovered.
Connected holistically to language, literacy, maths, social skills, expressive arts and beyond, our science based approach provides experiences aimed at fostering creativity and a love of learning that will inspire them for life.
Our commitment to young children, our knowledge about the way they learn and our love for all things science form the heart of our values as a school.
"First and foremost, we believe that if children feel loved, secure and heard all areas of their development happen organically."
Provide children with a solid and loving relationship with key adults and they have a secure base from which to play and learn with confidence and independence. Through our Kindness Curriculum, our focus on STEM practices and our Montessori and Reggio Emilia approaches to early education (our Curriculum) our focus is ensuring children are confident in their abilities, know there are no mistakes when experimenting, feel capable of innovation and of affecting the world they live in and above all, feel they are an important and appreciated member of their community.
Communication is purposeful and valued in all it's forms while children are learning the skills they need to use language for thinking. We believe communication is a process and even our youngest scientists' attempts at communication are observed and responded to long before they ever speak a word.
The pace and interests of every child are supported and children are treated as individuals. Our children learn at their own pace, being as thorough or as fleeting as they choose. They are given as much time as they need to re-visit an activity and supported by staff who understand how to engage your child and 'wonder out loud', children become the leaders in their learning.
At The Pre-school of Science we believe parents are the primary educators – no one knows your child as well as you do! We encourage you to share your child's 'wow moments' with us to allow us to build on their successes and we invite you to be as involved as possible in your child's time here. Your input is invaluable to our approach.
Our curriculum, our philosophy and our values are there to help children develop into people who look on the world as something they are excited about; and children who are confident in their ability to make it a better place.
By now you have an idea of what we teach and why, but what are our children learning, and does a science and kindness based curriculum really benefit children right through pre-school?
The strides children make in their abilities as they move from their second to their third birthday are so incredible it can be hard to keep up!
Children are starting to be expected to consider themselves in relation to a wider world and navigating this can be as emotional and confusing for children as it it exciting and new. Our 2's are not considered 'little 3's', rather this stage of their development is embraced. They are helped with their developing sense of self through starting to name and acknowledge emotions, and using these to start understanding the tricky world of social interactions. We work on moving from playing alongside other children to developing friendships and collaborating in each others play, remembering that solo play and expressing how we feel is healthy and age appropriate.
We do lots of early skill activities with our 2's to help them with future reading, writing and problem solving. Large round arm movements, such as dancing with ribbons in the wind strengthen the shoulder and arm muscles essential for pencil grip later on. Imaginative play with items recognised from around the home or from favourite stories allows for story recall which is a perfect basis for early learning when they are ready. Their non-verbal communication is noted and acted upon by teachers trained to be in tune with the complexities of the world of our 2 year olds.
So what might the STEM curriculum look like for a 2 year old? Sensory, sensory, sensory! Think walking on different textures with bare feet, or making rainbow jars from different liquids, oils and gels and exploring them with light. Children can try pushing cars through sticky gloopy mud to compare it to pushing them through water, or my personal favourite, make rainbow coloured bubbles 'en mass' by running with a soapy tennis racquet. If a 2 year old can touch it, smell it, squash it, inspect it, throw water at it, light it up or eat it, they're happy scientists who are making cognitive connections naturally.
By now children have found a real joy in friendships and are learning together more and more. Teachers can observe their play and wonder out loud about 'what might happen if'…and children will start to take this lead and run with it!
Early cognitive skills are embedded in our interactions with 3's and age appropriate expectations give them a sense of control and empowerment. Giving out the plates to a table of 6 when the teacher only gives you 5 plates requires problem solving and language for thinking
Children are still navigating the world of social interactions but being kind to others, and being able to expect kindness in return, helps children at a time of rapid social and emotional development that only serves to enhance their ability to think more deeply than before.
STEM activities for 3 year olds can get pretty complex! Children are starting to explore engineering and problem solving, and may even start to make predictions about what will happen next. A simple experiment with raisins in a glass of clear soda invites enquiries about air and pressure, and the time served joy of making boats out of leaves and testing their qualities on the water is great for drawing out language for thinking. When they're ready for something more complex, mixing materials to make magic waterproof sand can encourage predictions about what happens if they add more of one or another ingredient.
Our 4's are really on the move! Every day gaining more confidence in their abilities with an attitude for learning that has been fostered to be fearless and playful. Children are growing more confidence in self care and the care of others and find pleasure in being given tasks such as caring for the class animals or plants. Really showing independence skills now, children are really quite skilled in predicting routines, recording findings, planning their own activities and taking control of their day.
Teachers will get alongside children and scaffold their learning. In addition to 'wondering out loud' with the children, teachers will be encouraging predictions and re-tests of their theories. This process expands the 'zone of proximal development' (Vygotsky) and takes children from what they know by themselves, to what the are capable of working out with the help of someone else. The brain of a 4 yer old is advancing indeed.
STEM activities for our 4's are limited only by your imagination. Children may design straw bridges and test their strength using different materials placed on top. If they're feeling particularly scientific they may even record their findings on paper. Children might explore the construction qualities of marshmallows and pretzels – always a favourite. We might engage the chidrens senses by going on a sound walk through the grounds, where we stop and listen at different intervals and talk about what we can hear and why. Children may take this a step further by choosing a stick on which to tie things they find other walk to talk about later. This is great for language and re-call skills. Furthermore our 4's might explore weight and balance with nothing more than a small tree stump, a plank of wood and a few friends. This is science at its most fun!
Located within a synagogue, many of our values as a school are deeply entrenched in Judaism. Values such as tzedakah (charity), tikkun olam (repairing the world) and hesed (acts of loving kindness) are central to our philosophies and curriculum. There is a well known Jewish analogy that considers a child like a seed. If watered and nurtured they will grow strong roots that form the foundations for the rest of their lives. Our commitment to the Montessori and Reggio Emelia approaches to early education is underpinned by this belief and our primary role is to nurture children as individuals.
Most education systems view and treat children as developing adults, meaning their experiences are based around what they can grow up to contribute as adults. We view children as important in their own right. The stage they are at right now is important and their actions and contributions as a child matter and are valued. The Jewish philosophy of "teach your child, according to his way" reflects our own values, as does embracing the whole child as part of a family and wider community. With this in mind the Montessori and Reggio approach is typical in Jewish pre-schools.
Our preschool embraces the rich tapestry of our neighborhood and by adopting Jewish values and traditions within our inclusive science based curriculum we can support our communities' newest members.
Aimed at teaching children kindness, empathy, social competence and an awareness of their ability to affect their world, the Kindness Curriculum is a mindfulness based curriculum developed by leaders in psychology and education.
Research carried out at the University of Madison-Wisconsin found that children who participated in the Kindness Curriculum earned higher marks in academic subjects than those who did not.
Published in the journal 'Developmental Psychology,' children were also found to show greater improvements in areas that predict future successes such as health, educational attainment and financial stability.
The role of early education is not to teach children to remember the alphabet or to count as high as their memory will allow. That is not school readiness. Early education needs to nurture a child's spirit in a way that makes them innovative, independent problem solvers. To be ready to learn children need to be able to regulate their emotions, tolerate age appropriate delay (having to delay instant reward for something better later); they need to be able to maintain attention and control impulsive behaviours. Through this children achieve more success in their activities and so gain the confidence to investigate further.
"The modern world requires a modern approach to childcare and early education. Children also need to learn understanding and empathy, and to view themselves as an important part of a global community. It puts the world at their feet!"
Our Kindness Curriculum sees children treated with kindness and respect, and in turn helped to show that to others. They have the opportunity to care for plants, grow food, care for a wide range of animals and have age appropriate responsibilities towards their friends. Children are helped to think about their community and the people who help them and to reflect on their role in eachothers lives. The Kindness curriculum on any given day might just be about learning to stop and take a deep breath. The spellings can wait.


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These cottages are owned and operated by my husband and me, Alec and Philomena Úi Chonchúir (O'Connor). Our families have lived in this area for generations; we were born here and our first language was Irish (Gaelic). If you are looking for a truly Irish experience, that is exactly what we offer.
Our six children, who also speak Irish, have fled the nest and are doing for themselves. Two of our sons, Niall and Brian, run the award-winning restaurant, AN CANTEEN, located on Dykegate Lane in Dingle town. Another son, Declan, owns the sheep you see in the pastures around our cottages. All our children help us clean and maintain them (the cottages, not the sheep) and we are lucky to have them as they are exceptionally good at this.
Alec and I live a simple life at the base of Cruach Mhárthain very close to where our cottages are located. We enjoy sharing the incredible beauty of this land with others and hope you will give us the opportunity to be your hosts. You will not regret it!
We know that you have worked hard and saved your money to stay in one of our cottages, and we do our best to ensure that your visit is as pleasant and comfortable as possible. Many of our guests have been coming to us for years.
My husband and I come to Tig Meaig every year. We can personally vouch for Phil and Alec and their family and know they will treat you better than you can imagine.
All of the photos (except those taken by Scott Atherton, another long-time visitor) were taken by us so they are authentic. The photos of the rooms are as they looked when we arrived, they are not staged professional photos, and the activities listed on the Local Attractions page are things we've actually done.
Your experience in these cottages will be as it is represented on this website.


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Effective April 10, 2019, prior approval is not required for Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) products, and they may be filled through a BCBSVT member's pharmacy benefit at a pharmacy, with a prescription order or through a medical benefit with a Durable Medical Equipment (DME) provider.
We've contracted with Express Scripts (ESI) to manage both your retail and mail order pharmacy benefits. Express Scripts offers you convenient and money-saving ways to get medications within the pharmacy network.
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Holiday grease disposal
Whether you're roasting a Charles Dickens style goose or a tofurky, keep the holiday grease out of the drain. We know we sound like Scrooges—but the buildup of fats, oils and grease is a major problem for home plumbing as well as our regional sewer system. Here's a video for holiday stormwater pollution prevention inspiration: Environmental … More Holiday grease disposal


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Campy, Campy, Campy
Marni Sumbal
After the marathon on Sunday, I had the day to enjoy my 26.2 mile finish. It was only 10:30 when I wobbled my way to my car so I had a good chunk of the day to recover. As I was driving home, I thought about the perfect concoction of ingredients for a great smoothie to help me recover. Then I would crash on the couch with campy in my lap and we would watch TV all afternoon. By early afternoon I would probably be ready for some pancakes and then I would have the rest of the day with Karel to relax. Karel did a 92 mile ride and headed straight to work (12-4) because the Trek store has been busy, busy, busy.
When I got home I immediatly let Campy outside to pee. As if walking up 3 flights of stairs was hard enough, it was agonizing walking down the stairs with an excited dog that wanted to go for a walk. Sadly, there was no walk that morning for Campy. I told him to do his 5-10 squirts so I could get out of my gross clothes and take a cold bath.
After I slowly made my way back up 3 flights of stairs (Campy met me upstairs, too fast for me) I went straight to the bedroom to start the shower. When I walked into my room I couldn't believe what I saw.
The bag of Karel's christmas gifts was torn to shreds. A few of his gifts were untouched but the 6 ounce, king size dark chocolate Hershey bar was gone. All that was left was the wrapper. Also, there were gingerbread cookies scattered all over the ground. I have learned two things. Both Campy and Karel love chcolate and just because you hide christmas gifts from your husband in the back of the closet, it doesn't mean that the dog won't find it.
I was so upset at Campy that I pointed my finger at home and told him NO! He started shaking and the poor little thing starts crying. Real tears, laying on his back, sad as can be. I tried to stay firm so I just went into the shower, rinsed off and then took a cold bath. I kept looking at Campy, curled in a ball on my bed, giving me the puppy dog eyes. He knew I was mad at him.
I had a little talk with Campy and then everything was ok.
I went to the kitchen, made my smoothie and stuck it in the freezer for a few minutes so that it would be nice and cold. As I waited for my smoothie to chill, I went on the internet to learn a little more about how lethal chocolate can be for dogs.
Apparently, 6 ounces of chocolate for a 11 lb dog is not a good thing. Campy seemed ok, no tremors, seizures, vomiting or diarrhea but as I did a little googling, I started to get really freaked out. If the word lethal is associated with my dog eating chocolate, I need to do something. So, I called the Emergency Vet just a few blocks down the road and they suggested that I bring him in, get him checked out and induce vomiting.
I called Karel and told him I needed to take him to the Vet even though Campy didn't have any symptoms. I am a "what if" person so I do not take very many chances, especially when it comes to my life, Karel's life, my families life and the life of each of my pets (even the fishies).
So, I told Campy we had to go back outside and I prepared myself for 3 more flights of stairs. Ouch, ouch ouch.
Into the car, hair still wet, a few spoonfuls of my smoothie in my tummy and my happy puppy.
Although I don't recommend animals getting sick on the weekends because it costs a lot more than a weekday, we were lucky to have no wait and the vet (and assistants) were really nice. Campy weighed 11.5 lbs, his temperature was good (he didn't appreciate the thermometer being put there) and after the check-up, the vet gave Campy something to make him vomit. I stayed in the room with Campy and the assistant and we just waited for Campy to get rid of the chocolate. It wasn't too long before Campy threw up a good amount of chocolate. Then, a few minutes later, an even bigger pile of throw up. Atleast it was all out of his system but it was then time for the liquid charcol. This substance is suppose to bind to the chemical in choclate, to prevent it from getting in the bloodstream. Campy wanted none of the charcol and I don't blame him. It was yucky! They had to force it in his mouth (in the other room) but he finally ate it. The doctor also put some cream on Campy's eyes because he appeared to scratch his eye as he was eating his breakfast of chocolate.
After a big bill and an hour in the vet, we were able to go back home. The vet gave me strict rules to avoid any loud noises and walks and to prevent him from getting excited. I wasn't sure if that was possible with Campy but I needed to keep him calm so he wouldn't get a seizure. Of course Campy was a bit anxious to get in the car, get outside at our apartment and take a walk but I carried him upstairs (once again, up three flights of stairs on tired marathon legs) and finally I was able to rest.
Campy was really overwhelemed at his point and you could see in his eyes that he was so tired and exhausted. I watched over him very carefully as I made my pancakes. My smoothie was too frozen to eat and I was so ready for some real food.
After I had my whole wheat pancakes, with raisins and banana and a few scrambled egg whites I finally crashed on the couch. I never complained once or felt bad for my morning because I wanted to be sure that Campy was ok. He was my only concern and I was happy that I finished the marathon.
After about 15 minutes on the couch, Campy finally took a nap on my lap. We both laid there for about 45 minutes and when I went up to go to the bathroom Campy got up with me. When I got out of the bathroom, I found throw up all over the white carpet floor. This was the dark charcol that Campy last ate and I said good-bye to our deposit for our apartment. I first cleaned up the piles of throw up and then called the vet.
They wanted us to come back so that they could give Campy more charcol in a syringe and then give me 3 tubes for me to give him later on during the night. They said he may have not been able to tolerate the amount of charcol so they wanted him to have smaller dosages. However, it was very important that he have the charcol in his system.
So, at 3:20, we went back to the vet. I wanted to be sellfish and just rest on the couch and wait until Karel came home at 4 but I knew I had to be there for Campy.
Back down 3 flights of stairs (it didn't feel any better as the day went on) and I limped my way to the car. My legs were just so tired and Campy wasn't sure if he wanted another ride.
After 10 min. at the Vet, we came back home and finally we could rest. My poor Campy was so tired and all he wanted to do was rest. Lucky for me, so did I!
I grabbed a quick snack and headed for my bed. Campy joined me until Karel came home. Of course Campy got excited when Karel came and it wasn't too much later that Campy threw up again. We ran out of carpet cleaner so Karel went right to the grocery store to get more.
Then Campy threw up again and again. Once on the fllor and then on the bed.
I called the vet again and they suggested that I bring him in to see if they could give him the charcol and for him to stay the night incase he threw up again.
Karel and I decided that Campy just needed a break and I told the Vet that I would bring him in if Campy had any seizures or threw up anymore. We stopped the charcol and finally, Campy stopped throwing up. It was 8pm and Campy was out.
It was around 7pm when the day kind of got to me and I just started crying. I felt so bad for Campy, I hadn't had much food all day, my legs were tired and I was exhausted. Karel said he would take care of everything and by 8pm I finally crashed on my bed with Campy.
I kind of took a nap around 8pm but I woke up at 10pm when Campy was running around the house like a crazy dog. The vet warned us of the caffeine and an already excited dog was now a super crazy dog.
So, after an eventful Sunday, Campy is just fine.
We are still giving him his prescription food and watching him. After a full Monday of napping, I think campy is back to his happy self.
No more chocolate!!!!


text: Although summer doesn't officially begin for almost a month, I consider Memorial Day weekend the beginning of summer. A long holiday weekend (for most), filled with parades, car & air shows and barbecue. There are also plenty of people out there need to work feverishly in order for the rest of us to enjoy our time off. Retail stores running holiday sales, market workers where we purchase goodies for our backyard bash and of course the beverage distributor, which always has a line out the door.


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Even after Congress drafted legislation last year that gave the National Security Agency broad powers to eavesdrop, the agency exceeded that authority and intercepted private e-mail messages and phone calls of Americans in recent months, according to The New York Times.
In 2008, after much controversy involving allegations of illegal spying on Americans, lawmakers passed the FISA Amendments Act. The act gave the NSA broad powers to siphon mammoth amounts of phone and internet traffic passing through domestic telecom networks without obtaining a court order, as long as the targets of the spying were believed to be outside the United States.
But according to the Times, the agency engaged in "overcollection" of "significant amounts" of domestic traffic. The alleged violation, described by sources as systemic, occurred because the agency had trouble distinguishing between domestic and overseas traffic, whether collected from U.S. telecom networks or the NSA's own spy satellites.
The revelations stem from reviews that the Justice Department is conducting into NSA activities. According to the Times, classified government briefings have been held in recent weeks to address the controversy and bring the NSA back into compliance. The Justice Department said that the "overcollection" problems had been resolved. Congressional intelligence committees say they're investigating the allegations.
Equally significant are allegations that prior to Congress broadening its powers, the NSA also considered eavesdropping on a member of Congress without court approval.
The unnamed congressman was traveling overseas at the time as part of a delegation to the Middle East in 2005 or 2006. The agency wanted to tap his conversations because he had contact with an extremist who was under surveillance for suspected terrorist ties. The Times reports that the plan was scrapped after complaints from intelligence officials who thought spying on a congressman was taking things too far.
This information comes from separate inquiries the Justice Department was conducting into the agency's activities prior to President Barack Obama taking office. According to the Times, a senior FBI agent has offered evidence to the inspector general's office indicating that the NSA engaged in "significant misconduct" in the surveillance program by targeting Americans for eavesdropping without having sufficient evidence that they were tied to terrorist groups or activity.
UPDATE: Director of National Intelligence, Admiral Dennis Blair, responded to the eavesdropping allegations in a statement, which included the following:
Under these authorities the officers of the National Security Agency collect large amounts of international telecommunications, and under strict rules review and analyze some of them. These intercepts have played a vital role in many successes we have had in thwarting terrorist attacks since 9/11. On occasion NSA has made mistakes and intercepted the wrong communications. The numbers of these mistakes are very small in terms of our overall collection efforts, but each one is investigated, the Congress and the courts are notified, corrective measures are taken, and improvements are put in place to prevent reoccurrences.
Let me clear, I do not and will not support any surveillance activities that circumvent established processes for their lawful authorization and execution. Additionally, we go to great lengths to ensure that the privacy and civil liberties of U.S. persons are protected.
See also:


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My Little Orphant Annie's come to our house to stay,
Not to wash the cups and saucers up or brush the crumbs away,
But to push the blues and doldrums out and chase them all away!
An' all us folks that live here will surely be so glad
to watch the growth of this little gal; and slowly's not so bad...
Acer palmatum var. Dissectum Red Select
The readings I have found tells me the average height is 6 feet and width of 8 feet,
however due to its slow growth, it is not expected to be over 3-4 feet tall and 6-8 feet wide
after ten years' growth.
I have a friend with a tree that is very mature... and just as beautiful as can be.
I've admired it for a few years.
Yes! I found this at an unbelievably low cost at a local discount store (!).
There was only one and I found it!! :-)
We just received .8" of rain.
I really don't know where I might permanently locate this youngster, so for the time being it is in a pot. :-)
Happy Spring!!


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The Method To Find Hints By Big Mo At Runescape
If you are a Runescape fans, maybe you have seen Big Mo and got a scroll clue from him. Well, do you love it? Most people enjoy it because of skills, but others are bothered by endless skill grinding and… Continue Reading


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Solid Ground is a little book. But it's size belies it's excellence. The book is comprised of three parts–three prominent Buddhist authors talk about overcoming challenge using Buddhist wisdom. All three authors are unique and potent–in both their understanding of Buddhism and the quality of their writing.
Sylvia Boorstein's section was my favorite. Not because her section was a standout–but as with most spiritual books, I found that her section just simply called out to me last month. Surely a result of where I am in my life (and in my mind). I liked reading one section and just skimming the rest…knowing that I could come back to them later when the time is right.
So many Buddhist books sound like they're revisions of an earlier classic. But this book is unique and compelling…and relevant to our times.
Purchase Solid Ground from the Beliefnet Shopping Mall.


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Icon of St. Kosmas preaching to the people (taken from: http://www.vlasiostsotsonis.com/main.php?go=for)
Icon of St. Kosmas being martyred by the Turks (taken from: http://www.vlasiostsotsonis.com/main.php?go=for)
Icon depicting the finding of the sacred body of St. Kosmas (taken from: http://www.vlasiostsotsonis.com/main.php?go=for)
(electrical power grid and telephone lines)
(These five successive prophecies of St. Kosmas are in books that were written about a century before the related inventions were made. Hence, they arouse admiration and manifestly testify to the Saint's gift of prophecy.)
(Kokkina Milia was a region which the imagination of the enslaved Greeks placed in the depths of Asia Minor and beyond. It is there that they hoped to push back their oppressors, i.e., where they originally came from.)
(The situation prophesied here fits with that anticipated today in the case of a nuclear war.)
Selected quotes from St. Kosmas Aitolos (taken from: http://www.serfes.org/writtings/stcosmas.htm; see the link and Modern Orthodox Saints I by Dr. Constantine Cavarnos for more information and quotes from St. Kosmas Aitolos)
"If we want to fare well in this life and to go to Paradise, and to call our God love and father, we must have two loves: the love for God and the love for our neighbor. It is natural for us to have these two loves, and contrary to nature not have them. Just as a swallow needs two wings in order to fly in the air, so we need these two loves, because without them we cannot be saved."
"The Martyrs won Paradise through their blood; the Ascetics, through their ascetic life. Now you, my brethren, who have children, how will you win Paradise? By means of hospitality, by giving to your brothers who are poor, blind, or lame."
"God created woman equal with man, not inferior...My Christian, you must love your wife as your companion, not consider her as your slave, for she is a creature of God, just as you are. God was crucified for her as much as for you. You call God Father, she calls Him Father, too. Both of you have the same Faith, the same Baptism, the same Book of the Gospels, the same Holy Communion, the same Paradise to enjoy. God does not regard her as inferior to you. "


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People would tend to improve their body with the help of work outs on the gym or by affording the personal trainer. There is a huge difference between the gym work out and the training given by the professional affordable personal trainer. The training given from the affordable personal trainer would tend to be more efficient than anything else. When it comes to hire the best professional for the training, then one should be very prominent on hiring the best professional trainer to save time and money. The trainer, whom you ought to select, should be best at their work on providing you the right fitness for your body.
Though finding the personal trainer is quite difficult task, one needs to choose the right trainer with the help of the tips given on the trainer. There are certain things to be taken care before registering the best personal trainer for your body. Important six things had been mentioned below:
While choosing the perfect trainer for you, you must ensure whether the person is the registered trainer or not. The reason is that the registered trainers may hold the best place and can also give the best training to their clients without any hesitation. It would also reveal us the information that the trainer holds the best equipments according to the right techniques.
The next thing to be considered before choosing the personal trainer is to check the reviews of the particular trainer. The trainer, who assists for the personal training classes, would particularly be fit and muscular. They would even breathe fitness and wishes to be fit for their whole life. Apart from the normal fitness persons, one needs to check over the best fitness expert in order to keep them fit and healthy.
Being fit is the matter of choice, which should be undertaken by the individual according to the instructions given by the personal trainer. In order to give healthy and wise decisions, one needs to choose the right fitness trainer, who can give necessary advice to the individuals. One can choose the right personal trainer with the help of the website, which shows you the right choice and experienced trainers who would make your body fit and healthy. Log on to the website and hire the best Affordable Personal Trainer available online.


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Halloween 2017. We went trick or treating in our favorite neighborhood. London was Bell and Kayson was the The Beast. The Peterson Family also joined us!
Thanks for watching!
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Contact Us: If you would like to collaborate with us on an upcoming project or if you just want to say hi! Feel free to email us firstname.lastname@example.com


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10 Expert Beauty Tips Every Woman Should Know
1. Tricks of the trade
What do real women do to look beautiful? To find out, we went online and asked our favorite bloggers for their best beauty secrets. Here are their top, go-to strategies for gorgeous hair, glowing skin and marvelous makeup. Thanks, ladies!
2. Dunk nails to dry
"If you have no quick-dry products lying around, dip your painted nails in a bowl of ice-cold water to help them dry faster. It really works!"—Michelle Phan, YouTube vlogger
3. Coat cuticles, avoid a mess
"I rub olive oil around my nails before I embark on a nail-art design. It makes removing excess polish way easier."—Taryn Multack, Miss LadyFinger
4. Hide chips with textured polish
"Unlike regular lacquer, the glittery kind is supposed to look sort of uneven, so it's great for fix-it situations. When a nail chips, instead of removing all my polish and starting over, I'll just slap on a coat of sparkle over my current color. And when I (inevitably) get another chip, I paint on a little more. You can keep a manicure going indefinitely!"—Alyssa Hertzig, The Sparkly Life
5. Steam nails for a matte look
"If I'm making soup or boiling pasta, I'll put on two quick coats of nail polish. While they're still wet, I'll hold my nails for three seconds over the steam coming from the simmering food, keeping them about 5 inches above the water. Then I watch the magic happen: My glossy painted nails turn matte-sexy."—Michelle Phan


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La Belle Epoque. Custom La Belle Epoque Essay Writing Service || La Belle Epoque Essay samples, help
La Belle Époque is a French term which generally means the "beautiful Era". It was the period between the 19th century and it lasted well up to the First World War. It was named in retrospect to the peace and stability that was prevailing among the major super powers in the continent of Europe. The Belle Époque had a lot of significance in the world of fashion as it was a period where beautiful clothes and the luxurious lifestyle of a few had reached its peak. The outfits that were worn by the glamorous few in those periods were characteristic to the designs that existed in the heydays of Charles Worth who was considered as the pioneer of fashion.
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By the end of the 19th century the world of fashion had reached greater heights and elegant women at this time fully embraced fashion. However this was only reserved for the well off in the society. The dresses that were in this time had a strikingly similar design of the upholstered hourglass design of the 18th century. The complexity of the dress required assistance in dressing and undressing. The era can however be considered as the first step in defining the true meaning of fashion in the years that were to come.
Many have argued that during the start of the Belle Époque it was the culmination of the elegance that was associated with the world fashion. In the early 19th century women were prohibited to show their ankles in public. This would elicit the wrath of the society and the woman who defied this rule would be considered immoral. Women would often be judged to the way they wore cloths. The fashion of the early 1900'swould often condemn those who wore trousers and considered it an audacity and offensive act for a woman to go against this rules.
Fashion at that time dictated that if the woman wanted to be respected all she had to do was follow the stipulated spirit of fashion laid down by the chosen few. This was characterized by the unwritten rule which dictated the way the cloths would be designed. This would involve designing the dress in such a way that the waist would be tiny, greatly emphasizing the hips with the dress portraying a protruding posture. This was regarded as the design of the perfect dress.
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In this era the corset was a must have piece of clothing for any respectable woman. They came in a variety of shapes with folds, curves and contour like shapes being the most prevalent ones. The corset was regarded as the ultimate show of elegance particularly with the way it reduced the waist with gorgeous lacings to give the woman an enhanced look. With the dawn of the Edwardian era the fashion at that time was rewritten afresh with the demise of the "hourglass" shaped dresses and with it came the new era of dresses designed to resemble the "S" shape.
The main aim of this latter design was to enhance the spine in a poetic way and also define the shape of the woman's curved body. The typical elegant woman of those days would be dressed in a flamboyant way with tiny shoes squashing the feet with a hat completing the design. The lady's at this period were characteristic as having a greatly defined posture which was as a result of the type of clothing's they adorned.
The woman of this peeriod had to make every effort to ensure that the figure of her body was perfect. This meant that at this period the number of undergarments that the women had to contend with to enhance their figures were amazingly numerous. These undergarments would include numerous petticoats which were laced to create the desired form. To achieve this, the woman had to wear an impressive number of about 5-7 petticoats. This is proof of how women of those days held fashion with the highest of esteem.
Those who could afford the rare pleasure of keeping up with the glamorous fashion of this period would mainly seek designed cloths from the tailors. These dresses had to be custom made so as to perfectly fit the customer and express the fashion spirit that existed in those days. In this era only the best fashion designers existed. The most notable designers were among Charles Worth, Jeanne Lanvin, Jacques Doucet, Callot Soeurs and Madeleine Cheruit.
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The modern day catwalk which acts as a stage where fashion houses can showcase their products may have borrowed the idea from this era. During these times various designers found the glamorous French horse races as the perfect stage to showcase their prowess in designing cloths. It was every woman's dream to attend one of these races to get a spectacle of the prevailing fashion.
La Belle Époque can still be evident in the world of fashion in this modern period. However the dresses that characterized that period are nowadays worn on exclusive events such as weddings and the like. During this period the designs were portrayed in a sort of predetermined way and this factor can be used in this modern day and age.
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The type IV pilus and type II secretion systems are structurally related and are likely evolved from a common ancestor. Both have a an outer membrane secretin protein (PilQ and XcpQ), an inner membrane platform protein (PilC or XcpS) and share the PilD/XcpA prepilin peptidase protein. Both have a major subunit (PilA or XcpT) with participation from minor pilin-like proteins specific to each system. Other similarities include the requirement for inner membrane associated proteins (PilM, PilN, PilO or XcpY, XcpZ). One notable difference is the presence of only a single ATPase, XcpR, in the T2S system, while the T4P system has 3 separate ATPases, PilB, PilT and PilU. The T2S system also lacks a PilF homologue.
Instead of extending and retracting to cause motility like the type IV pilus, the short T2S "pseudopilus" is thought to act as a piston, releasing proteins from the periplasm to the exterior environment of the cell.
We are interested in identifying new points of intersection between these systems, since such components would represent ideal targets for interventions affecting multiple virulence attributes. We have evidence that modulating the levels of the minor pilins of the T4P system affect T2S, as does mutation of the large FimV protein.


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Can Pen Computing Fly?
For years, pen computing has been touted as the next wave in interface technology. But in spite of some heavyweight backers, pen computers haven't made much of an impact. Now, a children's learning company believes it can finally turn the frog technology into a prince of a product.
LeapFrog, known for its LeapPad electronic books, will introduce its version of the pen computer, dubbed Fly, this fall. Fly, based on technology from the Swedish digital-pen company Anoto, uses a tiny camera embedded in a pen to track movements across paper printed with an all-but-invisible pattern of dots. What's new about Fly is that LeapFrog has added solid character-recognition software and a 70,000-word text-to-speech engine that turns the digital pen into a talking computer. Write an M and circle it, for example, and a male voice prompts you to select from a spoken menu of applications by tapping on the paper.
"It's a new paradigm for computingwhat I call paper- based computing," says Jim Marggraff, LeapFrog's executive vice president.
Fly will be aimed at 8- to 14-year-olds and come bundled with games, including one that turns a sheet of paper into a virtual piano. The $99 pen will also accept third-party cartridges (Sony is on board), and LeapFrog is hoping future versions will appeal to college students and business users.


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Saturday, January 31, 2009
Literary Illusions
Obviously, these sports reporters have never read Kenneth Koch's ars poetica, "Fresh Air," in which he creates "a Zorro-like alter ego called the Strangler whose task it is to suppress poetic dullness," as John Ashbery describes it, "violently if necessary."
Apropos of the violence of the game, Koch writes: "In the football stadium I also see him,/He leaps through the frosty air at the maker of comparisons/Between football and life and silently, silently strangles him."
Let us hope the Strangler appears at this year's game when the announcers inevitably describe Larry Fitzgerald as "poetry in motion" or wonder aloud if Shakespeare could have written Kurt Warner's "bags to riches" story; he didn't--Ben Jonson did.
You'd think fear of showing their stupidity would muzzle some of these inane, cliche-ridden comments, but sports announcers apparently have had their already gi-normous egos amply fluffed so that they believe they are not only literate, but literary. I suppose to the inebriated, these guys pass for Nobel Laureates.
Everything's relative. For instance, one of the low points of Joe Namath's life--& that's saying something--would have been a highlight in mine. If I'd got really, really drunk at a football game & Suzy Kolber wanted to interview me on live national tv, but I told her that I didn't care about my team strugg-a-ling--I just wanted to kiss her, what a sweet, dumb memory for me! Broadway Joe, on the other hand, had to issue a public apology & enter rehab. Say it ain't so, Joe!
Back to the game, I predict Ben Roethlisberg will surmount an heroic 4th quarter comeback comparable to Tennyson's "The Charge of the Light Brigade." Then, with under 2 minutes left, the Steelers defense, led by Troy Polamalu, whose name neatly fits the meter, will hold off the swift-winged Cardinals' late rally, their scarlet glory falling short that winter's day.
Final score: Steelers 21, Cardinals 17.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Our Last Hope
Sadly, during the past few years, I've experienced more than my fair share of computer problems. Most notably, a summer storm fried my hard drive, despite my having used a surge protector. Since it was guaranteed, I got a new surge protector free of charge--which is akin to your server at Applebee's saying the riblets are "a bit off," so she threw in a few extra.
I'd backed-up my files. However, apparently some were infected with a virus, so when I downloaded them after installing a new hard drive, I spent the ensuing week trying to clean my system of a bug that kept recurring like a bad dream, one in which you're having a nice dinner out, but as events develop you grow increasingly uneasy about the way it's all unfolding & suddenly you're singing karaoke & a gigantic tri-headed beast that spits grenades chases you through a drunken maze, though you may call it corn.
The upshot is I lost many files, including my parodies of Lovelace. I've contacted a few friends to whom I emailed the poem for laughs, but as it was at least a couple of years ago, they've long since deleted those messages, so screw them, ok?
In light of the revelation that the NSA spied on Americans via emails & phone conversations, it occured to me that I have another way to recover this lost file.
Listen, NSA, since I'm technically a taxpayer & you technically work for me, I'd appreciate if you'd look around for a copy of my aforementioned poem. As I understand it, the government has absolved you & the telecommunications companies of any past, present, or future crimes related to "illegal" spying, so there's no need to fear legal recourse on my part. Plus, if you've been monitoring me for the past few years, you know I'm unlikely to say anything--not with the kind of information you've gathered on me.
Also, I lost a villanelle that depicts a menage a trois in such explicit terms that it borders on pornographic, so I'm pretty sure, given the details of the kind of "spying" you guys "allegedly" did--perhaps still do--you have that one handy. You can send it to . . . well, you know where to send it!


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It is a common idea
amongst all religious and spiritual traditions that human beings should have some kind of
self-control. Although we enjoy
free will, we need to exercise our free will in a responsible way. In the same way that we expect others to respect
our dignity and interests, we should
respect dignity and interests of others. We should also safeguard our own dignity and long term
interests. Thus, we cannot simply go
after our whims and desires and do whatever we want. We need to have
self-control and self-discipline which leads to self-purification. If we purify our hearts we will no longer need to resist our temptations and control ourselves
against lower desires and lusts, since a purified person desires nothing except
what is good and moral for himself
and others. In what follows, we will study the necessity of self-control
and self-purification.
On the necessity of self-control, the Glorious
Qur'an says:
And as for him who fears to
stand in the presence of his Lord and forbids his own soul from its whims and caprices then surely Paradise is
the abode. (79:40 & 41)
0 David! ...do not follow the
whims of your own soul for they will lead you astray from God's path. (38:26)
you who have faith! Be
maintainers of justice and witnesses for the sake of God, even if it should be
against yourselves or [your] parents and near relatives, and whether it be
[someone] rich or poor, for God has a greater right over them. So do
not follow [your] desires, lest you should be unfair, and if you distort [the testimony] or disregard [it],
God is indeed well aware of what you do. (4:135)
Here we find two pieces of
advice. Firstly, to observe God's Will, to fear Him and to try to obey
Him. And secondly, to forbid our soul from doing what is wrong and harmful to us. This becomes
only possible when we have some kind of
self-control. In Nahj al-Balaghah, there is a very beautiful and insightful description of
an un-named brother. Imam Ali a.s. is quoted as saying:
In the past I had a brother-in-faith, and he
was prestigious in my view because the world was
insignificant in his eyes... If two things
confronted him he would see which
was more akin to his whims and he would
do the other. (Wise Sayings, No. 289)
We see that one of the brother-in-faith's
qualities was that when faced with two
options, (for example whether to go to one place or another, one meeting or another or to engage in one
business or another), that is, when he was at a 'crossroads' and wanted to
choose which way to turn, he would look
at his own soul/heart, trying to discover which course of action was dearer to his self, his own personal
interest and then he would do the other one. For example,
one might have the option to either
watch TV or to help someone with his work. The soul which is not trained may encourage us to go and
watch TV, saying that it is a waste of time to help the
other person. But instead it is
better to spend the time helping the other person.
Of course, we may not
always be able to find out what is the right course of action by just following
this instruction. But it is important to at least try to find out what our selfish desire wants
us to do. God has given us the ability
to distinguish between what our egoism or greediness wants from us and those
things which are in our 'real' interests. When we work for our 'real' interest
we also secure the interests
of other people. God has created us in a way that when we really serve ourselves,
then we serve all human beings. But if we try to be 'clever' and only serve ourselves,
then we not only damage ourselves
but also others. There are lots of ways to damage ourselves and others. But it
is not possible to truly serve oneself and not serve others.
There is also another
method which we can use when we want to make a decision and have two or
three options to consider and do not know what to do. In such cases, it is useful to try to
imagine that a person who is very pious, and whose actions you trust and
accept, is in your place. Then try to
decide what that person would do if he were in your place. Since you have
information about the way that person normally makes his decisions and about his
intentions and good
will, by keeping that person in mind you may be able to understand what to do.
For example, you could imagine a pious scholar or pious relative, not
necessarily an infallible or saint. You could then think about what they
might do and this would give you some
kind of insight.
So, it is a basic fact
that we must have self-control. If we believe that we should just do what we want by
satisfying and gratifying ourselves, then there is no point in talking about spiritual
direction. Of course, Islam tells us that self-control is just a beginning; it
is for those people who
are at the start of the journey. What we need to do is to transform our soul from
one which has an interest in lower desires into a soul which instead has a
yearning for good things. Then our soul itself becomes a helper and an assistant to us. But
this is a matter of training and
purifying the soul.
There is a beautiful story in the Mathnanii by
Rumi which shows how the heart can be
transformed in either a good way or a bad way. Rumi says that once there
was a perfume market where every person who wanted
to sell perfumes had a shop. As a result, whoever entered this bazaar would only sense the beautiful fragrance of
perfumes. Everyone enjoyed it, especially the perfume sellers who of
course are the best people to appreciate
perfume due to their refined sense of smell,
whereas we become confused after smelling too many different fragrances.
But one day someone went to the bazaar with a horse and the horse dirtied the passageway of the bazaar. The people became very angry because they could not tolerate the bad
smell but no-one had the strength to take the dirt outside. It was like torture
for them. So someone suggested that
they had better bring someone there whose job was to clean horses'
stables. They went to ask a young man to help
them. He said that of course he would be able to do this as this was his job and what he always did. But when
he entered the bazaar,
before even reaching the dirty place, as soon as he smelt the fragrance of perfume he became unconscious
because he was used to bad smells and so could not tolerate good fragrances.
In a similar way, on one hand, we find people
who enjoy praying, who enjoy
having some private time with God. And, on the other hand, we find people who become angry when they see
you praying and it causes them pain.
And when they see you go to the mosque or the church, they feel troubled by this. There is a hadith
which says that a believer in the
mosque is like a fish in water but when a hypocrite is in the mosque he feels like he is in prison and
always wants to escape. So
these are the different states of the soul that we can reach through self-training and self-purification.
In the Glorious Qur'an, God emphasises the
purification and purity of the
human soul as follows:
I swear by the sun and its brilliance and the
moon when it follows the sun and the day when it makes
manifest the sun (and her beauty) and the night when it
covers the sun and the heaven and
Him who made it and the earth and Him
who extended it and the soul and Him who made it perfect, then He inspired it to understand what is right and wrong for it. He will
indeed be successful who purifies it and he will indeed fail whoever pollutes and corrupts it. (9 1: 1 - 10)
So, after swearing eleven
times, after so much emphasis, God declares that the person who purifies his
soul will be successful and whoever pollutes and corrupts his soul will fail. On the Day of
Judgement there will be two groups of people: those who are prosperous and happy because they
purified their soul and those who are in an unfortunate position because they
were careless and negligent of their soul.
Purification of the soul is a prerequisite for
closeness to God. Indeed, the whole point of
morality and spirituality is to purify one's soul. It is only then that the
soul starts shining, receiving and reflecting utmost radiation and light from God. If we want to meet
God, Who is the Most Pure, then we
need to achieve purity. It is impossible to be polluted and then try to go towards God. If we want to go somewhere where the people are smart, well-dressed
and beautiful, then we too need to make ourselves clean and tidy, we
should put on good clothes and thus make
ourselves somehow compatible with them. Otherwise they will say that we
will spoil their gathering and damage their reputation.
One of the main tasks of all the Prophets (a.s.) and a major aim behind all their endeavours in teaching the divine message
was to help people to purify their
souls. Referring to the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), the Glorious
Qur'an says:
He is the one who has sent amongst illiterate people an apostle from among themselves who recites to them His verses and purifies them and teaches them the Book and the wisdom. (62:2)
Certainly God conferred a great favour upon the believers when He raised among them a Messenger from among themselves, reciting to them His verses and purifying them, and teaching them the Book and the wisdom, although before that they were surely in manifest error. (3:164)
As We sent to you an Apostle from among yourselves, who recites to you Our signs, and purifies you, and teaches you the Book and wisdom, and teaches you what you did not know. (2:151)
Thus we see that one of the tasks of the Holy
Prophet (s.a.w.), in addition
to reciting the Qur'an and teaching the Qur'an and wisdom, was to help us to purify our souls. Indeed,
the appointment of Prophet Muhammad
(s.a.w.) for such tasks was an answer to the prayer of Abraham (a.s.) and
Ishmael (a.s.) after they raised the foundations
of the House (kdbah):
Our Lord! Accept from us; surely You are the Hearing, the Knowing ....Our Lord! And raise up in them a Messenger from among them who shall recite to
them Your verses and teach them the Book and the wisdom, and purify them; surely You are the Mighty,
the Wise. (2:127-129)
Just imagine how wise Abraham was! How lovely
his supplication was! In three
places in the Qur'an, God says that He has sent the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.) to do the same thing that Abraham
(a.s.) and Ishmael (a.s.) had wanted: to recite for the people the verses of
the divine Book, to teach them the divine Book and
wisdom and to purify their
souls. Of course, it must be God Himself who inspired them to pray in this way. God is so merciful that He
first invites us to call Him,
then He inspires us what to ask and then he answers our call and prayer.
Thus purification of the people was an
important task for the Holy Prophet
(s.a.w.) and, indeed, all the Prophets (a.s.). These verses clearly show the great significance of the
task of purification of the soul.
It is noteworthy that in the prayer of Abraham and Ishmael the request of teaching the Book and wisdom is
mentioned before the purification,
but in all the three places that God describes the mission of the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), purification
precedes teaching the Book
and wisdom. This indicates the priority and great importance of purification. This also suggests that a
prerequisite for learning the Book and
wisdom is to be pure.
There are a number of sources of impurity. A
major or the major source of impurity is the attachment to the materialistic
life and worldly affairs to the extent that the
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) is quoted
as saying:
The attachment to this world is the source
for every wrong. Beware how the one who is attached to this world has loved what God dislikes.
What wrong can be a greater crime than this?
The materialistic world (dunya) is the least important and valuable thing in the sight of God. To be attached to it and make it one's ultimate end in one's life is a grave mistake and impurity. Therefore,
one of the major treatments of this problem and a crucial means of purification of the soul is to ask people to give alms. In some twenty verses of the Qur'an, giving alms (al-zakat) is mentioned right after establishing prayer (iqamat a-salat).
For example, Allah (swt) says in the Qur'an:
And they were not commanded except to worship God, dedicating their faith to Him as men of pure faith, and to maintain the prayer, and pay the zakat. That is the upright religion. (98:5)
Zakat is derived from the same
root as taz4lah (purification) i.e. zaka-nia which means growth and purity. It has been suggested (Liran al-Arab, Vol. 14, p. 358) that the reason for calling alms
"zakat" lies in the fact that paying zakat purifies one's money and
possessions. It is also true that paying alms causes growth (nanui) and blessing (barakah) in one's money and sustenance.
It seems more reasonable to suggestthat the main reason for calling alms "zakat" is
that it helps in purifying the soul
by getting rid of the love for this world. This is why God says to the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.):
Take charity from their possessions to
cleanse them and purify them thereby,
and bless them. Indeed your blessing
is a comfort to them, and God is all-hearing, all-knowing. (9:103)
In this verse, instead of the term zakat, sadaqah
(charity) is used. However, the same point is there: Giving money for the
sake of God helps in purification of the giver.' Elsewhere the Qur'an says:
he who gives his wealth to purify himself and
does not expect any reward from anyone, but seeks only
the pleasure of his Lord, the Most Exalted, and,
surely, soon he will be well-pleased. (92:18-21)
Thus when someone spends some money for the
sake of God on things such as giving to the needy people or building places for
common good such as Mosques, seminaries,
schools and hospitals both
giver and receiver benefit. However, the main beneficiary is the giver who is giving some money which is the
least valuable thing in the sight of God and instead achieves purity and
pleasure of God.
... You can only warn those who fear their
Lord in secret, and maintain the prayer. Whoever
seeks purification for himself, seeks purification
only for his own sake, and to God is the return. (35:18)
It is a basic fact that we must have
self-control. There can be no spirituality without self-discipline. We
cannot develop ourselves by simply doing what we with and satisfying and
gratifying our soul. Of course, Islam tells us that self-control is
just a beginning. What we need to do is to transform our soul from one
which has an interest in lower desires into a soul which instead has a
yearning for good things. By training and purifying our souls, our soul
itself becomes a helper and an assistant to us. A major task of the
Prophets and in particular the Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) was to help
people to purifythemselves.
The reason for such a great emphasis on self-purification is the fact that God is the Most Pure and the Most
Perfect and it is only by
purification of the soul that we can achieve our ambition of getting close to Him. One major way of purification is to get rid of attachment to the materialistic life by giving
out one's own money for the sake of God.


text:
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text:
My husband and I went to grandparent day recently. Our morning began with the pledge of allegiance to our country's flag. Us oldie's but goody's automatically put our right hand over our heart, the way we were taught in school. It brought back memories. As I said the words I found myself thinking how different our country is today. I wondered where that pride went. It sure was prevalent right after 9/11. There where flags flying everywhere even from the windows of people's cars. Every house had one standing proudly in its rightful place. We felt what that pledge of allegiance stood for. We were one nation, under God, undivided. We cherished the freedom that our county stood for. Love for each other came shining though also as we reached out to our loved making sure that they knew how much we cared about them. We never believed something like 9/11 could happen in our country, and I can't help but wonder why it is that terrible things have to happen to bring us together like that.
That was 15 years ago, and now all we seem to do is fight with one another right here on our own soil. We are this melting pot of people from all over the world. We've come together to live in this great land of freedom, and now that very freedom is being twisted around by words that justify anything and everything, even if its blatantly wrong. We can't let the gift of freedom be turned into the very thing that destroys us.
We can't have the kind of world we want by starting with the whole world. We can't have the kind of country we want by startling with the vastness of that either. We have to start right where we are, first with ourselves. Then reaching out to one another with compassion, understanding, and respect for our differences. Only then can we return to belief this country was founded on. We are one nation under God, undivided, and we stand for liberty and justice for all. Be the change you want this country to be, it has to start with each one of us.
I don't know, maybe we should get back to flying the American flag in its honored place upon our property's. Then stand before it with our hand over our hearts pledging our allegiance to the United States of America. The land that we love. It's like saying our daily prayers it gives us a moment of pause that reminds us who we are, what we believe, and that we're not alone. We are one nation under God.