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Ted Salins © 2011
Remember that first time you went home from college or the military? You couldn't wait to see your mom, your friends, your hometown, your favorite hangouts. That's how most Americans feel about our country. We love it for what it has been to us.
How many of you felt, "no, instead of going home for Thanksgiving, I want to go Moscow where I've never been, have no friends, it's cold and I can march lockstep with Marxists and give up my freedoms."
Can we stop demonizing a large percentage of Americans as Soviet style totalitarian socialists? This idea is illogical and absurd. "Fidel Castro likes Obamacare, but the American people don't" (Sarah Palin, CNN, 3/26/10); "Most of the liberals I know want to live in a nanny state" (CSPAN caller) ; "Russia called, they want their socialism back" (Teaparty sign).
In other words, conservatives choose to work hard and take personal responsibility while those who disagree are lazy and want to be fed and clothed by the government.
Think of twenty people you know. How many of them do not work hard? How many game the welfare system or attend Communist Party meetings? One? Two? None? Where are these lazy Trotskyites? These accusations are specious: Those who claim Government meddling is "socialism" overwhelmingly voted for politicians who borrowed money from Marxist China. Those that rail about "lazy" welfare recipients and brag about responsibility do not feel responsible to clean up man made pollution, whether it causes global warming or not.
Furthermore, it was a recent neo-conservative administration that subscribed to torture, passed off taxpayer paid propaganda as news, planted fake reporters in legitimate press corps, put undue pressure on scientists to manipulate research and spied on the public through telephone lines – actions one can attribute to Soviet style totalitarian models. In another era, I was tear gassed and beaten with a club exercising my right to peacefully demonstrate against the war in Viet Nam. Who attending a "tea party" can say that?
Recently, someone made the outrageous claim that "Obamacare" was "socialist" because it would deny breast exams for women until they were 50. I asked which specific provision in the proposals said this. In the time it takes to do a "Google" on his I-Phone, he came back with "It was at an HHS panel" (the source changed from a provision). I pressed, "When and where was the panel and who said it?" (I actually knew the answer). His response: "I'm not your librarian. Do some reading. Don't be lazy".
Again, with "lazy". This person makes a vague claim he did not take the time to justify, yet I'm lazy? Confucius said, "He who thinks he's superior proves he's not."
Columnist and talk show host Mark Joseph asks, "Why is 'Socialism' such a dirty word? A government for the people by the people should banish all pejorative definitions of it." We have always socialized taxes, military, education, civic pride and protection. That's the responsible thing to do.
6 Responses to "SOCIALISM"
I like the people who rail against Obama and then complain when their social security check is late! or maybe they are living on disability!
I won't even waste my time reading this socialist garbage!
Hi Ted – Great writing! I think we are living in another generation that could be called "the silent majority"! I can't believe that most people agree with the Tea Party position, but why don't they speak up and say so? Let's hope they're waiting to voice their opinions via the ballot box, and we can finally be done with all the wackos that claim to be patriots but don't know any history!!
thank you Ted
Hello Mr. Ted.
I do not think Obama is a socialist, (small or large S).
When he was running for POTUS, his oratory convinced me that he was socialist leaning like JFK; someone above money & class who would fight for everyman. A fairy tale, I now know. This impression was created partially because he was using a Kennedy man as a ghost writer to get him in office. Awakened, I would call his highness DaBama an opportunistic, almost centrist, status-quo new Democrat, a pedagogue, and/or far worse , as you well know.
What i thought was a friendly regime change has shown itself as as " Bidness as usual" in a new suit.
We need some socialist leaning free thinking choices in government other then Bernie Sanders or the recently departed Dennis Kucinich just like we need a few more moderate thinking republicans like Olympia Snow. Government by & for means a variety of covictions like the braodly diverse population. No more. We have gone from tweedle-dee vs. Tweedle Dum running for President in the 60's/70's to Tweedle Dum Jr. vs Tweedle Dummer ll throughout much of national politics. Where i live there are no contests to vote in…it is always the annointed Democraccker of party choice…I used to generate interest by voting in the republican primary which was open to independents…it is now closed.
Freshly Gerrymandered Maryland now has even less choice!
Steny Hoyer-Land…next Tweedle Dummest….but I digress….
When & how did socialism get such a bad name, (to the tune of "you give love a bad name"), Once upon a time in a far away place called Europe there was a cadre of thugs who took control of Germany & who practiced what they called socialism as did another faction of thugs who gained control of mother Russia. These Axis powers were our evil enemies during of the "Great War", WWii.
This collective hatred gave right wing politicians the cover of "higher moral ground" in "public" opinion to get rid of most of the strong workers organizations created during the home grown socialist movement which became strong during the US's boom of factory growth and industrialization, (stones factory girl plays in background), In response/self defense of the power of the robber baron class, (which had also grown very strong in the politics of the 19th century). These same socialist organizations, (which were populist worker-rights dominated and had helped build our middle class's high quality standard of living), were discredited and dismantled by descendants and the minions of the robber barons families in their witch hunt from the late 1940's (post-war), through the 1970's and had been rendered impotent by the mid 1970's. By mid-century the mere taint of Socialism or worse Communism could be used to discredit and neutralize any such forces.
Where did this Taint get it's power ? The short answer is from our parents. Every boomer was educated in the evils of socialism by the Great generation, (often family), and also by the propaganda machine which while created to give support to our boys during WWii which never quite wound down and morphed into the private and public sector advertisers in Newspapers and into our living rooms on TV.
We were all taught to hate Nazi's and Commies, brown shirts & Reds. Pinkos, even home grown like like Alger Hiss deserved death; nothing less. ask Joe McCarthy or Joe Six-pack or Joe the Plumber. You can ridicule these Joe's and most do in liberal circles, but ridicule from the college-boy "elite" does not diminish their strength. Since we all hold them in our collective psyche. We all hate Joe Stalin, (not to mention Adolphe). So we all, contrary to our interests, without thinking hate socialism.


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Lens joins Dynamo as Mikhalik goes to Lokomotiv
Tuesday 18 June 2013
Article summary
FC Dynamo Kyiv have signed Dutch international striker Jeremain Lens from PSV Eindhoven for an undisclosed fee, while defender Taras Mikhalik left for FC Lokomotiv Moskva.
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Article body
FC Dynamo Kyiv have signed Netherlands striker Jeremain Lens from PSV Eindhoven for an undisclosed fee, while Dynamo defender Taras Mikhalik has joined FC Lokomotiv Moskva as a free agent.
Lens, 25, has penned a four-year contract with Dynamo, who are preparing for the UEFA Europa League play-offs after finishing outside the Ukrainian top two for the first time. The forward had been at PSV since a 2010 switch from AZ Alkmaar that followed his 12-goal breakthrough season in the Dutch Eredivisie. Shortly afterwards he made his full international debut, scoring in Donetsk to earn a 1-1 draw with Ukraine, and now has 13 caps.
Dynamo president Igor Surkis said Lens was the main close-season transfer target for the club, but added: "I can confirm that Lens is not our last newcomer. I believe we'll have more transfers by the end of the week."
Ukraine centre-back cum midfielder Mikhalik had moved to Dynamo from FC CSKA Kyiv in 2005, helping them win two Premier-Liha titles and two Ukrainian Cups. The 29-year-old's new employers Lokomotiv Moskva today appointed Leonid Kuchuk as coach.

subset: commoncrawl


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The resurrection of Jesus was a stumbling stone for me to believe in Christianity. As you already know about my story from my previous posts, my father died and I saw his body become ashes. I knew he will not come back to life. Death is the end and there is no life beyond the grave, I thought. But when I read 1 Corinthians 15:12-19, the Bible clearly explains that Jesus was resurrected. God opened the eyes of my heart spiritually, and I could believe that Jesus came back to life so that I too will have eternal life.
Hallelujah! He is risen!
Here are the answers! Continue reading


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Wordless Wednesday
The US Coast Guard Puppy Rescue Department
The US Coast Guard Puppy Rescue Department
Howdy friends! A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure to work with the fine folks over at REI on a video project called Discovering Urban Cycling. The video is up on the REI site today, and I was hoping that y'all might want to check it out. The real kicker is that I didn't help out behind the lens on this one, those crazy REI folks put me in front of the camera. I'm the first voice you hear on there [in case you don't know what I sound like].
Writer and designer Graham Hill asks: Can having less stuff, in less room, lead to more happiness? He makes the case for taking up less space, and lays out three rules for editing your life.
One of my favorite Seattle Hip-hop artists pushed out a new video yesterday. The video is really well put together and a fine example of another of my recent obsessions, Kickstarter. If you're not familiar with it, follow the link and go check it out.
Since I was around the first time we put it on film at one of Chase's Songs For Eating and Drinking dinners a couple of years ago, I thought I'd link to that video too, just to show y'all how far it has come.READ MORE
There were a great many themes that I really latched on to in Obama's speech last night. Several threads resonated with me. This morning I had an email in my box from We Can Solve It I thought this was an awesome, non-partisan video that lit a little fire under my butt, and hopefully yours too.
I am sure that I saw this make the rounds a week or so ago, but I didn't actually click on and watch the video. Then this morning my good friend Jill sent it to me, and thought it would put a smile on my face.
She was right!
Watch the video and try not to smile … it's impossible. It made me want to dance on my front steps, in line at the grocery store, heck … just about everywhere.
Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.
If you'd like to read all about it, you can do so here (www.wherethehellismatt.com). Enjoy & DANCE.


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Telephone Tracking allows you to track calls out of your site and understand exactly what marketing activity brought them there; whether it was from another site, Google or your own paid search campaign. So noRead more
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This ebook walks you through some of the leading best practices around competency-based talent management, so your organization will be well-equipped to capitalize on the new and emerging opportunities in the Middle East region.
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...inside the random mind of the willed man in wheel chair...bursts of simple ups and downs of the struggling life as breathed out on a typical layman's perspective...
April 21, 2013
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 10:27-30.
Jesus said: "My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father's hand.
The Father and I are one."
Cs of bipolar disorder
In the quest to make you or your loved one feel better and maintain stable moods, we focus on the three Cs of bipolar disorder:
Continuity of treatment: In this era of specialization and managed healthcare, patients often get shuttled from one doctor or therapist to another, and each professional may have a unique approach. Any drastic changes to medication or therapy can upset the balance, so this book encourages you to develop a treatment plan that all your caregivers follow and that remains with you when you change doctors or therapists.
Comprehensive treatment: The most effective treatment plan calls for a three-pronged attack of medication, therapy, and lifestyle change. There must be the most effective medications, therapies, peer support options, and lifestyle changes currently available.
Coordinated treatment: Communication is the key to coordinated treatment, and communication breakdowns are at the root of most failed attempts. To ensure success, communicate openly and honestly with your doctor, therapist, and loved ones and encourage them to communicate with one another. There are also techniques to improve communication among all members of your treatment team.
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If you stop by Apple.com today you can't miss the notice above. Apple has something big brewing for tomorrow and they want everyone to know it's coming, whatever it might be.
At 10am Eastern (7am Pacific) the big news will be revealed, but what could it be? There are a ton of guesses at the moment, but not a lot of hard data. The main contender seems to be streaming music from iTunes, but the introduction of The Beatles music to iTunes has come up (doesn't it always?) as well an iTunes subscription service and others. All we know for sure is that it has to do with iTunes and Apple is pretty excited about it.
For their part Crunchgear thinks Apple might "kill the MP3" tomorrow by introducing a streaming music service. It's a good theory, especially combined with the knowledge that Apple is building a datacenter in North Carolina.
Streaming music looks like the most likely announcement, but there are a lot of other things that could go along with that, like wireless syncing and even cloud music storage. Any guesses as to what we'll see?


text: Activity Committee on Sports-Related Concussions in Youth Type: Consensus Study Topics: Children and Families, Education, Public Health Board: Board on Children, Youth, and Families Activity News and Announcements Sports-Related Concussion -- Meeting Feb. 25 February 22, 2013 Concussions Among Youth Athletes: Institute of Medicine and National Research Council Meeting on Jan. 7 January 3, 2013 Activity Description An IOM committee will conduct a study on sports-related concussions in youth, from elementary school through young adulthood, including military personnel and their dependents. The committee will review the available literature on concussions, in the context of developmental neurobiology, in terms of their causes, relationships to hits to the head or body during sports, and the effectiveness of protective devices and equipment. The committee will also review concussion risk factors, screening and diagnosis, treatment and management, and long-term consequences. Dates and agendas for future open sessions of the committee will be posted on this web page. Please enter your information below to sign up for the project listserv. You may email us at email@example.com if you have any questions. For more information


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- a bottle (I used a cider bottle)
- flat wood offcuts
- screws
- 12mm (or thereabouts) drill bit
- rubber "tree tie" (or you could use wire)
- dremel and diamond bit
- bird food
Use the dremel (under water) to cut a small gateway into the lip of the bottle, make sure you don't leave sharp edges. Assemble your wood offcuts so that you have a tray and a back - saw if necessary. Drill three large holes into your back bit - two to hold the tree tie, one to hang. Screw all the bits together, fill bottle with bird feed, use tree tie to secure it...and there you are.


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Three super maxis favored for line honors will lead the way tomorrow when 117 boats -- the largest field in a decade -- begin the annual Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race from Sydney Harbor.
The three big boats -- Skandia, Konica Minolta and Nicorette -- are likely to be at the head of the fleet when the boats sail around hundreds of spectator craft and through Sydney Heads en route to Hobart on the island state of Tasmania, 1,163km away.
Skandia, skippered by Australian Grant Wharington, and New Zealand entry Zana (now known as Konica Minolta) dueled throughout last year's race, with Skandia winning the final dash up the Derwent River and into Constitution Dock in Hobart by 14 minutes.
Owner-skipper Ludde Ingvall launched a new version of Nicorette only three weeks ago. He will be looking to take line honors for the second time, having won in 2000 with the old Nicorette.
Ingvall, raised in Finland by parents of Swedish heritage, moved to Australia in 2001 to begin a life of warmer-weather sailing.
"At this time of year in Finland the sun goes up for about two hours a day and I would go ice yachting," Ingvall told the Sydney Morning Herald on Friday. "When the sea breeze is up, it's so cold, if it were Sydney Harbor it would be like glass."
Given favorable winds, the three maxis could all threaten Nokia's 1999 race record of one day, 19 hours, 48 minutes and two seconds.
Competitors were warned Friday to expect gale-force southwesterly winds in the Tasman Sea off the New South Wales state south coast on Monday and further gales in Bass Strait off the east coast of Tasmania on Tuesday.
Wind gusts could range from 80kph to 110kph, the weather office officials said.


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The Walking Dead Season 7 is now back on our screens. The mid-season finale which aired in December left us asking ourselves a number of questions we were dying to know the answers to. Did Episode 9 resolve our outstanding queries? We've updated the article below to see what – if anything – has been revealed. Scroll down to the numbered questions to see the new content.
This article discusses episodes of "The Walking Dead" you may not have seen. If you don't want to know what's happened, STOP READING NOW. THIS IS YOUR SPOILER WARNING!
After so much hopelessness and unrelenting bleakness throughout the vast majority of the first seven episodes of "The Walking Dead" Season 7, Episode 8 – called 'Hearts Still Beating' – delivered something to finally raise the spirits. The season up to this point has followed a similar pattern to Season 4, in which the activities of each part of our fractured group are tracked in turn, episode by episode. This meant that we sometimes had to wait three or four episodes to find out what was going on with a particular splinter group.
Having torn them apart again for Season 7, sometimes weeks have gone by without seeing hide nor hair of some of our most loved characters. Maggie and Sasha have squirrelled themselves away up at the Hilltop while Maggie recovers from pregnancy-related complications, a very battered and beleaguered Carol has found herself at The Kingdom with Morgan, and Daryl has been taken prisoner by Negan, locked away at The Sanctuary.
Meanwhile, a broken Rick has been busy trying to scavenge for Negan at Alexandria, a hot-headed Carl has taken off to The Sanctuary bent on revenge and Michonne has gone off alone as she tries to figure out her next move: rolling over and taking it isn't an option. In the most stand-alone episode of the season, Tara and Heath's story is expanded and a new community introduced.
In Episode 8, we finally get an instalment that brings us up to date with all the main characters at once. But, like any drama that wants to tantalise, tease, and keep people watching, it leaves us with a number of questions we're going to have to wait until February to be answered, when the second half of Season 7 screens. Here's our round-up of the most burning questions we're asking…
1. Will Carol and Morgan join the fight?
With all factions either collectively or individually galvanizing to prepare for attack, it seems unlikely that neither character will get involved. When Ezekiel's right-hand man, Richard, asks both to help him convince Ezekiel to make a stand against Negan, they refuse – each for different reasons. Carol is adamant she wants everybody to leave her alone, and Morgan, of course, is a sworn pacifist.
However, we've seen Morgan bend his own rules since hooking up with Carol, and Carol has on more than one occasion come to the rescue after going it alone. It's difficult to believe she'd let her friends take on the bad guy and not get involved. Creator Robert Kirkman agrees: "As much as they protest, when the fight starts they're probably gonna be right in there," he said as a guest on The Talking Dead" right after the show aired. He added: "Am I revealing too much?"
We still don't know for sure, although it looks like Morgan is gearing up to wade in. He reunites with Rick and co. when Jesus brings them to The Kingdom to meet with Ezekiel in an effort to get them onside. Morgan admits to Rick that he has had to break his vow not to kill – he saved Carol from death at the hands of the Saviors. He's learned that sometimes killing is necessary.
However, he's hoping there's an alternative way to all-out attack and slaughter, suggesting at Rick's audience with Ezekiel that perhaps they plan to capture Negan and hold him instead. Ezekiel isn't keen to join the fight – but Rick feels he can be persuaded easily by Morgan, a man whom Ezekiel seems to trust and respect.
As for Carol? Morgan lied to Rick about her whereabouts, respecting Carol's wishes to be left alone. Without Rick and the gang knowing she's on the doorstep, they can't at this point attempt to get her on board. But with Carol's track record? There's no way she's not getting involved, one way or another.
2. Has Daryl lost his soft side?
Daryl has frequently been the voice of reason and soul of compassion in morally questionable circumstances – look at how (comparatively) decent he was when he first encountered Dwight and wife Sherry, and her sister Tina. But he's been through a lot at the hands of Negan including torture and humiliation. On top of that, he feels tremendously guilty about Glenn's death.
Consequently, his brutal slaying of Negan cohort Fat Joey on his escape from prison in this episode suggests we're about to see an even more badass Daryl; one that will stop at nothing to assure the survival of his group. The attack mirrors Negan's battering of Abraham and Glenn in that iconic hard-to-watch season opener. Has he absorbed a bit of Negan's psychopathy after spending time in his company? Or has he simply realized he needs to fight fire with fire? His tearful reunion with Rick, of course, shows he's still at least a bit squidgy inside…
It looks like Daryl has escaped the Sanctuary with his emotions intact. When Rick suggests Daryl take up Ezekiel's offer of asylum at the Kingdom, he initially resists. He's only just reunited with his buddies, why would he want to break away from them again so soon?
But he knows it's the right thing to do to keep himself safe, and everyone else. With Negan's men still currently honouring their agreement not to set foot inside the Kingdom, it's a safe haven for Daryl – albeit probably a temporary one. That doesn't stop his lip from quivering and eyes from almost tearing up at the thought of separating from his apocalypse family, though.
3. What will happen to Eugene?
Having been identified as the one that made a bullet from scratch, Eugene is now a valuable commodity for Negan so it's unlikely his life is under threat. A quivering mess in the background during the Spencer death scene, he garnered some surprising courage from somewhere as he stepped forward to acknowledge his role as chief ammo-maker. Perhaps the death of Olivia was one kill too far for Eugene but despite his resistance when faced with a bullying Rosita coercing him into cracking out that bullet, he stood up like a man and took the heat. Will he now rely on others to rescue him, or will he have an instrumental role to play himself in any forthcoming take-down? We're looking forward to seeing this character's evolution.
We're none the wiser. Episode 9 showed us nothing of what may have happened to Eugene. Negan is back at the Sanctuary – we hear him over the radio Jesus stole, even if we don't see him – so presumably Eugene has been taken there. Negan's preoccupations in this episode are tracking down Daryl – he dispatches Simon to hunt him out at Alexandria – and acknowledging Fat Joey's death.
4. Who is the dude at the end?
During the boat scene, we saw Rick and Aaron watched from afar by an unidentified person whose footwear seemed significant. The same boots cropped up at the end in a post-credit sequence, where we saw the mysterious character spying on Father Gabriel at Alexandria through a pair of binoculars. Friend or foe? It remains to be seen but there is internet chatter about the possibility of it being one of The Whisperers – another group from the comics yet to be introduced on screen.
Alternatively, it could be Cyndie from the Oceanside community encountered by Tara, checking out Tara's people to see if they can be trusted – or perhaps even Carol who has employed similar tactics before. Could it be Dwight, even? He's displaying signs that treachery could be on the cards some time soon and with Negan having been out-of-office for a prolonged period while he waits at Alexandria for Rick, perhaps it's given Dwight the opportunity to scope out his options.
There's also the significance of the note to call into question, which Rick and Aaron found when nabbing their haul of goods and which enigmatically read: "Congrats on winning, but you still lose." As nothing's happened yet, some kind of retribution seems set to come – and since the contents of that boat-scene haul are now in the possession of the Saviors, does the threat transfer to them?
Episode 9 heavily suggests that these boots belong to a member of the community that surprises and surrounds Rick's group at the end. This new group looks likely to be The Whisperers, a faction that's been introduced in the comic books but which hasn't featured in the TV show up to now. It hasn't been spelt out, of course, that it's this group – there's a possibility still that it could be the return of the Oceansiders (with added menfolk) or another group.
It also looks like whoever this is could be the reason Father Gabriel has fled by car in the middle of the night with the contents of the larder, weapons and a full tank of fuel.
5. How do the Oceansiders fit in?
We've seen this community of women once so far (mysterious voyeuristic stalker aside, which may or may not be an Oceansider) – and at length, with a whole episode devoted to them and the introduction of their story. Although Tara has so far kept quiet about her meeting with the community, as they requested of her (they're trying to avoid detection having successfully fled from Negan), perhaps her arrival has piqued their interest and opened them up to the idea of joining forces to take on Negan. Cyndie certainly forged a bond with Tara and is very curious to see what's beyond the limiting confines of their secret camp. They'd certainly bolster an attack – they've got weapons and fight!
We haven't officially heard any more of the Oceansiders, aside from the slim possibility that the boots belong their number, or that they're the group behind the ambush on Rick's party. It's likely they'll feature again at some point in the second half of Season 7 so watch this space.
6. What happened between Negan and Ezekiel in the woods?
When Richard asks Carol and Morgan for help persuading Ezekiel to attack Negan, he tells them: "A few months back, Ezekiel and a few guards met a group of them in the woods. The Saviors recognized Ezekiel's capabilities. And Ezekiel didn't want to fight. So they cut a deal. In exchange for food and supplies, no one would get hurt and they'd never set foot inside The Kingdom. Very few of us even know…"
So what exactly happened that demonstrated Ezekiel's 'capabilities' to the Saviours? And what, indeed, are his 'capabilities'? Carol saw through his act straight away, and Negan's no idiot so presumably, he did too. Is Richard referring to his leader's ability to keep a big community under control? Or did something more sinister go down?
We know why Negan is particularly savage when it comes to Rick's gang. Rick has always been a fearsome leader and Negan has had to resort to spectacularly brutal methods to really wham his points home: he needed Rick broken, and untempered ferocity has been the only way he could do it. But there's a suggestion that he measures his approach depending on the resistance he meets.
With Gregory's Hilltop colony, Negan himself rarely has to go it seems since leader Gregory has proved himself pretty accommodating even if Negan's nasty little deputy Simon has meted out some fairly cruel treatment.
It seems highly irregular, therefore, that Negan and his team would agree to not setting foot inside The Kingdom, however obliging Ezekiel may have proved himself to be. Plus, although Richard acknowledges that the current situation is a precarious one, it seems out of character that Negan would be so hands-off having seen the levels he'll stoop to.
Is there something they're not telling us about what's gone on between these two communities? Does it have something to do with the tiger? Do the Saviors even know about the tiger? After a tantalizing glimpse of Shiva this season, we're also wondering how she will feature in the second half of the season.
Firstly, Episode 9 gives us a welcome glimpse of Shiva – through the eyes of Rick, Daryl, Michonne and the team, who are both bewildered and alarmed at seeing Ezekiel handle a real, live tiger. Shiva made only a fleeting appearance, however.
When it comes to the unusual relationship between The Kingdom and The Saviors, it seems as though it's just a matter of time before Negan starts demanding more from Ezekiel. There are more hints in this latest episode that this is likely to happen sooner rather than later, with The Saviors taking issue with the fact that the most recent haul looks lighter than usual.
We're thinking that nothing sinister went down in those woods after all and that Ezekiel doesn't have anything over Negan – although it seems likely that Negan doesn't know about Shiva. We suspect we'll start to see The Saviors further step up the aggressive tactics with The Kingdom, and this will spur Ezekiel on to join Rick in the fight, particularly since Richard is already won over.
7. Why does Negan wear a bandage on his left arm?
The show's makers have said it's not significant but we beg to differ. It's normally hidden beneath his leather jacket but it's definitely an indicator that he's perhaps not as invincible as he appears, even if he was fortuitously saved from a nasty bullet hole in his chest by Lucille in this episode. Maybe it's a strain from so much bat swinging, or maybe it's something more ominous. It's fair to say, though, that somebody on the production team has seen fit to make it a prominent feature…
We didn't see Negan in this episode so we're no closer to learning what's wrong with his arm.
You could always refer to the comic books for some more insight into the potential answers to these questions and more – but we all know that the show's creators don't always stick to the comic's narrative, don't we?


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Student Ambassadors
Damien Mansell carried out his climatology undergraduate research at Sheffield University in 2006. He is now working towards his PhD in Glaciology at Swansea University.
Ryan Milligan works at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in the US. His experience of practical research into solar active regions began with his Nuffield Foundation research bursary at Queen's University Belfast.
Lesley Brown is working towards a PhD in cross cultural differences in responses to TENS pain relief. She credits her Nuffield Foundation bursary, undertaken at Leeds Metropolitan University, with giving her the confidence and skills to embark on a research career.
Deborah Kays' undergraduate research was in inorganic chemistry at Cardiff University. Following a PhD and postdoctoral research she now is a lecturer at the University of Nottingham.


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Technical Paper
Requirements and Potential for Enhanced EVA Information Interfaces
NASA has long recognized the advantages of providing improved information interfaces to EVA astronauts and has pursued this goal through a number of development programs over the past decade. None of these activities or parallel efforts in industry and academia has so far resulted in the development of an operational system to replace or augment the current extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) Display and Controls Module (DCM) display and cuff checklist. Recent advances in display, communications, and information processing technologies offer exciting new opportunities for EVA information interfaces that can better serve the needs of a variety of NASA missions. Hamilton Sundstrand Space Systems International (HSSSI) has been collaborating with Simon Fraser University and others on the NASA Haughton Mars Project and with researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Boeing, and Symbol Technologies in investigating these possibilities.


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Reading A-Z resources organized into weekly content-based units and differentiated instruction options.
Informational (nonfiction), 501 words, Level L (Grade 2), Nonfiction Series, Lexile 580L
The ruins of Teotihuacán include the stone walls of temples and large pyramids. This ancient city in Mexico has been of great interest to many for centuries. However, the people who built the city are still a mystery. Students will enjoy learning about the history of this amazing place and the discoveries that have been made there.
Use of Kurzweil 3000® formatted books requires the purchase of Kurzweil 3000 software at www.kurzweiledu.com.
See the World Landmarks grade-appropriate, series lesson plan, activity cards, and world maps for
additional instructional resources.
Use of vocabulary lessons requires a subscription to VocabularyA-Z.com.
You may unsubscribe at any time.


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Education in the Dominican Tradition
The Dominican Order is based on the four pillars of study, prayer, community and service. Overbrook School was established on those same four guiding pillars.
Overbrook maintains a high standard of academic excellence and prepares students for higher levels of education, while acknowledging and providing for individual differences. The faculty and staff, made up of sisters and lay teachers, provide an atmosphere in which children can grow to their fullest potential as they aim to find the truth in every subject.
Students' lives are further enriched through a comprehensive fine arts program and a versatile physical education program. These special programs develop a positive self-concept, which helps students recognize the value of every unique person created by God and the gifts and talents within everyone.
As a Catholic school, Christ permeates the students' entire day as the source of their strength, the goal of their actions, and the center of their lives. Students are taught the worth of each individual as a creature made in the image and likeness of God. This dignity of life focus is developed by participating in the liturgy and the Holy Sacraments. Students study religion through prayer and scripture. School-wide Mass is held weekly on Friday mornings.
Overbrook places great value on the virtue of relationships and community. God did not intend for man to travel on a journey alone, but to experience life together as a community that seeks the common good and has concern for those in need. Teachers prepare students for the duties of good citizenship through development of character and leadership. An emphasis is placed on community through our Junior High House System and throughout the year with our many family activities and events.
St. Francis said, "Preach the Gospel always; if necessary, use words." Overbrook strives to live out the Gospel by developing a heart for service in every child following the example lived so perfectly by Jesus Christ. Pope Francis is showing students across the world how to live out this virtue through his actions and his zeal for service to others. As students grow, they also learn to step outside themselves and care for others in need.
Learn more about Overbrook's patron saint, St. Dominic, founder of the Dominican Order


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This week we purchased a family membership for the National Trust and on Wednesday J and I ventured to Mottisfont Abbey, somewhere I've always heard was a nice place to visit and had been on my "to visit" list in the Hampshire region
It was beautiful and much nicer than I expected. J has been under the weather so we didn't do much and didn't walk very far, but we spent lots of time looking at the flowers and the birds
She is a complete sponge at the moment and I managed to teach her what snowdrops were and showed her up close some daffodils which she got very excited about as they are her favourite colour. I really am looking forward to using our pass throughout the next 12 months, come rain or shine


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The World's Finest Area Rug Pads
Jade Industries is committed to providing the highest quality area rug pads at competitive pricing along with uncompromising customer service. Since 1972, Jade Industries has delivered the best area rug pads to customers throughout the country and around the world.
Why You Need a Quality Rug Pad
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see earlier posting), the DVD is finally coming up, from bootleg company Misterclaudel in Japan. The title seems to be "Salut Les Copains - Paris left breathless".
There's a new resource on the www for those among us who like to keep up with what's happening in the bootleg world about the Beatles. Here's a link to that.


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Shopping Bag
Home > Easter Favour
Out of Stock
Rollover main image to zoom in
A great Easter bag packed full of Easter themed sweets.
Chocolate Flavoured Foil Eggs: Milk Chocolate (100%), (Sugar, Cocoa Butter, Skimmed Milk Powder, Cocoa Mass, Whey Powder (Milk), Lactose (Milk), Milk Fat, Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Natural Flavouring). Milk Chocolate Contains Milk Solids 25% Minimum, Cocoa Solids 14% Minimum. Product includes, Soya & Milk derivatives. Made in a factory that handles nuts.
White Mice: Sugar, Palm Oil, Whey Powder (from Cows' Milk), Wheat Flour (with added Calcium, Iron, Niacin, Thamin), Emulsifier (Soya Lecithin), Natural Flavourings. May contain traces of Milk, Soya and Gluten.
Allergen Advice: Highlighted Bold in Ingredients list.
All our products are packed in a facility that handles NUT products.
Our aim at Keep It Sweet is to get your sweets delivered as quickly as possible. 90% of customers receive thier orders within 2 days. Our promise is to dispatch within 48 hours of receipt by either Royal Mail 48 service or courier. Delivery should be within 1-4 working days from the date of dispatch. Your postage costs will be clearly visible at the checkout and are calculated by the weight of the items ordered.
View Next Day Delivery and more information
We offer a comprehensive returns policy in the unlikely event that you are not 100% satisfied with sweets delivered. Please note that our returns procedure must be followed, and failure to do so may result in us being unable to exchange goods or provide refunds.


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Wednesday 11 December 2019
At this meeting the boards discussed:
Transition under the partial derecognition approach to lessor accounting
The boards tentatively decided that lessors should recognise and measure all outstanding leases at the date of initial application of the proposed new leases requirements. The recognised lease receivable should be measured at the present value of the remaining lease payments. The recognised residual asset should be measured at fair value.
Lessor accounting models
The boards tentatively decided to use a hybrid lessor accounting model. Under that hybrid model, the lessor would use a performance obligation approach to lessor accounting for leases that expose the lessor to significant risks and benefits associated with the underlying asset. A derecognition approach would be applied to all other leases.
Accounting for arrangements with service and lease components
The boards discussed how lessors should account for lease arrangements that contain both lease components and service components. The boards asked the staff to provide examples of how to apply two different approaches to separating the lease components from the service components of a contract for a lessee and for a lessor under both approaches to lessor accounting. Those examples should include instances when the lease components are distinct from the service components, and when they are not distinct.
Accounting for purchase options
The boards tentatively decided that both lessees and lessors should account for purchase options only when they are exercised.
© IFRS Foundation.


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With the introduction of tag management solutions over the past few years, the way a company or advertising agency will implement marketing tags or analytics tags on a website has changed. Because of this, the way the implementation is tested has changed also.
A Tag Management Solution (TMS) is the equivalent for analytics and remarketing tags as a CMS is for the content element of the site. Essentially it provides an interface allowing non-technical people to implement "pixels" across their website in real time. TMS require once off implementation across the website which then gives the marketing administrators real time access for implementation.
Google give a great explanation of what a TMS is here.
There are several considerations to take when selecting the TMS you should use for your company's website. The budget is usually the main sticking point for most companies. Basically all companies want to get the most from any product they are using for the cheapest price possible. If you're looking for a free TMS then look no further than Google Tag Manager (GTM), this free TMS fully supports all google tagging requirement such as Universal & Premium Analytics, Doubleclick, Adwords and many more. GTM does however have some drawbacks which are to be expected if the product is free to use, the main issue being that there is no dedicated support team within the google support service and you're required to "reach out" to the google community via forums and helpful blogs, people like Simo Ahava who have taken it upon themselves to create helpful guides to allow people to do interesting work with GTM.
If this isn't what you're looking for and actually you'd rather spend some money and get dedicated support for the system you're using, then perhaps opting for Tealium or Signal (Formally BrightTag) who's product is very similar to Google's with the added bonus of a support might be the better option for your organisation.
When integrating any TMS there are two stages, Stage 1, Copy and paste the TMS code into the body of the HTML… Easy! Stage 2, implement a data layer into the body of the html above the TMS code you've just pasted over.
"But what is a data layer"
Google describe a data layer as "A data layer is an object that contains all of the information that you want to pass to Google Tag Manager".
Simply put, a data layer is a list in the form of code which containers key information from the page its implemented on. In an example of a sales confirmation page for a clothing brand your data layer would contain information such as, revenue, order ID, item name, item quantity, item cost, new or existing customer etc…
Simply put, do you want to save time on analytical and marketing code releases? Then yes, the difficult decision is which TMS to use and not whether or not to use one in the first place. Taking the time to implement the TMS across your site correctly, with a robust data layer will save your company a lot of time and development costs in the future.
Feel free to comment below or contact us on twitter @iProspectIRL or myself on @SystemsMarc


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Power Evangelism
Peter BeckPeter Beck's Blog
- 2009 May 27
Karl Marx once said, "Philosophers have only interpreted the world differently; the point is, however, to change it." The same should be true of Christians. We have and should proclaim a world-changing faith.
Unfortunately, according to pollster George Barna, less than half of the so-called "born again" share their faith in any given year. There are many reasons that could be proffered for such a dismal level of obedience to the clear commands of Christ (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8). One such reason revealed in surveys is that many Christians simply do not understand the nature and content of the Gospel message itself.
For the benefit of our church, our children, and our future, we would do well to consider once again the nature of the Gospel. In Romans 1:16-17 we see three crucial elements of this Gospel that we must proclaim: it is the work of God; it leads to salvation; and, it requires faith.
First, the Gospel is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." That is, it is the work of God. All humanity desperately needs spiritual help (Romans 3:23). Yet, Paul writes that no one seeks it (Romans 3:10-18). Many texts could be cited to document God's mighty role in salvation but two familiar verses go a long way toward explaining it. John 3:16 speaks of God's loving motivation while Ephesians 2:8 tells of His gracious work in our lives.
Second, the presentation of the Gospel leads to "salvation [for] everyone who believes." Salvation, like so many other subjects in theology, can be spoken of in an already-not yet fashion. Those who believe are saved from the sins of their past (Romans 6:23). They are saved from the power of sin in the present (Romans 7:17-18). And they are saved for the future (1 John 3:2).
Third, salvation is for everyone "who believes." The kind of faith that Paul speaks of is more than mere head knowledge or mental assent to the facts of Christ's life. The demons possess such knowledge yet they will not be spared God's wrath (James 2:19; 1 Peter 2:4). Paul calls for the kind of belief that results in trusting God to do what man cannot. One must "confess … Jesus as Lord" and "believe that God raised Him from the dead" (Romans 10:9-10). That kind of faith only comes from the Lord (Ephesians 2:8). And it is that kind of faith that is absolutely necessary, for "whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:13).
There is no doubt that our world needs changing. The answer cannot be found in deprivation or legislation but in evangelization. Evangelist D. L. Moody said, "The Gospel is like a lion - just open the door and get out of the way."
Are you standing in the way of the Gospel or do you have a world changing faith?


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Welcome to the website of the Sweden Visa Application Centre in Kenya. VFS Global (Kenya) Ltd is a commercial company working in partnership with the Sweden Embassy to provide Swedish visa application services in Kenya.
Step 2 Before you decide to apply for a visa please make sure you familiarize yourself with the information on the visa subclass you are applying for. Quick links to information on visa categories and Long Term Visa Types helpful information including Visa Fee, VFS Service Charge and Processing Time can be found on the Visa Wizard page on this website.
Step 3 Applicants should fill the Download Forms corresponding to the visa subclass under which they wish to lodge their application. Applicants can get the Download Forms by visiting the nearest Sweden Visa Application Centre or by downloading the forms from Applications and Forms.
If you have already submitted your application at the Visa application centre, to know the status of your applicationClick Here
Locate your nearest Visa Application Centre. Please select your resident city below.
We wish to inform that the VAC will remain closed from...
Published on 30 November 2019
Important information notice from Schengen Member States...
Published on 29 May 2019Read More


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David Zeiler: Talk of a bond market crash has been building for months, and not just among obscure financial bloggers.
NYSE:BOND March 11, 2013 1:46pm
How We Could Get A Bond Market Crash (TBT, TBF, TLT, SHY, BOND)
How To Hedge Against Inflation With ETFs: SPDR Gold Trust, iShares Silver Trust, ETFS Physical Platinum Shares
Jeff Uscher: Uncontrolled government spending could force the Fed to monetize the government's debt, creating runaway inflation, former Federal Reserve Governor Frederic Mishkin warned in a report.
NYSE:GLD March 8, 2013 4:43pm
Time For Inverse Bond ETFs? (TBF, TLT, TBT, TMV, TTT)
Eric Dutram: With the major U.S. stock indexes hovering around their all time highs, it can be safely argued that risk on attitude has totally swept the market. Investors' flight to safety seems to have taken a back seat, putting pressure on bonds across the board.
NYSE:TBF February 20, 2013 4:05pm
ETF Bond Trade: How The End Of Quantitative Easing Will Affect Bond Prices
Jeff Uscher: Equities rallied and bond prices fell through January as investors, relieved that Congress had avoided the fiscal cliff and postponed a fight over the debt ceiling, changed their stance to take on more risk.
NYSE:SHY February 7, 2013 4:13pm
Why The Next Great Bubble Is About To Collapse? (TBT, IEF, TBF, TLT, SHY, BOND)
Martin D. Weiss: Senator Orrin Hatch warns that the bubble has the power to "destroy the retirement savings of millions of Americans."
NYSE:BOND January 22, 2013 12:01pm
Why The Entire Bond Universe Looks Toxic In 2013 (TBT, TLT, IEF, TBF, SHY)
Martin Hutchinson: It was shaping up to be another be another strong year for U.S. Treasury Bonds right up until the moment it looked like a fiscal cliff deal would be reached.
NYSE:IEF January 16, 2013 1:01pm
Watch For A Major Shift In The Bond Market (TBT, TLT, TBF, SHV, BND, BOND)
Mike Burnick: The worst of the "fiscal cliff" impact may have been averted, at least for the moment. But now investors face a new concern: The debt ceiling drama.
NYSE:BND January 6, 2013 1:37pm
Bond Sell-Off Getting Serious?
Sy Harding: With my indicators on a sell signal for bonds since August 16, I have been warning about bonds being overbought and in danger of rolling over into a serious correction for several months.
NYSE:BND January 5, 2013 1:47pm
Why The Federal Reserve Is So Dangerous
Shah Gilani: The Federal Reserve System is a government-sanctioned private enterprise that functions as a socialist tool.
NYSE:IEF December 18, 2012 1:12pm
Will Interests Rates Rise In 2013?
Matt Tucker: When the Federal Reserve met this week, it announced that it would keep the target for its key interest rate near zero until the unemployment rate improves or inflation picks up. As MarketWatch remarked after the announcement, "Fed policy
NYSE:IEF December 17, 2012 12:24pm
German's Incomplete Economic Recovery Supports the Bond Bull Market
The Daily Capitalist: Germany's national economic statistical repository provides an interesting set of graphs that correlate with the collapsing interest rate structure in that country. Two-year bunds now yield a negative 0.08% per year. The 10-year bund yields 1.27%, down from
NYSE:IEF December 10, 2012 12:14pm
Fed Hints That QE Is Here To Stay; Implications May Continue To Be Bullish For Treasury Bond Prices
The Daily Capitalist: The Fed is hinting that quantitative easing is here to stay: there may be no unwinding of its expanding balance sheet in 2015. Bloomberg.com reports (LINK):
NYSE:IEF December 7, 2012 4:07pm
Why The Bond Bubble Is Finally About To Burst?
Shah Gilani: The Federal Reserve's multi-year prescription of targeting super-low interest rates on federal funds, along with various quantitative easing programs, has pushed yields down on all fixed-income instruments to the benefit of issuers and the detriment of investors.
NYSE:SHY December 3, 2012 4:03pm
Musings On Interest Rates (TLT, TBF, TMF, TMV)
Will Fed Officials Wave Their Magic Monetary Wand Again or Won't They? Who Cares! (TBT, TLT, IEF)
Mike Larson: In all my years of following the interest rate markets, I can't recall a moment like this. The so-called "experts" on Wall Street are completely, utterly obsessed with a simple question: "Will Fed officials wave their magic monetary wand again or won't they?"
NYSE:IEF June 8, 2012 12:26pm


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Gotta love action lines. In a piece like this they add that extra 'umph' so I saved them for last. I'm going to call this one finished and move on to the next one. Despite the simple color scheme and bold line art this one was a lot more challenging than I had envisioned but fun nonetheless. How can you not like Lichtenstein? His call to art came as a challenge from his son to paint as good as his Mickey Mouse comic. Brilliant.
This is the first time I have finished one of these without knowing what I would go into right after it. I have a few I am considering but I'm waiting for one to jump out at me. I'll come back to color eventually but I'm pretty sure the next one is back to black. At the beginning I sought out art that I thought would translate well to the dry erase board but now I might just pick a piece I like and see if I can pull it off. The Hopper was one I wasn't exactly sure how I would execute and that is what made it so fun. Onward to Google Images.


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Here's a peek into our lives, via Instagram...
Taking the girls for a walk in their new stroller.
My girls.
A trip to the ER due to a lovely case of Mastitis. Boo.
This girl LOVES Monsters Inc. Auntie Naenae took her on a
special birthday date to Build-a-bear and she got some new friends!
Decorations all ready for our girl's 2nd Birthday!
The party was wonderful!
Such a sweet day with our little princess!
Cheesin' it up at her favorite place on her Birthday...
Chick-fil-A, of course!
Sweet Livi.
4th of July... family and ice cream and crashing early.
Have a wonderful weekend y'all!


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This week we are interviewing the talented Margriet from 365 Days of Nail Art, she recently finished an amazing project where she created a different nail art design, every day for a entire year!
1. Tell us a bit about yourself!
Hi all! I'm Margriet from the Netherlands. I'm 31, happily married and mother of 4 (2 boys and 2 girls). My parents live in Portugal and are planning to tour America and Canada the next couple of years and my sister lives in Spain. Visiting them means travelling, something I really enjoy! I studied to be a social worker (for Residential Institutions, Community Development and Child and Youth Welfare Work). But until the youngest (3 years old) goes fully to school as well I decided to remain a stay-at-home mom and work later. I'm a perfectionist from heart and the biggest chocolate addict in the world :D
I'm a perfectionist from heart and the biggest chocolate addict in the world :D
2. When did you first start getting into nail art?
Around the age of 15, when hitting puberty, I really wanted to be different than others. While the rest was trying to fit in with their appearance I did everything to stand out. One half white and one half black was the favorite look for my long nails. Later on I tried to make simple paintings with a toothpick. I didn't know anything about the existence of nail art and it was only later when I discovered I was already doing it! At the age of 17 I ran into a nail art package containing 50 nail polish stripers and a how-to video. It looked so easy and I've spent many frustrating hours trying to recreate a nail art. It was only until last year that I really wanted to do something for myself besides being a mom. I wanted to start blogging and after a lot of thinking I decided to blog about nail art. I soon came to the conclusion that so many were already blogging about it so I needed to stand out again :D This was the moment I challenged myself with the "365 days of nail art challenge". Each day, one year long, I created a nail art on my natural nails and blogged about it. It has cost a lot: money, time, stress, nails, frustrations. But it also brought a lot: new friends, love, a better self-esteem and great nail arts.
While the rest was trying to fit in with their appearance I did everything to stand out.
3. Where do you like to take your pictures?
I prefer taking pictures outside on a sunny day. And well, that brings us right to the biggest problem…It's the Netherlands…we don't have that many sunny days :( I'm still thinking about getting/making myself a light box.
4. Have you ever gotten any interesting reactions while wearing some of your more unique designs?
I wish I could tell you a nice anecdote but I can't. The Netherlands isn't really a 'nail' country. A lot of people have short, unpainted nails (easy for work) and there is still even a large group that looks at long, painted nails as being witchy or trashy. Therefore most people are simply shocked when looking at my nails and for sure won't even comment about it :D Of course, during time I received compliments, requests for doing their nails, oh ah's and the mostly asked question: do you do this yourself?! However the funniest and weirdest experience I had, was while wearing flocking powder/velvet nails and someone out of the blue started petting my nails (it felt like a stranger touching your pregnant belly…WEIRD).
5. How do you keep yourself from hitting inspiration burnout?
Actually the inspiration burnout isn't really the thing I have trouble with. I get my inspiration everywhere. Sometimes I let the polish speak; color or texture but mostly my inspiration simply comes from browsing the Internet. My laptop is one big Pinterest board of images that I've seen and saved because I immediately thought: "Oh wow, that could look great on nails as well!" From paintings, to fabric, to jewelry, to toys, to postcards etc. Painters block is my biggest problem. There are days that I'm simply not able to paint as good as I want. Redoing it or taking another inspiration won't help. It's an off-day!
I get my inspiration everywhere. Sometimes I let the polish speak; color or texture but mostly my inspiration simply comes from browsing the Internet.
6. What do you consider the most crucial part of your nail care routine?
Oh my, I'm going to make friends and enemies with my answer to this question. I actually don't do anything special when it comes to nail care. I'm blessed with easy nails. I've got a ton of stuff for nail care but I'm simply too lazy for using it. As long as I regularly wear polish I never have to push back my cuticles. I only clip loose cuticle skin and when I see my hands are getting dry I put on a hand cream. Filing (glass file by KOH, which is the best) only happens when my nails are getting too long or when I have to file them all down because I broke a nail. I also use nail polish remover containing Acetone. In my opinion the best way for keeping strong and healthy nails is using a good basecoat (I use Essie First base but all the Essie basecoats are great).
7. Do you prefer natural nails or acrylics?
For me it's natural nails for sure! However, we are not all blessed with easy nails and with that in mind I'm happy there is also a possibility of getting acrylics or gel nails. A nail art can look great on whatever canvas!
8. What are some of your other hobbies?
I don't have time for other hobbies ;-P I take what life is bringing me. There were times in my life I read all the books in the library. I travelled the world. I've been at the top of some sports (ballet, volleyball, badminton, speed ice skating, gymnastics). I've been on a lot of dance floors and spent a lot of time with friends. There is a lot in life and each period of your lifetime brings new interests and hobbies. Same goes for friends and troubles. Right now I'm happy with being a mom, wife and filling my free time with NAILS and blogging :D
There is a lot in life and each period of your lifetime brings new interests and hobbies.
9. How often do you change what's on your nails?
I'm in rehab for the each day change ;D After my 365 days of nail art challenge (which also took a lot of quality time with my loved ones) I promised to take it more slow. I'm now changing my nails when I have free time which is more or less twice a week.
10. What's your favorite design that you've created over the years?
I love my INAD (International Nail Art Day) nails because there was so much going on there with different techniques and materials. Most favorite however are my dragon nails because they turned out way better than I had hoped for :D
11. What nail polish brand do you find yourself reaching to the most?
I sadly have to say that I'm not a millionaire. I reach mostly to Catrice and Essence because it's easy available and low-budget. I have great experiences with China Glaze, OPI, Morgan Taylor, KOH, Herome, Color Club and Indie brands as well (but this mostly needs to be purchased online). I'm not a fan of shipping costs and waiting for my polish.
12. What design took you the longest to complete?
13. What type of brushes do you use for your nail art?
I started with striper brushes (low budget) and now I mostly use detail brushes that I get from a store that sells model building materials. Still not very expensive and comparable to Kolinsky hair brushes size 0000.
14. What other nail bloggers do you like to draw inspiration from?
I follow a lot of other bloggers and see a lot of nail arts passing by. I like to be unique though, with my own inspirations, techniques and style. Sometimes a new technique and/or design passes by a lot and I can't help but try it out myself. It was only in the beginning that I recreated other bloggers nail arts (and didn't credit them for it…so sorry because I was just a noob that didn't know about this unwritten rule). Nowadays I mostly look up to the people creating new techniques, think outside the box or make really art pieces. For example: Pisut Masanong, Dess, Ryoko Garcia.
Thank you so much Margriet! Comment below and tell us your favorite designs!
Keep with Margriet's nail art on Nailpolis and her blog!


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By calling upon the spirits of storms, you can manipulate lightning to protect yourself and buffet your enemies with peals of thunder.
Prerequisites: Con 15, Wis 15, Djinni Style, Elemental Fist, Improved Unarmed Strike, base attack bonus +11 or monk level 9th.
Benefit: You gain one additional Elemental Fist attempt per day. While using Djinni Style, you gain electricity resistance equal to your base attack bonus or monk level, whichever is higher. While denied your Dexterity bonus to AC you are also denied this resistance. Creatures that take electricity damage from your Elemental Fist attack must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + 1/2 your character level + your Wis modifier) or be deafened for 1d4 rounds. Those who take damage from your Djinni Spin are deafened, even on a successful saving throw.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Combat. © 2011, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Authors: Jason Bulmahn, Tim Hitchcock, Colin McComb, Rob McCreary, Jason Nelson, Stephen Radney-MacFarland, Sean K Reynolds, Owen K.C. Stephens, and Russ Taylor.


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Best Chicken Quesadilla
This chicken quesadilla recipe stuffed with monterey jack and cheddar cheese is just the appetizer for a Cinco de Mayo party or any celebration coming up.
A perfect chicken quesadilla reicpe is the staple on every Mexican restaurant menu, but they're a snap to make yourself at home. Roast up your own chicken breast or make it even easier on yourself by using a prepared rotisserie chicken.... Read More
View Recipe


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You are here
Found 3 results
Filters: Author is Du, Y. [Clear All Filters]
"Surface-Mediated Hyperpolarization of Liquid Water from Parahydrogen", Chem, vol. 4, pp. 1387-1403, 2018.,
"Comparative Analysis of Different Numerical Schemes in Solute Trapping Simulations by using the Phase-Field Model with Finite Interface Dissipation", Journal of Mining and Metallurgy Section B-Metallurgy, vol. 52, pp. 77-85, 2016.,
"Magnetic BiMn-alpha phase synthesis prediction: First-principles calculation, thermodynamic modeling and nonequilibrium chemical partitioning", Computational Materials Science, vol. 120, pp. 117-126, 2016.,


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Board of Directors
Role Member Email President Keith De Silva firstname.lastname@example.com Vice-President **Vacant** Treasurer Pam Roye Secretary firstname.lastname@example.com Technical Director Tami Ray Umpiring Director Tami Ray Junior Development Director Alex Godet firstname.lastname@example.com Senior Development Director **Vacant** Compliance Office Laura West-Burt Communications Director **Vacant** Fundraising Director **Vacant** BOA Representative Keith De Silva
Coaching Committee
Elite+Mental+Preparation[2] Goalkeeping+Performance[2] Bermuda Speed Conditioning+for+Speed[2] Elite+Goalkeeping[2] Goalkeeping+Performance[2] Skill Acquisition Pathways Transition+Counter+Attack[2] 16 YARD HIT DEFENSIVE FREE HITS vista OFFENSIVE FREE HITS vista
Tech Corner
Tech procedures for Match report Click on link to download. Tech procedures for Match report. Team list should be collected 15mins. before match Get team list from captains Fill in names on match report. Lowest to highest shirt number First initial last name 16 players Note captain Note Goal keeper 4. Short corners/Penalty Strokes One slash Cross for converted Note half time 5. Scoring Record time in minutes Shirt number Team Type of goal 6. Check for membership and waivers Look in back of binder for team list Must sign waiver before their first match of season. 7. Cards given Record time next to players name under card color A report …
Umpires Corner
Keep posted for upcoming classes FIH Rules 2017 Now you can also get it as an app FIH Rules of Hockey-2015 rules-of-hockey-2015-adjustment-to-rule-132-as-at-16-february-2016 rule-13-attacking-free-hits-within-5m-of-the-circle


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CNMI scholars see success
Tag: African American, CNMI, GMSP, Stanford University
Ten students from Saipan, and one student from Tinian, have been selected as 2016 Gates Millennium Scholars. This news comes from a Gates Millennium Scholars Program press release posted at GMSP.org.
Only 1,000 such scholars are selected annually. It is a competitive process. The CNMI has punched far above its weight here. Kagman High School, in particular, has been a superstar, with six Gates Millennium Scholars to its credit this year.
Gates Millennium Scholars receive large and substantial scholarships. Depending on the specifics, the scholarships pay not only for an entire bachelors degree, but can also fund studies up to the Ph.D. level in certain fields. Which is to say, this is a really big deal. And it's rooted in really big generosity. The scholarship fund was established with a $1.6-billion grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Here are the names of the CNMI's 2016 Gates Millennium Scholars, as listed in the press release:
– Cassey Babauta, Kagman High School
– Elizabeth Basa, Kagman High School
– Josepha Cabrera Kagman High School
– Victor Juan Castro, Kagman High School
– Nimei George, Kagman High School
– Karen Laoyan, Kagman High School
– Thomas Manglona, Mount Carmel School
– Eliezha Mendoza, Saipan Southern High School
– Odorico San Nicolas, Tinian Junior/Senior High
– Roselyn Tanghal, Marianas High School
– Mary Grace Tiglao, Marianas High School
A goal of this scholarship program, according to GMSP.org, is "Reducing financial barriers for African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American and Hispanic American students with high academic and leadership promise who have significant financial need."
Toward this end, over $934 million in scholarships have been awarded so far.
To say that this is a life-changing event for some of the CNMI's most capable and deserving students would be an understatement.
It's easy to get priced out of college. A student from the CNMI who is looking at a top-name U.S. university is facing tuition around $40,000 to $50,000 a year, even more in some cases, and only slightly less in others.
I have a list of 10 universities that I consulted for these costs. Instead of getting bogged down in arguments about which schools do, or don't, deserve to be on the list, I'll just share that range of costs and leave it at that. After all, I'm just a guy in a beach chair. I'm not an academic referee.
Moving right along here, tuition isn't the end of the story, it's just the beginning. Just for the sake of ballpark thinking, we can contemplate a minimal budget of $24,000 a year for a student's living expenses, books, and such. I doubt that would leave much, if any, wiggle room for vacations, contingencies, or a car.
Once the numbers are added up, if we're talking paying full price at a big-brand place, the total cost of a four-year university stint can be around the $300,000 mark.
Of course, in many cases, various types of financial aid can pare this down. Stanford University, for example, will waive tuition entirely for students from families that make under $125,000 a year. But, on the other hand, students might get a cooler reception from the top public universities. For instance, for the academic year just closing, U.C. Berkeley tuition is said to be $38,139 for nonresidents vs. $13,431 for residents of California. Yikes, that's a big difference. Furthermore, at least in California's case, state aid and grants to nonresident students can be very sparse; not a great situation for someone from the CNMI.
Anyway, no matter what the specific numbers are, college has, overall, become notoriously expensive. This puts many in Saipan, and elsewhere, in a tough spot. So it's nice to see some good news on this front, at least as it pertains to 11 scholars in the CNMI.
Our Gates Millennium Scholars are facing the future with blessings that are as big as their dreams.


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Cast glass, blown glass, sculpture, free form, or objects with specificity in size and design...I would love to help you realize your project in glass. I regularly create specifically for other artists and designers, as well as one-of-a-kind pieces for private homes and collectors.
If you have a project that you'd like to see realized in glass, please fill out the form to the right, and I'll be in touch very soon.
Scroll down to see images of some recent commission projects.
Thank you for your interest.


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Real Americans Defend Israel and by the way Real Americans hate President Obama so goes the narrative on the above website. They also hate Muslims, Hispanics, women who want equal rights or Homosexuals who want protection under the law .
and so any American citizen who in any way criticize any Israeli policy is not a "Real American" and should not be put in any position of authority from President to dog catcher.
And for more on the American medias unbalanced coverage of Islamic terrorists compared to their coverage of homegrown non Islamic terrorists.
Mainstream Media loves Muslim Bogeyman
To be updated later-GORD.
The Israeli government propaganda machine is at it again promulgating anti-Muslim hatred. The video suggests somewhat blatantly that the whole of Islam and its 1.5 billion followers are out to crush Christianity and therefore Western Civilization.
The video once again claims that Israel has the right to stay in the occupied territories and even to expand to reclaim ancient Judea.
The Palestinians they claim are not a real people but made up by Muslim extremists in the 20th century. But Palestinians have occupied the so called Holy Land along with Jews and Christians .
And of course there is a proportion of Muslims who claim that it is their duty to proclaim Jihad against all Non-Muslims and against those Muslims they believe to be apostates/heretics. But do they represent the views of all Muslims or are these views embedded in the Quran or shown to be an integral part of the Prophet Muhammad's message. The Quran preaches no compulsion in religion and that no group of people is superior to another as does the writings of the apostles of the New Testament . Jesus never preached hatred of Judaism since he himself was born into a Jewish family and community. He protested against the Jewish Priests whom he believed distorted God's message to Moses and the other prophets but he did not condemn all Jews. Anti-Semitism and intolerance of all those who were not Christians was an innovation of the Early Church Fathers who massacred so called Pagans and Jews.
This supposedly funny video is similar to the Israeli video about the Israeli attack on the internationally supported Flotilla criticizing the Palestinians and those who are trying to get Israel to stop its illegal and immoral blockade of Gaza.
So does this video constitute Hate Speech or is Hate Speech by definition any speech which is critical of Israel .
So for educational purposes I have included this video which suggest that even Muslim Americans or Muslim Canadians are all radical Islamic Jihadists just waiting for an opportunity to slaughter Christians and Jews in both of our countries.
Jihad Bells
At first Israel claimed this parody of the Palestinian Aid Flotilla was made independently but soon admitted this was part of the government's propaganda against Palestinians and the Western Media which they claim are on the side of the violent Jihadists.
Israel Apologizes For Circulating Spoof Video Mocking Gaza Flotilla (VIDEO) at Huffington PostJune 7, 2010
"We Con The World"
Edited parody zionist, racist song made to mock Gaza Flotilla
Anyway here 's an apt summary of 2010s anti-Islamic hate propaganda being spewed and taken seriously and at face value by Professional Islamophobes and by political and media opportunists.
This Year In Islamophobia by Rachel Slajda at Talking Points Memo , Dec. 29, 2010
Nine years after Sept. 11, 2001, America saw perhaps its worst outbreak of Islamophobia since the attacks. Experts wagered it came from the aimless fear and the anger people feel in times of economic crisis, exploited by certain politicians looking to give their party an advantage in the midterms and turned toward American Muslims.
Such an outbreak was possible in the days and months after Sept. 11's attacks. It never really materialized, experts say, in part because President George W. Bush stood up and told the nervous country that Islam is a religion of peace, and that American was not at war with Muslims.
He made no such appeal this year, and President Obama's pleas fell on deaf ears or, more accurately, ears that believe Obama himself is secretly, and sinisterly, Muslim.
Without further ado, then, is This Year in Islamophobia:
The 'Ground Zero Mosque'
When an imam -- a known moderate imam who'd been sent by the U.S. government around the world on goodwill missions to Muslim nations -- and a group of developers decided to turn the old Burlington Coat Factory building in downtown Manhattan into a community center and mosque, almost no one noticed. No one noticed for months, in fact, until all of a sudden, this summer, it exploded.
People like Pamela Gellar and Robert Spencer, who for years had been screaming about the dangers of Islam from the fringe, were suddenly front and center. Their assertions -- that American Muslims are inherently dangerous, that the majority of imams are radical, that Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf is a terrorist sympathizer -- were suddenly being repeated by the mainstream, by Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin and the like.
People said vicious things, calling the community center a shrine to terrorists and salt in an American wound.
The furor came to a head on Sept. 11, the ninth anniversary of the attacks, when protesters from both sides converged on the site, just a few blocks from Ground Zero itself and the memorial services being held. They screamed and chanted, and at least one man tore pages out of the Koran and scattered them throughout the street.
Then, as suddenly as it came, the furor died down to a few embers at the extremes. But the community center is still years and millions of dollars away from being a reality, and we can all expect more outrage to come.
The Koran Burner
When cultish Florida church leader Terry Jones announced that he would burn a pile of Korans in his front yard on Sept. 11, the media dug in and didn't let go. It became the biggest story of the week, with dozens of reporters and news crews camped out in front of Jones' church, while reporting that footage and even stories about such a bonfire could set off violent riots in the Muslim world and give recruiting fodder to terrorists.
So worried was the Obama administration that Defense Secretary Robert Gates called Jones personally to ask him not to burn any Korans. He eventually agreed to call off the event after a local imam told him that Rauf, the New York imam, had promised to move his community center, even though he hadn't. Jones never did go through with it.
The spectacle angered the "God hates fags" funeral protesters at the Westboro Baptist Church, who'd been burning Korans for years.
It also prompted copycats, like the man in Texas who tried to burn one of the holy books but was thwarted by a skateboarder, who described the incident thusly:
I snuck up behind him and took his Koran, he said something about burning the Koran, I said, "Dude you have no Koran," and ran off.
Sharia in Middle Tennessee
The opposition to a mosque near Murfreesboro, Tenn., started out scary -- first with vandalism and then with an arson that claimed some of the mosque's construction equipment. But it quickly turned to farce, as opponents to the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro -- which has been in town for 30 years and is now trying to expand -- filed a lawsuit to try and stop it.
The lawyers for the opponents, partially funded by a Christian Zionist group, argued in county court that the mosque's permit for religious use should never have been approved because Islam, they claimed, isn't a religion. When the Justice Department filed a brief noting that the U.S. has recognized Islam since Thomas Jefferson's time, the lawyers claimed that the federal government couldn't be trusted because it had once condoned slavery.
The judge ruled that the mosque's construction could continue.
The Future
Violence has, fortunately, not spread past isolated incidents like the young man who slashed a Muslim cab driver in New York City.
But the story of Islamophobia in America is not over. Tensions between the Muslim community and federal law enforcement are growing, as the FBI continues to conduct undercover terror stings that some critics say amounts to entrapment. The new chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Rep. Peter King (R-NY) has claimed that Muslim leaders are insufficiently cooperative with terror investigations and therefore is holding hearings on the "radicalization" of Muslim Americans. Other congressmen have promised to try to keep the hearings from targeting Muslims.
And so what happens next year, and the year after that -- whether cooler heads continue to prevail in the end -- remains to be seen.
From RT news regarding the attack by the IDF Commandos on the Palestinian Flotilla
an act of piracy in international waters the IDF committed murder and as usual got away with it as Israel is once again defended by the US administration- what would have occurred if an Arab or Islamic state had carried out such an attack.


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Hey Eleanor, that link I clicked brought me here… Why?
Unfortunately, the product creator's offer has expired or retired.
So now what?
Don't leave yet, I would like to thank you for clicking on my Link and then there are 2 options I have to offer you, you can choose to do one or all 2 of them. Personally I would love it if you chose to do both:
1. You can Follow me on Facebook http://facebook.com/eleanormarksprior
2. Opt in below, and receive a free gift from me, for any inconvenience you have experienced due to the broken link.
I look forward to connecting with you and getting to know you.


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And these tree people don't seem to be getting along too well anymore, as you take up the role of a nameless elf who's returned to his hometown at the World Tree's base after a long journey away – and he finds the place in ruin. The Dwarves of the Tree, it seems, have been corrupted by an evil poison and started a civil war against the Elves. Worse, many of the Dwarves have had their bodies twisted and transformed into the shapes of fiendish monsters.
It's up to you. The elf with no name, away from home so long. It's up to you to take up the quest of venturing deep into the labyrinth of the Tree, climbing ever higher through mazes, fortresses and other besieged elf settlements to find the source of this evil and vanquish it. It's up to you to purify the Tree.
Good luck!
Now I normally wouldn't spend so much time setting up a game's storyline and location for you, but the environment of the World Tree is very much the heart of Faxanadu. This game is a side-scrolling action RPG in the "Metroidvania" style – everywhere you go is interconnected, and the map is laid out so well and so perfectly matched to the background design that you really do feel like you're on a quest of exploration through an immense living tower of leaves and bark.
The roots are brown and earthen early on. The interior of the trunk is mist-filled and mysterious. The branches loom out over vast expanses of sky that make you feel like you're one step away from plummeting to your doom. It's great. And presenting an engaging setting that you actually feel connected to and want to fully explore is critical for a game like this, as it will keep you invested in the quest all the way through to the end.
The quest itself begins as you might expect, as you start off with no money, no equipment and no experience and have to talk to townspeople, buy weapons and armor and vanquish enemies to slowly build up your power and abilities over time. You make constant progress through the Tree this way, hacking your way through foes, jumping and climbing ladders to advance, stopping to rest and recover your HP and MP meters in each settlement you come across. The structure is a bit like Nintendo's Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, or Konami's Castlevania II: Simon's Quest – both of which you might have previously played through the Wii's Virtual Console. But, in some ways, Faxanadu's better than both of those games.
It's more forgiving than Zelda II. That game's system of gaining experience and leveling up was cumbersome, and Link had only a few lives to use before being sent to the Game Over screen. Here in Faxanadu, the leveling's easier. You gain experience and then check in with Gurus in churches, and they award you new titles like "Hero" or "Champion." Then, if you fall in battle later on, you're simply restored to the experience level of your current rank. In fact, it can sometimes be beneficial to die on purpose – because respawning back at the Guru also gives you a renewed amount of Gold in your pocket, while also letting you keep any items you might have bought or found before getting killed.
It's more accessible than Simon's Quest, in that the clues that non-player characters offer to you are easier to decipher and you'll never get too frustrated or confused in figuring out where to go next. It doesn't have a perfect game script and you might get turned around once or twice along the way, but there's never any stumbling point so severe that you'd feel the need to shut the game off and go find a FAQ somewhere.
Faxanadu, too, may be a better Virtual Console title than either of those others because of its relative lack of notoriety. Lots of people have played those Zeldas and Castlevanias. Not so many people remember this one from the NES days, so its VC re-release might just earn it the audience it's always deserved.
But now some concerns. Faxanadu is a hidden gem, to be sure, and I'll wrap up this review with a firm recommendation that you download it shortly – but it isn't flawless. So here are the aspects of it that'll leave you scratching your head a bit when you see them in action.
Controls. Faxanadu's play control feels a little stiff, with our hero's attack and jumping animations both taking a while to really get used to – you can expect to miss a jump or two in the early going and mis-time your strikes against some enemies while you adapt. The hero also can't duck, which wouldn't be so odd except that the first enemy you come across in the game is a floor-crawling monster that can't be hit by your sword strikes. Because it's too short.
The menu system. Faxanadu's inventory interface is a bit puzzling at first, as the button to access and equip items, weapons and armor aren't immediately obvious. Adding to the puzzlement is a restriction against changing your equipment inside buildings, which means you'll only get an annoying error buzz if you're inside an armor shop, buy a piece of armor and then try to put it on. Buzz! "Sorry, pal. Take it outside if you actually want to wear it."
And the enemy placement. Faxanadu players who want to level up quickly, earn lots of cash or simply replenish their life meters by picking up the recharging bread items dropped by downed enemies can take advantage of the instant respawning that happens every time you move to a new screen – that's good. But sometimes the game will have enemies waiting exactly at your point of entry, or right at the top of a ladder, essentially forcing you to take a hit to proceed. That's not a great bit of design, and it's especially annoying when your collision with an enemy knocks you back – and you fall backwards into the screen you just walked in from.More Virtual Console Adventures
|Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
|Castlevania II: Simon's Quest
|Ufouria: The Saga
If you're able to forgive Faxanadu for its handful of flaws, you're in for an excellent and underappreciated 8-bit adventure here. Faxanadu's been on my personal Most Wanted list for the Virtual Console for a long time, since I knew a bit about it as a kid but never actually got around to playing it. Now that it's here at last and I've finally had the chance to experience it, I'm happy to say it was worth the wait. This quest gets a definite thumbs-up from me, so go ahead and spend five bucks to download it – then start your own journey climbing up, up and even further up into the epically enormous World Tree.
In This Article
Faxanadu Review


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Our Joan Chittister just returned from a 3-day promotional trip for her new book, The Gift of Years. She spoke at three venues: St. Bart's, the large Episcopal congregation in the city, at St. Mark's in nearby New Canaan, CT, and at St. Ignatius Retreat Center on Long Island.
We checked amazon.com after she returned and the book ranked #1,297 out of their 300,000 some books---quite a coup! And the book really is great. As one of the reviewers, Rabbi Lawrence Kushner wrote, "Joan Chittister is one of the great spiritual teachers of our generation." By the way, his Kabbalah: a love story, was a great read, too.
One more book plug: I just got a copy of one of my very favorite author's latest: Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell. If you've never given one of her four books a try, do read about them on amazon, on a similar site, or just google her name. She is one very creative and talented writer. I started the new one this weekend and am really trying to go slowly and savor it for a bit. Don't you just love finding a writer whose books you don't want to end--even while you're reading them?!
Springtime in Erie.
Photo by Stephanie Schmidt, OSB