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Weekly update on the Sterks…
Basketball is in full swing! I am LOVING it so far! It feels so good to be back in the sport, coaching, and just being with the girls! Our true desire is for the girls to grow closer to God. It has been humbling to start our practices with devotions, in prayer, and just being together in a group as a team. The team aspect, I just love. Definitely brings back so many memories, but also spurs me on to help these girls become better at basketball! Yet, at the same time, help them realize that there is so much more to life – in a day, basketball was taken away for me. I thought basketball was my life, but God had a MUCH different plan. I am thankful that He then led me into ministry – that is what is lasting – something I am still doing today. And now, I get to take a step back into basketball and now come at it from a ministry standpoint too – not just a basketball standpoint. I have a LOT to learn, but thankful for this opportunity!
Dan is going hunting one last time this weekend – hopefully it will mean a deer! I am so thankful to all those who have taken him hunting! I know that sounds like I am glad he is out of the house – FAR FROM THAT :). No, I know my husband LOVES to hunt, but he so enjoys going WITH people. So to have people invite him along or take him where they are going, has been such a blessing! I am not a hunter, so he is on his own when it comes to us. I am thankful he has others to enjoy this hobby with! I plan on just sticking with fishing – plus, let's be honest, if I were a hunter, that would be one expensive hobby to share together!
We are looking very forward to seeing our families over Thanksgiving! We couldn't ask for a better gift during Thanksgiving! So much to be thankful for! As we continue to think about this holiday, we are more and more thankful for the circumstances God has taken us through because we are that much stronger because of it.
I also turn 30 next week, which is crazy to think about! When I was 20, I thought my life would look much different – but I also wouldn't trade it. I have to admit at times I definitely feel a little old. I decided to do the lunges with the girls during basketball practice and I am PAYING for it! Oh my goodness, I haven't been this sore in YEARS. I can barely walk, but it's okay! I was humbled and reminded that I am not 15 anymore. I am going to be 30. I thought running today would loosen my muscles up, but being older, that probably just made it worse. Oh well – ya live and learn, right?
We are often asked about where we are at with kids, and this explanation is going to be short, but our minds are not even there right now. We feel God is still helping us get to contentment with last year's circumstances and is still bringing healing in that. Time surely is a piece of the healing process in itself, so because of that, we feel we just need time. We couldn't even BEGIN to tell you what our future holds – we never even IMAGINED the opportunity to have a gestational carrier. So we are living life open to what GOD wants for our life. We don't want to live in our own desires, but in solely God's. What that looks like, He has not made that fully clear when it comes to the future. But what He has made clear is that He wants us to follow Him in faith. That is what we are trying to do today. He holds our tomorrow, so tomorrow we will follow what He has for us then. Until then, we hold onto the hope of today, that He is leading and guiding us in the way we are to go.
Well, that is all that is going on right now…we've been keeping pretty busy, but that is okay too. The busyness is a good busy! We are anticipating the holiday season with much excitement as we are blessed to be able to again spend it with family. After last year, it has really helped us regain perspective on what our priorities are. In that, we are thankful to be able to stick to those priorities. We still haven't gotten the winter blast that we were expecting, but this too, is okay! I have learned that LAYERS are the answer and key to "success" in Minnesota. I drink about 2-3 warm drinks a day, and yes, I am aware that it will probably be a long winter if I am already to that point. But like anywhere, I am hoping my body adjusts :).
Hope YOU all are doing well!
I also am doing a FREE GIVEAWAY RIGHT NOW!


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# We continue to focus on just the things that are funded and not on what we should do
- Taylor
- Kathy
- Roger
- Brad
- Arturo
Summary written up afterwards
There are two pieces to look at for a solution: immediate next steps to get us back on track, and process changes to do it better in the future.
Immediate next steps:
- We should hold "wishlist retreats" where we just brainstorm things we ought to do, separate from what the current funding is.
Process changes:
- We need to roadmap by wishlist item, *then* match items to existing funding.
- We need to do periodic task check-ins, to decide if a given deliverable is still the best thing for us to be doing.
- What we mean by periodic can vary by team. Monthly or something?
- Remember that our funders want us to be doing the right things, so they will generally be pleased for us to swap bad items for good ones.
- This is course requires good funder relationships, and also concise accurate communications about constraints.
- "Think goals, not deliverables". That is, we should roadmap by category ("performance", "security", "maintainability", etc) rather than by funder.
- Also tor browser has similar issues
- They wonder oh my why that is on my roadmap
Taylor: it is ultimately toxic to the longterm health of the org and project
We should periodically refresh what we have somehow committed to.
Some companies used to have a Friday when people could do what they want. What if we had a free day where people can do what they want.
Whenever we allocate to make the roadmap everybody gets to decide something to put on the roadmap.
Important to discuss these things also with Shari to ensure that we are moving more towards this direction instead of having funding that has more administrative burden.
More private sources have less compliance requirements. But they also less money, so you need more.
We are closer to getting private like funding sources, than what we may think that is.
Invert the road-mapping progress, prioritise without having in mind who is going to pay for things and then come up with who is going to pay for it.
Brad: suggests doing mid-point re-evaluations.
Now all the teams are road-mapping on their own, we should roadmap together more.
When you budget for your time, it's nice to have spare time available to allocate to unpredictable incident response like things.
Practical ideas to do:
- A wishlist retreat where we do a roadmap that is just driven by what you want
to do, instead of funder driven.
- Have periodic retrospective check-ins to ensure we have mapped up well, what
we proposed to get funding for vs what we did or wanted to do.
Set milestones dynamically based on progress you have make so far.
Think goals, not deliverables. Ruthlessly prioritise.
An incrementally updated backlog of things that you would like to do,

subset: commoncrawl


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Advanced Search
The state of California has adopted a revised science framework intended to help its public schools transform instruction to mesh with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). It claims to be the first state to do so. The framework offers guidance to educators and science content publishers on how to teach the standards in K-12.
The revision work kicked off in 2013 when state legislators approved adoption of changes to science education that incorporated NGSS. From there the State Board of Education recruited a focus group from among local education agencies, science, higher education and other "stakeholder" organizations to develop a framework for guiding the transition. A draft was issued in 2015 for public review, then again in 2016. In total, about 3,000 public comments were considered during the drafting process.
The new framework expands and refines coverage of climate change and adds engineering, environmental literacy and strategies to support girls and young women in science. It also encourages the teacher-as-facilitator model, in which he or she poses questions and students conduct experiments and projects to make discoveries.
Among the examples provided, middle school students tackle an engineering challenge in which they divert rainwater away from road surfaces, where it can pick up pollutants. Another middle school challenge encourages students to graph fish populations under global warming scenarios. At the high school level chemistry students examine the impact of the increasing acidification of the world's oceans and develop potential remedies.
"Science education is undergoing a renaissance that began with the adoption of California's Next Generation Science Standards in 2013 and advances today with a Science Framework that will guide teaching," said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson, in a statement. Torlakson began his own career as a high school science teacher in the 1970s.
"This framework will help our students become the scientists and technology leaders of the future as well as citizens who are knowledgeable and understanding of the natural world and the environment," he added. "It will also help produce the well-educated, innovative workers needed by all of our employers, but especially our high-tech companies, which are some of the most advanced companies humankind has ever seen."
During 2017, the state's Department of Education will present science framework "rollout" events to help teachers and principals start preparing for the adoption of the new standards. Next spring, the state will run a pilot test of a new assessment based on the learning standards. By 2018 the state expects to develop a list of recommended NGSS-compliant textbooks and other content.
The draft framework is available on the Department of Education website here.
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal and Campus Technology. She can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or on Twitter @schaffhauser.
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Intern-led research takes center stage at 2013 summer poster session
By Ian Thomas
Following a rigorous three months of seminars, workshops, career panels, and research training, the 2013 NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP) at NIEHS drew to a close July 25 with the annual poster session. Held in Rodbell Auditorium, this three-hour event offered students the chance to showcase their newfound research skills, and discuss their work with colleagues and peers.
"It's always a thrill for our staff to walk the aisles at this event and see the incredible work that these kids produce after just a summer of training," said NIEHS Radiation Safety Officer Bill Fitzgerald, during the day's closing remarks. "These students put in a lot of lab time between the months of May and August — a lot of it on their own hours — and that really shows up in the level of quality research that we see here every year."
Learning from the bench
The key component of SIP is its commitment to giving students real, hands-on experience in a world-class biomedical research setting, by pairing them with members of the Institute's intramural research team. Through this mentoring partnership, NIEHS interns learn, firsthand, what it means to conduct experiments and analyze data.
"From day one, they made it clear that it was up to us to step forward and take the initiative to learn," said John Parker, a senior at Elon University whose poster examined the relationship between spatial environments and hippocampal neuron activity in rodents. "From then on, they put the tools in our hands and taught us what we needed to begin generating our own ideas. As internships go, it truly was a fantastic experience."
"John was more of a collaborator than a student on this project," echoed Georgia Alexander, Ph.D., a research fellow in the NIEHS Synaptic and Developmental Plasticity Group and Parker's mentor. "Some interns are content to follow their mentor around the lab and simply observe, but he was an active contributor throughout this entire process and that really showed in his poster."
Keeping in touch
At the conclusion of the event, Fitzgerald announced the winners of the best poster competition, as determined by a panel of NIEHS scientists, and then offered the 2013 SIP class a final word of advice before dismissing them.
"You've met some extraordinary people during your time here and, whether it's through social media or email, you should try to keep in touch with them," he said. "For all you know, the person sitting beside you today could be your colleague five years from now, or maybe even your boss."
(Ian Thomas is a public affairs specialist with the NIEHS Office of Communications and Public Liaison and a regular contributor to the Environmental Factor.)


text:
Amazon has just begun to offer free eBooks from the Harry Potter series through it's Kindle Lending Library that is available to Amazon Prime subscribers. Amazon Prime members pay $79 a year for free shipping, free access to many of Amazon's streaming video titles, and free eBook checkouts from the company's lending library program. Found at Wall Street Journal.
Harry Potter eBooks Free For Kindle Prime Subscribers
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Losing weight and fat aren't always the same thing. To look and feel good you want to lose fat not muscle.
Without the muscle you're body will sag in more ways than one, and you won't feel as good either. Your weight loss will be harder to maintain as well.
To look and feel good your focus is on dropping weight, while maintaining and building up muscles.
Looking good does not usually include a description with the word 'saggy' in it, and to prevent this word becoming an adjective that pops into your mind when you look in the mirror, muscle is the key.
Building muscle, and keeping muscle doesn't require weight lifting at the gym, they just need to be used!
Walking, lifting shopping bags, going for a swim, all of these work muscles.
You can add to this exercises for specific muscle groups, like
stomach flattening exercises
, if you want to, or if there are particular areas of your body that need a little extra attention.
The bottom line is that you want to lighter, with less fat, not muscle.
Losing weight and fat can be accomplished just through reducing the amount you eat.
If you look closely at how many calories are burned when you exercise, you'll see that it takes a lot of exercise to burn a few hundred calories.
Walking at about 4 miles per hour (6.4 kilometres an hour), you'd burn off about 170 calories every 30 minutes.
Whereas, eat one less regular muffin per day , which takes about 2 - 5 minutes to eat and that's about 170 calories.
So why bother with the exercise? Well, it's all about the muscle.
If you're hoping that losing weight and fat will help you look and feel better then the exercise is just as important.
The exercise will build and maintain the muscle that burns more fat, that will hold your body up, that will give you energy and that will help you look good.
One without the other won't give you what it is you're looking for.
I know, if I don't exercise, 'saggy' is the best word to describe how I feel, and how I look, I may not have put on any weight because I eat less because I know I'm not using the same amount of energy, but it sure doesn't help my cause any!
Here's another way of looking at it, if your aim is to be losing weight and fat, if you USE 170 calories in exercise, and eat one less muffin, so take in 170 calories LESS, you'll have 170 less calories that can't be converted into fat (because you didn't eat them, and burned 170 off, now if I'm any good at math, that's 340 calories less than you had yesterday.
You've eaten less calories, exercised some off, and helped your muscles...you're on your way to losing weight and fat with just those two little things.
Leave the Losing Weight and Fat page and go back to the Beautiful Female Bodies page
Leave the Losing Weight and Fat page and go back to the Life and Losing Weight home page


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As much as three day weekends don't mean a whole lot when you work my job (my long weekend was punctuated by a Sunday at my desk) today is a statutory holiday. Which is always lovely.
So, we'll be rounding out a quiet weekend here. Watching yesterday's races from Le Mans. We'll sneak a driving lesson in there.
We're trying to see if they're doing fireworks over the bay later tonight, because we'd happily brave some crazy crowds for that. Fireworks are about my favourite thing ever. It's like love. And fireworks over water? Swoon.
(Seriously. If you want to be my friend just come over, bring sparklers, and we'll play. You'll be my favourite probably forever.)
Enjoy your day!
tackling life with a spatula in one hand and a sewing needle in the other, while (hopefully) dressed to kill.
Monday, May 20, 2013
2 comments:
I hope you enjoyed your free day... it was raining and raining here so I stayed home but now we are having hot chocolate and watching game of thrones.ReplyDelete
I think you would love New Years Eve here, people get their own fireworks and go crazy on the street. And there's this day where they shoot fireworks from the ships in Scheveningen, the seaside pier of The Hague. You can stand by the water and watch it's quite nice.
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March 15th, 2017 by Adam Armstrong
SolarWinds Announces Several Updates
Today SolarWinds announced several updates centered around its end-to-end hybrid IT management. These include updates to its modular and scalable SolarWinds Orion platform and related products. The new updates allow for deep visibility in both cloud and on-premises storage and a new dynamic drag-and-drop dashboard to visualize infrastructure and application relationships. These features will help simplify monitoring and troubleshooting, while improving the performance of the hybrid cloud.
In April of last year, SolarWinds released its 2016 IT Trends Report: The Hybrid IT Evolution. The report found that 9% of organizations have not migrated any infrastructure or applications to the cloud, with 60% stating they will most likely never transition all services offsite, meaning that Hybrid IT is probably where they are heading. The report also found that many surveyed believed adopting some sort of cloud strategy was key to future success, they also believed that there were many issues with the hybrid cloud that need addressed.
SolarWinds is attempting to overcome some of the challenges pointed out by those in the survey with its SolarWinds Orion platform. SolarWinds states that this platform enables unified monitoring and management of cloud, on-premises, and hybrid IT services. SolarWinds addresses the challenges with several of its tools. With the SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (SAM) companies will be able to have deep visibility into the performance of business-critical applications and the infrastructure that supports them on-premises and in the cloud. With SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM) businesses will be able to be provided with comprehensive network performance monitoring with the NetPath feature for critical path visualization on-premises and in the cloud. And with SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer (DPA) companies will have a unique multi-dimensional performance analysis across on-premises and cloud database environments.
New enhancements include:
- Cloud infrastructure monitoring from within the SolarWinds SAM module. The SolarWinds Orion platform now monitors Amazon Web Services (AWS) instances and volumes via the Amazon CloudWatch API, providing more visibility into cloud applications and the cloud infrastructure that supports them. This enhances what is already provided by the agent-based and agent-less capabilities in the product.
- Support for Microsoft Azure SQL and AWS Aurora RDS databases within SolarWinds DPA, enabling database administrators and developers to get maximum performance from their cloud databases and reduce infrastructure requirements using Multi-Dimensional Performance Analysis.
- Support for Cisco Meraki wireless access points within SolarWinds NPM. Cisco Meraki wireless access points are 100 percent cloud-managed, enabling network engineers to focus on configuring network behaviors rather than individual network components. SolarWinds NPM now provides a single robust tool for monitoring both locally managed and Cisco Meraki cloud-managed wireless access points.
- Enhanced network path monitoring within NetPath in SolarWinds NPM, which provides visibility into network performance and path analysis across the Internet. View devices, applications, networks, and vendors in single-page path analysis to track every hop, and view latency historically or in real-time
A new product that SolarWinds is announcing general availability is SolarWinds PerfStack dashboard. PerfStack is a highly customizable dashboard aimed at troubleshooting Hybrid IT issues. Using PerfStack, admins can selectively drag and drop critical real-time and historical metrics from virtually any SolarWinds Orion-based product (even cloud and on-premises performance data) into a single customizable chart to visualize the relationship between suspect elements. This ability enables admins to more easily identify, isolate, and troubleshoot hybrid IT performance problems. The custom PerfStack charts can be shared with other admins to improve collaboration and solve issues even faster.
As a new component of the SolarWinds Orion platform, PerfStack is included in the latest versions of SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (12.1), SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor (6.4), SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer (4.2.2), SolarWinds Virtualization Manager (7.1), SolarWinds Storage Resource Monitor (6.4), and SolarWinds Web Performance Monitor (2.2.1).
Availability and pricing
All of the above products are available now. Pricing is as follows (including the first year of maintenance):
- SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor: $2,995 USD
- SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor: $2,895 USD
- SolarWinds Database Performance Analyzer: $1,995 USD
- SolarWinds NetFlow Traffic Analyzer: $1,875 USD
- SolarWinds Virtualization Manager: $2,995 USD
- SolarWinds Storage Resource Monitor: $2,935 USD
- SolarWinds Web Performance Monitor: $1,995 USD


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Hit The Road, Jack!
Who said travelling is for the youngsters? Seniors now, more than ever, have reasons to reach their dream destinations, and more importantly have lots of advantages as being older. So, why not hit the road?
Nothing can stop the adventure-seeking folks– after all, age is just a number for them and cannot be an excuse to live in monotony and boredom.
Interesting enough, the number of these folks is growing despite the economic downturn–"59 per cent of 55 to 64 year old will not let the current economic downturn hinder their plans to see more of the world," a recent survey showed. They are also likely to wander around Europe, Australia and New Zealand as top destinations.
Another survey from last October indicated that people over 65 don't dream back on their past, but rather envy the young about their lifestyles: "Seventy per cent wished they had had more sex, 57 per cent would have liked to have travelled more, and 45 per cent wished they had quit their jobs and changed profession," per www.independent.co.uk.
For travelling, however, it is never too late, thus there is no need to envy the youngsters. Here's why:
Senior years are a great time to travel because age brings respect, which is particularly important for older women who want to travel alone. As a senior solo female, you will be far less disturbed by unwanted male attention. You will get the sympathy of local women too, which comes handy at times.
Older travellers are more financially stable too, thus they have a high impact on the tourism industry. Those, who have difficulties funding their travel, however, can enjoy a variety of discounts and privileges.
"Even if your college days are a distant memory, it's possible to travel on a student discount over spring break this year," says www.chron.com. "Student travel agencies are beginning to actively court non students and older travelers, extending their low prices to the not-so-youthful set. Though it has quietly offered discounts to non students for years, STA Travel began actively promoting "flights for everyone" on its home page late last year, highlighting sales and negotiated discounts available to travelers of any age, like round-trip flights from Los Angeles to Sydney from $798 or New York to London from $476."


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*NVGR* A Genuinely Scary Story: Part 1.
on 01.14.2009 (server time)
Don't read this is if you're looking for a laugh. This is the set-up for something much larger. I'm breaking it up because To write it all at once would be fail.. Again, don't read this unless you're interested in the slightest.
I'm known on here so far as a writer of funny, over the top, silly-bastard stories. It's funny really, that I only just recently started to write as a recommendation from a doctor of mine to help relieve stress. And It's done wonders. The feeling of creating a work of art is pretty fucking bitchin. Plus the comments make me feel good lol. But as I have discovered I have this talent, I want to experiment and deviate from my usual story fare. In what will be in a few parts, I'm going to tell you about a true to life experience I once had that has changed my perspective on life in general. It's aiming more for suspense so bear with me. Enjoy.
When I was in high school, I had one teacher that I got a long with really well. We'll call him Mr. Lobos. Anyway, one day in his class, he came to me and asked me to see him after the period was over. In my head I tried to think of what I may have done to deserve a candid talk with him. I had handed in all of my assignments, I was on time everyday that week, I couldn't figure it out. I would soon learn why.
As the lunch bell rang, I stayed behind the group and waited . He stood by the door until the last student had left, and turned to me. His hand still on the door knob, he locked the door, and sat down at his desk.
He then began to tell me story in great detail. To sum it up, apparently 20 years ago, his grandfather had died, leaving him a plot of land in the will. It was a tract of bush that had trails all through it and a campsite. Mr. Lobos was more than pleased to hear that he had received this inheritance. However, there was a clause in the will that gave him some discomfort. For him to claim the property, he would have to go to the bush that very night and walk through it with a group of friends after dark. A strange request indeed, but Mr. Lobos was keen to honour his dead grandfather's wishes. Since then, he told me, he's taken students out there. At night. And they would hear things and see stuff that didn't add up. It wasn't normal what happened out there.. And to top it off, he pointed at me and said he wanted to take me out there that very night.
The very first thing that popped into my head was that I would be horribly anal raped and murdered, and maybe not in that particular order, if I went into a dark, spooky bush alone with this man. Although he was a trusted teacher of mine, all bets are off when someone approaches you with an offer like this. The creepy thing was that it seemed like he had dealt with students coming to this same conclusion. He chuckled slightly and told me to go get a group of my friends to come tonight so I would feel safer with numbers, and to meet him back here after school.
I slowly walked into the Students Council room and sat down. I looked around the room and decided that the group of people here were as good as any. My friends Shawn, Katie, Erica, and Phil were all sitting in the room and had their eyes on me. I began to tell them about Lobos' offer. They all immediately came to the same conclusion of anal rape as I had. But, I was now curious about this mysterious "bush" he talked about. Granted it could be a metaphor for his pubic hair, but that was a chance I was willing to take. After a few minutes I managed to convince them to join me in Lobos' room after school.
The bell rang, marking the end to another school day. I rushed straight from my last class to Lobos' room and was greeted by the rest of the group. Knocking once, we entered the room. Lobos was already there, standing, over looking his desk. It was silent as we walked in and straddled desks, sitting to hear what he had to say. He told the group essentially what he had told me. As I glanced around, I could see the curiosity growing in the faces of my comrades. They were in. Lobos noticed this too and grinned. He then told us to meet him at the rear parking lot at dusk.
9'o'clock had rolled around and the sun was all but set. Our group sat on the cement steps leading up to the rear entrance to the high school from the student parking lot. We had been waiting here for a half-hour and had not seen nor heard of Lobos. Attempts at breaking the silence all ended in failure. Everybody was too tense, thinking about what was about to happen. I surveyed the horizon, the sun now had disappeared behind the buildings, the sky cast upon with a blood red colour. The moon was now rising opposite of the sunset, it was full and had caught the light of the dying sun. It was a deep shade of orange. The sight itself gave me chills. I suddenly heard the screech of tires and snapped my head to the sound.
A minivan had just tore into the parking lot, spraying an arc of gravel as it drifted around the corner. It fishtailed slightly and then set it headlights directly on us, the engine roared as it accelerated and shot forwards. Like a deer in the head lights, I froze, not knowing what to do. My friend Phil had just grabbed my sweater and was attempting to pull me out of the way, when the van hit the breaks, turned and squealed to a stop in front of us, the driver's side door directly ahead of the group. The door opened and a figure emerged. it was Lobos. He was wearing all black clothing, with a black trench coat, a black toque and black face paint under his eyes. I had flashback to my earlier thoughts of rape and murder and gulped.
"Get in" was all he said.
Regaining what little was left of my courage I was the first to approach the van. Being the instigator of this trip, I chose shotgun, allowing my friends to huddle in the back. As I opened the door, I looked in and surveyed the van. There were blindfolds on every seat. I stood back and looked to the others. They had not moved an inch. I can only assume that they were waiting to see what I did. Clearing my throat, I told them to hurry up and climbed in. I picked up the blindfold, but did not put it on yet. The others gingerly got into the van and began to question the intelligence of this decision. The blindfold pushed everyone out of their comfort zone. Lobos re-entered the van, looked at each of us, then told us to put on the blindfolds. He then turned to the wheel and started the van.
Taking a deep breath, I raised the blindfold up and tied it around my head. My heart rate began to climb.
I heard Mr. Lobos put the van into gear and felt it pull away. It felt the dip as the van pulled out of the gravel parking lot and onto the paved road. In my head, I tracked our position with my mental map of the area. I think we were at the town limits, heading east when I thought to ask him a question. A question that would be meet with an answer I wasn't prepared for.
"Mr Lobos," I started, my voice cracking slightly, "where are you taking us?"
"No talking"
His only response creeped me out. I then heard a click and the rising sound of static. Mr Lobos had turned the radio on and had turned it to an empty frequency. I was now effectively blind and deaf. Panic was slowly starting to well up inside of me.
We drove eastward out of town for about 20 minutes. I knew the road well and recognized dips and turns. I strained to memorize the route, just in case my initial suspicions of buggery were correct. We had been driving without stopping for a while when he suddenly began to slowdown. Thinking hard, I guessed we were at a little intersection that was the site of a small village. As we came to a stop, I tried to move my blindfold slightly, slowly raising my hand up my side. Mr Lobos must have seen me, He grabbed my arm. I barely heard him over the static.
"No peeking."
The van then turned to the left and accelerated. We drove in this new direction for a couple minutes when we then slowed, turned right, and I heard the telltale crunch of tires on gravel. I now had no clue where we were. We followed the road slowly. The road was hilly as I could feel the change in elevation several times. The van shook with the occasional pothole. I was beginning to become genuinely afraid. Finally the Van slowed again and turned right, continued for about 100 meters and then turned left. The surface beneath us sounded crunchy. We came to a complete stop and Mr. Lobos turned off the van.
"We're Here."
I took off my blindfold and gasped at the sight.
To be continued...
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About Tehmtnlion
one of us since 10:59 PM on 03.31.2008
About Me:
I'm a 21 year old gamer from Canada who refuses to accept rational or logical explanations of all things. Armed with a large vocabulary and total disregard for morals and opinions, I fight for Justice. Or Destruction. Which ever gets me teh pwn.
Also, here are
10 things you didn't know about me
Games I've Played worth mentioning
Resident Evil Series
Shining Force Series
All the Sonics. ALL of them.
Command and Conquer Series
Fallout 1,2 and 3
The Elder Scrolls Series
A Genuinely Scary Story
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
Part 8
Part 9
Other Stories I've Written
Risque Business
Monkey Business
The Chronicles of Niero
A Tribute to ZzFFTLzZ: The End of Douchebaggery
Skid Marks
Tastes on the Danforth: The Harbinger of Death
Didn't see that one coming
The Gross Out
Fear: Shit makes you run
You can't get out eggnog stains
Rage is the best investment
Stupid is as stupid does
Necessity above all else
The most horrific story ever told
Dunk-a-roos: Crack for children
Follow Tehmtnlion
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Last Friday, in an unexpected and sudden move, Glen Coffee announced that he would be retiring from the NFL after only one season with the 49ers. Coffee said he had been "wrestling" with his decision for a while and that God had another plan for him other that football.
Coffee said, "It's something that I really felt like I shouldn't have entered the NFL in the first place. I don't know what call God has for my life, but it wasn't football. ... I'll be happier, not necessarily because I'm without football, but because I'm letting Him do his work. Whether it was leaving football or leaving something else, another job, it doesn't matter. I'll be happy because I'm following His will."
As for next steps, Coffee says he will return to the Capstone to finish his undergraduate work and possibly follow that with graduate school.
When asked of Coffee decision, Coach Nick Saban said,"I really was surprised, Glen was such a warrior-type competitor when he was here. He was a guy that just played fantastic football for us and improved dramatically in the two years he was on the team. He always seemed to be a guy that really loved the game."


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The frail chain reached its limit behind the hotel room door. "Who are you?"
"Dean Toller? My name's Tom Jurgen." I shoved a business card through the gap. "Your mother's attorney hired me to find you."
"Jesus Christ." A hand jerked my card away. "Hang on—how do I know my mother hired you? Who the hell are you?
I hadn't actually met his mother. "The attorney's name is Peter Halloway, Halloway and Associates. You can call him." I stepped back. "It's okay. I can wait."
The door closed. Then it opened wide. "Okay. Quick."
Dean Toller was older than me, a man in his sixties with a balding scalp. He wore sweatpants and a gray T-shirt, and the whole room smelled as if he hadn't slept or showered for days. "My mother, you said? Marilyn?"
"You disappeared. Ignored her calls. She was concerned. What's going on?"
"Concerned?" He snorted. "Right."
It was a standard hotel room—king-sized bed, two long dressers, a big flatscreen TV, and a chair that Toller sank down into with a sigh. A bottle of red wine sat on the table near his elbow, half empty. Or half full, depending on your perspective.
Toller peered at my card, then dropped it onto the desk. "Who are you again?"
Tom Jurgen. Ex-reporter. Now a private detective. Marilyn Toller's attorney had called me this morning. He promised my usual hourly rate to locate Dean Toller, who'd dropped out of the family's sight a week ago. He offered a bonus if I could find Dean within 24 hours.
With enough information from the attorney, I'd managed to track Dean's credit card to a hotel in downtown Chicago. Whatever he wanted to get away from, he apparently wasn't willing to endure less than a four-star hotel. So this looked like an easy job, except that the family wanted me to make contact first. Marilyn Toller didn't necessarily want to talk to her son. She just wanted to know where he was.
I could put up with a little bit of family drama for the sake of my internet bill.
The sheets on the bed smelled like day-old nachos. "I'm a private investigator. Your mother's attorney hired me to find you. I'm only supposed to request that you call her. So I can go now—"
"No." Toller jumped up, as if ready to race me to the door to keep me there. "You don't—she doesn't understand. If you found me . . . oh god."
My feet shifted. "Is there a problem? I can't—I mean, I have to report that I've talked to you, but I can't force you to do anything. I can communicate a message, but—why are you hiding?"
"It's happening." Dean filled his glass. "First Brent, then Randall. I don't know who's next, but I don't want it to be me. Just tell my mother—I don't know. Just get out."
"Fine." I was happy to go. "Have a good night."
He gulped his wine. "Yeah."
Then the floor began to vibrate beneath my feet. What the hell? The wall behind one the dressers started to shimmer, a mixture of silver light and black clouds.
Toller dropped his glass. "No. Wait. No !"
The wall dissolved, and then . . .
A ninja. Shaped like a female, dressed and hooded in black, she walked through the wall—and through the dresser, as if it didn't exist. Or she didn't.
She whirled around like a dancer, and then she stopped, facing Toller. She held a slender white blade in one slim hand.
Dean Toller shook his head. "No. No, please don't—"
She thrust her blade straight into Dean Toller's chest.
Someone screamed as I ran for the door. Maybe Dean, maybe me. But as I grabbed for the lock I forced myself to look back over my shoulder.
Dean was sprawled on the carpet, rocking back and forth, his blood mixing with the red wine on the floor. The ninja waited until he stopped moving, and then she leaned down to yank her dagger out of his body.
Dean was dying. Her work was finished.
The ninja gazed in my direction. "Who are you?"
I pressed my back against the doorknob. I'm a P.I., not a superhero. But I had to ask—"Who are you?"
"They call me Asha." The killer slipped the dagger back into her black robes. "Don't get in my way."
"Absolutely not." I waved a hand. "I'll stay far, far away, okay, Asha? Is that what you said?"
"Just stay away." The wall shimmered, and then she was gone.
I'm not Sam Spade, lying to the cops about the Maltese Falcon. I spilled my guts to the Chicago PD, and eventually they let me go.
They didn't believe my story about a ninja who walked through walls, of course, but they had no reason to think I was the killer. The attorney backed up my story, insisting that I'd never had any previous contact with Toller or his family. And I was obviously too shaken up to do a good job of lying.
So they cut me loose and I drove home.
Rachel was waiting in my apartment. I'd called her, because he's my upstairs neighbor, my girlfriend, and she helps me on my cases. And she's at least somewhat psychic. "Tom, you idiot! What the hell?"
I opened a beer from the kitchen, sat down, and told her everything. I've seen murders and their aftermath, but it never gets easy. I was shaking by the end. "It was just—he was scared. And then he was dead. And all I could do was run."
Rachel squeezed my hand. "Good for you. I want you to run as fast as you can when stuff like that comes up."
She's got red hair and hazelnut eyes, and she usually punches or jabs me, but tonight she was worried. And curious. "Through the wall, huh?"
"Yeah. Ever heard of anything like that?"
Rachel has lots of contacts in Chicago's psychic/paranormal/supernatural community. "I can ask."
"Not yet. I hope I'm not going to—"
My phone buzzed. Peter Halloway. Damn it. "Tom Jurgen speaking."
"Mr. Jurgen? Peter Halloway. Look, we're very sorry about what happened tonight. We didn't—I should have told you about what . . . had the potential to occur."
Yeah, you should have. "You mean you knew someone might walk out of a wall and kill Dean Toller?" My voice might have risen a little.
"Two members of Marilyn Toller's family have been, well, murdered in recent months. Under strange circumstances. That's why Mrs. Toller was concerned. And why we hired you. You have a reputation for, uh—"
"Strange circumstances." Like vampires, demonic possession, invisible assassins, and the occasional dragon? "Yeah. Well, you're right. You should have told me."
"I apologize. And I understand if you don't agree to this, but Mrs. Toller would like to meet with you tomorrow to discuss the case."
I stifled a groan. I wanted to finish my beer, maybe drink some of the whiskey that I keep for special occasions and emergencies, and go to bed.
I'm not very brave, but I'm persistent. Some people say stubborn. I looked at Rachel. "Fine. What time and where?"
Marilyn Toller lived in a mansion in Arlington Heights, a posh suburb north of Chicago. Peter Halloway met us at the front door at 11:30 the next morning.
Halloway was tall, balding, and wore thick glasses over big ears. "Mr. Jurgen. Thank you for coming. And you are . . ." He smiled at Rachel.
"This is my associate, Rachel Dunn." They shook hands. "She also has experience in, uh, strange circumstances."
"And keeping Tom out of trouble." Rachel nudged my shoulder as we walked into the front hall. "Sometimes."
The air smelled of candles and incense. A young girl, 11 or 12 years old, sauntered down the stairs in jeans and a T-shirt. "Hi, Peter."
"Hi, Janice." He smiled. "We have to talk to your aunt now, okay?"
"Fine." She was tying hair back. "I need some breakfast."
"It's in the kitchen."
"Okay." She headed off down a hallway. "Sorry about Dean."
"Her niece," Halloway murmured. "Good kid, though."
Marilyn Toller waited for us in the dining room. She had long silver hair and wore dark glasses, even though the sky outside was cloudy. Her son had died last night. She nodded silently as Halloway introduced everyone.
Her grandson Allan, in his twenties, looked up from his phone and nodded at me, looking both resentful and nervous. Mrs. Toller's sister-in-law Emma stared at the table, her arms trembling.
A maid served coffee. Mrs. Toller took her glasses off and rubbed her sleepy red eyes. "Mr. Jurgen. And Rachel? Is that your name? I'm—going to be as brief as I can, and Peter can fill out the details later. Suffice it to say . . ." She took a breath. "My son is dead. I can't even talk about that right now. But two months ago my brother Brent was murdered in his home. Late at night, alone, the doors were locked—"
"I was out of town." Emma blinked, her eyes watering. "New York. I should have . . . I don't know."
Mrs. Toller patted her hand. "It's okay, Emma." She cleared her throat. "The police couldn't find any evidence of forced entry. Or anything left behind. Brent was—" She glanced at her sister-in-law. "I'll let Peter fill you in on the details. In any event, three weeks ago my nephew Randall disappeared."
"Not my son." Emma spoke quickly. "I mean, it's horrible enough, but—"
"My sister Angela's child." Mrs. Toller sighed. "She died of cancer several years ago. At any rate, Randall was found in a motel on the south side of Chicago, again locked up, no struggle to get in."
"I'm sorry for your loss." Weak words, but all I had. "Did the police make the connection? I'm sure they will now."
"I've communicated with the Chicago police." Halloway nodded to me. "Last night, as you know, and since then. They'll be sending detectives up here this afternoon to discuss the case. Because the circumstances are so, uh, mysterious, we wanted to get your take on it first."
Everyone looked at me. Rachel nudged my leg under the table.
"I'm not sure how much I can contribute." I sipped some coffee. "The killer—" Mrs. Toller flinched. "I'm sorry. But it was a woman, dressed in black like a stereotypical ninja from the movies. She walked straight through a wall to get into the room where your son was hiding. She . . . she said her name was Asha." I tried not to shiver. "She let me go."
Mrs. Toller adjusted her dark glasses on her face. "I'm very glad you're all right, Mr. Jurgen. Peter? You'll send him a check with a large bonus right away. Regardless of what we decide today."
"Yes, ma'am." Halloway made a note on his phone.
Rachel had pulled her laptop out. "I did a little research. It's what I do." She swung the computer around. "The name 'Asha' pops up on the internet as a sort of assassin for hire, but it's not one person. More like a group of them, using the same name."
I leaned over her shoulder. Mrs. Toller peered at the screen.
ASHA—The Guild of Assassins. A cartoon ninja dominated the top of the page. Drop-down menus were headed "About Us," "History," "Warnings," "Equipment/Gear," and "Contact Us."
Allan laughed. Mrs. Toller's grandson. I'd almost forgotten he was there. "This is bullshit! Do you know how many sites like this there are on the internet?" He held up his phone. "You can find hitmenforhire.com and everything like that in two seconds! These people are scamming you!"
"Allan . . ." Mrs. Toller scowled. "I'm sorry, but—"
"No, he's right." Rachel closed the laptop. "Not that we're scamming you. The 'Contact Us' link takes you to a porn site. But Asha is a thing. Whoever, whatever she is, you'd better pay attention to her. And Tom."
Rachel is so hot when she's working. But I couldn't tell her that now. "My best advice is to notify everyone in your family about the danger. Nobody should be alone. That's going to be difficult, obviously—"
Allan lurched up. "I'll be in my room. With the door wide open." He stalked away.
Mrs. Toller and Emma glanced at each other. Then Mrs. Toller stood up. "I'm sorry. I need to rest. Peter? Will you please talk to Mr. Jurgen about—about everything else?"
He nodded. "Of course."
Everything else? I glanced at Rachel. She nodded, letting me know that she'd picked up more than anyone was saying.
Rachel and I moved into the living room. Broad with a high ceiling, bookcases lined the walls filled with books that looked like they'd actually been read at least once, not purchased from a dealer to make the owner look literary.
Halloway opened a folder filled with the details that Mrs. Toller hadn't wanted to talk about. "This is about the murders. They were both stabbed to death, but no knife was found at either scene. I have pictures—"
"No thanks." I'd seen too many crime scenes as a reporter and as a P.I. I hadn't liked it then, and I hated it now. "I have to ask, though: Why was Dean hiding out? What made him scared?"
Halloway sigh. "I don't really know. Brent—Mrs. Toller's brother—did send an email right before he dropped out of sight. He sounded paranoid and confused. He was sure someone was watching him. Dean . . . I just know that Mrs. Toller was concerned. She's not in good health."
"Okay." Maybe that would come up later. "Let's talk about the money."
Halloway blinked. "Whatever your rates are, I'm sure—"
Oh hell. "I'm sorry, that's not what I mean." I hesitated. But Halloway seemed to know my reputation. "Look, vampires want blood. Zombies want brains. Some people just want their dead children back." I stifled a shudder at that memory. "But that's not what these murders are about, right? I imagine Mrs. Toller is at least somewhat wealthy. So who stands to inherit?"
"Sorry." Halloway opened a new folder. "You're right. Mrs. Toller's estate stands at about 20 million dollars. The money is held in a trust. Since her husband Arthur's death 12 years ago, her brother Brent was the chief beneficiary. They didn't have children of their own, so there are various codicils spelling out how the funds are to be distributed between her sister and her sister-in-law and nephews and her one niece, Janice. You saw her just now. She's been living here since Randall's death. The other one is Elias Knowles, the son of her sister Meghan Milhouse. They live in Michigan, but she's been out of touch with the family for some years."
I'm a not hard-boiled detective, but I used to be a crime reporter, and I learned the Woodward and Bernstein rule: Follow the money. So I had to ask the question: "So—and I'm sorry to ask this—if Mrs. Toller died today, where would the money go?"
Halloway flinched. "Uhh . . . well, right now, the majority would mostly go to Meghan, and then to her son Elias, although the other codicils would remain in effect."
I was going to need a family tree to keep all of this straight. "Have you contacted her?"
"I've left messages."
Damn it. I was going to have to go on a road trip. "Where in Michigan?"
"Uh, Grand Rapids?" He scrawled out an address and phone number on a Post-It note. "Here."
"Thanks. The other thing . . ." I tried to phrase this diplomatically. "So what's the problem between Mrs. Toller and her sister Meghan?"
Halloway's back grew stiff. "I don't know if I can discuss that. I only hired you—"
"Fine." I stood up. "Let's go, Rach."
"Can we get lunch somewhere?" She straightened her jacket. "I'm starving."
"Wait! Wait . . . " Halloway groaned. "All right. Marilyn's husband Arthur was once married to her sister Meghan. They divorced. What happened . . . I don't know all the details. Suffice it to say, they've been estranged for twenty years."
Shades of Ross McDonald. Of course, the Lew Archer novels I'd read as a teenager never featured ninjas who could walk through walls.
A maid knocked on the door. "Mr. Halloway? There's lunch." She nodded at Rachel and me. "Mrs. Toller says you can stay in you want. Nothing fancy."
I glanced at Rachel. Her head shook just enough.
I stood up. "If it's all right, I think we'll just get going. I'll be in touch."
Halloway shook my hand, then Rachel's. "All we really want is to understand where this . . . the threat is coming from. We don't expect you to confront it. Mrs. Toller is, well—she may appear calm right now, but she doesn't need any extra stress."
I nodded. "Me neither."
In the car I glanced at Rachel. "Did you get anything?"
She snapped her seatbelt. "There's something funny going on around there. I don't know exactly what it is, but there was energy in that house. And it's . . . struggling."
I turned the key. "Are they safe?"
Rachel gazed out her window. "I think so. For now."


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Sam Crowe on September 1st, 2012
I made three trips to Markham Prairie this year with a total of nine different companions. The first trip was on July 21 to see how things were doing before my talk on prairies scheduled the next day for the Mike Novak radio show. I try to do my heaviest recruitment to share the beauties […]


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Cochin: visit the Queen of Arabian Sea
If you desire to enjoy the houseboat ride in the black waters of Kerala or want to indulge in the sumptuous seafood, then Cochin should be the place where you can go this holiday. Kerala is rich in its culture and heritage, and Cochin is the epitome of it. So visiting this coastal city of India is really worth visiting. If this sounds great to you, then you can contact us to know more about our Cochin tour packages. ExceptCruising in the backwater orenjoying the delicious seafood or Kerala's own spa therapy you can also pay a visit to its various tourist spots. By availing our Cochin holiday packages,you can land in this god's own place easily and enjoy your holiday fully without any trouble. If you want to go to this place for your honeymoon then also we have a plethora of choices in which you can indulge with your partner. A visit to Athirappilly Falls and Vazhachal Falls, houseboat tour are some of them which you can avail in our Cochin packages from Chennai. In all the way this place has all for each and every people from different age groups and with varied interest, so you will never get bored when you will be in Cochin.
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Here at Mr Chip we can take any credit or debit card payments mobile. ___________________________________
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Here at Mr Chip we believe in keeping local business for local companies. We are a member of a group of car Windscreen Replacement and repair companies called "Local Windscreens UK". We are completely independent to each other but we work in a group as one. We pass windscreen work to each other making sure you the customer get the most competitive quote for your windshield problem. Because you get a local company quoting and hopefully fixing your glass problem you are guaranteed a service which cannot be matched by any national vehicle windscreen replacement or repair company.
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Trips to events in the UK.
The UK has so much to offer, in terms of holidays which are relaxing, or full of excitement, and culture. There are major events happening all over the UK, throughout 2016, so why not combine going to one whilst having a break away?
If you fancy watching a live big game event, then why not head to London to see the 6 Nations Rugby, England v Ireland game? This is held on Saturday 27th February 2016, at Twickenham Stadium. You will experience the shared passion and excitement of the world's greatest rugby tournament, getting a real sense of occasion. There are endless activities you can do whilst staying over in the capital. During the day there's London's sightseeing tours, with the tops ones being Warner Bros. Studio Tour, where you can see the set, costumes and props from the Harry Potter film series. Open bus tours let you hop on and off, exploring London at your own pace, Royal and Historic London Tours, and BBC Tours are just a few to consider
Liverpool has lots to offer, from going to the Beatles Story, where you can see actual artifacts which belonged to the band members, and a replica of the Cavern Club, to going to the Albert Dock, where ships used to load and unload directly to/from the warehouses. On and evening, Liverpool has variety and quality to offer in its nightlife, from superclubs, to cocktail bars, to a multitude of restaurants which will suit every palate. The Grand National, at Aintree Racecourse, is held on Saturday 9th April 2016, and this event offers exciting competition and pure entertainment. This steeplechase as the most difficult of all courses to complete successfully, and it has 600 million people watch it live on television. If you fancy a flutter from the comfort of your living room then why not get on an online betting site, as they've upped the ante with these National odds? Betway are offering very competitive odds, so you can either see which horse looks good to win, or pick a name which you fancy.
Alternatively you might want to spend your weekend out of the city, and in the country, so why not spend the weekend at Stainsby Festival? This event is held from 15th – 17th July 2016, in the Derbyshire countryside. It's a family friendly event, in a beautiful rural setting, and is a registered charity, not-for-profit event run entirely by unpaid volunteers. In the large marquees you can see live music and performances, there's also children's entertainment, craft stalls, poetry, storytelling, and walkabout events throughout the weekend. It's free to camp over the weekend, but if you fancy something a bit more luxurious the local hotels, guest houses, and holiday cottages close by.
Travel piece. Feature on staying in the UK this year and a round up of what's on offer through the year. Go through some big events (a good mix of sport and non sport) and obviously make mention of the Grand National.
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Licensed Team Member
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As the Business Development Manager for several title companies over the past years , Misti offers more than 15-years' experience in the real estate industry. She began her career in the real estate business in 2001 as office manager of a RE/MAX office and transitioned into the title industry as an Escrow assistant in 2005. Misti quickly moved up the corporate ladder to an Escrow Officer and proceeded into Sales/Marketing for the last 10 years.
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Misti has spent the majority of her life living in Houston, specifically in the Champions/Spring community. She attended Sam Houston State University and studied Kinesiology. She has been married 20-years to Gary Stallings, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Vintage; and Team leader of "The Gary Stallings Team". They have an 18-yr old Son; Patrick Stallings; of which is following in his father's footsteps in golf, currently holding three 'hole in one's, and lettered in varsity golf his freshman year. Now in his senior year he is playing varsity football for Klein Oak High School. Patrick has committed to Texas A & M University where he will start in the fall of 2018
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Cell: (832) 472-5114
Office: (281) 376-9900
Holly Mattern has lived in Tomball, TX since 2005. She grew up in a military family, which has allowed her to live all over the country, including Maine, New Hampshire, Hawaii, Florida, Colorado, Tennessee and San Diego. She has a beautiful family including husband, Josh Mattern and two daughters, Kaile and Lauren. Moving so often has helped Holly recognize her passion in helping other families find their homes and get established in their community. Moving can be difficult as it is, finding a home should be an exciting change, with as little stress as possible and Holly really enjoys being able to make this transition as easy and exciting as possible for her clients.
Licensed Team Member
Stephen P Gault
Email: firstname.lastname@example.com
Phone: (713) 933-8807
Office: (281) 376-9900
Fax: 281-320-5830
Stephen Gault is a native of Pasadena, Texas. He attended George Meany National Labor College, San Jacinto College and Tomball College. His Real Estate career began in 2007.
Prior to entering Real Estate Stephen served on several National Health and Welfare Trust Funds as a Trustee and was the Lead Negotiator for several National Contracts.
Stephen Lists Homes and Sells Homes throughout the Houston Metro area but his primary areas of focus are The Woodlands, Spring, Magnolia and Conroe.
Stephen's commitment to his Clients is to provide the best service possible utilizing the support of an experienced Team and to make the Client's transaction as transparent and enjoyable as possible as they embark on one of the biggest investments they will make in a lifetime
Licensed Team Member
Debra Knous
Office: (281) 376-9900
Fax: 281-320-5830
Debra Knous has been a real estate agent for the past 20 years. Being well-respected and known for her integrity and has total dedication to her clients. Debra joined The Gary Stallings Team in 2011 and has worked in several capacities on the team, such as licensed personal assistant to Gary Stallings, transaction coordinator, and as a licensed team member focusing primarily with buyers and limited sellers. She has continued to educate herself in an ever changing industry through classroom and on-line courses. She has the knowledge to understand the nuances of each real estate transaction and the personality to make each client feel as though they are the most important client she has. She is always been very dedicated to her faith and many of her spear of influence comes from her church relationships.
Specialties: Residential Sales and Leasing, in Northwest Houston, Katy, The Woodlands, Conroe and Lake Conroe areas.


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CMSP inaugurated its newly built Elementary School building in simple ceremonies at its Sipocot campus in Camarines Sur last May 28, 2016 with the theme: "Blessed Opportunities and Fellowships for Christian Values and Academic Excellence." Present during the blessing rites were Hon. Rogenor Astor and Hon. Elizabeth Abergos, Sipocot Mayor and Vice-Mayor, respectively. Also present were CMSP Board Chairman Rev. Ferdinand Mercado, Treasurer Atty. Estrella Zaldivar, who led the resource mobilization effort and Trustee Renee D. Bayangos.
DepEd representative Dr. Heracleo Barcillano formally announced the DepEd recognition for the Preschool. A motorcade was earlier organized by the active parents and school children to celebrate the Preschool's Grand Alumni Reunion. A program was later held and culminated in a Fellowship Lunch.
CMSP expresses its gratitude to God for blessing its ministry among children in partnership with generous friends and donors. It also acknowledges the wholehearted support of community leaders and parents.


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Visit Uticom Systems, Inc. at Booth #10454!
Uticom Systems, Inc. has been assisting our clients for more than 30 years in the development, manufacturing and monitoring of their hazard alerting and utility graphics standards, procedures and products.
Our mission of Compliant and Durable graphics is accomplished through the Uticom Compliance Monitoring Program.
Brands: sign, signs, graphics, label, labels, tag, tags, hazards, hazardous, environment, environmental, harsh, compliant, compliance, systems, design, protection, protective equipment, safety
For questions regarding the DISTRIBUTECH conference program please contact:
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Direct: 918-832-9265
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For Technical Support with this webpage, please contact support.


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Charming design. Reasonably priced. Capless design.
All-plastic construction. On the slow side. Crowds neighboring ports. Shouldn't flash drives geared toward younger children have some sort of password protection?
Bottom Line
The kid-friendly Dane-Elec ShareBytes Value Pack drives aren't the quickest or most rugged flash drives out there, but they manage to strike the balance between toy and technology. Still, careful parents would be better off giving their children flash drives with some sort of password protection.
Note: Given the similarities in performance and design between the Dane-Elec ColorBytes and the Dane-Elec ShareBytes, the two reviews share some material.
Similar Products
At the risk of sounding like a grizzled curmudgeon, I still find myself surprised by the progressively younger age that children have begun using computers over the past few years. Alas, this is undeniably the case, and it therefore makes sense that a market exists for peripherals aimed exclusively towards youngsters. The Dane-Elec ShareBytes Value Pack drives ("ShareBytes") ($12.99 direct) fit squarely into this category. They're not the fastest or most durable flash drives by any measure, but they succeed in seamlessly fusing toy and technology, and kids will almost surely get a kick out of their cartoonish designs.
Design and Features
It doesn't take a team of behavioral scientists and several focus group studies to surmise that children like plastic and bright colors. Accordingly, the ShareBytes drives are constructed entirely out of plastic, including the USB plug. Children also tend to misplace things, so it makes sense that both sets feature capless designs, instead utilizing sliding USB connectors.
The ShareBytes set consists of two 4GB flash drives that symmetrically interlock by sliding into one another in a manner that looks like they're embracing one another; our test units featured two cartoonish monsters donning backpacks locked in a genial hug. Other available designs utilizing the hug motif include bacon and eggs, a devil and an angel, and robots as well as skeletons hugging each other, respectively. A side effect of this hug-inspired design is that the outstretched "arm" of the drives protrudes half an inch to the side and, in turn, crowds out neighboring ports.
On the plus side, the ShareBytes drives come with no preloaded software. On the other hand, that means that there's no encryption or password protection whatsoever. Ostensibly, this makes sense for drives designed for children. However, children old enough to understand computers are surely capable of memorizing simple passwords, and if I were a parent, I personally wouldn't feel terribly safe knowing that my child's personal documents and pictures could wind up in the hands of a random stranger with unfettered access to that data. Kids do lose things, after all. Careful parents would be better served by the Editors' Choice Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB). It's not the coolest or most cartoonish drive by any stretch, but it will give your children added protection and yourself some peace of mind.
Each ShareByte drive offers 4GB of storage space, with 3.79GB of usable space. They are sold in sets of two for a price of $12.99, coming to $1.63 per GB; according to these numbers each drive, therefore, costs $6.52. As a set the ShareBytes make for a better deal than the Dane-Elec Marvel Avengers USB Drives ($1.87 per gigabyte), the Verbatim Store N' Go Clip-it USB Drive ($1.83 per gigabyte), and the Kingston DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB) ($1.75 per gigabyte). Only the Duracell Rugged USB Drive (16GB) is more affordable, at $1.25 per gigabyte.
Naturally, one shouldn't purchase a novelty flash drive intended for children and expect blazing fast performance. That said, the ShareBytes drives perform reasonably well compared to other flash drives in their price range. In our timed data transfer tests, they produced speeds of 4.3MBps (write) and 18.1MBps (read). This read speed outpaced that of the Dane-Elec Marvel Avengers USB Drives (4.4MBps write, 16.3MBps read) as well as that of Verbatim Store N' Go Clip-it (6MBps write, 15MBps read). Moreover, the ValuePack drives outperformed the Duracell Rugged USB Drive (16GB) (4.1 MBps write, 12.5MBps read) on both write and read speeds. Only the DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB) (9.6MBps write, 24MBps read) outflanked the ShareBytes drives on both prongs.
In the end, the Dane-Elec ShareBytes Value Pack drives aren't the fastest or most rugged drives on the market, nor are they meant to be. They're designed to amuse children and add a little color to their nascent computer usage. Given their affordable price, they're also good for parents, too. Still, I'd advise parents to go with our current Editors' Choice for flash drives, the DataTraveler Locker+ (8GB), whose uncomplicated encryption program offers a level of security for children that, in my mind, far outweighs the need for bright colors and cute designs.
Compare the Dane-Elec ShareBytes with several other flash drives by side.
More flash drive reviews:
Kingston DataTraveler Ultimate GT
SanDisk iXpand Flash Drive
TarDisk Pear (256GB)
Samsung MUF-32BA USB 3.0 Flash Drive
SanDisk Connect Wireless Stick (32GB)


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This page is about words, scriptures, quotes that have inspired, encouraged and uplifted me, as well personal quotes. It'll also be where you can find little scripture based encouragements, admonitions and ways to just grow as an individual.
I hope you enjoy it, your comments are always welcome 🙂
Never be afraid to ask, the worst you'd get is NO and maybe a few insults! No one ever got help by clamping their mouth shut!! So ask away!!
They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
Psalms 126:5, 6 (KJV)
Sometimes we think when we sow a certain "seed" we will get the same "fruit"
He sometimes gives you protection for the money you gave or joy for the word of encouragement sown.
Just continually sow in any situation because the great rewarder will reward you bountifully!
The hurt that comes from rejection is only temporary; feel it, own it and move on! Rejection is an essential part of life, don't resent it!
Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Romans 12:2 (MSG)
The Bible says wives submit yourselves to your husband, as a single woman you have the opportunity to choose who you submit to! Pick a man you can follow, moreover pick a man who knows where he is going.If you don't you will become angry and bitter
Bishop TD Jakes
I will give you peace in the land, and you will be able to sleep with no cause for fear. I will rid the land of wild animals and keep your enemies out of your land. In fact, you will chase down your enemies and slaughter them with your swords. Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand! All your enemies will fall beneath your sword. "I will look favourably upon you, making you fertile and multiplying your people. And I will fulfil my covenant with you.
Leviticus 26:6-9 (NLT)
We often claim all these but forget there is a clause attached to them; if we keep His commandments.
Pray for strength to keep His commandments.
A day without laughter is a day wasted.
Charlie Chaplin
Better to be ordinary and work for a living than act important and starve in the process.
Proverbs 12:9 (MSG)
If you want your life to have impact, focus it! Stop dabbling. Stop trying to do it all. Do less. Prune away even good activities and do only that which matters most. Never confuse activity with productivity. You can be busy without a purpose, but what's the point?
Rick Warren
So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him.
Romans 12:1 (MSG)
A determined woman is a dangerous opponent! Best get on her side
Better to be ordinary and work for a living than act important and starve in the process.
Proverbs 12:9 (MSG)
Why would I waste my energy trying to change how someone thinks about me when I am not moving or living by their thoughts, their thoughts have no direct bearing to my progress in life. I do not have time to be a steward over someone else's thoughts!
Bishop TD Jakes
I've picked you. I haven't dropped you.' Don't panic. I'm with you.
Isaiah 41:9b (MSG)
We are confident when we say " Ego better" not because of our efforts and hustle but by God's grace!
To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.
Proverbs 12:1 (NLT)
Love yourself, that's the best thing you can do for yourself and everyone around you!
To learn, you must love discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.
Proverbs 12:1 (NLT)
The Bible says wives submit yourselves to your husband, as a single woman you have the opportunity to choose who you submit to! Pick a man you can follow, moreover pick a man who knows where he is going.If you don't you will become angry and bitter
Bishop TD Jakes
They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.
Psalms 125:1, 2 (KJV)
Your smile is the best thing about someone's day.
A gadabout gossip can't be trusted with a secret, but someone of integrity won't violate a confidence.
Proverbs 11:13 (MSG)


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Top-Empfehlungen von EinheimischenVom Sightseeing bis hin zu versteckten Juwelen: Finde mit der Hilfe von erfahrenen Einheimischen heraus, was die Stadt einzigartig macht.
Theme Park
"This sprawling theme park dedicated to popular American movies features rides & live entertainment. The way the park is built in a meticulous manner and pulls you into its magic very well."
- 318 Einheimischen empfohlen
"Amazing castle with huge museum. Great place to learn about the history of Osaka during the early times. The design of the castle itself is stunning. The interior was great and the view from the top floor was jaw dropping."
- 336 Einheimischen empfohlen
"You can see many kinds of animals in the zoo located in the middle of the city. The Tennoji Zoo was opened on January 1, 1915. It celebrated the 100th anniversary from the opening in 2015 and is currently known as the third oldest zoo in Japan. The zoo has about 1,000 animals of about 200 species in an approximately 11 hectare site and attracts many visitors as an urban oasis."
- 183 Einheimischen empfohlen
"Kuromon market is good place for buying, eating fresh fish for walking around! "
- 256 Einheimischen empfohlen
"A shopping mall with a very unique design. When you visit at night you will be amazed by the mysterious building. A popular spot in Namba where many shops and restaurants enter."
- 182 Einheimischen empfohlen
"The rooftop is nice and the observatory floor always has a cool art exhibit for display; however it is overrated. The high-rise terrace offers a better atmosphere than the top floor and you don't have to pay !"
- 282 Einheimischen empfohlen
"It's the most famous street in Osaka. You can eat a lot of delicious food here. You'll have an unforgettable experience. "
- 289 Einheimischen empfohlen
"Shinsekai is a colorful area to the west of Tennoji Park packed with cheap shops and eateries and best known for its iconic Tsutenkaku Tower. The History of Shinsekai Shinsekai was designed as an entertainment district in the early 20th century, and originally modelled after the cities of New York and Paris. Opened in 1912, "Shinsekai" literally means "New World" and because of its modern image the area quickly became a popular tourist attraction."
- 226 Einheimischen empfohlen
"The largest class of world, aquarium. The concept is "Ring of Fire" and "Ring of Life". It is a facility that recreates the Pacific Ocean ocean with a huge aquarium and dramatically changed the impression of a traditional aquarium. This facility is located in Tempozan Harbor Village. There are other facilities such as Tempozan Marketplace and Osaka Cultural Hall designed by Tadao Ando. "
- 177 Einheimischen empfohlen
Buddhist Temple
"Kinkakuji Temple, also called the Golden Pavilion is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Kyoto. A must-see destination! Especially beautiful in fall. Distance: 30minutes by bus (bus n.204, 230JPY) Entrance fee: 400 for adults, 300 for children Opening hours: 9:00~17:00"
- 145 Einheimischen empfohlen
Comedy Club
"The Namba Grand Kagetsu is a theater in Osaka shows comedians and storytellers here"
- 118 Einheimischen empfohlen
"Here is famous as a shopping paradise. Famous brand stores, cosmetics, drugstores, gift shops, kimonos, restaurants,cafes are found in this area. One strategy towards attractiveness to tourists is Tax Free. With a minimum purchase ¥ 5,000 we can get a Tax Free by showing the passport to the seller."
- 115 Einheimischen empfohlen
"you may walk from JR Osaka station. Its high twin building and they have floating garden at top of building. You can join the Osaka view from there."
- 142 Einheimischen empfohlen
Discount Store
"You can buy something cheap. You should take a train to go Shinsaibashi from Kitahama station."
- 152 Einheimischen empfohlen
"Shopping complex north of Osaka Station. Grand Front Osaka (グランフラント大阪) is a large commercial complex north of JR Osaka Station in the Umeda district that was opened in 2013. It consists of a wide variety of shops and restaurants, an Intercontinental hotel, office and event space, as well as a residential tower. "
- 105 Einheimischen empfohlen
"Spa world osaka - スパワールド Drawing on natural spring water, Osaka's Spa World is one of the largest hot spring complexes in the world, featuring themed rooms modeled after spas around the world and a water theme park on the roof"
- 119 Einheimischen empfohlen
"famous for spicy ramen noodle and have a good reputation, especially for foreigners."
- 51 Einheimischen empfohlen
"If you are clubbed, I suggest to to Giraff, is one of the biggest night club in Japan. It has 4stories with full of club-goer every night! Especially, on the weekend, there are throng amount of hot boys and girls. Just visit there and feel groove with them ;) Note:Do not forget to bring your ID!"
- 37 Einheimischen empfohlen
"A famous Udon shop , I love this shop , reasonable price , a lot of variety of food , have new menu according the season, must must go and try even you need to wait.believe me. "
- 66 Einheimischen empfohlen
"Kani Doraku Crab Restaurant is world famous for the six and a half meter moving crab on the front of the restaurant. Kani Doraku Crab Restaurant is in Dotonbori, a popular tourist destination in Namba Osaka, which is famous for its restaurants. "
- 70 Einheimischen empfohlen
"地元民に定番で安価でおいしい回転お寿司屋さん (Inexpensive and delicious rotation sushi in the proposal to the locals)"
- 47 Einheimischen empfohlen
"A long-established store that can be said to be the originator of Osaka's specialty dish (kushikatsu)"
- 38 Einheimischen empfohlen
"In this country where seafood is sometimes eaten so fresh it's still moving, Zauo has tables on long 'fishing boats' over tanks where patrons fish for their own dinner. If you're lucky enough to hook something, there's celebratory drumming and your fish is whisked away to be prepared how you like (priced according to the type of fish). Alternatively, try an eight-piece sushi omakase nigiri , or a very tasty shio-yaki (salt-grilled) fish set from the menu. ¥300-per-person table charge. Reserve for a 'boat' table."
- 12 Einheimischen empfohlen
"A restaurant where okonomiyaki is delicious. A shop where celebrities also sneak out. It is recommended to go to the branch in Namba Takashimaya because the main store is lined up."
- 27 Einheimischen empfohlen


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I have two questions about the "Featured Images" that appear in the 4 mainpage columns.
1. I would like to have the images also link to the post. Is this possible?
2. I would like to disable the full size image once within the post. The images that I'm using aren't very high resolution and look very bad when stretched across the entire page.
Thanks in advance!
1.) Sure, you need to open up /framework/classes/kclass_display_box.php, find this code (around line 112):
$preview = kriesi_post_thumb($post->ID, array('size'=> array('M'),
'display_link' => array('none'),
'wh' => $k_option['custom']['imgSize']['M']
and replace it with:
$preview = kriesi_post_thumb($post->ID, array('size'=> array('M'),
'display_link' => array('permalink'),
'wh' => $k_option['custom']['imgSize']['M']
2.) There are 2 options to fix the stretched images:
i.) Upload higher resolution / larger images – recommended.
ii.) Open up functions.php and change the display image sizes. This will also affect every other instance of the image which you edit the size and will require modification to the theme files elsewhere to adjust the CSS and placeholder for the images.
The topic 'Featured Images for front page posts' is closed to new replies.


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Emotional resilience is being destroyed in the place it should be nurtured, developed – but there is reason for hope
Depressed. Rejected. Alone. Unsafe. Anxious. Broken.
That's how some of the women responding to The Tallest Poppy survey said they felt.
When developing the survey, we knew Tall Poppy Syndrome (TPS) was an issue, but didn't truly understand exactly how deep of an issue it was effecting women in the workplace. After the survey closed on June 30, 2018, I spent the rest of the summer analyzing the 268 pages of data collected.
Reading the responses to each question and hundreds of stories and experiences that were submitted, I was left angry and with a pit in my stomach. Especially when 69 per cent of respondents reported that TPS impacted their self-esteem and contributed to negative self-talk.
"My recent experience has been a complete nightmare, the worst experience I've ever had and worse than I could have ever imagined," said one respondent.
"Seeing my answers to some of these questions increased my own awareness around exactly how deeply my toxic workplace has affected and continues to affect me. I have needed to seek both medical and psychological services to endure my workplace," said another.
"I feel I have nowhere to turn that will get me help without getting me a pile of grief. I'm scared to say anything," said another woman.
I felt anger reading these responses because lives are literally being torn apart in the workplace. I was angry because we put so much value on the opinions of others that it impacts our opinion of ourselves. I was angry because we allow others' insecurities to change the language that we use with ourselves to that of constant self-criticism. It left a pit in my stomach because people's emotional resilience is being destroyed in the very place it should be nurtured and developed.
Respondents reported that one of the contributing factors to TPS is envy. It's no surprise that when jealousy is at play we bring others down to make ourselves feel better. But, why is it that we have to dim the light of others in order for ours to shine brighter or at least feel as though it is shining brighter? If we are hurting for whatever reason – whether it's that we didn't receive a promotion or aren't where we personally want to be – why is it that we use this to hurt others and bring them down?
More than 40 per cent of respondents say they had witnessed co-workers being attacked and undermined and had done nothing to help. Ten per cent admitted to doing the same thing to colleagues themselves.
"I was scared to speak up and offer suggestions or opinions for fear of being denigrated. I've observed this behaviour towards others and I didn't step in to defend them, I chose to sit silent rather than being confronted myself," said one respondent.
The survey received similar replies from across the country, from all sectors and industries, from all ages, from all levels of power. It's not just one company, not just one profession. This is the corporate system we've built, one where cutthroat competition is key and empathy takes a backseat to personal success.
"I have hated myself when I sensed I may have fallen victim to participating in this deplorable behaviour and realize I have done it because it's prevalent in organizational culture," said one respondent.
We've built a corporate culture that has worn down employees' psychological capital so much that they no longer have the strength or empathy to stand up for others. In fact, they begin to cut down colleagues themselves. They begin to engage in the very acts that have tormented them.
"Accept without question that it is real," said one respondent. "That people are suffering. That an organization is less than it should be for allowing it to occur or ignoring its existence. That if leadership (at all levels) does not accept it as real, does not examine the roots and processes that allow it to flourish and grow, then they are the ones empowering this widespread, debilitating 'disease' to spread."
Does it have to be this way?
I recently heard someone say, "collaboration is the new competition." If we can begin to let our guard down, begin to celebrate others instead of tearing them down, if we can work together instead of against each other, we can begin to shift the culture – to one where everything isn't a zero sum game. If we learn that we are not lessened because someone else succeeds, we can start to open doors for others, and we can start to focus on developing self-worth, self-confidence and self-esteem.
This is the kind of workplace I hope for current and future generations to participate in, one that allows us to flourish, to not only reach our potential but go beyond the limits we set for ourselves. In the end, everyone will win. Right now, no-one is winning.
Rumeet Billan is the chief learning architect at Viewpoint Leadership and lead researcher and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com or (416) 566-7478. Join Rumeet at a special event, hosted by Canadian HR Reporter and Thomson Reuters, on Oct. 9. You can attend by webinar or in-person in downtown Toronto. Visit www.hrreporter.com/tallest-poppy-event for more information.


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By Aligned Signs (584 words)Posted in Myers-Briggs® on March 20, 2015
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Carl G. Jung first introduced the psychological type theory behind the MBTI® assessment in the 1920s. During World War II, Isabel Briggs Myers and her mother Katharine Briggs decided to take Jung's theory a bit further by creating an inventory of personality preferences. The idea behind this undertaking was to help women who were entering the industrial workforce for the first time. The results assisted women in identifying jobs where they might be best suited. The first publication of the Myers-Briggs® Type Indicator (MBTI®) questionnaire came out in 1962. Research continues to be ongoing, and as such, hundreds of studies over the past 40 years have been conducted, attesting to the MBTI's validity, consistency, and test-retest reliability.
With 1.5 million assessments administered to individuals annually, CPP Inc.®, the publisher, considers The Myers-Briggs® Type Indicator (MBTI®) assessment "the world's most widely used personality assessment" tool available to date. The MBTI® is a questionnaire measuring psychological preferences designed to extrapolate the way in which a person makes decisions and perceives the world. Each question asked is based on accepted human practices. No answer is correct or incorrect. Being more knowledgeable about the behavior by which a conclusion is reached allows for a better understanding of an individual's reactions to situations, valuations, inherent abilities, potential interests, and underlying motivations.
The Myers-Briggs® Type Indicator (MBTI®) assessment identifies personality type based on how a person decides preference in each category. Each person's personality type is expressed as a four letter code. There are 16 different personality types possible (please see below).
Extroversion (E): Obtaining energy from being around people and involved in things or projects.
Introversion (I): Energy is sourced from within self; drawing from personal thoughts and ideas.
Sensing (S): Take in information that is concrete and take notice of the details.
Intuition (N): Prefer to draw meaning and results based on patterns and impressions for the overall final objective.
Thinking (T): When making decisions, analytically apply a basic truth while removing self to objectively decipher a conclusion.
Feeling (F): When making decisions, weigh points-of-views and values whilst trying to identify with both sides for civil result.
Judging (J): Preference for a planned and organized life.
Perceiving (P): Preference to live life with an easygoing, unconstrained attitude adjusting to new information and changes with desire to enhance the experience of last minute options.
Learn more about Myers-Briggs® Type Indicator (MBTI®)
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Hey Girls,
Just thought I'd let you all know about the great selection of summer dresses we have on the racks right now. For wedding, the beach, or the bar, we've got something for everything in lost of great colors. WeSC, Volcom, Elwood, Gentle Fawn, Element, and more. Hard to find good pictures of this stuff, plus Dru and his new camera are off in the US of A so he can't model them for you.
You really should just drop in and check them out. June is here and it's gonna be a great summer!