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Safe spaces for innovation
Atelier 27 is a monthly workshop organised by the 27th Region with 4 to 7 people, including civil servants from the Regions, politicians, experts and citizens. Participants raise their own questions, and by the end of the day, participants are expected to produce visualized scenarios and proposals. Questions vary but have included: how can Regional decision-making processes in the regeneration of old schools be improved? What would a city with 3,000 inhabitants look like in 2030? How would you go about introducing an environmentally friendly tram (above)? More broadly, Atelier 27 aims to develop a culture of co-creation, creativity, design thinking and visualisation in public authorities. Image courtesy of the 27th Region.
One example of a 'safe space' for innovation is the 27th Region in France. There are 26 administrative regions in France. This virtual 27th 'region' is intended to provide the other regions with the space and opportunity to design and develop innovative approaches to policy. Its goal is to foster creativity, social innovation and sustainability in public institutions, through community projects, prototyping and design thinking.


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If they wanted to be so blatantly obvious, they should have named themselves BinarySports'nHorsesBettingLivePokerCasino. The coolest thing about the casino is that it offers a "Financials" section, where they offer the freaking BINARIES. Based on this we can say that you have fine odds of winning in the casino, comparing to other sections of the website. The website itself is not bad: dark blue background and simple navigation do the job, so it looks simple and solid. As for the game variety - it isn't too wide: they offer you something around 300 games from two second-rate developers: BetSoft and Spinomenal. The choice is frankly mediocre, so they try to compensate it with their king-size welcome bonus: 100% match up to €1000 on each of three first deposits. The wagering requirements for these are 40 times the bonus plus deposit amount, and now you understand why the bonus is so huge. All told, this surely isn't a dream casino, but it's definitely better than Malibu Club Casino.
Sports Betting Casino (which is probably not the least creative casino name ever, but pretty close to it, if you ask us) was founded in 2003. The casino doesn't seem to display any licensing information. We had to contact the support to find out they operate under Panama jurisdiction.
The website looks alright. A cold dark-blue theme, clean design, and a shitload of tabs in the top menu. Of course, the Sports and Casino sections were kinda expected (you know, the casino being named Sports Betting Casino and all), but beyond that, they have Poker, Horses, and Financials (Binary Options). A Jack-of-all-trades indeed.
The only question about the website arises when you register and log into your account. The first thing you see is the "we're processing your request" message. And what these guys are processing? The deposit, of course! So the question is: why the hell do you think that anyone who logged in wants to immediately make a deposit?
Sports Betting Casino is a Jack-of-all-trades, with a sportsbook, casino, poker, financials, and horses to bet on.
Banking: The Banking options are weird. The number of payment methods they accept is quite large, but the list lacks such popular e-wallets as PayPal and Neteller. Luckily, Skrill is there, along with credit cards, Person to Person, wire transfer, Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Litecoin. It's so cute that they keep up with the times, and accept three types of crypto-currency as payment methods. All payments are subject to 24 hours pending period, so for eWallets, the transaction continuance is from 24 to 48 hours, and ten days for bank transfers.
Customer Support: Support is available around-the-clock through the live chat, email, and phone. They have separate emails for each website section except binaries. Maybe they think that people who use binary options are too dumb to use an e-mail? Who knows...
Software and Game Variety
Sports Betting Casino offers a nice variety of games from a couple of providers - Betsoft and Spinomenal. The total number of games is around 300. Not too much, but the games are really diverse, and the correlation between slots and all other games is about 50/50, not 90/10 as in most other casinos.
- Slots: Giovanni's Gems, Fire & Steel, The Magic Shoppe;
- Table Games: Blackjack, Craps, Roulette, Baccarat, Table Poker;
- Video Poker: Deuces Wild, Bonus Poker, Jacks or Better;
- Specialty Games: Keno, Virtual Racebook, Scratch Cards;
Betsoft is famous for its 3D slots, and Sports Betting Casino has a full collection of those
Sports Betting Mobile and Live Games
Alright, mobile casino. How should we put it… Technically, it works. In practice, there are 14 games total. Fourteen! Six slots, three video poker, five table games. Nuff said.
Live casino is currently available on desktop only and features games like roulette, baccarat, blackjack, and Super6.
Bonuses and Promotions
Sports Betting Casino offers a number of bonuses for each of its products. For the Casino Welcome Bonus, you get three 100% match bonuses on your first three deposits up to €1000 each. The wagering requirements attached to these are pretty high - 40 times the deposit plus bonus amount.
The Promotions page is full with various promos, be sure to check it out.

subset: commoncrawl


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Streets of Morocco
In April 2017, I went on a photo tour with the readers of newspaper 'De Morgen'. We were accompanied by professional press photographer Tim Dirven. We focussed on street photography. "My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport." Steve Mc Curry


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So My Best Friend is Moving to Prague
* Cue tears * As much as I love travel, I do not love it when it means I wont see one of my best pals for months on end. She hasn't even left yet and I'm distraught. Let me explain, Danielle is off to study for a semester abroad, on an exchange programme at Charles University in Prague. Whilst…View Post


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Tag Archives: irs
The I.R.S.'s Top Twelve Tax Scams
We all know about phishing, but that's just one of a whole batch of tricks identified by the IRS in its annual "dirty dozen" list of the most common tax scams.
There are five newcomers to this year's list — many of them the result of incorrect or misleading advice from tax preparers or bogus scheme promoters, and some of them just false information entered on tax returns.
Since it's tax season, this week we take you through the full dirty dozen countdown.


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The Texas Rangers' Double-A farm club is honoring Rangers second baseman Rougned Odor for punching Blue Jays All Star Jose Baustista with an adult beverage fans can buy in Frisco.
According to the RoughRiders they will introduce "Rougie's Red PUNCH," available for fans 21 and older starting Friday.
Frisco officials say the drink – available for a limited time – will contain fruit punch, an energy drink and a secret ingredient from Odor's native Venezuela, presumably the alcohol.
The latest news from around North Texas.
The drink will be mixed in a punch bowl and served in limited edition 12-ounce souvenir cups, a tribute to Odor's No. 12 jersey. It will cost $5.15, commemorating the date of Sunday's brawl.
I don't drink alcohol but I know plenty of North Texans who will happily consume a Rougie's Red Punch to honor the former RoughRiders infielder.


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See where the stars ended up last night.
- Dwyane Wade wished his grandmother a happy 90th birthday [dwadeofficial]
- Jennifer Lopez hit The Tonight Show with her fellow American Idol judges [JLo]
- Jon Secada shot a video for his song "Dejame Quererte" [JonSecada]
- Kim and Kourtney Kardashian hit the press circuit for their E! reality show [KimKardashian]


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Breakfast Club - led by Wendy Freeman
Wendy Freeman
Horsley School's Breakfast Club runs term time Monday to Friday from 7:45am to 8:45am.
To book and pay for breakfast club sessions, please use ParentPay.
A healthy breakfast is served daily and a number of activities are made available. The focus is on giving the opportunity to play traditional board games and take part in fun learning activities, as well as providing opportunities to complete homework where relevant. Children do not, however, have access to technology during this time. Sessions take place in the church hall and children are escorted to their classrooms for the start of the school day.
The club is open to all children on roll at the school from Reception through to Year 6.
The cost per session is £2.50 payable in advance by ParentPay. Places can be booked on a casual basis or parents can sign up for a place every day according to their needs.


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Why Choose SLC?
Programs & Courses
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How to Apply
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Work at SLC
The Marianne van Silfhout Gallery and St. Lawrence College are pleased to present the first children's art show, Five Foot & Under at the Marianne van Silfhout Gallery on the Brockville campus from December 8-19. The Five Foot & Under exhibit displays the work of budding young artists; this is their first chance to showcase their art to the community in a gallery.
Gallery staff visited elementary schools in Brockville to run free workshops in class and gave the children an opportunity to learn about the gallery, as well as complete an activity in line with the Provincial Curriculum. Completed projects were brought to the gallery to showcase in one fantastic exhibit for the month of December.
The opening reception takes place on Wednesday December 17 from 6-8pm where participating artists, their families, teachers and the community are invited to visit the exhibit and share in some holiday treats.
"We have the pleasure of exhibiting work of or area high school students in our annual "Untapped" exhibit and now wish to extend a similar opportunity to elementary students as part of our Community Outreach program" said Doug Roughton, Campus Dean, Brockville campus. "The creativity and expression of the pieces are sure to captivate the community and could foster continued growth in the students as visual artists."
The Community Outreach Program is designed to help introduce the fine arts and the Gallery to children and their families, while at the same time fostering a love and appreciation for all arts. Through generous donations to our St. Lawrence College Foundation, and the Friends of Marianne, the Gallery is now able to focus on bringing the fine arts into our area schools, as well as inviting classes in to visit and learn on-site completely free of charge.
For more information about the exhibit please visit www.stlawrenceccollege.ca/gallery .
Gallery Hours
Tuesday to Friday 10 am to 8 pm
Monday and Saturday 10 am to 4 pm
About the Art Gallery
The Marianne van Silfhout Gallery is a state-of-the-art community art gallery located at the front atrium of the Brockville campus of St. Lawrence College and is a focus for the visual arts for Brockville and the larger Eastern Ontario area. Creation of the gallery was made possible by the generous bequest from the Estate of Marianne van Silfhout, a graduate of the Fine Arts program at St. Lawrence College, and other contributors to the St. Lawrence College Foundation.
About St. Lawrence College
With three friendly campuses in Brockville, Cornwall, and Kingston, St. Lawrence College is an integral part of the economic life and social fabric of Eastern Ontario with a close-knit community of 7,000 full-time students, and more than 70,000 proud alumni. Hundreds are also enrolled in our online and continuing education courses each year. As part of our ongoing sustainability initiatives, the College boasts more than 1,600 rooftop solar modules on our Kingston and Brockville campuses, the largest solar roof-top installation of any post-secondary institution in Canada. The college has many Applied Research projects in progress, as well, our Corporate Learning and Performance Improvement group has helped more than 350 organizations grow and prosper. Through our Employment Service offices we work with thousands of clients annually.
Kris Ward
Communications Officer
Marketing & Communications
St. Lawrence College
Brockville: 613-345-0660 ext. 2183
Cornwall 613-933-6080 ext. 2183
Kingston 613-544-5400 ext. 2183
Cell: 613-330-2482


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Thanks for sharing.I liked the students look beyond their art works to understand its cultural symbolic and social meaning.It could have been of more help to view the resource if it is uploaded.
I have uploaded a new resource - a small unit on Creating Escher inspired tessellations using cultural symbols in Illustrator or Photoshop
Just thought I would let all know that I have posted a new resource:
Escher Would be Proud: Exploring Culture and Design with Tessellations
This is a printable and digital resource for a unit on the exploring the work of M.C. Escher, a tessellation design challenge, and an exploration of cultural symbols.
This unit was designed with these goals in mind:
Have students learn about the graphic design work of M.C Escher.
Encourage students to look beyond the facts and pictures or even the stories of an artwork and seek to understand it's cultural, symbolic, and social meaning across cultures.
to have students select one of a number of approaches to create a repeat pattern design in the form of a tessellation.
This package contains instructions, student samples, downloadable and editable worksheets, reference links and a rubric.


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Hormone replacement treatment (HRT) is approved for menopausal symptoms and the prevention of osteoporosis. In addition, women are likely to experience other benefits from HRT, including improved thinking, memory, sense of well being, skin appearance and sexual interest. Preliminary studies have indicated that many women who take HRT may experience less risk of heart disease, blindness and possibly even colon cancer.
Lifestyle changes can also help promote good menopausal health. These include regular exercise and a good diet, as well as not smoking or becoming overweight. At Cedars-Sinai, we are involved in studies geared toward better health during menopause.
Although HRT can help most menopausal women, it is not appropriate for all. Benefits and unwanted effects from therapy vary from woman to woman. Each woman needs to have a detailed discussion with her doctor or a specialist before starting such therapy.


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The first ever CodeLagos competition, Lagos Code Week, kicked off yesterday, offering an opportunity for students in 337 schools across six districts to put to the test the skills they've developed over the past months.
Here are the results:
Lagos Code Week – Summary Report (Day 1)
Two district-level competitions were held (Districts 1 & 2) for both the junior and senior categories, and the following schools will be going to the finals:
Winners for District 1
Junior Category:
- Iju Junior Grammar School
- Fesbach College
- Our Mother Mary Junior School
Senior Category:
- Elias International School (Senior Secondary School)
- Keke Senior High School
- First Apex Secondary School (Senior School)
Winners for District 2
Junior Category:
- Supreme Education Primary School
- The Childville School
- Oriwu Junior Model College: (tie in 3rd place)
- Government Junior Model College: (tie in 3rd place)
Senior Category:
- The Childville School (Senior Secondary School)
- Supreme Education Secondary School
- Oriwu Senior Model College
The competition continues today, with students from Districts 3 & 4 vying for a place in the finals.
At this juncture, please be reminded that the Grand Finale for the competition has been scheduled as follows:
Date: Thursday, June 28th
Time: 9:30AM
Venue: Methodist Girls School, Yaba. 320, Murtala Mohammed Way, Yaba.


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Email article link to friend(s) -
Facebook -
Roman Empire EPA Inspired Obama EPA Ban on Highest-MPG Fords, VW Passats and others.Ivy League Historians and Hystorians had long believed they had correctly deduced the cause of the Fall of the Roman Empire, but recent evidence may shake the foundation of those theories.
FOIA Responses from the Obama EPA reveal the
historically progressive antecedent for the current EPA banning highest-mileage Fords (sold in UK) from sale in
US and for similar bans on the highest-mileage VW Passats and other
vehicles. During the Reign of BARACKUS OBAMAUS (shortly before the Fall of the Roman Empire from the onslaught of the Barbarians' superior cavalry), the
OBAMAUS EPA had enacted regulations requiring the Roman Cavalry to breed and use horses 40% smaller to reduce the quantities nd sizes of horse-turds polluting the Appian Way and to reduce the quantity of methane overheating the Climate.
As the Barbarians conquered Rome with their superior cavalry, they said, "Venimus, vidimus, vicimus," and the rest of the world said, "Venerunt, Viderunt, Vicerunt" Unless the Tea Party were to be able (after the November 2012 election) to say, "Venimus, vidimus, vicimus," then we'll all have to say, "Nos es in profundus extrementum."
The Obama EPA Keeps Brakes on MPG, Rapes GAIA & Robs US Taxpayers:
And, VW's Got Nothing on Ford-- See the Ford banned in US by EPA but sold in UK:
65 miles per gallon Ford Banned in US by EPA but sold in
65 mpg VW Passat Banned in US by EPA but Sold in
43 mpg VW Passat Permitted in
Wrenn, Editor at PoliSat.Com.
links to this installment:
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Jim Wrenn
Political Satire/Commentary at PoliSat.Com (Editor)
Send email feedback to Jim Wrenn
Biography - Jim Wrenn
Jim is a proud descendant of 18th Century criminal exiles from England who swam to the Outer Banks when the British ship taking them to a Georgia penal colony sank in a storm near Cape Hatteras. Having the prescience to prevent their descendants from becoming "TarHeels," they immediately migrated to Virginia, where, within just a few generations they worked their way up into poverty. Jim's grandfather was the first in the family tree to see the distant horizons, but his career was cut short by severe injuries he sustained when a cousin cut down the tree.
After a brief stint in the Amry (ours) following graduation from law school, he began his legal career in the state bureaucracy but was never able to break into the federal bureaucracy. Several years later, he entered the private practice of law and co-founded a small law publishing company. Later, finding the publishing of small laws unstimulating and finding his private practice too private to be lucrative, he began writing political satire/commentary. His greatest vice is taking himself too seriously.
He wrote the definitive books on the Clinton Era Error: the Clinton Liebrary Book (pre-October, 2000), which he later updated as the Clinton Liebrary Book 2001 Edition to include Election 2000, the post-election shennanigans, and related events through August, 2001. The 2001 edition is the only known literary source that conclusively shows why Bill Clinton pardoned Susan McDougal but not Webster Hubbel. It also presciently contains the Billary/Hillary Dueling Memoirs. At every opportunity he shamelessly promotes his books for orders on-line or by fax at www.ClintonLiebraryBook.Com. He's also the Librarian at the Clinton Liebrary (www.ClintonLiebrary.Com), which owns exclusive rights to Bill Clinton's most famous speech as well as Bill Clinton's comments after revelation of the identity of Deep Throat in 2005.
As an amateur scientist as well as a scientific amateur, he de-bunks the man-is-causing-Global "Warming" theory, and predicts that by the middle of the 21st Century (when he will be safely dead) physicists will discover the obvious flaws in Einstein's Theory of Relativity, which will lead to vastly-faster-than-light travel through polarization of gravity. As a constitutional-law scholar, he's trying to teach those who hold a static, zero-sum-game view of economic and social theories to understand that "property" is not a "thing" but rather is a human right.
Although he regularly teaches Continuing Legal Education courses to lawyers, he's too-often available through he Rubber Chicken Speakers Bureau to speak on politics, satire, etc., at luncheons, dinners, root canals, funerals, etc. His speaking fees are so outrageously high they border on criminal price-gouging, but as a free-market advocate, he defends his fees on the higher moral ground of charging whatever the traffic will bear. For more information (surely more than one would want or need), go to www.PoliSat.Com.
Visit Jim Wrenn's website at Political Satire/Commentary at PoliSat.Com
Copyright ® 2012 by Jim WrennAll Rights Reserved.
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Founded in 2001, is now certainly one of Australia's leading actual estate portals. Our aim is to make it simple so that you can discover your dream house by itemizing thousands of rental properties and houses on the market To help you to plan and conduct market analysis, provides a collection of important tools from free property alerts and the latest sales and public sale results to property experiences with up-to-date median prices, historical sales outcomes and common suburb profile information.
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The quick reply is that we are nearer to the cliff edge than any sign of a restoration. With Barclay's Bank shenanigans adding to most of the people's feeling, that we're all being led up the backyard path with the bankers again robbing us. And this might sign the primary main return of emigrants who feel that the time is true to move again to Eire.


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Katy N. Lam
Assistant Professor, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Research Interests: Globalization of Chinese enterprises and entrepreneurs, China-Global South dynamics (Africa and Southeast Asia), Chinese international migration.
Languages: Cantonese, English, French, Mandarin.
Bio: Dr. Katy Lam is an Assistant Professor of the Department of Applied Social Sciences of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She is a fellow of the project of Migration, China, and the Global Context of the Max Weber Foundation, Germany. She holds a Ph.D. in Social Sciences of the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. Before pursuing an academic career, she has worked for the United Nations in Geneva for five years on negotiations on international agreements and project management in environmental areas. Her research interests include the dynamics between China and developing countries, globalization of Chinese enterprises (Africa and Southeast Asia), as well as Chinese international migration. Her publications include "Workforce localization among Chinese State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in Ghana" in Journal of Contemporary China (with Antoine Kernen); "L'inévitable localisation: les entreprises publiques chinoises (EPC) de construction au Ghana" in Politique Africaine; "Chinese migration adaptations: African agency and social capital creation in Ghana" in Journal of Current Chinese Affairs, etc. Her latest book Chinese State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in West Africa: A Triple-Embedded Globalization will be published with Routledge in the end of 2016.


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NSE Market Holidays
2016 Nairobi Securities Exchange Holidays
The Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) is a stock exchange located in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Nairobi Securities Exchange is open five days per week for 5.5 hours per day and is closed for eleven holidays in 2016.
All holidays listed below are the observed date, not the actual date. For example, if Christmas Day falls on a weekend many stock exchanges will close on the Friday before or the Monday after. Exchanges sometimes close multiple days for a holiday or have modified hours instead of fully closing.
This section contains holidays for all years from 2016 to 2022. Click the tabs below to navigate to different years.
When is the Next Nairobi Securities Exchange Holiday?The next Nairobi Securities Exchange holiday is Independence Day and will be observed on December 12, 2019 which is 3 days from now.
List of 2016 Nairobi Securities Exchange Market Holidays (11)
|Holiday Name
|Observed Date
|New Year's Day
|January 1, 2016
|Closed (passed)
|Good Friday
|March 25, 2016
|Closed (passed)
|Easter Monday
|March 28, 2016
|Closed (passed)
|Labor Day
|May 1, 2016
|Closed (passed)
|Madaraka Day
|June 1, 2016
|Closed (passed)
|Eid al-Fitr
|July 7, 2016
|Closed (passed)
|Eid al-Adha
|September 11, 2016
|Closed (passed)
|National Heroes Day
|October 20, 2016
|Closed (passed)
|Jamhuri Day
|December 12, 2016
|Closed (passed)
|December 25, 2016
|Closed (passed)
|Boxing Day
|December 26, 2016
|Closed (passed)
† Indicates the stock exchange is closed on a different day than the official date on which the holiday is typically celebrated. This is typically the case when a holiday falls on a non-business day.
‡ Indicates that the stock exchange has special hours due to a holiday rather than a full closure. Special Hours and Holiday Closures are always taken into account when computing the Opening/Closing Bell Countdown.


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Sharp MX-M363N Scanner Driver Download
Sharp MX-M363N Scanner Driver & Software Downloads for Microsoft Windows 32-bit – 64-bit, Macintosh, and Linux Operating System. The Sharp MX-M363N Digital Multifunctions scanning jobs, handling up to 70 papers originals per minute whether they are black or white and the colors variant, and single or double-sided. MX-M363N MFP printer a retractable for the keyboard makes it easy… Read More »


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/Members & Leaders/Worship Services and Resources/Installations/Circles and Acorns
February 18, 2011
Preparation: Prepare little wreaths from grape vine or ivy with different kinds and sizes of acorns glued on. Use a glue gun for easy attachment. Some of these items can be found in craft stores. Be sure to get the name of each officer and the office to which they have been elected.
(Call those to be installed to the front by name and office, asking them to face you.)
Leader: In preparing for our installation service today, I'd like us to think about circles. Perhaps the first idea that comes to mind is that old saying, " What goes around, comes around. "
A more unique thought comes from a poem by Robert Frost which gives thoughtful insight for leaders. He cautions against 'dancing around the edge of the circle' without ever focusing on the center. As you become involved in attending meetings, planning projects and presenting programs, I hope that you will stay centered, remembering that the first phrase of our Purpose is TO KNOW GOD, and that you are called to leadership in Christ's service to others.
A speaker from Australia who was asked to accept assignment as pastor of a dying, inner-city church, asked herself, " If Jesus had this job, what would He do? " She also used the phrase, " Let me be as Christ to you as you are Christ to me. " When you get home, read the judgement story at the end of Matthew 25 with those words in mind.
So Christ must be at the still, quiet center of your activities, as you dance around the edge of the circle.
(Give each officer a wreath)
You will notice that these wreaths are decorated with acorns. An unknown poet said, " each woman is like an acorn, having the heritage of strength from its source, and the seeds of strength for new growth. "
Your wreaths have acorns in several stages of maturity, just as each of you are in different stages of your leadership journey. Some of the acorns are young, just as some of your talents are as yet undeveloped, but are ready to mature and open up with a bit more time. Some of the acorns are fully mature ready to grow a new oak tree. Several of you are returning officers, familiar with your place on the team and aware of the needs in the conference and of your ability to help meet those needs. You will see some hollow pods--they look like little cups--a reminder that all of us, as leaders, are role models for others, setting an example of being open and overflowing with Christ's love.
Please turn to face those gathered here.
I want to ask those gathered here to help in our installation. Will those who are seated on the outer ends of each row, and those in the back pew please stand in the outer aisle and back row and join hands, forming a circle with the officers who are facing you. The circle symbolically surrounds the membership of the conference which you will serve.
I will ask three questions to which the officers will respond " With Christ's help, I will " The fourth question is directed to all gathered here, and the response is, " With Christ's help, we will. "
Officers, do you accept the responsibilities of the office to which you have been elected? (Pause for answer) Do you covenant to attend and participate in all activities of the conference team, as much as humanly possible? (Pause for answer) Will you, by diligent practice of the disciplines of Bible study and prayer, center your life on service to Christ? (Pause for answer) (To those gathered) Will you support these sisters in Christ with loving concern, cooperation and prayer? (Pause for answer)
As we remain enclosed by this circle of love, I declare you duly installed as officers of the (name of conference) United Methodist Women.
Let us pray: God, we stand before you, centered in Christ and bearing seeds of strength for new growth. Take our hands, work through them. Take our lips, speak through them. Take our minds, think through them. Take our hearts, set them on fire. Amen.


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Who are the best people to write about the best Bipolar medication cocktails? Why we are of course, the consuming public! I find that we write about this a lot, and share each other's strength and hope about what works, what doesn't work, what might work, what only works on Tuesdays, and so forth. It has been a revelation for me to go to this new psychiatrist and find out that something that I've been on for about TEN YEARS is sabotaging my well being, and that is WELLBUTRIN. According to my esteemed colleague, Dr. Drugs (not necessarily the most awesome name for him but it's catchy!), Wellbutrin causes Bipolar people to cycle which is the very thing we are trying NOT to do! So, we are slowly ramping up the Lamictal, which is both a mood stabilizer and a mood elevator (I'll take the fifth floor thank you), and then we will phase out the damned Wellbutrin.
I am also on Topamax which is an absolute wonder drug for me when it comes to impulse control and taming the addictions. I struggled mightily with my finances, shoplifting, smoking a pack and a half a day, and getting drunk daily before taking Topamax. Since starting Topamax I have been able to do finances pretty much like a grownup, stopped shoplifting, smoke three cigarettes per day, and drink very little (except when I'm stressed, then I can still pour the alcohol down my throat on occasion). Topamax has been considered a wonder drug for treatment of alcoholism and gambling addiction.
If you have experience with something working remarkably well, or remarkably HELL for you, please share in the comments. Of course, I want to hear about that bastard Abilify too. Haha those commercials get my goat. But you already know that. Yeah, get your own goat! Thank you for playing.


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I studied computer science, so now I apply it everywhere, even to this blog.
Saturday, March 23, 2013
Is one hour enough?
Today it's Earth Hour, that one day when people around the world turn the lights off for an hour, showing their respect for the planet Earth. The cynics say that one hour in a year of turning off your lights makes no difference in the end, but this event is about much more than that. Not only that WWF (the NGO that had this idea in the first place) organizes many other events related to this day (like the contest for the official Earth Hour city which was organized in Romania and which resulted in collecting over 9 tonnes of plastics, or the pledges I will if you will), but more important, Earth Hour is about changing people's attitudes towards our environment. If that hour in the dark will make you think before you print the next day, or about the products you consume the next week, or about the water you waste every day, or about how to recycle all the plastics that you through away then the effects will be bigger and everlasting the few watt hours that you save in that hour. So go on and enjoy tonight's "dark" hour!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!
And a traditional Irish song for today:
And if this doesn't say much to you, try this version:
And if this doesn't say much to you, try this version:
Thursday, March 07, 2013
Pure nostalgia
I always liked this song, but I never knew who sings it. Until yesterday when I heard it on the radio in the car and I decided to find out its name once and forever. This was not on the playlist of Radio Guerrilla, the voice didn't sound familiar and I couldn't remember the lyrics, so it was a tough task to find it. I looked first at a list of most famous alternative rock bands, I picked some that I didn't know so well, then I started looking among their songs: Radiohead, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, but no luck. Then I searched some tops of all time best alternative rock songs and I tried listening the ones I didn't recognized on the list, but it was too time consuming. Then I found another type of top, a collage of best songs compiled but somebody. So I just listened the collage until I recognized the song I was looking for: 1979 from The Smashing Pumpkins.
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LCM's STEP Center offers a wide range of different volunteer opportunities for anyone who wants to get involved. They vary from one time opportunities to semester long service- connecting students to faith-based and nonprofit service projects in the city.
We also sponsor events to raise awareness and money to meet the needs of our brothers and sisters. On World AIDs Day every year we use the commemorative Aids Quilt to encourage students to participate in testing, educational, and support campaigns. Writing Holiday Cards to send to troops far from home, painting a community theater, and moving a piano to the home of an elderly music lover are some other examples. When disaster strikes we mobilize; for example mounting a campus wide collection for health kits to send to Haiti.
We also join with Hendricks chapel projects. For example, LCM co-sponsors the annual Crop Walk, where we walk in solidarity with those who don't have clean drinking and enough food. Of the money raised, 75% goes towards solving world hunger, while 25% is used to battle local problems.
Many of the STEP Center's initiatives work to get students immersed in the city of Syracuse and beyond.
The STEP Center connects with the First English Lutheran Church through food pantries, clothing closets, a monthly barbeque dubbed Hotdogs in the Kingdom, and Ten Tons of Love, an initiative to gather food, clothes, furniture, etc., from dorms at the end of each semester to donate to city residents.
The STEP Center works with the Syracuse South Side's Atonement Lutheran church to bring student volunteers on site to the work with kids in the church's aftercare program. By spurring SU students to become positive role models and influences in the lives of the children, this alliance forges a powerful connection between the city and the school.
Building relationships across cultures is an exciting experience the STEP Center makes possible in a wide variety of ways – through urban immersion events, and through academic projects such as IST Capstone classes designing and building a website for the Karen refugees from Burma who have settled in Syracuse.
Career Connections
Gain experience putting your knowledge and skills to make a better world.
Project incubator
Have a great idea? Want to make a difference? The STEP Center will help you make it happen.
For example, we mounted a health kit campaign after the earthquake in Haiti.
Our premier example is Sun Raisers.
Building websites for non-profits in the city.
Disaster response
From anthropology to public policy, from creative writing to information studies, see where your gifts meet the world's needs.
Please sign up for volunteer activities below
Help Children, Teens and Elderly: Assist with Dinner, Recreation and Tutoring


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If you love pillows, like I do…grab a few yards of linen fabric, liquid gold leaf, a few Swarovski crystals and create a pillow worthy of golden words.
Awesome Jamala of VivalaVintageforyourhome.wordpress.com asked if I would join her and others in doing a DIY project using gold leaf. Why yes I would. This was the perfect opportunity to use this technique for a Thanksgiving pillow. I have never used gold leaf but willing to try the liquid gold leaf "one step application" purchased at Michaels, the cost was approx. $10, which I thought was a better choice for fabric application.
For my inspiration I selected these two pillows:
This one word "Thankful" was the perfect choice.
I first sketched the word freehand in yellow pencil. After a double coat of paint I tried to give the letters a shadow effect with crystal glitter then I drew a twig surrounded by Swarovski crystals for a little bling. I love the Swarovski crystals purchased from Fire Mountain Gems. I let it dry overnight and lightly heat pressed it. The fabric is 100% linen and lined with cotton.
I'm thankfully tickled with the outcome. 🙂
The inspiration for the pumpkin pillows shown were from Pottery Barn and Pier 1 Imports. Since I already had the linen fabric and fabric paint from other projects, I decided to test my hand at more painting. I like the color variation on the small beaded pumpkin from Pier 1 Imports, and the watercolors of the Pottery Barn pillow. I'm not an artist by any means but I was willing to try.
I had a hard time trying to blend the colors from light to dark. I added sparkles, silk leaves and a ruffle trim. The watercolor pillow was not going as well as I would have liked. I added brush fringe and Swarovski crystals to bling it up a bit.
Placing them on the lounge chairs gave a nice touch to add more color with the existing cushions
and they also compliment the small bistro setting. Love copper touches for Fall.
My painting is not perfect. Life is not perfect but there's always something to be thankful for.
This was indeed a fun project. Gold leafing I never considered doing but glad I tried. I'll have to practice my painting and I think I'll try another gold leaf DIY too. Thank you Jamala of VivaLaVintageforyourhome for inviting me and Ginene of FoxandFinchAntiques for planting the golden seed.
Thanks for stopping by.


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Monday, 7 June 2010
CD Review: Wintersun, by Wintersun (2004)
Jari Maenpaa can never be accused of a lack of ambition. He started Wintersun as a side project while still with Ensiferum; he subsequently wrote all the songs, played all the instruments except the drums, and delivered the vocals on this debut CD. And he also produced.
The scope of his ambition is reflected in each of his compositions: every track aims to be a long, sprawling epic. Maenpaa has nothing that can be described as short, sharp and focused. Intros and outros last for minutes apiece, various melodies come and go, the guitars and keyboards intertwine in endless exchanges, and various shredding solos get dropped almost nonchalantly and at will.
Remarkably, a lot of it works. What Wintersun gives up in immediate catchiness it gains back in creativity, complexity and inventiveness. Each track is an adventure to be experienced and a new world to be savoured and explored. But it is also true that most of the tracks mix in good moments with bland interludes; even on the best tracks like Winter Madness and Beautiful Death, brilliant passages are too often diluted with many forgettable minutes. It's the price that Wintersun pays for eschewing the simple.
It is all delivered with accuracy and at a powerful and confident mid-tempo speed. There is a most appropriate feeling of heroic despair throughout the CD: Maenpaa will do things his way, and will sometimes fail and at other times succeed, either way on his own terms.
Jari Maenpaa - Guitar, Bass, Vocals
Kai Hahto - Drums
Songlist (ratings out of 10):
1. Beyond The Dark Sun - 8
2. Winter Madness - 9
3. Sleeping Stars - 7
4. Battle Against Time - 8
5. Death And The Healing - 7
6. Starchild - 7
7. Beautiful Death - 9
8. Sadness And Hate - 8
Average: 7.88
Produced by Jari Maenpaa.
Recorded by Ahti Kortelainen and Tuomo Valtonen.
Mixed by Nino Laurenne. Mastered by Mika Jussila.
All Ace Black Blog Heavy Metal CD Reviews are here.
Posted by aceblackblog. at 21:10
Labels: CD Review, Heavy Metal, Jari Maenpaa, Wintersun
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matchmaker matchmaker make me a match...
Let's talk about the holidays, shall we? Nah, let's not. Let's talk about corny movie cliches. Remember Karate Kid? Okay,picture me as Ralph Macchio but in a chick's body. God, wasn't he cute in his own scrawny way?
...oops, wrong guy, but if you type karate kid in google images this comes up...
that's better...
Now picture the master dojo guy from the Cobra Kai. That is AT&T.
AT&T keeps beatin' me down man. Spotty Internet and cell phone service. I'm ready to do a crane kick or something.
To keep busy and try not to throw my computer and cell phone out the window I made latkes. And they crane kicked butt.
Latkes (potato pancakes): Courtesy of Mrs. The Best Third Grade Teacher Ever!
6 medium potatoes
2 eggs
1 tsp. salt
2 tbs. flour
1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 small yellow onion
1 small granny smith apple
Line a colander with paper towels or cheesecloth. Peel and grate potatoes, onion, and apple on a coarse grater. Mix together and place into colander lined with cheesecloth. Let stand for 5 minuets and then squeeze out remaining liquid. Beat eggs lightly; add grated potatoes, onion, and apple and blend well. Add salt, flour, baking powder and mix thoroughly. Pour 1 inch oil into skillet and heat. Drop mix by tablespoons into hot oil. Fry and brown on both sides. Serve hot. Drain off any liquid before frying each cake. Serve with sour cream or apple sauce. Makes 20.
Tasting Notes: Mmmmm. In every recipe I have ever seen it doesn't call for grated apples in the latkes and let me tell you this is what puts these over the top. You really wouldn't know apples were in the latkes if I didn't tell you but you would know there was a little something extra to make them special.
I now have to go kick AT&T's butt. Have a Happy Hanukkah and a Merry Christmas or whatever it is that you celebrate!
20 comments:
- Julia said...
Oooh, i love the grated apple. But I notice in your recipe, you're missing a step, "Grate potatoes until you accidentally grate your finger tips and let a few drops of blood fall into the batter." That's what made Bubbie's latkes taste so good! :)
- December 24, 2008 at 4:09 AM
- ntsc said...
No I had the best third grade teacher ever, she had been teaching so long a college degree wasn't required when she started.
She was so good that when I got to 4th grade I already knew every thing except Long Division and that teacher let alone, other than Long Division, and let me read.
- December 24, 2008 at 4:57 AM
- Lisa said...
Happy Holidays Krysta. Thanks for your freindship, guidance and support over the last year.
I think 2009 is gonna kick some ass!
- December 24, 2008 at 5:12 AM
- KitchenKiki said...
They look amazing, as always. And if you offer some to AT&T, then you may not need to crane kick their ass. Have a very Merry Winter Holiday of your choice and a blessed new year!
- December 24, 2008 at 6:52 AM
- SaintTigerlily said...
Happy Holidays Krysta! Perhaps there is a NYC trip in your future for 2009???
I just licked my screen.
Luckily I am on The Boss' computer.
Heh heh.
- December 24, 2008 at 7:34 AM
- noble pig said...
Awesome...but seriously isn't this a lovely potato ho thing? Hmmmm? Hmmmm?
Happy holidays to you!
- December 24, 2008 at 12:50 PM
- lifeinrecpes said...
Those look perfect! Thanks for the visit so I could find my way to you. Wax on, wax off...
- December 25, 2008 at 11:01 AM
- Cheryl said...
Looks delish, I was thinking about making these the other day!
- December 26, 2008 at 7:49 AM
- MichelleB said...
These look wonderful! I might have to try them. And yeah, AT&T internet connection sucked - we got rid of it.
- December 26, 2008 at 8:09 AM
- melissa said...
I love latkes so, so much. Grated apple is a marvelous idea. No applesauce required.
Seriously, I could eat a whole plate of these, but I've never made them myself. I'm determined to try in the next week!
Oh oh... also, Steve and I just caught The Karate Kid on cable a couple of months ago and watched the whole freakin thing hahahaha. And cried at the end. We're dorks!
"Sweep the leg!"
- December 26, 2008 at 1:28 PM
- tamilyn said...
I just happened to stumble across your blog and flying fig newtons, I love it! I am new to blogging and wanted to see what others were doing and yours is the most, umm, honest and hysterical I have found. And hey, there is nothing wrong with 20 degrees below zero with a negative 40 windchill. That is how we Minnesotans stay looking so young-we're freeze dried!
- December 26, 2008 at 6:40 PM
- White on Rice Couple said...
ECM - Double crane kick At&t's ass for us. We hate them too. Finally dropped them from home dsl & phone service after 6 months straight of problems and slow ass service. Now that we've switched to cable internet and Vonage phone, we couldn't be happier. At&t said it isn't too late to go back... Um, much slower internet, bad phone service, frustrating customer service and all for at a higher price. Nah we're good. On the other hand, those are some damn tasty potato pancakes. The apple is a sweet touch. Give me some honey & I'm in heaven. Todd.
- December 26, 2008 at 10:54 PM
- The Short (dis)Order Cook said...
YOu have my unmitigated envy. I am a horrible latke maker. The only thing that saves my latkes is that my husband loves potatoes so much that a bad latke doesn't matter to him. I never had a bubbe to teach me the right way to make latkes. My husband's grandmother died many years ago. She was supposedly a kickass cook, but I never met her so she couldn't pass her wisdom on to me. My mother in law is not a cook by her own admission. I'm stuck floundering in the latke kitchen. Oh well. I make many decent variations on mashed potatoes.
- December 27, 2008 at 9:52 AM
- Stacey Snacks said...
Those latkes are the best looking latkes I have seen since my grandmother's!
For a SCHIKSA that's pretty damn good!
Happy Merry!
- December 27, 2008 at 2:49 PM
I made latkes on Christmas Day. It is a tradition here to have them then but I have never added apple to them. Have to try that addition. We really savour them on Xmas day because it had been a whole year since having them. Maybe we should not wait so long!!
- December 28, 2008 at 10:45 AM
- Louise at Livin Local said...
Any day is a good day for latkes. And with apple? Brilliant!
That picture of you ready to wail away on AT&T is hilarious! Go get 'em!
- December 28, 2008 at 12:39 PM
- Hillary said...
Damn Krysta, nice latkes! :) That's the way I like them.
- December 30, 2008 at 7:30 AM
- jennyonthespot said...
Seriously... hilarious! Also, yummy... you fill my soul... laughter and good food *swoon*
- January 3, 2009 at 11:24 PM
- October 12, 2009 at 4:18 AM
LOVED that movie. I used to have that pin-up FROM THAT magazine hanging on my bedroom wall. (Just ask Melissa). I had the biggest girlhood crush of Ralph. He's aged nicely. That movie is STILL good all these years later.
OH Yeah...the Latkes look great too. ;)
- March 25, 2010 at 9:54 PM


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Glorious rainbow
How lovely are your colours
I can sing to you rainbow
The rainbow of colors
I am sitting on a rainbow
I have this rainbow that no,
One can see
Are the most beautiful I've,
ever seen
How wonderful you are,
My beautiful rainbow
Fell like dancing under a.
I see a rainbow
Come and paint my world.
Les't the colors warm my life.
Maria Luisa Taylor....


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Sufism created community. In every age and era since the time of Prophet Muhammad, upon whom be peace, to whom all Sufis look as inspiration, role model and guide, the Sufis have sought to establish the infrastructure that, in modern parlance, would be termed privatized social welfare. It was through institutions designed not only to serve the destitute, the homeless and the ill, but whose overall purpose was to redirect the society as a whole to the goal of uplifting the people spiritually, psychologically, morally and physically, that the Sufis were able to have a immense impact on the societies in which they functioned.
The primary focus of the Sufi tradition was to establish societal order based on a hierarchical pattern of organization. Such a hierarchy governed Central Asia, South Asia, North Africa and most other areas of the Islamic world by means of Sufi societal infrastructure and institutions.
The Sufi hierarchy
The primary mechanism by which Sufism exerted maximal societal impact was a sophisticated system of charities and trusts (awqāf). This pyramidal system was governed by a leader who directed these institutions to work to help those in most need first, followed by those at the next level of priority and so on, addressing the needs of all those in need, without leaving anyone outside the gambit of its programs. This paradigm was not dissimilar to contemporary modern day structured government-operated social programs (like public schools, hospitals, etc.) or civic society institutions. Leaders were chosen not by virtue of intelligence or political savvy, but solely by virtue of piety and wisdom, attained through disciplined participation in the Sufi school system.
The basic functional units of this infrastructure were the khāniqah (also known as zāwīya and dergah), buildings similar to modern hostels, but with far greater functionality and the maljā hospitals where all comers were treated without charge. Khaniqahs were places where people, both locals and travelers, could stay, eat, sleep and meet with one another. In addition to feeding and entertaining people, the institutions introduced them to Sufi customs.
Perhaps the closest parallel in westerns society to the Sufi system of societal welfare and the institutions it built would be found among the Catholic orders – particularly the Benedictine and Franciscan – many of which encountered Sufis during the Crusades and emulated them after they returned from Europe.
Unfortunately, the Wahhabis have destroyed this system of community-building. They closed the khāniqahs in order to eliminate the fundamental underlying principles of tolerance and openness upon which they were founded. Wahhabis sought to create a form of individualism that encouraged Muslims to reinterpret their religion according to their own whims, thereby undermining the traditional Sufi hierarchy. The result was a sort of individualistic anarchy that found differences in the most trivial aspects of religion, culture or lifestyle to be wholly unacceptable and grounds for often fierce and bitter clashes. Whenever the hierarchy established by Sufism was dismantled, disorder, confusion and anarchy took its place with inevitable result being division, destructive enmity and a downward spiral into violence.
The Sufi approach to advancement
Sufism was based on the fundamental importance of the relationship between student and teacher. In Sufism, the top of the pyramid is only reached by means of education and experience. Like any important job, it requires an intensive period of internship (much as is required to become a public servant, a doctor or a lawyer). This approach to training future leaders builds integrity and relies on the test of time to confirm true leaders, those who possess insight, wisdom and divine guidance. Sufi teachings focused on the importance of self-sacrifice and the need for those well-endowed to share from what God had graced them with – whether in material wealth, learning or piety. Sufism eliminated the anarchy of self-centeredness and cooled the rebellion of desire and egoism, enabling the accomplished Sufi to lead others. The result of this disciplined practical training was that esteemed Sufi figures were, historically, well-accomplished in the sciences of Islamic spirituality.
Principles of treating the self
Islamic spirituality calls for zuhd (asceticism), warā (sincerity) and riļā (acceptance of the divine decree of one's allotted share). The Sufi belief is that reason alone is not sufficient to make decisions; they believe it is also essential to understand the underlying reality of each issue one faces. To understand such realities, one must undergo physical and spiritual training exercises, much as a wrestler must do weight-training and windsprints, in order to prevent the anarchy and corrupt desire of the self from controlling one in the state of anger, lust or fear. Once this training is successfully accomplished, passions at the most base level will no longer control one – rather, one will control them. When this has been accomplished, decisions will no longer be based on egoism, anger or selfishness, but will be based on reason, intellect and wisdom, informed by spiritual inspiration. To the Sufis, the whole world is in their hands, and at the same time, their hearts are in the hand of their Creator, for they observe the maxim of the Prophet's Companion, Ali who said:
اعمل لدنياك كانك تغيش ابدا وعمل لاخرتك كانك تموت غدا
Work for this life as if you were going to live forever, but work for the afterlife as if you were going to die today.
The utmost level of submission for the Sufi – and the ultimate attainment – is to "die before you die," meaning that one's heart is no longer attached to the material world, but is directed to the Divine Presence, seeking God's good pleasure, always striving to serve humanity in every possible way. Such idealism and detachment sounds almost impossible to achieve humanly, but in fact, this was achieved by countless numbers of people who flocked to the doors of the Sufi shaykhs in their retreats and hostels and trained their selves with determination and discipline.
Sufis say that a human being can be rich and ascetic at the same time, for to be ascetic, one need not be poor. Not every poor one is an ascetic, nor is every ascetic one poor. For this reason, history shows many Sufi saints were, in fact, quite wealthy, but spent their wealth in God's Way by aiding the needy, building hostels, hospitals and way stations, and by establishing trusts to promote the arts, libraries and scientific research centers.
The Sufis say, "The wise servants of God are like the earth. They accept every type of refuse to be cast upon them and yet nothing issues from them but sweetness. Both the righteous and the sinner walk upon it." The earth is characterized by strength. Whatever God Wills, the earth accepts. It has no will of its own. In this respect, the Sufis resemble the earth in that "every vile and ugly thing is cast upon" then, and they accept it. Yet, after the Sufi accepts to be such a dump, the verse continues, "nothing comes from him or her except goodness."
Such wise teachers do not treat you the same way that you treat them. Rather, they return good for evil. By this means, a counterforce comes into play by which the momentum of evil, passing through the transformative positive energy field of the advanced Sufi master, is converted into power which is rebounded to the opponent, causing a catalytic reaction which inverts the initial impulse to evil, resulting in a transfiguration of the challenger. For that reason, some of the most famous conversions in Islam came about when an opponent sought out a Sufi master seeking to harm him, yet when confronted with his own evil in the Sufi's mirror-like visage, was thus brought to contrition, repentance and redemption at the hands of the master.
The doctors of hearts
With the knowledge acquired through their sincerity and piety, Sufis were able to first treat their own hearts. From this experience of self-treatment, they began to understand the illnesses of others. Through their immersion in the social life of their communities, they empathized with the feelings of pain others felt and sought the means to cure their spiritual, moral, psychological and social ills. With the wisdom and experience acquired in treating their own ills, using their understanding of culture and environment and maintaining the flexibility to accommodate the lives of all sorts of people, the Sufi leaders and healers were able to treat the people in whatever situation they found them. Sufism is not words put together in flashy phrases, nor is it theoretical knowledge; rather, it is moral character and behavior, it is the state of excellence, and it is the infrastructure of life. One of Sufism's greatest scholars, al-Junayd said, "We did not take Tašawwuf from 'this one said' or 'that one said,' as the scholars did [with their sanads – chains of transmission and verification], but we took it by feeling the hunger of the hungry, by feeling abandoned in the desert with the homeless, by feeling the wealth of the rich in accompanying them, by feeling the pain of the ill, by feeling the pain of the injured. That is how we came to this understanding."
Thus, Tašawwuf was never based on theories to be mentioned and discussed, nor on a prescription to be taken from a pharmacy. Rather Tašawwuf provided a cure first tested by the doctor on himself who, after successfully deriving its benefit, was able to apply it to others in need of the same treatment. This is what made the central social role of Sufism in Muslim life acceptable to the masses, wherever it was found. The way of the Sufi Path was one of transformation, as symbolized by the alchemical metaphor of transforming base elements, such as lead, into gold. This path of continual transformation resulted in a constant struggle to not only elevate the spiritual level of the individual, but also to raise the spiritual and material levels of the family, the tribe, the community and the nation as a whole. The French scholar Louis Massignon explains that social justice remained crucial to the ascetics' piety: "The mystic call is, as a rule, the result of inner rebellion of the conscience against social injustices, not only those of others, but primarily and particularly, against one's own faults …"
Sufis had, and continue to play, a great role in social work, as is mentioned by Massignon and many other Orientalists. As the former stated, "The Sufis are doctors of the soul, [whose work] includes the sociology of the soul, the psychology of the soul and the mentality of the soul, and they work to cure those who have diseases in any of these aspects." 1
The Sufi approach to society-building
Sufis worked to build bridges of inter-racial, inter-ethnic and cross-cultural understanding. In doing so, they differed from the Wahhabis, who tried to homogenize, standardize and eliminate all variation, in contradiction with the Qur'ānic verse:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). 2
As an example of this spirit, sacred education, community-building and human resource development was spread throughout Africa by the Sufi orders, creating jobs for the poor and establishing relationships between disparate communities. Especially active in such social work were the Shadiliyya and the Sanusiyya orders. The hostels founded by the shaykhs of these Sufi orders became points of convergence, bringing together different races, promoting interracial and inter-tribal marriages, and thereby, preventing wars and creating intellectual and economic opportunities for the societies in which they functioned by introducing science, business, trade, education, medicine, the arts and administrative job opportunities for people. This was accomplished by the mixing of the highly accomplished and revered Sufi teachers with the common people, the normative practice of the Sufis. To involve themselves in the lives of the common people, both rich and poor, without any thought to distinctions of ethnicity, culture or even religion – rather, considering all people members of the same human community – had an enormous impact on cultures and tribes previously isolated from, or more commonly, at war with each other. Sufism depended on the human bonding that comes about with the commingling of peoples in a symbiotic manner, producing combinations which cut across a society's natural barriers, to generate the heat and turbulence needed to keep a nourishing flow of social "nutrients" moving among all the layers and stratum that make up a healthy human community. It was this tremendous spirit of egalitarianism and leveling that endeared the Sufi leaders, the shuyukh (literally "wise ones" or "elders"), to both the common people and the elite alike, enabling them to act as catalysts for interaction and the building of social ties in otherwise polarized and factionalized societies. This was in keeping with the tradition of the Prophet Muhammad who, upon his emigration to Medina, built the "model city," in which Jews, Christians, Muslims, Zoroastrians and idol-worshippers were able to live together in a spirit of goodness, tolerance and cooperation – a reality not unlike that of modern, democratic societies.
Sufism and religious plurality
Tasawwuf, which is the essence of the true religious tradition of Prophet Muhammad and is distinguished by his high humanistic principles, is open to all religions and races. By nature, Islam is a religion open to peoples of every race. It does not differentiate between one Muslim and another. The Sufis have stretched the bounds of this principle to the point where they do not even see any difference between their religion and other faiths. They opened their doors to accept all other religions without distinction.
The Sufis call to all people, just as God sends His Mercy to all humanity, without distinguishing between those who believe in His Existence and those who do not. The renowned Naqshbandi Sufi saint Bayazid al-Bistami said, "Sufis, in general, seek God's mercy for everyone, not solely for Muslims."
In another of his famous ecstatic utterances, Bayazid, on passing a Jewish cemetery, exclaimed, "They are excused (mādhurūn)." What he meant here was, "O God, these people must be destined for Paradise, because they are Your creation and they did not know your last Prophet." As he passed a Muslim cemetery, he observed, "They are proud and arrogant (maghrūrūn) in believing they are going to Paradise and everyone else is destined for Hellfire."
Another outstanding Sufi master of the thirteenth century, Jalaluddin Rumi said, "O Muslims, what do I have to say? I do not know myself whether I am a Christian, a Jew, a Zoroastrian or a Muslim. And I do not know myself if I am eastern or western, upper or lower. And I do not know myself if I am from earth or I am from on high. And I do not know myself if I am Indian, Chinese, Bulgarian, Iraqi or Khorasani. I do not know myself if I even have an appearance or not, whether I have existence or not, if have a location or not. I do not know myself if I am a body or a soul. But what I do know is that my soul is the soul of souls. When I put my name with my Lord's, I saw the universe as one. I see One, I sing One, I know One and I read One." 3 In his poetry, the great Sufi Ibn al-Fārid shows the commonality between all religions based on his experience with Christians, Jews, Brahmins and Muslims. He says, "I see in all of them the divisions of one fountain, and it is the attainment of the eye of sincerity to see them all as equal."
This is how the Sufi Muslims, through their rarefied understanding of the nature of society emerged as the fountainheads of religious and moral character. This was because of their openness to all different experiences in religion and human philosophy, and their harmonizing with all other spiritual influences and backgrounds, coming altogether under the perfect human university, bringing the diverse elements of society together under the commonality of the human experience without regard for the differences of culture and the happenstances of geography. Nicholson observed, "Tašawwuf is a combination and adaptation of different philosophies and beliefs by means of which Islamic spirituality was disseminated." The great Orientalist scholar Martin Lings said, "I am European and yet I found the safety of my soul in Tašawwuf."
2 Sūratu 'l-Ħujurāt [The Private Apartments], 49:13.
3 Shams Tabriz, Diwan, (translated by R. A. Nicholson), p. 344.


text:
With growing global bandwidth consumption and increasing cyber-attacks, information security ac-
tors are in constant need for scalable, high performance products that still provide a high level of security
The French national project "SHIVA" aims at developing a new security architecture providing mul-
tiple services and such performance and security assurance levels. Based on research and development
from various fields, this paper presents usages of technologies from the high performance computing
systems (HPC clusters), FPGA-based reprogrammable devices and the use of formal methods to provide
additional assurance to be tested under most standard evaluation criteria. A very high level of security
assurance is targeted, hence high attack potentials are assumed as per the Common Criteria Vulnerability
Analysis assurance requirements (CC AVA VAN.5):
A distributed architecture using scalable InfiniBand interconnect is discussed as a new interconnect
method for cryptographic devices. New usages and advantages of relying on such an architecture are
presented, as well as various security considerations on threats, attacks and how reprogrammable de-
vices bring innovative solutions to cryptographic initialization process on hostile platforms, as well as
optimizations and opportunities opened by the use of pre-processing and formally designed software in
handling operational data flow and critical information.
In this work we study the feasibility of high-bandwidth, secure
communications on generic machines equipped with the latest CPUs
and General-Purpose Graphical Processing Units (GPGPU). We first
analyze the suitability of current Nehalem CPU architectures. We
show in particular that high performance CPUs are not sufficient by
themselves to reach our performance objectives, and that encryption
is the main bottleneck. Therefore we also consider the use of GPGPU,
and more particularly we measure the bandwidth of the AES cipher-
ing on CUDA. These tests lead us to the conclusion that finding an
appropriate solution is extremely difficult.
Copyright © 2010-2012 Shiva


text:
On June 3, the House Appropriations Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Subcomittee approved its FY 2020 appropriations bill which included $300 million for the CDFI Fund, the h
On July 13, the House Appropriations Committee approved the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) fiscal year (FY) 2018 Appropriations bill. The bill reduces the CDFI Fund's budget from FY17 funding level of $248 million to $190 million, a decrease of 23 percent. The bill continues the CDFI Bond Guarantee Program (BGP) with $500 million in guarantee authority.


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text:
It was the shortest Milan derby ever completed. "After 15-20 minutes, the match was over," reflected the former Internazionale midfielder and current Rai commentator Sandro Mazzola. "The match was decided in the first 15 minutes," agreed his colleague, Fulvio Collovati. Gazzetta dello Sport's Alberto Cerruti was slightly more generous, saying: "The real derby lasted just 36 minutes."
That latter estimate took in the time Inter needed to score twice; the other two only the period during which Milan looked capable of matching their opponents. For a quarter of an hour Andrea Pirlo probed, Marco Borriello bullied and Alexandre Pato flitted around with more than a hint of menace. And then, 105 minutes into the season (195 if you count the pre-season SuperCup), Inter woke up. Over the course of the next 75 minutes any lingering suspicions that this team would struggle without Zlatan Ibrahimovic were quietly put to bed.
It finished 4-0 but it was the performance, more than the result, that left a deep impression. Where recent Inter sides have won through physical force and individual technique, this was a victory borne out of team-work, collective movement and quick passing. Motta's opener, a straightforward finish from 12 yards after a rapid interchange between four players on the edge of the area, was just as breathtaking as some of Ibrahimovic's finer efforts, but for reasons that were altogether different.
There was vindication for Jose Mourinho in such an emphatic showing. The Inter manager had been at his panto best all week, accusing journalists of climbing trees to spy on his team's private training sessions, and then declaring on Thursday that he had "no secrets" anyway. Nobody at Milan heeded the cries of "look behind you" as Wesley Sneijder waltzed off a plane from Madrid on Friday and straight into Jose's starting line-up a day later.
Despite not having had a full training session with his new team-mates, Sneijder showed more than enough to suggest he will have a major impact – helping at last to knit together the attack and midfield. Others, though, played greater roles. Samuel Eto'o had Milan's defenders chasing shadows and the striker earned the penalty from which Diego Milito added Inter's second. Motta and Milito combined superbly throughout, and for that Mourinho has much to thank the duo's former manager at Genoa, Gian Piero Gasperini.
Mourinho was modest afterwards, acknowledging the wild swings in hyperbole to which the media are prone. "Last week I was nothing, but this week I'm a phenomenon," he said. "For that reason I would tell Leonardo to stay calm, not lose any sleep and stay close to his players." It is true that one result does not define a season – after all, Liverpool beat Manchester United 4-1 at Old Trafford last year – but Leonardo will inevitably find himself under greater scrutiny, not least because of the debacle surrounding Gennaro Gattuso's failed substitution in the first half.
Gattuso had already made it clear that he was struggling before he hauled down Eto'o for the penalty, but when he headed for the sideline shortly after, he found Seedorf still sitting on the bench wearing tennis shoes and no shirt. By the time Seedorf was ready three minutes later, Gattuso, who had been fortunate only to receive a booking for his foul on Eto'o, had picked up a second yellow.
The midfielder made no secret of his displeasure with the manager and his team-mate as he left the field, and already there are whispers of dressing-room tension. Nor have Silvio Berlusconi's repeated public comments on the team's tactics – and specifically the way in which Ronaldinho should be used – helped the situation. Carlo Ancelotti always trod the fine line between keeping his boss happy and maintaining a successful side expertly, and in that sense was always going to be a hard act to follow.
The season is still very young, and just as it would have been foolish to jump to conclusions after last week's win over Siena, so it is to do the same thing about this week's defeat. But with the international break coming up, Leonardo will certainly have plenty to think about.
Round two talking points
• While Leonardo ended the weekend insisting Milan are "not the worst team in the world", Walter Zenga began it by claiming "Nobody is better than Palermo!" His team were duly beaten 1-0 by Fiorentina, but the Rosanero were unfortunate not to get a draw, and played with a confidence and coherence they often lacked when playing away from home last season.
• If Inter looked ominous as they moved through the gears against Milan, then Juventus responded in the best possible way with a 3-1 win over Roma at the Stadio Olimpico. Diego was magnificent – driving relentlessly on through midfield and scoring twice – while Felipe Melo marked his debut with a well-taken drive late on to seal the win. Juventus have made a habit of beating Roma – Luciano Spalletti has never beaten the Old Lady in a league match – but, nevertheless, the speed with which Diego and Melo have integrated is encouraging. Roma, however, have no points from two games and serious problems at the back.
• Joining Juventus on six points from two games are Genoa – who seem not to have missed a beat after losing Milito and Motta – Lazio and Sampdoria. Antonio Cassano was at his brilliant best this weekend, Samp beating Udinese 3-1, but neither he nor his fellow goal-twin Giampaolo Pazzini were called up for Italy's games against Georgia and Bulgaria.
• And according to a report I've just seen on Reuters, Inter's defender Marco Materazzi is set to sue the directors of Rai TV show L'ispettore Coliandro – after a character in one episode blamed him for a poor fantasy football showing. "We have received a complaint from the player," said its director Marco Manetti. "The ironic thing is I'm an Inter fan; in fact in the series there are continual references to the team."
Results: Atalanta 0-1 Genoa, Bari 0-0 Bologna, Cagliari 1-3 Siena, Chievo 1-2 Lazio, Fiorentina 1-0 Palermo, Milan 0-4 Inter, Napoli 3-1 Livorno, Parma 2-1 Catania, Roma 1-3 Juventus, Sampdoria 3-1 Udinese


text: Artezio established solid relationships with industry leaders. Our goals are to follow best practices, to be on the forefront of newest technologies, to acquire technology expertise directly from the leaders, and to take advantage of vendors' certification. We are actively participating in industry professional organizations worldwide and promoting high standards among global software development services providers.


text:
Hi coffee lover friends, let me share with you all my new discovery. I have been a coffee drinker for 25 plus years, mostly instant coffee. Nescafe is the only brand for me because it taste just right, not so bitter and not bland. I drink a cup of Nescafe Clasico dark roast during breakfast and a cup of Nescafe decaf in the afternoon. Those two were my favorites until I tried Nescafe Reserve Premium Instant Coffee 100% Colombian Arabica. I found a new favorite that I can rely on when I need extra energy to start my day. What I like about Nescafe Reserve is that is smells really good. The scent makes me feel relaxed and when hot water is added it makes me excited to sip. I noticed it dissolves quickly in hot water, it comes in 40 sachets and in 2 packs, I got 80 sachets total. This product is available through Amazon, however Costco carries them too.
I actually brought some with me when I went on vacation last week. The size of the sachet makes it very convenient to carry anywhere. I usually add 1 tablespoon of powdered chocolate milk and 2 teaspoons of powdered skim milk to my coffee. But this coffee, I can just drink it black. My whole family love this coffee and I recommend it.


text:
The American recipe for adapting other countries' cuisines is simple: deep-fry the ever-lovin' hell out of them. News of that must have reached those other countries, because -- perhaps in an effort to better cater to the appetites of traveling Yankees -- in many "American" restaurants around the world, ideas of what constitutes typical stateside fare have begun to stray towards the more ridiculous side.
To wit, here are 10 of the funniest interpretations of "American" food from around the globe. When in doubt, just add all the meats you've got.
Sandwich américain
"Frenchies" might profess some interesting ideas about our nation's food scene ("America is entirely pictures of chicken wrapped in bacon."), but when it comes to replicating it within their own country, they do a pretty bang-up job -- a "sandwich américain," which is hawked by street vendors all over the country, consists of minced meat (usually ground beef or sausage), veggies, sauces, and a non-negotiable heap of fries IN THE SANDWICH. Then again, a French dip isn't exactly French, so we kinda reciprocated this one.
Meat Lover's Delight 'Zone
Route 04 American Bar & Restaurant
Gurgaon, India
Americans love meat enough not to care what kind it is, right? At least, that's the philosophy behind the "Meat Lover's Delight 'Zone" at India's Route 04. Their menu -- notably lacking beef, due to the country's dietary restrictions -- attempts to cater to American appetites with huge fajitas, (lamb) steaks, and dishes of fried chicken, but the most telling indicator that Route 04 is going for an "extreme" audience is this calzone, whose description reads: "No holds barred!!! Ham, bacon, chicken, salami, sausages, sliced meatballs AND WHATEVER ELSE THERE IS." We're kind of scared. And all tingly.
Indiana beef
Indiana Cafe
Paris, France
Most Americans know that Indiana is a landlocked state in the Midwest. Someone should probably tell that to Indiana Cafe, a French restaurant whose specialty "Chimichanga Indiana" prominently features both crab and shrimp. They also have an entire menu of tartares, and a dish called "Indiana Beef," which is, namely: "rump steak cubes marinated in soy and herbs, pico de gallo, creme anglaise, creme fraiche, served with basmati rice or wedge fries." Grab me one of those and meet me at the Indy 500!
Jacket potatoes
Kenny Rogers Roasters
Singapore, Malaysia, etc.
Lovers of Seinfeld (or just human beings who were cognizant of chicken restaurants in the '90s) might be familiar with Kenny Rogers Roasters. Kramer famously has a complicated relationship with the country star-owned chicken restaurant, which inevitably closed down US operations (not because of him, right?) in 1998. However, the chain is not only alive, but THRIVING, in Asia, where it still serves rotisserie chicken... in addition to baked "jacket potatoes" that come filled with your choice of tangy chicken, beef Bolognese, macaroni & cheese, "vegetable fusion," or myriad other oddball options. Giddyup?
The Big One Burger
Papa Joe's
Basel, Switzerland
Not much is known about the namesake of Swiss chain Papa Joe's -- save that he's got a "big heart... stories from all over the world," and a "weakness for good-looking women" -- but his restaurants do make a hell of a burger. "The Big One" is served with a pineapple & banana sauce, "farmer fries," and, in true American fashion, tartar sauce for dipping. We don't know which of Joe's good-looking international lady-friends told him to "underlay" his chicken nuggets with nachos, but we're a fan of her.
California salad
EdWood Café
Bordeaux, France
This '50s-themed restaurant in Bordeaux at least has the aesthetic down; the place is bedecked with Pepto-Bismol hues, retro diner seating, and even an Elvis statue, though the King would probably be mightily confused by their food, and that guy ate banana, peanut butter & bacon sandwiches. Ed Wood's "California salad" contains greens, cherry tomatoes, avocado (so far, so good), grapefruit (...), surimi fish paste (nononono), shrimp, and corn, and sounds like a trendy diet that maybe could've come from California? Although we're doubtful.
The Mushroom "Cowboy" Burger
The Filling Station
Lanaken, Belgium
We didn't add quotes to that menu item name above -- The Filling Station did that themselves. While the rest of their menu is actually pretty on-point, with the always-thrilling inclusion of an entire spare rib section (and the dubious inclusion of "Scareface (sic) Pasta"), the Mushroom "Cowboy" Burger is an odd choice. It comes with mayonnaise, cheddar, and fried mushrooms, and sounds like some fancy-pants city folks' notion of true country fare. Still, those spare ribs, though...
American fried rice
The American military strikes again! Well, not literally, but in a historical sense, American fried rice, or "khao pad amerikan," was originally served to members of our nation's military who visited Thailand during the Vietnam War. The fried rice contains a veritable cocktail of stereotypically American ingredients, like ketchup, fried chicken, ham, hot dogs, raisins, and pineapple. The dish didn't catch on in Thai restaurants in America because, well, we've already got enough ketchup-fried chicken-ham-raisin-pineapple hot dogs, don't we?
BBQ Western sandwich
Play Off
Bamberg, Germany
Bamberg, Germany was, until very recently, the site of an American military base, and the local bar scene reflected that, with a smattering of American-style sports bars and pubs that tried to appeal to the sensibilities of the visiting soldiers. Play Off is one such joint, and is notable for its neither BBQ nor Western "BBQ Western sandwich," which incorporates bacon, tortilla chips, cheese, onions, tomato, and lettuce, alongside a large menu that contains more than a few American pop culture references ("Red Hot Chili Poppers" and the "Big Kahuna Burger").
Philly steak sandwich
Nancy's Steakhouse
Helsingborg, Sweden
Only in bizarro world -- or an enormous Swedish mall -- could a restaurant staff intentionally serve a Philly "steak sandwich"... WITHOUT ANY CHEESE. If that's not ridiculous, we don't know what is.
Adam Lapetina is the partnerships editor at Thrillist, and hopes that putting fries on top of everything catches on in America. Read his musings at @adamlapetina.


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Indiana State Police target distracted drivers in latest crackdown
Posted: Jun 25, 2012 7:02 PM EST | Updated: Nov 6, 2014 3:07 AM EST
ELKHART, Ind. -- Starting on Monday, you will probably notice more police on the roads.
Local agencies are coming together to prevent deadly crashes.
Undercover officers will be tag-teaming with police in marked cars. State troopers will also be checking on drivers from the air.
This year, 13 people have been killed in Elkhart County alone. In a lot of the crashes, distracted driving is to blame.
Police said they are cracking down on distracted drivers, especially those who are texting and driving.
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text:
Izzy Robertson has been an integral part of Magic Oxygen for some time now.
Not only a great friend, she is also a wonderfully engaging fantasy fiction writer and a terrific editor too.
She edited Connor Cadellin McKee's Children of the Crater, Sue Hampton's The Dreamer (out Feb 2015) and she is presently knee deep in Max Brandt's Blind Cupid and Gordon Strong's The Empire of Evil; we'll be reporting more on the last two very soon…
Izzy has been a writer of esoteric material for many years, but only realised her dream to produce actual books after encouraging chats with us.
Izzy's stories reflect her love of the unusual and magical and are aimed at young adults and lovers of fantasy fiction, whatever their age. 'Maybe I never grew up,' she says. 'I love the thought that anything's possible. Someone once told me that magic isn't complicated, it's the occurrence of the unexpected. We just have to open our eyes and look.'
Her authored works are When Joe Met Alice and Catching Up With the Past, both available as e-books for just 77p each. They are inexpensive supernatural short stories that will give you a fulfilling taster for Izzy's writing style and hopefully, build up an appetite for something bigger.
Enter stage left: Dreaming the Moon, available soon in paperback and e-book.
Tortured by nightmares and bizarre experiences, Robyn Greening discovers her human world is linked with another magical universe and the barrier between them has been damaged to the point of collapse.
Dark powers have been growing in the magical realm, awaiting an opportunity to take control of both worlds. Robyn sets off on a danger filled quest to find a lost fragment from the shield and restore it to its rightful place.
Meanwhile, sinister forces on the other side are desperate to find it too. Increasing incursions from the magical realm put everything that Robyn has come to hold dear at risk as she and her friends search desperately for the missing piece.
Can she manage the impossible and save both worlds before the time runs out?
Drop us a line and place your pre-order for Dreaming the Moon to find out!
Izzy will be making a star appearance at the Lyme Literary Festival between the 9th and 15th February to launch her latest book. Visit www.IzzyRobertsonAuthor.co.uk to keep your finger on the pulse of what's happening in her magical realm and subscribe to her blog posts to be a number one fan.
Excitedly yours,
The Team