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Become Obsessed.
Become obsessed.
How many times in your live have you allowed someone's opinion of you become your reality of you? Think about it, how many times did you accept a believe about yourself that wasn't even yours? From school to your professional life, we have all been affected by someone's opinion of ourselves which in an unconscious level it has shaped our ever-changing personality to this day. You can put a stop to this by simply becoming obsessed with your path, purpose, and goals.
If You are already working toward your dream and feel stuck then perhabs this is for you...
The word obsession has always been approached by the entrepreneurial community with a negative sight. All having an obsession means is being fixated to a person, object, or activity, this is determined a negative behaviour as this obsession usually causes anxiety and affects other aspects of your life heavily, for example your social live, mental health and physical health. So, I propose to you the following mindset, let's take out all the negatives out of the word obsession and let's introduce a more positive obsession. Before you start calling me 'nuts or crazy', the reason becoming obsessed with your path, purpose, goals, and passions, is because these are the things that will determine your success, and we all want to be successful, right? Now becoming successful but having to give up your social mental and physical health is not a worthy sacrifice, what is a worthier sacrifice is to approach this obsession and your need to breathe…
Find a Path and Goal that forces you to master each and every aspect of your health. PS this is not easy, or for everybody.
The best motivational speaker right now, Eric Thomas became global when he shared a story about a guru and a young man that wanted to make a lot of money (Story goes like this ). At the very end of the story, Eric says 'only when you get to the point where you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you'll become successful'. Some of you still get distracted with your laptops and phones, or stop working because your favourite TV show comes on, and most you know that you could be doing more, putting more effort, going all out but you don't because you don't have the NEED to do it. Now if you were obsessed with becoming successful, this wouldn't even be a problem! You must understand something… you will need to sacrifice some of your social life, completely change your mentality and work on your physical and mental health every day to ensure your success, success will not happen without the alignment of the three basic components of health, this is what makes an obsession 'a healthy obsession'.
'Obsessed is just a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated'
Remember when we spoke about 'Path alignment' (if you missed it, click here to catch up). The greater your focus the tighter the alignment with your path becomes, this naturally improves with time if you create a culture of winning, routines and consistency. A way to greatly speed up the process of being aligned with your purpose is to 'approach your success as inevitable, as long as I am working all in' as soon as you step off, then success is no longer a guarantee, but if I am doing everything I should be doing, working more than the competition and working on myself like it was my full-time job, then success is inevitable. I emphasise however, the reason some of you are not where you want to be in life right now, is simply because of your thinking, you are too negative, you punish yourself for failing. Understand to start your radical change towards positive thinking that, my friend You Are The One!
You are the one.
Efrain Herrera
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I remember saying to my husband, while writing "Bleaker Collegiate Presents an All-Female Production of Waiting for Godot", that no one other than me would ever want to read this story*.
Then I sold it. Then I sold it again. Then I discovered that Ellen Datlow gave it an honourable mention in Best Horror of the Year #4.
You know what? Now I'm going to finish writing all the other stories that I was sure no one would want to read.
*He reads all of them anyway. That's one of many reasons why he's my husband.

subset: commoncrawl


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Jaz is recognized as one of the first major graffiti writers in Buenos Aires in the 1990's. Exploring identity, Jaz's pieces feature hybrid pieces characterizing duality and conflict. In 2013 Complex magazine recognized Jaz as one of the 50 most influential street artists of all time.
Pastel is an architect and artist working in Argentina. Working with symbolism such as flora, Pastel's pieces are meant to create a dialogue about the nature of man and his surroundings, often times providing identity to a location void of originality and meaning.
Jaz & Pastel's entries in "Murals"


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Only women can save Islam
We all get angry over one policy or another, over one mistake or another, but to lead 1.3 Billion people using anger as a platform is a disaster.
Islam is an angry religion. Where does all that anger come from?
Why do we Muslims find it in our best interests to show a disproportionate amount of anger as compared to compassion for others?
Does it come from knowing we failed our own religion by cocooning over the last 500 hundred years instead of opening our minds to learn from others? (Must read: "What Went Wrong?" by Professor Bernard Lewis)
Or does it come from the realization that Muslim countries are the most backward in the world in terms of sciences, economics, and political order, and it is not getting any better?
In my opinion, all that anger comes from one single phobia: Control of our women in the face of their equality and freedoms in western societies. Islam hates the West because it threatens that control.
Often, terror is not associated with that symbolic fact. Americans, for example, sometimes blame their policies – support for Israel — on terror, and other times, they blame themselves for not being politically correct. Why? Because they were led to believe it by an Islam that wishes to hide its weakness and because countries that respect women and hold them with high regard, like Israel, threaten our chokehold on women. Very few understand Islam within the context of our single-minded obsession.
Next time you see a western woman leader wear a Hijab in an Arab country, ask yourself what Diplomatic negotiations went on behind the scene for her to comply with a custom that belittles her power and prestige. This is why western female politicians rarely visit Muslim countries and Muslim leaders are happy they do not.
We are so obsessed with controlling our women that we mutilate them sexually at tender ages, we cover them in black from head to toe in 50°C temperatures to demonstrate our control to the world, and we forbid them to drive and travel on their own, or think for themselves. The Sharia law facilitates our control and channels our anger over others. Sharia is our weapon and shield to dominate our women and to defend against those threatening our ignorance.
Like Neanderthals defending their properties from raids, we defend our women from Western cultural raids. We fear Democracy and the effect it may have on our tight lock over their freedom and liberties. Islam will spend billions to insure that Democracy never takes hold in any Arab country. Look at how a Tunisian immolating himself for economic reasons has turned the Arab Spring into sectarian wars we all fear. This was no accident. Next time you hear an Arab or a Muslim leader say, "Democracy is in the eye of the beholder", or "We have our own form of Democracy", think Muslim women.
In the Zanzibar attack on the two British girls, the Hijab, or the all-weather Abaya, the ultimate symbols of that control, were at stake. A lesson to all the Zanzibari present or future babymakers not to follow suit as well as a lesson to westerners not to parade their free women in front of ours. Islam knows that if a Muslim woman sheds her fears and revolts, Islam, in its present form, is doomed.
The obsession sometimes leads us to commit atrocities against our own, not only the western culture. In 2002, a fire broke out in a girl school in Makah, Saudi Arabia. Fifteen girls burned alive because the religious police stopped the rescue efforts. None met the public dress code as they attempted to escape. Better die, you heap of disobedient flesh reasoned Islam.
Amongst those liberal Muslim countries, like Syria and Lebanon, the duty of today's deformed Islam is to teach our women how to be docile and obedient servants. It is eased into the lives of our men by building more Mosques funded by Saudi Arabia, and by dispatching more Imams taught in the finest religious universities in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. As a young boy, I used to watch my mother dance the night away in Aleppo dressed with a bareback evening dress. Today, almost all the women in Aleppo are obedient, Hijab-wearing, baby-making slaves.
Besides the western culture threatening control of our women are the minorities whose women enjoy far more freedom and far more respect. The burning of churches in Egypt by the Muslim Brotherhood ignoromaniacs is but an expression of eradicating those who dare threaten our dominion. We Muslims want all the minorities to leave these Muslim lands because their gentler culture is a menace. .
What a good Muslim who cares for his identity and sees the damage committed in the name of religious zealotry to do is to respect Muslim women and to hold them in high esteem. Alternatively, to anger those Muslims riding their oil barrels while snapping their whips one must extend a friendlier hand to all the minorities, a duty that saves us from ourselves.
Nothing threatens Islam of today more than to see Muslims write freely about its ills, when it comes to Muslim women, outside its control and reach.


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Nineteenth International Conference on Knowledge Culture and Change in Organizations
Founded in 1993, the Organization Studies Research Network comes together around a common concern for, and a shared interest to explore, new possibilities in knowledge, culture &change management, within the broader context of the nature and future.
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text: Isaiah, Alayna and David all have special needs. These siblings were all sleeping on a mattress on the floor for safety reasons. The Emily Ann Griffin Foundation purchased equipment to get the children safely sleeping above floor level, which assisted not only the children but alleviated some lifting strain and stress for their parents. We were also able to purchase some sensory devices for this family. Thank you to their father for serving our country in the US Air Force.


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Tolls will increase the cost of delivering goods and services, putting Indiana businesses at a competitive disadvantage and increasing the cost of living for residents. The facts are clear:
If tolls are built along I-70 and I-65, businesses along those routes will see increased shipping costs. Those businesses will also lose customers as consumers drive around the tolls to avoid new toll taxes. And ultimately, with increased costs and decreased revenue, businesses will be forced to shutter, hurting economic development in Indiana.


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Facebook isn't fantastic at hiding secret stuff in their Apps. Just last month, its iPad ambitions were outed by some folks rummaging around in the App. Today, Facebook released their Messenger app and seconds later, we see that there is a video component to the application:
The video component would seem to work on both Android (yep) and iPhone and would likely tie in with their recently announced Skype desktop video conferencing service as well. The code looks very rudimentary at this point so it isn't certain that the video can be enabled like the iPad version was with just a few tweeks. Thanks Caleb!
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.


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Know more about this business than we do? Cool! Please submit any corrections or missing details you may have.Help us make it right
Be the first OregonLive.com user to add photos or videos of Columbia Gorge Gallery
Columbia Gorge Gallery can be found at E 4th St 318. The following is offered: Other Arts & Crafts. The entry is present with us since Sep 7, 2010 and was last updated on Nov 12, 2013. In The Dalles there are 2 other Other Arts & Crafts. An overview can be found here.
Dianas Place Hair Design is located at 508 Washington St, The Dalles, OR. This business specializes in Beauty Salons.
Columbia Gorge Gallery is located at 318 E 4th St, The Dalles, OR. This business specializes in Art Galleries and Art Instruction.


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Arthritis Diagnosis
Most cases of arthritis are diagnosed with a detailed medical history of current and past symptoms, physical examination and particular radiographic and laboratory studies. It is possible to have more than one form of arthritis at the same time, and only a few rheumatic diseases have a definitive diagnosis, such as gout. Arthritis Diagnosis.
Diagnosing arthritis depends on the type of arthritis suspected. Arthritis Diagnosis. Some tests that may be completed to make a diagnosis are:
- Rheumatoid factor
- Anti-CCP antibody
- Complete blood count (CBC)
- C-reactive protein
- Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR)
- Joint ultrasound or MRI
- Joint X-ray
- Bone scan
- Synovial fluid analysis
- Antinuclear antibody (ANA)
- HLA antigens for HLA B27
- Electrocardiogram (ECG)
- Aspiration of joint fluid for cell count, examination of crystals under the microscope, gram stain and culture
- Blood culture
- Thyroid function tests
- Synovial biopsy
- Uric acid – urine
- Uric acid – blood
- Schirmer's test of tear production, Arthritis Diagnosis.
- Salivary gland biopsy
- Tear test
- Slit lamp examination of the eyes
- Urinalysis.
Arthritis Diagnosis – With osteoarthritis, a physical exam can show:
- Joint movement that causes a crackling (grating) sound, called crepitation
- Joint swelling (bones around the joints may feel larger than normal)
- Limited range of motion
- Tenderness when the joint is pressed
- Normal movement is painful.
RA is diagnosed clinically, but classified according to the 2010 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) classification criteria for rheumatoid arthritis.
Diagnosis of SLE can be very difficult. Arthritis Diagnosis. The gold standard is a rheumatologist's diagnosis. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) uses a standard classification scheme requiring 4 of 11 criteria for research definition, although this is recognized to miss early and mild cases.


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Uploading images and displaying images from DB
I have a DB app that stores images in the database for load balancing reasons.
Is it possible to create an upload and preview facility using DataAssist?
Your friends over here at WebAssist! These Dreamweaver extensions will assist you in building unlimited, custom websites.
These out-of-the-box solutions provide you proven, tested applications that can be up and running now. Build a store, a gallery, or a web-based email solution.


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8 May (Part 1) - What will the future hold?
70 years ago today the country was celebrating the defeat of Nazi Germany and looking to the future. Today, at this early hour, we are again looking to the future and maybe the Eurosceptics are hoping once again to keep a lid on foreign tyrants.
I'm afraid that somewhat contrived introduction is to provide an excuse for these old photos taken in Leyton, Essex as it was then known, in 1945 just a few yards from the Orient's football ground.
I am in both photographs but I doubt whether I was celebrating anything more than getting nearly 50% of the celebratory custard into my mouth.
As you may see, there are almost no men to be seen. My own father didn't come back home for another 384 days. Stuck in India and Burma flying Liberators and dropping supplies.
Blog timed 00:17.


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Tag: medical
10/15/2019 Development
Do you love or hate your job? Who or what is at fault? If you are not satisfied with your job, that can be the reason for stress in …


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Walmartmedia.com Privacy Policy
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Please fill in your details below.
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Please know that we will never share your details with anyone.
If you are someone who is focused and has a real and genuine interest in securing your family's financial position, we would really like to work with you, share our knowledge and give you the guidance you may need to successfully achieve your Goals as a family.
To make your life easier, we have developed 4 Service Options for you to choose from. The idea is to offer you a service that fits YOUR needs and requirement best:
This option provides clients with a Full Lifestyle Planning Service. Both face to face as well as online service options are offered.
This service is for Individuals who would like to Plan comprehensively for their Financial Lives .
This service guides an individual in starting out and investing towards a specific goal.
This service offers an individual the option to build their own portfolio efficiently online.
Each service offering has a specific Purpose and Focus and allows you to choose what type of help and guidance you prefer and what level of service you feel you require.
Migrating between the various Service options is expected over time and as your Lifestyle and Financial requirements change.
This service offers you personalised, face to face, Comprehensive Holistic Lifestyle Financial Planning .
It means we make it our mission to ensure that you receive ALL the help and guidance that you need in ALL aspects of your Financial Life in order to achieve your goals.
We will take you through a Comprehensive process as we have outlined on our page headed "Your Financial Roadmap."
This is a very personalised service and we put a HUGE value on the relationships that we develop with You.
If you would like to have an initial chat, we would love to hear from you.
You are welcome to give us a call on 031-5681983. Alternatively, Please click the button below and we will call you.
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You can give us a Call on: 031-5681983. We look forward to hearing from you.
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In order to offer a wider base of services at an economical cost, we have introduced our web/Telephonic based services offerings as follows:
You are Serious about Planning correctly and investing towards your Future goals.
You will be guided through a simple but comprehensive planning process with our wealth manager, to develop a "Lifestyle and investment Guide".
You will then be assisted in implementing your investments based on your "Lifestyle Guide".
We will mentor you on an ongoing bases to ensure that you keep on track.
You get access to our "Client Zone" where you are able to monitor and manage your portfolio with our guidance.
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"If you don't consider yourself an investment Guru or would just prefer to have a helping hand when making your investments, this would be a good choice for you".
As the name suggests, by choosing this service option we will guide you through the whole investment process.
We assist & guide you in choosing best Investment for your specific need and requirement.
You get access to our "Client Zone" where you will be able to monitor your portfolio and get further help if and when you need it.
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This service option gives you the ability to set up and manage your own portfolio yourself BUT, still have some guidance when you need it.
Before embarking on this route, we suggest you take a look at our Planning courses before you invest as these cover all you will need to know to invest successfully.
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Heads up! Come check out our new forums, CurlTalk.
How did I am stop my hair from losing definition and frizzing at the end the day?
my hair starts the day as lovely defined curls after doing the curly girl method. But by the end of the day, my halo is futzing and my curls lose heaps of definition, especially at the ends. Help?!
1 Answer
Use gel right after you are out of your shower. Make sure your hair is drench in water and has a little a conditioner on your hair.Flip your hair over and smooth your gel in your hair. Scrunch your hair in an upward motion and let your hair airdry or you can diffuse your hair. Never touch your hair while you are letting it dry or your hair will frizz. I use the SheaMoisture Coconut and Hibiscus line. You can use the line's Curl Enhancing Smoothie if you don't like hold on your hair. Use the products that work for you. I hope I helped you. :)
This Q&A section is soo last year... Talk curls at the all new CurlTalk!


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Lean Six Sigma is a rigorous and disciplined methodology that uses organisational data and statistical analysis to measure and improve the performance of an organisation's business processes. The objectives are to eliminate waste, defects, rework and mistakes, increase customer satisfaction, and increase profitability and competitiveness.
This public 4-day course on Lean Six Sigma, part of our training series on Business Process Management, provides a comprehensive coverage of the Six Sigma DMAIC approach (Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control) while incorporating the principles of Lean Management. Hands-on case studies will provide course participants with direct exposure to common process issues that can be fixed through the application of the DMAIC approach. Various statistical analysis techniques will be presented throughout the course and put in practice via supervised exercises.
The course content is aligned with the Universally Accepted Lean Six Sigma Body of Knowledge for Green Belts, developed by the International Association for Six Sigma Certification (www.iassc.org).
As part of our course, we will illustrate the structure of this exam and provide material to assist in studying for the exam. You will need to integrate the content presented in the course with the material provided, and study this thoroughly in your own time, in order to pass the exam. At the end of the course, participants will receive instructions on how to prepare for the certification exam based on this body of knowledge. The certification exam incurs an extra fee and it is not administered by QUT.
Topics covered include:
Day 1
- Business Process Improvement
- The Data Driven Approach
- The Basics of Lean and Six Sigma
- Combining Lean and Six Sigma
- The DMAIC Roadmap
- 'Define' – Definition of core processes
- 'Measure' – Measurement of relevant processes and quality criteria
Day 2
- 'Measure' – Measurement of relevant processes and quality criteria
- Process Discovery
- Six Sigma Statistics
- Measurement System Analysis (MSA)
- Process Capability
- 'Analysis' – Problem analysis with process analysis tools and techniques
- "X" Sifting
- Graphical Analysis: Pareto Analysis and Multi-Vari Chart
- Inferential Statistics
- Introduction to Hypothesis Testing
- Hypothesis Testing Variable Data (Normal Data)
Day 3
- Hypothesis Testing Variable (Non-Normal Data)
- Hypothesis Testing Attribute Data
- 'Improvement' – Searching for process solutions
- Evaluating Improvement Ideas
- Process Modelling (Correlation & Regression)
- Design of Experiment
Day 4
- 'Controlling' – Development and implementation of process monitoring
- Statistical Process Control (Variable & Attribute Data)
- Six Sigma Control Plans
- Reasons behind project failure
- 12 keys to Lean Six Sigma success
- Lean Six Sigma Roles & Responsibilities
- Barriers to Lean Six Sigma
- Course Material & References
- General Recap
- How to prepare for the IASSC certification exam
Duration: 4 days


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Sunday, April 17, 2016
Cool Air by H.P. Lovecraft
Something for the weekend? How about H.P. Lovecraft's Cool Air?
In this episode I also talk about my forthcoming public appearance at the Wexworlds Festival in Wexford, Ireland on Saturday May 7th. Be there or be ... well, probably on the other side of the Atlantic or the Irish Sea, but still, be there in spirit. Maybe we can work out a way of streaming it or something. I'll look into it.
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The G2 is LG's next flagship device, and it's shaping up to be a fantastic smartphone. With its rumored 5.2 inch, 1080p display and Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor, this phone is going to continue LG's recent trend of great Android releases. The question is, which U.S. carriers are going to carry it?
The Federal Communications Commission may have answered that question for us today. The FCC has approved a region specific version of the LG G2. Listed under its codename, D801, the U.S. variant of the G2 passed FCC certification with LTE and HSPA frequencies that are compatible with T-Mobile, AT&T, and several Canadian wireless networks as well. The device should see a multi-carrier launch next month. We don't have any information about a CDMA version, however. Verizon and Sprint customers may be out of luck on this one, just like they were with the Optimus G Pro.
The LG G2 is going to be announced at a press event on August 7th in New York City. LG sent out invitations to the event recently. The invitations read "The LG G2, a phone inspired by you, unveils itself on August 7, 2013" and show the outline of the smartphone as well as the rear volume controls and a fingerprint scanner.
We don't have all of the details about LG's new flagship yet, but here's the rumored spec listing:
- 5.2 inch display
- 1080 x 1920 screen resolution
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 quad-core processor
- 3 GB of RAM
- 13 MP read facing camera
- 1080p HD video recording
- Adreno 330 GPU
- LTE connectivity
Until the device is announced, we can't confirm these specs, but the LG G2 has been leaked in several photos and videos. Since the launch of the Optimus G and Nexus 4 last year, LG's market share has increased. With the release of the Optimus G Pro, LG has proven that they can bring a compelling Android smartphone to the market, and that people want it. The South Korean company is also rumored to be working on a smart watch, tablet, and glasses to compete with Google Glass. All of this will be released under the 'G' branding that was recently trademarked.


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This isn't another story of the protégé trying to outwit the mentor.
Peyton Manning never directly taught Matt Ryan how to operate the no-huddle.
Check that. Check. Check.
Thanks to television and video equipment, Manning has been a mentor whether he knows it or not.
"He kind of set the benchmark for quarterbacks playing in that no-huddle system really in the modern era," Ryan said during a conference call with Denver media Thursday. "If you're not looking to see how he does it and to see some of the things he does in it, you're putting yourself at a disadvantage."
The game Monday night at the Georgia Dome between Manning's Broncos and Ryan's Atlanta Falcons will feature two NFL passers who are adept at performing the most difficult of quarterback tasks.
Manning is the emperor of the no-huddle offense. He's been known as the NFL's pre-eminent at-the-line commander at least since a fateful game in Cleveland late in the 2002 season.
Ryan came out of Boston College thinking on the fly and calling plays at the line of scrimmage. He was raised to operate the no-huddle since he was an NFL rookie in 2008.
"Whether you huddle or you don't huddle, it still comes down to if you have good players and they can make plays, and Matt has shown the ability to make plays," Manning said. "We know that our defense is in for a tough test. Our offense has to help our defense out. We have to stay on the field and try to score some points because their offense is so capable, but it'll be tough because their defense plays well."
In their openers last week, neither team did much with their running game. The Falcons' top rusher, Michael Turner, had only 32 yards rushing on 11 carries. Yet, Ryan and his receiving trio of Julio Jones, Roddy White and Tony Gonzalez scorched the Kansas City Chiefs 40-24 in Arrowhead Stadium.
The Broncos didn't get their running game going until Willis McGahee started grinding off tackle in the fourth quarter. Yet the Broncos defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-19.
The Broncos and Falcons are not set up to travel by ground. They can, but they are primarily built to get there quickly. To them, time's a wasting in the huddle. Both teams like to use the no-huddle.
"If you've got a good quarterback, why not?" said Broncos cornerback Champ Bailey.
A historic moment in NFL offensive annals occurred at Cleveland Browns Stadium on Dec. 15, 2002, when Manning and his Indianapolis Colts were trailing 16-0 at halftime. After going 5-of-13 for 65 yards with an interception in the first half, Manning was ordered to run the no-huddle from the get-go in the second half. He went 15-of-21 for 212 yards and two touchdowns after the intermission and the Colts rallied for a 28-23 victory.
The no-huddle, as only Manning can operate it, had its watershed.
"I think every quarterback in the league will tell you that at some point or another they've watched what Peyton's doing to try and learn from it and take some of the things that he does and apply it to what they do," Ryan said.
Manning is the Broncos' quarterback now and after a scoreless first quarter with the huddle-up Sunday night against the Steelers, he started moving and scoring once offensive coordinator Mike McCoy switched to the no-huddle.
"Watching him run the no-huddle was reminiscent of having to play against him when I was in Jacksonville," said Mike Smith, who is now Atlanta's head coach.
"It looked like what he did in Indy," Bailey said. "He's the best at it. There's nobody better."
Ryan is getting there, and getting there quickly. He has been making instant decisions at the line of scrimmage since his rookie season, when he all but rescued the Falcons' organization from the embarrassment of its Michael Vick-Bobby Petrino fiascoes.
Ryan is now in his fifth NFL season and when experience is added to the inborn characteristics of poise and smarts, such a quarterback would be wasting his qualities if he wasn't orchestrating the no-huddle.
"It's such a copycat league," said Broncos defensive tackle Justin Bannan. "They see the brilliant quarterbacks do it and have success, why not do it with our quarterbacks?"
There are basically two generations of no-huddle quarterbacks in the league. Manning and New England's Tom Brady are the wisest readers and interpreters of enemy defenses. Ryan and Joe Flacco, who were both first-round draft picks in the 2008 draft, have gone full-blown no-huddle this season.
"Ryan and Flacco to me are the next Brady and Manning," Bannan said. "You can tell they're starting to come into their own."
The no-huddle is used to prevent defenses from substituting and to mitigate the pass rush. It is not often used to establish a running game.
The game Monday in Atlanta will be no-huddle vs. no-huddle. It will be Manning vs. Ryan. It will be mentor of the no-huddle vs. his protégé.
Mike Klis: 303-954-1055, email@example.com or twitter.com/mikeklis
Just say no to huddle
Two of the four quarterbacks who use the no-huddle offense more than most in the NFL meet Monday night in Atlanta:
1. Broncos' Peyton Manning: Manning figured out long ago that play calling is easier when you first see the defense.
2. Patriots' Tom Brady: The Pats got so good at the no-huddle, it was almost as if they had the other team's signals.
3. Falcons' Matt Ryan: Like Manning and Brady, Ryan is known for his ability to read a defense along with poise to execute the play.
4. Ravens' Joe Flacco: The strongest arm of the no-huddle quarterbacks. Ravens made the no-huddle part of their basic offense this year.
Mike Klis, The Denver Post


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This weekend we attempted to put up the awning to our campervan for the first time. This "tent" is a porch for the van to allow Benji dog a comfortable place to live whilst travelling with us. Now this was a first for us as we unknotted guy ropes ( or is it guide ropes?), detangled tent poles and and tried to organise the confusing canvas. All this was assisted by Benji dog and Grandson playing chase, ball and rolly polly on the grass over and around the supposed tent! Great fun! I just hope we're not in a hurry when we put it up for real.
With campervan aka Damnvan1, adventures in mind I have made two cushions for said van. I had great fun sewing on the bobbles. I also put a zip in each. Unfortunately I sewed in the zips closed and around the cushions. It was a great challenge to open the zips from the inside out. However, I am very pleased with the end result and will make some matching tie backs for the vans curtains. All mod cons. Can't wait to get away for a few days in the Damnvan1 I will report back when we do.


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A Thought on New Years Resolutions
At the end of each year, we see a phrase inevitably being adopted by those around us: "new year, new me." The yearly recaps posted on social media by friends and family nearly always come accompanied by a new set of goals for the coming year. For example, last year I tried to give up chocolate to curb my chocoholic addiction once and for all… but anyone who knows me knows that wasn't going to happen. 😉 (*types as I finish off the foot of my See's chocolate Santa)
Admittedly, the last couple weeks I found myself scrolling past these multi-paragraph posts, feeling too busy with my crazy holiday schedule to take a break to read them. Over New Years while on vacation with friends, I had been focusing on my own resolution of being more present with those around me… and less with my face in my phone. So on the long plane ride home I realized I finally had the perfect opportunity to take the time to read those lengthy New Years posts that had been flooding my newsfeed the weeks prior.
After nearly two hours of reading, liking, commenting and adding loved ones' thoughts to my own 2018 goals, I came to an eye-opening conclusion: Nearly every resolution I saw could somehow be linked to the ideals promoted by the Miss America Organization. I found this incredible because one of the most common questions I hear from pageant naysayers is how Miss America is still relevant today. Yet right on my screen were dozens of friends writing about how they were hoping to accomplish the same goals in 2018 that we as MAO titleholders set out for every year. This got me thinking… if all these resolutions are somehow linked to what we as titleholders strive to embody on a daily basis, then this idea helps validate what we've been promoting all along.
So, my friends, I give you the Top 5 News Years resolutions in the U.S. … and how the Miss America Organization helps young women around the country achieve them:
- Eat healthier/exercise more: One of the most well-known categories of the Miss America competition is Lifestyle and Fitness, or swimsuit. What many people are surprised to hear is how empowering this phase is to the contestants. For months, we work out, fuel our bodies with the healthiest foods and push ourselves to reach our fitness goals to walk on stage feeling more confident than ever. Every body is different, and the Miss America Organization embraces this. It's not about who is the skinniest. It's not about which contestant looks resembles a Victoria's Secret model. Rather it's about celebrating our individual commitments to leading healthy and active lifestyles… and feeling undeniably empowered in the process.
- Read more: As local titleholders, we read A LOT: newspapers, books, news apps, anything we can get our hands on to stay informed about the world around us. We listen. We observe. And we formulate educated opinions to stand up for our beliefs and do our part to make a difference. We do this all not just to prepare for our 10-minute interview with the judges (where we can be asked anything from our knowledge of current events to questions about ourselves to our stances on hot topic world issues). Rather, we do this because as ambassadors for our communities and for this scholarship program, we know it's our duty to be active citizens with courage of our convictions. We stand on stage with bright lights hitting our face, thousands of eyes on us, and television cameras broadcasting our every move to viewers around the country… and answer questions that could trip up even a seasoned politician. Every year, I can't help but watch these women on stage and be incredibly impressed by their poise and intelligence in the face of pressure.
- Learn something new: As titleholders, we are constantly learning new things to improve and grow throughout our preparation for Miss California and year as local representatives. However, what we learn is unique to each woman as we propel through our personal journeys of self-improvement. For me, every phase of competition acts as a motivator to work on the areas of my life that I'd want to excel in whether I was competing or not. The organization encourages me to embrace my talents, be more involved in my community, stand up for causes I care about and act as a role model to the younger generation.
- Save money: While this is a New Years resolution I always am working to improve on (your girl is a sucker for a cute pair of shoes), competing in the Miss America Organization alleviates an incredible amount of financial burden. Why? Because the Miss America Organization is the world's largest scholarship provider for women in the world. I've been so fortunate to have earned over $10,000 throughout my years competing to help fund my undergraduate degree at Duke University (Go Blue Devils!) and my upcoming Master's at Northwestern. Miss America, Cara Mund, has earned $95,000 to help fund her degree at Brown. That's truly incredible! And the best part is that you can compete on a budget and still be successful. My first year at Miss California's Outstanding Teen in 2008, I bought my entire competition wardrobe at Forever 21 and on eBay. Last year, I had the help of my committee and some incredible sponsors to help a broke college girl feel like a million bucks on the Miss California stage. These sponsors and volunteers are the backbone of the organization and work tirelessly to help participants grow, learn and feel confident.
- Be nicer/kinder/more patient: Finally, what I appreciate most about the Miss America Organization is the sisterhood we share. The women I have met through this organization are some of the most encouraging, driven and ambitious women I have had the privilege of knowing. Their philanthropic hearts propel them to make a difference in their communities and be role models to everyone they meet. Through our platforms (mine is Alzheimer's Awareness in memory of my grandma Mary Fran), we pinpoint our passions, devise marketable strategies to promote our causes, and follow through to make a difference. We project positivity and strive to make every person we encounter feel important. And that is always relevant.


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After analyzing the latest survey results, Colorado researchers have concluded that cannabis use among the state's teenagers remains flat. Although every fifth teenager in Colorado has consumed marijuana in the past month, the rate has not increased since cannabis legalization, the state Health Department reports.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has recently released the results of the biennial Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) conducted last year. The survey collects anonymous reports from the state's middle and high school students. Last year, about 17,000 teens studying in more than 157 Colorado schools participated in the HKCS on a self-reported and randomly selected basis.
The state researchers not only investigated teen marijuana use but also collected information about consumption of other drugs by young people:
Comparing to the 2013 HKCS results, cannabis consumption among teens grows insignificantly against the increasingly growing marijuana market in Colorado.
The 2015 HKCS revealed 21.2% of teens had consumed cannabis in the past month, which is statistically insignificant comparing to 19.7% in 2013. The researchers explained this increase as a wiggle in the statistical data, not meaningful growth. There is also a noticeable decline from the 24.8% in 2009 when medical dispensaries began to flourish across the state.
The number of survey respondents who have never consumed marijuana was estimated at 62% in 2015. This figure remained stable in comparison with the rate of the previous years. Thus, in 2009, the rate of Colorado students who did not use cannabis even once was 42.6%, but in 2015 it was 38%.
The problem of cannabis use among the Colorado youth attracted the national attention in 2012 when state citizens voted for the legalization of marijuana possession by any adults over 21 years old. There is a large web of medical cannabis dispensaries across the state that sell medical marijuana to Coloradans with medical pot cards.
The HKCS respondents explained their access to marijuana as "someone gave it to me" and "got it some other way." Only 11% of surveyed teens said they bought medical cannabis by using their own medical pot cards or received it from someone with a cannabis card.
The fact that marijuana legalization has not increased cannabis consumption among teens is also confirmed by a national survey carried out by the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS). The findings of their latest survey showed that 21.7 percent of teens nationwide had used marijuana in the past month, while in 2013, that rate reached 23.4%.
Colorado does not take part in the YRBSS, and the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey is perhaps the most relevant source of information on teen marijuana use in the state.


text: Send RaceScore Support your question. All inquiries are handled in the order they are received. Please do not submit multiple inquiries on the same subject as it will only delay response times. Include a detailed description of the assistance you require, along with any error messages you may have received.


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Here is a remix of Chained To The Rhythm
Ever wanted to hear Katy Perry's Chained To The Rhythm slowed down with a drowsy, vocodered rap "section". Well, you're in luck because Lil Yachty and Lil Boat (but, sadly, not Lil Dinghy or Lil Canoe) have made a remix for you.
Labels: audio, Katy Perry, lil yachty, Music, remix


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Boston, Mass. – May 7, 2007– ConnectEdu, the nation's leading provider of innovative college planning, admissions and financial aid solutions, announced today at the WorldatWork Total Rewards Conference the launch of the Connect! Career Network, an upcoming enhancement to the Connect! online portal. Already a market-leading web solution to help students map their future education plans, Connect! will now include a comprehensive career component that will guide students to a career choice that connects data-based academic strengths and preferred interests to job skills, employer needs and actual employment opportunities. ConnectEdu is currently partnering with progressive employers to create the national network and begin building relationships with the next generation of the workforce.
According to Craig Powell, President and Founder of ConnectEdu,
"As a result of working closely with employers, high schools and colleges, we learned that there is a gap in the ability to effectively assist students with career path planning and execution. Since we integrate directly with verified academic data, we are able to drive career choices based on actual performance and identified skills sets, as opposed to arbitrary, self-reported inventory tools that are not valued or used by students. Guidance counselors have told us they need more reliable career tools and employers have said current solutions don't work when it comes to building relationships with the future workforce. Our extending of Connect! to include comprehensive career planning is a natural progression in our mission to assist students through successful education and life transitions."
This Fall, students using Connect! will be invited into the Connect! Career Network at no cost to begin planning their future. In addition to college planning, Connect! will drive career paths to students based on their skills and identified interests. Connect! will then familiarize students with possible career choices; recommend applicable curriculum and programs of study; suggest appropriate community colleges, colleges and universities to begin study; and identify employers specializing in the student's industries of interest. Employers will join the network to meet and mentor students interested in their field, their organization and opportunities including scholarships, internships and job opportunities. With hundreds of thousands of students and employers across the U.S. participating, the Connect! Career Network will foster improved student planning and counselor monitoring, relationship development and mentoring opportunities between career professionals and students, and, over time, the creation of a thoughtful, diverse career pipeline.
For more information on Connect! visit www.connectedu.net or call 617-532-3000.
About ConnectEdu, Inc.
In 2002, President & Founder Craig Powell established ConnectEdu to simplify the college admissions and financial aid process for all involved. Believing that students must be at the core of a solution, the ConnectEdu team began development of Connect! – a web solution that benchmarks every 9th -12th grade student against a comprehensive college plan, virtually connects high schools to higher education institutions directly, and provides the tools for everyone involved in the admissions and financial aid process to do their work. Students are empowered, parents are engaged and counselors are enabled with modern technology that enhances college counseling and allows them to return to the core of their mission – assisting students in making one of the most important decisions in their lives. Today, Connect! is the industry leading national going-to-college portal.


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I want them.
Wizarding World Gifts
I want them.
I want it...and yes, would wear it.
Becky and Daniel
I want it...with an E. (Though Liz could work with L!)
I want it.
the leaky cauldron
I want them.
I want him...to live! :(
Oh Snape, I always trusted you!
I want them all! I don't think I'm going to be able to make it to the midnight premiere, which saddens me, but, a friend and I plan to go Friday night! I am so ready to see this movie. I don't have a Harry Potter sweater to wear, but having been to Hogwarts, I have a few shirts to choose from...(fyi, HP world is in Orlando is aaaaamazing!)


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Hospital Errors, Public/Private Partnerships and Flexibility on Vacation Time
Plus: Performance evaluations, the challenge of cell phones and government, and more management news.
Transparency can be scary when it appears to increase the risk of litigation. That's one of the reasons the hospital community has been more than a little nervous about full disclosure of medical errors. We've seen this at work, for example, in the opposition to some states' moves to require publicly available data for hospital acquired infections.
It may be that some of those fears are unfounded, based on the results of a University of Michigan study. Nearly a decade ago, the University of Michigan Health System began requiring full disclosure of medical errors and offered quick compensation when they were detected. When researchers looked at the history — both before and after the requirement was put in place — they found decreases in new legal claims, in the time it takes to resolve claims and in total liability costs, according to a university release.
"This supports the possibility that patients may be less likely to file lawsuits when given prompt transparency and an offer of compensation," said one of the study's authors.
We have to admit that we're not regular readers of the Hindu Business Line. But our search for interesting tidbits for the B&G Report takes us far and wide, and we lit on an item we thought would be of real interest. The piece focuses on an attitude in India that public/private partnerships (PPPs) are a panacea to all that ails government. Sound familiar? It goes on to say almost exactly the same thing we've been saying in our writings about PPPs in this country: "It's not axiomatic that Government ownership causes inefficiency. Public sector managers are as competent as those in private sector. In fact, one's guess is it's more."
The article also argues that private-sector partners require a solid profit margin, while the government doesn't. We personally think there are instances in which PPPs can be valuable tools for government. But we are fascinated by the fact that the critiques of PPPs in this country are being heard all around the world.
Questions of control versus flexibility are always tricky. Based on a piece in the Columbus Post Dispatch, it appears that Ohio officials may have erred on the side of too-tight controls recently. According to the article, "State officials have scoured the files of thousands of former employees to find that more than 750 owe money — mere pennies in some cases — for more than exhausting their allotment of personal leave."
The state found an average debt of $233 per employee. We don't know whether that's sufficient to pay the state back for any costs associated with the enterprise, but apparently there were instances in which the state sent computer-generated letters to people who owed as little as 13 cents — far less, of course, than the price of the stamp on the letter. "The former head of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles was warned that if he didn't cough up 96 cents, state debt collectors would come after him." We're pretty sure that between postage and processing fees, the state will take a loss in getting those 96 cents back.
We understand that it's difficult to draw a line and say who should and shouldn't reimburse the state. The highest debt was $2,849 — well worth pursuing. But we do know that it makes sense to figure out a way to draw that line, or risk antagonizing former employees and potentially even losing money.
Performance evaluations can really upset people when they appear to emanate from a desire to prove that something isn't working. This common-sense idea was driven home to us a couple of weeks ago during a dinner with a close friend. We need to be a little oblique here to protect our friend — let's call her Sally — but the point doesn't require great specificity.
Sally works for a government-funded program that delivers a very popular service. In the past, the measures used to determine success or failure were far from adequate. But then a number of government leaders became eager to de-fund the program. So they instituted a further-reaching system of evaluations, not necessarily to figure out how to make the program work optimally, but to prove that it was ineffective. In the end, the agency wasn't de-funded. But people in the agency learned a negative lesson: Performance evaluations are a "gotcha" exercise, used by people who have a bias.
Of course, we don't think this is generally — or even frequently — true. But we do think that every time it happens, it sets the performance-measurement movement back a step.
A quote to share from Calvin Coolidge: "No man ever listened himself out of a job."
Cell phones may be making it increasingly difficult for cities, counties and states to get a real understanding of their citizens — particularly those in lower-income groups. You'll recall a great deal of discussion about the potential for inaccurate polling in the last presidential election, thanks to the fact that cell phone users are harder to reach than people who still rely on land lines.
The same phenomenon appears to exist with government agencies eager to follow up with their clients. Between phone numbers that have been altered, accounts that have been canceled and individuals who don't want to pick up on a call from an unrecognized number, this portion of the population is getting harder to reach. The problem is amplified by the likelihood that men and women in lower-income groups are more inclined to rely on cell phones.
Our thanks to contributors to the American Evaluation Association Discussion List (EVALTALK) for making us better aware of this issue.
"Data-informed vs. Data-driven." For a long time we've made it a cause to persuade people to use the word "informed" rather than "driven" in the names of a variety of efforts to heighten performance in the public sector. We've always maintained that the very idea of "performance-driven budgeting" or "performance-based budgeting" sounds far too formulaic and potentially alarms the people who are being driven.
With that in mind, we wanted to share an excerpt from a piece we found in the Washington Post's "The Answer Sheet" blog. It featured an article by Larry Ferlazzo, an English teacher at Luther Burbank High School (LBHS) in Sacramento. He is the author of a popular blog for teachers. Here are some excerpts from the pertinent section:
"Many reformers call for 'data-driven' schools. At LBHS, Principal Ted Appel is a strong believer in being 'data-informed' instead. He understands the value of data but recognizes that schools that are 'data-driven' might make decisions like keeping students who are 'borderline' between algebra and a higher level of math in the algebra classroom so that they do well on the algebra state test instead of being more challenged.
"Or, in English, teachers in data-driven schools might focus a lot of time and energy on teaching a 'strand' that is heavily represented on the state tests — even though that obsessive focus might take away from other instruction that can help the student become a life-long reader...
"In schools that are data-informed, test results are just one more piece of information that can be helpful in determining future directions."
We've also opposed the use of the phrase "best practices" among states, cities and counties. As regular readers know, we've long maintained that calling something a "best practice" makes it sound like it's a one-size-fits-all solution for every other similar government. And we don't believe there are many of these in the real world.
We've just come across one state leader who seems to be asking for something at the opposite end of the spectrum. Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell recently asked a new 24-member panel to "come up with a uniquely Virginia approach to health care improvement and systematic reform."
This leaves us wondering what exactly a "uniquely Virginia approach" would be?
Just for fun. This has nothing to do with management and is inspired entirely by the previous item.
Say "Unique New York," three times, quickly.
Public Civility Corner. Robbie LeFleur, director of Minnesota's Legislative Reference Library, wrote a while back to point us to a piece she wrote for the library's website. We've been meaning to share it with you for some time. But it's a bit longer than our usual items, and cutting wouldn't do it justice, so we've been holding on to it. So, in the school of "better late than never," here it is:
"Last week the Legislature was in gridlocked end-of-session negotiations. One discouraging effect of rancorous debates in the news is that some citizens develop anti-government attitudes, even when they have little actual understanding of the work done by lawmakers and the challenges they face.
"One of those angry people stopped in our library last week. He launched right in to his complaints about the Legislature and the court system.
"He had scant understanding of the legislative process, yet held several stereotypical anti-government views. As I helped him research the changes to a law, his pronouncements were amazing. 'You know they just sneaked that law in,' he told me, even though we were looking at a stand-alone bill. 'They always do that.' I helped him further; we looked at earlier changes to the law. He pointed to some deleted language. 'See that chicken-scratching there? They just scratch out anything they don't like.'
"He wanted to have a law changed, and wanted to know the authors of the previous law. We looked them up. 'Oh him, he's too old. He'd never agree with me. I don't think anyone should be in the government more than six years.'
"I mentioned that it might be difficult to meet with the legislators during this final week of session, and it was past the deadlines for new legislation. 'Can't they just sneak it in?' he insisted.
"When he left he was still angry about his issue, but happy with me and very happy with the Legislative Web Site. He didn't realize so much could be done from home, and that he could do the research himself. I wonder if he realized I am a government employee."


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Bungalow is primarily a wholesale company and the information on this website is directed towards wholesale customers.
To get a feel of the product range, please take a few minutes to view the slideshow under home with inspirational pictures. For product details see the individual product menus.
If you wish to carry our products in your shop, please contact us for further information and prices.
Terms and conditions
Minimum order for new customers :
Customers inside Europe Euro 1000/DKK 7500
Customers outside Europe Euro 2000
Reorders below EURO 350/DKK 2500 will be charged with an administration fee of EURO 20/ DKK 150
Danish customers: 10 days netto
International customers : advance payment
Please see the store locater menu to find shops carrying our products. We also have our own retail shop at Nørrebro, Copenhagen where you will find bungalow products along with selected products from other Danish companies and Indian bazaars.
You are welcome to contact us for retail inquiries.


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FREE Shipping on orders $49 and up.
Most orders are processed and shipped same day. Orders placed on Friday after 3pm, Saturday, or Sunday are processed on Monday. Processing and shipping does not take place on weekends or holidays.
Within the continental United States (the contiguous 48 states), Shipping is FREE to customers on orders over $49. Orders being shipped to Hawaii, Alaska, Canada, APO's, FPO's and DPO's are not eligible for free shipping. Also, the free shipping policy does not apply to large or heavy items that require special shipping methods such as assembled industrial sewing machines and some sewing cabinets.
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Our sewing experts can advise you on the embroidery machine thread that's best for you as well as which types of thread work for which projects, the finish on each type of thread, etc.
Let Sewing Machines Plus equip you with the best thread for the job today!


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Our Residences
The chalet-style apartments include four private, secure bedrooms, each equipped with a single bed, desk/chair and clothing storage unit. Each bedroom shares a common living space which includes a kitchen, dining area and living room. There are two two-bedroom apartments that are wheelchair accessible, and four three-bedroom family units. Each apartment includes phone service with voicemail, network and internet access, and utilities. Apartments are wired for cable but it is at the cost and responsibility of the students. Other services include: common laundry and storage lockers for each building.
Students are asked to bring the following items to a chalet apartment:
Students are asked to
not bring the following items to a chalet apartment:
Please note: chalet apartments
do not provide microwaves, toasters, kettles, or any other kitchen utensils besides the major appliances such as fridge and stove/oven. Students are asked to bring these items if needed, or discuss the items with roommates before or upon arrival to campus.
Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland20 University Drive, Corner Brook , NL A2H 5G4, Canada
Office: RES221Phone: (709) 637-6266Email: email@example.com


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Answered Prayer (Continued)
Constrained at the darkest hour to confess humbly that without God's help I was helpless, I vowed a vow in the forest solitude that I would confess His aid before men. A silence as a death was around me; it was midnight, I was weakened by illness, prostrated with fatigue and worn with anxiety for my white and black companions, whose fate was a mystery. In this physical and mental distress I besought God to give me back my people. Nine hours later we were exulting with rapturous joy. In full view of all was the crimson flag with the crescent and beneath its waving folds was the long-lost rear column. -- HENRY M. STANLEY
GOD has committed Himself to us by His Word in our praying. The Word of God is the basis and the inspiration and the heart of prayer. Jesus Christ stands as the illustration of God's Word, its illimitable good in promise as well as in realization. God takes nothing by halves. He gives nothing by halves. We can have the whole of Him when He has the whole of us. His words of promise are so far-reaching, and so all-comprehending, that they seem to have deadened our comprehension and have paralyzed our praying. This appears when we consider those large words, when He almost exhausts human language in promises, as in "whatever," "anything," and in the all-inclusive "whatsoever," and "all things." These oft-repeated promises, so very great, seem to daze us, and instead of allowing them to move us to asking, testing, and receiving, we turn away full of wonder, but empty handed and with empty hearts.
We quote another passage from our Lord's teaching about prayer. By the most solemn verification, He declares as follows:
"And in that day ye shall ask me nothing; Verily, Verily, I say unto you: Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
"Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."
Twice in this passage He declares the answer, and pledging His Father, "He will give it to you," and declaring with impressive and most suggestive iteration, "Ask, and ye shall receive." So strong and so often did Jesus declare and repeat the answer as an inducement to pray, and as an inevitable result of prayer, the Apostles held it as so fully and invincibly established, that prayer would be answered, they held it to be their main duty to urge and command men to pray. So firmly were they established as to the truth of the law of prayer as laid down by our Lord, that they were led to affirm that the answer to prayer was involved in and necessarily bound up with all right praying. God the Father and Jesus Christ, His Son, are both strongly committed by all the truth of their word and by the fidelity of their character, to answer prayer.
Not only do these and all the promises pledge Almighty God to answer prayer, but they assure us that the answer will be specific, and that the very thing for which we pray will be given.
Our Lord's invariable teaching was that we receive that for which we ask, and obtain that for which we seek, and have that door opened at which we knock. This is according to our Heavenly Father's direction to us, and His giving to us for our asking. He will not disappoint us by not answering, neither will He deny us by giving us some other thing for which we have not asked, or by letting us find some other thing for which we have not sought, or by opening to us the wrong door, at which we were not knocking. If we ask bread, He will give us bread. If we ask an egg, He will give us an egg. If we ask a fish, He will give us a fish. Not something like bread, but bread itself will be given unto us. Not something like a fish, but a fish will be given. Not evil will be given us in answer to prayer, but good.
Earthly parents, though evil in nature, give for the asking, and answer to the crying of their children. The encouragement to prayer is transferred from our earthly father to our Heavenly Father, from the evil to the good, to the supremely good; from the weak to the omnipotent, our Heavenly Father, centering in Himself all the highest conceptions of Fatherhood, abler, readier, and much more than the best, and much more than the ablest earthly father. "How much more," who can tell? Much more than our earthly father, will He supply all our needs, give us all good things, and enable us to meet every difficult duty and fulfill every law, though hard to flesh and blood, but made easy under the full supply of our Father's beneficent and exhaustless help.
Here we have in symbol and as initial, more than an intimation of the necessity, not only of perseverance in prayer, but of the progressive stages of intentness and effort in the outlay of increasing spiritual force. Asking, seeking, and knocking. Here is an ascending scale from the mere words of asking, to a settled attitude of seeking, resulting in a determined, clamorous and vigorous direct effort of praying.
Just as God has commanded us to pray always, to pray everywhere, and to pray in everything, so He will answer always, everywhere and in everything.
God has plainly and with directness committed Himself to answer prayer. If we fulfill the conditions of prayer, the answer is bound to come. The laws of nature are not so invariable and so inexorable as the promised answer to pray. The ordinances of nature might fail, but the ordinances of grace can never fail. There are no limitations, no adverse conditions, no weakness, no inability, which can or will hinder the answer to prayer. God's doing for us when we pray has no limitations, is not hedged about, by provisos in Himself, or in the peculiar circumstances of any particular case. If we really pray, God masters and defies all things and is above all conditions.
God explicitly says, "Call unto me, and I will answer." There are no limitations, no hedges, no hindrances in the way of God fulfilling the promise. His word is at stake. His word is involved. God solemnly engages to answer prayer. Man is to look for the answer, be inspired by the expectation of the answer, and may with humble boldness demand the answer. God, who cannot lie, is bound to answer. He has voluntarily placed Himself under obligation to answer the prayer of him who truly prays.
"To God your every want
In instant prayer display;
Pray always; pray, and never faint;
Pray, without ceasing, pray.
"In fellowship, alone,
To God with faith draw near;
Approach His courts, beseech His throne,
With all the power of prayer."
The prophets and the men of God of Old Testament times were unshaken in their faith in the absolute certainty of God fulfilling His promises to them. They rested in security on the word of God, and had no doubt whatever either as to the fidelity of God in answering prayer or of His willingness or ability. So that their history is marked by repeated asking and receiving at the hands of God,
The same is true of the early Church. They received without question the doctrine their Lord and Master had so often affirmed that the answer to prayer was sure. The certainty of the answer to prayer was as fixed as God's Word was true. The Holy Ghost dispensation was ushered in by the disciples carrying this faith into practice. When Jesus told them to "Tarry at Jerusalem till they were endued with power from on high," they received it as a sure promise that if they obeyed the command, they would certainly receive the Divine power. So in prayer for ten days they tarried in the upper room, and the promise was fulfilled. The answer came just as Jesus said.
So when Peter and John were arrested for healing the man who sat at the beautiful gate of the temple, after being threatened by the rulers in Jerusalem, they were released. "And being let go, they went to their own company," they went to those with whom they were in affinity, those of like minds, and not to men of the world. Still believing in prayer and its efficacy, they gave themselves to prayer, the prayer itself being recorded in Acts, chapter four. They recited some things to the Lord, and "when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness."
Here they were refilled for this special occasion with the Holy Ghost. The answer to prayer responded to their faith and prayer. The fullness of the Spirit always brings boldness. The cure for fear in the face of threatenings of the enemies of the Lord is being filled with the Spirit. This gives power to speak the word of the Lord with boldness. This gives courage and drives away fear.
A young man had been called to the foreign field. He had not been in the habit of preaching, but he knew one thing, how to prevail with God; and going one day to a friend he said: "I don't see how God can use me on the field. I have no special talent." His friend said: "My brother, God wants men on the field who can pray. There are too many preachers now and too few prayers." He went. In his own room in the early dawn a voice was heard weeping and pleading for souls. All through the day, the shut door and the hush that prevailed made you feel like walking softly, for a soul was wrestling with God. Yet to this home, hungry souls would flock, drawn by some irresistible power. Ah, the mystery was unlocked. In the secret chamber lost souls were pleaded for and claimed. The Holy Ghost knew just where they were and sent them along. -- J. HUDSON TAYLOR
WE put it to the front. We unfold it on a banner never to be lowered or folded, that God does hear and answer prayer. God has always heard and answered prayer. God will forever hear and answer prayer. He is the same yesterday, to-day and forever, ever blessed, ever to be adored. Amen. He changes not. As He has always answered prayer, so will He ever continue to do so.
To answer prayer is God's universal rule. It is His unchangeable and irrepealable law to answer prayer. It is His invariable, specific and inviolate promise to answer prayer. The few denials to prayer in the Scriptures are the exceptions to the general rule, suggestive and startling by their fewness, exception and emphasis.
The possibilities of prayer, then, lie in the great truth, illimitable in its broadness, fathomless in its depths, exhaustless in its fullness, that God answers every prayer from every true soul who truly prays.
God's Word does not say, "Call unto me, and you will thereby be trained into the happy art of knowing how to be denied. Ask, and you will learn sweet patience by getting nothing." Far from it. But it is definite, clear and positive: "Ask, and it shall be given unto you."
We have this case among many in the Old Testament:
"Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, O that thou wouldst bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thy hand might be with me, and that thou wouldst keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me."
And God readily granted him the things which he had requested.
Hannah, distressed in soul because she was childless, and desiring a man child, repaired to the house of prayer, and prayed, and this is the record she makes of the direct answer she received: "For this child I prayed, and the Lord hath given me the petition which I asked of him."
God's promises and purposes go direct to the fact of giving for the asking. The answer to our prayers is the motive constantly presented in the Scriptures to encourage us to pray and to quicken us in this spiritual exercise. Take such strong, clear passages as these:
"Call unto me, and I will answer thee."
"He shall call unto me, and I will answer."
"Ask; and it shall be given you. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you."
This is Jesus Christ's law of prayer. He does not say, "Ask, and something shall be given you." Nor does He say, "Ask, and you will be trained into piety." But it is that when you ask, the very thing asked for will be given. Jesus does not say, "Knock, and some door will be opened." But the very door at which you are knocking will be opened. To make this doubly sure, Jesus Christ duplicates and reiterates the promise of the answer: "For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened."
Answered prayer is the spring of love, and is the direct encouragement to pray. "I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live."
The certainty of the Father's giving is assured by the Father's relation, and by the ability and goodness of the Father. Earthly parents, frail, infirm, and limited in goodness and ability, give when the child asks and seeks. The parental heart responds most readily to the cry for bread. The hunger of the child touches and wins the father's heart. So God, our Heavenly Father, is as easily and strongly moved by our prayers as the earthly parent. "If ye being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your father in heaven give good gifts unto them that ask him?" "Much more," just as much more does God's goodness, tenderness and ability exceed that of man's.
Just as the asking is specific, so also is the answer specific. The child does not ask for one thing and get another. He does not cry for bread, and get a stone. He does not ask for an egg, and receive a scorpion. He does not ask for a fish, and get a serpent. Christ demands specific asking. He responds to specific praying by specific giving.
To give the very thing prayed for, and not something else, is fundamental to Christ's law of praying. No prayer for the cure of blind eyes did He ever answer by curing deaf ears. The very thing prayed for is the very thing which He gives. The exceptions to this are confirmatory of this great law of prayer. He who asks for bread gets bread, and not a stone. If he asks for a fish, he receives a fish, and not a serpent. No cry is so pleading and so powerful as the child's cry for bread. The cravings of hunger, the appetite felt, and the need realized, all create and propel the crying of the child. Our prayers must be as earnest, as needy, and as hungry as the hungry child's cry for bread. Simple, artless and direct and specific must be our praying, according to Christ's law of prayer and His teaching of God's Fatherhood.
The illustration and enforcement of the law of prayer are found in the specific answers given to prayer. Gethsemane is the only seeming exception. The prayer of Jesus Christ in that awful hour of darkness and hell was conditioned on these words, "If it be possible, let this cup pass from me." But beyond these utterances of our Lord was the soul and life prayer of the willing, suffering Divine victim, "Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." The prayer was answered, the angel came, strength was imparted, and the meek sufferer in silence drank the bitter cup.
Two cases of unanswered prayer are recorded in the Scriptures in addition to the Gethsemane prayer of our Lord. The first was that of David for the life of his baby child, but for good reasons to Almighty God the request was not granted. The second was that of Paul for the removal of the thorn in the flesh, which was denied. But we are constrained to believe these must have been notable as exceptions to God's rule, as illustrated in the history of prophet, priest, apostle and saint, as recorded in the Divine Word. There must have been unrevealed reasons which moved God to veer from His settled and fixed rule to answer prayer by giving the specific thing prayed for.
Our Lord did not hold the Syrophenician woman in the school of unanswered prayer in order to test and mature her faith, neither did He answer her prayer by healing or saving her husband. She asks for the healing of her daughter, and Christ healed the daughter. She received the very thing for which she asked the Lord Jesus Christ. It was in the school of answered prayer our Lord disciplined and perfected her faith, and it was by giving her a specific answer to her prayer. Her prayer centered on her daughter. She prayed for the one thing, the healing of her child. And the answer of our Lord centered likewise on the daughter.
We tread altogether too gingerly upon the great and precious promises of God, and too often we ignore them wholly. The promise is the ground on which faith stands in asking of God. This is the one basis of prayer. We limit God's ability. We measure God's ability and willingness to answer by prayer by the standard of men. We limit the Holy One of Israel. How full of benefaction and remedy to suffering mankind are the promises as given us by James in his Epistle, fifth chapter! How personal and mediate do they make God in prayer! They are a direct challenge to our faith. They are encouraging to large expectations in all the requests we make of God. Prayer affects God in a direct manner, and has its aim and end in affecting Him. Prayer takes hold of God, and induces Him to do large things for us, whether personal or relative, temporal or spiritual, earthly or heavenly.
The great gap between Bible promises to prayer and the income from praying is almost unspeakably great, so much so that it is a prolific source of infidelity. It breeds unbelief in prayer as a great moral force, and begets doubt really as to the efficacy of prayer. Christianity needs to-day, above all things else, men and women who can in prayer put God to the test and who can prove His promises. When this happy day for the world begins, it will be earth's brightest day, and will be heaven's dawning day on earth. These are the sort of men and women needed in this modern day in the Church. It is not educated men who are needed for the times. It is not more money that is required. It is not more machinery, more organization, more ecclesiastical laws, but it is men and women who know how to pray, who can in prayer lay hold upon God and bring Him down to earth, and move Him to take hold of earth's affairs mightily and put life and power into the Church and into all of its machinery.
The Church and the world greatly need saints who can bridge this wide gap between the praying done and the small number of answers received. Saints are needed whose faith is bold enough and sufficiently far-reaching to put God to the test. The cry comes even now out of heaven to the people of the present-day Church, as it sounded forth in the days of Malachi: "Prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts." God is waiting to be put to the test by His people in prayer. He delights in being put to the test on His promises. It is His highest pleasure to answer prayer, to prove the reliability of His promises. Nothing worthy of God nor of great value to men will be accomplished till this is done.
Our Gospel belongs to the miraculous. It was projected on the miraculous plane. It cannot be maintained but by the supernatural. Take the supernatural out of our holy religion, and its life and power are gone, and it degenerates into a mere mode of morals. The miraculous is Divine power. Prayer has in it this same power. Prayer brings this Divine power into the ranks of men and puts it to work. Prayer brings into the affairs of earth a supernatural element. Our Gospel when truly presented is the power of God. Never was the Church more in need of those who can and will test Almighty God. Never did the Church need more than now those who can raise up everywhere memorials of God's supernatural power, memorials of answers to prayer, memorials of promises fulfilled. These would do more to silence the enemy of souls, the foe of God and the adversary of the Church than any modern scheme or present-day plan for the success of the Gospel. Such memorials reared by praying people would dumbfound God's foes, strengthen weak saints, and would fill strong saints with triumphant rapture.
The most prolific source of infidelity, and that which traduces and hinders praying, and that which obscures the being and glory of God most effectually, is unanswered prayer. Better not to pray at all than to go through a dead form, which secures no answer, brings no glory to God, and supplies no good to man. Nothing so indurates the heart and nothing so blinds us to the unseen and the eternal, as this kind of prayerless praying.
E.M. Bounds (1835-1913)
November 2017


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|Who am I this time?
|Great first lines
|I will wait until your quiet makes me remember I am waiting.
|On Mojitos, and the Men That Make Them
|co-ed naked airlines
|when you are in
|These people are not your friends
|Those who are the most intelligent are often the most likely to go insane
|decompression sickness
|July 18, 2019
|the deer remind me
|December 24, 2012
|I am so an American
|Who are you?
|England, Half English
|Drunk and refusing to stagger
|"Don't die to go to heaven, start in on Doctor Pepper and end up on whiskey!!"
|Cyrano de Bergerac
|Do aliens exist?


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"The Last Good Guy" by T. Jefferson Parker; G.P. Putnam's Sons (352 pages, $27)
White supremacists seem destined to be the new ISIS in thrillers - i.e., widely despised villains - and they make a good case in this third novel about private investigator Roland Ford. T. Jefferson Parker's dozens of L.A.-set crime novels exist in the shadow of Michael Connelly's better-known books, but the Ford series achieves separation because, unlike Connelly's work, the police are barely involved.
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Ford's latest case starts with a mystery woman who asks him to find her runaway daughter. The tough guy suspects the woman is lying about most of the details of her story, which turns out to be true, and Parker unravels the lies at a briskly entertaining pace. It's too bad an editor didn't steer Ford away from a few weird generalizations ("He had the Hispanic flair for understatement," Ford says of a colleague. Huh?) but when the plot kicks in, involving a cult, a kidnapping and those white supremacists, Parker doesn't waste a single word.
Visit the Star Tribune (Minneapolis) at www.startribune.com


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Many people like to hit the trail and go camping to unwind for a weekend or unplug for a week. But little do they know that the great outdoors may also be resetting their circadian clocks.
Research from the University of Colorado Boulder shows that camping for as short as one week at a time turns even self-described "night owls" into early risers. By studying the melatonin levels in eight individuals for one week each during their normal routines and while camping, the scientists were able to monitor how exposure to natural light changed subjects' sleep patterns.
According to the study, which was published August 1 in Current Biology , our modern environment shifts our circadian clocks, the body's natural timekeeper.
Here's Deborah Netburn, writing for the L.A. Times:
When the participants were camping, their bodies started to release melatonin around sunset, and stopped releasing melatonin around sunrise—an average of two hours earlier than at home.
Additionally, the campers weren't getting up for an entire hour after their bodies stopped releasing melatonin, making it easier for them to wake up in the morning.
Many of the participants woke up before melatonin offset at home, which is related to feeling sluggish in the morning.
The researchers are not suggesting that camping is a cure-all for sleep problems. The study was small, and the participants were all healthy, active adults with no sleep issues. The researchers would like to see additional testing on a larger number of subjects, across different age groups and cultures.
When at home, the subjects in the study tended to stay up until after midnight, while waking up at 8:00 in the morning. After a week of being exposed to natural light while camping, however, the circadian clock shifted two hours back even though they had complete control over their sleep schedules.
So if you're not a morning person, there's hope yet. But don't worry—you won't have to start sleeping in the backyard. Rather, just to increase your exposure to sunlight, whether by keeping the curtains pulled back or taking a break from fluorescent office lights by stepping outdoors.