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4G LTE networks providers in Sri Lanka
Now we have 4G LTE network in Sri Lanka. It's rapidly developed in past few years. There are 4 network providers for 4G, Those are Dialog , Mobitel , Sri Lanka Telcom (SLT) and LankaBell. They are giving Packages based on Data Limit(Ex: 25GB with Bandwith ) and Bandwith (Download/Upload speed :4Mbps/1Mbps|Unlimited Data usage).
Unlimited 4G from Lanka bell
But 4G signal not covered by all areas of SriLanka. Cities and Towns are mostly covered. almost Colombo has full 4G coverage.
1. Data Limited Packages
Dialog, Mobitel,LankaBell and SLT provide based on Data Limited Packages Such as 25GB, 100GB package .
2. Bandwith ( Unlimited Data Usage) packages
Lanka Bell 4G provide based Data on Bandwith limits such as 512Kbps ,4Mbps.
Price of 4G Packages
Price Depend on data Limit , Bandwith and network providers.
I'm using Dialog 4G , It's Download speed is 40Mbps ( You can download a 10MB mp3 file in 2 second )
Dialog 55GB data package (27.5GB Anytime + 27.5Night time ) that price Rs. 1400+ tax. more Dialog 4G Packages
Mobitel gives 28GB for 3490 rupees .more Mobitel 4G Packages
Lankan bell 77 GB for Just Rs. 1350 + tax ,more Lankabell 4G Packages
Feel Free and comment , Stay connect with us like our facebook page


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JBA Risk Management
Project Description
The JBA Risk Management web site is a 'from scratch', bespoke Drupal build heavily reliant on precise typography, graphic illustration and impactful photography. The front end connection to in-house systems was coded specifically for this project.
This combination of design and build was undertaken in collaboration with Taylor O'Brien Limited.
Dynamic 'Mega Menus'
The 'Mega Menus' on this site in addition to being attractive and practical, pull data automatically from in-house systems. This ensures the latest data is always available.
Illustration & Iconograph
Consistent illustrations and icon style tie the overall feel of the site together helping visitors navigate effortlessly through a wealth of useful data.

subset: commoncrawl


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A Diet of Worms, Part 1Submitted by kelson.philo on Mon, 08/25/2008 - 11:50.
Gordon Littlejohn was late to work the morning of the fifth because of the EMP bomb that went off two blocks from his apartment. At six fifty-nine a.m., a utility truck disguised as an official State vehicle disintegrated under the pressure wave of a conventional explosive while every unhardened electrical system within a kilometer of the truck's secondary explosion, unseen by the naked eye but well felt by everything that conducted current, had its useful properties scrambled by electromagnetic pulse. As a result of the EMP, none of the electrics in Gordon's apartment, including his alarm clock, functioned properly anymore. Heavy sleeper that he was, the rattling of his windows was mistaken for an errant compost truck and Gordon had responded by rolling over in bed and grunting a bit. When the sun's rays finally pierced Gordon's cheaply veiled windows to tap dance on his eyelids, it was ten o'clock. Rockmore was definitely going to count this as an occurrence.
- kelson.philo's blog
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Trex World, part 20Submitted by kelson.philo on Tue, 05/01/2007 - 11:31.
Part 20
Link to part 1
Now Paul was angry. Whatever had just happened, whatever that "hemorrhage" was, it had stirred up painful memories from years past. Things better left to Retirement. The swirling circles of the ceiling were pissing him off as well. What business had they doing in his world? All opulent and grand and haughty and, he couldn't help feeling, they weren't jetted out of a trex. Double-you-tee-eff.
Trex World, part 19Submitted by kelson.philo on Fri, 04/27/2007 - 13:51.
Rumblings from beneath the world. "Beneath the world, what did that mean?" There was the Floor. There was ductwork. There were the tubes, the pneumatic shuttles that he could no longer afford to take. And beneath that? The firmament, which was what the City was grown from.
"Momma! Momma!" shouted a very young Paul, fresh from trex happy fun-time lessons.
We Make the World, part 15Submitted by kelson.philo on Fri, 04/13/2007 - 10:32.
"Omnitrex Tech" is now "We Make the World". Perhaps one day we'll learn why.
Part 15
Link to part 1
"You'll be wanting to know who I am, I expect," she said, exhaling after a long pull from the brown cylinder.
"Yes, I would–"
"But I'm not going to tell you. Not yet."


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a ministry partner of Walk Thru the Bible Southern Africa…
Guiding you to authentic discipleship
To go to the international website of Living on the Edge, please click here.
The mission of Living on the Edge is to teach and inspire Christians to intentionally and continuously pursue a desire to grow spiritually and become mature, authentic disciples of Jesus Christ.
We accomplish our mission in three ways:
Practical Teaching: Each week, Living on the Edge is heard on over 900 outlets with an audience over 900,000. Living on the Edge is also broadcast on television on NRB-TV as well as in numerous outlets overseas.
Spiritual Training: Online we provide free resources and r12 online that help people grow deeper in their relationship with God.
Transferable Tools: We provide CDs, DVDs, small group studies and books all aimed at helping people move from being spectators to actively engaging their faith.


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On encouraging the heart…. This is important as we move into a more emotionally rich, experience-based world. Our networks enable us to extend the heart across cyberspace. User-centered planning, engaging and exciting creativity-focused spaces, and opportunities to follow one's curiosity wherever it may lead are all part of the heart of libraries. The library should encourage the heart.
The Hyperlinked Library word cloud by Fall 2014 #hyperlib student Sandy Chauvin.


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Getty Thinkstock
It can be annoying to continually get calls from private numbers. These calls usually come from bill collectors and telemarketers, but some individuals choose to also have a private number to protect their privacy. Caller ID can identify the number of the person or company calling as long as the number isn't blocked. If the number is blocked, the message on the caller ID will usually say "private" or "unknown number." If you want to call a private number back there are some simple steps you can take.
Pick up the phone. You can only call back a private number if you pick up the phone before anyone else calls you.
Dial 1471. Phone companies in the UK may allow you to call back a private number by simply dialling 1471. In the US this is usually 69
Try other codes. The majority of the time 69 will work. However, it depends on your area. If the private caller is from your local area 57 should work. Other codes to try are 71 and 67. These codes are typically universal (the same) for most telephone companies. If all of these codes fail call your local telephone company to get the codes specific to the company you use.
Stop private numbers from getting through. Most phone companies offer services such as call block, call rejection, call trap or call screening. In most cases it will cost you an extra £2.50 or more each month. Call your phone service provider to find out what is available in your area. If a person calls from a private number, your phone will require the individual to identify the number before getting through. These services are not always available in rural areas. You can also ask them they will give you a "Nuisance Call" number to ring back immediately after you get these calls so they can trace the caller.
Hang up on private callers. If you simply don't want to hear from private callers you always have the option to hang up the phone. Even if you have a call screening service some people will enter all zeros just to get through. You always have the option to hang up on them or not answer the phone.
Most recent
- You can always start fresh with a new phone number, but be sure to get a non-published number to help prevent this from happening in the future.
- Be careful who you give your phone number to and avoid putting your home phone number on the Internet.
- If you feel like you are being harassed then you can contact your local police station.
- Getty Thinkstock


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Toll Free: 1-888-919-WEST (888-919-9378)


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Finally, here is a movie that utilizes 3D elements cleverly, resulting in ample breathtaking moments and slick humour in its modest running time of 90-odd minutes.
The new Dreamworks animation film - How To Train Your Dragon (3D) is set in the land of Vikings where dragons wreck havoc and carry off livestock, apart from endangering the clan. In a family born to fight and kill dragons, things turn on their head when the chieftain's son, Hiccup ends up capturing an elusive dragon - Night Fury, and discovers that the creatures are not that murderous after all. Moreover, the dragons seem to be acting more on compulsion and fear of a mysterious power. It is up to Hiccup to figure out things with the help of his fire-breathing friend.
A roller coaster of a ride, with effective, spot-on voice-overs of the characters, high-quality animation and excellent storytelling - this one is highly-recommended for all cinema lovers.
Go for it! For the first time, we can say - we didn't mind shelling extra for the 3D! Otherwise, post Avatar, the subsequent 3D wannabes have been looking like con jobs.


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Old Hardware, New Uses
In my continuing efforts to turn a balky and failing 2000/2001 vintage Dell C610 notebook into a slow but still viable Windows XP machine for my sister, I've been learning some interesting things about Dell hardware and drivers (see my previous blog "Hooray: USB-to-IDE/SATA Converter is a Cheap, Effective Hardware Item" for other misadventures with this machine). It turns out this laptop came out just when Windows was shifting from 2000 to XP, and right about the time that Wi-Fi interfaces changed their status from "nice but pricey add-on" to "standard equipage" on such machines.
Because this box contains a Broadcom BCM94309MP 802.11 b/g interface, when Windows XP failed to recognize the card and supply a driver, I found myself at a bit of an impasse in getting the device working on the C610. The device itself is readily accessible through the bottom hatch, secured only by three small Philips-head screws, but it contains no Dell label nor a Dell-specific part number.
Why am I telling you this? Because the Dell drivers themselves are available only through their Dell designations, which for these Broadcom devices take the form of "Dell TrueMobile 1xxx" where valid model numbers span a range from 1150 to 1450, and perhaps beyond (I didn't look further than what was needed to install a working driver on this machine). But finding that driver took a bit of luck, some perseverance, and calls to a neighborhood PC technician at my local Mr. Notebook outlet, and to a pool-playing buddy of mine who's a former third-level notebook support technician for Dell.
As it turns out, DriverAgent correctly identified the model number for the Broadcom Device as a Dell TrueMobile 1400 but it supplied me with what it claimed was a valid driver that produced an installer error on the machine ("incompatible hardware" was its gist) when I tried to get it up and running. After going through another half-dozen drivers on a trial-and-error basis and getting nowhere, I resorted to my network to get some insight on what to do next. Chris (my Mr. Notebook) contact admitted that those drivers can be hard to identify and volunteered to fix it for me when I bring him the unit to have its top deck hinges replaced. Jason (my Dell tech support wizard) told me the unit was either a TrueMobile 1300 or 1400, since the Broadcom part number indicated 802.11 b/g support.
I couldn't find a working driver through DriverAgent, but when I searched Dell support for a TrueMobile 1300 driver and installed it (the 1400 driver doesn't work but the unit now identifies itself as a 1400 unit — go figure!) the device finally came up and started working properly. Some forms of PC knowledge can only be acquired the hard way, it seems, so this is one experience I'm glad to have behind me instead of still ahead. Just goes to show that not everything that seems obvious, or that in fact should be obvious, is not necessarily obvious at all. But trial and error, and a little expert advice, finally steered me into the right software. Whew, what a relief!


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Our work does not occur within a vacuum. Broad societal forces and legislative policies impact what we do and the families we partner with. To truly impact poverty and increase self-sufficiency, it is important for us to identify policies and legislation that we can effectively support or influence as we carry out our mission of ending homelessness in the most effective way possible. The following report intends to do just that.
We have identified policies that impact our work of ending homelessness at federal, state, and local levels. Regardless of where they originated, most are subject to influence and advocacy at all major levels of government. Further, all of the policies have broad consequences across multiple realms of social service organizations, families, and individuals. Thus, each policy accomplishes a little bit of each of the following, but for the purposes of this report, we have categorized policies into three categories that align with our mission: rehousing, stabilizing, and empowering.
Why it's important:
Ensuring that children exposed to trauma and other risks receive high-quality education is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty and preventing them from experiencing homelessness as adults. We support:
Why it's important:
Policies at the local, state and federal levels that positively impact affordable housing opportunities for families experiencing homelessness are central to our policy agenda. We support:
Self-sufficiency is dependent upon working a job with wage that can support a family. We support:
Please read through our full Policy Priorities Guide here and familiarize yourself with policies impacting our work. Ways you can get more involved with our advocacy and policy efforts are included, or you can contact Joshua Chittum, Children's Program Manager, at email@example.com or 816.531.6725 for more information.
Stay up-to-date with Community LINC on our mailing list
Making an impact may not take as much time as you think
End homelessness and transform lives for families in KC
Phone: 816.531.3727 Fax: 816.531.4416
4012-14 Troost, Kansas City, MO 64110
P.O. Box 32697, Kansas City, MO 64171


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NOSH Restaurant and Bar is located in beautiful Lake City, Minnesota. Situated on the shores of Lake Pepin, dining areas on two levels provide guests with the perfect setting for intimate, quiet dinners or for larger private gatherings, all complete with views of the water.
The western Mediterranean influenced American cuisine focuses on the bounty of the farming community of southeastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin. The menu is ultimately determined by the seasonally availability of produce and meats provided by the local farmers. Breads are baked fresh daily on the premises as well as ice creams and sausages. Creating these offerings in-house ensures the freshest possible food is offered daily.
An impressively stocked, full-service bar caters to every palate. Quality affordable wines from around the world are available by the glass or bottle. An extensive martini list offers traditional classic martinis as well as contemorary favorites. Also available are a broad range of non-alcoholic drinks featuring Harney & Sons' hot teas, locally produced Buddy's sodas, and coffee roasted in Duluth, MN.
WedSat 4-9 pm
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NOSH Restaurant & Bar is a smoke-free environment
For reservations or Holiday hours contact us at: (651) 345-2425
or email us at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Wurster's first novel plunges an amiable Kansas City househusband, a self-described "coaster," into perilously deep waters—first financial, then criminal.
Robert Patterson has always been content to let his wife bring home the bacon. As president of The Bennett Company, Sarah pulls down a hefty salary and serves as heir apparent to her founding father, who remains CEO. But when Samuel Bennett dies just short of his 70th birthday, his will provides the first of a series of shocks. It turns out that in order to take advantage of an arcane wrinkle in the tax code, Sam has named his lightweight son-in-law, not his savvy wife or daughter, as the trustee responsible for administering his considerable holdings. Bob thinks his minder, James Madison, will condemn him to endless rounds of pointless meetings and interchangeable pitch sessions from hopeful inventors looking for venture capital. He's only half right, because one of those pitches is anything but interchangeable. Tom Swanson, the smiling frontman for Sanitol Solutions, wants Bob to back his revolutionary new method for cleaning up messes, all kinds of messes, without toxic chemicals or unsightly traces or, really, any traces at all. Discovering that Sam originally passed on Sanitol, Bob prepares to do the same, little knowing that Swanson has considerably more resources at his disposal, and considerably fewer scruples, for securing Bob's backing. Only after a pleasantly improbable series of escalating complications, including a direct encounter with Sanitol's Muffin Monster, will Bob be ready for the conveniently pat resolution.
With its fish-out-of-water plot and cartoonish characters, this would make a perfect beach read for account executives and unprepared heirs.


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Non-SEO post today, although it can relate to SEOs along with pretty much any other job role, management or not. This post was actually inspired a little from what I started to say over on my State of Search blog post. I wanted to expand a bit more on what I've learnt about management in my time working at Distilled.
I'm talking in the past tense in this post because I'm currently in New Zealand and not managing my team anymore 🙂
I'm fully aware that the team I managed – Craig, Dave and Tom could read this and find out the ways I've
manipulated managed them. But meh, they can tell me whether this stuff worked or not!
In this post I wanted to share my approach to management, I'm not writing this because I think I'm 100% right – I'm not. I don't think I'm a great manager either, I know there are tons of things I could do better. Having said that, I also think there are some learnings in this post for some people.
I'd actually love to hear what you guys think of my approaches and what works for you.
1. I had ONE job as a manager – keep my team happy
If I could sum up my role as a manager at Distilled up in a few words, this is how I'd describe it – keep my team happy. That's it.
When I first started my role, I had loads and loads of ideas of how to do it. I started making plans for team meetings, action plans, project management, support systems for training, everything I could think of. I was a bit overwhelmed at just how much I felt I had to do. It was really hard to figure it all out. I spent probably a few months like this, but then it hit me – if my team is happy, everything else will be fine.
I think it hit me when I was having problems with one of my own projects, things just weren't going well. It was hard to get stuff done, I was struggling to adapt to the client's culture, results weren't good. This affected ALL of my other projects, not just this one. This was when I realised how important happiness was. A single point of unhappiness can have a bigger impact than we realise.
What about "SEO stuff" – isn't that my job as a manager?
Kind of yes, but it shouldn't have been my focus.
My team were smart, I didn't need to teach them how to do SEO. I didn't need to teach them how to speak to clients. I didn't need to tell them how to do link building. They were smart enough to figure all of this stuff out on their own or from each other. Of course I'm there if they need me and I'm happy to help, but this shouldn't be my focus.
If they are happy with their job, their team, their manager, their clients and their company, EVERYTHING else falls into place. So I started focusing on making sure my team were happy and giving them the support they wanted, not what I felt they needed.
I wasn't always successful because problems happen, life happens and people become unhappy. But this single point of focus allowed me to become a better manager, I think! It allowed me to spot problems early because I didn't need to worry about details.
2. Your team are smarter than you – get over it
This was tough for me to get over. A couple of the guys joined as SEO noobs with little or no experience. I'd like to think that I taught them some good SEO and helped them develop into what they are now.
It hit me one day that both of them were now better at SEO than me, they were smarter than me. I felt threatened and immediately told myself that I needed to do some more SEO reading, learning and testing to show that I'm still the better SEO.
This is wrong.
I don't need to be smarter than my team, in fact something weird happens here – they make you look good. The skills and smartness of my team made me look good (and people assume I know what my team know!). I end up learning from them! This is something that I first really picked up from my first proper manager, Steve who owns Pin Digital. We were chatting once and he told me that he built his company by surrounding people who are smarter than him. He can chime in and shake things up every so often, but he can remove himself and things would still run smoothly.
3. You get praised in different and less public ways
To a certain extent, you will get less public praise for your work when you are a manager. It becomes normal for you to do what used to be considered awesome. The bar is set far higher now. More is expected of you and even when you do great work, it isn't deserving of a huge amount of praise because it was you that did it. If a new team member did the same, of course they'd get public praise for it. The same goes for your team, they come to expect good things from you and often take it for granted.
From now on you WILL be recognised for doing a good job, but chances are that it won't be public praise. It will be your CEO pulling you to one side and saying well done before walking off into a meeting. No one else will hear it, no one else will offer their praise too. There is another reason for this though. Quite often as a manager you will have to deal with awkward situations. For example a project not going well and you have to rescue it, or a member of your team having a personal problem and you help them deal with it. This is the type of work that isn't very appropriate for public praise so naturally it will happen privately.
As a manager, you need to become comfortable with this. If you want to be in the limelight and have everyone singing your praises, then you may be a bit disappointed.
4. Everyone hears what you say (and takes notice)
Obviously we all talk to each other in the office and we pass our opinions around, this is fine. When you're a manager, your team not only hear what you say, but they can also take it to heart. Saying stuff flippantly isn't a good idea if you have people around you who are looking up to you and learning from you.
This is actually particularly relevant for SEOs where there can often be multiple opinions on a topic. If I come out with the statement:
"client x is an idiot, they just don't get it do they"
People around me will hear it and the less experienced will think that this is a good way of speaking about clients. In reality, I know this too. But everyone needs to let off steam sometimes, as a manager, you need to choose your location carefully and think twice before opening your mouth about something negative.
Otherwise, flippant statements like this can become embedded in your culture and it becomes normal (and acceptable) to talk this way – because you're saying it.
5. Free up the headspace of your team
I tried to keep as much "management stuff" away from my team as possible. They didn't need to know about everything I do, not because it's a secret or anything, but because they should be concentrating on their job – keeping their clients happy.
As a manager, I had various metrics I cared about. I was measured on these, my team weren't. Yes they had a part to play in helping hit them and helping Distilled overall, but they don't need to know it all if they don't want to. Headspace is precious, fill it with what matters. If the client pipeline is looking ridiculously rammed and like everyone is going to be overworked for the next 3 months, that isn't something that my team need to worry about. I need to worry about how to handle this so that my team do not become unhappy.
6. Know what triggers your team to do stuff
Given that they may be reading this, I won't go into loads of details on what triggers Dave, Craig and Tom to do stuff 🙂
What I did learn here though is that I found out more about what these guys cared about, what they were passionate about and what made them tick by
getting drunk going for one pint after work with them. In this more relaxed environment, it is much easier to work out what they truly care about and what stops them from doing stuff.
This isn't to say they were resistant to what I asked them to do. But sometimes when someone is feeling a bit busy (even if they're not) then you need to know how to trigger them to open up to what you're saying and realise you're right.
This also means managing each person differently, conventional wisdom days that you should treat everyone the same. I don't agree. Everyone is different and should be treated as such. This article on Inc sums my feelings up pretty well.
7. Don't get in the way
Don't get in the way of your team becoming awesome. One way of doing this is by getting over the fact that your team will become smarter than you and most likely, better at the job than you. Otherwise, you will hold them back because subconsciously, you want to always be smarter and better than them.
At Distilled, we hire staff who we feel are smart and get stuff done. If they prove this through their work, my job is to support them however I they want me to and to keep them happy.
What do you think?
This is a topic I'm genuinely passionate about and I loved managing my team at Distilled (I actually kinda miss them*) and I'd really love to hear other people's approaches to management or indeed being managed. Please feel free to leave a comment below.
*That comment will test whether they have actually read this article and got this far!
21 Comments
Briony Gunson
December 3, 2012 at 10:25 am
Great post, Paddy 🙂 Your points pretty much perfectly sum up how I think the best managers behave and how I would aspire to be in that role. Making sure your team are happy is paramount, and encouraging them to go from strength to strength is vital. And them being happy makes you happy! Everyone works their best when they are all smiley.
As a manager, I think glory comes from not in being the best SEO but in having supported and trained those who do become the best SEOs. The well known irony of becoming more senior in your role is that you can end up doing less of the day job, and since SEO requires you to learn so much so regularly, it's inevitable others might surpass you.
And I particularly agree with point 4. A good bitch can be therapeutic, but be careful what you say and to who, as it can end up growing rot in your team!
December 11, 2012 at 8:02 am
Thanks for the comment Briony! Agree very much about as you go more senior, the less SEO you actually do. Although I was still managing three projects before I came travelling so I still felt pretty hands on which I really liked.
Antony Robinson
December 3, 2012 at 10:28 am
Some very interesting points her P – and I face some very similar challenges! Great post!
December 11, 2012 at 7:51 am
Thanks Antony!
Barry Adams
December 3, 2012 at 11:15 am
I recognise everything you say in this post, Paddy. I'm managing a team now as well, and all of these ring true.
I'd add something extra to point 4: it's not about what you say, it's about what people hear. A throw-away comment I think is fairly harmless can be perceived in a much different light, and as managers we need to be aware of that and try to recognise how our output is perceived, beyond just what we intend to communicate.
Perception = reality, after all.
December 11, 2012 at 7:27 am
Thanks Barry and good point, this is something else everyone needs to be aware of, not just managers.
David Sottimano
December 3, 2012 at 3:16 pm
*We did read this post 😉 I still don't know how you managed to manage me, you should add an explanatory paragraphs about "rebels" or something. We miss you too mate.
December 11, 2012 at 7:49 am
One paragraph? I nearly dedicated the entire post to managing you 🙂
Francisco Meza
December 3, 2012 at 6:59 pm
When I was in the US Navy, I never liked when people "told" me what to do. But if they "asked" me to do something, I would do it. I think at the time it was more a battle of authority. That was when I was 17 years old, but I felt that through my early 20's. I am in my late 30's now and got great at doing things myself.
It fun when there a a team and the manager is also in the dirt with the team. The highest sales I have ever had led to happiness. Low sales = Little Happiness. But I am (I am only speaking about myself here) I am more happy now than ever because I have more money in the bank now and I don't live paycheck-to-paycheck. That's the biggest thing that made me happy OVERALL. Making AND Saving more money.
When I was younger, I always wanted to make more money, but sometimes things were out of my control and "management" always looked at numbers. 2007 – 2008 was really bad here in the US. I would end up leaving or would get fired.
All I know is this (again I am only speaking for myself here), it really sucked when I looked at my taxes to see that I basically made the same thing as the year before. At that point, I don't think management could have made me happy because I wasn't growing financially. BUT TODAY is a different story. I work for myself now and the only people I manage are contractors from oDesk.
I think it really depends on the work environment too.
December 11, 2012 at 7:49 am
Thanks for sharing your experience Francisco!
Rand Fishkin
December 3, 2012 at 7:20 pm
Really good advice Paddy. Thank you for writing this.
The big points I'd add would be:
– Sometimes, it's hard to know what will create happiness, and even harder to realize that what your team says they need may not be the thing that makes them the happiest. Great managers tend to have a ton of empathy AND can grasp the weird inconsistincies and biases of human psychology
– Freeing up headspace is good, but I hate to do it at the expense of transparency. My preferred method is to make all the information available, but not force any of it on anyone.
– Alcohol = truth. Totally agree with this, and would say that I've often better understood what's going on after 2-3 drinks than after 2-3 hours in a brainstorm, 1:1, or offsite.
December 11, 2012 at 7:23 am
Thanks for the comment Rand. Agree on all your points and have had debates with myself on how much I need to share with the team and whether I should be more forthcoming. In the end I decided that if they want to know stuff, I'd be open and share, but otherwise I'll just tell them stuff when it's relevant and impacts them directly.
Mackenzie Fogelson
December 3, 2012 at 10:11 pm
Hi Paddy!
I really appreciate your post. For me, management is one of the hardest jobs I have as a CEO. It's a lot harder to be a manager than it is to be a leader. I'm sure you're great at both 🙂
I especially liked what you said about being careful of what you say on bad days:
"Saying stuff flippantly isn't a good idea if you have people around you who are looking up to you and learning from you."
Especially with a small team, it's easy to get comfortable because you work so closely together. Keeping professional boundaries, while still being a good human being, is something that I always keep in the back of my mind.
Thanks again.
December 11, 2012 at 7:39 am
Thanks for the comment Mack!
It is tough to find the right balance between a relaxed atmosphere but keeping it focused on the work and fun at the same time. I'm not sure I got the balance 100% right with my team (being really honest) but I felt it wasn't too far away.
Ari Joutsi
December 11, 2012 at 6:53 am
Great post Paddy! Great to read your toughts and hopefully I can use them someday as a team manager.
(I guess Dave has not read this yet because link to his site is broken. Another test maybe? 😉 )
December 11, 2012 at 7:34 am
Ha that was my fault, I edited the link and got it wrong, fixed now 🙂
Thomas Kane
December 19, 2012 at 5:40 pm
I am all about helping to make sure the team is happy, it's hard. You were lucky to have smart people. I've had some real challenges with people who got arrogant once they knew a little and stopped learning.
January 4, 2013 at 2:12 am
As per my experience there are few things which is very important as a manager
1. You should know the job better than any one in the team
2. As Paddy said make your team happy
3. Create visibility among your senior managers and clients
It is always important to work as a team and take the responsibilities of any mischief.
These are some basics steps which one should follow to manage a team for longer time.
I was working for a firm, however there are so much of politics that finally i decided to start my own venture.
@Paddy: My site url is httpss://www.crediblelink.com, can you suggest me some of the improvements i can do on this website to make it more visible.
David Taylor
January 16, 2013 at 11:00 am
Very good post. As someone who has jumped to management I recognise and agree with a lot of what you're saying. I also wince slightly looking back at what a ham-fisted job I made of it in the beginning – like all jobs & experiences – you live, learn and grow stronger!
Nick Andrews
February 21, 2013 at 10:24 am
Fantastic article Paddy and I think you're absolutely spot on with your points on both praise and public criticisms etc.
What I would add is that for me, the management part of asking people to do stuff, making sure clients are being serviced effectively etc forms such a small part of the role when compared to the ability to listen. In my experience managers are always doing a lot of talking but often fail to listen and respond to feedback from their team and this is certainly where I've seen holes form in the past. I find that simple regular communication with my team is essential to keep them happy, and that's not through emails or even alcohol but by having regular 1 to 1s, whether it be in a breakout zone, over a game of pool or even in the office kitchen. It's essential to know what motivates each individual in your team and the only way to do that is to get to know them better.
Allowing individuals the ability to put creative ideas and innovations on the table, confide in you as their manager and discuss their concerns is extremely powerful; certainly empowering your them (who as you rightly say are usually cleverer than you!) to run with those ideas and know they have the support from above will often reap fantastic rewards for the company and the individual's professional development/growth.
Danny Howard
April 23, 2013 at 3:49 pm
Really great read Paddy, thanks for your experience with this. Sometimes it's hard to please and make everyone happy within your team, however you can put things in place such as support that they might need and how and what they absorb and learn from you that makes them better at there job.
Making them happy only improves the overall experiance and the team to produce the kind of results that you want.
Thanks for sharing
Danny Howard


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Any fan of fright film -- or, strike that, any film fan in general -- knows exactly what you mean when you say "the Universal Monsters."
Because the Universal Monsters were THE monsters back in the early days of the movie industry: Frankenstein and the Wolf Man and the Mummy and the Invisible Man Dracula all hailed from a certain Cahuenga Pass-close studio and reigned in the thumping hearts and wild imaginations of movie fans. Sure, other studios were cranking out their own scarefests at the time, but for a good long while, back in the '30s, Universal Studios practically trademarked the elegant and ferocious scare.
And while Halloween Horror Nights, the Universal theme park's annual foray into frightening walk-through attractions, regularly takes on the best of recent horror, it has left its famous vault mostly unvisited. But not this year: The Universal monsters will be lurking and moaning at the annual fall frightfest.
The Halloween Horror Nights honchos just announced "Universal Monsters Remix," Visitors should expect a "gothic castle" setting where the baddies of yesteryear will await guests. There are some modern touches, such as an electronica soundtrack and strobes, so it won't all be vintage. But Frankenstein, with his head bolts? His bride, complete with her shockingly high hair? They could be around the next corner.
Other mazes this year include homages to "The Walking Dead" and the ever-popular "La Llorona," who will be back to wail for another season.
Halloween Horror Nights opens on Friday, Sept. 21. Will Dracula vant to drink your blood? Chances are extremely good.
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The Guardian, 13 December 2017
Author: Hannah Devlin
"New Zealand has become the first major country to effectively ban vaginal mesh implants in response to safety concerns over the surgery. The country's Ministry of Health announced on Monday that it had written to leading mesh suppliers asking them to stop marketing the products from January – or prove that their products are safe."
Find article here.
New Zealand bans vaginal mesh implants
The Guardian, 13 December 2017


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Rockbox mail archiveSubject: Re: cannot transfer from Recorder 20 to computer.
From: Glenn Ervin at Home (GlennErvin_at_cableone.net)
Date: 2003-12-29
I was also having more luck accessing mine on a windows ME computer.
----- Original Message -----
It works all right on my computer at home, so I assume that my Archos is OK,
"Glenn Ervin at Home" <GlennErvin_at_cableone.net> a écrit dans le message de
Page was last modified "Jan 10 2012" The Rockbox Crew


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Future proofing with new software architecture: Insilico Biotechnology presents integrated software platform
05 April 2017
Insilico Biotechnology has combined its existing and future software applications for the development, analysis and control of biotechnological production processes into a single software platform, thus ensuring optimal integration into networked enterprise environments.
Biopharmaceutical companies are currently undergoing profound transformation towards digitalized and networked processes like those that have long been established in sectors such as the automotive industry. Driven by increasingly efficient process analytics and expanding digital infrastructures both within companies and between company sites across the world, huge value-creation potential in the form of available data is opening up and needs to be exploited.
While for a long time isolated solutions were sufficient for using local data for specific purposes, it is now more necessary than ever to process decentralized data from various sources to improve and control production processes. The Insilico Software Platform provides the answer. The platform serves as a central interface and connection between Insilico's software solutions and databases where process data and analysis results are stored.
"Our clients want us to be able to respond flexibly to their individual situations and provide an optimal solution for their specific needs, both with regard to the standardized analysis of available data and regarding the installation of the software in the cloud or on the company's servers," says Insilico CEO Klaus Mauch. One major advantage of the platform is the consistent use of a genome-based network model as the central element for quantitative analysis and improvement. In addition, new user groups and future software modules can be added at any time.
Insilico Inspector™, Insilico Designer™ and Insilico Discovery™ are three modules already available from Insilico Biotechnology that can be combined to support different workflows. Other modules are to follow in the future. Insilico Inspector™ integrates data from biotechnological production processes and performs a model-based analysis that not only describes those processes on the basis of in- and output, but actually allows the metabolism of the host organism to be quantified in detail. It is this ground-breaking functionality of Insilico Inspector™ that will enable a future software module to proactively and automatically control the production process based on metabolic analysis. Insilico Designer™ simulates biotechnological production processes in order to identify improved process conditions, in this case optimized cell culture media, without requiring time-consuming laboratory experiments. Insilico Discovery™ is a comprehensive tool that is used to reconstruct metabolic network models in order to make them available to other modules on the platform.
Over the next few months, Insilico Biotechnology will introduce new modules aimed at turning into reality the vision of a comprehensive, model-based technology platform that complements existing structures and supports all aspects of bioprocess development up to automated process control.
About the technology
Insilico's technology is based on Insilico Cells™, genome-based mechanistic network models of biotechnological production organisms. These models are calibrated with process data in order to create individualized in-silico models of specific cells. Such models can be used to quantify and predict the behavior of biological cells in detail. Insilico uses powerful cloud computing solutions that can run simulations for millions of scenarios if required.
Dr. Daniel Horbelt | Business Development
daniel.horbelt [at] insilico-biotechnology.com


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FILLES A PAPA: A move into maximalist footwear
Jul 04, 2019 | By Alice Gividen
Oct 21, 2014
By Ella Hudson
Just when we thought we couldn't be any more obsessed by Twigs she uploads the first – in what is anticiapted to be a series – of self-directed short films to her dedicated 'throughglass' You Tube account. Set to re-scored versions of 'Video-Girl' and 'Glass & Patron' the film sees Twigs gain the upper hand in a heated dance off as she uses the Glass to call up inspiration and play her tunes while filming the entire sequence.
Closely following the NYFW launch of 'MICA' from Opening Ceremony X Intel, together with the requisite hype surrouding the Apple Watch, FKA twigs as Google Glass ambassador leaves us in no doubt that tech is becoming a covetable fashion accessory.
Know what's next. Become a WGSN member today to benefit from our daily trend intelligence, retail analytics, consumer insights and bespoke consultancy services.


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On Monday's "Late Show," David Letterman couldn't resist taking a few jabs at Tea Party Presidential candidate Michele Bachmann and her latest gaffe -- accidentally comparing herself to serial killer John Wayne Gacy when talking about her hometown Waterloo, Iowa:
"So I guess the message I'm trying to import here tonight is do a little homework. Just a little bit of homework...what about page two of Google or Wikipedia?"
Letterman also gave Bachmann some essential campaign advice: be a guest on his show.
"I was going through it and all of the presidents for last 25 years, the only people who've been on this show as candidates have won that office...If you're not coming to see us, historically you're a loser. You've got to come here."
Video below (begins at 0:25 mark).


text:
Straylight Run:
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text:
What Is an Advantage of a Direct Democracy? | The Classroom | Synonym - 2 views
shared by Garth Holman on 20 Oct 15 - No Cached
In a pure democracy
all citizens have the opportunity to participate in making the policies and laws for the society
representative democracy,
- ...8 more annotations...
citizen has a direct impact on every policy decision, since he has a vote on each issue
opportunity to speak and be heard, and there is an incentive for the community to be involved in town meetings, referenda and other elections.
power in the hands of the people,
opportunity to know about all of the important decisions, but they also have the responsibility to get the information necessary to understand the issues and make the best choices for laws and policies
transparency to government
accountable to the people.
opportunity to voice her concerns, it's more difficult to brush concerns aside or to hide uncomfortable issues.
apathy of some citizens who don't choose to attend town assemblies or vote can result in something more like a representative system than a pure democratic one. Direct democracy also involves many more elections, which can be both inconvenient and expensive. Finally, because direct democracy is usually effective only in small societies, the influence of the media and government officials may be stronger there than in a larger setting.


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Starting with Safari 4, iPhone/iPad OS3, Chrome 5, and Opera 10.5 (Desktop), HTML5 Local Databases are now supported. I've been reading about local databases for quite some time and decided to do a write up with some basic examples on how to get started.
Setting up the Database
function initDatabase() { try { if (!window.openDatabase) { alert('Databases are not supported in this browser.'); } else { var shortName = 'DEMODB'; var version = '1.0'; var displayName = 'DEMO Database'; var maxSize = 100000; // bytes DEMODB = openDatabase(shortName, version, displayName, maxSize); createTables(); selectAll(); } } catch(e) { if (e == 2) { // Version number mismatch. console.log("Invalid database version."); } else { console.log("Unknown error "+e+"."); } return; } }
First we check if the browser supports the openDatabase method, is so we continue and define the database parameters:
shortNameis the DB name as it will be referred to by the browser and SQL
versionopenDatabase version. 1.0 for this (more on that here)
displayNameThe full display name / description of the database
maxSizeThis is max size in bytes is the size you expect the database to reach. This is essential for memory management purposes.
Next, we call the
createTables(); function where the table is defined and pre-populated with initial data (optional).
Building the Table
function createTables(){ DEMODB.transaction( function (transaction) { transaction.executeSql('CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS page_settings(id INTEGER NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY, fname TEXT NOT NULL,bgcolor TEXT NOT NULL, font TEXT, favcar TEXT);', [], nullDataHandler, errorHandler); } ); prePopulate(); }
This basic function executes the
executeSql method which runs as the
CREATE TABLE query. The SQL syntax is based on SQLite so it should feel familiar to many Web & Mobile developers. For this demo, we are going to pre-populate the newly created
page_settings table with some initial data:
function prePopulate(){ DEMODB.transaction( function (transaction) { //Optional Starter Data when page is initialized var data = ['1','none','#B3B4EF','Helvetica','Porsche 911 GT3']; transaction.executeSql("INSERT INTO page_settings(id, fname, bgcolor, font, favcar) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)", [data[0], data[1], data[2], data[3], data[4]]); } ); }
Note: although we don't really need a PK for such a basic demo it will be there for future extensions and advancements.
Now the database is initialized, a table has been created and we have a row of default data inserted. Since the data is stored, you can now reload or page or close and reopen it and the data will remain. To visualize this in Safari, go to Develop > Show Web Inspector > Databases tab where you can view the database and its contents as they are added or changed.
Select the data
After the initial page load the data is stored and we run the
selectAll() function to get the data:
function selectAll(){ DEMODB.transaction( function (transaction) { transaction.executeSql("SELECT * FROM page_settings;", [], dataSelectHandler, errorHandler); } ); }
The demo consists of only one row so we use
* to grab everything from the database but please optimize your queries if you decide to use this example for your own projects.
function dataSelectHandler(transaction, results){ // Handle the results for (var i=0; i<results.rows.length; i++) { var row = results.rows.item(i); var newFeature = new Object(); newFeature.fname = row['fname']; newFeature.bgcolor = row['bgcolor']; newFeature.font = row['font']; newFeature.favcar = row['favcar']; $('body').css('background-color',newFeature.bgcolor); $('body').css('font-family',newFeature.font); $('#content').html('
Your Favorite Car is a '+ newFeature.favcar +'
'); if(newFeature.fname != 'none') { $('#greeting').html('Howdy-ho, '+ newFeature.fname+'!'); $('#fname').val(newFeature.fname); } $('select#font_selection').find('option[value='+newFeature.font+']').attr('selected','selected'); $('select#bg_color').find('option[value='+newFeature.bgcolor+']').attr('selected','selected'); $('select#fav_car').find('option[value='+newFeature.favcar+']').attr('selected','selected'); } }
This function loops through our data and uses a bit of jQuery to apply the specific values to CSS properties on the DOM. Going further, we set the HTML form defaults based on data with the help of jQuery.
Making updates
This function reads the form values, validates the
text input and updates the database
function updateSetting(){ DEMODB.transaction( function (transaction) { if($('#fname').val() != '') { var fname = $('#fname').val(); } else { var fname = 'none'; } var bg = $('#bg_color').val(); var font = $('#font_selection').val(); var car = $('#fav_car').val(); transaction.executeSql("UPDATE page_settings SET fname=?, bgcolor=?, font=?, favcar=? WHERE id = 1", [fname, bg, font, car]); } ); selectAll(); }
Dropping the table
We could simply remove the row with a
DELETE query but since we already check for the presence of data, it makes more sense to
DROP the table:
function dropTables(){ DEMODB.transaction( function (transaction) { transaction.executeSql("DROP TABLE page_settings;", [], nullDataHandler, errorHandler); } ); location.reload(); }
After the table is dropped, the page is refreshed which triggers the initial database setup procedures defined earlier.
The demo:
Why should you use Local Databases?
- →
- →
- Unlike cookies and sessions, which are created on the server side and then stored in the browser, the information stored in a local database is truly local.
- →
- Safari and Opera's local databases are based on SQLite and are threadsafe which prevents multiple instances of the data from being opened concurrently.
- →
- iPhone and iPad OS support local databases through their Mobile Safari browsers, making this storage platform ideal for mobile web apps.
- →
- From the UX perspective, the possibility of storing user and page settings and options locally, instantly and securely without the out the need to make external server or server side database calls is incredible. Since the HTML5 is widely supported in Webkit and Opera, there are nearly limitless possibilities for HTML5-based games and web apps.
Why should you NOT use Local Databases?
Local databases are a great way for you to simplify and improve your projects but they have a few obvious drawbacks:
- →
- Limited cross-browser support in the current form. At the time of this article, Safari 4, iPhone / iPad OS3, Chrome 5 and Opera 10.5 (Desktop) are the only mainstream browsers with support.
- →
- Not ideal for sensitive information. Sure, JavaScript can do MD5 and SHA1 hashing but if these guys can crack the code while listening to KoЯn, how safe do you feel?
- →
- Even though SQLite has been around for 10 years now, Webkit / Opera support is much newer and has consequently seen less vetting from those who would want to steal your data.
What about FireFox, Chrome and IE?
- →
- Firefox introduced support for localStorage in version 3.5 in the
key-valuepair format (similar to cookies and sessions) but has so far (and for the foreseeable future) stayed away from the SQL Database Storage model. More about that here, here and here
- →
- Internet Explorer has offered persistent storage support since IE5.5 which they've termed userData Behavior. This technique is very limited in features and has a maximum storage size of 128k per page. IE local storage improved in IE8 with the introduction of localStorage. Both IE local storage formats are
key-valueand there is currently no native local database support in IE—maybe in IE9?
- →
*UPDATE* As January 2010 Chrome now offers full local database storage support natively in effort to move to a more standards-based approach. Gears is still being supported in its current form (no new development or further platform compatibility, though) for the time being. More information on this change can be found here. (Thanks for the correction, Colin)
- Safari Reference Library: Using the JavaScript Database
- WebKit Does HTML5 Client-side Database Storage
- MozillaZine Weblog: Not Implementing Features Is Hard
- Opera: Persistent client side storage for your persistent needs
- Opera Web Storage: easier, more powerful client-side data storage


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NEW YORK (AP) — Long a lightning rod for conservative criticism, the Girl Scouts of the USA are now facing their highest-level challenge yet: An official inquiry by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
At issue are concerns about program materials that some Catholics find offensive, as well as assertions that the Scouts associate with other groups espousing stances that conflict with church teaching. The Scouts, who have numerous parish-sponsored troops, deny many of the claims and defend their alliances.
The inquiry coincides with the Scouts' 100th anniversary celebrations and follows a chain of other controversies.
Earlier this year, legislators in Indiana and Alaska publicly called the Scouts into question, and the organization was berated in a series aired by a Catholic broadcast network. Last year, the Scouts angered some conservatives by accepting into a Colorado troop a 7-year-old transgender child who was born a boy but was being raised as a girl.
Some of the concerns raised by Catholic critics are recycled complaints that have been denied by the Girl Scouts' head office repeatedly and categorically. It says it has no partnership with Planned Parenthood, and does not take positions on sexuality, birth control and abortion.
"It's been hard to get the message out there as to what is true when distortions get repeated over and over," said Gladys Padro-Soler, the Girl Scouts' director of inclusive membership strategies.
In other instances, the scouts have modified materials that drew complaints — for example, dropping some references to playwright Josefina Lopez because one of her plays, "Simply Maria," was viewed by critics as mocking the Catholic faith.
The new inquiry will be conducted by the bishops' Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth. It will look into the Scouts' "possible problematic relationships with other organizations" and various "problematic" program materials, according to a letter sent by the committee chairman, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne, Ind., to his fellow bishops.
The bishops' conference provided a copy of the letter to The Associated Press, but otherwise declined comment.
Girl Scout leaders hope the bishops' apprehensions will be eased once they gather information. But there's frustration within the iconic youth organization — known for its inclusiveness and cookie sales — that it has become such an ideological target, with the girls sometimes caught in the political crossfire.
"I know we're a big part of the culture wars," said the Girl Scouts' spokeswoman, Michelle Tompkins. "People use our good name to advance their own agenda."
"For us, there's an overarching sadness to it," Tompkins added. "We're just trying to further girls' leadership."
With the bishops now getting involved, the stakes are high. The Girl Scouts estimate that one-fourth of their 2.3 million youth members are Catholic, and any significant exodus would be a blow given that membership already is down from a peak of more than 3 million several decades ago.
The inquiry coincides with a broader effort by the bishops to analyze church ties with outside groups. Rhoades' committee plans to consult with Girl Scouts leaders and with the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry, which has been liaising with the Scouts for two years about various complaints.
The federation's executive director, Bob McCarty, praised the Girl Scouts for willingness to change some program content.
"I don't think any of this material was intentionally mean-spirited," McCarty said. "I think a lot of it was lack of attention."
However, McCarty expressed doubt that the Girl Scouts' most vehement critics would be satisfied regardless of what steps are taken.
"It's easier to step back and throw verbal bombs," he said. "It takes a lot more energy to work for change."
Mary Rice Hasson, a visiting fellow in Catholic studies at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a conservative think tank in Washington, accuses McCarty of "whitewashing" Girl Scout programs and policies that struck some Catholics as counter to church teaching.
"They just repeated the Girl Scouts' denials," Hasson said. "Families' concerns were minimized or ignored."
Hasson is pleased that the bishops are launching their own inquiry but is skeptical that further rifts can be avoided.
"A collision course is probably a good description of where things are headed," she said. "The leadership of the Girl Scouts is reflexively liberal. Their board is dominated by people whose views are antithetical to the teachings of the Catholic Church."
One of the long-running concerns is the Girl Scouts' membership in the 145-nation World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts.
The association, known as WAGGGS, is on record as saying girls and young women "need an environment where they can freely and openly discuss issues of sex and sexuality." It also has called for increased access to condoms to protect against sexually transmitted diseases.
Some critics want the Girl Scouts of the USA to pull out of the world group; the scouts aren't budging.
"Our world is becoming smaller and our young people need to have those opportunities to engage with their peers from around the world," said the Girl Scouts' CEO, Anna Maria Chavez. "But simply being a member does not mean that we will always take the same positions or endorse the same programs as WAGGGS."
To the Girl Scouts, some of the attacks seem to be a form of guilt by association. Critics contend that Girl Scouts materials shouldn't contain links to groups such as Doctors without Borders, the Sierra Club and Oxfam because they support family planning or emergency contraception.
One repeated complaint, revived in February by the Catholic broadcasting network EWTN, involves an International Planned Parenthood brochure made available to girls attending a Girl Scout workshop at a 2010 United Nations event. The brochure — "Healthy, Happy and Hot" — advised young people with HIV on how to safely lead active sex lives.
The Girl Scouts say they had had no advance knowledge of the brochure and played no role in distributing it.
Another complaint involved a Girl Scout blog suggesting that girls read an article about Chavez — who is Catholic — in Marie Claire magazine. Critics said the blog's link led to a Marie Claire home page promoting, among other items, a sex advice article.
The Girl Scouts' website addresses some of the recurring criticisms.
"Parents or guardians make all decisions regarding program participation that may be of a sensitive nature," it says.
And although it's a secular organization, the Girl Scouts embrace partnerships with religious groups. Scouts can earn a "My Promise, My Faith" pin for activities linked to their religious beliefs.
The Girl Scouts have been entangled in the culture wars as far back as the 1970s, when some conservatives became irked by the prominence of feminists such as Betty Friedan in the organization's leadership.
In 1993, Christian conservatives were outraged when the Girl Scouts formalized a policy allowing girls to substitute another word for "God" — such as Allah or Buddha — in the Girl Scout promise that reads: "On my honor, I will try to serve God and my country."
Among the disgruntled was Patti Garibay, a troop leader in Cincinnati who'd raised three daughters as Girl Scouts. In 1995, she founded the American Heritage Girls, which calls itself a "Christ-centered" alternative and now claims 19,000 members in 45 states.
Garibay said many of the newest members are from Catholic families disenchanted with the Girl Scouts.
One uneasy Catholic parent is Jody Geenen of West Bend, Wis., a troop leader for the past 14 years as her three daughters — now 18, 14 and 12 — became Girl Scouts.
She complains about some program materials adopted by the Girl Scouts in recent years. One example she gave: a patch honoring Hispanic labor organizer Dolores Huerta, whose shortcomings — in the eyes of some Catholics — include a 2007 award from Planned Parenthood.
Geenen hopes the Scouts will change their ways. "I love the Girl Scouts," she said. "But it can't remain the way it is."
American Heritage Girls signed a memorandum of mutual support in 2009 with the Boy Scouts of America, and some local units conduct joint activities. The Boy Scouts have no equivalent pact with the Girl Scouts, and the two organizations have, to an extent, become polarized ideologically.
Even in the face of criticism, the Boys Scouts stand by their policy of excluding atheists and barring gays from leadership roles. The Girl Scouts have no such policies.
"When you have a leadership brand like Girl Scouts, it's natural that we would have some critics," said Chavez. "We're proud of our inclusive approach because that is what has always made this organization strong."
Girl Scout controversies surfaced recently in two state legislatures.
In Indiana, Rep. Bob Morris wrote to his colleagues depicting the Girl Scouts as a radical group that promotes abortions and homosexuality. He later apologized for "reactionary and inflammatory" comments, but stood by his contention that the Scouts have links with Planned Parenthood.
In Alaska, Rep. Wes Keller — before deciding whether to support a resolution honoring the Girl Scouts — said he needed to investigate information "floating around the Internet" about the alleged Planned Parenthood link. Keller later said he was convinced the rumors were baseless; the resolution passed unanimously.
NEW YORK (AP) — Long a lightning rod for conservative criticism, the Girl Scouts of the USA are now facing their highest-level challenge yet: An official inquiry by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.


text:
Protex AC Condensers are the latest addition to the Protex cooling component range.
Designed to integrate seamlessly with the vehicle's original air conditioning system and constructed using premium quality materials and a clear focus on the highest heat transfer performance possible. Through rigours testing and innovation Protex AC Condensers haven proven to be a quality product. All are available at a competitive price and the range is ever expanding range.
- Quality Accredited to meet OE standards
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- Great performance & durability
- 50 Part numbers currently being stocked
- The range will continue to grow
Protex now has a complete cooling range available.


text:
Wire Transfers Made Easy
Transfer funds from your Suffolk Federal account quickly and securely for same-day deposit into a recipient's account at another financial institution.
To request a wire transfer from your Suffolk Federal account, simply:
- Complete the Suffolk Federal Outgoing Wire Transfer Form.
- Provide a form of photo identification with your request.
- Submit the completed form and ID at your local branch.


text:
There are two huge danger components for high blood pressure which are beyond your control: age and household genetics. Apple cider vinegar is a good selection but it isn't the kind of vinegar solely the acetic acid that's necessary. A serving is 1 cup (250 mL) of lettuce or raw leafy vegetables, 1/2 cup (a hundred twenty five mL) of chopped or cooked greens, or half cup (a hundred twenty five mL) of vegetable juice. What's important, stability your intake of greens and fresh fruit or raw juice to your weight loss program program a hit and remain wholesome.
Those that are newer to consuming juice would possibly experience some nausea if they drink a few of these juices too fast! Having three glasses of low-sodium V8® 3 occasions a day half of hr earlier than meals with Apple Cider Vinegar which is also aklakine, won't only present a neutralizing alkaline juice but the acetic acid in the apple cider vinegar will help to set off fats metabolizing genes Kondo 2009.
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text:
AppleCheeks Cloth Diapers
AppleCheeks Envelope Covers
AppleCheeks™ 2-Size Envelope Covers also fit nicely over a wide variety of fitted diapers. With the AppleCheeks™system you will get less leaks and a much trimmer fit than with using fitted cloth diapers.
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Size 4--60-100+ lbs
How many AppleCheeks are needed?
We recommend purchasing enough diapers to be able to do 36 changes between washes. Due to the hybrid nature of our system, this means either 12 covers and 36 inserts OR 36 inserts and 36 covers.


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Costumes that include realistic blood or scars can be particularly scary. How do you make blood and scars look real?
It's not as hard as you may think. Fake blood can be purchased from theater stores, or made from ingredients you already have in the kitchen. One way to make blood at home is by mixing three parts corn syrup to one part water and adding red food coloring. A touch of blue food coloring makes it look more real. Thicken the mixture with sifted flour or corn starch. Remove any lumps.
Real blood is thick and dark. If your fake blood is too watery, it won't be realistic, so make sure that it looks thick enough. Don't go overboard using too much blood. A little here or there will do the trick. Remember that if you are sloppy, fake blood may permanently stain clothes, walls, and floors.
What about scars? Do you think you need to be a professional makeup artist to create realistic scars?
Scars can be created from FX wax or bubble gum. Clean the area where the scar is to be applied with rubbing alcohol. Then apply a strip of FX wax or chewed bubble gum into a strip and hold it in place. Flatten the outside edges against the skin, leaving the middle raised. Color the "scar" with makeup so it matches the color of your skin. Cut a jagged thin line down the middle of the scar using a razor blade or pocket knife. Drop fake blood into the middle of the scar.
If you are looking for an easier option, ready-made kits are available for creating realistic wounds and scars. Try packaged prosthetic scars. An even simpler choice is a bloody bandage.
To make a fake wound, start with petroleum jelly and mix with a few drops of red food coloring. Darken the mixture with powdered cocoa. Place a small square of tissue paper at the wound site and cover with the petroleum jelly mixture, raising the edges higher than the center. Add more cocoa if needed to darken the edges.
Now you're ready to go scare a few people!


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Christian teacher sacked after telling lesbian student of God's love sues Bristol college
A Christian teacher who was sacked after telling a lesbian student that God loves her is suing a college in Bristol for loss of earnings.
Experienced educator Svetlana Powell was dismissed by leaders at the T2 apprenticeship academy who said that her comments were offensive to some students, and she could not control her class.
Bristol Employment Tribunal heard on Thursday that a pupil, who was being disruptive, questioned Mrs Powell on variety of controversial issues, including evolution.
Asked about her views on homosexuality, she told students that she personally believed the homosexuality was against the will of God, but that He loves everyone.
After being told one of the pupils in the room was a lesbian, Mrs Powell replied that God loved her. Mrs Powell has been teaching the class in late July 2016 on behalf of an absent colleague.
Sian Prigg, the Academy's Chief Safeguarding Officer, told the Tribunal a number of students complained that they were "brainwashed and preached to" during the incident.
Mrs Prigg she decided to contact a local coordinator for Prevent - the government's 'counter-terrorism' strategy - to report what had happened.
Legal representatives from the Christian Legal Centre, which is supporting Mrs Powell, say she was sacked "because her views are Christian".
Barrister, Andrea Williams said: "We are seeing a worrying trend of cases such as this.
"The fact that Svetlana was reported to Prevent for holding Christian views is a sign of our times.
"It shows how Prevent will be used to punish innocent and soft targets.
"A radical rethink is required".
Premier has contacted T2 Academy for a comment.
The case continues.
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(These are generally in order of my favourites)
- What did you expect? Paul David Tripp (Crossway, 2010): An excellent book that challenges you to consider why you are married and how you can grow together as a result. With a strongly Christian framework, he asserts the biggest problem in marriage is that it's made of two fallen people both trying to build their own kingdom, rather than God's. He then gives six commitments to aim towards: regular confession and forgiveness; growth and change; a study bond of trust; building love; appreciating differences with grace and working to protect the marriage. Couples willing to put in the time and energy with this book will reap great benefit.
- The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, John Gottman and Nan Silver (Harmony Books, 2015): This excellent secular book on marriage outlines Gottman's extensive research on the key problems in marriage and seven principles that will help. It is full of good advice and principles, and provides many activities and questionnaires to do with your spouse. If you are both willing to work on your marriage, these tools are indispensable.
- The Meaning of Marriage,Tim & Kathy Keller (Hodder and Stoughton, 2011):In this book, Keller lifts our vision of marriage much higher that just the husband and wife. He places God squarely at the centre of every marriage and as the creator of marriage. He seeks to provide an answer to questions such as: What is meaning of marriage? Why does marriage exist? What does it mean to enter a covenant? What is Christian friendship, and how does it find its fullest expression in marriage? Where does the power to continue in marriage come from? How then shall we view singleness? Keller strongly grounds this work in the word of God, and ends up providing a very helpful framework of marriage being a relationship of Christian friendship, promised in a covenant of love, powered by the Holy Spirit. In the same vein as Married for God, this book raises the standard of what a marriage can be. Detailed review in 3 parts: 1, 2 & 3.
- Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages, Shaunti Feldhahn (Multnomah, 2013): A short, easy-to-read book that presents research in a very accessible form. Feldhahn identifies 12 simple things common to couples who are very happy together including: recognising the power of small actions, believing each has the best intentions, being in control of feelings, spending time together and being committed no matter what. It will encourage you to press on to make your marriage great, not just good.
- Love and Respect, Dr. Emerson Eggerichs (Thomas Nelson, 2004): Helpful, honest, realistic and biblically based. It's subtitle is: The Love She Most Desires, The Respect He Desperately Needs. His premise is that while men and women both need and want love and respect, women particularly desire their husband's love and men especially crave their wife's respect. However, it is also Christian, and he states that "In the ultimate sense, your marriage has nothing to do with your spouse. It has everything to do with your relationship to Jesus Christ."
- Married for God, Christopher Ash: Ash has purposely set out to write a book about what God wants from marriage, rather than what we want. He seeks to discover what God's purpose is for our marriage and how we serve Him through it. It is a more theological exposition of marriage, with some practical application thrown in. This contrasts with most other Christian books on marriage - practical with a Christian gloss over the top. This is highly recommended reading as it will make you think, and raise the standards of what your marriage could be. Detailed chapter by chapter reviews here.
- Marriage Matters: Extraordinary Change through Ordinary Moments, Winston T. Smith: Focused strongly and continuously on God's word and how a relationship with Jesus defines, strengthens and challenges us in marriage; this book is not only rooted in Scripture, it's overflowing with it. Smith's premise is that change is found in the ordinary moments of marriage, and that all problems stem from a wrong relationship with God, whereas the solution is found through love, worship and grace. There are very good chapters on communication with honesty, conflict and forgiveness.
- Things I Wish I'd Known Before We Got Married, Gary Chapman (Northfield, 2010): This book deals with some misconceptions couples face at the beginning of marriage, which if not prepared for or willing to talk about can quickly pop the 'in-love bubble' and require serious attention, including: extended family relationships, communication issues and matters of faith and forgiveness. Worth reading to ensure you have thought about the usual problems that couples face, and how you are managing them.
- It Takes One to Tango, Winifred M Reilly. Subtitled "How I Rescued My Marriage with (Almost) No Help from My Spouse – and How You Can, Too", Reilly addresses the misconception that both partners need to be willing to change for change to occur. She draws on Bowen family theory and encourages people to take responsibility for themselves to make change happen in their marriage. Will appeal to a wide audience, is non-Christian, and honest about the conflicts that many couples are mired in.
- Creating an Intimate Marriage, Jim Burns: Subtitled: Rekindle Romance Through Affection, Warmth and Encouragement, Jim Burns has provided a helpful book for couples which is honest, open and full of examples. He deals with the ways to have a marriage of affection, warmth and encouragement, by looking at intimacy, communication, fun and friendship, forgiveness and our attitude. Each chapter finishes with some questions to ask yourself and some to look at together. This is a helpful one to look at the whole marriage and how it's going, which may also help to address some intimacy issues.
- God, Marriage and Family, Andreas Kostenberger
- Gospel Centred Marriage: Becoming the Couple God wants you to be, Tim Chester (Good Book Company, 2011): This short and succinct book is a good introduction for couples who want to think further about Christian marriage. He looks at what a Christian marriage should be based on, how we approach various issues (grace, conflict, forgiveness) and then how we should view sex. There are definitely more in-depth books around, but for those who want to start simply or for those who do not like reading, this is a helpful resource.
- Rescue Your Love Life, Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend (Thomas Nelson, 2005). Another practical, sensible and helpful marriage resource. The subtitle: Changing the 8 dumb attitudes and behaviours that will sink your marriage does lead me to wonder if many would actually pick it up! However they cover many assumptions that are made in marriage which can lead to trouble such as: my lover should change, my lover should make me happy, my lover should read my mind and we should never fight. Full of helpful insights and ideas, although I think some of the books listed above are better.
- Real Marriage, Mark and Grace Driscoll
- A page reviewing a number of books on intimacy in marriage, including Sheet Music (Leman) & A Celebration of Sex (Rosenau) and The Best Sex for Life (Weerakoon)
- see also 'preparing for marriage' below
- 365 Nights: A Memoir of Intimacy, Charla Muller with Betsy Thorpe
- The Best Sex for Life, Dr. Patricia Weerakoon
- for women only: what you need to know about the inner lives of men, Shaunti Feldhahn (this link connects with a series of posts on this book)
Preparing for marriage / dating
- 10 Great Dates Before You Say "I Do", David & Claudia Arp and Curt & Natelle Brown: Designed as a workbook, this book covers 10 conversation topics prior to marriage. Including topics such as expectations, differences in personalities, communication, finances, leaving & cleaving, intimacy, roles and family, it is a comprehensive look at the practical issues that will face a married couple. It is designed so that each partner read the chapter, fill in a worksheet and then both come together to discuss. A useful tool, for those who are willing to make it work.
- 101 Questions to ask Before You Get Engaged, H. Norman Wright: This comprehensive book is designed for a couple to look at together, to ask each other questions and bring up conversation topics. Both people have to be committed to doing it together. He covers topics such as personal life, health issues, the future, finances, Christian growth, values, habits, family and expectations. He also has a chapter for those who have been previously married, formed as a questionnaire.
- Letters to a Romantic: On Dating, Sean Perron and Spencer Harmon. Helpful book for people wanting to consider a godly approach to dating. It covers marriage and singleness, practicalities of dating, warning flags to be aware of in relationships and thoughts about physical affection while dating. Gospel focused and grace driven.
- Now that You're Engaged, H. Norman Wright (Regal, 2005). Ideal for those engaged and already married. Structured around the idea of commitment: each chapter has a particular focus, for example: commitment to be free from the past, commitment to change, commitment to love, commit yourself to control anger, commitment to build positive in-law relationships and commitment to forgive and pray together. It deals with marriage issues openly and realistically.
- She's Got the Wrong Guy, Deepak Reju (New Growth Press, 2017). For single women, challenging them to consider who they date and whether they would be tempted to settle in marriage to the wrong type of man.
- Tying the Knot, Rob Green (New Growth Press, 2016). An excellent resource for couples to do together, ideally with a mentor alongside them. Green presents a clear gospel truth of living with grace and then thinks about how to apply that to various aspects of marriage, always managing to keep Jesus at the centre.
- Did I Kiss Marriage Goodbye? Carolyn McCulley
- The Single Issue, Al Hsu
- Captivating, John & Stasi Eldridge
- Disciplines of a Godly Woman, Barbara Hughes
- for men only: a straightforward guide to the inner lives of women, Shaunti & Jeff Feldhahn
- Radical Womanhood, Carolyn McCulley (a series of posts)
- When Your Husband is Addicted to Pornography: Healing Your Wounded Heart, Vicki Tiede
Note also - a DVD review on an ABC series - Making Couples Happy