text:
I have a love/hate relationship with Facebook. Yeah, I know, I guess pretty much everyone goes through this phase with the ever-expanding, always-changing, out-of-our-own-control, time-eating cyber-version of high school.
Like most of our high school experiences, it's a mixture of good and bad but I have to admit, sometimes FB flat out makes me cranky.
I'm happy to be able to talk to Family I haven't seen since I was in the single digits, good friends I've lost contact with as everyone scattered to live their own lives, start their own Families, you know, the good.
Meeting new people I never would have met in real life without Facebook, wonderful people from around the world and sometimes folks who lived in my own town whose paths never crossed mine. Or maybe we never had things in common until we became whoever it is we became.
That's part of the good.
And then there's the bad, aka High School Redux, where the same cliques in high school pick up from where they left off and carry on, still forever 17 in their minds.
You know who I'm talking about; those girls who turned their backs on you because you weren't cool enough to be a cheerleader (somehow it never occurred to them perhaps I didn't want to be a cheerleader), those same girls stuck in a time-loop as they post pictures of themselves in their cute little Halloween kitty-costumes that are no longer flattering but dammit, they're divorced and the zillionth class reunion is around the corner and "sigh, maybe he'll be there and this time I'll get the football hero…sigh…".
Selfie-Queens who post pictures of themselves like it's a popularity contest and they aren't satisfied until they get 1000 'likes' from 1000 strangers feeding their ego.
As you may have picked up, I'm not big on the whole selfie thing.
Maybe I'm camera shy. Maybe I don't want to splatter my 'wall' with pictures of me. Maybe I don't have an out of control ego that needs to be fed on a constant basis. (No, I'm not talking about you, I'm talking about you.)
Whatever the reason, I don't really care to be the center of attention which is a weird thing for a lead singer to say. Not that there's anything wrong with that, in fact I love seeing photographs of my friends and Family, I love seeing pictures of new people I've 'met' and learning more about them and their lives.
But it's just part of my personality to observe, stay in the background and figure things out, fill my mind with stuff so I can spew my own words onto the paper/screen.
My lack of selfies has been commented on (behind my back of course, just like high school) by a girl who was once my BFF until we lost touch. She has decided I put up pictures of myself like "those girls who hide behind their hair so you can't see their face". Apparently, this once-former model, who used to worship my every move, has no use for me anymore because she looked at my political leanings and decided I'm scum.
I've been stalked, hacked, backstabbed, ignored, you know, just like high school.
That's the bad part.
I guess in the long run, the good outweighs the bad because I've 'met' some of the most awesome people anyone could hope to 'meet'.
Maybe I'm just playing favorites because I rather spend more time here at WordPress than Facebook, or maybe I'm just cranky because my cold turned into bronchitis which translates into a good couple weeks of me being sick.
And I'm cranky because even though I've been writing every day I've been saving everything to draft instead of posting like I should.
I wonder if the 17 phone calls a day from my Dad has anything to do with my bad moody?
Or I'm picking on Facebook because I sometimes let it eat too much of my time, and I also know that FB can cause a lot of destruction to real-life life when it turns into the high school cafeteria and I'm standing alone with a full tray and nowhere to sit.
Maybe it bugs me to realize someone I once traded secrets with is now as one dimensional as a photograph.
Yeah, I'm a weirdo, an outcast, a rebel without a cause and plain old stubborn. And yeah, I really don't like to have my picture taken, I prefer to be the one taking the pictures and capturing the moment, not because I'm trying to hide behind my hair, not because I don't look good in pictures and don't spend money on cosmetic surgery in a desperate attempt to look forever 17. But because I'm beautiful just as I am, as we (almost) all are, inside and out.
And the fact that I know this to be true will not be rattled by the words of someone who is still living mentally in high school.
I know who I am.
And thankfully, dearest readers, so do you.
And since we're on the subject of high school and pictures, here's me when I was a senior in high school, not hiding behind hair. I'd put a 'selfie' taken right this very second, but I think that means the terrorist win.
Or something like that.


text: May102006 Eastern Europe Web Service Data Additions To clarify on my previous post, we are adding some additional data in Eastern Europe (vintage Q305) to the MapPoint.EU dataset. In addition to improved overall coverage of our existing European map, Finland and Greece are now much more complete sets of street level data. We are adding 9 new countries: Bulgaria, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovenia. Coverage in these new countries is for routing only, not yet include find address. Most of the newly added countries have 2 or 3 major metros with street level coverage and long major connector highways between them. While the data is not as complete as other areas of Europe yet, these new countries will improve over time as we continue to expand and improve coverage worldwide. This data will be available first in MWS with the May 15 CSR2 release. When it is available in Virtual Earth Map Control and Windows Live Local I will post again.

subset: commoncrawl


text: More than 2,000 rescuers are searching for survivors of a landslide in eastern China that has killed at least 25 people. Several days of rain sparked a torrent of mud and rock, engulfing homes in the Lidong village. The landslide occurred on Friday night, burying almost 30 houses. Parts of the village remains flooded, hindering rescue efforts. Reports say 12 people are still missing.


text:
The move comes three months after Uber began testing self-driving cars to move people in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, with four vehicles -- along with a driver and technician onboard to deal with any glitches or emergencies.
"We're excited to start operating in our hometown of San Francisco with Volvo XC90s, our first cars built in partnership with a major auto-manufacturer," Uber said in a statement.
"The promise of self-driving is core to our mission of reliable transportation, everywhere for everyone. While it won't happen overnight, self-driving will be an important part of the future of transportation -- a future we're excited about."
Uber said the San Francisco test would help its engineers get more data to improve its technology, with a climate and traffic conditions which are different than those in Pittsburgh.
Any Uber user in San Francisco may be offered a ride in one of the new vehicles, but will be notified and have an opportunity to decline and choose a human driver.
The launch comes amid growing interest by automakers and technology firms in autonomous cars. Backers of such technology say it can reduce more than 90 percent of accidents, which come mostly from human error.


text:
Photographer's Note
2018 - All rights reserved. The photos taken by photographer John Maenhout are registered and copyrighted. Use in any form (web, paper publication, public exposure, etc.) is strictly forbidden without the written permission of the photographer. To contact with photographer please use TE Contact Me
JHM New site DEC 2018 2019
My second visit to Bruges since my accident, with public transport very carefully with one hand.
Dear friends and TE members, my hand and thumb are worse than first thought.
The past week I was in the hospital again due to complications and a lot of pain.
Nursing takes good care of me every day, but this could not help.
But I want to go back to Bruges my city, for a small stroll and good cup of coffee
Pressure on economy.
One of the many chocolate shops in Bruges, 200 m from the big market of Bruges.
Bruges is the chocolate city but also different breweries
But every medal has two sides. And that is no different with the chocolate success. Bruges claims the title of Belgian and European chocolate capital. The flip side of that beautiful medal is that the constant rise of chocolate shops, but also beer boutiques, puts pressure on the Bruges economy. It is a challenge to steer that chocolate flood in the right direction. Bruges must pay attention that within ten years no water, but liquid chocolate flows through the canals
I hope that you enjoy it
Camera Model
Canon EOS 5D Mark III
Shooting Date/Time
19/10/2019 11:35:36
Shooting Mode
Manual Exposure
Tv(Shutter Speed)
Av(Aperture Value)
ISO Speed
EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM
Focal Length
Image Size
Image Quality
Picture Style
pajaran, worldcitizen, Fis2, PaulVDV, johnjmoe, pierrefonds, PiotrF, mcmtanyel, ikeharel, papagolf21, jemaflor, bukitgolfb301, adramad, COSTANTINO, jean113, clic, maloutim marcou esta nota como útil
Critiques | Translate
pajaran (92062) 2019-10-20 11:44
Lep pogled i trenutak, interesantan i dobar tekst ...
Lepe fasade i detalji, lepa stara arhitektura.
Lepo pokazano, dobro uhvacen trenutak.
Dobar tekst o koridcenoj tehnici i elementima snimka.
Zelim vam lepu i kirnu noc, sve najbolje.
worldcitizen (12758) 2019-10-20 12:06
Hello John,
Nice view of the chocolate shop that is housed in a charming, small building. I know very well that Belgian chocolates are very delicious. I just finished eating a whole box that was a gift from our TE friend Paul. :-) I'm sorry to read about your hand and thumb. I really hope things will start to improve soon.
Fis2 (142527) 2019-10-20 12:08
Witaj John!
A very curious fragment of Bruges.
I like buildings.
Good framing and composition.
Nice colors and light.
The brick building is impressive.
Good evening.
Nice new week.
PaulVDV (49020) 2019-10-20 12:43
Hallo John,
Spijtig te vernemen dat je hand en duim niet goed genezen. Hopelijk gaat het spoedig veel beter!
De chocoladewinkel is nadrukkelijk in beeld op deze foto. Hoe dan ook, het woord chocolade valt bij mij altijd onmiddellijk op.
De zachte bocht van deze straat heb je mooi in beeld gebracht.
Een mooie combinatie van warme en koelere tinten.
Blijkbaar was het te koud om op het terras te zitten ... terwijl sommigen wel op de trappen neerzitten.
Vele groeten, Paul
holmertz (83260) 2019-10-20 12:47
Hello John,
This photo is perfectly sharp and not at all over-processed, so I have no complaints at all. ;-) It's a nice street with beautiful buildings, and especially the very small one selling chocolate is very pretty. It is as sweet as its merchandise. The red chairs brighten the view and the people animate it.
Kind regards,
mesutilgim (115374) 2019-10-20 13:15
Hello John,
Another perfect capture and TE entry in your gallery. Both photographycally and informative perfect TE entry.
It reminded me to my job some 25 year ago when I was managing a famous chocolatier and pastry chain in İstanbul.
At least two times a year I visited Holland and Belgium, in order to see what the new trends was !
TFS and best regards
pierrefonds (93485) 2019-10-20 13:22
Hi John,
The belgian cholocate is very good. The point of view is showeing the details of the buildings. The presence of the persons is animating the scene. Have a nice day.
Gerrit (56549) 2019-10-20 14:27
Dag John,
Mooie defintie in deze foto. Je ziet elk steentje op de trapgevel van de chocolaterie. Erg mooi fotowerk,
Grort, Gerrit
PiotrF (42552) 2019-10-20 16:00
Hello John
A very nice view from Bruges with beautiful architecture.
Good picture with nice colours and good composition.
Thank you for informative and interesting notes.
Fine presentation
mcmtanyel (54455) 2019-10-20 19:21
Hello John,
A lovely corner well shown. I like the crisp colors. 👍🏻👍🏻
papagolf21 (145016) 2019-10-20 23:04
Bonjour, cher ami John,
Tout d'abord, je suis vraiment désolé pour ton état de santé, j'espère que tout cela va s'arranger, mais c'est bien triste quand même.
J'admire ton courage pour aller quand même photographier un lieu que tu apprécies;
Le chocolat de Bruges est connu de par le monde !
Bon courage et à bientôt.
ifege (20851) 2019-10-20 23:39
Hi John
I hope that your hand improves rapidly.
A good photo of this cute looking chocolate shop. I must say though that it was the beer that I enjoyed most in Bruges.
jemaflor (125641) 2019-10-20 23:40
Salut John,
De belles façades à pignon, un bon angle pour la prise de vue, parfaite netteté et un détail, l'enseigne du chocolatier qui donne envie de goûter ces chocolats belges.
On te souhaite un rapide rétablissement après cette hospitalisation.
bukitgolfb301 (53380) 2019-10-20 23:51
Hi dear John
Wow you did again your masterful image as such. 24mm(maybe) could create so ideal outcome in the best cropping too. Sharpness and clearness are exciting as usual.
All the best and have a good day! Takero
Royaldevon (64246) 2019-10-21 1:43
Hello John,
It was sad news to read that your hand is not healing quickly but I think you were sensible to use public transport to reach your favourite city. Having pleasure from that will help you to concentrate on the positive rather than than the pain.
This is a lovely photograph of the building facades.
The Chocolatier shop looks to have been fitted in, like a piece of a jigsaw, and as such stands out noticeably both in colours and shape.
The strolling figures and the well placed red seats, ensure that we we explore the whole of the f/g.
As always, your photograph has great clarity. Not even a painful hand can prevent that!
My warm regards,
Bev :-)
mkamionka (53720) 2019-10-21 2:38
Hi John,
one more beautiful spot in Bruges. There are so many of them!
I didn't take a photo there which I regret now.
Again: not too many people in your photo. Empty tables. Where are all the tourists!
Great picture to illustrate one of the most important industries for which Belgium is famous for: chocolate!
You had a lovely light there, slightly dispersed but not too much so the colors are soft but vivid, very good balance of the saturation.
Nice asymmetry of the composition too.
Excellent work!!
Silvio1953 (191113) 2019-10-21 4:22
Ciao John, I like chocolate, great view of fantastic building, lovely composition with walking people, superb sky, wonderful pastel colors and splendid light, very well done, my friend, ciao Silvio
abmdsudi (81558) 2019-10-21 6:41
Hi John
A highly imposing arty architecture adorning this capture aided by sublime light, colours and sumptuous detail. People interaction is of great value, tx to your enlightening write-up accompanying this graceful capture, Congrats.
Best regards
Nicou (188346) 2019-10-21 8:18
un bon chocolatier cela met l'eau à la bouche très belle bourique dans cet ensemble quels édifices avec l'angle rond le retour superbe façade et place fantastique
Bravo et amitié
Sergiom (115586) 2019-10-21 8:18
Bonjour John,
On peut toujours se fier aux Belges pour ce qui est du chocolat et aussi pour l'architecture qui dure et la beauté des rues de cette ville de toute beauté.
BennyV (30376) 2019-10-21 9:55
Dag John
Het oude huisje van de chocolatier lijkt moedig stand te houden tussen de grotere huizen links en de skateshop (godbetert!) aan de rechterkant.
België, da's voor veel mensen in het buitenland chocolade, wafels en bier. Er zijn slechtere reputaties denkbaar, me dunkt.
lousat (120939) 2019-10-21 11:51
Hi John,a very nice way to talk about the belgian chocolate,showing this shop in this magnificent old scenery. I remember that it's a bit expensive during my trip in Brussels,but surely excellent.Well done. Have a nice evening and thanks,Luciano
macjake (92585) 2019-10-21 13:59
Hi John
this is one of your best street shots. The way the buildings seem to hug and turn with the corner is so cool. its so odd to create depth from this way, but it works so so well. super sharp and clear too, lovely shot. cheers
ChrisJ (152324) 2019-10-21 15:43
Hallo John,
Belgian chocolate is justifiably famous and far superior to American brands like Herchey's, imho. The same is true of many other European counties such as Switzerland and Austria. Please get well soon. It takes a couple of months to bounce back from a serious accident, but I am sure you will get there. Good cups of coffee help. Excellent sharpness and diffused light. Tfs!
Tue (71792) 2019-10-21 22:22
Hallo John,
Wat een prachtige foto van Brugge waarin deze verschillende gevels heel goed zijn samengebracht in een heel aangenaam en zacht herfstlicht. Vooral het kleine chocoladewinkeltjes is vol mooie details. Wat vervelend om te horen van deze complicaties.
rychem (68021) 2019-10-22 8:37
Something for gourmets :) a place where you can enjoy something sweet, a very good photo of excellent quality
regards Ryszard
gervaso (27373) 2019-10-22 8:47
Hello, John!
Belgian chocolate is something always so inviting! The architecture is wonderful and you captured it with very nice perspective! The details look very sharp, and the presence of the people gives more life and interest to the scene! Well done!
adramad (62610) 2019-10-22 10:37
Hi John.
What a beautiful grouping of facades, so different and beautiful, the little chocolate house is like a story, it would be nice to have a chocolate on the terrace.
Very good color that gives strength to the image.
Magnificent management of brightness and sharpness, to enjoy with the details.
You have a good day.
Very best regards.
Miguel82 (35744) 2019-10-22 11:48
Hallo John, the picture gives a glimpse to a street in Bruges, its architecture, its activity. The passersby animate the scene. Nice view of a chocolate shop. Fine colors, good image quality, instructive photo note, regards.
Hello dear John and have a nice time
and a happy new day
wellcome back my friend...
pleasant photo in colors
presenting one of the many
chocolate shops in Bruges
I like the curve of the road
jmdias (91838) 2019-10-25 9:28
these façades in nude bricks looks like isolated by the others. nice view of the local architecture and the daily life.
take care
clic (22824) 2019-10-25 11:09
Dag John You took this perfect picture at the right time of day because the hazed sun enlightened most evenly all the subtle details of this lovely architecture and also because you did not had to wait in line outside the chocolate store!!
If chocolate flows freely in the rivers one day soon, don't worry the city managers will be delighted to welcome the hordes of tourists!! Get well soon! Met vrindelijke groeten.
maloutim (13175) 2019-11-04 2:12
Reading the note of your accordion photo, I had learnt about your unfortunate accident, around September 10th ?, and I was really sorry to hear that you were still in so much pain, 1.5 month later ! Well really have to keep our fingers crossed that it WILL get better, now that all the metal pins have been removed, and with the help of physiotherapy.
Well, I am glad that you can still go to your favourite city and take great photos for our pleasure. At least, it keeps your mind from the pain a bit, (I hope !)
I like this post particularly because as well as showing the stylish buildings and busy life of the city, you tell us a bit about the chocolate history.
I gather from your note that the quality of the product is suffering from its success, and that the place is in danger of being invaded by lower quality ?
Well I think more and more people are turning their back on rubbish chocolate and are coming back to the high quality stuff. Lets hope this will save its economy !
And I like the picturesque old building of the chocolate business; It definitely sets it apart from the rest of the street and attracts the attention.
All the best. Marie-Louise.
Photo Information
- Copyright: John Maenhout (jhm) (191245)
- Genre: Lugares
- Medium: Cor
- Date Taken: 2019-10-19
- Categories: Arquitectura
- Camera: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon EF24-70mm f/2.8L II USM, Sandisk CFIII 16GB, B+W 77 010 UV-Haze 1x
- Exposição: f/13.0, 30 segundos
- Versão da Foto: Versão Original
- Date Submitted: 2019-10-20 11:09


text:
Stock markets love gridlock. This is what one would think after listening to investment pundits in the media. The thinking goes that markets hate uncertainty and with gridlock in Washington very little actually gets done, eliminating fears of new, unexpected legislation. However, a quick look at the numbers show that this theory is completely wrong.
Sam Stovall of Standard and Poor's looked at historical U.S. stock market returns under three political scenarios, "unity" (one party controlling the presidency and both houses of Congress), "partial gridlock" (one party holding the presidency and another controlling Congress), and "total gridlock" (a split Congress). The results since 1900 show that the stock market actually hates gridlock. How this stuff gets repeated so often in the financial and political media is beyond me.
Annual Stock Market Returns Under Three Political Scenarios (Source: S&P)
Since 1900:Â Â Â Â Unity +7.6%Â Â Â Â Â Partial Gridlock +6.8%Â Â Â Â Total Gridlock +2.0%
Since 1945:Â Â Â Â Unity +10.7% Â Â Partial Gridlock +7.6%Â Â Â Â Total Gridlock +3.5%


text:
The Dutchman's Lost Gold MineWill Granderson
image: the headstone of the legendary Jacob Waltz, the octogenarian prospector whose gold fever could only be quenched by death
Special: IRA, 401(k) & TSP Scam
East of Phoenix and north of Tucson in Arizona is a mountain range the locals call the Superstitions. Guarding the entrance to this formidable area is a 3,000 foot peak called Superstition Mountain. Considering our nation has only been around for about 240 years, it's easy to forget that this part of Arizona has a history that goes back hundreds of years to the time of the Spanish Conquistadores. In those days that part of Arizona was home to the Apache, who considered the Superstitions to be the realm of the Thunder God, calling them "the Devil's Playground."
Like so many of our other stories featuring Spanish explorers and conquerors, this story is about gold and a lost gold mine that is supposedly hidden somewhere in that rugged terrain; an area that's largely inaccessible even to this day. What's peculiar is the region is mostly igneous rock, and geologists will tell you that's not usually where gold is found.
The Spanish
Around 1540 Spanish explorers learned from the Apache that there was gold in the area. Anxious to start exploring, the Spanish ignored the Apache warnings that the area was cursed and the Thunder God did not take kindly to strangers disturbing his realm. Within days the Conquistadores started disappearing, only to be found days later mutilated and decapitated. Soon the expedition had to implement rules that no one could stray even a few feet from the camp alone. Eventually the Conquistadores fled, calling the area Monte Superstition, they refused to return. Over the next hundred years more explorers would arrive and actually find rich deposits of gold and silver.
The 1800s
Fast-forward to the 1800s, when descendants of the original Spanish explorers once again came north from Sonora to mine for gold in this Mexican territory, risking both the curse of the Superstitions and wrath of the Apache. This time the explorers came back with gold, and a lot of it. They immediately started planning another trip but the Mexican-American War disrupted those plans and threatened to see Arizona become part of the United States. But before that happened, members of the group was determined to extract as much gold as possible before the Americans took over.
Making a return trip the mining group received a warning that the Apache were angry at their intrusion on sacred ground. The miners hastily loaded their burros with the gold they had and carefully concealed the entrance to the mine before starting the trip back to Mexico. They never made it. The Apache attacked, killing the miners and scattering the burros laden with gold. Years later a pair of prospectors would find a pair of dead burros carrying nearly $40,000 in gold.
The family descendants, along with 400 volunteers, would make one more attempt to sneak over and try to mine the area nearly two decades later. That group was also attacked and slaughtered by the Apache in a place now called Massacre Ground. That would be the last attempt by the Mexicans to smuggle gold out of the Superstitions.
The Dutchman
In the 1870s, a German immigrant named Jacob Waltz, aka The Dutchman, was said to have rediscovered the mine with the help of a descendant of one of the families of the original Mexican prospectors. Waltz would periodically appear in Phoenix with saddlebags loaded with some of the richest gold ore many had ever seen, before disappearing once again into the Superstition Mountains. But caught in a flash flood at the advanced age of eighty-three, as he lay dying of pneumonia, he supposedly told a woman named Julia Thomas about the location of one of the stashes. Searchers brought back five sacks of gold worth about $15,000 from the area but Waltz died before giving away the location of the mine itself.
Special: Why 2019 Could Be The End Of Your IRA, 401(k) or TSP
The search for the Dutchman's mine goes on to this day. Groups regularly travel into the rugged hills and mesas, hunting for gold and the lost mine. Periodically, one or two of the searchers will go missing. Most times they're found, sometimes not. Treasure hunters may shrug off the legend but the curse of the Apache Thunder God still haunts the Arizona sunset.


text:
Home Inspections
in St George and all surrounding Southern Ut areas
Licensed Certified Insured
Included with your Home Inspection:
Your Home Inspector:
Hello, my name is Dean Brimley, manager/owner of Leading Inspections LLC. I am a licensed, certified, and insured Inspector of Structures.
I obtained my certification through International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), the largest and reputable organization for home inspectors in North America! To due so, I completed numerous hours of schooling and completed four home inspections that passed the board which checked for accuracy, strict adherence to the Code of Ethics and adherence to the industries standards and practices. I am a certified member of (InterNACHI) and have met their strict guidelines for certification.
I carry errors & omissions and general liability insurance in Utah. I use one of the most comprehensive, easy-to-understand systems available today. Being licensed, certified, and insured, with knowledgeable, thorough, hands-on visual inspection practices, you can be assured that I am:
" A Partner Who Puts Your Interest First"
Mission Statement
"To provide quality home inspections while providing outstanding customer service. Leading Inspections will conduct business in an ethical manner, honest in all business dealings and with the customers interests put first and foremost.
Leading Inspections is a local company with local ties and is committed to giving back to the community by donating a portion all profits from inspection fees to area charities and causes."


text:
Councillors have warned NHS bosses not to "go round in circles" in reshaping healthcare in Lancashire.
The county's health scrutiny committee was discussing how community services could be improved in response to the publication last month of the government's long-term plan for the health service. The document restated a commitment to focusing on so-called "neighbourhoods" - localities made up of between 30,000 and 50,000 patients.
Lancashire is currently piloting a project in four areas - Blackpool, Burnley, Chorley and Skelmersdale - to assess what can be done to tackle the issues which have the biggest effect on health in communities.
The £471,000 scheme will focus on patients with multiple conditions and how services can be co-ordinated by GPs to reduce the risk of complications and keep people living independently.
But several councillors spoke of their "frustration" at existing attempts at neighbourhood working in recent years.
"These [local] groups come out with the same worthy reports and the same conclusions, year in year out," Lancashire County Councillor Cosima Towneley said.
"It's not only confusing and repetitive, but dispiriting for the communities - which is why there is no co-operation from them. You have a table full of local voluntary services and NHS groups," she added.
The meeting heard that Lancashire's expected share of an extra £20.5bn for the NHS by 2023 will see each of the 44 designated neighbourhood areas in the county receive £600,000 every year for the next five years.
"If we're going to be putting a lot more money into these areas, we've got to understand how best to use [it]," Gary Raphael, finance director for the Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care System (ICS), said.
"That's why these pilots are so important. I think there's a quite a lot at stake in our collective working as a system [and] we are going to be held to account for how that extra money is spent at the neighbourhood levels."
But County Coun Nikki Hennessy said that the gap in life expectancy between Skelmersdale and her own Ormskirk division had actually widened from seven years to 10 since the late 1990s.
"Can you put your hands on your hearts and say you have never done anything to increase health inequality?" she asked NHS bosses.
Andrew Bennett, the commissioning director for the ICS, said he hoped improvements would come as the health service began to be held accountable for more than just traditional targets.
"A lot of honest NHS leaders would say that they have been challenged about waiting times, but not about a 10-year difference in life expectancy between an area of high deprivation and low deprivation - which is why its is good to see [that issue] in the long-term plan.
"We can only tackle some of those generational problems if we work in partnership. We don't think we have got it taped or we have made enough progress - but we are seeing green shoots," he added.
Committee member and Burnley councillor Margaret Brindle said that the work to develop community services needed "focusing".
"The intentions are very well laid out - but have we not heard them all before and is this just another way of going round in a circle?" she asked.
Mr Bennett promised to ask neighbourhood teams to discuss specific concerns about the development of community services in the Ribble Valley and Burnley.


text: My obsession with King Charles Cavaliers is no secret\u2014I am the proud owner of two of the floppy-eared spaniel breeds, after all. But when I discovered Toast on Instagram ( @ToastMeetsWorld ), a ruby Cavalier puppy mill rescue who "has no teeth like a cute hobo," as the tagline reads, and dresses up in full-blown "looks" from high-fashion riffs to silly spoofs, I was hooked. And now, Toast is bringing her cute self to charity, helping spread awareness about the realities of puppy mills, with an equally cute tote bag. "French Toast" reads the carryall and features the famed King Charles dressed up in a beret and breton stripes\u2014baguette not included. The pup (whose owner is Fabrizio Goldstein) teamed up with Amanda Hearst to donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of the bags to Hearst's organization, Friends of Finn , which raises funds for puppy mill raids/rescues and vet care. Naturally I ordered two in honor of each of my little hobos. Toast Meets World tote, $86, iomoi.com .


text:
The ambitious Pacific Coast Spirits brings urban distilling to Oceanside
Grape vodka, heirloom corn bourbon, and a plan to malt its own barley
Ian Anderson 3 p.m., Dec. 12
Millions of years of tectonic uplift, weathering, and erosion created the maze of monzogranite boulders in the Wonderland of Rocks section of Joshua Tree National Park. Wherever you look in this region, your mind is dazzled by oversized loaf-like stacks of rocks, by boulders arranged in columns and spires, or by huge granite domes.
To see the best of it, you can try the 5.7-mile, one-way hiking traverse across the Wonderland of Rocks known by some as the "Wonderland Connection." Make no mistake, this is no easy stroll. At times you'll feel like an ant trying to negotiate a fiercely jumbled landscape. You must be adept at both boulder hopping and scrambling across tilted rock surfaces. Much of the travel involves meticulously lowering yourself downward over angular boulders -- not recommended for the faint of heart. Having a topographic map (available at the park's visitors' center) and map-reading skills is an excellent idea!
You begin at the Wonderland backcountry board (kiosk) on the north side of Park Boulevard (a.k.a. Quail Springs Road), 11 miles southeast of the town of Joshua Tree. This is 0.7 mile east of Quail Springs Picnic Area and 2.3 miles northwest of Hidden Valley Campground. You'll end at the Indian Cove camp/picnic area, west and south of the town of Twentynine Palms.
From the Wonderland backcountry board, follow the Boy Scout trail (a dirt road) 1.4 miles north across sandy flats dotted with Joshua trees to the Willow Hole Trail, intersecting on the right. Follow the Willow Hole Trail northeast to where it enters a dry wash, then continue downhill in the wash. The wash soon becomes a canyon bottom flanked by stacks of boulders. At 3.5 miles you arrive at Willow Hole -- some large pools flanked by a screen of willows.
Following a beaten-down path, you then work your way through the willows on the right, over a low ridge, and across a gap between two rock piles. Follow the narrow canyon bottom below, which will carry water draining from the pools at Willow Hole once the winter rains come. The remaining travel is entirely downhill, but progress is soon impeded as you negotiate a canyon section clogged with boulders.
At 0.7 mile beyond Willow Hole, a north-flowing tributary joins on the right. Stay in the main canyon as it veers north and descends sharply for 0.3 mile to join Rattlesnake Canyon. Exercise care while descending this hazardous stretch.
Once you reach Rattlesnake Canyon, only a bit more than a mile of hiking remains. The going is easy for a while as you follow the sandy wash downhill (northeast). Some cottonwood trees brighten the otherwise desolate scene of sand and soaring stone walls. As the canyon bends left for a final descent to the flats of Indian Cove below, you face more episodes of serious scrambling. Keeping to the left-side canyon wall, you work your way around a slotlike canyon worn in the rock. Down in the bottom of the slot are potholes worn by the abrasive action of flash flooding. Only a bit more scrambling and a short walk down the canyon's sandy wash takes you to the end of the hike -- the picnic area at Indian Cove.


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Where customers become friends for life!


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Rev. Dr. Merritt's Sermon for March 11, 2012
Law and Order
Rev. Dr. Jim Merritt
March 11, 2012
Trinity MCC
The Ten Commandments; how many of them can you list? Even after hearing them just a few minutes ago, how many of them can you recite from memory? A 2007 survey reported in Reuters showed that most Americans could rattle off the ingredients of a Big Mac more readily than the Ten Commandments. Still, the Ten Commandments play an incredibly powerful role in our culture and particularly in this season's political fiasco. Most of us remember them best in the image of Charlton Heston holding up a pair of stone tablets over his hear with this list of rules engraved on them. Debates continue about the placement of the 10 commandments in public parks and on public buildings all over the United States. It is abundantly clear to all of us that these Ten Commandments are very influential cultural and religious symbols, even if we don't know much about them. Think about these questions: What makes this set of Laws so powerful? From whence does their power come? Why has their influence held on for so many thousands of years? What did they mean to God? What did they mean to Moses? What did they mean to those who heard them first? And, what do they mean to us today? Law and Order, where does it come from? Would you pray with me?
God, we thank you for your word that enlightens us about the history of God with the people of God. Open our ears, our hearts and our minds this morning so that we might hear your message for us this day. AMEN.
The Ten Commandments:
Although I am not quoting them today, I want to share the names of writers whose work contributed to my study this week, including the esteemed biblical scholar Walter Brueggemann and Eric Baretto. I recommend their work for your ongoing study of the Hebrew Bible.
Interestingly, the narrative of Exodus 20 begins, not with the listing of the first and thus the most important rule, but with the story of God's deliverance of Israel from Egyptian captivity. This shows us that these commandments are rooted not just in God's power to enunciate them, but also in the Israelite experience of deliverance and salvation. These commands not only represent good pieces of advice from a powerful and devoted God, but they also call for a response that is not just expected, but required of a grateful people.
Thankfully, the lectionary leaves out the business about visiting the consequences of sins on the grandchildren and great grandchildren; it seems that God's memory is fully intact and very long lasting. After laws against using God's name flippantly and orders about keeping the Sabbath, we then turn to commandments that we can embrace and to some extend adopt with somewhat less difficulty. Respect your parents. That can be difficult for people like us, many of whom have endured very difficult and sometimes even violent relationships with our parents. We try to respect them, we respect what they might have tried to do, and if we happen to be amongst the lucky ones who honestly had or have parents who did or are doing the very best they know how to do, we get on our knees regularly and thank God for them. Whatever our relationship with parents is or was, we develop a healthy respect for God who models for us the honest and forever love of a good parent.
Don't murder. That one seems doable to most of us. Don't commit adultery… that give some of us a very difficult time. Honestly, this concept can be very difficult to define as we look for biblical examples of what our society calls "traditional" relationships. What we see in practice looks more extremely non-traditional relationships. So, what it can boil down to for many of us is a commitment to live within the agreements or the boundaries to which we have agreed within our own partnership. I might suggest that an honest definition of adultery would be breaking the covenant that partners make with one another and with God. I am not able, within the context of this sermon, to develop that further, so, in summary, let me refer back to last week's sermon during which I suggested, when you make promises, mean what you say and KEEP THEM. I will get off of some of your toes now and move forward.
Don't steal people's stuff, don't lie and don't be jealous of your neighbor's success and prosperity. I think we may be able to handle the first of these, but what about the second. Is it ever okay to lie? Is it okay to lie to protect someone or is it okay to lie to avoid hurting someone? Perhaps better yet, is it okay to lie when we've promised not to tell? The truth is this morning, I do not have the answers to all of those questions. "Don't kill" falls in line with those, and even that leaves a lot of unanswered questions. What about war? Don't kill. What about the death penalty? Don't kill. Is it ever okay to kill someone? Sometimes, my sisters and brothers, the only honest answer might be, "I just don't know."That may be shocking to some of you. I acknowledge that I grew up in a church culture of black and white rules. At the very least, the Pastor was supposed to have the correct answer to every moral and ethical dilemma. Everything was either okay or wrong, good or bad, allowed or not allowed. That worked for a little while and then like you, I began to realize that very little in life is concrete. At times today I have to confess, "I don't know." Sometimes it a lie may be okay and at other times a lie absolutely is not okay. Some time I might encounter a situation where I would say somebody had to die. I just don't know about that. The best news I have ever learned about questions such as these is that sometimes the answer is YES and at other times it is NO. God is a God of every situation and God is smart enough and big enough and wise enough to let us work out our own answers with God. We do not need a multi volume rule book to answer every one of life's dilemmas for us. God is great enough to handle that and when our relationships with God are vital enough, we will grow more and more comfortable with answers like, " I just don't know." The more I study, the more I realize how much there is that I just do not know. Are you experiencing that, too?
So, in closing, allow me to make some suggestions to you about the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments are not primarily a set of universal rules or laws. They are not just a binding list of do's and don'ts for all times and all people in all places. They are not God's attempt to summarize all the world's wisdom on two stone tablets. What they are is this; the Ten Commanments are integral to the identity of a particular people in a particular time and place. Without a doubt, they clearly state basic morals and ethics that all kinds of people would and still do embrace for the better. Ultimately, however, the Ten Commandments are less about proper behavior than they are about identity. They tell us who we are, and more importantly, they tell us whose we are. The help us evaluate our relationships with God and with one another. Finally, the Ten Commandments are most importantly about the identity of God. They show us the character of God and of the people of God. They describe right relationships between children of God and one another.
We come from many different backgrounds and many different theologies in MCC. Our identity and our theology are as intermixed as they possibly could be. Although they are both indispensible and incredibly difficult to understand fully, working diligently to follow them in our lives, in our relationship with God and in our relationships with one another can bring about a sense of order, a sense of peace, a sense of righteousness and a sense of readiness for what God is about to do, right before our very eyes. Law and Order, God's way; it is a very good thing.
God bless you. AMEN.


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12 Ways to Keep Life Simple (But Still Have Meaning)
12 Ways to Keep Life Simple (But Still Have Meaning)
Keeping life simple is about relying on the basics. Honesty, respect, trust, happiness and friendship go a long way to clearing out the clutter and staying focused on what's important.
These 12 ways to keep life simple will help you remember a few important basics along the way.
For more from Alex Blackwell, please visit his blog at Everyday Inspiration.
Savor Every Moment
Savor Every Moment
To be in the moment is to live in the moment. Too often we are thinking ahead or looking ahead to the next event or circumstance, not appreciating the "here and now." When you savor every moment, you are savoring the happiness in your life.
Take the time to unwind, decompress, or to put it simply, just "to chill." Life comes at you hard and fast. Fatigue, stress and exhaustion may begin to settle in on you faster than you may think, or notice. The best remedy for this is rest.
Find Your Calling
Find Your Calling
Some find meaning in religion or spirituality while others find purpose in their work or relationships. Finding your calling may be much more than accomplishing one simple strategy for increasing your happiness, but having a sense of purpose – of feeling like you are here for a reason – can bring the greatest happiness of all.
Get Into the Flow
Get Into the Flow
Flow is the form of joy, excitement and happiness that occurs when you are so absorbed in an activity you love that you can lose yourself and time seems to stand still. What creates flow is unique to you.
Play To Your Strengths
Play To Your Strengths
One way to achieve flow is by understanding and identifying your strengths and core values, and then begin to use these every day. Once you are aware of your strengths and you begin to play to our strengths, you can better incorporate them in all aspects of your life.
Forget Regret
Forget Regret
Leave your mistakes and regret in the past. They don't define your value, then or now. When you stay in the past you become stuck and unable to move forward. To begin learning how to put these experiences behind you – by letting them go, you can begin to live in the here and now.
Learn From Failure
Learn From Failure
Learning from failure and having regret are two separate things. Regret is an emotion; a feeling of disappointment along with a modest amount of shame or guilt. But to look back at a circumstance and figure out what went wrong gives important information.
There seems to be a higher sense of accountability when things are shared. Tell your partner or best friend what you want accomplish and by when. Sharing also gives you a safer venue to discuss your dreams and goals.
Perform One Act of Random Kindness Daily
Perform One Act of Random Kindness Daily
Hold the elevator door open for someone who is a few steps behind you or lift the bag and place it in the overhead bind on the airplane for someone who can't manage this task. Kindness breeds more kindness. The concept of paying it forward is alive and well.
Listen When Someone is Speaking to You
Listen When Someone is Speaking to You
Listen without judgments or criticism. Try to avoid any self-referencing and be fully present for whoever needs it.
Say "I Love You"
Say "I Love You"
Tell the people who you truly love and cherish this every day. Do so with heart-felt sincerity. Love them as if this were their, and your, last day on earth. Don't wait; tell them today.
Give Yourself Grace and Mercy
Give Yourself Grace and Mercy
We all make mistakes – always have and always will. Perhaps no one is harder on you than you. Give yourself grace for your sins and mistakes. These don't define your value or purpose in life. Focus on what you can today, right now, to begin feeling more comfortable in your own skin. You are worthy to receive the good fortunes of life and you are more than enough.


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Welcome to EFI Alchemy!
We specialize in LSX-based performance tuning and are home-based in Jacksonville, Florida. Getting the most out of Corvettes, Fbodies, GTO's and Trucks is our specialty. We love to swap LSX pcms into just about anything as it is such a formidable platform for engine management.
Got a first-generation LS1 pcm (97-98) that is not up to your project's current or future expectations? No problem, we can make it happen. We use EFI Live with a portable wide-band oxygen sensor in conjunction with the very powerful Moates Roadrunner to provide the customer a real road condition tune. We can take care of even the most radical setups, which can be a challenge to drivability, for conventional "dyno-only" wide-open throttle tuning.
For LS1-based vehicles, we offer custom operating systems that can handle N20 or forced induction. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to contact us and ask what we can do for you!


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How to print a list of installed software on a PC using Windows 7
Open Command Prompt as Administrator
CD C:\Program Files
dir >C:\list.txt
notepad C:\list.txt
That's how I would do it, may not cover all the installed files though, idk. Might want to check out systeminfo by typing it into the cmd prompt also. Show what hotfixe(s) are installed.


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Reliant Energy Online Bill payment
Customers of Reliant Energy can pay there bills by logging in the official website http://www.reliant.com/ (given below) and visit Pay Bills Section to make the payments. In case of any issue or support one can contact Reliant Energy support (866)-222-7100 using the details given below.
Reliant Energy Login
To login in one should visit the bill payment website http://www.reliant.com/ and enter his/her username/password in the right section of the page and press login. In case you have forgotten your password/user id you can press on Forgot password button. In My accounts section you can see your pending bills and make the payment by Online Banking facility. In case you want to redeem redeem rewards points visit Offers page.
Reliant Energy Phone Number
You can fine Phone/Support number given below. In case of any further query you can also visit Contact Us section of the website.
Mode of Payment
Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Checking,
Reliant Energy Hours of Operations
Monday 9 am – 6:00 pm
Tuesday 9 am – 6:00 pm
Wednesday 9 am – 6:00 pm
Thursday 9 am – 6:00 pm
Friday 9 am – 6:00 pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
Website: http://www.reliant.com/
Create new account: https://www.reliant.com/public/oamregistration.htm
Online Login/Sign in: https://www.reliant.com/public/altLogon.htm
Forgot Password Link: http://myaccount.reliantpest.com/myaccount/default.asp
Payment Mode: Visa, MasterCard, Discover, Checking,
Support Phone Number: (866)-222-7100
Routing Number:
Recently Added Billers


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Gwyneth Paltrow Celebrates Opening of Goop London!
Gwyneth Paltrow is celebrating!
The 46-year-old actress and businesswoman toasted Goop's 10th Anniversary, the launch of the Goop London Pop-Up and the digital shop finally shipping to the UK alongside Elizabeth Saltzman at Goop London in London, England.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Gwyneth Paltrow
Guests met at the Notting Hill shop for cocktails, and were transported to an intimate dinner at the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in official Goop taxis.
"This September is a watershed moment for Goop. It's our 10-year anniversary and our London homecoming; the latter sets the stage for the next phase of the business as we expand into international markets. It's both humbling and long overdue to open a store back in London where Goop was born," says Gwyneth.
Guests included Liv Tyler, Valentino Garavani, Giancarlo Giammetti, Demi Moore, Edward Enninful, Yana Peel, Emilia Wickstead, Natalie Massanet, Christopher Kane, Amy Powney, Camilla al Fayed, Alex Eagle, Charlotte Tilbury, Edgardo Osorio, Eric Buterbaugh, Duro Olowu, David and Ashley Adjaye, Henrietta Conrad, Veronica Swanson Beard and Veronica Miele Beard.
FYI: Gwyneth is wearing a Mother of Pearl dress and Casadei shoes.


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Tag Archives: Locksmith
What to Expect When Paying for Locksmith Services
When you are planning on making sure that you can hire a good locksmith, you will want to consider a lot of things because this is a critical decision you are making. If you never gave any thought to upgrade or replacing your locks at home, then you may want to think about it because this is an important matter. So it does not matter if you want locks for safety or because your current locks are getting old, it is important that you can hire a professional to install the locks properly on your home, so ensure it is as safe as possible.
[Full Article...]
[Full Article...]


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All Wheel Drive: all wheel drive explained, differential, electronic differential lock (EDL), haldex, jeep 4wd systems, low range, proactive AWD, quattro evolutions, safety concerns, terrain response system, testdrive, Torque-vectoring AWD, torque split ratio, torsen, viscous coupling
Brands: 4motion, quattro, super select, xDrive
Videos: Diagonal spin test, electronic differential lock test, quattro vs. xdrive test, Viscous Coupling Test
Vehicles: acura, alfa-romeo, AMC, audi, bentley, BMW, bucher, bugatti, cadillac, chevrolet, chrysler, citroen, dacia, daihatsu, dodge, fiat, ford europe, Ford USA, gaz, GMC, holden, honda, hummer, hyundai, infiniti, isuzu, jaguar, jeep, kia, lada, laforza, lamborghini, lancia, land rover, lexus, lincoln, mazda, mercedes, MG, mini, mitsubishi, nissan, opel, panther, peugeot, pontiac, porsche, range rover, renault, saab, seat, skoda, ssangyong, subaru, suzuki, toyota, uaz, vauxhall, volkswagen, volvo
Recent changes
Up to 2008 - Magna Steyr MS140 transfer box with Full time all wheel drive, 38/62 torque split front to rear.
From 2009 and on - Borg-Warner 44-40 transfer box with automatic all wheel drive. Normally rear wheel drive. Front wheels are engaged and up to 38% of torque is sent to the front wheels when one of the following conditions occur:
Source: http://www.roadandtrack.com/tests/drives/2011-chrysler-300c-awd
Have you seen a better description of Chrysler 300C (Dodge Charger Sxt Awd) on the web? Please send us the link to or post it in a comment below!
Can a 06 Chrysler Pacifica 4wd be tested on the roller machine at local inspection station. When the test was done the inspector called me under the car to observe a streaming oil leak. I trailered the car to the dealer and they told me the transfer case and transmission was damaged. The car only has 47,000 miles on it. There was no leak prior to the inspection. Could the inspection by rolling the front wheels while the rears were stationary on the ground. The reverse was done for the rear wheels. I would like to file a claim against the inspection station but need professional help to prove my case. Thank you


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new Albeo™ ABR1 series to work in places GE has never been
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controls for additional energy savings and reduced operating
costs. It's just one more way we're helping our clients
nourish their bottom line. See how Albeo can work for
your workspace at gelighting.com/industrial.


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Life's as big as you make it.
Is the Volkswagen Tiguan a little too small? The
luxury VW Touareg more than you want to spend? The all-new 2018 VW
Atlas might be exactly what you've been looking for. Make a trip from Torrington, Simsbury, Hartford or Avon today and experience the Atlas first hand.
The Atlas is a three-row midsize SUV that provides a lot of passenger space and a reasonable price tag. You can keep the costs low with the nicely outfitted base model S or go big with the SEL Premium trim. Volkswagen offers flexible configurations throughout the trim range, so if you don't find the perfect Atlas in our inventory we can order one to your specifications.
The standard configuration for all models- except the SEL Premium- is a 235-horsepower, four-cylinder engine with front-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Opt for a 276-horsepower V6 if you want more oomph. The V6 can be paired with all-wheel drive, and the AWD V6 is standard in the SEL Premium model.
A properly equipped Atlas can tow up to 5,000 pounds. Boat, motorcycle trailer, camper... What kind of toys will you be taking with you?
It's remarkable how comfortable everyone can be in this seven-seat vehicle. The third- and second-row seats fold down easily when you need big, flat cargo space. When your arms are full of stuff to load into that cargo space, just wave a foot under the rear bumper and the available hands-free power liftgate can open up for you.
Volkswagen Car-Net® App-Connect displays your compatible smartphone apps on the Atlas's 6.5-inch touchscreen for easier use. Every Atlas model has an SD card reader and at least one USB port.
The available panoramic sunroof is so big that the Atlas is almost a convertible SUV when the weather is nice. In the middle of a cold Canton winter? The VW Atlas is available with remote start, so it can get toasty warm before you hop in. Opt for heated front seats and even heated second-row seats if you like.
The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas is quickly becoming a driver favorite in the Torrington, Simsbury, Hartford and Avon area. Please be in touch with us if you'd like to learn more or take one for a spin! We'd love to show you around this fantastic new offering from VW.


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Something about the print of this dress makes me so happy. I love the way the red and the pink work together. It's the perfect spring dress! Like every woman come spring I am drawn to flowers of any kind: bonus points if they're on cute clothing! Double bonus points if they're in a vase on my desk at work making folks jealous.
Dress|Old Navy Booties|Style, Inc. Bag|Coach Sunnies|Charming Charlie


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With no Eagles executives willing to talk about the trade of Donovan McNabb, reporters have had to go to the next best thing: former members of the Eagles front office.
The most expert of these now outside observers is former General Manager Tom Heckert, who presided over five extremely successful drafts before leaving in the offseason to take a similar job in Cleveland. Heckert and Any Reid drafted Kevin Kolb and kicked-off the long term transition that ended with Donovan McNabb's trade a few months ago.
Heckert's intimate knowledge of the Eagles' thought process makes him an inviting interviewee, as Paul Domowitch found in today's Daily News. Let's see what we can learn from these few quotes:
"We felt when we drafted [Kolb] that he was going to be our future... When that was going to be, that was the question. But we knew it was going to have to happen somewhere down the line. We always said if Donovan didn't play well or we were able to get something pretty good for him, we'd [trade him]."
This confirms our notion that trading McNabb was a long time coming. The Eagles always intended to replace him with Kolb and weren't struggling to decide which quarterback to ride into the next decade.
"[McNabb] didn't want to play [in Cleveland]. He wanted to go somewhere where he felt he could win right away. He didn't say he absolutely wouldn't play here, but it was pretty clear he wasn't enthusiastic about it."
There's two takeaways here. One, although Heckert maintains that the Browns were not big suitors for McNabb, he lets on that they at least got to the point in discussions where McNabb was involved. It wasn't like they weren't interested or were immediately deterred by the Eagles' asking price. Two, Heckert confirms the idea that Donovan had huge input, at least indirectly, in the trade decision. Also, he says nothing about his team's probable interest in Kolb.
Finally, the money quote about trading with an NFC East rival, the Washington Redskins:
"I was [surprised] because I wouldn't have done it. But I don't think they had much else [other offers]. And even if they had a choice - everybody talked about Oakland being interested - I don't know that Andy would've done that to Donovan if he didn't want to go there. He wouldn't screw the guy if he had something else."
The combination of Reid wanting to do right by McNabb and McNabb not wanting to languish in obscurity clearly accomplished one thing: Donovan was sent to a team that both men thought could be a contender. Heckert describes the natural reaction many people had to the trade, which is that they wouldn't have sent McNabb within the NFC East.
Perhaps if Heckert had still been in Philly, then McNabb would be in Oakland right now, but it's tough to say. Is Reid really that sentimental that he would sabotage his own team's chances of winning? Much of the circumstantial evidence suggests that he might have cared about McNabb enough to do just that.
But what if that's not true? What if Reid wanted to send McNabb somewhere that he would accept, but didn't think it would hurt the Eagles? In other words, what if his kindness was really just a statement that he was no longer confident in Donovan's abilities.
The conventional storyline revolves around the Eagles coach not caring about the danger of trading McNabb within the division because he has a philosophy of just taking the best offer no matter what. But at the end of the day, Reid must not think McNabb is anywhere near the elite quarterback that he once was. Otherwise, the trade makes no sense at all.


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Using our methods we can deduce that for 18th February 2017, the following quakeweather and the following regions appear to be vulnerable to siesmic activity. Our experience shows that the time event tolerance can be +-1 day, and therefore it is worth keeping the list for 2 days as an event in the list could sometimes materialise the next day and sometimes the late hours of the previous day.
February 18th is a day where we expect to fair earthquake activity, similar to 17th February and the notable Geocentric Aspect is SUN SQUARE MOON.
The following are some coordinates we produced using our methods.
- Nevada (41.2N, 119.3W)
- Oklahoma (36.4N, 98.3W)
- Peru (10.4S, 78.3W)
EUROPE: Quiet really, we could see more activity perhaps in Greece
- Greece (38.4.N, 20.2E)
- France (48.3N, 0)
ASIA/AUSTRALIA: The possible countries which could come up are shown below.
- Fiji (18.5S, 179.5E)
- New Zealand (44.3S, 171.3E) New Zealand maybe stronger than ususal.
- Iran (29.4N, 59.5E)
- Indonesia (0.2N, 134E)
- Pakistan (29.5N, 68.2E, 70.4E)
- Solomon Islands (9.4S, 159.4E)
- Taiwan (23.3N, 120E)
- Philippines (9.5N, 123.4E)


text: AUDUSD remains in uptrend from 0.8660, the fall from 0.9461 is likely consolidation of the uptrend. One more rise to 0.9550 – 0.9600 area to complete the upward movement is still possible. Support is now at 0.9202, only break below this level will indicate that the uptrend had completed at 0.9461 already, then the following downward movement could bring price back to 0.8500 zone.


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Monday, July 21, 2014
Review: Between the Spark and Burn by April Genevieve Tucholke
18 comments:
Yay!!! I read the first one and found myself obsessed with it! It truly is one of the best books I have ever read. It was so creepy but beautiful....it was amazing! I had my sister read it and she couldn't believe how great it was. I have had this one pre-ordered since the end of January! I am dying for it to arrive in August. Thank you sooo much for the review...it is so comforting to know that this one will be just as great as the first. (I am still bummed that this is the last one though lol)ReplyDeleteReplies
Excellent! I'm glad to hear that! I loved the first book as well. I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did! I think the ending of this one is pretty fitting and wraps things up nicely :)Delete
YAY! The way April set up the scenery and her writing were the two things I loved most about the first book and I'm really happy to hear that continues to be as awesome as it was in the first book!ReplyDelete
Unexpected & surprising climax and plot twists? Yes please!
Also, she's gonna be part of an anthology?? What anthology??? Inquiring minds want to know because of reasons!Replies
Don't like the colours on the cover, but the book sounds incredible! I'm really sad this is a duology because I really liked how enchanting the first story was. I loved the writing and atmosphere so glad there's more of that. And now I'm curious about the romance...ReplyDelete
Thanks for the review!
-P.E. @ The Sirenic CodexReplies
Aww, I'm sorry to hear that! The first book's cover is the more beautiful one, in my opinion (though I love this one very much). I hope you enjoy this book! And I shan't say another word about the romance ;DDelete
YAY! I'm so glad you liked this one just as much as I did!!! I agree it wasn't QUITE as good as the first...but rarely are they! There's just something so magical and strange about these books that make them so intriguing!! Great review!ReplyDeleteReplies
Woot woot! And I agree, it would have been AMAZING and stunning if April could have made this book better than the first. The first was SO GOOD.Delete
Thank you, Rachel!
Ack! Amazing review sweetie. <3 I'm glad you enjoyed this book so much :) But omg. I NEED to know some things. About the romance. About how it ends. lol. I want to know it all :) Thank you for sharing. <3ReplyDeleteReplies
YAY! I can't say anything more about the romance or the ending, Carina, nope nope nope... ;)Delete
I enjoyed the first book, but I didn't loved it they way you did. One of the things I did love was the writing and for that alone I will read this one. Besides, I need to know what happens with River :)ReplyDeleteReplies
Heh! The first book was my favorite of 2013. SO MUCH LOVE!! You must read this one, Liza. It is amazinggg. And yes, you DO need to know what happens to River. It is so hilarious and cruel and heartwarming.Delete
Thank you for stopping by, Liza!
You seem to have DEFINITELY loved this story more than me! Violet annoyed me in book one, but I do remember the writing being gorgeous! :D I still have to read this one though >:DReplyDeleteReplies
Yes! So much! You should read this one regardless, Nikki. Do it!!Delete
This series has been on my TBR-list for some time now, but I haven't gotten around to reading it yet. I've read such raving reviews about it and I'm hoping I get to it soon.ReplyDelete
Awesome review!Replies
ASEEL!! I miss you :) The first book is so so so good. And the covers are beautiful, so, why not! :DDelete
Thank you so much!
Well, you already know I wasn't a big fan of Violet or the writing in Book 1, but I must know: did the sequel get more or less like Twilight? ;)ReplyDeleteReplies
Yup :( And less like Twilight, in my opinion. I wouldn't compare either book two Twilight, to begin with, but the second book is nothing like Twilight, in now way, shape, or form D:Delete
I love comments! I will always try and reply to your comments, as well as leave some comment love on your blog! :)
Also, this an award and tag free blog. While I am flattered that you would think of me, I really do not have the time to follow up. Thank you!


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When he was arrested for being disorderly a 32-year-old man spat in the face of a police sergeant, Craigavon Magistrates Court heard last Friday.
Ashley Simon Gibson, Derryhale Road, Portadown, appeared in court by way of videolink from Maghaberry prison.
He was sentenced to two months in prison for disorderly behaviour on June 12 this year and two months for resisting police.
For assaulting an officer he was given a four month term. All the sentences are to run concurrently making a total of four months in prison.
The court heard that in the early hours of the morning Gibson was in Mandeville Street, Portadown.
He shouted 'up the LVF' and was asked to calm down.
Gibson was on bail at the time and tried to run away but was arrested for disorderly behaviour. He resisted police and spat in the face of a sergeant.
A barrister representing the defendant said her client had been granted bail and after this incident bail had been revoked.
She explained this was Gibson's first night out after his release and would apologise to the officer for spitting on him.


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"The perfect blend of accommodations"
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Dear District 204 Families,
More than 390 Illinois school district superintendents, representing more than 1.3 million students, have signed on to support a grassroots statewide initiative called, simply enough, "Pass Illinois' Budget!" We hope you will support this effort, which launches today, April 24.
While Illinois public schools have benefited from a partially-funded state budget, our schools, students, families, and communities will continue to suffer without a full state budget. We also will suffer if Mandated Categorical state payments, which support special education, bilingual education, transportation, and other important services, do not get paid this year. To date, the State of Illinois owes our District $15.7 million in those Mandated Categoricals, and there is no state budget on the table for approval. We are calling on members of the Illinois General Assembly and the Governor to do the following:
- Immediately, and with bipartisan support, end the state budget impasse.
- Improve the state's education funding formula and invest in students and schools, including higher education institutions.
- Pay school districts what they are owed this year.
Please join the effort and:
- Contact your legislator! Click here to find your state legislator.
- Ask your legislator to take action to address the three items mentioned above.
- Use social media to share your budget concerns with the hashtag #PassILBudget.
- Share this email and ask your friends and community members to join our efforts.
Let's all work together to #PassILBudget and create adequate and equitable funding for our schools.
Dr. Karen Sullivan
(Click HERE to see the list of 394 participating superintendents supporting this initiative who represent 65 percent of Illinois' public school students from Carbondale to Chicago to Rockford.)


text: Bgill...what is a good xml editor to use? And is this something I shouldn't be messing with? I'm trying to get the white numbers that appear above the dialpad to be a different color, and if possible, a different font. If this is do-able...by someone like me...of limited talents...could you please point me to a good editor, and where those particular xml files would be located? I'd really appreciate it. If this is not a good thing for me to try...do you know someone that can help me with it? I can embed it within the theme file once all is ready. Thanks!


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You Jammed the #GSJam 2017!
Thanks everyone who took part in the amazing 2017 Global Service Jam! In around 90 cities around the world, you changed the future by #doingnottalking! Thanks to every local host, supporter and sponsor. Thanks to the Global HQ Hosts in Porto! And most of all, thanks to every Jammer. You are the Jam!
See you at Global GovJam in May? www.govjam.org


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In no time the block was in the mail and arrived at its destination, and a new block found its way to my hot little hands.
I found that the time factor was perfect. I easily kept up with every deadline, except the first. More on the Cotton Robin in a day or so.


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A guide to determining when, if ever, Software Assurance is a good deal. Plus: 6 Reasons to Consider Apache; a roundup of network load balancing products; 7 Terminal Services Tips and more.
Exchange Server 2003 offers advances in scalability, allowing for dramatic server and storage consolidation efforts—if it's properly configured. These best practices will send you in the right direction.
Terminal Services is a lot like poker—anyone can play, but it takes smarts and strategy to play well. These seven tips will make you a shark.
The proper level of load balancing services can ensure consistent availability of Web services.
Customers have few kind words for Microsoft's Software Assurance, and even fewer good choices for upgrades.
Readers generally like what they see in the 2005 makeover of Microsoft Operations Manager, citing improved usability, better reporting and expanded monitoring.
Even though IIS gets more secure with each generation, having at least a few Apache Web servers in your shop makes sense.
Websense helps you enforce your organization's Web policies and keep employees surfing on the straight and narrow.
Just because you run a computer magazine doesn't mean you're immune to network problems and usability issues.
Beta Man looks at the recently released beta Microsoft Windows AntiSpyware software.
Doug Barney's Redmond Report Weekly e-newsletter causes quite a stir, plus: readers question how we select the products included in each month's Redmond Roundup.
This MCSE doesn't think he'd be able to pass the new performance-based questions recently added to the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer and Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator exams.
Scriptomatic Version 2 improves upon some of the limitations of the previous iteration of this handy scripting tool.
Quick way to check out why a Web page isn't responsive.
We certainly hope you're not guilty of using some of these IT buzzwords at work!
Find out how to use Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) for system notifications without having to write scripts.
The Computing Technology Industry Association has an inventory of discount vouchers for A+ exams that are on the verge of expiring.
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Microsoft posts demo of performance-based questions on Web site.
Support and costs to reconfigure systems keep the open-source OS out in the cold.
From the business wires this week: an enterprise solution for simplifying secure user login, an alternative to Visual Basic, and a network appliance for Web conferencing.
Microsoft plans to introduce a board-level certification, called the Microsoft Certified Architect Program, designed to "identify architectural expertise," says the company.
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Centrify wades in to market for directory interoperability tools while Vintela bulks up.
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App Description
Baby Room Design v 1.1 apkis the popular Free Android App .It will work on most of the devices like Samsung Galaxy,Samsung Galaxy Note,HTC,Sony Ericsson,Micromax,Lava,Intex,Karbonn,One plus,Xiomi,Redmi,YU,Vivo,Lenovo,Vibe,and all other Android mobile phones.Tested it on Android version 2.2,4.0,4.1,4.2 jelly bean and 4.4 kitkat,5.0,5.1 LollyPop ,6.0,6.1,Marshmellow,7.0 Nougat
Offline gallery of beautiful and cute Baby Room Design
We are providing you with the facility to download them to your phone, set them as a wallpaper or even a caller id to cheer you up every time you look at your Phone.
1) Facility to save the images to SD card.
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3) Set image as wallpaper or contact icon.
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There's an innovative, new way to add the warmth and richness of wood to your walls: with STACKED WOOD engineered wood wall panels, now available from Hirshfield's Design Resource.
There's an innovative, new way to add the warmth and richness of wood to your walls: with STACKED WOOD engineered wood wall panels, now available from Hirshfield's Design Resource.
If one theme dominated light fixtures at High Point Market for Spring 2016, it was gold. "Lots of gold, larger in scale, and somewhat organic," said Kathy Basil, part of our three visitor team from Hirshfield's Design Resource.
In fact, Kathy saw so many of the glamorous gold/organic combos that she tried to coin a term for the new look in light fixtures. "Maybe we'll call it orglamic," she joked, "or maybe not."
All kidding aside, Kathy said statement pendants were the top lighting trend at High Point. "Larger scale statement pendants," that definitely fit that glam/organic theme. "Gold was definitely the finish we saw the most — many embellished with rose quartz, alabaster, and a variety of agates." Read the rest of this entry »
Hunter Douglas took home the 2014 WCMA (Window Covering Manufacturers Award) Product of the Year for the 14th straight year, this time for their Heritance® Hardwood Shutters Collection. Nationally acclaimed design experts deemed this line as "an energizer for the manufacturer's existing line of shutters and for the shutters category in general – with refreshed colors and updated frame designs that complement window trim."
At Hirshfield's, we have the largest selection of Hunter Douglas window treatments in Minnesota with 17 showrooms featuring their premiere collection of blinds and shades. Hunter Douglas products are also available at Hirshfield's stores in West Fargo, North Dakota and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Their exquisite plantation style shutters are what we're excited about this season.
Wallpaper is big. It's not just for your grandparent's 100 year-old cottage, or for that antique store around the corner. Wallpaper is modern, fun, young and trending. Kathy Basil from Hirshfield's design studio realizes that not only is it trending, but it's become a necessary addition to your home. Wallcoverings are flying off the shelves and onto feature walls, half bathrooms, children's rooms, master bedrooms and anywhere you want a little charm and bold personality.
The patterns Basil sees in the spotlight are ones with a floral flare and intense texture. Designers are going bold. Eden Verbena from Romo's Black Edition takes the popularity award. It's beautiful Monet-like flowers are great for a space with fun atmosphere.
"In one pattern, Eden describes a whole trend. It's large scale, playful, floral, not too serious, modified, even hippie."
This time of year, most of us crave sunshine. We want to feel warmth on our skin, sunshine on our faces, light in our world. That's one reason sunrooms are so popular. But at times you may want some privacy in that space, so it's good to be aware of what window coverings work in a sunroom.
"The biggest consideration is whether the sunroom is used throughout all four seasons or not," says Shannon Scarrella, a window coverings expert from Hirshfield's. "We have many customers that do not heat their sunrooms in the winter months, or instead of windows they have screens—not operable windows with glass. The other question is what is the room used for? A TV viewing room is different than a reading room or eating space.
How homeowners use the space is key—that determines privacy needs versus a desire for a clear view—as well as what direction the windows face. Read the rest of this entry »