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Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP): Innovation in birth preparation to support healthy, happy families
Larissa G. Duncan Department of Family and Community Medicine and Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine, USA.
Catherine Shaddix Wright Institute, Berkeley, California; San Francisco General Hospital (SFGH) Infant-Parent Program, California, USA.
Childbirth education programs are widely delivered throughout the industrialized world. In the USA, approximately 3.9 million women give birth each year (Hamilton et al., 2013) and approximately half of them attend some form of childbirth preparation course (Declercq et al., 2013). There is unfortunately little evidence that childbirth education, as currently structured, is effective in producing beneficial impact on the birth experience (Gagnon & Sandall, 2007) and may instead cause the undesirable result of increasing women's fear of childbirth (Sorenson, 1990). Maternal stress in general is linked with preterm birth (National Research Council, 2007) and more focused examinations of fear of childbirth have demonstrated its links with adverse birth outcomes, such as greater risk of emergency cesarean (Laursen et al., 2009). An innovative and efficacious approach to childbirth education is needed, which is the aim of our research on the Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP) program.
Decades of evidence shows that when mothers are anxious or depressed, suffering from chronic or acute stress, or experiencing relationship conflict, they are likely to face difficulty in parenting their children in an optimally sensitive and responsive way (Deater-Deckard, 2008). Further, experiences of maternal stress and anxiety in the prenatal period are likely to be detrimental to fetal development, as shown in animal studies (Van den Bergh et al., 2005) and suggested by human studies that show negative effects extending into childhood and adolescence (e.g., Betts et al., 2014; O'Connor et al., 2002). Critical epigenetic processes are begun in the intrauterine environment that may set the course for pathways of neural development (Fagiolini et al., 2009); thus children born to women with mood problems experience not only the disadvantage of a stressed mother who is less able to attune and care for them in the early days of their lives (Stein et al., 2012), but also face the potential lifelong impact of a disrupted prenatal context (Lupien et al., 2009). Additionally, postpartum depression among fathers is an issue that has long been under-recognized and undertreated (Paulson & Bazemore, 2010). Family well-being during pregnancy, or lack thereof, may be the key to understanding and optimizing both family and child developmental trajectories that have long-term implications for physical and mental health.
Maternal psychological functioning in the prenatal and postnatal periods has a significant impact on the well-being of the child and the family as a whole.
Secular mindfulness programs are derived from over 2,500 years of Buddhist scholarship and meditation practice. Mindfulness-based interventions to reduce stress, anxiety, and chronic pain (Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR); Kabat-Zinn, 1990, Kabat-Zinn et al., 1985) and to prevent relapse in major depressive disorder (Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT); Segal et al., 2002) have demonstrated mental and physical health benefits, including changes in brain function and structure (Davidson et al., 2003, Hölzel et al., 2011). A meta-analysis of mindfulness trials showed modest yet consistent reductions in anxiety and depression are maintained in follow-up (Goyal et al., 2014). A three-arm, randomized placebo controlled trial of MBCT yielded effects comparable to antidepressants in preventing relapse in recurrent depression (Segal et al., 2010), indicating mindfulness may be used in lieu of psychotropic medication.
Mindfulness interventions are also used to support family relationships, producing a range of benefits, including reduced parental anger and increased positive behavior exhibited towards youth (Coatsworth et al., 2010) and reductions in parenting stress and co-parenting disagreements (Bögels et al., 2008; Dawe & Harnett, 2007).
A mindful parenting approach supports bringing open-hearted, present-centered attention and
non-judgmental awareness to parenting in the moment (Duncan et al., 2009; Kabat-Zinn & Kabat-Zinn, 1997). Mindfulness interventions for parents may improve parenting both through direct effects on parent-child interaction as well as improvements in parent psychological well-being and physiological regulation.
Mindfulness is a theoretically- and empirically-supported strategy that holds promise for alleviating perinatal mood concerns as well as childbirth-related fear and pain.
Theoretical underpinnings of Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting
The MBCP approach is supported by revised Stress and Coping Theory (Folkman, 1997) and mindfulness theory (Brown et al., 2007; Kabat-Zinn, 2003; Wallace & Shapiro, 2006). Mindfulness allows for an appraisal process involving greater flexibility and accuracy of perception in the moment, as well as greater acceptance of and less mental reactivity to whatever is taking place on a somatic, cognitive, affective or behavioral level. This capacity for being fully present when applied during childbirth supports the normal process of labor, both psychologically and physiologically (Bardacke, 2012). Mindfulness practice also increases positive affect (Bränström & Duncan, 2014) which serves as a restorative resource to support adaptive coping with stress (Folkman & Moskowitz, 2000). Mindfulness applied in the moment-to-moment process of parenting can support interpersonal, present-centered, non-judgmental awareness and compassion (Duncan et al., 2009), thereby promoting healthy parent-child attachment.
History, structure, and content of Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting
MBCP is a fully manualized childbirth preparation program adapted from MBSR in 1998 by Nancy Bardacke (see Bardacke & Dymond, this issue). It contains the full content of MBSR, tailored and enhanced to address the concerns of pregnancy and early parenting (Bardacke, 2012). Through MBCP participation, pregnant women and their partners learn mindfulness skills for coping with anxiety and stress in pregnancy, for coping with pain and fear during childbirth, and for developing sensitive parenting. The nine-week MBCP course includes a day of silent meditation between weeks 6 and 7 and an additional reunion gathering after all women have given birth. Participants begin MBCP in the late second or early third trimester and are asked to commit to home practice using guided meditation CDs for 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week throughout the course. Formal mindfulness meditation instruction is given in each
class, including sitting meditation, body scan, mindful yoga, and lovingkindness meditation, all of which are tailored to include attention to mental and physical aspects of pregnancy (e.g., noting fetal movements during the body scan).
Instruction in a variety of mind-body pain coping practices, breastfeeding, postpartum adjustment and the social, emotional, and biological needs of the newborn are included, as well as instruction in developing mindfulness in daily life and the practice of lovingkindness meditation. All sessions prior to birth interweave suggestions for using both formal and informal mindfulness practices postpartum (e.g. using walking meditation to comfort a crying baby). These practices are reinforced in the reunion session post-birth.
MBCP is effective at reducing pregnancy-related anxiety and increasing positive emotion among pregnant women, and is beneficial for parenting.
Impact of prenatal mindfulness training
In our first study of MBCP (n = 27) (Duncan & Bardacke, 2010), notable findings included significant decreases in pregnancy-related anxiety (p < .0001), depressive mood (p = .016), and intensity of negative affect (p = .003), and increases in the frequency (p = .02) and intensity (p = .024) of positive affect and mindfulness (p < .0001) from pre- to post-course. Additionally, 85% of participants reported using meditation to cope with a stressful aspect of pregnancy post-test. Qualitative data revealed a decrease in perceptions of anxiety and stress, high levels of reported use of mindfulness skills during childbirth, and 'proof-of-concept' reports of engaging in mindfulness meditation or informal mindfulness as coping strategies for parenting stress postpartum.
MBCP skills training is feasible to deliver to diverse populations and reduces fear of childbirth and postpartum depression symptoms.
In a subsequent RCT (n = 30) focused on pain and fear of childbirth, we gauged the feasibility of teaching MBCP skills to a socioeconomially and racially/ethnically diverse sample of pregnant women by randomizing them to either a mindfulness-based or a standard community- or hospital-based childbirth education course (Duncan et al., 2014a). Compared to standard childbirth education, we detected beneficial effects of brief MBCP skills training on childbirth self-efficacy and depression symptoms (p < .05). To date, maternal mental health benefits have been maintained into the second year post-birth (p < .05) (Duncan et al., 2014b). In another small study using an interpretive phenomenological approach (n = 10), thematic coding of in-depth qualitative interviews of MBCP mothers with children ages one to three revealed prevalent themes of parents using mindful attention and emotion regulation strategies to promote attunement with their children and remain calm during toddler tantrums (Shaddix et al., 2014).
Drawing from MBCP, an RCT of a mindfulness intervention for pregnant women in the second and third trimesters with a history of treated mood concerns (n = 34) showed decreased state anxiety and negative affect compared to a wait-list control (Vieten & Astin, 2008). More recently, another RCT of mindfulness for stress reduction in pregnancy showed a greater decrease in pregnancy-related anxiety/worry with mindfulness training (n = 24) compared to a reading control (n = 23) (Guardino et al., 2014). Additional recent pilot studies further demonstrate the feasibility and potential benefits of mindfulness training offered in the perinatal period, including improvements in maternal-fetal attachment and postpartum maternal self-efficacy (Dunn et al., 2012; Perez-Blasco et al., 2013). Of these programs, the MBCP intervention has undergone the longest period of clinical refinement (16 years) and appears to be the most comprehensive with its dual emphasis on childbirth preparation and mindful parenting skills.
Future research directions
Planned next steps for research on MBCP in the USA and UK (with the Oxford Mindfulness Centre) will include examination of intervention effects on a number of key parent and infant developmental outcomes, along with assessing an array of obstetrical processes and outcomes, including labor pain, length of labor, and breastfeeding. Research is underway in the Netherlands and Hong Kong to test the applicability of MBCP in diverse cultures and languages. In all domains, large scale RCTs are needed to produce definitive evidence, but support is amassing for the overall benefit of mindfulness in key areas that are relevant to long-term maternal, child, and family well-being.
The Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting program can be offered broadly as an innovative childbirth education program with the goal of promoting the mental health of both parents, supporting childbirth self-efficacy and easing labor, improving partner relationships and parenting sensitivity, and enhancing child well-being. 'Scaled-up' dissemination can be achieved by partnering with the many now-established MBSR and MBCT providers and existing instructor training infrastructure (see Bardacke & Dymond, this issue). MBCP offers an appealing, non-stigmatizing approach to mental and physical health promotion in the perinatal period with the potential for widespread acceptance since it can be presented as childbirth education with an effective and sought after stress reduction component. Intervening in this sensitive period of developmental plasticity may produce important long-term physical and mental health benefits for children and families.
Research on MBCP was supported by the William K. Bowes Jr. Fund for Innovation in Integrative Medicine Research, the Mount Zion Health Fund, and an anonymous donor to the UCSF Osher Center. Larissa Duncan's work on this article was supported by NIH/NCCAM K01 AT005270. Special thanks to the many families who have been willing to share their experiences of pregnancy, childbirth, and parenting with us, to Joseph Cook for his skillful assistance with research project management, and most especially to Nancy Bardacke for her tireless work to wisely birth mindful families around the world.
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When This Happens
You've Finally Made It
You've Been Writing for Years
I've been writing for as long as I can remember. All because a teacher told me with my imagination he would see me in books. I believed him. I have worked every day of my life to achieve the goal.
My first book was poetry. I did the typing, got the pages printed, took them to a book binder, and released my first book in 1978. I had exactly fifty copies. Most of them I gave away. But, it was not my ultimate goal. I wanted to be seen as a writer. A serious writer. One who had fans, did book signings or talks, and sold books. It was a start on the path to my goal.
This is the Start
My First Award
With Crossing the Line, I stepped into a controversial subject. I took on bullying and when kids cross the line from harmless to illegal. I entered it in a contest for book of the year in the mystery category. I let my friends know to vote when it came time. There were three other authors in my category. I have a twenty-five percent chance of winning. I figured I'd do okay, but I wasn't going to win.
On one of the last days of December, 2013 the winners were announced. I went through each category sending well wishes to other authors I know. Imagine my utter surprise when I opened the mystery category and my book won. I literally had to pinch myself. I knew the book was good. I had confidence I had covered the theme well. But to win???!!! My one in four chances were much better than I expected.
And just like that I am an Award Winning Author. Now fast forward one year.
Shock Turns to Awe
Who Would Have Imagined?
December, 2014 saw the release of Of Moonbeams and Fairies Collected Tales by yours truly. It was my first true attempt at children's literature. I have written flash fiction pieces geared toward children, but not anything of any length. This book was a labor of love.
To my surprise it went flying off the shelves. I had ordered twenty and by the end of December I was ordering twenty more. Then I checked my Amazon and KDP account. The first thing I noticed was in January I was going to see my largest royalty ever. Not only was this book selling, but so were others.
Then came the shock. My books were selling in Great Britain. Although I have expanded distribution with my books, I have never seen sales overseas. I was ecstatic. Wait for it,...wait... still waiting? It took me almost a week to absorb the implications of this.
Not only am I an award winning author. I am now an Award Winning, International Author. I have broken into the big time. No, I'm not pulling in anything close to what James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, or Nora Roberts do. But I have a big enough following, to get book sales overseas.
Have I reached my goal? I'm close. When I can have a steady royalty every month, I will have achieved my goal. When I get asked to conferences to speak about writing, I will have achieved my goal. When people in other countries than the UK are buying my book regularly, I will have achieved my goal.
What do I do next? Work on book four in my Macy McVannel series and keep doing what I am doing. The thing I love the most, write.
No comments yet.

subset: commoncrawl


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WeeklyBeats.com / Music / Kris Keyser's music / Last Minute Dash
Aptly named song. Written in Korg Gadget.
This submission is licensed by author under Copyright All rights reserved
This one is a lot of fun, very strong track!! And, me too, this week's track was a rush to get through, can't believe we're on week 44, getting so close to finishing out the year!!


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Hey guys! Welcome back. Happy Saturday. As many of you may know I recently purchased the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer. When I got it I tried it and honestly wasn't as impressed as I was hoping I would be. For $27 I was expecting to have my socks blown off. That wasn't my first impression. I had high expectations going in, but having spent$27 on a concealer I feel like I am obligated to that expectation. But that's not what this post is about. If you want a full review on the product comment down below so I know to do that.
This post is actually comparing the Tarte Shape Tape Concealer with the Maybelline Better Skin Concealer. When first trying the Tarte concealer it reminded me a great deal of the Better Skin concealer so I decided to try one on one side of my face and the other on the other side of my face. This is what I discovered.
They both have a very thick consistency and can be a little harder to blend out. So in that way they are the same. They apply the same in their smoothness. Neither one looks very natural and both give a highlighted effect.
The Tarte Shape Tape has a bigger application and you get more product. You do get a lot of product on the applicator and it only takes a small amount to do the job. If you apply to much it can be a little harder to blend and so forth. So just be careful of that. Because a little bit goes such a long way you will get your money's worth with this product which is something very admirable. I appreciate the fact that they made this in a way that will last a long time and is such a high impact product.
The Better Skin has a smaller applicator and comes with less product. However, it is a drugstore product so you can't expect much. For what you get though it is really great. You don't need a lot of product with this one either but for a super full coverage finish you do need a bit more.
As far as the comparison goes, I do think they are really similar. If you are tight on money or just don't want to spend all that money on a concealer I would say go for the Better Skin. The finish is the same and they last about the same length of time. The packaging is very similar and they both look the same on the skin (my skin anyway). So it's really just a preference on what you want to buy.
Have you tried these concealers? What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!
Thank you so much for stopping by and hanging out! I hope you enjoyed this. Please like it if you did. Don't forget to follow before you leave if you have not already and I hope to see you next time!


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Smart Consumer's Guide To Money Coaching & Financial Education – Book Review
I was asked to review this book titled The Smart Consumer's Guide to Money Coaching & Financial Education by Todd R. Tresidder of the website Financial Mentor. He is a financial adviser/coach and I received this ebook free without any qualifications, but just wanted to get that disclaimer out before proceeding.
The basic premise of the book is that every person would do better in life and business if they had a better knowledge of finances and financial issues. The reality if that most of us don't learn anything about finances in school, certainly not how to manage our money, and thus it puts us at a disadvantage whenever we enter the real world. Some people never learn good principles, which is tragic. This book hopes to conquer some of that.
Tresidder talks early about 15 reasons why people should grow their financial intelligence. I'd have to say that I totally agree with all 15 of them, which are more his telling us what reasons get people finally thinking about their financial independence, and 3 in particular stick out in my mind:
- You don't know where to get started and would like a step-by-step blueprint so that you can eliminate the fear and actually persist with enough consistency to reach the goal.
- You want to grow your passive revenue to exceed your expenses so that you can stop working for money and start enjoying it instead.
- You want "true wealth" and not just more money… meaning you want to balance your life while working toward financial freedom so that you don't make the mistake of sacrificing your family, health, or a fulfilling life in pursuit of money.
These resonate with me because they talk address the issue of financial freedom, being able to pretty much spend your money the way you want because you have enough money to be able to do that while taking care of everything else. Who would have problems with that?
Next comes the topic of how one gets financial education and the costs of getting it. The concept of trying to figure out not only what the information is worth to you but how you learn things best sometimes seems to be a dichotomy, and yet it's important to figure out. Do you need to spend $2,000 to go to a class, or $500 a month for someone to coach you through things, or $800 a year for someone to take you through things step by step or to do it all for you or maybe just spend $25 for a book or book on tape because that's all you need? Overall, he's stressing the importance of getting a good financial education is important, but making sure you do what's right for you is equally important.
After that there's a section giving ideas on how to know that you've selected the wrong method for you to learn, tips on picking a money coach if that's what you want to do, and deciding which type of money coach you'd like. At this point you know that the book is geared towards the premise that having a money coach is really in your best interest, and that's the point where I go off opinion more than what the rest of the book has to say.
It's important for all of us to know more about our finances and how it all works. Whether it's a money coach or someone managing your finances in another way, there is an acknowledgement that for most of us it's hard figuring everything out on our own. Pretty much like most things in life, having someone help us could help us get further ahead.
A major rule of thumb always says that one has to spend money to make money. How one spends their money and how much is another thing. You can pay for coaching, advisors or even things like The Smart Consumer's Guide to Money Coaching & Financial Education, which you can get at this link, and get a lot of value from any of them. By the way, this ebook is free if you subscribe to the page.
As with anything else you'll get out of it what you can put into it. I don't do money coaching, which is a relatively new term, but I do leadership/executive coaching. People always do better when they're held accountable by someone, so this might be a way to go. With advisors, they tend to do it all for you and then tell you what they did, and you probably don't remember anything 10 minutes after they left. But if you're not up for the intensity, then coaching might not be for you.
Still, it wouldn't hurt you to check out the book to see what your options are, and who knows, you might be encouraged to go this route. Can't hurt. 🙂


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Papers & Presentations
Academic Publications
Cukier, W. (Revise and resubmit). Disruptive Processes and Skills Mismatches in the New Economy: Theorizing Social Inclusion and Innovation as Solutions. Journal of Global Responsibility
(R)Cukier, W., Elmi, M., Gagnon, S. (Revise and resubmit). Examining diverse representation in broadcast news. Sage Publications (R). Cukier W., R., Gagnon, S. & Jackson, S. (2019). (Accepted).
The Representation of Women and Racialized Minorities as Expert Sources On-Air in Canadian Public Affairs Television. Canadian Journal of Communications, V44. (R).Cukier, W., & Gagnon, S. (Under Review).
Racialized minorities in leadership roles in the Greater Montreal area: From data to action. Directions. (R).Barber, M., & Cukier, W. (Under Review).
Gender representation on Canadian television news during provincial elections: A longitudinal study. International Journal of Diversity in Organizations, Communities and Nations. (R). Bates, K., Roach, E. & Cukier, W. (Under Review).
Gender Balance in Canada's Boardrooms: The Role of Committee Participation and Critical Mass. Canadian Journal of Administrative Studies. (R). Latif, R., Gagnon, S., Chraibi, R., & Cukier, W. (2018).
The Diversity of Professional Canadian Muslim Women: Faith, agency, and 'performing' identity. Journal of Management and Organization, 24(5), 612-633. (R).Hodson, J., Jackson, S., & Cukier, W. (2018).
Between the corporations and the closet: Ethically researching LGBTQ identities in the workplace. Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 37(3). 283-297. (R).Cukier, W., & Eagen, S. (2018).
Gun violence: An international perspective. In B. J. Bushman (Ed.), Aggression and Violence. Current Opinion in Psychology, 16(1). 109-112. (R).


text: John Joyce wrote: > > On Feb 2, 2008, at 12:54 PM, M. Edward (Ed) Borasky wrote: > >> John Joyce wrote: >>> A quicker easier way? Well, that's a good question, initially, I >>> think of RubyCocoa, but of course it requires a little understanding >>> of the Cocoa/NextStep/OpenStep world.... however, what I don't know >>> and am very curious about now is whether or not there is a RubyCocoa >>> equivalent for GNUOpenStep (or is it GNUStep?) itself!!? >> >> * gnustep-libs/rigs >> Latest version available: 0.2.2.20050714-r1 >> Latest version installed: [ Not Installed ] >> Unstable version: 0.2.2.20050714-r1 >> Use Flags (stable): -debug -doc >> Size of downloaded files: [no/bad digest] >> Homepage: http://www.gnustep.org/experience/RIGS.html >> Description: Ruby Interface for GNUstep. >> License: LGPL-2.1 GPL-2 >> >> >> > Ed you're a saint! > Now I have a reason to put up with the things I don't like about linux > GUIs! > I've long felt the biggest problem with Linux for the desktop (meaning > for everyday people) is that the interfaces stink when you're used to OS > X or even Windows. The decentralized nature of it is that things are > pretty fugly at times and inconsistent. > KDE is nicer looking, but the overall system lacks consistency with that > or Gnome. > I love using the Mac, but I have little love for their business > practices. Microsoft is also, more obviously, hard to love... > I'm now looking forward to playing with gnustep on linux! > > Well ... before you canonize me too quickly, see https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=208643 :) I've been running WindowMaker as my main desktop for a couple of years now, but I've never actually attempted to get the GNUStep stuff working. I'll never go back to KDE or Gnome -- they're just too bloated.


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Your life at Butler University will be easier if you learn to avoid some of the common problems. You can stay away from the worst place to study in the library and skip the scary fines for parking in the wrong lot by paying attention. Butler University can provide you with a great college experience, but it has not escaped the issues commonly seen at other schools.
1.) Avoid Walking Alone at Night in the Butler Tarkington Neighborhood
Despite the police presence on the campus, safety is a concern for students at the university. The Butler-Tarkington neighborhood includes the university and residential areas near the school. The problems include abandoned houses, traffic issues and crime. There are frequent reports of assaults, robberies and rapes, so students should not walk alone at night.
The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has shared crime reports for the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood, and the list includes robberies, vandalism, battery, car thefts and other problems. If you cannot avoid walking at night because of working late in the labs or studying for exams, then consider using the Butler University Police Department's Dawg Ride.
This is a free van that picks up students who are scared to walk back to their dorms or cars. However, you should avoid abusing the Dawg Ride program because you can be banned.
2.) Avoid Overdrawing Your Butler University Account
Unpaid bills can be a big problem for students at Butler University. If your account is overdrawn and remains unpaid, then the school can stop you from registering for new classes. In addition, the school will refuse to give you a transcript or diploma.
Your balance will continue to grow as the university adds finance charges of 18% APR. You must pay your entire balance to graduate from Butler University because the payment terms allow the school to stop you from enjoying commencement.
3.) Avoid Parking in the Wrong Lot
Parking is a constant problem at Butler University and using the wrong lot can make your life miserable. For example, if you are a commuter, then you must have the C permit and park in the corresponding lots. A student with a C permit cannot use the B permit lots without risking a fine and tow.
The Butler University police frequently fine students with tickets ranging from $25 to $100. The higher fees are reserved for violations like parking in the grass, taking an ADA reserved spot or parking in the fire lane. Cars can also be towed, and students have to pay the tickets before getting them back.
4.) Avoid Studying on the Third Floor of Irwin Library
Irwin Library is one of Butler University's most popular places for students to study. It has multiple study areas and individual study rooms that can be reserved. However, many students avoid the third floor of Irwin Library because it gets too hot in the warmer months.
If you try to study on the third floor, the library's large windows help the sun bake you. In addition, the top floor has the smallest number of study areas because of the rare books and special collections section. You can find better study areas on the first and second floor. Even the basement is better than the top floor.
5.) Avoid Dragging All of Your Books to Class
It is usually not necessary to bring the 500-page textbook to every class. However, underclassmen frequently make the mistake of dragging all of their books with them and simply create back problems that can last a lifetime. Most professors will let you know ahead of time if you need to bring a book to class, so avoid the risk of ripping your backpack.
If you are a commuter, then this is an important guideline to follow because leaving books in a car can tempt thieves to break your windows. Your textbooks are an expensive investment, so leave them at home or in the dorms.
There are several things you should avoid at Butler University to make your life better. If you remember where to park, where to study and what to stay away from, then you can reduce the stress and focus on getting your research paper turned in on time.
Lana Bandoim is a freelance writer and editor. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry from Butler University. Her work has been published on websites ranging from Yahoo! News to Life script.


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Cork, Fork & Brews is a dinner auction that pays tribute to the culinary excellence of local chefs, restaurants and caterers while raising money to provide development programs to at-risk youth in Jefferson City. Top chefs from the Capital City Area will donate their time and talents to prepare a gourmet sampling that we will be coupled with a wine and beer tasting. A silent auction will be held in conjunction with the sampling. Dinner is followed by a live auction, which includes unique dining, entertainment and vacation packages.
Cork & Fork provides valuable funds that help kids in our community who need us the most. Boys & Girls Club helps at-risk youth in our community by providing meaningful activities that promote self-esteem, confidence and better decision making skills. The Club provides a safe, caring environment for youth during the time of day when kids are most susceptible to at-risk behavior - after school.
Want to donate some items but not sure what we need? Here is a list of some supplies for our Programs, Activities, and Facility.
2019-2020 Program Enrollment IS OPEN!
Boys & Girls Club has moved to an online registration system called Parent Portal.
If you are a returning member of the Boys & Girls Club you must request login access to the new system by contacting Shelby Bopp at email@example.com and providing the following information: Parent's full name, e-mail address, and the names of all children you wish to enroll.This will allow us to link your current members to your parent account and you will receive an email invitation to apply.
If you are new to Boys & Girls Club, please visit the parent portal at parentportal.bgcjc.com and click Create new account.
If you have any questions on enrollment or any issues with Parent Portal please contact Shelby Bopp at firstname.lastname@example.com!
U.S. Cellular donated $10,000 to the Boys and Girls Club of the Capital City in Jefferson City. This donation is part of U.S. Cellular's $1.25 million national commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America and National 4-H Council.
As part of this initiative, the company announced a goal of 30,000 volunteer hours to complete by the end of the year. By collaborating with local Boys & Girls clubs and 4-H Clubs, U.S. Cellular associates are impacting communities throughout the year through a myriad of volunteer efforts, including mentorship, STEM-focused opportunities, club clean-up days and creative events. US Cellular employees have partnered with Boys & Girls Club for a landscaping project at the Teen Center as well as a hosting a dance for Teen Center members and residents at the Clark Senior Center.
We are in our new facility and it is simply AMAZING! We would love to share the amazing with you and show you how we are putting our Mission to use.
Contact us to set up a tour!


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Hover over main image to zoom
Fabric: Shimmer
Light gold shimmer front open top hand embroidered on full front.
shimmery crochet stitched on bottom and sleeves.
Trouser : Cotton silk trouser finished with shimmery crochet on bottom (Add in options below, extra charges apply).
Dupatta: crinckle chiffon dupatta pipin all around (Add in options below, extra charges apply).


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In January 2019 Kate sent me the first chapter from Wheesht. I settled down with my coffee that Sunday morning to read 'Don't Ask', and it hit me like a tonne of bricksRead More
All articles filed in making
north star snood
During our Hebridean break last week, we took the opportunity to photograph the results of my latest ready-made knitwear project: the North Star Snood. I loved designing my snoods last year, and also really enjoyed the process of working with William Lockie. Last year I used stitch patterns which had been previously featured on my…Read More
Making books by hand: part 3
Making Latitude Hello again, it's Tom here with my third, and final, instalment about making my new book, Latitude. In my previous two posts I've spoken about the craft of bookbinding and the importance of the choice of materials to the finished book object. Today I'd like to tell you more about the concepts and…Read More
Making books by hand: part 2
Hi, it's Tom again, with part 2 of my series about my new adventures in book making – and specifically about making a particular book, which I've named Latitude. Latitude is a photographic project I've been working on for the past year or so. It's a made-object, as much as it is a collection of…Read More
Making Milarrochy Tweed
We are all busy here behind the scenes – putting the finishing touches to the pattern collection that will be released as part of our forthcoming club, and awaiting the arrival of our new and much-anticipated yarn – Milarrochy Tweed. Milarrochy Tweed is produced for us by our friends at Donegal Yarns – a company…Read More
Ootlier 2018 Calendar
The turn of October is generally the moment when all of the projects we have been working on throughout the year really start to come together. This year seems to be a particularly busy one: KDD Originals have just been released; our new yarn is in the final stages of scouring and skeining (hurrah); I'm…Read More
making stuff (at Lockies)
One thing you can say about knitting: it really makes you think about the many different processes that producing textiles involve. For example, prior to becoming an obsessive knitter, I had never really considered blocking a woollen garment (with water or with steam) . . . . . . nor had I understood what a…Read More
summer shawls
We are gradually adding a range of different kits, books, and other products to the KDD shop, and the latest to arrive are kits for two of my most popular shawl designs – Fantoosh, and A Hap for Harriet. Both shawls are great for summer knitting, and I think both also make ideal accessories for…Read More
Jane Hunter
Yesterday Tom and I took a drive down the road to West Kilbride. Known as Craft Town Scotland, the thriving main street hosts the studios of talented local artists, designers and craftspeople, such as my friends and compatriots Lillith (Old Maiden Aunt) and Ange (Weftblown). Jane Hunter's studio is there too, and this was the…Read More
Shetland Oo: making a book
Hello – it's Tom here – for a change. Kate is busy working on her Islay project, and I'm taking a break today from shipping out orders. I wanted to say thanks so much for your interest in our Shetland Oo book. Apart from being my first major project as a photographer, Oo is the…Read More
Helen Robertson
If you've read my introduction to The Book of Haps then you'll already have come across Helen Robertson – a Shetland artist and craftswoman whose work I deeply admire. Working with silver wire and other precious materials, Helen has developed a uniquely thoughtful aesthetic which celebrates, commemorates and reflects upon Shetland's history and heritage –…Read More
a handmade wedding
Thankyou, all of you, for your lovely comments and congratulations! I thought you might appreciate hearing a little more about the handmade elements of our wedding. A few years ago, Tom decided to have a kilt made. His surname is Barr, and the tartan of that name is also associated with a popular Scottish soft-drinks…Read More


text:
12 cup brewsense coffee maker stainless
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- Pure flavour technology- consistent great flavour from the first to last drop.
- 12 cup flavour carafe ensures that coffee stays warm for longer.
- Brew strength selector allow you to enjoy your coffee regular or bold just the way you like it.
- Anti-drip system lets you pause and pour mid- brew with virtually no mess.
- Keep warm plate with adjustable control enables you to keep your coffee warm for hours.
- Premium LCD display - easy to use LED control panel allows intuitive and convenient operation.
- 1-4 cup setting button for brewing smaller quantities without compromising on flavour.
- 24 hour timer can be programmed to automatically make your coffee right when you want it.
- Includes:coffee maker, 12 cup carafe, gold tone permanent filter, charcoal water filter,coffee measuring scoop.
- Size: 8 x 8 x 14 inch.
- Colour: Stainless.
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text: Mar27 Posted on March 27, 2013 by pallavisharma Standard As more and more people will be planning their summer holiday trips, these tips will really come in handy! Thank you! Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)Like this:Like Loading... Related


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1975 Olds Delta 88 Royale Custom Convertible - Very Well Done - Tons of Car Fo
- Make: Oldsmobile
- Model: Eighty-Eight
- SubModel: Custom Royale Convertible
- Type: Convertible
- Trim: Royale Convertible
- Year: 1975
- Mileage: 108,300
- Color: garnet red
- Engine size: Rocket 350 V-8
- Number of cylinders: 8
- Power options: Air Conditioning, Power Windows, Power Seats
- Transmission: Automatic
- Drive type: RWD
- Interior color: Burgundy
- Options: CD Player, Convertible
- Vehicle Title: Clear Want to buy? Contact seller!
1975 Oldsmobile Eighty-Eight Royale Convertible
1975 Olds Delta 88 Royale Custom Convertible - Very Well Done - Tons of Car For the Money
I am pleased to offer this beautiful and laser straight 1975 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale custom convertible. A tremendous amount of money has been spent to customize this car and it was done in a very professional and tasteful way. From the dual antenna treatment (very old school) and the shaved door handles to the smoothened and chromed bumpers, this car is a show car but on a budget. VIN # is 3N67K5M313092.Features:
- 108,362 Original miles
- Original Rocket 350 motor (very clean engine bay)
- Climate Control AC (works fine)
- Power windows
- Remote Controlled power door openers (hidden emergency button as well)
- Power Trunk (remote controlled/button and manual)
- Power seats
- Power mirrors
- Power steering
- Front disc brakes (rear drum)
- 600 Watt hidden Clarion receiver with IR remote, Bluetooth, Sirius and Pandora. 6- hidden JL Audio speakers and on 12" subwoofer in the trunk.
- 2 Stage Garnet Pearl Red paint (Sikkens)
- Original interior (gorgeous)
- Red canvas top
- Brand new Vogue gold line tires
- 15" Tru Spoke wheels
- Dual exhaust with Flowmasters
- Custom springs to lower the ride by 3 inches
- Original clock still works
- Laser straight down the sides - these big American highway cruiser are notorious for being very wavy - not this oneCustom Work:
- Door handles and locks shaved (open via remote control/ hidden emergency button)
- Trunk lock shaved (open via remote control/factory button or hidden manual release)
- All emblems removed
- De- trimmed side molding
- Front marker light removed and filled
- Custom rear fender skirts
- Front bumper has the license plate bracket removed, rubber trim removed and the holes have been welded shut and re-chromed
- Rear bumper has the rubber trim removed and the holes have been welded shut and re-chromed
This is an older restoration - the car had a frame-on restoration in 1996. The paint is in excellent shape but does have a few nicks and scratches here and there.
The car has always been garage kept since owner purchased in 1993 from the second owner. Owner has all of the original documentation and window sticker.
This beauty doesn't need a thing - it has been fully serviced and is very reliable. Owner notes that he would drive it across the country without hesitation.
1975 Olds Delta 88 Royale Custom Convertible - Very Well Done - Tons of Car For the Money
Car is located in Babylon, NY (Long Island).Contact Ron Susser
Legal Information And Disclaimer
Vehicles & Other Items
This item or vehicle is being sold as is, where is with no warranty, expressed written or implied unless there is a warranty in effect from the factory. The seller shall not be responsible for the correct description, authenticity, genuineness, or defects herein, and makes no warranty in connection therewith. No allowance or set aside will be made on account of any incorrectness, imperfection, defect or damage. Any descriptions or representations are for identification purposes only and are not to be construed as a warranty of any type. It is the responsibility of the buyer to have thoroughly inspected the vehicle, and to have satisfied himself or herself as to the condition and value and to bid based upon that judgement solely. The seller shall and will make every reasonable effort to disclose any known defects associated with this vehicle at the buyer's request prior to the close of sale. Seller assumes no responsibility for any repairs regardless of any oral statements about the vehicle or item.
Seller reserves the right not to sell to any bidder with 0 or negative feedback or to any bidder for any reason. 10% (non-refundable deposit) in certified funds or bank to bank wire transfer is due within 2 business days of auction end and balance is due within 7 business days of auction end. Buyer is responsible for cost of shipping but seller may be able to assist in arranging shipping. I can be reached at (630) 567-0066 to discuss the item. Please see my other auctions for high quality new and used vehicles and other quality collectibles.
Remember that your bid constitutes a legally binding contract to purchase this item. If you require an inspection, have it done prior to bidding. I strongly encourage all bidders to inspect vehicle personally or enlist the services of a professional inspector prior to placing a bid. After the sale, inspections are not recognized as a contingency to completing your obligation to your winning bid. If there are any questions regarding the above terms, please e-mail prior to bidding. Serious bidders only please. Good luck!
Copyright 1999-2017 RonSusser. All Rights Reserved. All other trademarks, names, and anything else implied in this document are owned and protected by their respective owners.


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A veteran lineman takes an awe-struck young farmer under his wing, but problems arise when he introduces him to his occasional girlfriend, a pretty nurse. . You can read more in Google, Youtube, Wiki
Farmer slim joins a group of workers who are building power lines. Foreman Red teaches him all he needs and soon they become friends. When they are fired because they protected their boss in a case when another worker died by falling from a mast because he was drunk, they go to Chicago, where they spend their money and visit Red's girl friend, Cally. Cally, who Red doesn't want to marry because he doesn't want to make her a widow if he has an accident - also falls in love with Slim. On another construction site, Slim is stabbed by a personal foe of Red, when he accused him of sabotaging a ladder Red was going to use to 100 feet. Cally, a nurse, comes to the hospital near the construction site and gets Slim back on his feet. Cally proposes marriage if Slim stops working, but he refuses and joins Red on a dangerous job, keeping the power during a blizzard on the northern Eastcoast. Working next to 88,000 volt power line means taking a deadly risk, as Cally, Red and Slim know....
- Category:Romance
- Stars:Pat O'Brien, Henry Fonda, Stuart Erwin, Margaret Lindsay, J. Farrell MacDonald, Dick Purcell, Joe Sawyer, Craig Reynolds, John Litel, Jane Wyman, Harland Tucker, Joe King, Carlyle Moore Jr., Archie Robbins, Henry Otho,
- Uploader:Fakyougo
- Country:USA
- Director:Ray Enright,
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8 Interesting WhatsApp Features You Must Know About
You may have been using WhatsApp for years but are you aware of all the features that come with it? There's much more than just blocking a contact and knowing when the recipient has read your message. We list down the 8 interesting WhatsApp features that you should know about… 1. WhatsApp Rolls Out Its New Feature WhatsApp used to be a messaging app but it has now transformed into a social media-like app. If you have the latest update, you may have noticed the new 'Status' tab right on…Read More


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All my dreams, you shattered,
My vulnerable heart, you battered.
To all your wishes, I catered,
But you killed me, after you flattered.
I loved you unfathomably,
But, from my life, you decided to flee.
I was already living a life of sorrow,
You made me a little more to borrow.
You inflicted upon me, a pain, lifelong!
And proved my thinking, completely wrong.
You took advantage of my generosity,
And insulted my love's simplicity.
You stabbed me on heart, after choking my breath,
I had little to choose, but to suffer a double death!
Double Death
All my dreams, you shattered,


text:
Tenzing Expands its Ecommerce Ecosystem in a Strategic Partnership with Heiler Software AG
Agreement Provides New Solutions for Product Information Management and Managed Hosting Services.
TORONTO AND VANCOUVER – July 10, 2012
Tenzing Managed IT Services (Tenzing), a leading provider of hosting solutions for ecommerce clients, System Integrators (SIs) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers, along with Heiler Software, a dominant force in Product Information Management (PIM) software, today announced a new strategic partnership. Under the terms of the agreement, Heiler will offer Tenzing's managed hosting solutions to its new North American customers. The two companies are experts in their respective fields and committed to expanding the adoption and continued growth of ecommerce in the marketplace. The agreement will include joint strategic planning and co-marketing activities designed to broaden the service offerings of each organization.
"The ability to acquire, manage, and syndicate product information to all sales channels has become the key differentiator for successful multichannel strategies," says Greg Wong, CEO of Heiler Software Corporation. "The Heiler PIM suite provides the platform to support this strategy and Tenzing gives our customers the option of leveraging that platform in a managed service or cloud based deployment scenario."
Heiler's method of professional services and consulting, coupled with their certified partner network, is based on a business value oriented model. With a matrix of key performance indicators, Heiler helps retailers, distributors, and manufacturers determine which measurements will benefit them. Heiler's Product Information Management (PIM) solution provides a centralized, integrated, and flexible platform that drives multichannel commerce, increases conversions and margins, and accelerates time-to-market. This enables multichannel businesses to provide a continuous omni-channel experience to their customers.
Tenzing managed hosting reduces the ongoing business risks, capital requirements, and operational costs associated with the reliable, secure, and scalable delivery of complex ecommerce and SaaS applications like PIM. Tenzing works with best-of-breed partners to deliver solutions that effectively address a broader range of challenges faced by their clients.
"Companies usually don't want to build the expertise, processes and 24×7 support needed to host these specialized applications in-house. They would rather concentrate on their core business, not the infrastructure," explains Brian Shepard, founder and CEO of Tenzing. "Heiler's preference was to deal with one company and they found a trusted partner in Tenzing. As their preferred managed hosting provider, we help simplify the business models for Heiler and their new customers in North America. With this partnership, everyone can focus on what they do best. Tenzing is tightly focused on ecommerce and the eco-system of technology providers who support it. Our relationships with leading developers like Heiler, along with best-in-class SIs, provide a winning combination for our clients and deepens the expertise and value we bring to the ecommerce space."
About Heiler Software
Heiler Software enables retailers, manufacturers, and distributors to manage all of their product information from a central data source – for all communication channels and all languages. Heiler also supports large, multinational companies in e-procurement. The company's industry-independent catalog solution safeguards the automated, cost-saving procurement of products and services as well as their integration into the supply chain. Worldwide, more than 300 corporate and mid-size companies, such as Daimler, Coca Cola, and General Motors, rely on Heiler solutions.
About Tenzing Managed IT Services
Founded in 1998, Tenzing is a leading provider of hosting solutions for e-commerce clients, System Integrators (SIs), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers. Tenzing's mature IT Service Management (ITSM) and ITIL best practices provide the foundation for the reliable, secure, and scalable delivery of complex applications around the clock. Backed by comprehensive Service Level Agreements (SLAs), Tenzing is SSAE16 Type II, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS and Visa PCI certified with data centres in Dallas, TX, Toronto, ON, and Vancouver and Kelowna, B.C. For more information, visit: newweb-admin.tenzing.com.
Media Contacts
Dave Geada
Director of Marketing and Product Management
877-767-5577 ext. 451
Aisling McCaffrey
Latest posts by Aisling McCaffrey (see all)
- Five Tips to Prepare Your Cloud Infrastructure for the Holiday Season Traffic - September 24, 2018
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Dimitar DimovPartner
Year of Qualification: 2003
Specialist Areas: M&A,Corporate, Private Equity, Commercial, Telecommunications and Dispute Resolution.
Dimitar Dimov has experience in a range of Bulgarian corporate law work. He has focused primarily on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, international joint ventures, private equity and venture capital. His current clients are involved in the media and telecommunications, banking, real estate and energy sectors, as well as a variety of investment companies. Dimitar received his LL.M. from Sofia University in 2003 and also attended the University of Fribourg, Switzerland. He is also a Bachelor of Applied Linguistics (English and Japanese) of Veliko Tarnovo University. Dimitar is a member of the Sofia Bar.
Radoslav TashevPartner
Year of Qualification: 2002
Specialist Areas: Civil Law, Contracts, Real Estate, Competition and Foreign Investment.
Radoslav Tashev advised major investment funds and companies. He is specialized in project development and collaborated with international investors during his career as governmental legal expert at InvestBulgaria Agency. He advised investors on establishment and development of their businesses and ongoing operations in Bulgaria where he also acted as a point of contact and interrelation with other governmental institutions. Currently, he specializes in real estate, retail, renewable energy, and investment structures. Radoslav received his LL.M. from Sofia University in 2002 and is a member of the Sofia Bar.
Katerina PartenovaAssociate
Year of Qualification: 2009
Specialist Areas: Real Estate, Media & Telecommunications, Regulatory Matters.
Katerina Partenova has experience in real estate transactions and notary law. She received her LL.M. from Sofia University and is a member of the Sofia Bar. She is currently advising international companies on TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunication) matters with a particular emphasis in the area of regulatory compliance - competition, communications, etc. Currently, she is representing international clients before the Communications Regulation Commission (CRC), Council of Electronic Media (CEM), Personal Data Protection Commission (PDPC) on a number of regulatory assignments - licensing, permits, etc.
Milena TsonevskaAssociate
Year of Qualification: 1995
Specialist Areas: Intellectual Property, Employment & Labour Law, Public & Administrative Law.
Milena Tsonevska, received her LL.M. degree from Sofia University in 1995 and has been a member of the Sofia Bar Association since 1997. She specialized at Vienna University in the discipline "Legal and Institutional Framework of the European Union in 2000. Milena Tsonevska is a certified patent attorney (authorized industrial property representative) and is entered with the Register of Industrial Property Representatives at the Patent Office of the Republic of Bulgaria under Reg. No 287, with full capacity on Inventions and Utility Models, as well as Marks, Geographical Indications and Industrial Designs.
Alexander KravarskyAssociate
Year of Qualification: 1995
Specialist Areas: Litigation & Arbitration, Public & Administrative Law.
Alexander Kravarsky received his LL.M. degree from Sofia University in 1995 and has been a member of the Sofia Bar Association since 1997. He has a strong practice in the field of commercial dispute resolution - litigation, arbitration and ADR (alternative dispute resolution) before all courts' instances in Bulgaria - civil, commercial, employment, administrative, as well as Arbitration disputes before national arbitration bodies such as Arbitration Court at the Bulgarian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI), etc.
Denitsa DinevaAdministrative Manager
Year of Qualification: 2012
Specialist Areas: office management, client relations, accounting and bookkeeping.
Denitsa Dineva is currently graduating a master's degree at law studies at Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski". She is in charge of the administration of Dimov & Tashev Law Firm - office management, relations with clients, contractors, etc., preparation and processing of company's accounting and bookkeeping.


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The Natural Resource Governance Institute, NRGI, has organised a summer school aimed at allowing participants have a deeper understanding of the issues and challenges in the extractive industry within the African region.
"We hope they use the insights to improve upon the existing frameworks in the sub-region," said Emmanuel Kuyole, Africa Consultant, NGRI.
"The purpose is to develop a regional capacity to provide effective training and mentoring to grow the number of knowledgeable, skilled human resources who are duly equipped to ensure strong oversight and governance of extractive industries and natural resources," he added.
The summer school is part of the core activities of the African Regional Extractive Industries Knowledge Hub, established by the NRGI in collaboration with the German International Development Cooperation in 2009.
Over the last seven years, over 240 participants drawn from Britain and Iraq, as well as Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and several other African countries have attended the school.
About 45 participants from across Africa took part in this year's training, a two-week intensive programme that included a field trip to the Ghana National Gas Company facility.
About a dozen experts in oil, gas, and mining sector participated as resource persons in the two-week programme.
Dauda Garuba, a consultant to the NGRI urged African countries to put in place a demonstrable solid strategy to deliver on set goals.
"Regardless of the diversity of the political economy direction in resource governance, countries should make conscious efforts to prevent an enclave economy as a safeguard against volatility," said Mr. Garuba.
"They should also ensure a creation of necessary business incentives without giving in to abuses and embrace an effective revenue management regime that makes resources work for the citizens' sustainable development."
Mark Evans, Programme Manager at Ghana Oil and Gas for Inclusive Growth, said a prudent management of revenues from the extractive sector would help avoid the Dutch Disease factor – a phenomenon whereby sharp inflow of foreign currency ensues- such as a discovery of large oil reserves.
"Resource revenues are potentially very large, volatile and will run out," Mr. Evans said.
"This can hold back broader development, create macroeconomic instability, leaving little for future generations."
Samuel Bekoe, a resource governance consultant, identified corruption, tax avoidance or evasion, and contract secrecy as among the factors responsible for countries earning lower revenues than expected from their extractive industries.
Out of 45 cases of alleged corruption in the extractive sector gathered by the NRGI, 28 resulted from cases of hidden ownership.
Some of the ways extractive companies conceal their beneficial owners, according to Mr. Bekoe, include substituting natural persons, inserting opaque entities as shareholders, and holding assets and sending the payments offshore.
For instance, in the Malabu Oil scandal in Nigeria, the company included in its list of directors, a fictitious Port Harcourt-based Ghanaian, Kweku Amafagha.
Godwin Ojo, Executive Director of the Environmental Rights Action, said most Environmental Impact Assessment, EIA reports required before major projects are done to "fulfil all righteousness" and fend off resistance from activists and host communities.
"Despite the salutary provisions of regulation EIA Act, in practical terms, public projects by federal, state and local governments have often failed to comply with the requirements of the Act," said Mr. Ojo.
"Reasons for non-compliance are numerous and range from the need to avoid delays to public interest projects such as major infrastructure, the lack of competence of EIA consultants, the lack of capacity and unwillingness within the Federal Ministry of Environment to enforce the provisions of the Act."
In her keynote address at the opening ceremony of the programme, Barbara Oteng-Gyasi, Ghana's Deputy Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, said a clear understanding of the extractive sector would help facilitate an optimal creation and distribution of the benefits.
"The limited, and sometimes even lack of the requisite knowledge or expertise in these matters had led to countries across the continent that are endowed with mineral, oil and gas resources being short-changed in terms of benefits derived from their resources," said Ms. Oteng-Gyasi, who was represented by an official of Ghana's Lands Ministry, Ben Aryee.
"It is in this context that African leaders, under the auspices of the Africa Union and UNECA, adopted the Africa Mining Vision aimed at a 'Transparent, equitable and optimal exploitation of mineral resources to underpin broad-based sustainable growth and socio-economic development' in 2009."


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Origins of Sociology
Origins of Sociology
The American sociological movement has become an assemblage of techniques for investigating the part which the group factor has played, the part which the group factor is playing, in different areas of human experience.
Until recently the sociologists did not clearly realize that the group factor in experience was an unoccupied center of operations. Nor did they realize that their gropings after a base for introducing a new variant into interpretations of human experience were converging toward this center.
This book was first published serially in the American Journal of Sociology, January, 1923-November, 1924, with the title Some Contributions to the History of Sociology. It does not deal with the maturest, but only with the most elementary, manifestations of the sociological tendency. It is an attempt to show the falsity of the general impression that sociology is like the popular notion of a comet--a monster with an orbit from nowhere to nowhere. The book sustains the main thesis that during the nineteenth century the social sciences were half-consciously engaged in a drive from relatively irresponsible discursiveness toward "positivity" or "objectivity," and that, at its time, the initiation of the American Sociological Movement was as truly a lineal continuance from the previous tradition of social interpretation as was any other of the tendencies which varied the technique of historiography, or economics, or political science.
The book does not purport to be a prospectus of a history of social science. It is not even a complete outline of the history of sociology. It is a syllabus and the beginning of a source book. The most easily authenticated line of descent, between prescientific social rationalizings and the sociological branch of positivistic social science, is through the German historians, and economists . . .


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I wanted to try two new things today. First, a quick post for the Daily Post Writing Challenge, the theme being, The Sound of Blogging, and second, in the dashboard section, compose a quick post.
So, here it is…
"I heard a neigh. Oh, such a brisk and melodious neigh as that was! My very heart leaped with delight at the sound." ~Nathanial Hawthorne
Of all the sounds in the world, the most intoxicating to my soul and sends me leaping with delight, is no other than the dear sounds from God's gift to the world, the horse!
I love how some writers write exactly what you are thinking.
Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, summed up beautifully…"All the sounds dear to a horseman…the snort of the horses as they clear(ed) their throats, the gentle swish of their tails, the tinkle of irons, as we fling the saddles over their backs–little sounds of no importance, but they stay in the unconscious library of memory."
This is my neighbor's horse but one day, I will check off from my bucket list:
Own horses
Have you tried anything new on your blog recently?
What was the best sound you ever heard?
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The price of of digital business incompetence is real and growing. The Gartner Group predicts a quarter of businesses will lose their competitive ranking by 2017, succumbing to competitive business models and talent drain. Digitally savvy Millennials will comprise three quarters of the workforce in just fifteen years. They demand mobility, constant social engagement, instant access and ad hoc collaboration. Success will depend on how quickly and deftly companies build a thriving, digital workplace. It's critical to focus on major technology trends and key workplace themes. Here are five ways to overcome some standard hurdles.
1. Be Fast and Flexible
Connectivity and collaboration are the lifeblood of a a thriving digital workplace. "Speed is the new intellectual property," writes Steve Boyd, Managing Director of Gigaom Research. Surveys show top IT departments have been early adopters of mobile, cloud, BYOD and new communication and collaboration techniques. They are fast and flexible. With this in mind, BMC was inspired to develop a modern service app store for multiple cloud-based and on-premises sources. My IT Service Broker helps managers easily create new services and modify existing workflows. It's a consumer-style, corporate IT store for hardware, software and services. The system can aggregate multiple catalogs from any source, saving time and speeding adoption.
2. Employee Engagement = Business Profitability
"Cultivate deep engagement," advises Booz, Allen, Hamilton in The Digital Workforce, Rethinking the Way We Work. "In many ways, digital is shifting power from your organization to your employee or customer." The Gartner Group also views employee engagement as pivotal: "The new ways of working require behavioral changes as employees collaborate, take on challenges and provide local leadership to redesign the workplace," writes Heather Levy in Eight Building Blocks for the Digital Workplace. Gartner and other consultancies still recommend developing traditional road maps. But many corporations are moving away from paternalism and finding inspiration in more inclusive approaches, such as the Rowe (The Results Only Workplace Environment) movement, a flexible management strategy where employees effectively manage themselves and are "evaluated on performance, not presence." Innovative employee engagement is essential to a successful digital workplace strategy.
3. Embrace Mobility
Mobility is the mega trend in technology and work. Today, smart phones, tablets and laptops are our primary tools of social engagement, entertainment and work. Desktops are a symbol of corporate obsolescence. Forward-looking companies go beyond BYOD to provide staff with their choice of premiere smartphones, and ample support. The investment pays off in productivity and heightened morale. Putting superior digital tools in the hands of your workers is a far wiser allocation of resources than bonuses or fancier offices. The digital workplace is constantly in motion. Workers need to be able to access apps and IT services on the go – anywhere, anytime. Millennials view themselves as empowered, mobile individuals, and the faster you recognize that with increased support and resources, the faster your business will reap the rewards.
4. Consumerize Your IT Offerings
Today's varied consumer digital experiences on mobile devices pose both a threat and opportunity for IT departments. Employees hooked on Facebook, Instagram, Netflix and sophisticated apps, expect consumer friendly user experiences, including from the IT department. Jobs are changing fast. New consumer focused digital tools are required for emerging IT roles like Business Architects, Data Scientists, Social Media Architects, Cloud Engineers and Mobile Technology Experts. Meanwhile, the division between consumer computing (our digital free time), and workplace computing is vanishing. Employees demand social and collaboration work tools that mimic their experience throughout the day.
5. IT Is Key to Balancing Satisfaction and Security
While the trends of mobility and consumer influenced tools are transforming the digital workplace, IT's role remains critical. Ad hoc approaches frequently fail. Experts recommend cultivating a cohesive portfolio of digital workplace tools and services, and developing clear policies to better manage the investments and serve all communities, employees, partners and customers. IT guidance is key for insuring that digital tools meet human business needs and objectives that provide workplace satisfaction without undue security risks. The good news is that adopting a strategy that embraces major trends and the rise of ubiquitous mobility allows you to take solid steps toward a diverse, coordinated digital workplace.
Learn more about MyIT Service Broker.
Read more about the digital workplace: Delivering the Digital Workplace Without the Chaos
Gartner Magic Quadrant for ITSM
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With 20+ years in the restaurant industry, Executive Chef Lamar Kersey not only knows his way around the kitchen, he understands how food can inspire wonderful memories and transform a dining experience into something remarkable. Born and raised in Eatonton, Georgia, Lamar began his career at the age of 15 at the Harbor Club. Following high school, he attended Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, South Carolina, where he obtained a degree in culinary arts. Since then, he has opened several restaurants, and worked at Cuscowilla as sous chef and at the Ritz Carlton Lake Oconee. "I love food and the connection people have with food," said Lamar. "I enjoy making meals that take people back to their childhood or a memory they can connect to." And we're so pleased he's making new memories for us right here!
Lamar Kersey
Executive Chef


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Can angels sin? Were one-third of the angels cast out of heaven? Many of the doctrines we have been taught contradict themselves, don't line up historically or make no sense. More than likely, you have heard several interpretations from Genesis six. The most prevalent one is that angels fell into sin and slept with the daughters of men or the seed of Cain and this caused giants to appear on the earth. Let's read:
And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, that the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.
–Genesis 6:1-2, KJV
As I said in the last chapter, I don't believe angels can sin. Many believe Satan was an angel who fell due to pride and that one-third…
View original post 4,465 more words


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No rational person would ever argue that divorce is a mundane or trifling matter — especially any individual who has ever gone through the process.
In fact, and as is readily perceived by most people, virtually everything about a marital dissolution is singular and bafflingly new.
And often uncomfortable.
Which means that venting about discomfiture — whether that relates to negotiating snafus regarding a parenting plan and child visitation, support-related issues, an equitable division of marital assets, your soon-to-be partner's perceived bad behavior or anything else — is an understandable inclination.
As noted by a divorce columnist in a recent article focused upon the propensity of many divorcing people to air divorce-related grievances on the Internet, the ready accessibility of sites such as Facebook for venting can bring some serious problems.
To wit: The audience for revealed scorn, indignation, unbridled emotionalism and other passions can be flatly huge and include large numbers of people who are not actually friends in the true sense of that word.
And it might be a good idea for some avidly posting people to remember these two points: Once information is "out there," it can be sent along to an unfathomably wide universe of recipients, and the data available for viewing can stay online seemingly forever.
"Inviting other people into your life by sharing intimate details will only make things messier and more hurtful," notes the above writer.
It's understandable that a divorcing party might need to reach out and confide in someone else occasionally concerning developments in the divorce process.
The bottom line: That's what trusted family members and truly inner-circle friends are for.


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A Ministry of the Beloved
Theology seems to be making a comeback in youth ministry these days. Maybe it's the anxiety and spiritual confusion of our time, or maybe it's the graced evolution of our field. Whatever the reason, more and more youth ministers are heading to forums and programs organized by major seminaries to ask the hard questions about their work:
What does God have to do with this anyway? Are the armpit relays and hot topic lessons really faithful to God's mission to young people? What would Jesus do? Is the quoting of Bible verses going to be enough to reach the millennial soul? How do we contend with the saturation bombing of youth culture by digital media that promote the world of cool and the false gods of consumerism? And what about all of this new spirituality stuff? Are candles, labyrinths, and chanting really the answer?
There are no easy answers, and there never have been. St. Anselm once defined theology as "faith seeking understanding," but theological understanding invites us beyond reason and logic into an experience of the mystery of God's presence and activity in human affairs. It requires a certain humility to even begin to speak of God when confronted with the death of a child or an event like the 9/11 attacks.Even in the everyday world of church and ministry, we have to dig deep to figure out whether any of the activities, programs, and events make sense in the light of biblical teaching and church tradition.
And let's be honest. When we step back and reflect on our ministry, we have to admit that there's a lot that doesn't make sense at all. It's messy and confusing— even when things are going well.
Images of God
That's why theology still matters. The images of God that we bring consciously or unconsciously into our daily work in ministry make a huge difference to us and to the young people we serve. We only have to look at the daily news to see how distorted images of God can fuel religious extremism, violence, and terrorism.
And lest we think this is associated with only one certain world religion, we don't have to look far to find warped Christian theology. Watching footage recently of the terrible school massacre in Beslan, I was intrigued when reporters interviewed a Russian Orthodox priest in the town. Hoping to hear words of peace, healing, and reconciliation, I was shocked when the priest began hissing, "We will kill the enemy. Those who harm us will be punished by God and burn in hell." So much for the God of love or the forgiveness of Jesus Christ.
Like much of religious extremism, both sides in this terrible conflict are driven by a cruel, punishing God who stands on the side of the righteous and seeks only the destruction of the infidel. As Anne Lamott reminds us, however, when heaven's enemies start looking only like ours, we can be pretty sure we've created God in our own image. When we assign someone else to hell, I would add, that's a pretty clear indication we're on that road ourselves.
Contemplative Youth Ministry
Over the past several years, my colleagues and I at the Youth Ministry and Spirituality Project have been involved in the formation of youth ministers and their churches in a contemplative approach to ministry. Our mission has been to help them move from anxiety-driven to Spirit-led youth ministry by attending to God's presence, discerning the call of the Holy Spirit, and accompanying young persons on the way of Jesus. We've encouraged our partners to ground their theology in the person of Jesus Christ and his way of unconditional compassion. Theologically, we always look to him as our plumb line in evaluating the integrity and authenticity of our ministry to young people.
More specifically, we've focused on three moments in the life of Jesus that disclose the core meaning and purpose not only of his life and mission but also of ours. These are the moments where Jesus is named, claimed, and sent by the Spirit. To ponder these moments reveals not so much what Jesus would do in any given instance, but who Jesus is at every moment.
In the gospels, it's clear that Jesus is the one who knows himself as the Beloved of God. To understand Jesus as Beloved also provides an invitation to experience ourselves as Beloved. To understand how Jesus reveals to others their true nature as Beloved invites us to reveal to others their deepest identity as Beloved when we minister in his name.
Named as Beloved
The first moment, and in many ways the most important for our theology of youth ministry, is Jesus' experience of being named as Beloved. For us, the synoptic accounts of Jesus' baptism at the Jordan and the words of God addressed to him have become the foundation of our understanding of Christian formation. In Mark's gospel, Jesus' vision as he's coming up out of the water is described in these words: "…he saw heaven being torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.'" (1:10b-11)
For us as youth ministers, the inner meaning of this event is what's decisive and even explosive in its implications. It's Jesus' experience of being named and claimed as the beloved Son of God in whom God takes delight. It's the awakening of Jesus to his core identity as the Christ, the Anointed One who's unconditionally beloved and uniquely valuable in the embrace of God. Just as Jesus becomes fully self-aware of his identity as the Christ, we believe that in our baptism we too, as followers of Christ, are invited to gradually shed the false identity of the flesh and to receive the very same anointing as one called to live in the freedom and peace that comes with the power of the Spirit.
If Christ's baptism is considered the prototype of our own, the invitation we hear as youth ministers is to claim for ourselves experientially the healing power of this sacrament that restores us to our deepest and truest identity as beloved of the Father. Secondly, it's a powerful invitation for us to ground our ministry in cooperation with the redemptive power of Christ and the sanctifying power of the Spirit who seeks to liberate young persons from the false identity that can form in their lives and to anoint them with a continuing experience of their own identity as beloved children of God.
The importance of hearing our true name as beloved was brought home to me once in the presence of the great Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu of Cape Town, South Africa. Tutu was addressing our group of senior theological students at Candler School of Theology. He congratulated us for our many years of study and our mastery of disciplines such as systematic theology, biblical studies, and church history. But he told us that as we prepared to minister to others in Christ's name, we had to understand that, in fact, we knew nothing of any great value if we didn't know in our hearts that we were beloved of God.
He went on to tell us that if we knew this name as beloved in the depths of our being, as Christ did, then we would be able to minister in his name and with the power of his Spirit. If we didn't, then all of our learned words would ring hollow and have no real power to change lives. He announced that in the course he was about to teach us, he was simply going to tell us one story after another about how God had revealed this name to him and how God had loved him into the fullness of life and ministry to others.
It struck me that there was nothing sentimental for him in hearing his name spoken as beloved of God. For Desmond Tutu, knowing his name as beloved was the foundation of his whole ministry. It had empowered him to lead his people through one of the most difficult and violent periods of South African history, to help liberate his country from the evil of apartheid, and to foster forgiveness and healing in the aftermath. While we as ministers may never be called to confront evil at this level, I heard this great leader calling us nonetheless to remember who we truly are as God's beloved so that we might also be empowered to reveal this identity to those we serve.
Claimed as Beloved
The second moment we see in the story of Jesus is that of being claimed as God's beloved son. In all of the synoptic gospels we see Jesus, after his baptism, being driven by the Spirit into the desert where he's tempted by Satan for forty days. Satan attempts to distract and divert Jesus' desire for God alone. He attempts to obscure and distort the name given to Jesus at baptism. He tempts Jesus to prove his identity as the Beloved by miracles and spectacles and tries to seduce him with the promise of power.
Those of us in youth ministry know well the struggle with these temptations. Even if we've heard our deepest baptismal name spoken as beloved and have a burning desire to minister out of that name, we're continually exposed to other powers in our world that seek to distract and divert us from our truest identity in Christ.
Media experts now tell us that through television, the Internet, and other forms of advertising we're subject to as many as three thousand marketing messages a day. These messages seek to convey to us who we should be, what we should wear and drive, and how we should measure up to cultural images of success. Even in youth ministry, we're tempted to conform to the ideal images and standards of the "empowered" or "fully-equipped" minister that has all the right qualities and tools. Here again, we're in danger of succumbing to the false naming of the world that tempts us to forget that we're enough because we're Abba's beloved. We slip into a spiritual amnesia that drives us into desperate attempts to earn the love and acceptance of our youth, our pastors, and our churches through professional success in activities, programs, and high-voltage events.
In the temptation story, Jesus reveals to us the way through our own deserts of distraction and doubt. He shows us the necessity of continually returning to the holy, to be reclaimed by the presence and power of God's unconditional love, to hear God say "Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine." (Isaiah 43:1b).
An essential part of being claimed by God is being open to the experience of restoration and healing. After his time of temptation, Jesus receives the healing touch of angels sent to minister to him (Mark 1:13). So too, we in youth ministry need to open ourselves to the healing touch of the Spirit that seeks to salve or anoint those places in us that are broken, restless, and resistant to God's love. This is truly what salvation is all about.
To be claimed or redeemed fully as Beloved means to allow the Spirit to meet us in our fears, our desires, our angers, our lusts, and our blindness. The Christian tradition has always referred to our fallen condition in terms of "sin." Perhaps the greatest sin, however, is the sin of selfrejection— of refusing to allow oneself to be named and claimed unconditionally as God's beloved.
In order to minister to youth in the name of the Anointed One, we must learn to receive the anointing that frees us to receive God's love—not just once at our baptism but continually, so that we might offer that anointing to others. No matter how often we forget our deepest name as beloved, the Spirit is sent to us to reclaim and heal us of the wounds that drive us into sinful separation from God's love.
As Paul wrote to the Christians in first-century Rome, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God— what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2). Paul is calling Christ's followers not to be deceived by the world, but to be "re-minded" continually of who they are as God's beloved and "re-membered" back into the community of the Beloved so that they might truly know how to minister in that love.
Like the Roman Christians of Paul's era, we as ministers of Christ also need to return and open ourselves to the love that heals and reminds us of who we truly are. When we allow God's grace to heal and claim us as beloved, we receive the fruits of the Spirit that God promises—the fruits of joy, peace, and freedom that are the birthright of those called the children of God (Galatians 5:22).
Sent as Beloved
The third moment in the life of Christ is that of being sent. This moment is found in the fourth chapter of Luke's gospel, where Jesus begins his public ministry by announcing his mission of healing and liberation in his own synagogue in Nazareth: "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free…" (Luke 4:18). In this passage, we hear that Jesus, "filled with the power of the Spirit" (v. 14), returns to his own people in Galilee to begin teaching and preaching in their synagogues.
After his experience of being named and claimed as God's Beloved, after his trial and temptation in the desert, he moves naturally and spontaneously towards sharing this good news with others. The Spirit of God is burning in him, sending him to proclaim this good news to his brothers and sisters, to anoint them with the knowledge of their beloved-ness, and free them from the spiritual oppression and blindness that is their condition apart from that powerful awareness of God's love. Having experienced being named and claimed as God's beloved in baptism, we too have felt called and sent in the power of the Spirit to share this good news with and to anoint others—especially our young people. Jean Vanier, the founder of l'Arche communities for the intellectually disabled, once defined love as the capacity we have to reveal the beauty of others to themselves. To reveal others' beauty and giftedness to them is to anoint them in the deepest possible way and liberate them to live the lives of grace, peace, and joy that are their birthrights as God's children. But as we know in ministry, we can never give what we have not received.
To be sent with Christ as ministers of his love means learning the art (as Christ himself did) of continually receiving God's anointing in prayer, Scripture, and the fellowship of believers. It means learning to tune in to what Henri Nouwen called the "inner voice of love" that seeks to reveal our beauty and beloved-ness in God's eyes and that empowers us to reveal that beloved-ness to others.
This is the only purpose of contemplative practices such as lighting candles, walking labyrinths, and entering into silence and solitude. They help us to create space for God in our lives and ministries. They help us to tune into that still, small voice that whispers our hidden name to us. They lead us to the peace of Christ that surpasses all understanding. This peace is the source of true evangelization. As the great Russian monk St. Seraphim of Sarov put it: "If you alone find inner peace, thousands around you will be saved." When we're in touch with God's joy and peace, then we're like living torches that give off the light and heat of God's compassionate love.
The Way of Christ
To follow Jesus and minister to young persons in his name is to experience what it means to be named, claimed, and sent forth to others as he was in the power of the Spirit. It's to move beyond an anxiety-driven ministry that seeks to prove our worthiness as ministers into the peace and joyful presence that comes from knowing ourselves as ones embraced unconditionally by God's grace. It's to embrace and accompany the young people in our lives who are also searching, often desperately, for their true selves in Christ.
There's nothing wrong with armpit relays and hot topic discussions if they ultimately serve to build relationships with young people that awaken them to their deepest identity as beloved. Programs, activities, and events have a place in this journey of ministry with youth, but what's most essential is the quality of presence that we bring as ministers who know who we are and whose we are in our deepest sense of identity.
When we know this in our marrow, then we can freely trust that we're enough, and that the Spirit of Christ is working in us and through us as we accompany our younger brothers and sisters into the kingdom of heaven that is God's love.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in the YS Blog are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or position of YS.