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I rounded up these 17 ideas for appetizers and recipes for party snacks because I'm throwing two parties soon and don't want to be scrambling at the last minute!
Plus, November is Party Month on Quips and Tips 🙂
The recipe for the Cream Cheese Penguins is at the bottom of this article – it's an easy party snack, though it looks kinda complicated. It'll take some time to prepare (30 minutes or so, depending on how many you make), but it's fun to make with kids or partners who like to make stuff out of their food.
The other night, I served roasted garlic baguette slices (from a bag) with melted cheddar and mozza cheese, and my guests loved them. They were unbelievably easy to make. Iif I wanted to spend 30 more seconds on this easy appetizer I could've put chunks of tomato, red pepper, cucumber, or pear on them.
Another idea for a quick appetizer is guacamole. We almost always have an avocado lying around, and it's super easy to smush it up with lemon, salt, garlic, and cumin. Serve with rice crisps, chips, or those roasted garlic baguette slices mentioned above. This is my favourite appetizer because it's healthy and low-fat.
Here's a round up of recipes for party snacks people will love…
15 Appetizer Ideas – Quick, Easy, O So Delicious
Smoked salmon and crackers
"Crackers (unsalted) with smoked salmon and a dash of creme fraiche or horseradish cream," says my Facebook friend, Martin. "Very cheap if you can get smoked salmon trimmings (My local supermarket has them, I use them a lot in cooking where I don't need nice neat slices)."
I eat salmon at least twice a week, and love how healthy this appetizer idea is (in addition to being quick and easy!).
Cream cheese and salsa tortilla wraps
"Cream cheese and salsa mixed up together and spread on a soft flour tortilla," says Naomi, another FB friend. "I don't know the exact proportions — just add salsa and taste until it's delicious. Very easy. Use colored tortillas to be fancy."
Red and green flour tortillas would be a fantastic appetizer for a Christmas party!
Baked brie and a fresh baguette
"Baked round of brie with chopped garlic and sun dried tomatoes on top, served with a sliced baguette," says Denise, a friend from Bowen Island and Facebook. "Mmmmmmm…"
Another version of this is pear or apple slices on cheddar cheese on baguette slices, rice crisps, or even saltines (if you're desperate for appetizer).
Sweet potato or yam chips
One of my favourite veggies is the orange yam (not the lighter coloured sweet potato).You can turn a yam into an easy appetizer by slicing it thinly, spraying the slices and baking sheet with olive oil, sprinkling with cinnamon, and baking at 400 until crispy.
Another appetizer idea that's healthy – I'm all over that.
Cucumbers or tomato slices with cheese on top
"Cucumber slices with a dilly cream cheese mix piped on top and a sprig of fresh dill to garnish," says Miranda, a friend from Facebook.
This elegant party snack reminds me of the appetizer a friend brought over on Sunday: tomato slices, buffalo mozzarella cheese (I think), a sliver of cilantro, and a drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. Of course, it helps if the tomatoes are super fresh and flavourful.
Goat cheese stuffed peppers
Here's an appetizer idea for bachelors (and wives like me who don't like to spend time in the kitchen) from All Around Tim:
"All you need for this appetizer is goat cheese, peppadew peppers (the kind that are already gutted and bottled with oil) and a knife (or spoon). Take the goat cheese with the knife and fill each pepper with the cheese (clear the inside of the pepper of excess oil first)."
I've tried these party snacks, and they're yum. But I don't like eating that much oil on an appetizer, so I'd substitute the oily peppadew peppers with fresh green, red, orange, and yellow pepper slices. Granted, the fresh pepper slices aren't as easy as the bottled peppers….but at least no cooking is required!
Cheese Dip in a Bread Bowl
Here's an appetizer recipe from Barbara Shema at Suite101 (where I used to write!):
This rye bread shell filled with cheese dip can be served on a large bread board or large platter surrounded by pieces of the hollowed out bread and slices of party rye.
- 24 oz. grated sharp cheddar cheese
- 4 oz. blue cheese
- 1 t dry mustard
- 2 T soft butter
- 1 t Worcestershire sauce
- 2 T grated onions
- 1 12oz bottle beer
- 1 large round loaf rye bread
- 1 package sliced rye (for extra pieces to dip)
Cut large circle in top of loaf of rye bread and hollow out leaving the crust as a shell; retain the cut out bread for dipping. In mixing bowl add all ingredients except beer and allow to soften. Add beer slowly and beat until smooth. Fill hollowed out bread with cheese mixture, and garnish with parsley. Refrigerate until you're ready to serve this party snack! – From Easy to Make Super Bowl Party Food Appetizers.
Cream Cheese Penguins (pictured at top of these ideas for appetizers)
Ingredients and directions:
- 18 jumbo black olives, pitted
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- 18 small black olives
- 1 carrot
- Cut a slit from top to bottom, lengthwise, into the side of each jumbo olive. Carefully insert about 1 teaspoon of cream cheese into each olive. Slice the carrot into eighteen 1/4 inch thick rounds; cut a small notch out of each carrot slice to form feet. Save the cut out piece and press into center of small olive to form the beak. If necessary cut a small slit into each olive before inserting the beak.
- Set a big olive, large hole side down, onto a carrot slice. The, set a small olive into the large olive, adjusting so that the beak, cream cheese chest and notch in the carrot slice line up. Secure with a toothpick.
– from tres.jolie on flicker, who I believe got the recipe from AllRecipes.com.
A few more appetizer ideas
- Hummus
- Baba Ghanoush
- Spinach Dip
- Shrimp tray (my favourite appetizer because it's healthy and SO easy)
- Meat and cheese trays
- Veggies and dip
- Peanut butter or Cheez Whiz on celery
- Traditional Deviled Eggs (which are is easy if you know how to boil eggs without cracking them, and you have time to chill them, peel them, scoop out the yolks, mash them with mayo and seasoning, and stuff the eggs with the mixture).
If you're going to your parents' Christmas party and still haven't found a gift for your father, read 10 Christmas Gift Ideas for Dads Who Love Food and Beer.
Need encouragement? Sign up for my weekly "Echoes of Joy" email - it's free, short, and energizing. Like me! Is your relationship in trouble? Get 7 Steps to Fixing Your Marriage from relationship coach Mort Fertel. It's free and helpful, no strings attached.


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We have worked hard to find you the best freight rate available (whilst still keeping your fire safe in transit).
Keep in mind that your fire is shipped in three packages with an average total weight of 160kg so shipping can add up but keep your eyes on the prize and you'll have a stunning new fireplace in time for winter!
These prices are for a single fire, flue & bracket. Multiple fires shipped to the same address are significantly discounted.
We ship to Europe by sea freight. This allows us to keep your costs down but wait times can be 4-6 weeks so be sure to get your order in well before you require your fire. Contact us for an air freight quote.
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Our lead times vary depending on the month but generally we can turn your fire around in two weeks. The colder months can get very busy so it is a good idea to secure your desired delivery date ASAP if it is critical that your fire arrive on site at a specified time.
You can do this by paying a 20% deposit when you know your approximate delivery date. We will then book you in for that month but await confirmation from you before we ship your fire.
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Text Message Alerts for Commencement
University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine offers a complimentary early alert system for all School of Medicine event attendees. The system is designed to inform you, via text message, if any School of Medicine ceremonies have been moved or changed due to weather or any unexpected circumstances.
Registration is quick and easy!
- You will NOT be inundated with messages. This service is designed to be used only in the case of urgent messages.
- Numbers will NOT be sold to third parties and will be purged following Commencement.
- On average, messages will arrive within five minutes of initiation. Speeds are dependent upon your individual phone carriers.
- This is NOT University of Nevada, Reno Emergency Alerts.


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Global Federation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences — World Agricultural Prize 2018
The Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for the Agricultural and Life Sciences (GCHERA) supports innovation and leadership in education, research, and outreach in the agricultural and life sciences. This year, two World Agriculture Prizes will be awarded, each to a faculty member from a higher education institution for lifetime achievements in agriculture and life sciences — including but not limited to agriculture, forestry, natural resources, food, bio-based products, bio-energy, rural development, and the environment. The amount of the prize is US$100 thousand, contributed by Nanjing Agricultural University and the Da Bei Nong Group. The closing date for nominations is 30 April 2018. Link


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Prince of Peace Goji on the Go Wellness Formula
- With Goji Berries
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Goji Berry, a sweet red fruit native to Asia, has been used for thousands of years.
Goji Berries have been used to support eye, liver and kidney functions.
In addition to Goji Berries, this formula contains a variety of other herbs which, combined together, have a tonic effect on the body.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a tonic is believed to restore, strengthen and invigorate.
This TCM formula is considered to be an overall wellness formula.Free of Salt, starch, yeast, soy, dairy, preservatives, artificial colors and flavors.


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Back in the summer of 2011, I worked as a writer for Alberta Education. It was such an absolute nightmare for me that had I not had the good fortune to be fired, I would have found myself in the psych ward in the hospital within a week. I wish I could say that is an exaggeration but it isn't. As a result of this nightmare, two things happened; I began to have panic attacks. These attacks were triggered when I tried to write or when I was working in a job and had to talk to the boss. Just thinking about it is enough to quicken my breathing and make a panic attack seem imminent.
Yes, I tried to work but the anxiety got the better of me and I simply couldn't anymore. The idea, just the simple thought, of talking to a boss still makes me want to shut down. However, I'm not one to give up without a fight so, recently, I thought perhaps I could work part-time somewhere. A couple of days a week shouldn't overwhelm me and would give me time to recuperate for the next shift.
See, aside from the anxiety, I'm actually a great worker. In an office I'm versatile and creative. Show me what you need done and I'll get it done. In retail, I'm actually very patient with the customers and like to help. I understand what it's like trying to find something and needing some help. So, with that in mind, I applied to some local businesses. Like Walmart.
There is a new trend in corporations to use psych tests as a means to thin out the resumes they get. The belief being that they can get the type of person they want without all the hassle of actually talking to people. It's cookie cutter thinking and it's dangerous.
Anyone who's been trained as a psychologist or psychiatrist will tell you that without the proper training and proper testing methods, these tests are, at best, useless. A true psych test such as the MMPI has very specific questions that answer questions that the psychologist or psychiatrist may face. However, these tests are meant to be a tool, not a means to weed people out.
Think of it this way; a hammer is a tool that can help a person with the right experience and training to build a house. However, that hammer cannot build the house by itself. These big corporations are relying on these mini psych tests to do their job for them. A job they were never designed to do.
Further, these tests are not full psych tests. There is a great deal missing from them. A true psychological test done by a trained professional has multiple questions dealing with the same or a similar issue. This is done not only to determine who's trying to fake something but is also a means to gauge how deep an issue may go. These mini tests don't have the follow up questions. Therefore, the corporation is only getting a very skewed picture of the person.
There is a very real human rights danger here, though. Those tests can reveal any mental health issues such as, in my case, anxiety. Suddenly the person with a mental illness finds themselves and their illness exposed to strangers without their knowledge or consent. I find that frightening. It goes deeper, though. Once exposed, the corporation will red flag that person so that any subsequent resumes they send in are automatically rejected without even being glanced at.
What does that mean? That means that those with mental health issues are being denied jobs based on their disability. Yet, most of the time they don't even know this is going on. That the human resources department has red flagged them because their mental illness showed up on a test they neither have the training nor experience to administer.
I find all of that terribly, terribly frightening. Don't you?


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I am hosting my annual family canoe trip on the Platte River in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park on the weekend of August 29-30. I have a group camping site (G002) reserved in my name in the campground for Friday night, August 28 and Saturday night, August 29. It is a walk-in site from your vehicle so you may want to bring a wagon to haul your stuff.
I plan on running shuttle from the campground at 9:00 a.m. with a 10:00 a.m. launch near the Veteran's Memorial State Forest Campground at the US-31 bridge on Saturday with the takeout on Indian Hill Road downstream from Honor. Bring a lunch for the river, appropriate clothing for the weather, and your PFD.
Sunday we will put in at the boat launch just outside the campground and paddle down to Lake Michigan and the beach.
If you need to rent a canoe or kayak you are free to make your own arrangements at:
- Riverside Canoe (231) 325-5622
- The Trading Post (231) 325-2202
I hope you can make it there! Summer is running out!
Jay Hanks


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Know What to Pack - While packing for yourself, don't forget about what your pet will need on your upcoming trip. Before hitting the road, make a checklist of all of the essentials. Here are a few basics we recommend bringing:
It's time to gear up for
Do Your Research - Before you're on your way to a campground, make sure they will actually allow your furry friend on the premises! Make a habit of calling any campgrounds or national parks you might be visiting to double check if they allow pets on their grounds. Once you're in a pet-friendly park, it's also important to be courteous to other RVers. This means cleaning up after your pets, never leaving them unattended in outside areas, and making sure your pets are on their best behavior in general. If for some reason you do need to leave your pet inside your RV unattended, make sure you're mindful of the weather. If it's a cold day, leave on your heater and if it's warm, make sure the AC/fans are working properly and keep the blinds closed. It's always a good idea to leave them fresh water and food so they don't get antsy waiting for your return. Laws around pets in vehicles change from state to state - so be sure to keep that in mind, and ALWAYS put the safety of your pets first.
Get outside! - Exercise isn't just important for humans, it's extremely important for pets to have quality time in the great outdoors (especially during long road trips). Make potty breaks fun for everyone by taking a long walk or playing fetch with your pooch. It's easy to put the blinders on and only focus on your next destination, but it's important to enjoy stops along the way with your pets.
another adventure, and if you're anything like us, you couldn't bear the thought of traveling without your furry friends! Pets have the amazing ability to bring us the comfort of home on the road, but before you load up the whole gang (including Spike) - check out these tips for making your upcoming trip fun, stress-free, and most importantly, safe for your four-legged companions.
Prepare Your Pet - Does your pet do well in new situations and environments? If so, great! If not, going on a year-long adventure right off the bat might not be the best idea -- it's important to ease pets into the idea of traveling. Starting out with a few smaller scale trips will help minimize the stress your pet might feel on the road. Another way to lessen their anxiety is by bringing items from home that they know and love like their bed or a favorite chew toy. Giving your pet enough time to acclimate and adjust to their new surroundings is crucial, and will make them feel safe and secure during longer trips in the future.


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Verizon Wireless's tie-up with Android was headline news yesterday — and for good reason (GigaOM Pro, sub. required) — but lost in all the hype was the company's fusillade of press releases outlining its developer outreach initiative. In an obvious effort to attract the attention of the new kingmakers of the mobile realm, the carrier said more than 1,000 coders have joined its Verizon Develop Community, which launched just a couple of months ago.
Verizon also announced semi-finalists in its first-ever contests for mobile apps, and if the list anything to go by, it's clear the company is sticking to its buttoned-down image as it moves into the world of app stores. The 19 apps are largely time-saving and information-based offerings, yet few are the kind of innovative, eye-catching apps that have helped fuel excitement around Apple's (s aapl) iPhone. (To be sure, the first platform Verizon's effort will support is BlackBerry, which isn't the sexiest or most sophisticated mobile OS around.) Regardless, the contest could see a grand-prize winner take home hundreds of thousands of dollars, contingent on sales of the application.
The operator also outlined the roles of its four key partners in its app store, V Cast Apps, which is slated for launch later this year:
- Amdocs (s dox) will handle transactions, including enabling developers to track revenues and usage information of their applications via a customizable online dashboard. Verizon is touting "a reliable and accurate settlement cycle" in the hopes of drawing developers to its storefront.
- Mobile Complete's DeviceAnywhere, which serves as a kind of virtual testing lab for applications, has been tapped to help developers build and deploy their offerings across a variety of Verizon handsets. DeviceAnywhere will provide remote access to more than 150 Verizon phones via the Internet, enabling developers to use each device's features and functions to ensure apps are optimized for the handsets. Mobile Complete is a 6-year-old startup whose backers include Motorola Ventures (s mot) and Innovacom VC.
- Netpace will provide the content management, work-flow and provisioning aspects of Verizon's platform to deliver a streamlined, transparent experience for developers. The 13-year-old company's solution delivers information such as development resources, premium content placement, click-through contracts and reporting in support of developers.
- Lastly, Verizon V Cast Apps is built on Sun Microsystem's (s java) Content Delivery Server, which will allow the carrier to manage and deliver mobile apps and content across its network. Sun will also provide the technology that developers will use to upload and manage their mobile apps via the VDC submission portal.
I've criticized Verizon for its V Cast Apps effort, which I think is unnecessary and potentially confusing for consumers in the age of simple, platform-specific stores such as Android Market and Research In Motion's (s rimm) App World. And Verizon's reputation for heavy-handedness is sure to make some developers wary. But there's no denying Verizon's reach, and trotting out established partners like Amdocs — whose roots in mobile transactions go back to its 2006 acquisition of Qpass — is probably a good way of assuring veteran developers that a solid, accurate billing system is in place. Only time will tell, though, whether Verizon's app store will be attractive enough to lure developers, who have so many other attractive storefronts available to them.


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Zorro was Irish
Or at least the man said to be the inspiration for the movie and comic book character, seems to have been Irish. Zorro, or "The Fox" was created in 1919 by the pulp writer Johnston McCulley and was a "Californio" living in early Los Angeles during the period of Mexican rule 1821-1846.
But in 1611 (or 1615) the colorful story of William Lamport began in Wexford, Ireland. He was born the youngest of four children to a Catholic, Old English family who settled in Ireland during the 12th century after the Norman invasion of Ireland. William was educated by the Augustinians and Franciscans in Wexford, and by the Jesuits in Dublin. He intended to continue his education in London, but was forced to leave after being arrested for sedition for distributing Catholic pamphlets in 1628. He is said to have fell in with pirates for two years and jumped ship in 1630.
(Left: Peter Paul Rubens' Portrait of a Young Captain, reputedly William Lamport, a.k.a. Guillén Lombardo)
After fleeing to La Coruña, Spain, he resumed his studies at St Patrick's College and hispanicised his name to 'Guillén Lombardo'. As luck would have it, he came to the attention of the Marquis of Mancera whose late brother-in-law had known his old tutor from a posting in London. Lamport was summoned to the Spanish court and had begun to earn a reputation as a skilled swordsman and ladies' man. He eventually became a captain of an Irish regiment fighting for the Spanish in the 30 Year's War.
In 1640 he was sent to Mexico to spy on the new viceroy the Marquis of Villena. But, it's also possible that it allowed him to get away from a young woman he had been living with and who was pregnant with his child. Lamport's older brother John, now a Franciscan and living in Spain, had urged the sinful couple to marry before he left for the new world. The new viceroy in Mexico was suspected of having sympathies with Portugal, and it was rumored that areas of Mexico were on the brink of rebellion against Spain.
In response to the abuses of the Inquisition and local officials some time in 1641 Lamport is said to have begun plotting to overthrow the viceroy with the help of a former viceroy, Marquis Cadereyta, and in hope of enlisting the Indians, blacks, and creole merchants in an uprising. In 1642 he was betrayed and was arrested by the Inquisition. Among the charges against him were that of conspiring against Spain to liberate Indians and black slaves, as well as closely associating with Indian witch doctors and dabbling in astrology. He was even accused of trying to set himself up as king of an independent Mexico.
After seven years in prison he escaped, but rather than run, he remained in Mexico City and was recaptured just a few days later after several nights of plastering the city walls with pamphlets denouncing the Inquisition. While he was free the crown printed and distributed their own pamphlets denouncing him, which has been interpreted by some as suggesting they were anticipating his escape and that the crown hoped an escape would give them an excuse for more severe charges against him. But it took another nine years of prison before they condemned him to death as a heretic and to be burned at the stake. He ended up succeeding in strangling himself before the flames were lit in 1659.
In the end he became a quiet, but powerful symbol. Like the comic book Zorro he was seen as a hero in the darkness, who challenged and ridiculed the Inquisition and won the sympathies of the Indians, the underprivileged and Crypto-Jewish (passing as Christians but practicing Jewish) merchants. In his last will and testament Lamport proclaimed that God's judgment would come and that the archbishop of Mexico City would be engulfed by the fires of hell. During a rebellion among the blacks and mulattos of Mexico City in 1666 a drunkard is said to have gone about shouting that the archbishop of Mexico City was burning in hell, as Lamport had predicted.
To quote Wikipedia, Lamport: "was the author of the first declaration of independence in the Indies, a document that promised land reform, equality of opportunity, racial equality and a democratically elected monarch over a century before the French Revolution."
He continued to be an inspiration quietly spoken of by rebels and supporters of the oppressed, and he is memorialized as a statue in the mausoleum that is part of the Angel of Independence monument in Mexico City.
It wasn't until 1872 that a retired Mexican general wrote Memorias de un Impostor a story about a "Guillén Lombardo" who fought the Inquisition and Spanish oppression using a secret identity. The book is said to mirror Lamport's story fairly closely even to the point of using excerpts from his trial. In 1919 Johnston McCulley combined this story and the name el Zorro (the Fox) from yet another real life seventeenth-century opponent of the Inquisition to create the pulp character we know today.


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And One to Die On
Actress Tasheba Kent was famous before movies could talk, and stayed that way well after the silent era died. When her sister took a mysterious plunge off a cliff, the silver-screen beauty turned tragedy into scandal by running off with her bereaved brother-in-law. To escape the outraged press, they retreated to a rocky island off the cost of Maine. Decades later, Tash remains a symbol of Golden Age beauty, but she is about to become a murder victim. To celebrate her hundredth birthday, Tash invites the press, some fans, and ex-FBI agent Gregor Demarkian to her island for a memorabilia auction. When their host dies from a brutal blow to the head, the group flies into a panic. Though cut off from the mainland, Demarkian will catch Tash's killer with enough panache to make any screen siren proud.


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Marketing Pioneers 2011 in Amsterdam. It's my third time that I went to the event organized by Multiscope. Keynote was Guy Kawasaki this time with a story about Enchantment The Art of Changing Hearts, Minds and Actions. He ended this presentation with a great speech about how he uses Twitter as a marketingweapon. His (Face)Book about Enchantment will be released in March 2011.
Simon Sinek has a simple but powerful model for inspirational leadership all starting with a golden circle and the question "Why?" His examples include Apple, Martin Luther King, and the Wright brothers — and as a counterpoint Tivo, which (until a recent court victory that tripled its stock price) appeared to be struggling.
The Future of Publishing
I saw this video on YouTube. These dudes are making some awesome shit. This video was prepared by the UK branch of Dorling Kindersley Books and produced by Khaki Films. Originally meant solely for a DK sales conference, the video was such a hit internally that it is now being shared externally. The clip was inspired by a video created by an Argentinean agency, Savaglio/TBWA entitled, "Truth": http://bit.ly/truthvideo. Read an interview with the creator of the video on the Penguin Blog: http://bit.ly/futureofpublishing. If you are interested in downloading this video for personal use, please visit their Bookseller site video page: http://bit.ly/penguinbooksellervideos
Ever dreamed of living underground as a caveman?
The modern caveman can still live underground. And I can insure you in 2011 being a caveman is no punishment :-). The so called earth structure houses provide organic forms, their development requiring creativity and a strong sense of space and this one is designed by Peter Vetsch, are based on the interpretation of an environmentally conscious, ecological and progressive architecture. The earth- covered houses are grouped centered around a small artificial lake with the entrance well hidden and integrated at the side of the settlement.
Data as Art
This slideshow tells for it self. Personal have a passion for the mix in communication and art. But to translate Data as Art is an absolute addition to my passion.
The Future Of Communication
Nice summary and theory about the past and the future of online communication. Reality changes into experience.
Source: YouTube


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Common Discipleship Requires Uncommon Trust
Track 12 of 19 in the Encountering a Changing World series
Running time: 32 minutes, 23 seconds.
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Be sure to scroll down to read the transcript.
03/23/2003Scripture: Mark 9:14-50
Track 12 of 19 in the Encountering a Changing World series
Running time: 32 minutes, 23 seconds.
Prayer is seen as the illustration of demonstrating trust. Trust produces a life of commitment to godly living.
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Right-click to download MP3. With one-button mouse, control-click.
Be sure to scroll down to read the transcript.
Speaker: Chuck Sackett
Dr. G. Charles Sackett is minister of Madison Park Christian Church.
View all sermons by this speaker.
Sermon for Sunday, March 23, 2003
"Common Discipleship Requires Uncommon Trust"
(Mark 9: 14-50)
G. Charles Sackett
I love mountains. I've always loved mountains. One of my favorite experiences in life, in fact, is to get up on top of the mountain where you can see absolutely everything in every direction. If I had my way about things, and I obviously do not, I'd live on a mountain. I have looked across Illinois. There are none. Therefore, I guess I'll not live on one; at least not now.
But I've also discovered that every mountain has a valley. And, if you'll allow me to be philosophical for just a moment, I've also come to the conclusion that you're not intended to live on mountains, you're intended to visit them. It's a troubling thought to realize that after you've been on the mountain that chances are, that you're also going to have a valley.
I can't help but think of Harry Truman, not the president, but Harry Truman, the idiot. Ah, excuse me. That's probably not polite. He's the fella that was on Mt. St. Helen's when they told him he ought to leave and he said "no man can take me off of this mountain". Well, that's technically correct I suppose, except that the mountain is no longer there so I don't know where Harry is.
You could ask Martin Luther King, Jr. in April of 1968, in fact April the 3rd. He made this comment. "I don't know what will happen now. We've got difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me because I've been to the mountain top. Like anyone else I would like to live a long life but I'm not concerned with that. I just want to do God's will and He's allowed me to go up the mountain. I see the promise land. I may not get there with you but I want you to know tonight that, we as a people will get to the promise land. I'm happy tonight that
I'm not worried about anything. I am not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord." Less than 24 hours later he was dead. Every mountain has a valley.
You could ask Moses, having been up on top of the mountain in the presence of God, only to come down and find the people of Israel worshiping a golden calf. You could ask Eli'jah, who up on the mountain, saw the hand of God light the fire, burn the calf, the rocks, the water only to come down into the valley and face His chief nemesis of a lady by the name of Jezebel. You could ask Peter, from just a week ago. Who are you? Oh you're the Christ. Get behind me, Satan! Every mountain seems to have a valley.
You could ask Jesus, who came down off of the mountain coming into Jerusalem riding on the back of a donkey with people laying palm branches and coats in His path and shouting Hosanna, only to have, in a matter of hours, the Hosannas turn to Crucify Him! Every mountain seems to have a valley.
Well, that's what happens in our text. You remember last week. We're up on the mountain of transfiguration. Peter, James and John have gone with Jesus up on top of the mountain. Moses and Eli'jah have showed up. Not only have Moses and Eli'jah showed up but God has showed up. But they have to come down off the mountain.
And as they come down off the mountain we find them encountering a situation which is a bit odd. In fact, it's in Mark, Chapter 9, the 14th Verse. If you want to look at it, we're going to read down through this experience. Here are the nine disciples waiting down in the valley for Peter, James, John and Jesus to come down off the mountain. And, quite frankly, in my opinion, they're having a valley experience
Verse 14: When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd about them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and they ran to greet Him. "What are you arguing about?" He asked. A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son who is possessed by a spirit who has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground; he foams at the mouth, he gnashes his teeth, he becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit but they could not."
"O unbelieving generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me."
And so they brought him; and when the spirit saw Jesus, he immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground, he rolled around, he foamed at the mouth and Jesus asked the boy's father; "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. "Its often thrown him into the fire, or water to kill him; but if you can do anything, take pity on us, and help us."
"If you can! said Jesus. Everything is possible for him who believes." Immediately the boy's father exclaimed; "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief."
When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, He rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit, I command you come out of him, and never enter him again." the spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse; but many said, "He is dead." Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up. After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "This kind can only come out by prayer."
Can I call your attention to two or three verses in this text? There's this, I think, strong message that comes out. Verse 17: "Teacher, I brought you my son who is possessed by a spirit who has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground; he foams at the mouth, he gnashes his teeth, he becomes rigid.
If you look over at Verse 20: The spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground, he rolled around, he foamed at the mouth
Verse 26: the spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse; but many said, "He is dead."
Here's the simple truth. Satan seeks to destroy believers. It's that subtle message that comes through Mark's gospel so clearly every time you encounter demon possession. Every time Satan gets into the scene, there is something done to destroy or to distort the image of God in humanity. Now, that's true historically. That's just not true in Mark's gospel. We just might as well own up to that possibility or that reality. When you look at the story of humanity and you start with the very first couple, Adam and Eve; as soon as Satan shows up, guess what you have?? TROUBLE! You walk one generation into that and you've got Cain and Abel and what do you have?? MURDER! You come down through history to a man after God's own heart named David, and yet as soon as Satan gets into the mix, he has an adulterous relationship and murders the woman's husband, in order to cover it up.
You cannot watch Satan interact with humanity without discovering that his one primary purpose is to destroy those of us who are made in the image of God. To distort that image as much as he knows how. Unfortunately, he's not stupid! His temptations are incredibly subtle. He knows how to get into the heart of people. For example; it's such a simple thing. He never temps us to do something stupid. I mean, it is stupid, but he never tells us it's stupid.
I was, oh I don't know - that high?? Ball parking it!! 8, 9, 10 years old. It looked really good. It was my favorite candy bar! It was right there on the shelf. It was my best friend's dad's store. Why shouldn't I take it?? And my mother had me by the ear, and marched me back into that store and made me stand there in front of that counter and admit I stole the candy bar. Now, I never would have stolen the candy bar had I known how bad that pinch on my ear was gonna hurt and how embarrassing it was gonna be. But Satan didn't come along and say, I wanna make you really, really uncomfortable, so take that candy bar. Nawh - he said - I want you to enjoy that chocolate!
Ya know, most of you knew I grew up in a bar. I never did, in one of those conversations that occurred in that bar, I never did hear anybody talk about how delighted they were going to be tomorrow morning, when they were hugging a toilet! They never did. They never sat around the bar and said man I can't wait until tomorrow when I wake up with this God awful headache! They said, bring me another beer, this is fun. Because Satan doesn't temp you to the pain.
I was sitting in my living room, on a box. We were packing to move to Illinois. Got a knock at the door and one of our high school girls came in with tears in her eyes and sat down on a box next to me and said, I don't want to abort this child, but I don't know what to do. Satan didn't temp her to the pain of giving up her child to adoption. He tempted her to the pleasure of a sexual encounter with her boyfriend. Because Satan isn't an IDIOT!! He doesn't come along and tell you the obvious. He comes along and tells you a lie to get you to move from the place where you think you're supposed to be into something that you think you're supposed to have. And then he cuts the rug out from under you so fast that you have no idea what you just did.
C. S. Lewis in Screwtape Letters says there are two, opposite extremes that we sometimes face. Some of us don't want to have anything to do, we just don't want to believe in Satan. It's supernatural, it's evil. We don't want anything to do with it and some of us want to become so enamored with it that, that's all we want to think about. Both extremes, he says, are deadly. I don't want to elevate Satan but I do want to warn you that we live in a world where Satan is alive and well. And I'm going to suggest to you four ways in which that occurs. And I want you to see how subtle some of them are. Now some of them are just those overt Satanic things. We see that kind of thing all around us, witchcraft and wiccan and devil worship and all kinds of stuff that you may not see in Quincy, Illinois. I haven't looked around to try to find it. This comes out of a high school in San Mateo, California. September 27, 2002, six months ago, a group of San Mateo high school students trying to stir up controversy, formed a club, based on Satanism. Calling themselves the SatanicThought Society, co-president of the club, James Doolittle, admits he originally started the club with his friend, Matt Heney, to rile things up a bit. Now that the two juniors have studied the teachings of Antoine Levey (??), founder of the Church of Satan, they say Satanism helps people to express themselves. Satanism's purpose is to turn man back into a natural state and not have him corrupted by religion. And the school board and the principal and the local clergy are supporting this club.
And then there is the, what I would call, covert. It's not quite as obvious. I was sitting on an airplane. A lady across the aisle from me, looked to be in her mid-twenties, dropped a book on the floor. Being the gentleman that I am, I leaned down and picked up the book, reached up to hand it to her - it was a book on wiccan practices. How to become a witch!
(Something missing here?? - did the tape not pick up something??)
Here ya go! I guess I could say since birth. She's answering the question; how long have you been interested in being a witch. She said, I guess you could say, since birth I've been a Baptist. All of my friends are Christian and I went to church with them a lot. My grandparents pressured me into going to their church and my preacher pressured me into being baptized. My parents were pressuring me too. I always pretended I was a witch when I a little girl. My friends played along sometimes. I lived in my "make believe" world. My parents tried to pull me into reality by taking me to church, then along came the internet and before long I pulled up a page on wicca and that's when my journey began. I was about 10 or 11 when I first learned about it. I printed pages off the internet and started my book of shadows. Before long my parents found it. They didn't question be about it. They just threw it away and told me to talk to a preacher. I tried to tell them about the religion, the basics. They told me to talk to the preacher, like a preacher would know about wicca. I went behind my parents back and started another book of shadows. They found that one and threw it away. I'm 13 now and I have a third book of shadows. It's well hidden so they shouldn't find it for some time. I tried to tell them about the religion again, but this time they called me a devil worshiper. Now I don't know how to tell them. They call me a devil worshiper and are constantly searching for my book of shadows. That's my story, wonderful ending huh? I wonder if anybody else has a similar story?? Please reply if you do - signed, Maggie
Here's the response that somebody sent: I realize that most Christians fail to study the origins of their religion, thus they do not realize that Christianity is merely a reinterpretation of Paganism and Egyptian Sun God worship. There's much written out there if you care to educate yourself on this matter and in specific I would look in to Christian Gnosticism, Christianity as practiced during Jesus time and up to the time of the Crusades. Happy Reading.
The only problem with the guy's response is that he's dead wrong. Gnosticism didn't develop for a hundred years after Jesus and was considered a hierarchy from the very beginning. It was never the practice of the church. And so Satan comes along and draws us into these covert kinds of things and gets us subtly confused and the next thing you know, we buy this kind of trash or our children do, because we don't take the time to try to find out what it is that's going on in their world, on their internet, in their books. And here is this subtle undermining of the values of God placed in the life of humanity. It's not that he's just overtly Satanic. It's not just that Satan is out there covertly. He has some subversive ways of doing things too, you know. Ways that you would never expect.
For example, how about the great children's author, Judy Bloom? Some of your children have read Judy Bloom. She is in all of the children's libraries across the country and frankly her children's books up through about the third grade are among the best children's books out there. You just want to be really careful you don't get a hold of a Judy Bloom book that was written for 7th graders, because the explicit sexual references will make your face turn red or should! And what does a kid know? He/she looks up Judy Bloom on the catalog and finds one they haven't read and the next thing you know, they're learning things that you hope they'll never find out, much less when they're 11.
Or how about this??? I'm sitting, preparing for this morning, thinking through the sermon. I have my back turned to the television. We're catching some of the update on the war and here comes the advertisement for a movie that's coming out soon. It's going to be about how it's okay to have an affair. Well, that's not even a shock any more. Why would that catch us by surprise? Does anybody care that the destruction of the family has absolutely destroyed most of us in some way or another because nobody will stand up and say listen, that's destructive! It distorts, it destroys! It's too subversive.
It was a wonderful, cute little movie. I haven't seen one for a long time, so I'll have to revert to an old one. It was called "Hello Again". Shelli Long was a lady who died. She choked on a piece of meat. Her sister happened to be a witch and she called her back from the dead one year later by doing certain incantations over her grave and everybody said OH HOW CUTE! And the kids from our church would ask questions like this: Ok preacher, what's wrong with that one? Cause they know how hard I am on movies. Well, what's wrong with it, it's all about seances and calling people back from the dead and witchcraft and stuff like that. Other than that, there's nothing wrong with it.
But, let me tell you the one that troubles me the most. Cause most of you are smart enough not to get caught up in overt Satanism. And you're smart enough not to get caught even in the covert subtle stuff, even if you're just paying attention. But do you realize that there is something that everybody in this room has been caught in at least once that is still as Satanic as any overt Satanism. Do you know what it's called? SIN
Do you know where SIN comes from. Do you know who the father of SIN is? So every time you gossip. Every time you are mean spirited. Every time you refuse to forgive. Every time you just cheat or lie. I don't like that part do you? OK - so we'll quit! Because it's just too hard to think about succumbing to Satan, cause that's for the bad people. But don't you see, that's exactly what it's trying to accomplish. He is out to destroy us by subtly undermining who we are. Did you notice this in Verse 18 in this story. It's such an interesting and frightening comment. He says: "I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit but they could not." Why Not?
Do you remember Chapter 6, Verse 7? He sent them out with the power to cast out demons. What happened? They had the power to do it. Why - - - - - did they not do it? Why did this father bring a demon possessed son for healing and the only thing the disciples can do is stand there with their teeth in their mouth? Why couldn't they do it? May I speculate a little bit?. . . . . It's not pure speculation! Remember where Jesus is at this time? He's up on the mountain. Guess who's with him? The same three guys that are always with him, Peter, James and John. I mean, they are always there. Can't you imagine being the nine disciples down there in the valley again saying: OK - there they go, Peter, James and John. We'll just sit down here and we'll just mind our own business until they get back and, along comes a father needing a miracle and so they're gonna do it. They're gonna do it, . . . .only thing . . . . nothing happens! Wonder what happened? What went wrong? Well, I wonder if there could be a clue in the text. Did you notice Verse 19 for example? When Jesus hears this question: Why couldn't they do it? His response is: "O unbelieving generation, how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you?
Did you notice over here in Verse 23? The man asks at the end of Verse 22: "if you can do anything, take pity on us, and help us." And Jesus asked: "If you can! Everything is possible for him who believes." And the father says: "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief."
Look down, particularly at Verse 28 and 29: After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we drive it out?" He replied, "This kind can only come out by prayer." What did they forget to do? I can tell you what they forgot to do. They forgot to ask for help. They tried to do it on their own. We can do it, we don't need Peter, James and John around. We'll take care of this ourselves.
Can I let you in on a little secret? You can't do it by yourself! You will never succeed in this world against Satan by yourself. He will destroy you and leave you lying on the ground like that little boy's corpse shaking your head and wondering what just hit me. See, faith is the key to this victory. O unbelieving generation. This kind only comes out by prayer. Lord, help my unbelief. See, part of the difficulty is in we live in a world where we think we have God in a box. Cranfield (??), about this text, says to trust in God's power in the sense that we imagine that we have it in our control and at our disposal is _______ out to unbelief for it is really to trust in ourselves instead of God. It's like God's in a little box and He's supposed to act whenever you say ACT and when you put God in that kind of box you're not trusting in God, you're trusting in yourself. Or Grant Osborne would say, Spiritual power comes only when one's self centered action is reversed and one turns to God in faith.
The only way to win this battle is to realize you can't do it yourself. And to trust in the only ONE who can help you, but the question comes for me then; How in the world do I avoid this God-in-the-box syndrome. How do I find that kind of spiritual power? How do I demonstrate to myself and to God that I'm not depending on me? It's going to sound terribly simple. Hate to have kept you for 30 minutes to find something so easy. You see, disciples demonstrate their faith when they pray. I think that's what the disciples forgot to do. I don't think they asked for help.
Jesus says in Verse 29 that this kind only comes out by prayer. This only happens when you turn to me in the one way you can turn to me and you ask me for the help. I don't know if there is a clearer, more visible way in which I as a Christian, am reminded that I am not in control, than to be forced to go to God. To turn to him, to ask for him to help and yet I have to be honest with you, when I listen to my own prayers, my prayers are not cries for help. My prayers are instructions. Lord, here's how I want it done. Lord, here's what I expect you to do. Lord, here's how I want this answered and then I get mad if God doesn't give it to me my way. So then I'm arguing with God. God you didn't hear me. God, you didn't answer my prayer. God didn't do things - HE NEVER SAID HE WOULD DO IT OUR WAY!
What he said was, you come to me and you demonstrate your faith in me by trusting me and while your prayers may not change much of reality, they will change you, because they change the one that you depend upon. And you are no longer depending upon yourself. You're starting to depend upon the one, the only one who can help. It is why it is so terribly important that all of us come to the place that we recognize that we cannot be self-centered. We must be God centered. We cannot depend upon ourselves. We depend upon the one who sits on the THRONE.
And so, with as much regularity as possible there's a prayer email going out to a whole bunch of you asking you to pray and I hope you don't hit the delete button when that comes across your computer.
And if you're not on that prayer list, just call the office or put it on this tear-out sheet in your bulletin and you'll be added to that prayer list asking you weekly to pray for certain kinds of events about our church. It's why a year or so ago we posted notes all over the walls, of people we wanted to pray for. The staff went back through that list of prayer requests, by the way, this past week. We have identified at least 8 to 10 people who have become Christians in the past year or so since we posted those notes. Some of those names are yours and you prayed and people have responded because God does that kind of thing.
There is just no more visible way to say to God, I trust you, than when we pray. And we're asking you to be praying people. I don't know if you'll get the answers that you want, what I know is this. You'll get THE answer. That is, you cannot do this by yourself.
You know, sometimes I think we don't pray because we're a little afraid it won't work. Like somehow, if things don't turn out the way they are supposed to or we've done something wrong and we now have a big "F" on our report card.
Did you ever get one of those? A big "F" on your report card?? I had to confess to the people at the worship seminar yesterday, I got two; one in band and one in penmanship. Neither one of them were particularly uh, well, they were more related to my mouth than my hand or my musical instrument. But, that's ok. I decided it's not fair for anybody to go through life and never get an "F". So every once in awhile, I've not done this very often, but once in awhile, I'll have a student that's a straight "A" student, and they'll turn in a paper that's really an "A" paper and I'll just put a BIG "F" on it. I'll write them a little note. They'll turn it over, after the air has come back into their body, and it will say; I was just kidding! But I really thought you should know what it feels like to fail just once in your life. Some of them haven't appreciated it as much as others.
I'm confident that it's purely coincidental that G follows F on the scale or G follows F in the alphabet. But you know, it's not coincidental in this text that Jesus takes this same set of disciples and the very next verse says; And He walked along the road and He taught them some more. Because you see, when it comes to the Christian life, F is always followed by G, and G always stands for Grace. And He never gives up on our failure, He just invites you to come back one more time, having learned the lesson, you can't do it alone. You're going to have to have my help so let's try it again. Some of you need to try it again.
You have allowed your lives to end up where you never expected to end up and it's time for you to just recognize you've created your own dilemma and the only solution you have is not to try to do it harder, not to try to do it better, but to just give up and let Him do it for you. So quit fighting Him. Trust Him. He's not going to turn you away. He's going to invite you into His presence and give you the strength you need to succeed.
If you don't know how to do that, we want you to ask. Come and see us. Come up here and talk with us. Grab us in the hallway. Come to the Hospitality Room. Call on the phone. But don't go through life thinking you can't make it because you can, with HIM. But with HIM alone!
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Worship at Good Shepherd
Worship at Good Shepherd is vibrant, relevant and engaging for all ages, from newborn to retirees, with many children and youth. We dress for worship in everything from
Our Order of Worship follows the traditional liturgy of Word and Table, with a time for Gathering and Praise, Proclamation of the Word, Children's Message (at 10 a.m. only), Prayers, Sermon, and our Gifts. Music is interspersed throughout the service with the prelude, anthems
Coffee and fellowship prior to and after the 8:30 a.m. and prior to the 10 a.m. worship services in Wistar Hall, our entryway.
Sunday Morning Worship Services (Sanctuary)
Our 8:30 a.m. worship service is a mid-size worship community. Choir sings on Communion Sunday (the first Sunday of the month).
Choir (except summer months when we have special music).
Sunday Evening Worship (Sanctuary)
6:30 p.m. - FUEL Youth Group offers a vibrant worship service and small group opportunity for students in 6th-12th grade. FUEL meets during the academic year. Our time together begins with a meal.
Sunday Schools (Various Classrooms)
10 a.m. – Children and Youth
11:15 a.m. – Adult only
Nursery available from 9:45 a.m. to Noon
For more information about any of our worship services, please contact us.


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Part of a violence-prevention movement in San Francisco, Asian Women's Shelter shares its language expertise and launches new programs for Arabic-speaking survivors.
In 1988, the first shelter in Northern California to offer language-accessible services to Asian immigrant survivors of domestic violence opened in San Francisco. Today, Asian Women's Shelter (AWS) is a place for survivors and their children to heal – and a caring community dedicated to ending domestic violence.
"The foundation of our program is our shelter, where, annually, we serve about 50 survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking each year," said Elizabeth Kirton, executive director of AWS. "As part of our day-to-day work, we're also part of a movement to end domestic violence."
In addition to serving shelter residents, AWS provides a 24-hour crisis line and case management services to a growing number of non-residential clients, helping them access health and legal services. While AWS initially began with the cultural and language capacity to meet the needs of people from Pan-Asian backgrounds, they now offer services to survivors with backgrounds from all over the world.
AWS's Multilingual Access Model is at the heart of its services – for residents and non-residents alike. AWS trains language advocates in domestic violence and human trafficking issues, who then accompany clients to meetings with lawyers, doctors' appointments, housing placement interviews and other steps for rebuilding their lives. Today, AWS provides services in 42 languages.
"Over the years, we've recognized more needs in the communities we serve," said Kirton. "In the early 1990s, we determined we had to better address the needs of the LGBTQ community, and we welcomed trans survivors across the gender spectrum to our shelter. We need to serve all survivors."
Serving Arabic-Speaking Survivors
In recent years, AWS saw new, underserved language communities emerge who needed specialized services, including Arabic-speaking survivors. "We've had an Arabic speaker on staff for nine years," said Kirton, "but we've continued working to train additional Arabic-speaking advocates."
AWS began a partnership with the Arab Cultural & Community Center (ACCC) in San Francisco. The ACCC had a domestic violence program that included counseling, support groups and case management. AWS provided technical assistance to build ACCC staff and volunteers' understanding of domestic violence issues. Together, the two groups developed a culturally appropriate domestic violence prevention program in Arabic, which was eventually discontinued due to insufficient resources.
In 2016, AWS recognized the resurgent need for additional services for the diverse Arabic and Muslim communities. With funding from the San Francisco Department on the Status of Women, AWS initiated a pilot program to meet the needs of those communities with the commitment to make it permanent.
"We had hoped to have continuation funding by July 1, 2016, but the funding started September 1st instead," said Kirton. "Metta Fund has been a safety net for us, as one of the foundations helping us bridge that funding gap and provide services to our Arabic-speaking clients without interruption."
Part of a Movement
Although it began as a physical shelter, which is still foundational to its work, AWS is also an advocacy organization, promoting the social, economic and political self-determination of women. AWS is committed to every person's right to live in a violence-free home.
Toward that end, AWS carries out educational programs, community-based initiatives, and advocacy. "Here in San Francisco, we're part of the San Francisco Domestic Violence Consortium," said Kirton. "As part of that coalition, we're working with other nonprofits to raise awareness about domestic violence through education, advocacy, and policy development with the City."
In addition, AWS expands its range of services and outreach education by partnering with organizations that serve at-risk youth, provide legal aid, offer counseling, and work with particular immigrant and refugee communities.
As part of its community-building activities, AWS also provides technical assistance and training to other organizations, helping them tailor programs for domestic violence survivors who may also have been affected by human trafficking, homophobia, and racism.
Support from Metta Fund helps AWS carry out this educational outreach and advocacy work. While public grants and other funders support direct service programs, Metta Fund helps AWS to build a Citywide movement around violence prevention.
"We know we're not going to reduce the incidence of domestic violence case-by-case," said Kirton. "That's why community building and engaging others in the movement is important. We now have former residents who go through our training to become language advocates. When they're trained, they are able to serve our less-represented language groups with a unique perspective."


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As you tune into the Special Olympics World Summer Games Opening Ceremonies on July 25, you may notice something a little different. The new 2015 World Games anthem "Reach Up," which debuted June 15, will be performed by a star-studded cast — two celebrity musicians and two special guests.
Here's my personal confession: As an O.A.R. fanatic for more than 10 years, I was more than a little excited to hear that lead singer Marc Roberge had teamed up with Cody Simpson to record "Reach Up" for the Special Olympics, in partnership with Coca-Cola, the founding partner of the Special Olympics. Roberge and Simpson will perform the new anthem at the Opening Ceremonies, along with Breanna Bogucki, a singer and Special Olympics athlete who has autism, and Madison Tevlin, a viral teen singer who has Down syndrome. Roberge is no stranger to using his musical talent to inspire sports fans — he wrote and recorded the Olympics anthem "Champions" with B.o.B. in 2012.
Image: The Coca-Cola Company
I was even more excited to hear that I would get the chance to chat with the talented group about their work with the Special Olympics and how this new, uplifting anthem came about:
And here's the official "Reach Up" music video we've all been waiting for:
Considering the purpose behind this song and all of the talent and effort that went into making it, it's clear that "Reach Up" is so much more than the next viral hit. Besides adding this catchy tune to your playlist, you can use the song to actually make a difference — by sharing it on social media, as Breanna pointed out. Coca-Cola has pledged to donate one dollar to the Special Olympics for each fan who shares the "Reach Up" music video with the #ReachUp hashtag.
Image: The Coca-Cola Company
It's really that easy. Listen, enjoy, share and make a difference.
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School kids create their own version of the Magna Carta
Celebrity mums donate kids' clothes to Fashion Saves Lives eBay sale


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Some great work at the SFAI MFA show which is up this weekend. It is at the old mint, and it is a great space. The feel of the exhibition space is more like a gallery than past venues.
Some picks from the exhibition. On view at the old mint:
May 15–18
Friday, May 16, 7–9 pm
11 am–6 pm
Large scale work by Javier Arbizu. Very beautiful, I wish the old lighting system didn't hang so low :/
Column made with heat ducting I believe.
Lila Maes going primitive using repurposed wood and moss to form some wings.
David Lasley capturing the flesh.
Alex Ziv motorcycle culture.
Gouache and ink tescuani(beast) surrealist drawings by Mariel Bayona.
Whoa…super real Patrick Hothan
Li Ma instal!
Mary Corey March did a great project where she made several faux smart phones and tablets. The devices have messages that you would typically see in a social networking feed. Some are painstakingly embroidered, and some are not. More serious messages are weighted differently than the less serious. I felt this piece was very successful in conceptualizing that social media is not distinguishing a difference between certain types of information. By lumping this information together it causes a kind of numbness.
Marshall Elliot did a wonderful piece based on manarch the bear which was the model bear for the California flag. Elliot worked with UC Berkeley to create molds of the actual bear's bones which are stored there. The actual box his bones are stored in are a part of his installation. Very cool part of California history in a great art piece.


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Senior Security Analyst - Report Writer
Posted on Jan 3, 2020 by Request Technology - Robyn Honquest
Senior Security Analyst
Looking for an enterprise security analyst that can evaluate, research, report, findings across all areas of security. You will come up with metrics, write reports. You will recommend and research new technology. You will recommend improvements. You will meet with stakeholders and upper management. You will understand the frameworks, NIST, ISO 27001.
- Bachelor's Degree
- 6-15 years industry experience
- 4-8 years experience in Systems Security fundamentals
- 2-4 years experience in access control systems
- Experience writing reports
- Understanding of frameworks
Reference: 821304918


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Those kids — those indefatigable, indestructible, intolerable hellions. From the moment we arrived at our hotel somewhere in the mountains of some province somewhere in the Deep North…
..they never stopped running amok.
The place was huge and dark and kind of crummy. But it had a public bath, and I hadn't been in one since Japan in 2009. Dinner was Korean but I got it down, and was then directed into the bowels of the joint, passing the kids affixed to screens in the coin-slot internet playground, and with some trepidation — but playing it cool like a pro — I revealed my ugly secret in the naked arena of the changing rooms.
Tattoo, I'm told, in Korea = taboo. I'm condemned to a summer of long sleeves in my day job, but anyway, boys, here they are. Six or seven blokes in the next bath were telling stories and laughing; I soaked alone in mine, troubles dissipating in the steam. Well, I mean, I didn't start alone but for some reason the legroom suddenly increased…
I learned a lot about Korean education that night and the next. I was invited to join the other teachers in one of their rooms, where a big spread of fruit and cheese and snacks and beer and Ballantine's was being attacked. I sat there like a tool for an hour while they all chatted and joked and outside the kids did whatever the hell they wanted.
On the whole trip, in fact, I never saw a pupil pulled into line for anything. They were allowed to run wild and fend for themselves. When I escaped to my room, with its heated floor and tiny oblong pillow, they were going mental in the hallways on three different floors. When my alarm bleeped at 4:30 some of them were still going. Maybe they had their own Ballantine's stash.
The weather was awful, but I needed a walk. Under my umbrella, camera hugged close, I went up a lonesome dirt road into the hills…
..and wet, cold and dark as it was, it felt great to be alive.
I'd passed these gushing cascades but it was still dark; I climbed up to a lonesome farm and coming down, there was just enough light to squat under an umbrella with a tiny tripod. It was fun, sort of, but I fondly recalled the dry, sane stamp albums of my childhood. My hobbies needed some reappraisal.
After breakfast — I went with ancient pastries from the hotel store over rice and seaweed soup — the convoy headed into the southeastern outskirts of Seoul. The planned outdoor amusement park (compensation for all that culture) was ditched in favour of a drier indoor version: Lotte World.
Heaven for kids, Babylon on amphetamines for yours truly:
The vice principal was concerned that I'd disappear into the vortex of a city with more inhabitants in its greater metropolitan area than my entire country, but I safely negotiated the lovely subway system and was soon downtown — my first visit, and where better to stroll amid the rain and wind than an 11km stretch of exposed stream bank?
Well, I only had half a day — I needed a theme. Today's was water, in all its most unpleasant forms.
This is the Cheongyecheon…
..a stream rescued seven years ago from the oblivion of concrete and a truck overpass by Seoul mayor, Lee Myung-bak, now the country's president.
Seen as an example of successful green urban renewal, the scheme involved the waterway's disinterment, resuscitation and extensive landscaping, bridge-construction and traffic redirection.
I enjoyed my walk, which covered much of both banks, but my masochist tendencies have been well documented on this site.
This is the point (get it?) at which I ran out of stream at the western end and headed back on the opposite bank:
Umbrella-mangling weather. The numerous bridges, old and new, provided brief shelter…
..but my hands were freezing into useless claws, my pants were soaked — and then the snow.
That was it. I recalled a Starbucks I'd seen earlier, and had a new mission. Inside it was warm and woodsy, cocktail jazz tinkled, beautiful women glided past every few seconds (Seoul: man…), and I encamped at a window bench with an enormous mug of passable latte and a pastry, watching Seoul-ites do good-humoured battle with their notorious elements:
I ran out of coffee, my fingers were working, so out I went, continuing east. The snow blew elsewhere. I really enjoyed the next hour or two, and eventually found myself in a fashion district called Pyounghwa.
At last even the rain stopped.
There were ducks and other birds, and I could see how pleasant the Cheonggye might be in a balmy Spring, if they have them in Seoul.
I covered most of the stream's length, but I'd been firmly instructed to be back in the amusement factory by 4:30. I crossed over like this fellow…
..and aimed at the far-off station, beneath the imperious gazes of a succession of terrifying beauties, coldly appraising the work of a team of workers hand-dredging the stream bottom for garbage.
That was Seoul for me: cold, wet, windy, but somehow compelling. I'll be back, perhaps for the Buddha's birthday in a few weeks. Hopefully my timing will be a little better…
~ And that's all the Goat wrote


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The Reason Why A Good Website Design Is Important For Your Start up Business
Today, using a great internet presence can go a long way within giving your business which small advantage you have been searching for within the competitive atmosphere. And in purchase to do that, you must have a website design that's user-friendly, appears trendy through an sufficient quantity of benefits, however has a professional appear that inspires people to peruse your website.
With an typical, Just a few seconds is all it takes for a person on the web to judge your website creating as well as he/she ought to take more time discovering your site. Therefore, it is highly recommended that the internet designing should be attractive sufficient to create a great very first impact in your potential traders as well as customers.
The web is literally filled with web services to assist a person looking for effective business solutions. A study carried out by a popular website design company implies that a person forms for any maximum of 17 queries on Google to absolutely no in to his favored search result. In such a case, it's even more important that your website has a good appear & really feel to it.
To create a good example, picture the web like a truly large shopping mall and also the internet designing of the start up business as one of the several shops craving for customers in the future in and get your product. If the store does not have a great electric signboard, has a shabby look from the inside, a person as the owner is going to be instructed to have restructuring carried out!
Exactly the same applies for your brand new company's web site. There are numerous steps by which you can market your new business through your web designing. Without a doubt, the content will go directly on top of the priority list. Regardless of how good the website creating is actually, if the content in the event that flimsy, your internet creating is actually keeping track of its days until your own competitor provides more useful or even satisfying info.
That said, the following essential action would be to make the style of your brand-new company's website attractive. Care ought to be used not to overload with the glossy graphic designs, however, settling for something as simple as FrontPage ought to be avoided. Hire the actual expert website design providers of an professional web site design organization to get optimum outcome.
At the end of just about all, it's all about the way your client seems when he interacts with your web site. The look should be in such a way that the user seems at home; easy, comfortable as well as final although not minimal, happy.


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Commercial Photography
It's a well known fact that customers engage more with your website, social media content, your Ads, POS Material, and take that final Call-to-Action when you build trust with them.
If you are looking to freshen up your website and media, or do a complete redesign, imagery should be one of your biggest considerations. Whether you need images of your office, business spaces to attract great employees, your boutique, bespoke Boutique or chain retail experience, real estate and architecture, documenting your services and offerings, your product, look books and catalogues – great images go a long way to connecting with your customers and consumers.
Creating the visual content, campaigns and Collateral that Convert is what we love to do.


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New research shows that families who pay for private tutors are winning the majority of grammar school places.
Researchers from the University College London's Institute of Education (IoE) discovered that 70 per cent of those tutored secured a place in a grammar school. That compares with 14 per cent who had no additional instruction, relying purely on ability.
Kent County Council will offer a new format for Kent's 11-plus test in 2019. The Kent Education Network believes they should review the test structure, and particularly look at the social inequality caused by test coaching.
Dr Alan Bainbridge from KEN said, "This research proves what we've all suspected – expensive private tuition works.
"The idea that the Kent Test is a true test of ability is nonsense, children practising maths and English with skilled tutors clearly have more chance of passing than those without any help.
"Kent will have a new 11-plus test in 2019 and we want the council to acknowledge the huge tuition problem and do something about it. Prep schools and test tutors are effectively rigging results for wealthy families.
"The test is fundamentally unfair for any child who has no coaching."
The Institute of Education researchers reviewed evidence from selective areas and found wealthy families claimed the majority of grammar school places.
The poorest 25 per cent of families had less than a 10 per cent chance of attending a grammar school, compared with about a 40 per cent chance for children who from the top quarter of household incomes.
Alan Bainbridge said, "There is no such thing as a tutor proof test and the council need to admit this.
"A consultation on the new test would be a good way to review the obvious problems. It's not ethical to mislead our children about what we are actually testing.
"It is dishonest to suggest this test is an accurate judgement of ability when a large part of it is about practice and coaching."
KCC currently pay £178,000 a year to GL Assessment to operate the Kent Test with the contract ending in September 2018.
No plans have yet been revealed for the 2019 Kent Test, but when the test was last put out to tender in 2013 the review involved a consultation with Kent head teachers. Many of the heads were critical of the extent of private coaching, and there was even a complaint that one head offered the services of his wife as a paid test tutor.
Alan Bainbridge said, "The last time the council reviewed the Kent Test head teachers said coaching was a big problem, but nothing was actually done about it. Now here we are again, five years later, with even more evidence of problems. I hope the council will be honest about the flaws of the test and not bury their heads in the sand."
KEN would like Kent County Council to engage in honest debate about the problems with the test. We feel there is too mucy secrecy about how the Kent Test operates and no consultation with the public on the way our children are divided between school types at age 11.


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Simply choose any of these Appointment Card Ideas as the basis for your new appointment card and we will create the artwork for FREE.
Tell us which one you like and we will personalize for you. Choose any colours or fonts, add an image, or submit your own logo and ideas. If you have any questions please call 1300 558 113 or email
Hover the mouse over the template you like to reveal the artwork code.


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ST. CROIX--The Committee of the Whole, chaired by Senate President Myron D. Jackson, met on Wednesday in the Virgin Islands Cardiac Center of the Governor Juan F. Luis Hospital and Medical Center where testimony was given on a Major Coastal Zone Management Permit.
Senators heard from several Limetree Bay Terminals L.L.C. management Executives regarding Major CZM Permit CZX-29-17 for a Single Point Mooring (SPM) to be constructed on the south of St. Croix. The project's activities will be specifically located seaward of Limetree Bay Terminals, LLC Terminal Plot No. 9 Reclaimed Land, Christiansted.
In his testimony, Jason Gleason, Maine Terminal Pilot and Captain for Limetree Bay Terminals, said as Lead Superintendent in the Marine Department and Project Lead on the SPM Project, Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs) are some of the largest vessels in the world often over 1100ft long and 200ft, wide and may have a draft of over 700ft.
He added that historically to call on St. Croix, a VLCC would need to be roughly half loaded, and so, this project will enable their customers to transport crude to and from the facility in full loaded VLCC, offering a much more efficient operation.
According to Gleason, the Limetree Bay SPM will transfer crude oil to and from the facility and with the upgraded crude pumps completed last year, they can load out at approximately 45,000 barrels per hour. He pointed out that, the SPM project has been designed to Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF); United States Coast Guard (USCG) and American Bureau #56 King Street, Hamilton House, Christiansted, St. Croix 00820 340-773-2424, Fax: 340-712-2397, E-mail: email@example.com of Shipping (ABS) standard. Furthermore, the entire system is designed to withstand the extreme conditions often found in in the Caribbean region.
Senators, who expressed their concerns as they relate to the project's impact on the ecosystem, was given assurance by Gleason that after an extensive environmental assessment and re-routing of the project to minimize environmental impact, it was determined that a few corals were still in the pathway of the project.
According to him, these corals will be transplanted well clear of the project by their environmental contractor, Bio Impact. They will also be constructing a man-made reef to provide additional habitat where some of the coral will be transplanted on both the south and north shores of St. Croix in areas already approved by the Department of Planning and Natural Resources (DPNR).
Gleason added that during construction, Bio Impact will be monitoring for turbidity, the effect on wildlife, and any other issues. Moreover, Bioimpact will stop the work immediately if any issues arise, and that they will work with DPNR and the federal government to remedy prior to resumption of construction.
In respect to local employment, Gleason told Senators that many of the materials to construct have been procured and delivered to St. Croix, and with the ratification by the legislature, they will commence construction as soon as possible. The construction phase, he added, will result in employment for laborers, concrete workers, welders, inspectors and painters on St. Croix.
Other testifiers for Limetree Bay Terminals were: Joyce Wakefield, Environmental Specialist; Amy Dempsey, President of Bio Impact; and Jeff Gorman, Engineer, Lloyds Engineers. Senators at Wednesday's Committee of Whole Hearing were: Senate President, Myron D. Jackson, Vice-President, Rivera-O'Reilly, Jean A. Forde, Neville A. James, Marvin A. Blyden, Dwayne DeGraff, Novelle E. Francis, Jr., Alicia "Chucky" Hansen, Positive T.A. Nelson, Tregenza A. Roach, Sammuel Sanes, Janelle K. Sarauw, Brian A. Smith, and Kurt A. Vialet.


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I had the opportunity today to help someone get class_dicom.php working under windows. I was pretty surprised to learn that you do not have to modify the class much, but it does take some time to install the other prerequisite software.
If you're using IIS, you can skip step #1. You will need to get a copy of PHP installed under IIS. PHP on IIS (http://php.iis.net/) will allow you to do that easily. If you are using IIS, change the file locations below as appropriate for your enviroment.
1. You'll need a copy of PHP.
Since you'll probably want to run your PHP scripts under a web server you might as well kill two (three) birds with one stone. The Wamp (http://www.wampserver.com/) package is an easy as pie installer that will install and configure Apache, mySQL, PHP, and several other handy tools at once.
Once installed, be sure to find it in the system tray, left click it, and then select Put Online to start it up.
You can then go to http://localhost to test your install out.
The files you're serving are all under C:\wamp\www\
2. You'll need the Windows binaries of the DCMTK.
Head on over to the DCMTK website (http://dicom.offis.de/dcmtk.php.en/) and under executable binaries, grab the zip file for Windows.
Unzip it an copy the result to C:\dcmtk so it's easy to find.
3. Get a copy class_dicom.php.
You can download a zipped version from GitHub (https://github.com/vedicveko/class_dicom.php/zipball/master). Once downloaded unzip it to C:\wamp\www\class_dicom.
You should be able to visit your web server at http://localhost/class_dicom and see a directory listing.
We're going to need to make some modifications to the class. Open C:/wamp/www/class_dicom/class_dicom.php in an editor.
Near the top of a file is a line that looks like this:
define('TOOLKIT_DIR', '/usr/local/bin');
We need to change that to point to where we installed DCMTK. Change the line to look like this:
define('TOOLKIT_DIR', 'C:/dcmtk/bin');
Save class_dicom.php and you're done with it.
4. Finishing up
All of the scripts in the examples directory for class_dicom.php are meant to run on the UNIX command line. This won't work out too well when you try to run them under a web server on Windows. We need to change up one of the examples to run in this environment so you can see that it works. Take the code below and copy it into the C:\wamp\www\class_dicom\examples\get_tags.php file.
file = $file; print "TEST: " . $d->load_tags(); print ""; print_r($d->tags); $name = $d->get_tag('0010', '0010'); print "Name: $name\n"; ?>
Once that is done go to http://localhost/class_dicom/examples/get_tags.php. You'll see a header dump of the dean.dcm sample DICOM file.
(Or skip all of that and open get_tags_webbased.php in your browser instead.)
You now have a functional install of class_dicom.php to work with!


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Taking the decision to create a mobile app for your business can be one of the best things that you ever do. Find out what you should consider in advance to make this investment successful.
Taking the decision to create a mobile app for your business can be one of the best things that you ever do. You may be worried about to go about it, how much it will cost and how much time it will consume, but the reality is that it has never been easier than it is today to start creating your very own mobile app. There are whole libraries full of advanced smart frameworks for mobile apps available on the web, many of which are open-source as well, meaning that they're free to use however you want.
However, that being said, the more features you want to include, the more likely that it is that you will need to hire in the services of professional developers, and when you start to do that the costs do quickly begin to mount up, as does the time that will be required to complete the project.
And so the first thing that you need to consider is exactly what it is that you want your app to do, exactly how much time and money it will cost you to do it, and pit that against your expected ROI once your app is launched.
Let's go into this in a little more detail before we continue.
Well, essentially – no. Your business is not just going to keel over and collapse tomorrow if you don't bring out an app by the end of the day.
But, making the decision to build a mobile app is not about saving your business, it's about increasing and improving your business.
Many start-ups and SMEs struggle over this decision. They know that the future of the web is on the mobile, but are also worried that creating a mobile app might be a wasted investment – at least until they start to get a little bigger.
But perhaps the main point to consider is the fact that if you don't get an app out there sooner or later, you can rest assured that your competitors will. So, in order to gain a meaningful advantage, the sooner you can start getting an app budgeted for and into the design and development processes, the better.
Mobile apps are not a must, but a really worthwile extension of your online business.
Unless you're actually in the business of developing and selling apps for a living (in which case you probably won't really need to read this blog), you will not be looking to create an app that monetizes itself via downloads. That is to say that you will probably not be able to charge people for the privilege of downloading your mobile app.
So the purpose of your app will most likely be a part of your larger online marketing strategy. You will obviously already have a website with a regularly updated blog, and will be participating in social media marketing strategies in order to try and drive more traffic to your website with the intention of increasing conversions and sales.
It wasn't so long ago that a website was a rather exotic thing for a company to have. Now, it's inconceivable that anyone would go into business without one – they are simply just too valuable a tool for connecting with customers, promoting business and driving sales. As mentioned above, apps aren't quite at that stage yet, but that's the direction in which they're heading, and, as the technology improves and becomes more affordable, more and more business are adopting them.
The reason for this is their versatility and ease of use for the end user. With a mobile app you can:
Put simply, the mobile app is a great way to connect directly with your customers right in their pocket. You're essentially creating an easy-to-use gateway into your site, and that, if done well, can only equate to bigger business.
So, if you've already made the decision that a mobile app is the right move for your business, then we've put together a list of things that you need to consider when it comes to actually developing it. And, as with all new projects, you need to begin at the beginning – and that means research.
Make sure customers find your app user-friendly and... useful!
If you're only now getting into the app game, then it almost guaranteed that you will not be the first company in your field to do so. So, to start your research, you first of all need to head to the app store, locate all of the apps of your direct competitors, download them and start using them – making notes as you do so.
You need to ask yourself:
When answering these questions, you need to do so whilst keeping in mind the following elements:
You need to make extensive notes on all of these points and really try and figure out exactly what it is that will make your app stand out from the crowd. In this regard, it is actually the customer reviews that you should take into the most serious consideration, for you must always remember that it is for them and not yourself that you will be building the app for. If they want something that's currently lacking, then give it to them. If they hate something that all of your competitors include, then leave it out.
By now, you should have a pretty good idea as to how exactly you would like your business app to work, look and function. So, the next step to take is to put your notebook to one side and get your sketchbook out instead.
Start creating story boards for how your app will look and move from one page to the next. In fact, it is actually quite a good idea to download a storyboarding app right onto your smartphone. This way you will know exactly what scale you're working with.
One of the most important things to consider when you're designing your app is the UX. Everything must be clear and very simple and intuitive on the small screen, and this means that your navigation tools should be the most prominent features of any given page. Without users being able to easily navigate around your app to access the information that they want quickly, they will simply stop using it, and, even worse, might even leave a negative review on the app store, which, by extension, puts a black mark against your company as well.
Taking your storyboarding one step further, the progression from here is to start researching wireframes – and it's here where things start to get a little technical and tricky.
Wireframes are great tools for the app developer – and particularly the novice. What they fundamentally do is strip down the app to its bare essentials so that you can focus on the app's functions and how the user will interact with the app. You will of course be collaborating with other members of your business – or perhaps outside third parties such as professional app developers – about your idea. Trying to explain verbally or textually (or even with your rough sketch storyboarding) exactly how it is that you envision your app working will leave a lot to the imagination, and you may not be able to get your idea clearly across to all involved.
But, with the use of a wireframing tool, you can begin to put together a much more demonstrative picture of your app, and will be able to show exactly how you see it working and functioning.
Any one of these wireframing tools we recommend you use:
A few framework options available at Balsamiq.
Eventually, the time will come when you will have to start building your app, and this will probably mean – unless you take an intensive crash course in programming – that you will have to turn to professional skills of outsourced developers to start putting it all together and creating the app that you have long been dreaming about.
Finding the right developer can be as painstaking a part of the process as any, and you might not initially know where to begin your search.
You can search for private developers to produce your app, and you might even consider offshoring or nearshoring your app development in an effort to reduce costs. But before you do so, make sure that the teams you hire are able to cope with working across time zones and are provide fluent international communication.
When you boil everything down, your own app will provide you with a brand new channel through which you can connect with your customers. And, as a rule, apps for SMEs particularly shouldn't really need to break the bank, as you will only want to include the most useful features, and not try and make the most elaborate and fantastic app that has ever been created.
And, with this new avenue, you should be able to increase revenue, which can often mean that your app will end up paying for itself. An app may not be strictly necessary for your business, but if it will increase conversions, revenues and help to grow your business, then it certainly makes sense.
Have you got started with planning your mobile app already? Great! We've got yet another read for you - find out why more features won't save your mobile app.


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Best Diaper Bag Backpack & A GIVEAWAY!12.11.2015
when it comes to being a mom, there are many days when i feel like i'm off to the races with my kids. haha! which is why i'm always looking for products that allow me to keep up with my kids or intrigue them just enough that they'll stay in one place for at least 15 minutes.
|[photos by roxana b photography]
there are a lot of amazing stores, companies, and websites out there that have incredible products every mom should have in her arsenal. but, one of my favorites is the baby cubby. they are a local store here in utah, but also have an incredible website. and though we love everything they carry, some of our favorite products are their diaper bag backpacks and their baby lit books.
so, since diaper bag backpacks are one of my favorite things...today, one lucky winner with have the chance to win their very own ju ju be diaper bag backpacks valued at $200! which really is one of the
best diaper bag backpacksout there!
i'm doing this giveaway on my instagram account. so make sure to stop by for all the giveaway details!
aside from that, if there is currently anything you have on your "mommy must-have list" or need to buy a gift for someone with kids, make sure to visit the baby cubby website!
happy friday!