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A Saga of Virtuality
Day One:
I've got two laptops, a 5 year old Dell with Windows 7 (a solid work machine) and a much older Dell that's still running Windows XP. I'd get rid of the XP machine except it has a test server on it that only runs on XP.
The server itself as a standalone installation has long been discontinued by the developers and they've moved their later versions to SaaS. These later versions are prohibitively expensive, especially for what is only a non-production test server where the only functionality I am interested in is storing test data and testing the occasional piece of coding. In other words, the XP installation suits my needs at a cost I can accept and I'd like to keep it. It's no longer supported by the developers, but I can live with that.
What I might be interested in, though, is in porting it to some sort of virtual machine so that it runs on the Windows 7 machine and I don't need the second laptop. An added benefit might be that it runs faster if it's hosted on the slightly newer laptop…
After a bit of investigation on the web it looks like there are two main options – a P2V (Physical to Virtual) copy of the existing XP setup (essentially copying the entire system into a virtual platform that can be run on the guest machine), or using Windows XP Mode as a virtual operating system. The second option seems to be the trickier option at the moment, having to install XP Mode, the OS, reinstall the server, and migrate all the data. It might be a cleaner option in the end and maybe I'll try it after a proof-of-concept of the P2V option, but for now I'll look at copying the entire existing setup and seeing if that runs.
There appear to be various options in the market for doing P2V conversions. I settle on the Microsoft utility Disk2VHD because a) it's free, and b) there appear to be numerous tutorials explaining how it all works.
Day Two:
In preparation for the conversion, I do some housekeeping on the XP machine. Run Disk Cleanup, empty the recycle bin, run defrag a few times to optimise the disks. Haven't cleaned it up in a while, so this takes most of the day.
Day Three:
Let's make a virtual machine! Downloaded Disk2VHD from sysinternals. Followed the tutorials to install it and run it and then select the system disk (C:) that I want to make into a virtual platform. It's a 195GB disk split into two partitions, of which the C: drive is only 109GB in total size with 20 or so GB of data on it so should be reasonably quick, and the VHD is built in only an hour or so. The VHD file is being written to an external hard drive.
I've already got Windows Virtual PC installed on the Win7 machine, so just unplug the external hard drive from one machine and reattach it to the other, and select the VHD when Virtual PC is creating a virtual machine. Unfortunately, it returns an error:
A quick Google suggests that this error is because the disk size may be more than the 127GB limit.
To double-check, I use diskpart. Yep, it's showing as the full 195 GB, and as RAW, not formatted. When it's recognised by Win7 there's also a popup asking if I want to format the new disk. Something's gone wrong.
I start again back in the XP machine, just in case it was something in my settings. Two hours later, same result. I wasn't sure if the limit was on disk or partition, I guess I have the answer.
Day Four:
Back to Google for alternative options. VMWare consistently stands out, and a bit more investigation leads me to the VMware vCenter Converter. Created a VMware account, validated email address, downloaded and installed the converter.
Started the converter and moved through the conversion wizard. The converter's options for a hosted destination – Workstation, Fusion, or Player – need a bit more investigation. VMWare's site has Workstation Player which confuses the options a bit, but I go for the Workstation as a hosted destination. Under 2 hours later, and the converter has finished; I have a nice new shiny .vmdk file.
I go to download VMWare's Workstation Player v12, but notice that it's for 64-bit only. My Win7 machine is 32-bit. Back to the drawing board. Is there a VMWare player that supports 32-bit? A bit more investigation turns up that the Player versions from 6 and below (and 7 with certain hardware) are supported on 32-bit systems, and a bit more searching results in a link to the older versions on the VMWare site. I opt for VMWare Player v6 and download and install.
As a bit of a test I try to open the Workstation virtual machine on the Player, well, player. No dice – fair enough, I didn't expect it to work anyway.
Back to the XP machine and the Converter, to create a new virtual machine with Player v6 as the hosted destination. A bit under 2 hours later and a fresh new .vmdk file has been created.
Time to boot it up and see if it works!
Opened up VMWare Player, selected Open a Virtual Machine, selected the new .vmdk and crossed my fingers. Two minutes later:
I give it a few more minutes to boot up, look for new hardware and install drivers, and generally wait until it finishes any additional processes. That'll do for today.
Day Five:
Today is making sure all drivers are installed and all connections are running properly. I boot up the virtual machine and check for any missing hardware. There are a few bits and pieces missing so it's a slow morning downloading drivers, copying them to a USB stick, then swapping back to the virtual machine to install them. This might have gone faster if I'd remembered that I still had the original XP installation disk…
Two things are still bothering me about the virtual machine:
- The machine is not recognising the wireless card, so it looks like I'll have to dig into the Player manual to set up network connections
- The machine takes the host RAM usage up to 95% and the machine itself is very slow.
The host machine only has 4GB RAM in a single slot. Crucial does a matching pair to bring the RAM up to 8GB at a reasonable price so the order goes in.
Day Seven:
The RAM's arrived. It's a fairly trivial matter to swap out the single stick of 4GB and install the two sticks of Crucial Ballistix.
Turn the laptop over and boot it up. It doesn't seem to be that much faster, and the performance monitor shows that nearly 50% of the RAM is being used. Once Windows loads fully, I go into the system properties and check – nope, still says 3.16 GB usable. I reboot and go into the BIOS, where it shows DIMM A as 4096 MB and DIMM B as empty. Might be a seating issue, so I shut it all down, open the back up again and remove both memory modules. Just in case it's a dodgy stick I swap the two sticks over and reinstall them, making sure they're seated properly and clicked in.
Reboot again and check the BIOS first – both DIMM slots are recognised as 4096 MB, so it must have been a seating issue. Windows starts up. Again, though, initial indications are that 50% of the memory is being used, so once it's fully booted I check the properties again. "Installed memory: 8.00 GB (3.16 GB usable)". Windows isn't recognising the additional memory.
Wait a minute, how much memory can Windows recognise? Turns out that for the 32-bit version, only 4 GB. I have the 32-bit version installed. So that was a waste of time then, and a waste of a few pounds on the memory upgrade.
The next couple of hours are spent investigating whether or not the rest of the hardware (particularly the CPU) can handle 64-bit, making an OS upgrade/reinstall possible. Turns out that CPU-Z thinks that it's possible, so now that's an option – with a decision to be made on whether to only go to Win7 64-bit, or go the whole way to Win10.
I'm happy with Windows 7, so we'll stay with that and if I need to upgrade to Windows 10 later then at least the upgrade path will be on 64-bit.
An added bonus will be that I will then be able to upgrade to VMWare Workstation Player.
Day Eight:
After the fiasco with the RAM, and sleeping on it, it makes sense to move up to the 64-bit version of Windows 7 to take advantage of the extra 4GB. And if I'm going to reinstall Windows, then why not upgrade the hardware to SSD at the same time? This will also speed up the host system, and might have some added benefits for the virtual machine.
Cue more investigation. Which brand? What size? After looking at a number of benchmarking sites I've narrowed it down to SanDisk vs Samsung (with Kingston a close third), and after comparing the various products (Ultra vs Extreme vs Evo vs Pro) and the relative disk sizes and prices, I settle on the Samsung 850 EVO 500 GB. Not too shabby at just over £110.
SSD ordered and Win7 64-bit download started.
Day Nine:
Win7 download completed, and ran an MD5 hash check against the published MD5 sums to check that the download is correct and valid.
Created a bootable USB stick using the Windows USB tool. Had to run it twice due to an error in creating a 64-bit bootable device from a 32-bit system, but downloading bootsect fixed that.
Ran Belarc Advisor to generate a system report on installed software and keys so I know what to reinstall.
Day Eleven:
Hoorah, the SSD's arrived. The laptop HDD is the same dimesions as the SSD so no need for a spacer – simply unplug and replace. Booted up and checked the BIOS to ensure the settings were correct and the new drive was recognised, then booted from the USB drive to install a fresh copy of Win 7 64-bit. The installation completes in less than half an hour – wow!
It then took vast multiples of that time to find any missing hardware drivers – install, reboot, install, reboot, rinse and repeat until all drivers are found and installed – and to download and install all Windows updates. Reboot time is less than 20 seconds now though from Post to operational which is fantastic.
At the same time I'm also creating a new VM from the XP machine, this time using Workstation 12 as the destination, and downloading and installing Workstation 12 on the host.
Two hours later and we're ready to go, loading Workstation 12 on the host and starting the new virtual machine. Once it loads and the XP OS starts inside the VM there are a few driver issues and installs to complete. Connecting the DVD drive and loading VMWare Tools inside the virtual machine clears any remaining driver issues and the VM is ready to use.
The new virtual machine works like a charm. Running on the SSD and with the extra RAM it's so much faster than the original laptop, and the server is now usable again. I still have a few issues with networks and ports but I'll work these out over time.
As this was my first foray into virtual machines I wasn't sure what to expect, but if I'm to take away anything from the past couple of weeks it would be to make sure your hardware on the host system is up to the task. The difference between the old laptop (4GB RAM, 320GB HDD, Win 7 32-bit) and the new laptop (8GB RAM, 500GB SSD, Win 7 64-bit) is simply phenomenal. For under £150 in total the hardware has been transformed from a plodding host into a speed machine and is now able to deal with the extra demands of hosting a VM.


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Indigenous and ingenious: The roots of mobile banking in Africa
Indigenous and ingenious: The roots of mobile banking in Africa
- September 6, 2012
From Build it Kenny, and they will come… Where technology meets anthropology, conservation and development, by kiwanja
In Ghana, it's popularly known as susu. In Cameroon, tontines or chilembe. And in South Africa, stokfel. Today, you'd most likely call it plain-old microfinance, the nearest term we have for it. Age-old indigenous credit schemes have run perfectly well without much outside intervention for generations. Although, in our excitement to implement new technologies and solutions, we sometimes fail to recognise them. Innovations such as mobile banking – great as they may be – are hailed as revolutionary without much consideration for what may have come before, or who the original innovators may have been.
Read the full blog post, please visit: http://www.kiwanja.net/blog/
Monday, September 3, 2012
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subset: commoncrawl


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About ScottEllington
I'd say that everyone re-invents the wheel (because teaching isn't learning), and that the best place to do that learning is on the shoulders of giants. In the shoulders of giants is less burdensome. That question, I think, is pivotal; How to contribute value to the enterprise (of art) while learning to do it better, appreciate it more astutely, and to what purpose?
Money, apparently, isn't The Ultimate Answer to pivotal questions, anymore.
Autonomy, mastery and purpose suggest that box office is a truly moronic evaluative template with which to guage the success of movies; likewise, any industry that conflates quality with purely financial ROI must not be paying attention.


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As the revelations are disclosed with consistent regularity, we are presented to several disclosures that present their arrival over the course of time. Microsoft today has announced the launch of Office Mobile for Office 365 subscribers. This disclosure is a new iPhone-only app which allows the users to view and edit Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. However the particularized app requires a subscription to Microsoft's Office 365 service for providing the necessary functionalities to the users.
This functionality integrates works in conjunction with Microsoft SkyDrive cloud storage service by integrating the respective components. Due to these provisions, the users possess the facility to edit the documents on the go and hence have changed automatically synced for access from several other machines. The Office Mobile also helps in supporting different sharing options and the users are bestowed with the facility of viewing and adding comments on a particular document and then later sending across the document via either SkyDrive or email.
Let's view a demo of this particular app. The FAQs are addressed in a separate blog post from Microsoft.
The app Office Mobile for Office 365 subscribers is available for free & can be downloaded from the App Store. However, this specific app requires subscription to the Office 365 and this utility can be purchased through the app itself. Additionally, the users are awarded a a 30-day trial of Office 365 for allowing users to test out this particularized service.


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Bus Driver of the Year
The Bus Driver of the Year was awarded to someone who shines daily. Tammy Lagle knows all of the students on her bus on a personal level and greets each child with a smile each morning. She takes care of the children just like her very own.
Mrs. Lagle has been a responsible substitute driver since 1997 and full time driver for the last two years, making clear decisions about the safety of our students. She is courteous and respectful to all students, parents, and faculty. Mrs. Lagle has the initiative to go beyond her expected duties and fulfill other roles in the school. For example, before her afternoon bus route she might go by several teachers' classrooms and ask if they need a bathroom break while she covers the class.
She believes in Colossians 3:17. "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Transportation Professional of the Year
This year's Transportation Professional of the Year has been with DCS for 5 years. Brad Ratledge currently serves as a Level I mechanic performing repairs, inspections and preventative maintenance on fleet vehicles. He is a State Certified Motor Vehicle Inspector.
Mr. Ratledge is a self-motivated, hard working mechanic. He can always be counted on to go the extra mile, doing whatever it takes to complete his work assignments quickly and professionally.
Mr. Ratledge is active in his church and community. He and his wife Carrie have three children who attend Davie County Schools.
Customize the way Davie County Schools Communicates with You!
InfoCenter gives you the ability to view and listen to messages from your school or district and personalize how you receive those school communications through a website or an app on your phone. InfoCenter centralizes these communications in an inbox where you may listen to them at any time. If you are associated with students in different schools, all matching records will be linked to your account. Please visit the DCS SchoolMessenger page for more information.
Please Plan to Vote
Election day is November 8, and Early Voting in Davie County begins on October 20. We encourage our staff, students, parents, and citizens to research the candidates and exercise their right to vote. The following are some dates you need to know:
October 14 | This is the last day to register to vote in order to be eligible to vote in the November 8 election. You may check your registration here. Information on how to register to vote may be found here.
October 20 | Early in person voting begins. You may find out where to vote here.
November 1 | This is the last day to request absentee voting by mail, which has already begun.
November 8 | Election Day!
Preregistration for 16 and 17-year-olds: One of the lesser publicized provisions of the 2013 voter ID law ended voter preregistration for 16 and 17-year-olds. Now that the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals has struck down those 2013 restrictions, preregistration is back and our 16 and 17-year-olds can now preregister to vote. Students may preregister to vote in the Guidance Office at Davie County High School or any of the other locations listed here.
PBIS Awards
Positive Behavior Intervention and Support Programs are a way to impact the learning environments in schools in order to support high student performance and to reduce behavioral problems. The North Carolina Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) sites are working to integrate their Safe Schools Plans, Character Education efforts and strategies, and discipline efforts in order to make schools caring and safe communities for learning.
Congratulations to William R. Davie, Shady Grove, Pinebrook and Cornatzer - Green Ribbon recognition; North Davie and Mocksville - Model School; South Davie and Cooleemee - Exemplar Recognition!
Learn More about PBIS
National Principals Month
Principals set the tone for each of our schools, and their hard work and dedication has a positive effect on teaching and learning every day. We are thankful for our principals who dedicate their careers and their lives to serving our students and teachers. Please help us thank our principals this month for their fantastic leadership!
6th Grade Athletics A Go!
In August 2016, the NC State Board of Education authorized school districts to determine whether sixth grade students may participate in interscholastic athletics, however, their new policy does not allow sixth grade students to participate in football. Immediately following this decision, DCS administrators met to discuss this topic and formed a committee to gather information from coaches, parents, and districts across the state. Each committee member supports allowing sixth grade students to participate. Surrounding districts and others across the state vary in their decisions.
The committee recommended, and the Board of Education approved on October 4, that sixth grade students be allowed to participate in interscholastic athletics effective with winter sports starting in November 2016. More information will be shared with middle school students and parents in the coming weeks.
Be a Part of History!
We are excited to open the new Davie County High School in the fall of 2017! The Brick Fundraiser is a way for our community to support the new school and be a part of history. Funds raised will be used for outdoor furniture for the courtyard, as well as the concession stand/restroom area for baseball and softball fields.
Darrin L. Hartness, Ed. D.


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Tiago Garcia winemaker. Herdade das Servas, Estremoz, Alentejo, Portugal
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alentejo, bkwine, bm20-518-1827.tif, das, herdade, herdade das servas, maker, person, personality, portrait, portugal, portuguese, producer, servas, wine, wine maker, wine producer, winemaker, winemaking, winery


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CJ advises lawyers to support automation in Judiciary
Chief justice David Maraga has advised young lawyers to support reforms the Judiciary is currently undertaking to automate the courtRead more
Chief justice David Maraga has advised young lawyers to support reforms the Judiciary is currently undertaking to automate the courtRead more
Government will close down Universities violating the Statutes and regulations that guide provision of quality University Education in the country.Read more
28 new judges have been sworn in, 19 of the new judges will serve in the Environment and Land Division.Read more
Deputy President, William Ruto, has asked Opposition leaders to allow Kenyans to exercise their Constitutional right of electing leaders ofRead more
Today I want us to focus on running the race of life, you see life is a race which weRead more
Storms are part of life. Ai??We all must encounter one type of a storm or other. Yes no one isRead more
President Uhuru Kenyatta has eulogised the late Dr. Bethuel Mareka Gecaga as a true patriot who was one of theRead more
President Uhuru Kenyatta joined family, friends and colleagues of the 11 G.S.U officers who died in the Karai road accidentRead more
Prayers were Wednesday held at the scene of Saturdayai??i??s horrific road accident at Karai, Naivasha that has so far claimedRead more
Beginning this Saturday 17th December 2016, KBC English Service radio will do a re-run of the special series of TheRead more


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Denise Shull, MA, leverages her training in psychological science to solve the challenges of mental mistakes, confidence crises and slumps in Olympic athletes, Wall Street traders and corporate warriors. Denise is known for her uncanny effectiveness in coaching, training and assessing for the X factor of human performance under pressure. Her clients include portfolio managers, traders, professional and Olympic athletes and business innovators.
Ms. Shull's Wall Street career began in 1994 at the Chicago Board Options Exchange. She traded for Electronic Trading Group and Schonfeld Securities before moving to NYC to run trading desks at Sharpe Capital and NYSE Floor Broker Bonfanti. She founded the risk decision consultancy, The ReThink Group in 2003. Her 2012 book, Market Mind Games: A Radical Psychology of Investing, Trading and Risk has been described as the "best of its genre" and a "veritable Rosetta Stone of trading psychology."
In 2015, Shull consulted on Showtime's drama BILLIONS and the character Wendy Rhoades and in 2016 Bloomberg's Tradebook built the Trader Brain Exercise based on The ReThink Group's work. In 2017, Shull delivered HEADSx, a unique talent assessment tool, used by hedge funds to hire exceptional market talent.
The head of regional trading for a global bank says:
"…the work I have done with her has enabled me to make more progress in my trading than my 15 years of experience did on their own."
An engaging speaker, Shull has delivered keynotes and workshops at MIT's Sloan Fellows program, US Ski and Snowboard, Harvard Business School, Leaders in Sport, NASCAR Cup Winners Hendrick Motorsports and the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan among many others.
In 2019 she appeared on Real Vision and Yahoo Finance and in the past on CNBC's Squawk Box both in the US and Asia. FORBES, WSJ, FT, Bloomberg Markets, and New York Times' Dealbook have run profiles on her unique work. She has also appeared on FOX Business with Liz Claman, Bloomberg, Cavuto, PBS, The Discovery Channel and CNBC's Halftime Report.
Shull holds a Master of Arts in neuropsychoanalysis (1995) from The University of Chicago. Her thesis research, "The Neurobiology of Freud's Theory of the Repetition Compulsion," was published in 2003 in the Annals of Modern Psychoanalysis and was cited in 2013 as one of the first papers written in neuropsychoanalysis. She is also a 2009 alumna of Harvard's Kennedy School Executive Education program, Investment Decisions and Behavioral Finance.
Shull resides in NYC but remains a lifelong fan of the Cleveland Browns and a relatively fast downhill skier.


text: Education & Research Services bases its service model on the librarian liaison – a librarian assigned to a collegiate unit or to a disciplinary group(s). Our librarian liaisons are problem solvers who specialize in searching the medical literature, helping students and faculty search more effectively, evaluating clinical evidence resources and teaching information literacy skills. You may also view a list of liaisons by subject area.


text: View our featured vehicles listed below for a special offer on a great pre-owned vehicle. At Turpin Motors we offer an assorted lineup of popular used cars for drivers in Geneseo and Moline. If you have been searching for a great car but have yet to find the vehicle you are looking for, fill out our CarFinder request form and let us do the searching for you! Learn more about our dealership and our new and used vehicle services by visiting Turpin Motors in Geneseo at 1024 South Chicago Street, just a short drive from Moline. We look forward to helping you find your next pre-owned or new Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, or RAM vehicle!


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Immediate Cover We understand protecting your business is important so we make sure we do it straightaway
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If you are running a Trade business in the UK and want to protect your business, we can help customise your policy and get a competitive price. We'll cover everything such as road risks and premises, company cars and any customer vehicles, plus tools cover all in one policy. Our experts make it easy for you to select the combined insurance features that strictly apply to your business.


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Must-see from the Abelló Collection
While the Meadows Museum usually features an important 1915 painting by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) in its permanent collection, currently there are two paintings and thirteen drawings spanning the artist's career from 1902-1971 on view on the special exhibition, The Abelló … Continue reading
How to Get Your Artwork to Last a Lifetime
Congratulations! You finally decided to take the plunge and purchase a new piece of artwork to decorate your home. While this can be an expensive investment, it's no doubt a worthwhile one. Once you officially take ownership of the piece, … Continue reading
Ways for Children to Discover the Meadows Museum
A museum can seem too quiet, too still for young children, but art should be enjoyed by all ages. That's why it's part of the Meadows Museum's mission to create activities and outreach programs for children and families, creating a … Continue reading
Steps to Hang a Painting
The artwork you choose to purchase is not only an investment, but also a statement about you. As such, you'll want to present it in a way that reflects your personal style, offers the best presentation and protects your investment. … Continue reading
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The Advantages of Being a Member of the Meadows Museum
How would you like to enjoy easy access to art year-round while supporting educational programs for the community? When you become a member of the Meadows Museum, you can. Membership means access to a venue offering a one-of-a-kind opportunity to appreciate … Continue reading
Novice's Corner: Drawing 101
Drawing is a fail-proof way to get your creative juices flowing, and all you need are a few simple items to channel your inner sketch artist. What's more, everything you need is readily available at local art stores and online. … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged drawing, programs, sketching Leave a comment
Musings from the Meadows Curatorial Intern
Courtesy of the Meadows Museum 2013-2014 William B. Jordan Curatorial Intern, Lauren Graves Among the many recently acquired works at the Meadows Museum are five paintings from the Coleman collection. One of these works is Farm-house, Alcira, 1903, by Joaquín … Continue reading
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Summer Musings from the Meadows Curatorial Intern
Courtesy of one of our summer interns, Ailie Pankonien: Throughout this summer the Meadows Museum has hosted the exhibition, "Modern Mexican Painting from the Andrés Blaisten Collection." There is a range of subject matter on view, from landscapes, portraits, and … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized Tagged Blaisten, Mexican, modern, painting, Peña 3 Comments
¡Saludos! From the Meadows/Kress/Prado Fellow
I arrived in Dallas on a warm afternoon in late August. As I was leaving the airport the first thing I noticed were these beautiful banners fluttering in the wind publicizing the new exhibition that was about to open at … Continue reading
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Welcome everyone to the new blog of the Meadows Museum at SMU! Here you'll see periodic posts from various staff members, giving you a little more informal, "behind-the-scenes" look at museum life and how we go about our mission of … Continue reading
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Belle Mare Beach
Imagine yourself on a lovely beach of fine golden sand, tanning under an exquisite sun, having a glass of champagne and reading your favorite novel. Mauritius Island is the perfect destination to have this peaceful environment you were dreaming of and searching for. The east coast of Mauritius has a pleasant and bright weather at any time of the year and offers attractions unforeseen far from the known touristic destinations. Here is why you should consider Belle-Mare as your next holiday destination in Mauritius. If you are fond of morning walks, starting the day with a revitalising fresh air, the east coast is the ideal region for you. Facing the sunrise, the beach of Belle-Mare is the best place to escape from the stress of your daily life. Under a bright blue sky, facing the sea breeze touching your face softly with an ambient salty smell satisfying your senses, and a cyan-blue seawater, you will be overwhelmed by this stunning beauty around you. The reef being far from the shore, offers a calm lagoon, where the waves washes up on your feet giving you a soothing melodic sound. The Belle-Mare untamed beaches will also allow you […]
Solana Beach: Seaside fun with your tribe or your better half
ea view in all rooms, three restaurants and two bars, activities for the whole family, and a dream location in an unspoilt landscape… What if Solana Beach had the winning combination? Solana Beach is set on the eastern coast, in Belle Mare – one of the most "natural" regions of the island. This 4-star seaside resort overlooks a long stretch of beach and a crystal-clear lagoon, ideal for long walks in the sand and to collect a few seashells as souvenirs. You may also want to walk away from the beach and explore the area around the hotel! The Bras d'Eau National Park, the village of Flacq and the Île aux Cerfs are a few sites worth-visiting. The hotel's thatched roofs is a reference to the island's timeless seaside bungalows. The fresh and contemporary interior combines bright colours and spotless white hues: it feels like a complete change of scene, yet firmly grounded in 2016. One great advantage of Solana Beach is that all rooms have a sea view. Guests can order and enjoy a quiet in-room breakfast from their balcony or terrace, in front of the sea. 3 restaurants and 2 bars When you are travelling or choosing a […]
Seven places to visit in the south-east of Mauritius
Le Preskil Beach Resort and Astroea Beach both enjoy an ideal location at a few minutes from the airport, the historical town of Mahebourg and the Blue Bay Marine Park, which leaves travellers with many beautiful sightseeing options. Here are seven places to visit in the south-east of the island.


text: We¡¦ve all been in interviews when it seems like all the interviewer wants to do is trip you up. It¡¦s like everything you say is somehow misinterpreted to mean something completely different. How can you diffuse such an uncomfortable situation? First, understand that the interviewer¡¦s hostility is probably not about you. Most likely, the interviewer started his day off by arguing with his spouse, woke up sick, or just had a disagreement with the boss or a client and, as a result, he¡¦s agitated. Maybe he was never taught proper interview techniques. Or, he may just have a mean streak. In any case, it¡¦s up to you to put the best spin on the interview. Here are three interview techniques you can use to take control: Address Miscommunications Immediately After you give what you think is a solid answer to one of the interview questions, you¡¦re met with raised eyebrows and a quizzical look. Is there a problem with your answer? Don¡¦t panic. Instead, ask the interviewer right away, ¡§Can I clarify part of my answer for you?¡¨ This gives the interviewer a chance to explain his issue, and it gives you the opportunity to rephrase your answer. It¡¦s important to address any confusion immediately; otherwise the interview can get off track, never to be salvaged. Turn the Tables on a Negative Reaction Let¡¦s say the interviewer asks how you handled a specific challenge at work. After you answer, the interviewer says, ¡§I disagree with your approach. That¡¦s not how we manage problems around here.¡¨ Take the edge off this exchange by making it clear you understand every company culture is different. Given what you know about his company, recast your answer, illustrating another way you may handle the situation. This gives you a second chance to respond to the interview question and dispel the interviewer¡¦s antagonism. This also demonstrates your flexibility and quick thinking. An Interview Is a Conversation, Not an Interrogation If the person seems bent on grinding you down with endless follow-up interview questions, give your answers and then ask a follow-up question yourself. For instance, ask about how the company ramps up for new product development or where the interviewer thinks the company will be in five years. This tactic not only makes the interviewer talk, but it also provides the necessary give-and-take of the typical interview. Remember: Interviews are not one-sided interrogations, but more a business conversation between you and the potential employer and what you can offer each other. Whatever transpires in the job interview, never meet hostility with hostility -- you can only lose in that exchange. The best way to approach a hostile interviewer is to have tactics at your fingertips that allow you to turn the situation around and dilute the impact of the aggressive interviewer.


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Popular Kids Get Flu First: Revenge of the Nerds?
(CBS) Having lots of friends may be good for your social life - but bad for your health.
At least during flu season.
According to a new study of college students, those at the hub of social networks came down with the flu about 14 days sooner than members of a randomly selected control group.
The study was published in the journal PLoSone.
In other words, people who have broad social connections are more likely to encounter someone who is already infected with the flu.
The scientists behind the study say their finding might point the way to a new way to track outbreaks of infectious illness.
"We think this may have significant implications for public health," study co-author Nicholas Christakis, professor of medicine, medical sociology and sociology at Harvard UniversityChristakis, said in a written statement. "Public health officials often track epidemics by following random samples of people or monitoring people after they get sick. But that approach only provides a snapshot of what's currently happening. By simply asking members of the random group to name friends, and then tracking and comparing both groups, we can predict epidemics before they strike the population at large."


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Our focus continues to be long-life, operated onshore properties in North America with meaningful development drilling upside.


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Cleaning ideas for a busy office
A busy office with a big group of employees may become messy very rapidly. Because of the bustling exercise of the workers, some messes might not get cleaned immediately or could be forgotten about altogether up. Fortunately, the Maids offer janitorial services Durham NC for your business that will help to maintain the expert look of an workplace. Listed below are some other explanations why it is good for hire us for workplace cleaning services and also some office cleaning strategies for employees to greatly help in the work to help keep an office clean.
At the Maids cleaning professionals sweep tile flooring, vacuum cleaner carpeting, wash the within of windows, and dirt office furniture. These are all ongoing solutions that help set up a welcoming atmosphere within an office. We know how to locate the places in an office where dirt and dirt collect. Restrooms should be cleaned regularly to avoid a build-up of germs and germs that may cause illness.
Piles of Paper
One of the primary workplace offenders is piles of papers - on your own desk, on your own shelves, and eventually on your own floor. It's an easy task to get busy and begin stacking papers to apply for later, but before it is known by you, you've got a task that's too large to tackle. The main element is to procedure papers as you proceed. Set up something of trays or document folders that are obviously labeled and ensure it is a habit to utilize them.
The food spattered keep track of and keyboard filled with crumbs.
We know that you take in at your table so you can function through lunch. Also it impresses your boss definitely, but your co-workers are snickering concerning the week-old stroganoff stains probably. Fortunately, it's a straightforward fix. Mind to your neighborhood office supply store, grab some wipes which are designed for electronics specifically, and make it a spot to clean down your keyboard and keep track of daily. Not only does it keep dirt and particles from gumming up your personal computer, but it helps keep germs away also.
Your Desk isn't the Kitchen Table
If you're like lots of people, your table probably acts because the kitchen table for the office. It's the accepted place where everything gets dropped, and pretty you need to dig to access your computer soon. A clean table will guarantee more efficiency, but you're so busy attempting to be productive currently, who offers time to fully stop and clean? The key daily is to schedule it, and address it like it's a gathering you can't miss. It can help if you reduce image frames and just keep function essentials on, around your desk.


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When Alice Cooper first started putting out albums in the late '60s, they had to compete with the still-kicking Beatles, the just-starting Led Zeppelin and the hitting-their-peak Rolling Stones for music fans' attention and dollars. And they still managed to break through, thanks to a hard-edged sound and over-the-top live shows (which often involved simulated beheadings). They landed four straight platinum albums before Alice Cooper the band broke up, leaving Alice Cooper the man (born Vincent Furnier) to forge ahead solo, continuing one of the most successful careers we've seen in popular music.
We talked to Cooper about keeping his show and character fresh, the state of modern rock and more as he traveled toward Spokane for a headlining show Sunday. (Questions and responses have been edited for length.)
INLANDER: You used to cause mayhem with parents and politicians with your stage shows. How do you shock people in 2017?
COOPER: That era is over. I don't think anybody will shock an audience anymore. Lady Gaga did the meat dress thing, and she's great. I told her, "In our day, we would have put you on a spit and barbecued you on stage and had the audience eat the meat off of you!" When you can't be as shocking as CNN, then really, shock is over. Shock is now sort of just part of the show, but the audience is not shocked by the guillotine anymore. But it's still entertaining, and it's still part of the story. So you still have to deal with the guillotine, and everyone is out there anticipating the guillotine, so we still do it and it looks great and everybody applauds. You can't take it out of the show. It would be like not doing "School's Out."
Have young bands approached you over the years for advice on how to stay successful in the music business?
The most important thing is, "How good are your songs?" In our generation, we had to compete with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin, all those bands, so your songs had to be what was really your motive. Everybody in our generation was a great live band. Uriah Heep, everybody. You had to be a great live band. And you had to be a great recording band. And you had to write great songs. Now, it's not necessarily what's good, it's what's next. Which is too bad. I think we're settling for fast food rather than gourmet.
How did we get here, where young rock-and-roll bands barely exist?
It has a lot to do with the record companies. We came up in an age when Warner Bros. didn't want two albums, they wanted 20 albums. They were interested in investing in the career because they believed in the band, and they believed in me. And so I put out 20 albums, and they got 15 platinum albums out of that. Now, my son is in a band called CO-OP, and if they were in the '70s, they would have had five albums out already and they'd be doing really well by now. But they're now in an era when everyone is looking for the next Ed Sheeran, or everybody is looking for Bruno Mars. Nobody is looking for the next great rock band.
We've lost a lot of rock legends the last couple of years. Do you see that and start reflecting on your own mortality?
I did lead a hard life up until 35 years ago. I was a candidate to join the 27 Club, easily. All my big brothers died at 27. Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix. All those guys were buddies of mine. They were like my big brothers. I looked at what they were and I thought, "These guys, they are trying to live their image off stage." So the one thing I learned from Jim and Jimi and those guys is, my character is actually more intense than theirs is, so I'm going to have to coexist with him somehow. And when I finally got sober I realized, "You can be Alice on stage, and you give it everything you've got as Alice, and you believe that you're Alice every single night." To this day, when I go on stage I'm Alice. I'm not me. And I love Alice. But as soon as that curtain comes down, I'm not Alice anymore, and I don't have to be him. And that way I can go play golf, go to a movie, I can be myself. Those guys never learned how to turn that off, they just blasted full steam ahead.
I know you had at least one near-death experience on stage. Have you had a lot of prop disasters?
When you're doing a show like ours, which is half-vaudeville and half-nightmare, the more props you use, the more Spinal Tap moments that you're letting yourself in for. There are things when you go, "This is going to work great, this is going to be so good," and in front of the audience, it doesn't work. Then you might do something accidental, and the audience loves it, and I'll go, "Leave that in." You rehearse this stuff, and rehearse it and rehearse it, and it should work. But sometimes it doesn't, and you have to play it as a comedy.
Your audience is full of people who see you over and over again. How do you keep the show fresh for you and for them?
I think there's a certain amount of defiance in the Alice character that I really enjoy playing. I think people might expect, "Now wait a minute now, Alice is almost 70, that means he's going to walk through the show." And then when they see the show, they go, "Holy crap! That's unbelievable, the energy!" And most of it's coming out of me.
When I first saw you, I knew it would be theatrical, but I didn't realize how diverse the songs are.
If we do a nine-hour rehearsal, eight hours is the music. If you don't have the cake, you can't put the icing on it. We bring a lot of icing on the cake. But if you don't have the tunes, it's just a puppet show. To me, I have the best touring band of anybody right now. This band can blow anybody off the stage. And then you put the icing on it, you put all the olives on it, all the attitude and character, and then you have something really unique. Then you have something that the audience, even if they came not liking you, they walk away going, "Wow, that was some show!" ♦
Alice Cooper with Dokken • Sun, June 18 at 7:30 pm • $45/$55/$65 • All-ages • Northern Quest Resort and Casino Summer Stage • 100 N. Hayford Rd., Airway Heights • northernquest.com • 481-2800


text: An elegant take on the holidays, the 2011 Holiday Barbie doll is gorgeous in green and gold! Her strapless gown from designer Robert Best features a chic sash over one shoulder while golden embroidery adds an opulent touch. With festive red nails and dangling golden earrings, she offers happy holiday wishes and sends season's greeting to loved ones near and far.


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2018-19 SUNY Broome Men's Tennis News
Tennis Ends Season At Region III TournamentMay 04, 2019The men's tennis season came to an end on Saturday in Syracuse at the Region III Men's Tennis Championships.
Today's Match CanceledMay 01, 2019Today's tennis match against Onondaga CC has been canceled by the Lazers.
Tennis Falls On The RoadApril 30, 2019The men's tennis team fell to Mohawk Valley CC in Utica on Tuesday by a score of 6-3.
Tennis Picks Up Home WinApril 17, 2019The men's tennis team picked up their second win of the year on Wednesday afternoon by defeating Mohawk Valley CC, 8-1, in a Region III match played at the Oz Winters Tennis Complex.
Tennis Falls In SyracuseApril 09, 2019The tennis team fell to Onondaga CC on Tuesday afternoon 5-1, in a Region III match played in Syracuse.
Tennis Opens Up At Home With A WinApril 08, 2019The men's tennis team opened up the 2019 season on Monday afternoon with a 7-2 win over visiting Mohawk Valley CC.


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Vitamin D is a very important vitamin for the baby's mother and baby. Mothers need to ensure their vitamin D levels are normal during pregnancy and while breastfeeding.
But first, what actually is vitamin D? It is a vitamin that is formed mainly in the skin and then altered in the body to a more active component. Most importantly, it is needed in every cell for the body to function properly!
Also known as the sunshine vitamin, 90% of vitamin D is made from sunlight exposure directly onto the skin. Women who do not get enough sun are observed to have low levels of vitamin D. The darker your skin, the more sun exposure one needs! So mothers need to expose themselves to sun to prevent getting low levels of Vitamin D or take a vitamin D supplementation.
Apart from that, a normal level of vitamin D is needed to absorb calcium from food. Calcium, which is vital for building strong bones, strong teeth and is important for the nervous system. Adequate levels are important for the immune system to work properly.
A recent study found that 1,500 to 2000IU of vitamin D daily had the greatest benefits in preventing preterm labour/births and infections. (1)
What happens if you don't?
Vitamin D deficiency is common during pregnancy. A newborn baby's vitamin D level is the same as its mother. If the mother has a low vitamin D level during pregnancy, then her baby too will be born with a low vitamin D level. There will be very little vitamin D contain in breast milk, so if the baby is vitamin D deficient, they will remain deficient while being breastfed. Because Vitamin D deficiency symptoms are generally less obvious, one might think they have sufficient amounts until getting a blood test!
Low levels of Vitamin D in children and adults have also been linked to the development of many illnesses.
Inadequate vitamin D can lead to abnormal bone growth, fractures or rickets in newborns! Because the bones don't form normally, the child can be short and the legs bowed. At times, when the calcium level in the blood is very low, it will lead to the child having seizures(fits). If you think this is 'kind of' rare, check out Dr Rangan Chatterjee's story on how his son had seizure because of being deficient in this simple vitamin. (2)
Vitamin D from food consumption alone is not enough!
Only 10% of food contain vitamin D naturally, so a lot are fortified with this vitamin. All milk are vitamin D fortified. The best way to really ensure adequate vitamin D is through supplementation.
1. Dawodu A, Akinbi H. Vitamin D nutrition in pregnancy: current opinion. International Journal of Women's Health. 2013;5:333-343. doi:10.2147/IJWH.S34032.
2. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-fitness/body/bbcs-dr-chatterjee-my-babys-illness-changed-the-way-i-work/
I am back, after a long break. I have been extremely busy with sorting out other things in my life AND being part of a 12-week fitness challenge. Life has definitely not been easy. And...I am back to my obsession about Vitamin D. Found this particular study to be quite interesting. A longitudinal study published in Lancet in 2006 found that maternal Vitamin D status was associated with reduced whole-body and lumbar-spine bone-mineral content (BMC) in children that persists to age 9 years (1).
The study followed 198 children born in 1991-1992 in UK up to 9 years of age and results show that maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and placental calcium transfer, as indicated by concentrations of umbilical-venous calcium, are significantly correlated with bone-mineral accrual at 9 years of age. The researchers also postulated that maternal vitamin D insufficiency during pregnancy leads to an impairment of placental calcium transport. It is known that the fetus accumulates about 30 g of calcium from the mother in utero, and 80% of this transfer occurs in the last trimester of pregnancy.
Furthermore, your baby's weight at 1 year predicts bone mass at later age (2). So do you all mothers-to-be out there understand the importance of Vitamin D in pregnancy?
1: Javaid MK, Crozier SR, Harvey NC, Gale CR, Dennison EM, Boucher BJ, Arden NK, Godfrey KM, Cooper C; Princess Anne Hospital Study Group. Maternal vitamin D status during pregnancy and childhood bone mass at age 9 years: a longitudinal study. Lancet. 2006 Jan 7;367(9504):36-43. Erratum in: Lancet. 2006 May 6;367(9521):1486.
2. Cooper C, Cawley M, Bhalla A, et al. Childhood growth, physical activity, and peak bone mass in women. J Bone Miner Res 1995; 10: 940–47
Attended a very interesting health meeting today and it was brought to my attention that Havard School of Public Health (HSPH) updated the Food Pyramid in 2008 based on the best available scientific evidence about the links between diet and health. According to HSPB this new Food Pyramid fixes the fundamental flaws in the original US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Pyramid and offers sound information to help people make better choices about what to eat.
HSPB has also kindly listed the top 5 tips to be healthy:
1. Start with exercise : A healthy diet is built on a base of regular exercise
2. Focus on food, not grams: Don't worry about specific servings or grams of food. It is important to note that everybody is different with different sizes, pre-existing conditions, family history etc. so there shouldn't be a set amount of serving.
3. Go with plants: Eating a plant base diet is the healthiest. Aim for lots of greens and healthy fats like olive oil and canola oil
4. Cut way back on American staples: Cut down on red meat, sugary drinks, potatoes and salty snacks.
5. Take a multivitamin: Taking a multivitamin can be a good nutrition insurance policy as it can fill in nutrient holes that may affect even the most careful eaters. Choose one multivitamin and top it up with Vitamin D. There is growing evidence Vitamin D lowers the risk of Colon and Breast Cancer.
For more info you can check out HSPB's handout here
I think this Food Pyramid is more in line with current average person's activity and nutritional requirements. Back in the days, my parents had lots of daily exercises working in the farm hence there was no need to put this in the pyramid. What do you think about current living trends?
I don't know why this hasn't been mentioned in ANY midwife visits, routine immunisations, parents groups, playgroups etc that I have been to since the birth of my daughter few months ago. With my recent obsession with Vitamin D and it so happened today that I stumbled upon a CDC recommendation that infants should have 400IU of Vitamin D supplement a day! Moreover, this recommendation was given by American Academy of Paediatrics in their 2008 report which states ' It is now recommended that all infants and children, including adolescents, have a minimum daily intake of 400 IU of vitamin D beginning soon after birth.' This is another clear example of how millions of good research and recommendations never make it to the public.
It is however quite obvious you are not going to expose your precious babies under the sun for extended period of time just to get adequate amount of Vitamin D for the prevention of infant rickets. Not to mention the risk of skin cancer and wrinkling of skin increase with sunlight exposure.
According to the CDC website, 'Human milk typically contains a vitamin D concentration of 25 IU per liter or less' and I don't believe any baby under 6 months can go through 2 liters of breastmilk a day (equivalent to only 50IU of Vitamin D). So mothers, knowing how Vitamin D is essential for our human body (and many more benefits are currently being researched), do not deprive your babies of Vitamin D supplementation if you choose to exclusively breastfeed. If you are like me, lucky enough to have been supplementing formula with breastmilk, your babies will get Vitamin D from the formula.
Bottom line, breastmilk does not contain everything your baby needs. It is important to always be aware and educate yourself.
Yesterday a colleague of mine came to me and told me that his wife is 6 months pregnant and has a Vitamin D level of 15nmol/L and he continued by saying that the doctor suggested her to take 2 Vitamin D tablets a day from now on. I was literally in shock, with a Vitamin D level of 15nmol/L which is categorised as severe Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy is rather serious and if the treating doctor had paid attention to any recent clinical guidelines, the dosage suggested would have been more than just 2 Vitamin D tablets (2000IU of Vitamin D supplementation).
Have a look at the clinical guidelines for Vitamin D deficiency above which is taken from King Edward Memorial Women's Hospital in Perth, WA, Australia. They actually recommend taking 5000IU of Vitamin D plus calcium for 6 weeks if Vitamin D level is below 50nmol/L. It makes me wonder how can a treating doctor be so out of date with the current treatment plan and why didn't he/she highlight the importance of maintaining optimum Vitamin D level in pregnancy?
Interestingly, my colleague's wife has actually been taking a certain brand of Vitamin D supplementation ever since she found out that she was pregnant. All I have to say is maybe that brand is pretty low quality. If you would like to know further details, please email me.
Effects of low maternal Vitamin D includes:
- Low serum calcium in newborns, with or without convulsions
- Rickets
- Defective tooth enamel
- Lower birth rates and higher risk of small for gestational age
- Lower newborn bone mineral
- Affects fetal femoral bone development
- Greater risk for multiple sclerosis, cancer, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, and schizophrenia in later life
Population that should be screened for Vitamin D deficiency:
- Dark skin population
- Have limited exposure to sunlight (tend to be indoors/ protected from sun when outdoors)
- Pre-pregnancy BMI > 40
I cannot stress enough the importance of Vitamin D and how common it is to find a person who is deficient in Vitamin D these days due to the risks of developing skin cancers with extreme sun exposures. In fact, a few of my close friends who are taking multivitamins think that there is enough Vitamin D supplementation in it! To be honest most multivitamins consist of minute amount of Vitamin D and it is not enough for good Vitamin D level maintenance.
The take home note, each and every pregnant woman should know their Vitamin D levels and understand the importance of maintaining the level throughout pregnancy.
Vitamin D and Depression
Interestingly I just came back from a health talk today and the focus was on research translation and it brings back the memories of me attending the 2014 - 3rd annual NHMRC Research Translation Faculty Symposium – "Achieving better health outcomes for Australians living with chronic conditions through more effective research translation". It is very true that although a lot of money has been spent on research and there are abundance of quality and interesting research work being done, the public and the health professionals doesn't necessarily know about it. Just think even if you only learn about 1 research per day, wouldn't that add more value to your life?
I was browsing through one of the hottest topic in research now which is Vitamin D because if you know me personally, the latest project I worked on was on Vitamin D and Type 2 Diabetes. Matter of fact, Vitamin D is also linked to depression!
Depression affects 350 million people worldwide and it is the leading cause of disability. At its worst, depression can lead to suicide and over 800 000 people die due to suicide every year with suicide being the second leading cause of death in 15-29year olds according to WHO. On the other hand Vitamin D deficiency is now a global public health problem affecting a billion people worldwide and studies have found that one third of Australians are Vitamin D deficient. Knowledge on Vitamin D has grown exponentially in recent years with 95% of our current knowledge published in the last 15 years. Interestingly, vitamin D has also been known to be associated with breast cancer fatality rate as shown in my other post.
A longitudinal study found that low vitamin D levels are associated with depressive symptoms, especially in persons with a history of depression (1). Researchers suggested that it might be important to check Vitamin D levels in diagnosed depression cases.
In a randomised double blind controlled trial of 20,000 or 40,000 IU vitamin D per week versus placebo for 1 year on 441 subjects (159 men and 282 women, aged 21-70 years), subjects with serum 25(OH)D levels < 40 nmol L(-1) scored significantly higher (more depressive traits) than those with serum 25(OH)D levels > or = 40 nmol L(-1) on the Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI). In the two groups given vitamin D, but not in the placebo group, there was a significant improvement in BDI scores after 1 year.
Some studies might argue about Vitamin D's controversial theory in aiding depression but overall, being deficient in a vital vitamin for the body is never a good thing so it is very important to make sure your Vitamin D levels are in the normal range to start with.
1: Hoang MT, Defina LF, Willis BL, Leonard DS, Weiner MF, Brown ES. Association between low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and depression in a large sample of healthy adults: the Cooper Center longitudinal study. Mayo Clin Proc. 2011 Nov;86(11):1050-5. doi: 10.4065/mcp.2011.0208. PubMed PMID: 22033249; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC3202994.
2. Jorde R, Sneve M, Figenschau Y, Svartberg J, Waterloo K. Effects of vitamin D supplementation on symptoms of depression in overweight and obese subjects: randomized double blind trial. J Intern Med. 2008 Dec;264(6):599-609. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2796.2008.02008.x. Epub 2008 Sep 10. PubMed PMID: 18793245.
Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide with nearly 1.7 million diagnosed in 2012 according to World Cancer Research Fund International. A meta-analysis published in 2014 concluded that higher serum 25(OH)D concentrations (Vitamin D) were associated with lower fatality rates in patients with breast cancer. Patients with the highest concentration of 25(OH)D had approximately half the fatality rate compared to those with the lowest concentration (1)
In studies of cancer cells and of tumors in mice, vitamin D has been found to have several activities that might slow or prevent the development of cancer, including promoting cellular differentiation, decreasing cancer cell growth, stimulating cell death (apoptosis), and reducing tumor blood vessel formation (angiogenesis) (2)(3)
Another study conducted by Prof. Garland in 2011, which found that a 50 ng/ml level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the blood (a level that can be reached with an intake of 4,000 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day) reduces breast cancer risk by 50% (4). Although Prof. Garland says further research is needed to confirms the team's findings, he believes there is no reason why people should not increase their vitamin D intake now, after confirming with their health care provider that it is safe to do so.
1: Mohr SB, Gorham ED, Kim J, Hofflich H, Garland CF. Meta-analysis of vitamin D sufficiency for improving survival of patients with breast cancer. Anticancer Res. 2014 Mar;34(3):1163-6. PubMed PMID: 24596354.
2: Thorne J, Campbell MJ. The vitamin D receptor in cancer.
Proc Nutr Soc. 2008 May;67(2):115-27. doi: 10.1017/S0029665108006964. Review. PubMed PMID: 18412986.
3. Deeb KK, Trump DL, Johnson CS. Vitamin D signalling pathways in cancer: potential for anticancer therapeutics.
Nat Rev Cancer. 2007 Sep;7(9):684-700. Review. PubMed PMID: 17721433.
4. Mohr SB, Gorham ED, Alcaraz JE, Kane CJ, Macera CA, Parsons JK, Wingard DL,Garland CF. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and prevention of breast cancer: pooled analysis.
Anticancer Res. 2011 Sep;31(9):2939-48. Erratum in: Anticancer Res. 2011 Oct;31(10):3637. PubMed PMID: 21868542.
Are you Vitamin D deficient?
This is my first blog post and I would like to highlight that even though I am a doctor, I have never ever tested my Vitamin D levels until the day I took part in a medical research 4 years ago. It was then that the PhD student told me that my levels were <10ng/mL and I was put on Vitamin D supplementation since then.
Recent study shows that 31 percent of the Australian population are Vitamin D deficient (<50nmol/L) and people of non-European origin were 4-5 times more likely to be deficient (1). What is more interesting from this study is that people who are obese and physically inactive are twice more likely to be Vitamin D deficient. So if you think you fall into the 'high risk' category you should really get it checked with your GP.
So you might think, what is the big deal with being Vitamin D deficient? Well, studies have shown that low levels of vitamin D can contribute to a number of serious, potentially life-threatening, conditions such as softened bones; diseases that cause progressive muscle weakness leading to an increased risk of falls, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, certain types of cancer (particularly of colon, breast and prostate gland) (2) and type 2 diabetes.
And in case you are thinking what is with all this mixed messages about getting skin cancer (ie, sun protection) and risk of Vitamin D deficiency, have a read on this article. As for me, I have been on Vitamin D supplement since 4 years ago so I definitely agree with Alice in the article. At the end of the day, prevention is better than cure.
1: Daly RM, Gagnon C, Lu ZX, Magliano DJ, Dunstan DW, Sikaris KA, Zimmet PZ,, Ebeling PR, Shaw JE.
Prevalence of vitamin D deficiency and its determinants in Australian adults aged 25 years and older: a national, population-based study.
Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2012 Jul;77(1):26-35.
2. Peterlik M, Cross HS. Vitamin D and calcium deficits predispose for multiple chronic diseases. Eur J Clin Invest. 2005 May;35(5):290-304.
Dr Nicole Ng (MBBS) is a medical doctor with a passion in women's health and medical research
August 2017


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As promised, our first project will be brownies. We are hoping to be able to bake after baseball practice. The boys will be very hungry then! :) This is what we plan to use:
Look for our first feature post either tonight or tomorrow! We can't wait to get started!
Thanks Wilton!
The product(s) provided for the review were sent to me free of charge from the company or the PR agency. My opinions are my own and not by any means influenced by any other part.


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Maybe you saw the title of this post and started scratching your forehead…how can planning not be everything when all we talk about is how planning is the magic weapon for keeping your daily juggling act in motion. We still are firm believers that without a plan you lack the direction and focus you need to tackle those big dreams and goals of yours head on. BUT…yes there is a but with this…with all this planning, you have to recognize that you can't plan for absolutely every different scenario or speed bump you might run into along the path that you are carving out for yourself. You can only prepare yourself for these hiccups and prepare how you will recover.
We have a recent example of our own.
We wanted Happy Balance Planner pre-orders out the door and on your door step by now. We had todo lists, we double checked everything, we put the time and energy into making sure all details were taken care of…we planned!! But sometimes, no matter the planning, you're thrown a curve ball! Our personal curve ball this week came in the form of mislabeled tabs. Jor opened the box up and called out to me: "Hill…we've got a problem"! Our tab printer labeled all of your tabs July – Dec and skipped over the first 6 months of the year. I guess they thought it better to start the year in July rather than January. This mix-up has set us back, completely derailed our pre-order shipping schedule and had me sending apology emails that made me cringe (like, hard to press the send button cringe and open emails with my eyes half opened in fear of a disappointed customer cringe)! Despite the todo lists and the buffer time we allotted for curve balls just like this, we learned it wasn't enough and it wasn't a foul proof plan.
Bottom line: This is just a metaphor for REAL LIFE! We can write every last task into our Happy Balance Planners and we can time block the heck out of a day and week but that doesn't give us an automatic pass for everything going exactly as we write it down in our Happy Balance Planners! That is such a hard thing for me to write and accept on the daily but it's so important to embrace this idea. It's not about how perfectly you can orchestrate what you write down in your Happy Balance Planner. Your Happy Balance Planner is a tool to help you carve out your path each day, week and month so that you find forward progress each day towards your true passions. We want you to fill your planner on the daily with the baby steps and the big leaps that are going to take you from point A to point B but we also want you to leave space in your planner for the occasional curve ball. What it is truly about is how you rebound, how you adjust and how you carve out a new path that truly matters when life throws you an obstacle. Don't let the curve balls stop you from moving forward…embrace the extra turn in your path, learn from it and and become stronger because of it!
Here are a few tips for how to handle the curve balls and speed bumps that add an extra turn in your path:
- Take a Breath: Seems simple right…yet it's in our most hectic and anxious moments that we seem to forget that one of the best coping mechanisms that we can use for stressful situations is found within us. You are equipped with one of the very best tools and that is your breath. Breath can center you, take you back to your foundation and it can energize you (read more here). So before you do anything, simply press the pause button and give yourself a breath and the chance to quiet the panic button that you are hearing in your head and replace it with the voice that says "you've got this"!
- Readjust Your Game Plan: The thing that you have to remember when you make a plan and break your goals down into actionable items is that you are always the director! Sure, we all want Plan A to be the best plan and go off without a hitch. But remind yourself that it's not the ONLY plan that is going to get you to your end goal. So go back to your original schedule and start to move things around: change dates, re-prioritize tasks/events, edit ideas and steps, and maybe even ask for help!
- Rebound and ACT!: Once your new game plan is in place, it's time to put your plan into action. Everyone needs their moment to vent, be angry and maybe even have a small pity party BUT give yourself just that…a moment. Don't let yourself get stuck in this discouraging place or even worse a place of doubt! Just because you aren't on your original path, doesn't mean you are on the wrong path! So pull yourself up, trust in yourself and in your plan and go after it with even more passion and desire than you started. Rebound stronger and wiser and use that to fuel you into action!
- Take it One Step at a Time: We recommend this even when you're not thrown a curve ball, but especially during the stressful times, make your Plan B and then be laser focused on that first step. Put blinders on to steps 2-10 and instead focus entirely on just step 1. You will continue to be in a fight or flight mode if you continually focus on everything you now have to do because you are on a detour from your original plan. So redirect your focus and before you know it, each step will have a check mark by it and you'll be back on the original path OR you'll be on a new path that ended up being even better than the original plan!
- Give Yourself Grace: Throughout this process of redirecting and redefining, most importantly…give yourself grace! Remind yourself that ANY step forward is progress. Remind yourself that you do YOUR BEST every day. Remind yourself that YOU ARE ENOUGH just the way you are.
Next time you're thrown a curve ball, we hope you see it as an opportunity to show it everything you're made of! Maybe it's a challenge, but we think you're totally strong enough to overcome it because you have absolutely everything you need within yourself to catch and redirect any curve ball headed in your way!
PS: Thank you so much for your patience…we are working double time to get your pre-orders to you ASAP!


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Sjambok – Kangaroo Hide
Originally the weapon of choice of the SA police force, carved from a solid piece of Hippo or Rhino hide, with so many restrictions on Hippo and Rhino hide the logical thing was to come up with a plaited version.
Starting out stiff when fresh plaited the Kangaroo hide one will over time break in and become fluid, a real scene toy the unlike it's vintage big brother will get the job done without breaking bones, a real must have!
3ft 12 plait £220
3ft 16 plait £250
3ft 20 plait £285
3ft 24 plait £310
4ft 12 plait £260
4ft 16 plait £280
4ft 20 plait £305
4ft 24 plait £340


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We prefer to recruit our team members from our guests, this means you have been on events with us and know how we conduct them. Ideally you will have attended a minimum of 3 events as a guest – as each event and venue is different we would like you to get a good feel of the company and how we work.
All staff members will join as helpers first and foremost, you will then work with each member of the team, upon successful completion of our training programme you will move up to be co-host and then eventually host.
If you are interested in joining the team please send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com


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I found myself with a few extra days, so I head to Kruje,, home of Albanian handmade rugs. This is my 4th time to Albania, it's almost a second home. I rented a car last time and passed 40 police checks and was never pulled over. Well they finally pulled me over, for speeding, it's great being an American here, we made some small talk and I was set free.
Last time I drove this road there was a river I wanted a photo of. I realized I was near the same river again, this time I stopped and took a picture.


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Polyphenols tipped to become the way to innovate in Sports Nutrition
Sport is a generic term but each practice has its own characteristics and requires a specific preparation. Expanding from athlete to mainstream, sports nutrition moved on accordingly to the new consumer expectations. In this structured market, the approach based on natural blends with bioactive extracted from fruit and vegetables bring a new answer to sports nutrition formulator in search of innovative solutions. Indeed, scientific research over the last years highlighted the potential of polyphenols benefits on athletes' metabolism. Three polyphenol-based ingredients have been clinically investigated to fulfill athlete's specific requirements all along their sports practice. Fytexia demonstrates key benefits through concretes results for performance, endurance and recovery. Then, discover a breakthrough solution to address a new and growing demand: zen sports.


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Welcome to our Adoptable Animals Page! We run our rescue and adoption programs entirely through a volunteer foster network. We don't have a shelter. This means we have no central location where our animals live, nor do we have viewing hours because our animals are in the safety and comfort of private homes throughout Fairfield, Litchfield and New Haven Counties. To adopt, please fill out our adoption form (below) for the animal(s) in which you're interested. Email the form back to us. When we receive it, we will contact you to answer any questions you may have and to set up an adoption appointment.
Cat Adoption Fees:
Adult Cat (5 months +): $75
Kitten (<5 months): $150, $175 for two. We strongly encourage adopting kittens in pairs.
Cat Adoption Form (PDF Format)
Cat Adoption Form (Word Format)


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Real Estate Finance lawyers
Our real estate finance specialists work with lenders and borrowers on a wide range of investment and development transactions. The underlying assets may include commercial and/or residential real estate, ground rent investments, hotels, healthcare assets, theatres, logistics portfolios, shopping centres, house building or supermarket developments.
As the largest law firm in Europe and through our day-to-day cross-border transactional experience, we benefit from strong working relationships with our European colleagues and are able to deliver complex trans-European property portfolio financings as a single cross-border team.
They are very easy to work with, proactive and personable. We have excellent communications with them and they help matters go smoothly.
Chambers UK, 2016
Our clients include funds, property companies, family offices, universities and UK and international banks and financial institutions and we are experienced in acting for both senior and mezzanine lenders.
The real estate finance market has undergone significant change in recent years, with increased regulation, the entrance of more categories of lender and changes to documentation. At CMS, we understand the challenges that these changes pose for lenders, developers, borrowers, sponsors, hedge counterparties and others, having acted for all types of participants and helped to create the industry standard documentation on which most deals are based.


text: How many days do you like to stay on the island? Is there a minimum amount or maximum? My favorite trips have been our trips that have been between 12-15 nights. Its only been a few...but I have enjoyed them. The minimum amount would be 5 nights and that would almost be a tease at this point. Our next trip is scheduled for 9 nights but I am going to change that in the morning and extend it by 5 nights so I can take my son to a soccer camp run by a pro academy team out of the Netherlands- Crazy? maybe, lol.


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Mike and Max discuss The Tragically Hip's final show in Toronto, Gord Downie's flamboyant outfits, the intimate atmosphere and setlist choices.
Norah Jones ("Come Away With Me," "Don't Know Why") tells Mike about "Day Breaks," her demo process, early days in New York, musical upbringing, introduction to jazz, writing personal songs, early success, Neil Young, Dolly Parton and being a mother.
For dessert, Shane describes blacking out after a loft party and his pre-wedding nerves.
The Mike on Much podcast can be found on iTunes, Google Play, SoundCloud and YouTube. Follow the guys on Twitter for updates and go behind-the-scenes on Instagram.


text: Search for a member Search Or use one or more of the filters below Business typeHotels/Accommodation servicesBuyersConsultancies & Business/Marketing servicesCruise/Rail ExcursionsGround Handlers/Local Tour Operators/DMCsIndustry PartnersOnline IntermediariesFolklore Shows/Restaurants/CabaretsShops/Cultural DemonstrationsTicketing ServicesVisitor AttractionsTourist BoardsTransport ServicesTravel Technology & Digital Services CountryAlbaniaAndorraArmeniaAustraliaAustriaAzerbaijanBelarusBelgiumBosnia and HerzegovinaBulgariaCanadaChinaCroatiaCyprusCzech Republic (the)DenmarkEstoniaFaroe Islands (the)FinlandFranceGeorgiaGermanyGibraltarGreeceGreenlandHong KongHungaryIcelandIndiaIrelandIsraelItalyJapanLatviaLiechtensteinLithuaniaLuxembourgMacedonia (the former Yugoslav Republic of)MaltaMexicoMonacoMontenegroMoroccoNetherlands (the)New ZealandNorwayPolandPortugalRomaniaRussian Federation (the)SlovakiaSloveniaSouth AfricaSpainSurinameSwedenSwitzerlandUkraineUnited Arab Emirates (the)United KingdomUnited States 1 2 9 A a B C D E F G H I i J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z Search results 1213 results, displaying page 101 of 102. First Prev Next Last Wyndham Hotel Group Wyndham Hotel Group, part of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies is the world's largest and most diverse hotel company with approximately 7,590 hotels and 655,300 rooms in 71 countries under the hotel brands: Wyndham Hotels and Resorts®, Ramada®, Days Inn®, Super 8®, Wingate by Wyndham®, Baymont Inn & Suites®, Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham®, Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham®, TRYP by Wyndham®, Howard Johnson®, Travelodge® and Knights Inn®. In addition, the company has a license agreement to franchise the Planet Hollywood Hotels brand and provide management services globally. Login to view contact list WYSE WYSE Travel Confederation is committed to understanding the ever-changing characteristics, motivations, and needs of young travellers. By gathering and analysing market intelligence, WYSE Travel Confederation helps organisations understand the unique and fast-changing travel interests of the millennial and generation z markets. Login to view contact list YMT Vacations Established in 1967, YMT Vacations develops exclusive, fully escorted world wide group tour programs, based on full size motor coaches and designed for the value conscious traveler. Part of the Travelopia group of companies, YMT is headquartered near Los Angeles, CA and works with strategic travel partners across the US and internationally to offer unique cruise and land tour programs. Login to view contact list You Know Srl Founded in February of 2011, You Know Boat is the culmination of years of unparalleled experience in the world of the sea excursions, with a unique and simple objective: to provide travelers with the best boat experiences throughout Italy. Login to view contact list Your Travel Experience Travel is an incredible way to enrich our lives. Your Travel Experience aims at promoting France and its border countries from an exclusive but authentic perspective. We deal with families, couples and small groups as well, wishing to discover the real essence of the destinations. Our aim is to delight our clients while highlighting some of the unknown assets of the regions... Login to view contact list Yufan Travel Yufan Travel was established in 2003, it is the first travel agency in Iceland that was founded by Chinese, and it is well recognized among Scandinavian countries. This is a travel agency that has its emphasis on trust, faith and safety. We create tailor made travel experiences to make your visit to Iceland and Greenland exactly what you expected and more. Login to view contact list Zagreb Tourist Board Zagreb Tourist Board is a DMO, responsible for the promotion of Zagreb as a tourist destination worldwide. Zagreb Tourist Board work is focused on publishing promotional brochures, providing tourist information for visitors of Zagreb, participation at trade fairs, advertising in the domestic and foreign press and organization of Roadshows and familiarization trips for journalists and tour-operators. Office is supporting many city events (Advent in Zagreb - Christmas Market in Zagreb, INMusic festival, Zagreb Festival of Lights, Animated Film Festival, Zagreb Music Biennale, Zagreb Time... Login to view contact list Zoo Vienna Welcome to Vienna Zoo – Tiergarten Schönbrunn! More than 700 animal species await you in the oldest zoo worldwide which is also Europe´s best zoo.This guarantees some unique animal experiences set in an imperial ambiance! Watch the polar bears swimming under water, visit the sleepy koalas, the bright orang-utans and of course the rare giant pandas with their adorable twins.Be captured by the tropical rain forest and enjoy fascinating insights into the dazzling underwater world. Login to view contact list Zoomarine Italia Spa Zoomarine is the first Theme Park of central and southern Italy that mixes entertainment and educational offer. The Park aims to combine environmental education, popular science and research with entertainment, through educational presentations with animals. Login to view contact list ZSL London Zoo Set in leafy Regent's Park amid heritage-listed buildings and beautiful gardens, ZSL London Zoo is an oasis in the heart of the capital. With over 750 amazing animal species to discover, as well as live shows and fantastic, immersive exhibits, this is an unmissable attraction. Our newest exhibit, Land of the Lions, will open in spring 2016, and will provide state-of-the-art facilities for a breeding group of endangered Asiatic lions, of which only 400 remain in the wild. Giving millions of people the chance to get up-close to the big cats, visitors to Land of the Lions will be able to see... Login to view contact list ZSL Whipsnade Zoo Set in 600 acres of panoramic scenery in the beautiful English countryside, ZSL Whipsnade Zoo is a big day out on an altogether different scale. Explore the sights, smells and sounds of the UK's biggest zoo and meet some of the biggest animals on the planet. With over 2,500 amazing animals to discover, as well as live demonstrations and talks featuring sea lions, brown bears and elephants to name but a few, there are loads of reasons to visit ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. For more information and the latest travel trade opportunities, please contact: E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com or visit:... 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Certification Overview
ASQ certification is a formal recognition by ASQ that an individual has demonstrated a proficiency within, and comprehension of, a specific body of knowledge. Nearly 150,000 certifications have been issued to dedicated professionals worldwide.
The ASQ Denver supports membership certification goals by providing resources as well as local training, study group and testing opportunities. Whether you are pursuing a new certification or seeking to recertify, our education committee is here to help you make it happen. For questions, email email@example.com.
Invest in your career and your future with an ASQ certification.
ASQ Certification Handbook
For many, the certification process remains something of a mystery. Frequently asked questions come up about how the exams are created, how they are scored, and how best to prepare for taking a test. These questions and more are answered in the ASQ Certification Handbook.
Quality Certificates vs. Certification
There has been a great deal of confusion as to the true meaning of certification, especially recently, as individuals and companies strive to achieve and validate competencies in a competitive job market. To help alleviate this confusion, definitions for each are provided as follows:
- Certifications are based on a noncommercial standard body of knowledge as developed by objective third-party entities.
- Certificates are awarded for participating in specific training.
- While there is nothing wrong with providing evidence of a course completion (whether through a document and/or accredited continuing education units), this should not be confused with the rigor and achievement of a professional certification.
For more information, please read the Certificates vs. Certification Information Sheet.


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Obadiah possessed early piety—"I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth." Oh, that all our youth who may grow up to manhood and womanhood may be able to say the same! Happy are the people who are in such a case!
How Obadiah came to fear the Lord in youth we cannot tell. The instructor by whom he was led to faith in Jehovah is not mentioned. Yet we may reasonably conclude that he had believing parents. Slender as the ground may seem to be, I think it is pretty firm, when I remind you of his name. This would very naturally be given him by his father or his mother, and as it signifies "the servant of Jehovah," I should think it indicated his parents' piety. In the days when there was persecution everywhere against the faithful, and the name of Jehovah was in contempt because the calves of Bethel and the images of Baal were set up everywhere, I do not think that unbelieving parents would have given to their child the name of "The servant of Jehovah," if they themselves had not felt a reverence for the Lord. They would not idly have courted the remarks of their idolatrous neighbors, and the enmity of the great. In a time when names meant something, they would have called him "The child of Baal," or "The servant of Chemosh," or some other name expressive of reverence to the popular gods, if the fear of God had not been before their eyes. The selection of such a name betrays to me their earnest desire that their boy might grow up to serve Jehovah, and never bow his knee before the abhorred idols of the Sidonian queen. Whether this be so or not, it is quite certain that thousands of the most intelligent believers owe their first bent towards godliness to the sweet associations of home. How many of us might well have borne some such a name as that of Obadiah; for no sooner did we see the light than our parents tried to enlighten us with the truth, we were consecrated to the service of God before we knew that there was a God. Many a tear of earnest prayer fell on our infant brow and sealed us for Heaven; we were nursed in the atmosphere of devotion; there was scarce a day in which we were not urged to be faithful servants of God, and entreated while we were yet young to seek Jesus and give our hearts to Him.
If he had no gracious parents, I cannot tell how Obadiah came to be a believer in the Lord in those sad days, unless he fell in with some kind teacher, tender nurse, or perhaps good servant in his father's house, or pious neighbour, who dared to gather little children round about him and tell of the Lord God of Israel. Some holy woman may have instilled the Law of the Lord into his young mind before the priests of Baal could poison him with their falsehoods. No mention is made of anybody in connection with this man's conversion in his youth, and it does not matter, does it? You and I do not want to be mentioned if we are right-hearted servants of God.
This early piety of Obadiah's had special marks of genuineness about it. The way in which he described it is very instructive, "I thy servant fear the Lord from my youth." I hardly remember in all my life to have heard the piety of children described in ordinary conversation by this term, though it is the common word of the Scriptures. We say, "The dear child loved God." We talk of their "being made so happy," and so forth, and I do not question the rightness of the language; still, the Holy Spirit speaks of "the fear of the Lord" as "the beginning of wisdom;" and David says, "Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord." Children will get great joy through faith in the Lord Jesus; but that joy, if true, is full of lowly reverence and awe of the Lord.
You do not need that I should speak to you at large upon the advantages of early piety. I will, therefore, only sum them up in a few sentences. To be a believer in God early in life is to be saved from a thousand regrets. Such a man shall never have to say that he carries in his bones the sins of his youth. Early piety helps us to form associations for the rest of life which will prove helpful, and it saves us from those which are harmful. The Christian young man will not fall into the common sins of young men, and injure his constitution by excesses. He will be likely to be married to a Christian woman, and so to have a holy companion in his march towards Heaven. He will select as his associates those who will be his friends in the church and not in the tavern; his helpers in virtue, and not his tempters to vice. Depend upon it, a great deal depends upon whom we choose for our companions when we begin life. If we start in bad company, it is very hard to break away from it. The man brought to Christ early in life has this further advantage, that he is helped to form holy habits and he is saved from being the slave of their opposites. Habits soon become a second nature; to form new ones is hard work; but those formed in youth remain in old age. There is something in that verse,—
"'Tis easier work if we begin
I am sure it is so. Moreover, I notice that, very frequently, those who are brought to Christ whilst young grow in grace more rapidly and readily than others do. They have not so much to unlearn, and they have not such a heavy weight of old memories to carry. The scars and bleeding sores which come of having spent years in the service of the devil are missed by those whom the Lord brings into His church before they have wandered far into the world.
As to early piety in its bearing upon others, I cannot too highly commend it. How attractive it is! Grace looks loveliest in youth. That which would not be noticed in the grown-up man, strikes at once the most careless observer when seen in a child. Grace in a child has a convincing force: the infidel drops his weapon and admires. A word spoken by a child abides in the memory, and its artless accents touch the heart. Where the minister's sermon fails, the child's prayer may gain the victory. Moreover, religion in children suggests encouragement to those of riper years; for others seeing the little one saved say to themselves, "Why should not we also find the Lord?" By a certain secret power it opens closed doors, and turns the key in the lock of unbelief. Where nothing else could win a way for truth, a child's love has done it. It is still true, "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast Thou ordained strength because of Thine enemies, that Thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger."


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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Heartwrenching Hands
These little hands belong to African children with HIV/AIDS. At best, these kids will reach twenty years of age....some will not come close....
Photographing people in challenging circumstances has become a major part of my life. Being "called" to do this work has changed me as a person. And at times, it has pushed my heart to the brink.
Photos like this are important to me. Not only does this photo help illustrate a story - it serves as a personal reminder of my many blessings.
Posted by Dan at 2:35 PM 3 comments
Labels: Children, Random Thoughts
Monday, July 4, 2011
Detroit Metro Airport Underground
My feet have strolled this corridor dozens of times. Until this occasion, I never took the time to stop and photograph it. The entire corridor is a beautiful work of art. Ever-changing. Waves of light and sound.
I was so wrapped up in taking a series of photos that I totally lost track of time. When I finally came to my senses, it was a mad dash to my gate. I was the last person to board the plane for Germany...just a few minutes before the door closed.
Oops. Woulda been tough 'splainin' that one.
Posted by Dan at 5:12 PM 1 comments
Labels: Color, Landscapes, Random Thoughts
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Powder Keg...
Posted by Dan at 11:01 PM 0 comments
Labels: Random Thoughts
Haitian Hope
Posted by Dan at 7:10 AM 0 comments
Labels: Children
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