text:
A program established by a state as a "qualified tuition program" pursuant to Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. Under a 529 savings plan, a person may make contributions to an account established for the purpose of meeting the qualified higher education expenses of the designated beneficiary of the account. Effective January 1, 2018, qualified higher education expenses include expenses for tuition at an elementary or secondary public, private, or religious school. Contributions generally are used to acquire units in a state trust, with trust assets invested in a manner consistent with the trust's stated investment objectives. Units typically constitute municipal fund securities. Under current federal tax law, earnings from a 529 savings plan used for qualified higher education expenses of the designated beneficiary are excluded from gross income for federal income tax purposes. See: DESIGNATED BENEFICIARY; 529 PLAN; MUNICIPAL FUND SECURITY; QUALIFIED HIGHER EDUCATION EXPENSES. Compare: PRE-PAID TUITION PLAN.
Last updated: February 23, 2018


text:
The Easiest & Safest way to fund your vehicle from the UK.
When you purchase in the UK, you will have to pay in full in advance to the supplier.
Whether you source your own car, caravan or commercial vehicle or ask us to help; transit fiancé will work for you.
What is Transit Finance ?
For New Zealand, Trinidad, Sri Lanka and Australian clients, we can offer finance to any port in your country. Thereby improving cashflow and reducing risk.
The process is simple:-
You will need to place a 20% deposit (you can pay more if you choose)
The balance is due once the vehicle arrives at the port.
* You will need to agree terms and conditions
For further information, or a pre-view of those terms and conditions, please contact us.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Week 6: VCM Training and Reflection
The first line of each day is what I actually did and the parentheses beside it show what my scheduled workout was...
Week 6 (3.4.13 to 3.10.13):
Monday: 45 minutes spin class (rest)
Tuesday: 2.82 miles at 7:49 pace (4 miles)
Wednesday: 30 minutes yoga (CT cardio)
Thursday: 3.32 miles at 8:35 pace (4 miles, weights)
Friday: rest- and by "rest", i mean standing in heels all day and night and running around like a crazy person setting up for and executing an event (rest)
Saturday: 8.04 miles at 8:56 pace (8 mile long run)
Sunday: 90 minutes frisbee (3 miles/frisbee)
My first cutback week during this training cycle came at the perfect time. It was the week of my big dinner at work and it was also the week when my foot pain flared up a little bit. I worked late nights and had some trouble squeezing workouts in. I went to spin class on Monday so that I could get it over with before my schedule got too out of control. On Tuesday and Thursday, I went for late afternoon runs and then returned to work for more long hours. I shortened them both because of mild foot pain and felt that I could get away with this during a cut-back week. Wednesday, a snow day in which I worked from home, I let myself rest and only did some quick yoga in my living room.
The hardest workout of the week, though, was my long run on Saturday after all the work was done. My ten miler the week before had been tough- it was really cold, windy and felt long, so I wanted a confidence booster during this eight miler. Long hours on my feet the day before, and two late-night glasses of de-stress wine, left me feeling tired and lethargic, even after nine hours of sleep. The weather was amazing- 60's and sunny- and I felt guilty for not being more happy to be running under the beautiful sun. Around mile 5, my friend Nathaniel, running in the opposite direction, called my name from across the street and that gave me some adrenaline. About a half a mile later, though, I was looking at a trash can as I threw away my gu packet and tripped on a jagged piece of the sidewalk. I was moving pretty fast so I went flying and skinned both knees and my right elbow, forearm and hand.
It hurt my knees at first to continue on but I just got up and kept running, mostly wanting to run away from the embarrassing scene. I got a bunch of stares at the blood running down my legs which was embarrassing but, strangely, I felt a new energy for the rest of my run. I finished at the soccer field where Josh and Ingrid were playing and basked in the sun, watching the last 20 minutes of their victory.
So far, training has been really fun. As I prepare to run 12 miles this weekend, and face the fact that I will be doing double-digit runs for the next nine weekends in a row, I am slightly terrified. I counted and, since December 2010 when I began training for my first half, I've done only 15 runs over 9.99 miles. But I'm going to take it one week at a time and I'mg going to keep pushing through when things get tough!
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Incitement of hatred of Israel in general and of its Jewish population in particular is the apparent cause of the disturbing increase in terror activities involving Arab residents of East Jerusalem
Recently, Jerusalem has been the victim of a spate of terror attacks. In recent months, there have been six such attacks, starting with the January 24th fatal shooting of a border guard at a checkpoint at the northern entrance to Shuafat, north of Jerusalem. This was followed by the March 6th shooting of eight young yeshiva (seminary) students at Mercaz HaRav, the March 18th stabbing of a rabbi in the Old City of Jerusalem, the July 2nd bulldozer rampage on Jaffa Road which killed three Israeli civilians and wounded dozens more; the July 11th shooting at the Old City's Lion Gate which left one border guard officer dead and another moderately injured; and the second bulldozer attack on July 22nd which wounded dozens. Most of these attacks were carried out by lone terrorists, residents of eastern Jerusalem.
The involvement of residents of eastern Jerusalem in terrorism is not a new phenomenon, but this recent wave of attacks – which Hamas has hailed as the "Jerusalem Intifada" – is a worrying trend. This is especially disturbing, as some 290,000 Palestinian holders of Israeli ID cards reside in the greater Jerusalem area, and the number of residents of eastern Jerusalem involved in terror activities increased significantly during 2006; 9 arrests in 2005 as opposed 61 arrests in 2006, an increase of 670%.
From 2001 to the end of 2007, a total of 270 eastern Jerusalem residents involved in terror activities were detained by security forces. In the first half of 2008 (1 January until 30 June), 71 eastern Jerusalem terror operatives were detained, raising the total from January 2001 to 341. An additional five attacks took place in July. While not all of the terrorists in these attacks were apprehended, it is clear that most of the perpetrators were from eastern Jerusalem.
Total number of detainees from 1 January 2001 to 30 June 2008: 341
Source: ISA
In addition, a six-man al-Qaeda cell was discovered operating out of Jerusalem. During June and July 2008, the Israel Security Agency and the Israel Police uncovered a 6-member group of Israeli Arabs and residents of eastern Jerusalem who were planning to establish an Al-Qaeda terrorist cell in Israel. The terror operatives, some of whom were students at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, were all members of a closed religious group who would meet and plan their activities at the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.
One of the detainees, who resided in a dormitory at the Hebrew University overlooking the helicopter landing pad used by President Bush on his visit in January 2008, used his cell phone to make videos of helicopter take-offs and landings and then posted queries on al-Qaeda related websites asking for information on how to shoot down the President's helicopter. Additionally, instructions for preparing bombs were found on personal computers belonging to some of the detainees.
The exposure of this group is one of a series of recently uncovered incidents involving Israeli Arabs who support extreme Islamic ideologies and intended to carry out hostile terrorist activities inside Israel.
This is a trend that is difficult for many to understand, given the rights and privileges enjoyed by the residents of eastern Jerusalem.
Bulldozer rampage in Jerusalem, July 2, 2008
Immediately following Israel's reunification of Jerusalem in 1967, Jerusalem's Arab residents were offered full Israeli citizenship, (although most declined to accept it). Even without full citizenship, residents of eastern Jerusalem are free to visit and work in all parts of Israel, as they are considered permanent residents. Moreover, they retain the right, as residents of the city, to participate in municipal elections and are afforded all the economic, cultural and social benefits given to Israeli citizens, such as membership in Israeli health funds (comprehensive medical insurance) and social security payments. Additionally, they have the civil right to maintain their own educational, humanitarian and social institutions.
Their religious rights are also vigorously protected. As Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said in his speech on Jerusalem Day (June 2, 2008): "We respect all believers, preserve their holy places and are wholly committed to freedom of religion, religious worship and conscience for all residents, visitors and lovers of Jerusalem." Indeed, at no other time in history have the worshippers of all faiths enjoyed such a high degree of religious freedom in Jerusalem.
While the individual motivations of each terrorist remain uncertain, one fact is crystal clear – each has been exposed to incitement against Israel. This incitement to hatred of Israel in general, and its Jewish population in particular, is prevalent in certain media outlets and is widely available over the Internet. The longing to commit terrorist acts stems neither from economic deprivation nor political oppression, but from incitement and hatred.
Fortunately, the anti-terrorism fence and other preventive actions taken by Israel have thwarted almost all of the terror attacks emanating from the West Bank. However, Israel faces a more difficult situation when dealing with terrorists living in Jerusalem given their legal rights to move freely throughout Israel. This situation is made ever more complicated when dealing with suicide terrorists, as normal deterrents such as prison sentences have no effects.
A public debate is currently being held in Israel to find the means to prevent such terrorists from carrying out their barbaric attacks. The dilemma the Israeli authorities face is how to deter suicide terrorists, yet do so in a way that is effective as well as legally and morally responsible. Whatever method is ultimately adopted, it will be one aimed not at collective punishment, but rather at effective deterrence. Only measures which deter terrorists before they act can stop the violence being aimed at the citizens of Jerusalem.


text:
Dear Kate Spade,
Yup. I would say you nailed it on this little number. I'll take one please.
Dear Kate Spade,
Yup. I would say you nailed it on this little number. I'll take one please.
Hope you've had a wonderful Labor Day weekend. We were on the hunt for a new car in between swim lessons and family fun. Mostly we did a lot of lounging. Definitely not the worst thing in the world….
Labor Day was also filled with some fun times shopping my favorite online windows….
Lulu & Georgia acrylic sheepskin that I want to throw over a chair in our office. Lucite perhaps?
Two's Company gold spiked starburst statue on marble. I am totally and utterly obsessed with this.
This little fashionista pillow from Land of Nod for Raya's bed that I love {I'm dying for a Sophie and Lili print this year of our growing family}.
A great shade of nude lipstick {in Naked Dolly} from Too's Company. Tres chic.
This lucite cuff from J.Crew that is soft and elegant. {25% off with code SHOPTIME}.
I wanted to continue my latest summer obsessions, despite the fact some of you are no longer in the throes of summer. Back to school always makes me happy, and I love nothing more than a fresh trip to Target to pick up the kids essentials {and score a few things for myself}. Last week's trip did not disappoint. Here are my latest faves….
An Aztec weekender made of comfy canvas that would hold lots and lots {and just might be my fall gym bag}.
I'm obsessed with marquee lights but they can be costly. Target hits the mark with this mini peace sign that is battery operated and automatically turns off after a few hours. Or as I now refer to it, Mason's new night light. The Room Essentials collection is really killing it!
I'm always looking for an excuse for a celebration, and these tiny gold party hats from the fall Oh Joy collection made my day. I'm obsessed with everything Joy touches and these do not fail to impress.
When I spotted these bomber jackers for him and her {from my kid clothing fave – Genuine Kids} on sale, I knew that we would be saving these for a chilly day in Florida. Or a visit up north. I just could not turn them down.
Happy back to school!
1 2 3 … 43 Next


text:
MySQL for Visual Studio is an add-on for Microsoft Visual Studio that simplifies the development of applications using data stored by the MySQL RDBMS. Many MySQL features also require that MySQL Connector/NET be installed on the same host where you perform Visual Studio development. Connector/NET is a separate product with several versions.
The options for installing MySQL for Visual Studio are:
Using MySQL Installer (preferred): Download and execute the MySQL Installer.
With this option you can download and install MySQL Server, MySQL for Visual Studio, and Connector/NET together from the same software package, based on the server version. Initially, MySQL Installer assists you by evaluating the software prerequisites needed for the installation. Thereafter, MySQL Installer enables you to keep your installed products updated or to easily add and remove related MySQL products.
For additional information about using MySQL Installer with MySQL products, see MySQL Installer for Windows.
Using the standalone Zip or MSI file: This option is ideal if you have MySQL Server and Connector/NET installed already. Use the information in this section to determine which version of MySQL for Visual Studio to install.
MySQL for Visual Studio 1.2.8 is compatible with Connector/NET 6.9.12, 6.10.7 and 8.0.11. Previous Connector/NET versions are not supported by this release.
MySQL for Visual Studio operates with several versions of Visual Studio, although the extent of support is based on your installed versions of Connector/NET and Visual Studio. MySQL for Visual Studio no longer supports Visual Studio 2010 or 2008. Minimum requirements for the supported versions of Visual Studio are as follows:
Visual Studio 2017 (Community, Professional, and Enterprise):
MySQL for Visual Studio 1.2.7 or 2.0.5 with Connector/NET 6.9.8
Visual Studio 2015 (Community, Professional, and Enterprise):
MySQL for Visual Studio 1.2.7 or 2.0.2 with Connector/NET 6.9.8
Visual Studio 2013 (Professional, Premium, Ultimate):
.NET Framework 4.5.2 (install first).
MySQL for Visual Studio 1.2.1 or 2.0.0 with Connector/NET 6.9.8
Visual Studio 2012 (Professional, Test Professional, Premium, Ultimate):
.NET Framework 4.5.2 (install first).
MySQL for Visual Studio 1.2.1 or 2.0.0 with Connector/NET 6.9.8
MySQL for Visual Studio does not support Express versions of Microsoft development products, including the Visual Studio and the Microsoft Visual Web Developer. To use Connector/NET with Express versions of Microsoft development products, use Connector/NET 6.9 or later, without installing the MySQL for Visual Studio.
The following table shows the support information for MySQL for Visual Studio.
Table 2.1 Support Information for Companion Products
|MySQL for Visual Studio Version
|MySQL Connector/NET Version Supported
|Visual Studio Version Supported
|MySQL Server Versions Supported
|8.0, 6.10, 6.9
|2017, 2015, 2013, 2012
|5.7, 5.6, 5.5
|Enables MySQL Configurations Manager and code editors (with MySQL 5.7).
|8.0, 6.10, 6.9
|2017, 2015, 2013, 2012
|8.0, 5.7, 5.6, 5.5
|Support for MySQL 8.0 features requires MySQL for Visual Studio 1.2.8 or higher.
MySQL for Visual Studio is closely tied to Connector/NET, but they are two separate products that can be used without one another. The following restrictions apply:
MySQL for Visual Studio cannot be installed alongside any version of Connector/NET 6.6 and before, which must be removed before installing MySQL for Visual Studio.
The following MySQL for Visual Studio features require Connector/NET:
The Entity Framework Designer
The Website Configuration Tool
Debugging Stored Procedures and Functions
The DDL T4 Template Macro (to generate a database from an EF Model)


text:
Author: Colleen Houck. Release date: 2011. Publisher: Splinter. ISBN: 9781402784033.
Annotation: Kelsey just graduated high school and isn't sure what lies ahead for her, especially since her parents, who were killed in a car accident, are not around to guide her. After she gets a temp job working at a travelling circus, she meets Ren, a mysterious white tiger who seems to be more than just a wild animal.
Personal thoughts: Although I wasn't always a huge fan of Colleen Houck's writing style, I did enjoy this book when it was all said and done. As a protagonist, Kelsey can be irritating at times, falling into such Bella-esque character flaws as whining, insecurity, and general angst. For me, the real enjoyment I found in the book lay in Ren and the tiger curse, as well as the setting in India. I look forward to reading the just released sequel, Tiger's Quest.
Plot summary: Eighteen-year-old Kelsey just graduated high school and lives a humdrum life with her adoptive parents in her home state of Oregon. Kelsey's own parents were killed years before in a car accident, and she isn't sure what life holds for her now that she's an adult. After getting a temporary job at a travelling circus, Kelsey becomes enamored with a mysterious white tiger named Dhiren, or Ren. Kelsey is fond of the tiger with his soulful blue eyes, so she spends her free time reading to him and talking to him about her life. One afternoon, a friendly Indian man named Mr. Kadam visits the circus and informs Kelsey and Ren's circus handlers that a man in India has offered to purchase the tiger for a hefty fee. The circus accepts, and Mr. Kadam asks Kelsey, who obviously has formed a bond with Ren, to accompany him and the tiger to India in order to make his transition into his new life easier. After arriving in India, Kelsey quickly learns that Ren is not actually a tiger, he is an Indian prince (an incredibly handsome one at that) who was cursed centuries before to spend his life as a tiger. Ren can only spend 24 minutes each day in his human form, and begs Kelsey to help him figure out a way to end the curse. Mr. Kadam, who is actually Ren's faithful servant, Kelsey and Ren embark on an adventure in India that is beyond Kelsey's wildest expectations.
Review: This debut novel of Houck's Tiger's Curse series sets the stage for a new fantasy series that is sure to excite readers who enjoy ancient curses, adventure and romance. It is obvious that Houck has done her research into the history and landscape of India. The story is chock full of references to ancient Indian figures as well as Indian dress, locations and landscapes. Houck's writing-style is highly descriptive, which, at times, ventures into the realm of overkill (is it really necessary to know that Kelsey shampooed her hair twice in the shower?), but does set the stage well for the plot. She has also created a cast of characters that are complex enough to maintain the reader's interest throughout this budding series. The romance between Kelsey and Ren is, obviously, the main selling point of the novel. Houck does an excellent job of describing just how handsome and dashing Ren in, as well as how madly in love he falls with the somewhat awkward Kelsey. Kelsey's efforts to convince herself that Ren is only going to break her heart do, at times, seem contrived, but Houck has created enough sexual tension between the two to keep the reader interested. The addition of Ren's brother, Kishan, a fellow tiger cursee, can only add to the mix. Overall, a good start to a promising series.
Genre: Fiction/Fantasy/Adventure
Reading level: Grade 6+
Similar titles: N/A
Similar titles: N/A
Themes: India, curses, romance, sibling relationships.
Awards/Reviews: Positive review from Booklist.
Series Information: Book one in the Tiger's Curse series. Book two, released on June 7, 2011, Tiger's Quest.
Discussion Questions:
- What aspects of the novel do you think are realistic? What aspects are not?
- Did you learn anything about India or Indian mythology after reading this novel? What did you learn?
- Who do you like better: Ren or Kishan? Why?
- What do you think this series has in store for Kelsey, Ren and Kishan? What would you like to see happen?
- Who is your favorite character in the novel? Why?
Discussion Questions:
- What aspects of the novel do you think are realistic? What aspects are not?
- Did you learn anything about India or Indian mythology after reading this novel? What did you learn?
- Who do you like better: Ren or Kishan? Why?
- What do you think this series has in store for Kelsey, Ren and Kishan? What would you like to see happen?
- Who is your favorite character in the novel? Why?


text:
Check out our latest feature: COLA- Color Online Love Alert. Find links to blogs, books and articles written by women of color or news about awards and articles celebrating the work of women of color writers, poets, artists and activists. We'll also feature multicultural publishers. Check the sidebar regularly for new COLA links.
Let's celebrate the contributions of women of color by showing them some love. Check out the links and then leave a comment. I'm not big on what you say if you're not big on acting on what you think so when you read something noteworthy, say something. In the virtual word, clicking on those keys is action and the action you take is what matters.


text:
Flip Flop Galleries
Don't cum until you check out Hottero. Nude leg and foot, feet teen girl, amateur footjob video, nylons feet and nastiest feet.
foot and motuh
womens feet and legs
sexy feets
trample clip
your dirty feet
best footjob
lesbian foot plesure
foot photography
porn feet sex
lesbian pussy toes
wet and messy feet
feet on your couch
kiss your foot


text:
The Universal Postal Union letter writing competition will be conducted on 8 January 2012 with the objective to develop faculty in composition and subtelty of thought amongs the young people and to contribute to the strengthening of international friendship.
Theme: "Write a letter to an athlete or sports figure you admire to explain what the Olympic Games mean to you".
First (one) : Rs. 2000/- and certificate
Second (one) : Rs. 1500/- and certificate
Third (one) : Rs. 1000/- and certificate
Consaltion : Rs. 250/- to the best entry from each postal circle and certificate
The best entry at the National Level shall qualify as the official Indian Entry for the International Level Competition.
The UPU shall select and award the winning entries.
Every entry must have the following details on its first page in respect of the candidate
- Candidate's Name:
- Date of Birth
- Male/Female
- Father's/Guardian's Name
- Name of School/Institution
- Full Postal Address
All the candidates shall be required to apply in person to the Chier Postmaster General/Postmaster General/School Principal in duplicate. Both copies must have a passport size photographs in the following format on plain paper.
- Name of the competition 41st UPU Letter Writing Competition for Young People 2012
- Full Name of the participant:
- Father's/Guardian's Name
- Full address for correspondence
- Name of the school/institution where studying with full details
- Age with exact date of birth to be certified by the Head of Education Institution
- Centre


text:
Salman Khan and Sonam Kapoor starrer 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' has been in news since its inception. This movie has once again caught the media attention after its makers have reportedly locked the release date of the film. The family drama film, which brings together both the actor and director after a gap of 15 years, is slated to be released this Diwali on November 13.
The film also includes other stars- Anupam Kher, Armaan Kohli and Neil Nitin Mukesh. Salman Khan will be seen in two different characters. In one character, he will be seen as a prince while in another character he will be seen as a common man.
At present, the film's shooting of the final schedule is going on in Jaipur. Due to Sonam Kapoor's sickness, the film's schedule was delayed. After completely recovering from swine flu, the actress started her work few days ago.
This film will compete with Sunny Deol starrer 'Ghayal Once Again' as both movies are expected to be released on the same day. 'Ghayal Once Again' is the sequel to the film 'Ghayal' released in 1990.


text:
West End
Our west Nashville location is directly off of West End by the I-440 interchange, next to Gran Cru Wine and Spirits.
Hours of Operation:
Mon-Friday 6am-7pm
Saturday & Sunday 7am-7pm
3431 Murphy Rd Nashville Tn 37203
ph. 615.457.1300
Riverside Village
Our east Nashville location is located at the corner of McGavock Pike and Riverside Drive.
Hours of Operation
Monday - Friday
7am - 9pm
Saturday and Sunday
7am - 7pm
1400 McGavock Pike
Nashville, Tn 37216
ph. 615.730.8625


text:
Tuesday, 28 May 2013
5 Players You Should Buy From Ligue 1. (Realistically)
Seasons all over Europe are closing or have already closed and Sunday marked the end of the season in France. This got me thinking to the star performers from Ligue 1 and who should be cherry picked this summer following last seasons departures (Giroud, Hazard)....Here's 5 You should buy.
Goalkeeper - Stephane Ruffier (St-Etienne)
Stephane Ruffier was Christophe Galtier's first signing with all his newly acquired money after selling Blaise Matuidi, Dmitri Payet and Emmanuel Riviere which all seemed a bit odd, until he started playing. The ex-Monaco goalkeeper has been in sensational form for the past two seasons and he's a baby in goalkeeping terms (26). Ruffier is a commanding figure from crosses and I would rate him along with Hugo Lloris in terms of shot-stopping (NB: I don't rate Lloris in any other departments.)
Defender - Nicolas N'Koulou (Marseille)
The best centre-half in Ligue 1 this season edging out Thiago Silva. An utterly dominant defender who can read the game as well as he acts on instinct, he might have one more season in him at the Velodrome but if he is to leave, he will have his choice of suitors. Honourable mentions to Lucas Digne and Serge Aurier here as well, continuing France's well-trodden tradition of having good full-backs.
Midfielders - Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille)
What he lacks in height, he makes up with impact. Ligue 1's top assist maker (12) has been in brilliant form now for best part of 18 months and is the creative hub of a very industrial Marseille team, has been known to carry Marseille for lengthy periods. Brilliant set-piece taker and overall one of the most intelligent players in France, will set buying clubs back best part of €15m. Other honourable mentions are Blaise Matuidi, Joshua Guilavogui, Dmitri Payet, Etienne Capoue and Franck Tabanou.
Forwards - Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (St-Etienne) & Wissam Ben Yedder (Toulouse)
Both relative unknowns but two strikers with an appetite for goals and the bigger stage. Aubameyang has been pivotal to St-Etienne's Coupe De La Ligue victory and 5th place finish, he ended up as 2nd top scorer behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, PEA's movement has proven to be a nightmare for defenders this season but does have a tendency to finish erratically. Ben Yedder is a 22-year old French striker of Tunisian descent, a striker with very good reactions and an eye for goal (see attached clip)
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
Record last updated 2018/02/12 Comment on this info .Update this info
Contact Information
Brodsky, Gregg, M.D.
Phone: 978 741-4171
View Brodsky, Gregg, M.D. Website
55 Highland Ave Salem, MA 01970
Area Served: Northeast
Map Location Brodsky, Gregg, M.D.
Doctor Specialties
- Stomach & Bowel Doctor (Gastroenterologist)
Insurances Accepted
- Aetna Health
- Aetna Health Insurance Company
- Aetna Life Insurance Company
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MA
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MA HMO Blue
- ConnectiCare of Massachusetts
- Connecticut General Life Insurance Company
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care
- Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Insurance Company
- Health New England
- Neighborhood Health Plan
- Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organization
- Tufts Insurance Company
- UniCare Life and Health Insurance Company
- United HealthCare Insurance Company
- United Healthcare of New England
Ages Served
Accessibility Features
- Accessible Parking
- Accessible Restrooms
- Wheelchair Ramps
Additional Information
- Fees: MassHealth, Medicare, Private Insurance


text:
By Jesse Galena, @RexiconJesse
Greetings! My name is Jesse Galena, or RexiconJesse around parts of the internet (like Twitter, Reddit, and my website). And I'm glad Angsty Nerd let me do a guest post about running and joining games at cons and game nights. I run everything from Sushi Go! to Elder Sign to Dungeons and Dragons, and as much as I enjoy it, my social anxiety always shows itself.
I love running games for new people and playing games at cons… once we start playing. Before the game begins, I am wracked with doubt and anxiety. "Is anyone going to play?" is the loudest and most annoying question that continuously repeats in my head. The anxiety of waiting to start a game is worse as I wait, especially if I'm running a game at a con without a set time to start. So to calm my nerves, I do a few things that either ease my anxiety or attract players.
Set Up Between 1/2 – 3/4 Of The Game
If the game is completely out, people may think it's too late to join. If it's not out at all, it looks like you might be finishing up or it will be a while before you can start. If it's obvious you're starting soonish, you may snag a few extra players.
Have Chairs Already Set Up Around The Table
If you want people to join, you want to be as inviting as possible. While it wouldn't be hard for a new player to find chairs, having them there is inviting and shows potential players there is space for them already.
Bring A Friend
I'm not trying to be cheeky. If there are two people at a table, you are far more likely to have people join you than if it was just you. There are a lot of personal reasons someone may not sit at a table with just one person. Maybe they don't want to make the person run a game for just them if no one else shows. Maybe they feel anxious about having a one-on-one experience. There's a lot more possibilities and I don't know the science behind it. However, having one person already at the table attracts people in my experience
If Someone Looks At Your Table, Ask If They Want To Play
Interested or semi-interested people will peek at the table to see what game is about to happen. Engage them. If you don't want to ask if they want to play, ask if they're familiar with the game or some other related question that allows them to speak. Answer whatever questions they have. Deliver an elevator pitch (under 30 seconds), just enough to peak their interest. If they're asking about it, they want to learn what the game is, not commit to a tutorial. If they want to know more, then explain the basics of the game. If you don't engage them, they may assume you are waiting for specific people. People like me are awkward and always appreciate hearing that I am welcome to join.
When I'm at a con or game night and I'm the player, that anxiety doesn't vanish. It takes on a new form. Aside from seeing the things listed above, there are a few things I do that offer some relief when I'm looking to join a game.
Anticipation Is Worse Than Action
The growing dread that bubbles up higher with each step I take toward a stranger I know I'm going to talk to is far, far worse than finally opening my mouth and asking "What game is that?" It's easy to forget which is actually worse, and I'm not always successful using my own advice. However, when I do accept this, it makes it easier to just ask what game they're setting up or if I can join.
No One Expects Me To Be Conan O'Brien or Neil Degrasse Tyson
When interacting with new people, I too often assume they expect me to be the most entertaining person ever, filling our time with an onslaught of jokes or insightful information. In reality, they just need a fourth hero for a game of Sentinels of the Multiverse. If I can make them laugh while we play, that's great. Do they expect me to? No. Do they even want me to? Possibly not. Managing the perceived expectations of others can do a lot to calm my nerves.
Most of all, whether you're running the game or joining it, remember that everyone is there to have fun. Seriously. We all have that as a common goal. Remembering and embracing that fact can take some of the edge off.
Make sure to follow Jesse on Twitter @RexiconJesse!


text:
Who are you?
Kiyoshi Renchiro
King of Lies
The Deceiver
Age of Appearance:
Character Alignment:
Chaotic Neutral
Kiyoshi is like a puzzle, put together piece by piece until a true image has been created. The image itself is not beautiful nor ugly, but merely simple, bold, easy on the eyes, and not a true sight to behold. Yet at the same time, there are many physical characteristics and features which give our subject a unique appearance and visual presence. Starting with the overall and basic areas, this Shinigami is 5'5" in height and weighs roughly 50kg (110lbs). He looks like anyone's average teenager despite his true spiritual age with a very slim and lanky build, finer fingers and limbs, yet the appearance of the usual featherweight athlete.
Our featured character, Renchiro, has dirty blonde hair that still balances on a lighter color scheme. The hair is fine, thin, and straight as one may expect from the color and general thought of 'blondes'. Kiyoshi's hair is crudely- yet somehow smoothly- cut at a medium length, not enough to be considered 'very long', but definitely enough to allow his locks to flow in the breeze. In a way, his hair appears to be like that of an American teenage boy seen around urban areas or in a 'gang' of sorts. This Vizard does take time to comb it frequently and many times a day, attempting to nonchalantly manage and keep it looking "cool".
Renchiro's eyes optics an amber-brown color, but often appear tawny from a distance. His eyes have often been described as 'cat-like' or 'fox-like' due to their slit shape in the iris and pupil. Kiyoshi's eyes betray a mischievous or deceptive demeanor, but usually never hint at his true emotions. Thus, the deception and lies are often hidden in his eyes, but none are able to see the truth hidden just in his face or body. They would have to look deeper, and doing so is often impossible just though watching and studying one's appearances.
This Vizard's facial features are sharp and lean just like his eyes, also adding to the reason for him being described as a cat, fox, or other distinct, unique, and sharp-looking animal. He stands at many different postures, often varying on whatever emotion or mood Kiyoshi is attempting to display. His positions change quite frequently, but he usually walks with his hands in pocket and shoulders back- a handsome, carefree, and welcoming way. Renchiro has a bit of a 'swagger' in his walk, if one gets what it means. He rarely moves along like a normal person if someone were to study his movements closely. Altogether, Kiyoshi Renchiro is very unique and average in his appearance altogether. There is nothing too stunning and nothing too dull.
Formal outfits in his past included the standard Shinigami shuhakushou with a black top, black hakama or pants, a white under-kimono, and a white obi. On Kiyoshi's feet are the white tabi and standard sandals worn by Soul Reapers of all ranks and squads. He does not have his uniform customized in any way, making him appear to be the average Death God of the Gotei 13. However, this all changes in due time as his story moves forward.
Today and in the world of the living and his Gigai, Kiyoshi wears a loose, light brown or beige shirt with long sleeves that are rolled and scrunched up to his elbows. Over this lightweight top, Renchiro wears a unique black hoodie that has white on the underside. It is more like a poncho or 'overcoat' than anything with short sleeves and three white circles going up both sides of the hood. On his legs he wears baggy blue jeans held up by a black belt with a simply metal buckle. Kiyoshi's boots go up to the middle of his calf and have three large buckles on the upper portions, ending at the top of the ankles. All in all, the Vizard attempts to dress like any normal teen that one could find anywhere.
Think of layers. Think of multiple layers upon layers hiding one small core which is nothing more than a delicate, tiny replica of everything that it was coated by. Not every layer is the same, as many differences occur and change their shape, form, and style. However, they all are a part of something bigger. Examples of this would be an onion, perhaps, or a yogurt parfait. Or if you wanted to think of something other than food, a gift box with many individual wrappers all with different colors and designs. This is the best way to describe Kiyoshi Renchiro: a bundle of layers that all make perfect disguises and hide and protect one frail core.
Opening the first of our layers, and undeniably one of the most important to list, Kiyoshi is extremely deceptive. He lives behind a coat of lies, rarely telling the truth. Even when it is the truth, it is always extremely shifty and only a 'truthful lie'. Even in situations where telling the truth is easy, Renchiro has a very tough time being completely honest, yet claims if questioned that he is simply 'bad at saying how he truly feels or what he truly thinks'. Put short, the Vizard can also be called the "King of Lies" and rarely can be seen displaying his true feelings.
Moving onto the next layer, Renchiro gives off a carefree attitude. While it is little more than a disguise and lie of his anguish and anxiety, he always appears to be laidback, fun-loving, and cheerful. Even in dangerous or serious situations, Kiyoshi seems calm, collected, and light as a feather, so to say. His moods are light and if it were not for his other quirks, he would be a good and comfortable guy to be around. This lazy and easygoing outer shell sometimes can have positive effects on others, but often goes to show how strong he is with his ability to conceal his emotions and remain cool even in the face of danger. Rarely will Kiyoshi ever show panic, discomfort, or uneasiness in a situation, at least on the outside.
Another layer of Kiyoshi's is his manipulative quirk. While he prefers not to have others do his dirty work, Renchiro will manipulate other people when it is convenient for him. This could be for simple reasons such as getting out of boring tasks, or even go so far as getting someone to do something they normally wouldn't. Mostly used for the former, this Shinigami also reserves the ability to manipulate his own personality in a way. Rarely showing what he feels on the outside, he is able to put on any persona that he thinks of, making him quite a reflection and actor and on why Kiyoshi Renchiro is the King of Lies.
On the inner layer and very close to the core, Kiyoshi is a self-loathing person. If it were not for his current power and ambition, the Soul Reaper might as well be dead now. In his early days, he was known for self-harm among his peers and a slightly suicidal personality. This has all changed since, but the stigma that he is unpredictable is still upon him. No one has been able to predict what Renchiro will do next, and this trait fits snugly into this paragraph. Still, Kiyoshi quietly loathes himself and his many layers, only living on for reasons unknown to us. Perhaps it is hope. The world may never know.
Reaching the core of our unique Vizard's personality, Renchiro is simply lonely. He seeks companionship and company but with his extroverted introvert personality, has trouble holding onto those dearest to him. Kiyoshi can never be relied on to be loyal, but he does allow his loyalty to take root in unknown places, never showing it until all else fails. He openly enjoys being around others, but doesn't seem to have 'favorites' or 'best friends', hence never letting anyone get too close to him. Still, this barely quenches his loneliness and only feeds his need for lying. A good phrase he repeats to sum up his innermost self is "though I'm lonely, I can never change".
Overall, Kiyoshi Renchiro is a very shifty and mysterious figure. His deceiving and lies allow him to slip through and manipulate who and what he wants, but is truly a cloak, concealment, and disguise for his loneliness and self-loathing. While appearing amiable, carefree, and laidback all over, the Shinigami is a figure that could never be too trusting of you, and would gladly manipulate one for his own selfish motives. That or he could manipulate his own self and soul in order to protect himself for any and all reasons. Altogether, this Vizard is truly the King of Lies with many quirks here and there, but nothing too good or golden to make him worth your time.
(For Likes, Dislikes, Ambitions, etc, go for 1-3 sentences per point, more if you wish.)
• What
• Does
• Your
• Character
• Like?
• -minimum of 5 things
• What
• Does
• Your
• Character
• Dislike/Hate?
• -minimum of 5 things
• What
• Are
• Your
• Character's
• Ambitions/Goals/Dream's?
• -minimum of 3 things
• What
• Are
• Your
• Character's
• Strengths?
• -minimum of 5 things, these should be personality strengths/weaknesses.
Fears & Weaknesses:
• What
• Are
• Your
• Character's
• Fears? Weaknesses?
• -minimum of 5 things
Battle Specs
- List of 'Known' Skills:
• Shunpo
• Basic Reiatsu Detection
• *If more need to be added let a Mod/Admin know*
Fighting Style: (How does you character prefer to fight? Close range? Medium range? Long range? Do they know specific martial arts? Weapon forms? Are they a guerilla warfare style fighter? Etc.)
Personal Abilities:
(Shinigami may not start with more than ONE personal ability. Personal abilities are special powers unique to your character. They are obtained at birth or through freak occurrences. These cannot be things you would able to teach others or simply obtain through hard work along.)
General Techniques:
(Shinigami may NOT start with more than four general techniques. Techniques are not extra abilities, but rather, skills which use your abilities in more extreme forms beyond their basic use. For example... let's say I can shoot fire from my fingers. A technique might be gathering a whole bunch of fire for a few minutes and then shooting a fire-laser from my fingers, doing much more damage than what my ability normally would on it's own. Other special or basic techniques using your normal control over your spiritual energy can also be added here, like adding reiatsu to your punches to inflict more damage, and things like that. Think of abilities as special powers - and think of techniques as moves which use the powers you already have. These are moves your character was taught or trained and developed on their own. They are things anyone would be able to learn and perform unless they are dependent on your unique race or abilities. Examples are custom shunpo variations, hakuda/zanjutsu techniques, and using your reiatsu on an object to simulate telekinesis.)
These are not used for extra shikai or bankai techniques, elemental techniques, extra abilities and powers. Limit 4.
Technique Name:
Technique Description:(Include any cool-down or charge times needed. Times are based on posts.)
Technique Effect Chart:
*The effect chart is for damage, durability, or any other after effect of a technique. The damage/effect/etc will be based off of tiers.*
Opponent is Two+ Tiers Lower:
Opponent is One Tier Lower:
Opponent is Equal Tier:
Opponent is One Tier Higher:
Opponent is Two+ Tiers Higher:
Shinigami's Partner
Zanpakuto Name:
Zanpakuto Element: (Can only choose up to two elements here. But they don't have to be fire/wind/water/etc elements. It's more like the theme of your Zanpakutou's power.) Max of 2
Sealed Weapon Appearance:(How does the sword look in its sealed state?)
Spirit Appearance: (What do they look like?)
Spirit Personality:(How do they act?)
Inner World:(Paint me a picture of what your inner world looks like.)
Shikai Release Phrase:(What do you say to release its power?)
Shikai Appearance:(What does it look like upon releasing it?)
Shikai Abilities:
(Shinigami may start with ONE shikai ability; you may have two shikai abilities only if you can get the tier of 3-3 or stronger. If you have two anyway and fail to get that tier, you will simply have to lock one of the abilities so you can't use them until you hit the appropriate rank. Shikai abilities are only usable in Shikai - they do not apply in bankai or your sealed form.)
Shikai Techniques: (Shinigami are allowed to start with no more than SIX shikai techniques)
Technique Name:
Technique Description:(Include any cool-down or charge times needed. Times are based on posts.)
Technique Effect Chart:
*The effect chart is for damage, durability, or any other after effect of a technique. The damage/effect/etc will be based off of tiers.*
Opponent is Two+ Tiers Lower:
Opponent is One Tier Lower:
Opponent is Equal Tier:
Opponent is One Tier Higher:
Opponent is Two+ Tiers Higher:
(You may posses up to 10 hadou and 10 bakudo. You may give up some of one for the other for example, a character with 5 hadou and 15 bakudou. Custom Kidou also go here. Spells do not have tier comparison charts as their power varies greatly depending on the caster. YOU MAY ONLY START WITH 1 CUSTOM KIDO. The exception is if you are starting as a kidou corp member. Then you may start with 3 custom spells.)
Spell Name: (Name of the Spell)
Spell Type: (Hadou, Bakudo, or Custom)
Spell Number: (If custom, give an approximation such as "Equal to a #60 spell")
Spell Incantation: (To bigger and better the spell, the more lines the incantation should have.)
Spell Effect: (Write out the effects of the spell in your own words. No copying the wiki! Try to be as detailed as possible.)
Are you a Visored?
Inner Hollow Appearance:(What does your inner hollow look like? What's its personality? Does it have a name?
Mask Appearance:(What does your Mask look like?)
Mask Ability:(1 ability)
Mask Duration:(How long does your mask last in # of posts?)
Mask Techniques:Limit 4 (These will be things like Bala, Cero, Sonido, or your own variants or even knew techs altogether.) Vizards do not get Hierro, Gran Rey Cero, High-Speed Regen, or Pesquisa.
Technique Name:
Technique Description:(Include any cool-down or charge times needed. Times are based on posts.)
Technique Effect Chart:
*The effect chart is for damage, durability, or any other after effect of a technique. The damage/effect/etc will be based off of tiers.*
Opponent is Two+ Tiers Lower:
Opponent is One Tier Lower:
Opponent is Equal Tier:
Opponent is One Tier Higher:
Opponent is Two+ Tiers Higher:
Tell me your story...
History:(The minimum here is 3 paragraphs)
RP Sample:
(The minimum here is 3 paragraphs. You my use posts from other rps and forums, but we will require a link and proof that you were the original poster.)


text:
The bare mountains proceed in their process of erosion at each rain. Every hurricane or high calamity that befalls this part of the Hispaniola island (the island that includes Haiti and the Dominican Republic) multiplied his destructive force as a result of this environmental tragedy, ravaging entire villages and increasing the already enormous difficulties of the Haitian population.
In a country where poverty is so common, one of the revenue of most of the population its given by the roadside sale of charcoal obtained by burning wood with low oxygen. The massive use of this type of coal, together with the search of pasture for livestock, is the main cause of deforestation.
Recently many international organizations had defined the environmental degradation of Haiti to a point of no return.
But something is changing. Finally signs of an awareness of the government and of part of the population begin to be visible. In the north and in the south of the country, there are several plans of action against soil erosion carried out by the ministry of agriculture and the rural population with the help of international NGOs.
Looking at the bare mountains of Haiti it's easy to see the waves created by the disintegration of the soil and its descent to the valley.
But is no longer rare to observe on the same mountains the retaining walls to combat the phenomenon. Furthermore, those retaining walls allows the stop of the erosion of surrounding land, ensuring a return to the cultures.
In a country where the scars of the earthquake of 2010 are still huge, this awareness of the environment could become a realistic hope for an improvement of the food situation too.


text:
Written by Thomas Klingenstein
Directed by Christopher McElroen
Performances began July 21, 2016 | the american vicarious | Chicago
Set Designer: William Boles
Lighting Designer: Becca Jeffords
Sound Designer: Sarah Espinoza
Projection Designer: Liviu Pasare
Costume Designer: Mieka van der Ploeg
Production Stage Manager: Cara Parrish
Production Manager: William Bishop
Cast: De'Lon Grant, Mark Ullrich, Kenn Head, John Lister, Kristin E. Ellis, Carrie Lee Patterson, Jess Berry, and Saren Nofs-Snyder
Press Quotes
- "Cool in presentation" ... "Superb" ... "An intellectually rigorous piece of writing" ... "The un-Hamilton." - Christopher Jones, Chicago Tribune
- "3 1/2 out of 4 stars" ... "Evocative" ... "Impressive" ... "The performances are topnotch" - Mark Davidson, Chicago Theater Beat
- "Amazingly done" ... "Superbly played" ... "The importance of the story line was that the struggles that [Frederick] Douglass had are still evident today. Watch the nightly news ... being an African-American in this country is still not as equal as the constitution said." - Al Bresloff, Around the Town
- "A multi-media masterpiece" ... "A timely example of political co-option and exploitation" ... "[The play] asks a necessary question to indict today's factions: What best sways men's souls—reason or feeling (Hillary or Trump)?" - Lawrence Bommer, Stage and Cinema
Presented by special arrangement with the american vicarious, Christopher McElroen Productions, LLC and in association with Monolith Pictures, LLC.


text:
Simulation & Visualisation
Our in-house team of simulation and software development experts specialise in the development of bespoke interactive 3D applications to help our clients to:
- Visualise complex data;
- Communicate concepts and achieve a shared vision;
- Engage students and improve training effectiveness;
- Enhance stakeholder engagement and communication;
- Collaborate more effectively during the design process;
- Compare and review designs and gain more valuable feedback;
- Manage project risk;
- Make better and more timely engineering decisions;
- and more…
We take a collaborative, incremental and agile approach to development and our applications are designed to be scalable and maintainable. Our experienced team of developers are experts in using commercially available tools and standards such as those shown below, including the latest gaming technologies, to efficiently and effectively develop tools and applications that meet and exceed our clients requirements.
If you are looking to enhance your training capabilities, make sense of complex data, improve stakeholder engagement, make better design or engineering decisions, manage risk on a construction project or market complex designs or concepts then we can create you a bespoke application that enables you achieve your goals in an interactive, intuitive, user-friendly way. We have a collaborative approach and we design and develop our interactive 3D applications with the end user experience in mind to ensure that the final delivered product delivers maximum value. We have a broad capability and we develop Interactive 3D Applications to support our clients in a variety of areas as shown below.
Interactive Operator and Maintainer Training
There is a wealth of research to show that training is most effective when trainees have the ability to "Practice by doing". Experiencing situations, solving problems and familiarising with procedures in a representative environment cements knowledge and improves retention. Practice on real equipment, although sometimes helpful, can be prohibitively expensive and even dangerous. Demonstrating the symptoms and effects of a range of faults or hazardous scenarios can be very difficult if not impossible.
Built using the latest gaming technology, the Agility3 Interactive Trainer technology is designed and engineered specifically to meet your training need. Our Interactive Trainers give each and every student access to simulated equipment in a safe and engaging virtual environment that encourages learning.
Students can familiarise with the equipment as well as practice in range of potential fault or emergency scenarios on a computer based representation that both looks like and behaves like the real equipment. Putting their knowledge into practice, performing the tasks and learning from their mistakes in a safe environment gives your students the knowledge and confidence they need to perform in the real world.
Our Interactive Training applications can be designed to run on PC, mobile devices and large touch-screens. Training can be accessed in a browser over the web and full a fully immersive experience training can be accessed using the latest Virtual Reality technology.
Contact us to find out how we can provide you with the training simulations you need to deliver training to the next generation.
Engineering Data Visualisation
Do you have complex engineering datasets that are difficult to distil and even harder to communicate to stakeholders? We are experienced in the development of applications that read, process and present an intuitive visualisation of your engineering data. Whether that data is from in-house or 3rd party simulations, BIM data or some other source talk to us about how we can enable you to get more value from your data.
Interactive 3D Visualisation, Walkthroughs and Design Support
Our interactive 3D applications enable you to present concepts or designs and collaborate with clients and project stakeholders. Visualise and interact with designs on screen or in Virtual Reality to experience the finished project or concept as part of your design or business development process.
Design options can be compared, design elements can be customised within the application, information such as measurements can be extracted from the application. To ensure the visualisation remains current as designs change, applications can be designed to read data from a product or BIM database.
Benefits are:
- Improved stakeholder trust, understanding and engagement;
- A shared vision;
- Reduced project risk;
- Better communication and collaboration;
- Issues are picked up earlier in the project lifecycle where they are easier to address;
- Can support through-life engineering and maintenance;
- Better and more timely design decisions.
Virtual Reality
Where realism is key, we can take your concepts, designs, scans or CAD data and create immersive interactive Virtual Reality experiences that are as close as possible to real life.
We develop VR applications that work on range of headsets including Oculus Rift and the HTC Vive. Combined with our expertise in the development of top quality 3D virtual environments, our VR applications enable you to experience a whole new world from the safety and comfort of your office. Controllers and sensor hardware can be integrated into VR solutions, enabling users to intuitively interact with their virtual surroundings, performing tasks and carrying out procedures like never before and multi-player functionality means that users can collaborate in the same virtual environment.
Talk to us to find out how we can help you.
Distributed Simulation and Simulation Interoperability
Our background providing distributed simulation solutions for defence applications positions us perfectly for supporting the defence, aerospace and infrastructure industries with distributed simulation applications to support training, concept development and trials.
We have expertise across a range of commercial simulation tools used in the defence industry including Image Generation and Computer Generated Forces toolsests from Presagis, VT MAK and Bohemia Interactive. We are experts in simulation interoperability and have implemented multiple solutions using Distributed Interactive Simulation (DIS) and High Level Architecture (HLA) to enable disparate simulation applications to communicate and interoperate in the same simulation.
If you want to:
- Visualise data from multiple simulation federates;
- Capture data from live simulations;
- Integrate multiple discrete simulations to create a federated simulation environment;
- Create custom Computer Generated Forces or Visualisation applications;
- Create custom content for Bohemia Interactive's VBS3
then speak to us to find out how we can help.


text:
Melisande Rouger
Data control with AI: who's in charge?3 months ago
Assessing the impact of AI in radiology management4 months ago
European radiology needs AI luminaries5 months ago
Welcome to the blog on Artificial Intelligence of the European Society of Radiology
This blog aims at bringing educational and critical perspectives on AI to readers. It should help imaging professionals to learn and keep up to date with the technologies being developed in this rapidly evolving field.
Most used hashtags
Latest posts
- Changing the healthcare game through artificial intelligence
- What the increasing presence of AI means for radiographers
- Looking outside the box: UNESCO's Chair of AI, tech moguls share their thoughts on the future, and software taking over journalism
- Breast cancer Ki-67 expression prediction by digital breast tomosynthesis radiomics features
- Algorithms: All Set to Shape Tomorrow's Medicine


text:
'Nest' is a set of two tables that can function nested together or individually alone. Stacked, they create totemic shapes that add interest to any room. Deployed, they cantilever over sofas, beds and chairs, or simply float around a room – a space-saving and flexible alternative to a coffee table. New in 2016 is the 'Nest Modular' range, which offers aluminum and laminate finishes as alternatives to timber. Mix and match your set of 'Nest' tables from a range of powdercoated aluminium colours, laminates and timbers to create a custom configuration that suits you and your home.
Natural Ash, Black Stained Ash, Oak, Walnut, White Laminate, Black Laminate
Polished Aluminium, Black Powdercoat, White Powdercoat
Small - 315dia x 480H mm
Large - 385dia x 620H mm


text:
Moldbug's Urbit.
Mencius Moldbug's Urbit system appears to be public! Take the time to read his introductory materials – you will not regret it. Any regular reader of this site will probably take some interest in Urbit.
While I disagree with many of Moldbug's fundamental design decisions, I believe that his is the first modern ab initio redesign of computing which has made it even as far as the "rigged demo" stage. Let's congratulate him, and learn from his work! All of which, I should note, he generously placed in the public domain.
Mr. Moldbug will be giving a public demo of his work in San Francisco, on Sept. 25. If any of my readers are able to attend, I would enjoy hearing their impressions.
11 Responses to "Moldbug's Urbit."
I wish I could follow this conversation more closely, but I'm not competent in the field and it would take ages to get me anywhere close. There are many times I've wished I'd stayed somewhere in STEM. Oh well, words make a good living.
Would you be willing and able to translate the "why" of Urbit to us lower orders?
Wait a sec, so it's confirmed that Mr. Curtis Yarvin is the same man as the political writer Mencius Moldbug? That's unreal. I am impressed.
I am having a difficult time buying Mr. Curtis Yarvin's defense for why Hoon must be an obfuscated, APL-like language instead of just having something like Scheme. What do you think of this Stan?
I got my destroyers, now I'm trying to learn Hoon. I wish Mr. Yarvin would issue a tutorial so I could Learn Me a Hoon. I'm not really sure why he thinks that the language should be really useful for C programmers, while also being totally mysterious about how it actually works…
# I believe that his is the first modern ab initio redesign of computing
Whoa, not so fast partner. Where do you get this idea from? That this Urbit crap even qualifies as a redesign of computing AT ALL, let alone from scratch?
Mind you, I've only read about two pages' worth of that crap. Because it is tedious and excruciating. But what I've read is vacuous, pretentious, tedious and other -ious.
It was all some crap about how you have CONS cells like in LISP or you have integers like in Smalltalk. And I couldn't help but stop right there and ask where you get the idea that any of this shit is new?
And another thing … Mencius Moldbug. That name sounded awfully familiar. And the pretentious fucking tripe he was writing, just the PRETENSE and TONE of it sounded awfully familiar.
And that's because it is. http://www.moreright.net/neoreactionary-glossary/
He's a fucking Nazi wannabe. He's a fucking ARISTOCRAT. Why do you waste your time on the writings of someone who is provably mentally retarded?
Do you seriously believe that any kind of worthwhile innovation, idea or product can be developed by someone too mentally retarded to be able to weigh costs against benefits? Someone incapable of thinking in terms of principles or ideas? Someone who looks to the past for inspiration? Someone who consistently tries to have his cake and eat it too? Because they're too stupid to detect the logical contradiction?
You're not just wasting your own time. You're wasting the time of everyone you recommend that pretentious worthless trash to.
It might be appreciated if you gave arguments, rather than pointing and sputtering.
[...] [...]


text: Great efficient service; High quality dental loupes at a very affordable price for all dental professionals. There is now NO excuse for not using magnification in all aspects of dentistry. Spread the word. I would recommend Dave Stone @ UKloupes without hesitation. Matthew Holyoak, BDS, Dip Rest Dent (RCS Eng), MSc (Rest Dent)


text:
Be good for nothing.
The holidays are for spending time with family, friends and yourself—not your phone. So we've created an app that encourages you to take occasional breaks from your phone during the holidays. As a reward for the time spent doing nothing on your phone, Fry Hammond Barr will go out in the world and do good on your behalf. The more breaks you take, the more good we do.
Just download the app. Start the timer. And take a break from your phone for the greater good.
Since the idea was all about unplugging from your phone, I designed the app using a minimalist approach. It's really all about the timer and social aspect so I didn't want anything else to clutter the idea or the interface.
Copywriting: Kevin Harrell
Design / UI / Art Direction


text:
To Fire or Not to Fire?
When he was hired we wrote his job description and responsibilities together. In fact I dictated to him exactly how he was supposed to do his job and he wrote it up. Well after this time I realize how much over he went on his abilities. He takes forever on drawings, he did not know the software package he said he did as well as he said he did. The paperwork still goes to the floors without all the information needed. Drawings have missing details, no moulding lists, and cut lists are missing.
His wife calls a gazillion times day. He has some past financial problems and creditors call the shop constantly. He is constantly on the computer instant messaging people and goofing off. He leaves early when I am not around and does not put any extra effort into his work unless I specifically ask him to do something. Now I like him. He is a real good guy and I want it to work out. I can see he has great potential if he just focused and did a little growing up and showed initiative.
I know he has potential because some times he has drawings done in a heartbeat. Other times I am on the road and not over his shoulders it seems like nothing gets done. It takes forever and when I get back to the shop to review I find a ton of mistakes and missing information and it all has to be fixed and reprinted to go to the floor.
When I hired him he was supposed to be able to do this on his own. But I am finding myself spending way too much time reviewing things. My guys on the floor constantly complain about the lack of full information being presented. And he does not show any initiative. I asked him to be more proactive, but it just is not happening.
How can I better manage the situation? I want to do everything I can to make it work out. Does anyone have any advice before I start to look for someone new. I am sure I can do things better. I try to hire people for life, but I am at my wits end and prepared to fire him if I can't make it work out.
Forum Responses
From contributor F:
You pay him too much to put up with much of anything, much less the long list of problems you mentioned. Fire him today. Watch him as he collects his stuff so he doesn't take anything that doesn't belong to him. Change the locks on the doors. I'm surprised you where able to put up with him for that long.
From the original questioner:
Well I put up with it because it is better than I had before. I was doing drawings by hand and cut lists were done manually by whomever. Even though things are the way they are it saves me huge amounts of hours. It really is unbelievable how much time is saved. But that is compared to the manual way. I am sure it would even be more time for me and my guys if I got more output.
He is my first hire on the planning end. I have never had anyone else do drawings or anything so I have nothing to compare it to. I am looking for what I can do first before dropping the axe. I believe that it is almost always the captain's fault. I just want to do whatever I can so that if it doesn't work out at least I have all I need for the next guy. I also don't want to let him go before I find someone else. I have way to many things to do and I don't know the software at all and have no desire to. Finding someone experienced in particular software and who has experience in general will be difficult. Why do I put up with that crap? Good question. I just want to do everything on my end the best I can before I blame others.
From contributor J:
Here is a suggestion: you could place an ad for a replacement and make no secret about interviewing a replacement. If he bucks up and starts doing right you can keep him. Otherwise you have a good person lined up when you give him the axe.
From the original questioner:
Running an ad and interviewing is a great idea. I have to look out for my company's best interest. Hopefully it will light a fire under him. If not, the next candidate will step in.
From contributor B:
I've felt the sting of ungrateful and spoiled employees too. I'm no sage, but I have come to believe that you can't re-train attitude. Look under your own roof first, for the hard worker that is quietly making you money. Invest in training, cull for attitude. Sacrificing my best bench man to the office was the best decision I ever made.
From contributor M:
Get rid of him. There are good, capable employees out there that will help your business grow and prosper, no question. You don't need a project. Frankly, if the guy's been around a while, it comes down to character and you won't change that. You might see some short term changes but he'll slip back to old habits he's spent a lifetime repeating.
From contributor A:
Have you told him this? In all fairness I'd do that, but very firmly. At this point you're past negotiations. It's either pony up or leave. Sometimes blunt talk will wake someone up, if he's young. If not, have his severance check ready. If he changes, keep on eye open as he's likely to revert. Then you'll know the rest of the story.
From contributor H:
To the original questioner: Are you making money off of his work and is it enough to justify his wage? All of the other things that bug you are just that, things that bug you. Lets look at them one by one.
1) He doesn't seem to know the things that he said he knew. Without you actually knowing the software it would be difficult to say if he knows his way around the software or not. Cabinet software can be really tricky to run or it can be a piece of cake depending on what kind of job it is and how detailed you need to be.
2) Paper work still goes to the floor without all the information that it needs. I know that it seems really easy to get all the information that a job needs in order to be built. This is not always the case, especially when running multiple jobs at once. I also don't know what kind of information that he is not including. Is it information like what kind of wood species is this job or what material to make it out of? If so, these are easily answered questions and are not a big deal.
3) The instant messaging and wife calling has to go. End of story.
4) The guys on the floor constantly complain. So what, it has been my experience that their will always be tension between the guys on the floor and the guys in the office. The guys on the floor have a much less difficult job and usually don't realize it. They also know that the guy in the office makes a lot more money than they do which only adds to problem. The shop guys also see every mistake that the office guy makes and the shop guys mistakes end up in the garbage where sometime not even you know about them.
I know from personal experience that being a project manager is very difficult and is usually very under-appreciated. I would look at the big picture – and that is are you making money and not does he do some things that bug you.
From contributor G:
For 60k you can get a good guy. You are buying his mistakes and he will eventually bring you down with him via mistakes, bad mouthing you, stealing/losing customers, making you wear his hat as well as the rest of your work and basically make your shop uncompetitive. The longer you wait the harder it will be on you and him.
You might consider subbing the work our over the internet at least in the interim. I have done this in the past with some success. You should learn the software yourself so you can at least do the simple boxes. Also then you can create policy on how you want the work done and know how long it should take to do the work.
From contributor A:
My first reaction was like most of the others. Fire him. But since you say you like him and believe he has the potential to do good work, and since you want to do all you can before giving him the axe, you could re-negotiate the terms of his employment.
Change his status to that of an outside (1099) contractor hired on commission basis to produce all necessary drawings, documents, and shop notes. Give him some incentive by offering a generous commission, but note that incomplete and/or unsatisfactory drawings will be penalized substantially. Offer bonuses for on time or ahead of time completion. Since he will now be an outside contractor, you will allow him to rent your software and office space at a greatly reduced rate. Take away the cell phone you provided. That is his expense now. Allow him to buy in to your health benefit package if he chooses. If he wants to leave early, fine - as long as he is on schedule with the current project. If he isn't on time, penalize him for late completion.
Structure the pay scale so that after commissions, bonuses, etc., he basically earns what you are paying him now. But the opportunity is his to earn more or less. If he is as sharp as you think he is, he will be turning out drawings faster than ever before. And if he is really good, you could offer his services for hire to other cabinet shops and maybe make a penny or two off them.
From contributor V:
To the original questioner: If you really don't feel like getting rid of him (that's what it sounds like), then I would suggest giving him an hourly wage to match his yearly salary base on a normal week. Then cut his hours by say 2 per day, but not his work load. He'll get it done because there will be no time to goof off. He can call his family on his breaks or lunch hours. They can't call him unless its an emergency. Tell his creditors when they call they are not to call him at work.
Advertise for a replacement. Be aware of what he is doing. Do not allow yourself to be held hostage by him attempting to make himself indispensable. You also need to be around more. Like you said when you're there he can put out, but when you're not he can't be trusted to maintain the same level of production. Didn't you check his references or ask for a list of previous employers? It's not too late for that.
From contributor O:
To the original questioner: I admire your desire to work things out with this employee. I'm a bit disturbed by the number of posts advising to fire this person. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge advocate of cutting out dead wood, pardon the expression, and a firm believer that cancerous employees should be let go immediately. And this employee sounds cancerous to me, not like a good guy but a bad employee.
However, this situation could be managed in another way. And that is to adjust his compensation package to reflect his actual contribution. The problem is he is not performing to the level that is expected. Drop his pay, and let him know what he needs to do to get it back to where it is currently. He will either A) quit, B) work diligently to improve his performance, or C) not change anything and keep the same pay scale.
I think as employers we all need to take full responsibility for our employees. Their success or failure is determined by how well we assess their talents, give them guidance, and provide them a situation in which they can succeed. This is very difficult, though, and that is why good managers and leaders are so rare.
From contributor P:
To the original questioner: I went through a somewhat similar situation with a new cabinetmaker - nice guy, wife with post partum depression, new baby, etc. We did everything we could reasonably do to make his personal situation bearable, but he was still missing a lot of work. I sat him down, with my shop manager witnessing, and told him that he had to change his productivity or he would be fired. I told him that we had done what we were willing to do and that if he thought his life was hard now it would be a whole lot worse after I fired him. I also told him that if he changed his ways I would forget that I ever had this discussion, that in fact it would please me to no end to be able to forget that we needed to have this discussion.
I wasn't interested in hearing any excuses - I already knew all about the excuses and I didn't care because it was time to pull his act together and work the way he should. Then I didn't let him open his mouth, just sent him out the door. The turnaround was immediate, and I hope that he continues to perform well. The point that I am making is that your next step is to clearly lay out for your guy what is unsatisfactory and what has to change, and what will happen if it doesn't. After you have laid all of that on him you might then do the different compensation, but that seems to me to be pushing ongoing problems under the rug.
At the same time I would be looking around the shop for a guy who understands how to make your products and is interested in learning the software - start training him/her now. There are a lot of shop guys who only want to build boxes until they die, but then there are others who are looking for an opportunity to advance in the company. These people should be identified and encouraged, as they will be the foundation of the growth of your company. This whole situation sounds bad, but you are the leader and this is what leadership is all about - doing what has to be done.
From contributor T:
I have found that outside sources who are not familiar with what a draftsman does can feel sometimes that what to them seems so simple takes a long time and at other times what seems so difficult gets done amazingly fast. This I chalk up to just not understanding what a draftsman does. I have also found that the guys on the floor can get very spoiled by having someone else do all the thinking for them and that whatever a draftsman does for them will never be enough. I have seen more craftsman waste huge amounts of time just trying to find a mistake which really works out in the draftsman's favor but is not very productive.
I do not condone slacking and I offer no excuses for it regardless of who it is but I do find that just firing the person is a bit over reactive. People are people, not machines and that goes for everyone including the draftsman (project manager).
Re-evaluating the job description and the compensation sounds to me like a very good solution. As a draftsman myself I would find it a challenge to prove my worth to the company and in reality it is that worth that puts the money in my bank account.
From contributor F:
I was one of the first to say you should fire him, but this is what we do at my company: 30 and 85 day performance reviews. 6 month review is discretionary. After that it is a 12 month review. These are all formal written reviews. If he is up for a review, detail every complaint in writing, and the time period he has to fix it in, and what will occur if he fails to correct himself (drop in pay or dismissal). Of course, we can just let a person go without explanation within the 90 day probationary period. After that, there must be a written warning if the issues are not addressed in a performance review.
From contributor K:
To the original questioner: Here is a view from the other side of the issue. 20 years ago or so I was the employee you described. I was just going through a bad divorce, I had nothing to my name, I was living in a hovel, creditors and landlords were after me, etc. I did have an excellent job that paid pretty well working for an extremely high end cabinetmaker in a shop of about 15 or so, but I just couldn't keep my head in the game. Little mistakes became bigger mistakes when I tried to fix them. Nothing I did went well, everything was a struggle.
The owner was very sympathetic to my situation and gave me all the support he could. He could not have been nicer about everything, but eventually enough was enough. He called me into his office one day after I'd messed up an entertainment center and we had a long talk. Darn decent of him, I thought. We talked about me, we talked about business, we talked about production, etc. and finally he laid it on the line. He said: "If you can promise me you'll get it together, I'll keep you on. But if you don't think you can, tell me now and at least let me fire you so you can collect unemployment." I remember it like it was yesterday.
I had to think for a moment. I was tempted to tell him whatever would let me keep my job since I really needed the weekly paycheck, but in the end I couldn't look him in the eye and lie to him. He'd been so kind and up front with me that I just couldn't do it. I had to tell him that I just wasn't up to it anymore and that I wouldn't ask him to wait any longer. I did however let him fire me; the one and only job I've ever been fired from.
The moral is; skills can be learned, but you either have personal integrity or you don't. It sounds to me like your employee doesn't. That alone would be reason enough for me to dump him. The level of disrespect for your time and money by wasting it on the internet or talking to his wife on the phone a gazillion times day would infuriate me.
Would you like to add information to this article?
Interested in writing or submitting an article?
Have a question about this article?
Have you reviewed the related Knowledge Base areas below?
|Home » Knowledge Base » Knowledge Base Article


text:
"Life is a luminous halo, a semi-transparent envelope surrounding us from the beginning of consciousness to the end."[1]
Social alienation, a feeling of being partly connected to, and at the same time, alienated from our surroundings, is like floating in a spacesuit. I was inspired by the idea that such a spacesuit provides room in which you can live, breathe, and communicate, but simultaneously alienate you from the space around you.
With this idea, I came up with jewellery which creates a space both around the wearer's body and the piece itself. I imagine wearing it will create a bubble and, at the same time, a spiritual and physical space on the body, and this pure space – a halo-like protection – can help the wearer feel safe. The jewellery thus plays a central role in creating the space, that is to say, a thin line is built from the jewellery and delineates the space around the body.
Like Virginia Woolf's 'luminous halo' my work covers the wearer's body and mind, like a warm blanket.
words and photography Yun Sun Jang


text:
Lakeside Restaurant Dining & Entertainment in Lake George
The Boardwalk Restaurant and Bar is the only restaurant in Lake George Village that has over-the-lake and lakeside seating. Throw your next party or special event on our boathouse deck right over Lake George. Stop by and have a great lunch or dinner on our outdoor deck. Relax and enjoy live music and entertainment or choose our newly renovated dining room with plenty of window seating overlooking the lake. Free parking for diners, or come by boat and "park in front"!
We are now operating on our Fall Hours:
Great View, Great Food! Does it get any better?
10 Reasons to Visit The Lake George Boardwalk Restaurant
- You will literally be dining 2 feet from the water's edge. Our deck offers a great view from any direction.
- There is Live Entertainment during the summer – every Thursday, Friday, Saturday!
- We have the longest and largest public boat house on Lake George.
- Plenty of marina dock space, and docking is free when you are eating in the restaurant! Just pull up and walk right in!
- We serve fresh local food. Our food is unmatched.
- You and your family can watch the fireworks every Thursday night right from your dinner table.
- We are fully handicapped accessible.
- We have a full range of menu items, everyone in your family will find something they'll like.
- Our fresh fish, crab cakes, steaks, ribs, pulled pork are hand made in the kitchen.
- Our bar has a huge variety of drinks for anyone's taste.
The Boardwalk Restaurant offers both Formal and Casual dining right on the shores of Lake George, also take a seat and have a drink on our Boathouse Deck. Call 518-668-5324 for information or stop by!


text:
The first consignment of steelwork for the new build portion of the Burgh Halls project arrived on site early this morning. The contractors have wasted no time, and already the first sections of it have been erected behind the retained facade of the former Police Station.
The majority of the steelwork will be erected by the middle of next week.


text:
Quite often it is the simplest freestyle swimming technique tips that make the biggest difference to overall technique. Swimming freestyle with efficient and smooth technique is a desire that many long for. Whether its for competition, triathlon or just to feel and look good in your local pool, freestyle is the swimming stroke everyone wants to know how to swim well.
So, here it is. Broken down into its component parts with a recommended exercise to help improve each part. The complete set of basic exercises covering the whole stroke is available to download in the very popular eBook How To Swim Front Crawl.
Freestyle is the fastest of all four basic swimming strokes, largely due to its flat and streamlined body position and continuous powerful arm action.
The overall pace of freestyle will depend on the distance and duration of the swim, as well as the ability and fitness of the swimmer.
Long, flat and streamlined is the order of the day here. A flat and streamlined shape in the water is the most efficient and this shape must be maintained throughout all movements.
Common mistake: Hands apart and head position too high.
Best exercise: Push and glide from the poolside.
Click here for more on freestyle body position.
The continuous alternating leg kick has to be relaxed, with the kick coming from the hip and the knee and ankle joints relaxed. The legs overall provide some propulsion but mainly give balance to the arms.
Common mistake: Kicking from the knee
Best exercise: Kicking whilst holding a kickboard
Click here for more about freestyle leg kick.
The arms provide the power and propulsion for the stroke and their continuous movement should not be rushed. The arm pull should be complete, from extended in front pulling through to the hip, with the recovery over the water surface.
Common mistake: Arm pull not long enough
Best exercise: Single arm pull holding a kickboard in one hand
Click here for more about freestyle arm action.
Trickle breathing is the most comfortable and efficient, breathing out into the water during the stroke and rolling the head to the side to inhale again. Explosive breathing is possible but can be exhausting.
Common mistake: Lifting the head to breathe disturbing the body position
Best exercise: Holding a kickboard with a diagonal grip, kicking and breathing
Click here for more about freestyle breathing.
Four or six leg kicks per arm cycle are recommended for the best overall balance of freestyle technique. Two kicks per arm cycle are also performed over longer distances to save energy.
Common mistake: Kicking too fast causing arms to speed up
Best exercise: Catch up, with or without a kickboard
Click here for more about freestyle timing.
Clearly presented simple theory and fully illustrated to show exactly what each part of your body should be doing. Packed with the best freestyle swimming technique tips.
Instant download to your desktop, smart phone or tablet device.
Tell us your story, ask us a question or give us your Freestyle Technique tips...
Click below to see contributions from other visitors to this page...
Water Up My Nose Swimming Freestyle
Whenever I swim, I get water up my nose swimming freestyle. This is how it happens: when I rotate my head and body to the right or left out of the water …
Freestyle Swim Stroke Not rated yet
Common Mistakes and Quick-Fix Exercises Frustrated with your freestyle swim stroke technique? Maybe swimming freestyle is something you always wanted …
How To Float When Swimming Freestyle Not rated yet
My legs sink when breathing for freestyle. I have been learning to swim for about 2 weeks now. I am in the pool around 2 times a week. I believe my kick …
Freestyle Breathing Technique Tips Not rated yet
I am in need of some freestyle breathing technique tips. I recently returned to swimming after many years, I'm in my fifties, reasonably fit, and my favoured …
Learning Freestyle With Breathing Not rated yet
I am 35 years old and just learning how to swim. I am learning freestyle with breathing. The problem is that I can swim freestyle, but when I try to …
Trouble With Freestyle Breathing Not rated yet
I am 60 and recently started training seriously for triathalons. With regard to my swim training, I have trouble with freestyle breathing on the left …
Learn Freestyle Technique For Breathing and Arm Action Not rated yet
Why am I sinking when I start rotating my arms? I think I do not have the correct arm movement for freestyle swimming. There are a few reasons why …


text:
At only 50 cents a bowl, Tan Soon Mui soya beancurd at Serangoon Gardens Food Centre must be the cheapest in Singapore. Unless you can still find those soya beancurd in some primary school canteens, which if I remembered correctly, used to cost only 20 cents.
Served in a porcelain bowl, the soya beancurd is soft and smooth with a traditional flavour.
Although it says offer on its signboard, I have not seen a price increase, at least for the past 2 years. If you patronise Serangoon Garden Food Centre for dinner, do complete your meal with a bowl of sweet soya beancurd from Tan Soon Mui.
Tan Soon Mui Soya Beancurd
Serangoon Garden Food Centre
49A Serangoon Garden Way
Stall 41
Friday, November 13, 2009
Tan Soon Mui Soya Beancurd
Posted by kensongs at Friday, November 13, 2009
Labels: coffee shop, serangoon garden, soya bean
No comments:
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


text:
What we do
Enhancing community well-being through civic engagement
In the interests of sustainable development and local democracy Inner-City Wellington seeks to serve as a progressive and influential community voice of and for the residents, organisations and property owners in the suburbs of Te Aro and Wellington Central. It does this through engagement with the appropriate public authorities for the purpose of enhancing the wellbeing of those living, owning and operating in the inner-city.
As an interface between the inner-city community and public authorities we seek to:
Promote sustainable development perspectives that advance the social, environmental and economic aspects of the inner-city and of the wider city as appropriate
Foster local advocacy by representing and acting as an advocate for the interests of the inner-city community
Build a community-driven organisation with the capacity to realise its mission
Do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment and furtherance of the above objects and any other charitable purposes under New Zealand law which the organisation deems appropriate.
Photo credit: Wendy Armitage


text:
There was a time when no one seemed to care what happened at the General Conference committee. With the advent of databases, the Internet, and social media, more and more lay persons are awakening to the fact that some in leadership, in some parts of the world, have betrayed their trust.
Truth and information lie no longer as easily in the hands of a small number of influential or educated persons. Now in earth's history, we have come to the time when the laity is willing and increasingly able to hold leadership accountable.
The sixtieth General Conference Session in 2015 saw a cluster of leaders in positions of authority, from various conferences and universities, affirm that they do not believe or teach all of the fundamental beliefs, or support the cause they are pledged to uphold—seemingly with impunity.
We now have some who disdain the will of the Church as exercised in that General Conference Session, still holding positions of authority supported by influential professors. The laity deserve an answer as to why the representative government of the church is being led outside the rule of law.
Recently someone with whom I am studying for baptism told me that someone accused her of belonging to a cult. She cheerfully told the accuser of the blessings she has received—too many to list here—smiled and said, "My life is changed for the better. I'm not in a cult!"
Her answer was the most powerful—a personal testimony, but there is another characteristic of a non-cult, which I shared to bolster her confidence.
That is transparency.
All of our church's business meetings are open to members and the public. There is no secret decision made that affects the body. No small group of individuals or single person secretly decides in which direction the church should go. Leaders who faithfully uphold the will of the body do not have unilateral control. Representative government and transparency, with freedom to come and go or be dismissed to leave freely—these are all strong signs of a non-cult, and poor signs of a cult.
Transparent as we are—and I rejoice in this—we can perhaps be more transparent. For example, the first time I realized that a book like the Working Policy of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists existed was in my first year of seminary. I was amazed that one could live in the church for decades and not know that a book of such thickness and import existed.
The book begins with the following solemn words:
This book contains the Constitution and Bylaws of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as adopted by General Conference Sessions . . . A Declaration of Spiritual Accountability in the Family of Faith, and the Working Policy as adopted by Annual Councils of the General Conference Executive Committee. It is therefore the authoritative voice of the Church in matters relating to the administration of the work of the Seventh-day Adventist denomination in all parts of the world. It is to be adhered to by all denominational organizations.
Attributing general ignorance of this book to disinterest by laity and/or slackness by church administrators, I made frequent reference to it during the discussions regarding evolutionary teachings and consequences of such at SDA universities. Claims were made that were easily debunked that, "the General Conference couldn't / shouldn't do anything about what was being taught in our schools," which I found to be utterly baseless in the church's working policy.
The ecclesiastical discussion next turned to the topic of the ordination of women to gospel ministry. Having been enlightened with the information in the book regarding church policy, I naively supposed that others would benefit in seeing what our policy actually said. Since there was misinformation regarding the contents of these books, I happily posted electronic copies of the working policy for both General Conference and North American Division on the internet (adventbeliefs.com). They soon became the most downloaded items on the website.
Five months before General Conference Session in July 2015, an attorney from the General Conference sent me an email, which said:
Recently it came to our attention that this website has posted, without authorization, copies of GC and NAD working policy from various years . . . For a number of reasons the GC and NAD have decided not to make these documents available on the internet. Therefore I must ask you to take them down from your website . . . If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.
The North American Division website states: "The North American Division Working Policy is a proprietary document for authorized users (i.e., union and conference officers and Adventist institutions)," but provides no rationale or support for the decision to withhold it from the laity. I did have questions.
I immediately deleted the copies of the GC and NAD working policy files from my servers. Judging by the number of downloads, there was great interest that denominational entities prove faithful to their commitments, so after making the attorney aware that I was fully in compliance with his request, I asked him to provide an explanation of why members of our church may not access the working policy of the denominational entities which they comprise, when and where this was decided, and the reasons for this decision.
I received an email in response from the legal office thanking me for my prompt compliance, and ignoring my question. The response was copied to other attorneys in that office. I then received another email copied to me from an attorney in the office who had been copied in the first response, saying to the first attorney, "You realize you didn't answer his question."
Over the last eight months, I wrote three more emails, and I am still left wondering who made that decision and why.
More transparency is needed. I strive for this church's success; I love this church and I want it to succeed. I don't want it to fracture because of flawed reasoning and misinformation. The disinformation swirling about can be rectified by casual reading of the bylaws of our constitution.
Transparency protects us from being viewed as a cult. The General Conference or North American Working Policy is reasonable and helpful, showing our open, fair, representative form of government. All meetings are open. All may freely attend every meeting where policy is discussed and voted. This policy is readable, spiritual, and helpful, letting "all things be done decently and in order" (1 Cor. 14:40).
Why then is the Working Policy kept from the laity to own and read? Why are some church leaders not following it? How long until just procedures for dealing with rebellion are carried out to protect members and students in our churches and schools from the influence of false teachers and leaders? Finally, why ever would legal waste time and contact someone for distributing the working policy instead of those who are in violation of that policy?
The time to be honest and face what is happening in our church is now. Jesus is coming soon. We need to be prayerful, informed, and united as we move forward, supporting our leaders who are acting in harmony with the Word of God and are faithful to their covenant with the World Church constituency.
What covenant is that? Read the Working Policy.
Rich and Cathy Constantinescu with their four precious children live in Weimar, California where Rich teaches theology at the College and serves as a chaplain. Before moving to Weimar, Rich attended seminary and served as a pastor for several years. Besides God and his family, he enjoys ministry, the great outdoors, exercising, traveling, and learning.