text:
2017 was the year that cryptocurrencies really started to take off, led by none other than bitcoin. Over the year it grew by over 1,300%, from one bitcoin being worth just under $1,000 at the start of 2017 to over $14,500 at its peak in December.
Since then it has experienced something of a dip, with the volatility that surrounds cryptocurrencies really taking hold. Still, there are various things happening and potential action in the future that could see bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies rise in value again.
Forex Market Integration
Given the boom in popularity of cryptocurrencies in 2017, such as bitcoin, Ripple and Ether, many forex brokers started to add them to their roster. Making it possible to buy and sell cryptocurrencies through an online trading platform has greatly improved accessibility for investors and provided a little more legitimacy behind these digital currencies.
For those who are still sceptical about cryptocurrencies, demo forex trading accounts also offer the opportunity for many to practise and get a sense of the market without risking their actual money. Cryptocurrencies can also be traded as a CFD with many online forex brokers along with buying ETFs and more.
Blockchain Improvements
Blockchain is the system used to power bitcoin and it has exploded along with the value of such a cryptocurrency. However, there are still some problems with blockchain that have resulted in a number of sceptics. These will need to be addressed and improved for cryptocurrencies that use the technology to grow.
There have been performance issues that have made fast-paced trading difficult, putting off certain types of traders. The complexity of blockchain and potential increase of transaction costs could also see the popularity of cryptocurrencies wane. Plus, there are regulation issues due to its immutability.
More Mainstream Adoption
Supply and demand are the main two factors that lead to rise and falls in currency value, and the same is true for cryptocurrencies. One thing that could be a great force in increasing the value of any cryptocurrency is if it is adopted by a mainstream, major company. This could be something like a taxi service accepting bitcoin as a way to pay for journeys, to ecommerce sites allowing it to purchase products. At the moment, either of those possibilities seem a long way away, yet closer than a few years ago.
Cryptocurrencies have always been volatile in their short life, so there's a decent chance that they will bounce back at some point in 2018, but when?


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Truluck's is proud to bring Chicago's Gold Coast a new gold standard in fresh seafood, steaks, and crab. Including fresh Florida Stone Crab from our traps to your table in hours.
Truluck's is proud to bring Chicago's Gold Coast a new gold standard in fresh seafood, steaks, and crab. Our fresh-catch seafood menu, prepared in cooking styles spanning the globe, offers your passport to a world of unexpected flavors.
For the steak lover, Truluck's serves only Prime cuts cooked to tantalizing perfection, sourced from the acclaimed Illinois-based purveyors, Meats by Linz. And the Truluck's name is synonymous with the freshest Florida Stone Crab, direct from our traps to your table in just hours.
For wine aficionados and novices alike, Truluck's wine list enables you to be adventurous, with more than 75 wines available by the glass. Live entertainment by some of Chicago's top performers can be heard in the lounge nightly. Truluck's beautiful Private Dining rooms offer the perfect setting for an unforgettable corporate event, company party, rehearsal dinner, and more. Your Special Events Coordinator will take care of every detail—from floral arrangements, to A/V resources, to a personalized menu prepared by your very own chef.

subset: commoncrawl


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And have shared a tasty new single!
Bursting onto the scene in 2015 with their debut album A Head Full of Moonlight, Good Tiger did more than just ruffle a couple of feathers. Made up of ex members of The Faceless, The Safety Fire, Tesseract AND Architects its a beastly line up to say the least.
Creating a unique sound, leagues above their contemporaries, Good Tiger are incredibly individual. Combining the light flutter of Elliot Coleman's vocals with the guitar attack of Dez and Jo, rounded up by the thunderous bass tones of Morgan Sinclair and the rhythmic powerhouse that is Alex Rudinger, all ingredients to an absolutely sensational sound. Having done incredibly well following their first release, Good Tiger return with We Will All Be Gone and their brand new single "The Devil Thinks I'm Sinking".
Recorded by Forrester Savell and mixed by Ex-Periphery man Adam "Nolly" Getgood, the band have put together ten tracks and if the first single is anything to go by then we're in for a real treat. Listen to the new track now and make sure to preorder the brand new album.
We Will All Be Gone track listing :
01. The Devil Thinks I'm Sinking
02. Float On
03. Such a Kind Stranger
04. Blueshift
05. Salt of the Earth
06. Grip Shoes
07. Just Shy
08. Nineteen Grams
09. Cherry Lemon
10. I'll Finish This Book Later
We Will All Be Gone is set for a February 9th release via Blacklight / Metal Blade. Preorder here.


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Ali Fazal confirms relationship with Richa Chadha: I am happy, very happy
Actor Ali Fazal has confirmed that he is dating his Fukrey co-star Richa Chadha and says he is in a very happy space of life.bollywood Updated: Sep 06, 2017 13:24 IST
Actors Ali Fazal and Richa Chadha have given their fans sleepless nights ever since the rumours around their relationship started doing rounds. Now, in an exclusive chat with HT, Ali tells us how their friendship blossomed into something more special.
"It's our friendship, which grew over time. It's so easy for everyone to fit us in a genre and label it love. Love is when we last, so the hope is that we arrive somewhere close to that," says Ali, who worked with Richa in 2013 film Fukrey.
The actor, who otherwise prefers to stay tight-lipped about his personal life and is busy promoting his debut Hollywood film Victoria and Abdul, adds that he is in a very happy space of his life.
"I just hope this is the last time I will be disclosing status on my personal life. We don't want to jeopardise our little friendship. But am happy, I am very happy," he says.
A source close to the couple reveals how Ali and Richa met for the first time.
"They met for the first time in Casablanca on a brand shoot and Ali got in a fight with the authorities about choosing between two models for the shoot at the Rick's cafe. Richa had come and bailed Ali out of a local jail purely on conversational skills, almost like bargaining. Ali was smitten by her after that incident," says the source.
Richa, too, has confirmed to an entertainment website that she was the girl in Los Angeles with Ali last year, when he spoke of being with his girlfriend in LA. She said. "I was the girl in Los Angeles."
Follow @htshowbiz for more


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Muse Velvet Dress with Recycled Polyester
$148.00 $74.00
So much to love. This voluminous dress is channeling a best-of-the-70s-vibe with its effortless, totally comfortable style. Wrap the tie around your neck or waist. Or go all-out hippie and use it as a headband. This style runs large. For the best fit, we recommend selecting one size smaller.


text:
Yesterday and today, I spent time trying to sketch a Green Heron at the Palo Alto Flood Control Basin in Palo Alto. The bird moved slowly, but never really stopped as it made its way around the waters edge. I enjoyed recording its various postures while resting, walking, looking and stalking.
After a lunch-hour stop at recycling... a little sketching in the wind. Over my shoulder I heard a group of 7 women on a power-walk discussing how female sexuality is so fluid. Male's, I assume, must be something else. I returned to my sketch only to find the Western Gull had changed position. Damn.
First page in a brand new sketch book. Very scary! I decided to visit the Forster's Tern breeding island at Charleston Slough during lunch. I have to say, Terns really are fun to draw!
KRV2: The Friends Birding Tour of Kern River Valley and surrounding Areas
June 17 - 20, 2011
Our second tour of this amazing area was a huge success! What makes it so rich for birders is the convergence of several distinct ecozones in one area so that from one day to the next, an entirely new collection of species can be found. The areas we explored were the 00) Southern Sierra, 01) Kern River Valley, Eastern slope of the Sierra, 02) Mojave Desert, and 03) the Great Basin Desert.
Day 00 (arrival day): Southern Sierra
Cricket and I awoke at 2:00 AM, were on the road by 3:17 AM and met the group at Quaking Aspen Campground outside of Porterville. It took almost 6 hours to reach the rendez vous, so maybe next time we'll do what several others did and stay at the Best Western in town.
At the campground,
we were treated to the full song of familiar winter birds such as Lincoln's and Fox Sparrows. We also had close encounters with more than one nesting Dusky Flycatcher, Calliope Hummingbird, and a very pissed-off Green-tailed Towhee who made sure we saw his frightening yellow underarms! We surrendered immediately... MacGillivray's Warblers were also seen and heard during our visit, as was White-headed Woodpecker, which seemed to be visiting the same nest hole it did last year.
Photo: Broooke Miller
Photo: Broooke Miller
Sketch: Matthew Dodder
Photo: Broooke Miller
Trail of 100 Giants was next. We had hoped for a repeat of last year's Northern Goshawk, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. Instead we had several Hermit Warblers, Cassin's Finch, Townsend's Solitaire, and amazing views of a female Pileated Woodpecker!
We made a couple of unsuccessful searches for Black-chinned Sparrow as we neared the lodge in Kernville, but it was time to relax, have a cold drink, and set up our barbecue... in the dark!
Photo: Broooke Miller
Sketch: Matthew Dodder
Day 01: Kern River Valley and Eastern Slope Sierra
Cricket and I awoke at 4:00AM, drank coffee, readied ourselves for the first full day in the valley, and were on the road by 5:00AM. Our first stop was the waterfront at South Fork. There we picked up pretty much our only waterbirds of the trip, including Double-crested Cormorants, two Gull species and two Grebe species. As we pulled away, Mary Jane called out an Osprey! A nearby access to the willows also provided looks at the water, and produced Wood Duck, Lazuli Bunting, Blue Grosbeak and Savannah Sparrow.
After that, we moved to the KOA campground where much of the Willow Flycatcher research is done. We found no Flycatchers and certainly no Cuckoos. No matter, we figured both those species would be a challenge due to last year's fire and many hundreds of leafless trees. I've heard very few Cuckoo's have been logged by researchers this year, and they have been in areas where tree trunks remain submerged...
The Kern River Preserve was next, and our target was Summer Tanager. It was slightly harder to find than last year, but eventually revealed itself in the grove behind the office. Also flushed from the canopy was a Barn Owl. The endangered subspecies of Willow Flycatcher was easily found along the entrance road too.
Photo: Broooke Miller
It was becomming warm, and the clock urged us onward. We proceeded to the Chimney Peak Backcountry Byway where we had roadside Rock and Cactus Wren. We continued up slope, finding little of note, but reached a picturesque hairpin turn with a spectacular view of the valley below. I thought, 'What a great place for Canyon Wren, let's stop.' We stopped and sure enough a Canyon Wren called below the road even before my hand had reached the ipod. Then.... like 10,000 volts from my neck to my feet, I heard it! The amazing song of a Black-chinned Sparrow. "Did you hear that? DID YOU HEAR THAT??"
You see, for years I had dreamed of finding this bird during a group field trip. I had repeatedly tried in places along the Mines Road tour in Santa Clara County, places I had found the species when I was alone, and never much luck when the whole group was along. Sure we'd heard it once or twice in the past 12 years, but never seen. I'd played the song in class, one of my two favorite North American bird songs, and even dreamed about the bird... and now, there it was! So close, and so clear... but would we be able to see the bird, I wondered? Well, long story short, we did! And a few shots from the recording brought the bird within a few feet of our group. An absolute dream-come-true experience that made the entire trip for me, and one I dare say, I will never forget! I have the feeling that all the participants who raised their hands when asked, 'Was that a lifer?' will agree.
Photo: Broooke Miller
Sketch: Matthew Dodder
Perhaps I threw my neck out with all the excitement about that Sparrow, but for the next two days I was in excruciating pain. I blamed myself for missing the Plumbeous Vireo and Gray Flycatcher at the Chimney Peak Camground, but I leared from Bob Barnes that his group had missed them as well... so maybe it wasn't my fault.
Anyway, we had lunch at the camgrpound, found some beautiful Chipping Sparrows, and then made the long drive to Kennedy Meadows. There we met the Gerry and Kay Williams, who were so happy to see our group again. Within short order we had the highly prized Pinyon Jay on our list, and an even stronger friendship with our hosts. Thank you to them for a very pleasent afternoon on their veranda with White-headed Woodpecker, Mountain Chickadee, and Costa's Hummingbird to boot!
Photo: Broooke Miller
Extra credit to anyone who can identify what clearly visible feature on this Corvid, separates it from all other North American members of its family.... the hint is in the Latin genus Gymnorhinus.
Photo: Broooke Miller
This day just got more and more exciting! After seeing the Williams, and learing about their solar panels and how they are completely "off grid," we drove Nine Mile Canyon where, as with last year, we found Scott's Oriole with ease! As predicted, the bird was in a gully with sufficient hardwood cover and nearby Joshua Trees. All it took was a little patience.
Heading down further, we came across a few dozen California Quail crossing the road... or were they? A quick look through the binoculars, and the report was revised. Chukars! All cars came to full-stop and we watched a full 40 birds cross the road, heading up hill.
Time for some dinner! After last night's barbecue in the dark, it seemed like dinner out would be great. But I was in incredible pain so Cricket brought me food from the Italian restaurant across the street. I apologize to those who attended dinner. I wanted nothing more than to celebrate our incredible day on the east slope.
Day 02: Mojave Desert
Today was guaranteed to be less strenuous, at least in theory. All we had to do was be on the road by 5:30 AM and travel about 30 miles down and up Kelso Valley Road. Then we would come home for barbecue leftovers and go to bed at a reasonable hour...
Before heading down into the desert however, we made a quick search and retrieve of the Indigo Bunting Bob Barnes had told us about the day before. Instead of searching for it then, I took a gamble and decided if it was singing as he told, perhaps it would be singing again this morning. In fact it was, but several hundred yards beyond where we were told to look. It popped into view, all blue and ablaze, after I played it's apparent rival, the Luzili Bunting... What an incredible, amazing, life-affirming sight!! Visions like this just move me...
Photo: Broooke Miller
Early highlights along the Mojave section, when Joshuas began to be commonplace, included Black-throated Sparrow and Cactus Wren. After the initial sighting, we continued to hear both species throuhout the day, and it should be added that we detected several unique variations on the familiar Black-throated Sparrow song.
A stop at Frog Spring provided us with a textbook Ladder-backed and Nuttall's Woodpecker comparison, as both species were in the grove and responding to tape. As I'm a huge Sparrow fan, I was also very pleased at finding the inland variety of Sage Sparrow here, although it must be said "Bell's" Sage is far cooler looking.
Photo: Broooke Miller
Sketch: Matthew Dodder
Photo: Broooke Miller
Sketch: Matthew Dodder
We made a quick stop at the Kern River Preserve to use the restrooms and relax in the shaded Black-chinned Hummingbird viewing area. Highlights for me were a brilliant male Summer Tanager flycatching of all things, and landing directly over on of our cars! We then returned to the lodge and prepared for our fairwell dinner. This time while the sun was still up!
Day 03: Great Basin Desert
We left slighly later this morning... 6:00A, and headed directly to Terri Middlemiss' birders garden outside of Inyokern. We hoped most to find Verdin (which we did, while it fed its young!), and perhaps a Hooded Oriole. In addition to these, we found Costa's Hummingbird, Greater Roadrunner, Sage and Black-throated Sparrow, Amerian Goldfinch, and both male and female Rose-breasted Grosbeaks!
Photo: Broooke Miller
Photo: Broooke Miller
Photo: Broooke Miller
Sketch: Matthew Dodder
But today has always been about visiting our friend Louise, who through a labor of love, has created an incredible desert haven for one particularly prized bird, LeConte's Thrasher! We rolled up to her geodesic dome in the middle of almost nowhere, already close to 90º by 9:aa AM, hugged after a full year of waiting, and watched as she brought these very secretive birds out into the open. She has acclimated them to her friendly voice and a few giant meal worms, so that we could experience something very few ever have.
Photo: Broooke Miller
After saying goodbye to Louise and her magical sun-kissed desert garden, we stopped briefly at Red Rock Canyon State Park to find the area essentially birdless. A few White-throated Swifts made brief appearances, but other than that, not much. Last year we had had Cactus Wren begging for handouts, but this year none. No matter. We'd had an incredible few days, with yet again, fantasitc views of many birds not found in the Bay Area!
Full species list:
(Day of sighting is beside each species, location is listed above)
Wood Duck 1
Mallard 01
Northern Shoveler 1
Gadwall 1
California Quail 0123
Chukar 1
Western Grebe 1
Clark's Grebe 1
Double-crested Cormorant 1
American White Pelican 1
Great Blue Heron 013
White-vaced Ibis 0
Turkey Vulture 0123
Osprey 1
Cooper's Hawk 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 0
Swainson's Hawk 0
Red-tailed Hawk 0123
American Kestrel 012
Killdeer 1
Ring-billed Gull 1
California Gull 1
Rock Pigeon 012
Eurasian Collared Dove 0123
White-winged Dove 1* (retro-ID by Cricket and Kaz, confident)
Mourning Dove 0123
Greater Roadrunner 023
Barn Owl 1
White-throated Swift 012
Black-chinned Hummingbird 12
Anna's Hummingbirde 012
Costa's Hummingbird 013
Acorn Woodpecker 0
Red-breasted Sapsucker 0
Ladder-backed Woodpecker 2
Nuttall's Woodpecker 2
Downy Woodpecker 1
Hairy Woodpecker 1
White-headed Woodpecker 01
Northern Flicker 0123
Pileated Woodpecker 0
Olive-sided Flycatcher 0
Western Wood Pewe 012
Willow Flycatcher 12
Hammond's Flycatcher 0
Dusky Flycatcher
Black Phoebe 12
Ash-throated Flycatcher 012
Brown-crested Flycatcher 2
Western Kingbird 0123
Loggerhead Shrike 123
Cassin's Vireo 0
Warbling Vireo 01
Steller's Jay 0
Western Scrub Jay 012
Pinyon Jay 1
Clark's Nutcracker 0
American Crow 01
Common Raven 0123
Horned Lark 12
Tree Swallow 1
Violet-green Swallow 1
Cliff Swallow 01
Mountain Chickadee 0
Oak Titmouse 012
Verdin 3
Bushtit 12
Red-breasted Nuthatch 0
White-breasted Nuthatch 02
Brown Creeper 0
Cactus Wren 12
Rock Wren 12
Canyon Wren 12
Bewick's Wren 123
House Wren 012
Golden-crowned Kinglet 0
Wrentit 01
Western Bluebird 12
Townsend's Solitaire 0
Hermit Thrush 0
American Robin 012
Northern Mockingbird 0123
California Thrasher 2
LeConte's Thrasher 3
Nashville Warbler 0
Yellow Warbler 012
Yellow-rumped Warbler 0
Townsend's Warbler 0
Hermit Warbler 0
MacGillivray's Warbler 0
Common Yellowthroat 12
Green-tailed Towhee
Spotted Towhee 0123
California Towhee 012
Chipping Sparrow 1
Lark Sparrow 123
Black-throated Sparrow 23
Sage Sparrow 23
Savannah Sparrow 12
Fox Sparrow 0
Song Sparrow 012
Lincoln's Sparrow 0
Dark-eyed Junco
Summer Tanager 12
Western Tanager 01
Rose-breasted Grosbeak 3
Black-headed Grosbeak 0123
Blue Grosbeak 1
Lazuli Bunting 01
Indigo Bunting 2
Red-winged Blackbird 12
Tricolored Blackbird 12
Western Meadowlark 12
Brewer's Blackbird 123
Great-tailed Grackle 12
Brown-headed Cowbird 0123
Hooded Oriole 3
Bullock's Oriole 0123
Scott's Oriole 12
Purple Finch 0
Cassin's Finch 0
House Finch 0123
Lesser Goldfinch 0123
Lawrence's Goldfinch 12
American Goldfinch 3
House Sparrow 0123
Today I visited the Heronry at Palo Alto Baylands. Snowy Egrets and Black-crowned Night Herons were on their nests above the ranger station. They made the most peculiar, drowning-man sounds you've ever heard. I chose one particular Black-crown above the road to draw and he/she obliged by remaining essentially in one place. Eventually it flew, and I wanted so much to draw it in flight, but ran out of space on the page.
Forster's Tern drawn yesterday during lunch at Byxbee Park in Palo Alto. What an amazing, fun-to-draw bird! While many mid-sized Stern species have a similar body structure, subtle differences make them a nice challenge to ID at a distance. No problem here—the brilliant white upper parts made it obvious these were Forster's. But I can't wait for fall when the Commons and Arctics start rolling through. Then I'll start waxing poetic about dark carpal bars, minimal head projection and translucent primaries.
Yesterday's class trip to Año Nuevo was a challenge. Horizontal rain for most of the morning soaked us all to the bone. One of our two targets, the Bank Swallow colony was worth the effort though. Unfortunately, Black Swift will have to wait until next time. Hopefully it won't be raining cats and dogs like this time.


text:
We will board the boat,
bringing overcoat.
It's cold.
For autumn float,
on leaves to dote,
so bold.
As we take note
of what Nature wrote
in gold.
Tickets have been sold
to the young and old,
to see
the scenery unfold.
So, aboard they strolled,
To at last behold
the wonders foretold
to be.
Cruising so carefree,
we wandered lazily
as Nature's tapestry,
in all its majesty,
was seen.
Thus providing me
to dream.
And so, it would seem
a poetic theme
to quote,
of highest esteem,
whose glisten and gleam
the things that I deem
as most wondrous schemes,
Author Notes:
My wife and I went from an autumn river cruise along the Mississippi on Sunday. It was a three hour brunch cruise. This is the boat the we road on. It was a sunny day, and the temperature got up to around 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Here is a poem that I wrote about it.
This poem is a Virelai.
A Virelai is a form of medieval French verse used often in poetry and music. It is one of the three formes fixes (the others were the Ballade and the Rondeau) that represent French repeating poetry. It was one of the most common verse forms set to music in Europe from the late thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries. The form is composed of long and short lines (most frequently 5 five syllables, then two) in either nine or twelve line stanzas. The long lines of the second stanza take their rhyme from the short lines of the first stanza. This pattern continues through out the poem until the final stanza – where the short lines take their rhyme from the long lines of the first stanza. so, for this poem, the meter throughout is 5-5-2, and the total rhyme scheme is:
aabaabaab – bbcbbcbbc – ccdccdccd – ddaddadda.
This photograph was taken by the author himself on October 18,2015.


text:
We'll hold a Cha-Kabuki; blind tea tasting session at the Camberwell Library (340 Camberwell Road, Camberwell VIC3124) from 2.45pm to 3.45pm on Sunday 18 March. There will be opportunities to:
- Experience a traditional Japanese tea competition
- Challenge your taste buds
- Taste various Japanese tea
- Get a perfect score to win a prize
Limited seats are available so an advance booking is necessary. Please make a booking on here.
We'll also hold a Japanese Tea 101 session on the same day. Please see another blog or contact on firstname.lastname@example.com for details.


text:
Many travelers going to NYC choose to end their flights at the New Jersey's Newark International Airport due to the cheaper tickets and a relatively short period of time it takes to get from New Jersey to Manhattan. There are fewer chances that you will end up stuck in traffic than if you went to some of the New York City airports.
It takes approximately from thirty to forty-five minutes to get from New Jersey's biggest airport to the center of the Big Apple. It is not a lot of time when you are well rested and comfortable, but it can be an endless ride in a loud, unkept and a neglected vehicle. As a result, you will get into a bad mood and maybe even ruin the rest of your day.
A taxi ride from Newark airport to Manhattan will cost you just as much as a ride in our NJ limo service. Unlike the transportation that you get to catch yourself at the EWR when you book your limo from Newark airport to NYC, you will get a reliable professional chauffeur, superb looking car and a ride in a luxurious vehicle with the maximum of comfort. You won't have to wait in line to get a taxi or a seat on a shuttle and you will have someone to help you with luggage.
Corporate EWR Limo Service To NYC
When you travel for personal reasons from Newark to New York City downtown, having an NJ limo service to take you from one point to the next may seem like a luxury, but when you travel for business – limo is the best, safest and most reliable option. Booking an EWR limo service to take you to an office in New York City can be the best business decision you make. Sometimes it is the only guarantee you will get to a meeting or a conference on time, without the unnecessary delays or unexpected expenses for you or your company. Limousine service is an excellent choice for business executives traveling from EWR to NYC and bigger corporate teams who need to be transported in one bigger vehicle that may not normally be available at the airport.
Sedan, Luxury Van and SUV Limos
When you arrive at Newark airport without reserved transportation, you have to take whatever transportation is available, which is not that practical or economical for those who travel alone or in larger groups. If you want to ensure that your group is always in the same place at the same time, just book a limo and a vehicle that you feel would perfectly suit your needs. In case you are traveling with your family, you can get an SUV. If your colleagues need a transfer to the Big Apple – there is a sprinter van.
Quick, Reliable And Affordable Service
If you are booking an EWR limo service to NYC, you should get it for three simple reasons – to get to your destination quickly, not to have a car be late to pick you up and not to overpay for such simple door-to-door service.
You can always count on our experienced drivers to know exactly where you are going and how to get there as quickly as possible with a little help from our dedicated staff that tracks them via GPS. They will be at the Newark airport before your plane even lands, ready to open doors and carry your bags.
Our service surpasses any transportation available at the Newark airport, but we are just as affordable as any taxi service. Plus, if you are traveling with us for the very first time – we will give you a special discount.


text:
Dark Lord: A Fiend in Need
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This issue's cover illustration by Catherine Rayner is from Solomon Crocodile. Catherine Rayner is interviewed on p.14 of this issue. Thanks to Macmillan Children's Books for their help with this May cover.
Digital Edition
By clicking here you can view, print or download the fully artworked Digital Edition of BfK 194 May 2012 .
Dark Lord: A Fiend in Need
Sequel to Dark Lord: The Teenage Years, this fish-out-of-water adventure continues with the Dark Lord trapped on Earth in the body of a thirteen-year-old boy. The Dark Lord (or Dirk Lloyd as people on Earth mishear it) of The Darklands realm must find a way out of his human shell and return to his own world – not only to get back his evil powers and dictatorship, but also to rescue his friend (if he dare admit he has one) Sooze, who was transported to The Darklands at the end of the last book. He's also got to survive the assassination attempts of a creepy witch from his homeland disguised as his nanny on Earth.
In the The Darklands, goth-girl Sooze finds that life as a Dark Queen might actually quite suit her, but she baffles and impresses the usually under-trodden minions with alien notions of equality and affection. They might even prefer her as a ruler… if she can survive an attack by the White Wizard, who is sworn to destroy all that he claims is evil.
Lots of fun is had playing with the conventions of the fantasy genre – especially in encouraging readers to think harder about the usual stereotypes. Just how 'good' is a White Wizard who rules so harshly? Why is it acceptable for knights to slaughter goblins and orcs on principle? And if a Dark Lord is truly evil, can he ever really change? Enjoyable and very inventive, if spread a little thinly at times across its 400+ pages, this novel will have you mwa-ha-ha-ing at Dirk's antics in no time.


text:
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SBA loan rates in 2020
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Business loans backed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) are known for offering some of the lowest rates out there. While your lender ultimately decides the rates your business is eligible for, the SBA caps how high those rates can get. However, your business will need to meet some stringent criteria in order to qualify.
Maximum SBA 7(a) loan rates: 7.75%–10.25%
Maximum CDC/504 loan rates: 2.523%–2.66%
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SBA 7(a) loan rates for January 2020
The maximum rate for the popular 7(a) loan program depends on your loan amount and term. Generally, lower amounts and longer terms come with higher rates.
|Loan amount
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|Maximum rate for 7+ years
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|Over $50,000
Source: www.sba.gov
SBA 7(a) loans come with both fixed and variable rates. Fixed rates stay the same over the life of your loan, while variable rates can fluctuate with the market. The interest rate caps apply to both types of rates, however.
Maximum rates apply to SBA 7(a) programs, which include:
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SBA 7(a) Express loans come with rates that differ from your typical 7(a) loan. Loan terms don't affect the rate of an Express loan — only the loan amount.
Like with other 7(a) loans, larger loan amounts come with lower maximum rates.
|Loan amount
|Maximum interest rate
|$0 to $50,000
|Over $50,000
Source: www.sba.gov
SBA 7(a) Express loan rates apply to loans that include:
- SBA Express loans
- SBA Veterans Advantage loans
- Export Express loans
CDC/504 loan rates for January 2020
CDC/504 loans can be more complicated than 7(a) loans. That's because they're made up of two loans: At least 50% of your financing can come from a bank or other SBA lender. Up to 40% can come from a nonprofit Certified Development Company (CDC) licensed by the Small Business Administration. The remaining 10% comes from your business, with no interest rate.
|Maximum interest rate
|CDC 10-year loan
|CDC 20-year loan
|Bank loan
Source: www.federalregister.gov
The maximum rate a bank can charge through the CDC/504 Loan Program is 11.5%. However, some state laws override the maximum interest rate for a lower one.
The value of US Treasury bonds determine the rates on the CDC's part of your loan.
SBA Microloan rates
If you're getting a microloan through a nonprofit instead of your standard 7(a) lender, your interest rate depends on how much it costs your lender to fund your loan and how much you're borrowing:
- Interest on microloans of up to $10,000 — cost of funds + 8.5%
- Interest on microloans of $10,000 or more — cost of funds + 7.75%
Compare SBA loan providers
How does the SBA calculate maximum rates?
Each Small Business Administration loan program has its own way of calculating maximum rate for loans in that program. Rates can also vary by SBA lender.
How the SBA calculates 7(a) rates
Maximum interest rates on SBA 7(a) loans are commonly based on the prime rate plus additional interest — even for fixed-rate loans.
The prime rate is a type of benchmark rate published in the Wall Street Journal. Benchmark rates depend on what lenders are charging their most creditworthy customers. The additional interest is a fixed rate that lenders can charge on top of the prime rate, which is currently 5%.
|Loan amount
|Maximum rate for less than 7 years
|Maximum rate for 7+ years
|$0 to $25,000
|Prime rate + 4.25%
|Prime rate + 4.75%
|$25,001 to $50,000
|Prime rate + 3.25%
|Prime rate + 3.75%
|Over $50,000
|Prime rate + 2.25%
|Prime rate + 2.75%
Source: www.treasury.gov
How the SBA calculates CDC/504 rates
The maximum bank rate for a CDC/504 loan is the same as that for a 7(a) loans, but how much a CDC can charge is challenging to calculate on your own.
To understand how it works, you first need to know what a debenture rate is. SBA 504 loans are funded by the sale of debentures, common long-term loans taken out by corporations or investors. Rates that come with debentures work a lot like interest rates, and they're based on bonds issued by the US Department of Treasury and sold on Wall Street.
What does this mean to you? If you take out a 10-year CDC loan in January 2019, your interest is based on the five-year treasury yield on January 2, 2019 — or the first business day of the month.
To calculate the debenture rate, you add to the interest rate another fixed rate called a swap spread. Both are published online and vary depending on the bond market.
|How the SBA calculates the maximum rate
|CDC 10-year loan
|5-year treasury rate for the first of the month (2.476%) + swap spread (0.047%)
|CDC 20-year loan
|10-year treasury rate for the first of the month (2.640%) + swap spread (0.02%)
|Bank loan
|Prime rate + 6%
Source: www.treasury.gov
Some lenders roll a portion of your CDC fees into your interest rate. This is called the effective rate. Effective rates are typically between 1.5% and 2% higher than the 10-year treasury yield.
What other costs should I consider?
Interest rates are among the top factors you look at when getting a loan, but it's not all the potential costs to consider. SBA loans in particular can come with multiple fees charged by the government or your lender. Typically, you pay a fee to the SBA for backing your loan, though how that fee is calculated will depend on your program.
SBA 7(a) fees
The main fee associated with the 7(a) program is the SBA guaranty fee. An SBA guaranty fee offsets the risk the Small Business Administration takes on when backing your loan.
How much you pay depends on the portion of the loan that's backed by the SBA — not your total loan amount. If the SBA guarantees 85% of a $100,000 loan, for instance, you'd pay a guaranty fee on $85,000.
|Guaranteed amount
|Guaranty fee
|$150,000 or less
|$150,001 to $700,000
|$700,001 to $5 million
|3.5% up to $1 million, plus 3.75% on any amount over $1 million
|All loans with a term of 12 months or less
Source: www.sba.gov
SBA 7(a) loans also come with annual service fees that you pay on your outstanding balance each year. Today, that fee is 0.55% of the loan balance for all loan amounts.
CDC/504 fees
CDC/504 borrowers don't pay an SBA guaranty fee to get their funds, but they do pay an annual fee to the SBA on their loan balance. Borrowers also pay a fee to the Central Servicing Agent — like a loan servicer — every five years.
The CDC might charge a fee when releasing your funds as well as a monthly service fee. Banks typically charge only one fee when you get your funds, called a lender participation fee.
|Type of fee
|Maximum cost
|When you pay it
|Lender participation fee
|0.5% of the lender-funded amount
|When you get your funds
|CDC participation fee
|1.5% of the CDC-funded amount
|When you get your funds
|CDC annual service fee
|0.625%–2% of loan balance
|Every year
|Central Servicing Agent fee
|0.1% of the outstanding balance per year
|Every month
Source: www.sba.gov
SBA down payments
Your business may also be required to partly front the costs of the project you need the SBA loan for — called a down payment or an injection. With SBA 7(a) and 504 loans, businesses are required to put down around 10% of the loan amount.
How much you pay as a down payment depends on your personal credit score, loan amount and lender.
Bottom line
A loan backed by the Small Business Administration can help you land some of the most competitive rates on the market. But these popular loans also come with a higher rejection rate than any other type of business financing.
To learn more about how to finance your business, read our comprehensive guide to business loans.
Frequently asked questions
Rates are sourced from: www.sba.gov, www.treasury.gov and www.federalregister.gov
Ask an Expert


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Topographically speaking, Valdese, North Carolina is not a flat place. If there is a flat place in Valdese, it was made that way with heavy equipment. Valdese is very close to some good sized mountains, and has some very nice views in spots, but it's actually located in the foothills region of North Carolina. You can tell this because 25 % of the businesses around here (80% of which are thrift stores or beauty parlors) call themselves Foothills something or other. This is not to be confused with Piedmont, which I believe is French for Foothills, but is an entirely different region, somewhat to the east of us. Anyway, Valdese is a pretty little town with an interesting history and some interesting buildings, and could almost be a tourist destination if the universe had aligned itself just a tad differently. All that aside though, it's not a flat place.
Our property is roughly rectangular, almost 3 acres, sloping almost but not quite gently from the gravel road we live on to a creek, then banks sharply up toward some houses in a relatively new development. That area is completely wooded and in the summer we can't see those houses. We have huge trees and lots of elbow room and it's nice. But it's not flat.
The gravel road we live on comes off a paved residential road, travels downhill toward our property then curves. Our paved driveway comes off of that curve, continues down hill on the west side of the house then curves around behind the house. The driveway area behind the house is about as flat as things get around here and it was made that way at some unknown time in the past, almost certainly with heavy equipment.
The problem is, it doesn't drain. So when it rains water streams from the paved residential street, down our gravel street, down our driveway, and ends up in the area of the drive way behind our house. It brings along with it a lot of dirt and other residue it picks up along the way, and in very short order that area of the driveway is caked with mud. It dries out & turns into dirt, and the driveway disappears.
Now there are drainage ditches, but they're apparently just a good intention. They've never worked, and I'm sure are only there because some permit issuing authority from the local government required them to be there so they could collect their permit issuing fee.
When we bought the place there was no indication of any kind of issue with the small part of the driveway that is behind our house. Of course I'm pretty sure there was a drought when we bought this place. I shoveled the driveway out once several months ago. I started to it out again today, but decided it doesn't really matter. Shoveling dirt from a driveway by hand is hard work, even on a low humidity day.
With the new septic system & grading done in the back yard, maybe it will drain. But I bet it won't.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Shoveling out the Driveway
Posted by A Valdese Blogger at 7:54 PM
1 comment:
Although not perfect, it looks like most of it ran away last night.
- October 12, 2011 at 3:31 PM
Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)


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It was, indeed, a pleasure working with Tommy Young on a recent renovation of my daughter's house. There were special requirements, a budget and a deadline, and Tommy met and exceeded my expectations ...Read More
I'm in residential real estate in Memphis and the surrounding area. I've worked with Tommy Young construction on several projects. He has constructed custom homes for some of my clients, done milli...Read More
fabulous job! Tommy came to my house and evaluated the damage. He started the job weeks after and completed it on time and did it with the best quality you can imagine. Tommy is very dedicated and res...Read More
Tommy is a great builder to work with. He knows the correct ways to build a home. He uses quality materials Watches the details. Easy to work with. Pays subs and suppliers on time or early. Goo...Read More
Tommy Young was professional and best of all....HONEST! The sub-contractors that worked on my renovation were also a breath of fresh air when dealing with construction and all the surprises that come...Read More
My husband and I hired Tommy to build our family home. He was easy to work with, constantly on site, very conscious of our budget goals, and genuinely did his best to make sure we were happy. I woul...Read More
When we decided to move to Nashville, we were thrilled that Tommy Young came up to oversee building our home. It was a pleasure to work with him and his experienced professionals. They understood and ...Read More
I have worked with Tommy on numerous projects as an Interior Designer, including my personal home. With years of strong experience behind him, Tommy possesses exemplary building skills and knowledge t...Read More


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Website design is the exciting bit of the project. But, contrary to how most agencies work though, Wordpress Help & Support can be the more lucrative part.
Website support and maintenance is the stuff that happens after your client's website goes live and it's very easy to see it as something unimportant. This post will outline why you should think about generating a regular monthly income from your WordPress support offering.
I'd like to make the case that website support and maintenance is just as important as the build bit and isn't something you should neglect or ignore.
Why Should You Offer WordPress Support?
Good question. Why should you? There's a few reasons why, as an agency, you might want to think about it:
- It's a great way to generate a monthly recurring revenue. Your business becomes more stable financially and you can spend time offering a better service to your clients
- Eventually, your client will want to make more substantial alterations to their site. You'll understand their business better than anyone, so they'll come to you for it
- It's more cost effective than the traditional agency model. It's far easier to systemise and productise support than the design and build of wordpress websites. This means it's a far more scalable offering, and therefore more cost effective
- Building partnerships is better than transactional relationships. If you really want to help your clients, you want to be on hand past the initial design and build. That's where the great stuff happens for both of you
How Should You Make the Case for WordPress Support to Your Clients?
Part of the problem in developing a WordPress support offering is explaining why it's useful. This section's aimed at helping you to explain it.
Selling to Your Client Why WordPress Support Is Important
Do you regularly have your car serviced? If you do, my guess is it's because you'd rather pay a small amount to spot any problems early and try to prevent bigger bills later on.
Do you have breakdown cover for your car? If you do, my guess is it's because, if the worst happens, you want to know you've got someone on hand to get the problem sorted and get you back on the road ASAP.
Putting in place a support package for a website is the digital equivalent of having your car serviced regularly and paying for breakdown cover. It gives peace of mind that you're protecting your investment.
Selling to Your Client the Maintenance Aspect of WordPress Support
Maintaining a website, by contrast to supporting it, is all about keeping it up-to-date so it's an accurate reflection of your business.
There are two reasons to do this.
Firstly, because an out-of-date website is bad for your reputation. (A News page that was last updated in November 2 years ago is never a good look.) And besides which, every business changes from month to month and year to year. If you don't update your website it will reflect your business as it was then not as it is now. Any leads that do come through it will probably be the wrong ones.
Secondly, because search engines like websites that are well-maintained and up-to-date. By keeping your website up-to-date you're helping your SEO chances. Who doesn't want that?
If you've got a WordPress website, maintenance is something your client probably does in-house already, although maybe not as often as they should. They might also wonder whether the updates they're making are really delivering the best possible results for their business.
Regular website support and maintenance is something that protects and builds on your client's investment. It might not be exciting, but it's certainly important. It's also a great opportunity for you to build lasting, valuable, partnerships with your clients.
Selling to Your Client the Security Aspect of WordPress Support
One of the worst things the can happen to your client's site is getting hacked. This can mean:
- Nasty emails, sent from their server, resulting in their server getting blacklisted
- Their website being down due to a piece of code which is often hard to find and remove
- Their website redirecting to another site (blue pills, anyone?)
- Data theft, which at its worst can result in litigation against your client by their customers
- Ransomware; an attacker encrypts your client's data and then forces them to pay to have it unencrypted
With a good onboarding process, you client's site should be secured against these attacks. Whilst you can never be 100% hack-proof, a good security setup with regular WordPress core, theme and plugin updates should stop 99% of all attacks.
Selling to Your Client the Backup Aspect of WordPress Support
We've all been there. It's Friday afternoon and someone's updated something they shouldn't have. Suddenly, everything seems to be broken and it's all hands on deck fixing all the issues. Even worse, sometimes things have been lost forever.
The point of a backup is that it's there if any of the following happens:
- Hacked: The site gets hacked and the damage is irreparable
- Broken: An update goes wrong
- Deleted: Customised files in a theme or plugin get overwritten accidentally
- Recover: Multiple changes to content mean that it would be easier just to recover a point in time
With a regular (and we're talking more often than nightly here!) backup routine, this can be solved in minutes. Proper WordPress support companies will take care of backups (offsite) for you and be able to reinstate the website at a point in time with the click of a button. No more crazy Fridays.
How to Find Clients for WordPress Support
There's a few ways to sell support:
- New leads sell it to new prospects that come in via your website, business networking and the like
- Outreach Actively seek out customers you believe need this service, get in contact and try to get them to sign up
- Partnership Partner with an organisation whose customers are a natural fit for your support offering. Preferably a partner who's going to marketing your offering to their customers for you
- As an add-on Chances are your agency is already designing and building websites; try selling into existing customers.
Number 4 is by far the easiest option and the one most often touted as the way to build your support business as an agency. Let's focus on that.
Selling Your Support as An Add-On to WordPress Design
You've won the big website project, built the website and now it's gone live. Your next step should be to think about what you can do next to help that client, rather than moving on to the next one.
Start off by developing an email you can send to your clients after their new site's gone live. The ideal point is just before their amendments period ends; it's a good point to be sending out an communication that their amendment period is ending anyway, so it's the support conversation is a natural fit.
As time goes on, start building your support offering into your quotes and proposals. Doing this as a lump sum for a set amount of time seems to work best (e.g. 6 months support); this gives you enough time to really show them some value and for the client to get used to the benefits of having it in place.
The Reasons Clients Buy WordPress Support
Your clients don't want another monthly outgoing and they don't see the benefit of getting their site's plugins and themes updated. It's down to us to propose something that really speaks to them. Here's a couple of points that have resonated well with our clients in the past.
Support Improves Your Search Engine Optimisation
One of Google ranking factors is speed; so much so they built a whole website dedicated to testing your page's speed called Google PageSpeed. If you offer this service correctly and as a part of your onboarding process, you'll automatically be improving your client's changes of ranking well on Google.
Ongoing Support Spreads the Cost of Development
This one often works with clients that have an existing relationship with a developer or agency where they're getting charged on an adhoc basis. Generally speaking, it's easier to spread the cost of changes on a monthly basis then to have a large lump sum each time changes need to be. It also affords the client the ability to make more changes (to functionality, design and content) than they would otherwise be able to do.
We're Your Website Department
Sometimes businesses just have a website because they have to. They don't necessarily understand how it works, but they need it to support their overall marketing effort. They'd like to have someone they can delegate the website to and know that it's in safe hands. This involves a little more proactivity on your part; you'll need to make sure best practices are being followed and that you're ready to help make suggestions to the client about what they could do next (ideally, with the minimum of confusing details).
Legal Compliance
With the advent of more and more legal oversight of websites, it's hard to keep up with what's needed. Things like
- What needs to be displayed on each page? What business information am I required by law to show on my website?
- What legal pages are required? Do I need a privacy policy/terms and conditions/cookie notice on my website?
- General Data Protection Regulation. Is my website GDPR compliant?
Owners of a website don't expect you to be a solicitor or lawyer, but they would like to rely on you to have a cursory knowledge of what's required and how it can be implemented.
Increased Revenue
This one's more of a benefit to ecommerce websites, but it often applies to websites looking to get leads via their website too.
Your client's website is a key part of their business; investing in it should return higher dividends. For ecommerce clients, you could be offering more specific services to foster that; UX assessments and design, functional improvements, conversion optimisation and other such services. These are all desirable services that will demonstrate why a higher monthly cost is worth it to your potential client.
How to Build Your Own WordPress Support Team
So now you're committed to the idea of repositioning your agency around WordPress help & support, how's best to go about building a team to provide it?
Most agencies do one of a few things here
- Do it all yourself
- Leverage an existing team who are currently designing and building sites full-time
- Create a new team within the agency dedicated to support clients
- Outsourcing the support, whilst managing it internally
- Fully outsourced; support requests go through to a white labelled team who deals with your client directly
There's clear pros and cons to both, but most agencies start at either 1 or 2 in the list above and gradually progress to one of the latter three options.
Why You Shouldn't Use Your Existing Developers
The difficulty in this option comes when the team's running at 100% capacity building websites. When that happens, support requests start to back up. It makes it difficult, when trying to sell support, to give clear and achievable turnaround times to potential clients.
The other problem here is that, whilst building and supporting websites share some common required skills, there are clear differences. For example, when building a site you'll (hopefully…!) come across a lot less weird fiddly issues ("white screen of death every now and then", "uploading files to WordPress gives me an http error" and the like). Fixing these requires a broad range of skills that just aren't necessary when you just build WordPress websites.
How to Build a Successful In-House Team
It's totally possible to build a support team inhouse and have it flourish. You'll probably want to start off by leveraging an existing team, or doing it yourself, while you get this option financially viable.
To start with, you'll need a generalist WordPress developer/designer. Ideally, you'll want someone who has a track record of working with existing sites and diagnosing/resolving issues. This will be employee one of your support team (and, eventually, probably the head of your support team as it grows).
As time goes on, you'll probably add some more specialist team members. Your next hire's probably going to be a developer (to sort those really tricky issues out) and you might consider any of the following disciplines later on down the line
- Designer
- Systems administrator
- Security/Cyber security expert
Just make sure your team grows as your monthly recurring revenue does, otherwise you'll always run at a loss. This probably means a few months of struggling to keep up from time to time (but don't let that run too long otherwise you'll start to lose customers).
Improving Your Operations
It's important that when you're working to a monthly budget, you're mindful of any areas of your operations you can optimise or reduce the cost of. This in turn leaves you with more profit and therefore a greater ability to service your client's needs. The following is a list of some areas that you can often automate to improve your process:
- Charging – consider using an automated process to charge your customers. Stripe has excellent facilities to do this, but you can also use software in your website to do this (such as Woocommerce Subscriptions)
- Invoicing – When you've got a larger number of clients, the invoicing will become tedious at best (and costly at worst!). Make sure you have an automated process of invoicing your clients on a monthly basis. Most accountancy software includes some way of automatically invoicing on a regular basis
- Onboarding – When your client first signs up, it's a good idea to have a process of both doing all the things you need to do to get their site set up (backups, security, speed optimisation etc) and communicating to them during that process what's happening. If you can develop and checklist for your team, and a set of automated emails to send to your clients during this period, you'll take a lot of work off your hands and make everyone happier
- Logging issues – Your client needs to be clear on how they can log issues, and internally you need to be clear on what to do with them! Consider a checklist internally for how to deal with requests, and include in your onboarding emails how your client should log their requests
- Cancellation – All relationships have a beginning, a middle and unfortunately an end. There will be things you need to do when a client cancels their support; consider creating a checklist and maybe even a couple of automated farewell emails
How to Outsource WordPress Support.
Having looked at the options for supporting your clients using an in house team, it's time to discuss the benefits of the outsourcing model of WordPress support.
Outsourcing WordPress Support Whilst Managing It Internally
In this set up, you bring in a WordPress support partner to deliver the service but all support requests come through someone in-house. This is what I'd consider to be the best option, because you own the client relationship and maintain a level of experience consistent with the rest of your brand.
Typically, you'll pay a white label
The benefit of this arrangement is that each support contract has a fixed cost. You know exactly how much it costs you to add a new support contract. It should also be scalable, allowing you to sell as many contracts as you want to without a degradation of service (something that's not possible with the in-house model).
Fully Outsourcing Word Press Support (White Label WordPress Support)
A slightly easier option is to white label your support. Here, you bring clients in and bill them and you then open a support account with a partner company who provide the support service. Generally, this is billed on a per-account basis and you'll pick what level of support you need to pay for on each customer's account.
There are many white label WordPress support companies out there. Each will differ slightly on how they bill you, their turnaround times, their expertise levels and the quality of the experience your customer gets. Your job here is to bring on a white label wordpress support agency that's going to give your clients a great service whilst also maintaining a consistency with your brand.
Make sure you've got some kind of oversight of what's going on here. If you can't see support requests, it'll be a struggle when things go wrong to see what's happening. Your client will expect you to know what's going on with their account within your agency, so don't let that expertise be managed away from you.
Summary / Conclusions
We've explored all the considerations when first looking to develop your wordpress support offering; from why to do it, right the way through to implementing your team. We've laid out how to sell it to your clients, how to optimise your operations for profit and how to bootstrap your support offering from your development and design work. Ultimately, adding your new support offering will take time to get right, but it'll be worth it for that monthly recurring revenue.
Want to talk to someone who's already done it, or get the ball rolling? You're totally welcome to ask me.
About the Author
Rich Mehta is the CEO and founder of Rigorous Digital. Rigorous works with clients in longer term partnerships providing both bespoke web design services and ongoing support.


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TAC Talk: Devorah Chocolate
**Rescheduled from January 17th**
While over 7 million metric tons of chocolate is consumed annually worldwide, with 1.4 million tons consumed in the United States alone, the processes that take cacao from fresh tropical fruit to chocolate bar remain a mystery to many.
During this presentation, Meagan Brown of Devorah Chocolate will uncover the numerous steps integral to chocolate making as we taste, touch, and smell our way through the process.
She will also share current trends in the rapidly growing American craft chocolate industry and why a shift from industrial chocolate is critical for cacao farmers and chocolate lovers alike.
About the Speaker
Meagan Brown, a native of Boone North Carolina, is the founder and chief chocolate maker at Devorah Chocolate, Boone's first bean to bar craft chocolate company.
Her lifelong passion for the culinary arts and interest in world travel came together during a fortuitous encounter with a family operated Peruvian cacao farm in 2016. There in the heart of the Amazon, she harvested, fermented, and dried what would become her first batch of homemade chocolate.
Now producing handmade chocolates and other cacao derived delights for her local community, Meagan continues to explore and honor the rich traditions and customs from ancient cacao culture to present day through teaching, advocating for ethical trade, and contributing her own innovations to the ever-evolving world of chocolate.
Thursday Art and Culture (TAC) Talks bring collegiate level lectures to your museum. Featuring scholars from around the country, the lectures are selected to provide supplemental information on our current exhibits, or highlight the history and heritage of the mountains.
Beginning at 6 pm these events have an hour-long lecture with audience question and answer session at the end. Unless otherwise posted, all TAC talks are free for members and $5 for non-members.


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A beautiful inlaid stone oval is framed in a glowing 14k gold bezel. Radiating around the stone, sterling silver is serrated to create a bright halo effect. This ring features the signature YITM hand carved 14k gold HELENA band.
14k RECYCLED yellow gold, sterling silver with inlaid Chrysocolla stone.
Stones will inevitably vary by pattern and color, but will always be hand chosen for their unique attributes and beauty.
*Size 6
***This ring CANNOT Be RE-SIZED!**
Handmade by Young in the Mountains


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Vote for the political party that supports the environment [that supports us!]
0 have signed. Let's get to 5,000!
Our government must place greater focus on the environment and ocean. They are the lifeblood of our economy and where we get much of the oxygen that we breathe, the food that we eat, employment, jobs and income through tourism.
We are in the midst of an international disgrace with regards to the sewage crisis; we are living in a plastic World; our coral reefs that protect the coastline and contribute significantly to tourism are threatened. These are issues that impact all of us negatively.
The sewage crisis has been going on for way too long! Almost daily, one can encounter sewage bubbling up somewhere along the South Coast. It is harming our health, that of the environment and our already unhealthy economy too! Our existing poor water quality, marine ecosystems and the last remaining mangrove swamp are threatened.
Walking through sewage daily. Businesses and schools closed. People Sick. How much longer Mr. Prime Minister?
The plastic that we consume and discard of daily will affect the environment and our health for generations to come. When we throw something away, there is no such thing as away; it must go somewhere. Over 1,000 tonnes of waste is sent to SBRC daily, of which over 70% can be recycled. Every piece of plastic made still exists. Do we wish plastic leaching into our soil, into our food, our water sources, do we wish our marine wildlife such as sea turtles to be choking on plastic bags? Do we wish to be potentially consuming plastic in some of our favourite fish dishes? Or would you like that pie served with a side of plastic too? Do we want our beaches, where our children play and tourists lay to be covered in plastic?
Plastic pollution. Environmental, Health and Economical Impacts. Why has there been no public discussion on the ban of single use plastics and styrofoam? Why Minister of Environment, Why Minister of Health, Why Government of Barbados?
We must support a blue economy with our oceans, fisheries, coral reefs and coastal zone being prioritised. Did you know that over 70% of the oxygen that you breathe is produced by the ocean? What about the protection that coral reefs afford our coastline? Or that our tourism product heavily relies on our marine resources? Or that we import over 60% of the fish that we consume? Or that the ocean provides thousands of jobs? What about being prepared for effects of climate change and increasing intensity of hurricanes?
Carlisle Bay. Still not a marine managed area after so many years. Why Barbados?
Please support us by subscribing to the following statement. Let us make sure your vote counts, especially for those things that you care about.
"By signing this petition, I hereby declare that I will vote for the political party that promises to place greater focus on our environment and environmental sustainability.
Within 12 months of coming into office:
- Fix the sewage issue
- Create a marine managed area in Carlisle Bay as well as continue to explore the possibility of extending along the West Coast, taking into account all stakeholders.
- Legislate the ban on styrofoam and single use plastics while providing incentives on alternative packaging. Antigua and Barbuda have done it so why can't we?
During the rest of the term,
- Implement and support curbside recycling and commercial composting facilities;
- Backyard growing, permaculture, public planting of fruit trees coupled with sustainable development of green spaces;
- Greater education and awareness campaigns surrounding the environment and sustainable living;
- Integration of school gardens into the curriculum;
- Promotion of and support to sustainable fisheries and organic agriculture as we work towards a sustainable food system in our island;
- Greater development of renewable energy, uptake of electric vehicles, removal of the tipping fee and increased fines and enforcement for illegal dumping and littering.
Change happens one small step at a time - every little bit counts and our voices must be heard. Today, our voice carries more weight than usual, because it is election time. And let us make this election count for all of the citizens of this country, including our children and youth who deserve to grow up in a beautiful pristine Barbados just like we did.
If we are to stay relevant and to once again become leaders within the Caribbean, we must make a change!
Our environment and oceans do so much for us so it is time that we do more for them.
Signed: Nikola Simpson | Age 29 | Christ Church |Concerned Citizen of Barbados.
Complete your signature
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I have recently bought a Samsung J8 android phone and encrypted my external sd card with a pin number and now forgot it too. I can't figure out the encryption pin I have set on my sd card and now I have no longer access to the encrypted files.
But trying to open it in HTC 816g the sd card shows files but I can't use it my new Samsung-J8 as it says corrupted sd card. What should i do? Please give two to three solutions as i dont want to loose my years of data on the sd card.


text: Wat Khiriwong Temple This distant Buddhist temple has been built far from crowded places. Deafening silence reigns in here. Serenity is seldom broken by monkey noises. The low and narrow passage in the cliff wall is the only access point to the temple grounds. DISTANCE – 115 km Away from Ao Nang ENTRANCE FEE – Free Entry PRESS to open on Google Maps


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Our next 'Creating Safer Space' Foundation Module Safeguarding Training will be held on Saturday 23rd March at St. Andrews from 10.30am to 1.30pm.
Arrival is from 10am.
This important training is held in a friendly atmosphere, with the emphasis on discussion, group work and interaction. It won't be death by PowerPoint!
If you, or someone in your church, needs Foundation Safeguarding Training please contact Ian Belcher to register for this training or to find out more information.


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Tibetan Youth Congress convenes 15th GBM
[Monday, May 27, 2013 23:58]
TYC President Tsewang Rigzin delivering the inaugural address at the 15th Greneral Body Meeting of TYC in Dharamshala on May 27, 2013. (Phayul photo/Phuntsok Yangchen)
DHARAMSHALA, May 27: Tibetan Youth Congress, the largest pro-independence group in exile, today met for its 15th General Body Meeting in the exile Tibetan headquarters of Dharamshala.
130 plus delegates representing more than 40 regional chapters from the Indian subcontinent, the United States of America, and Canada are taking part in the highest decision making body of the organisation, which meets every three years.
The inaugural ceremony of the six-day meeting was attended by longtime friend of Tibet, Ajay Singh Mankotia, members of the Tibetan Parliament-in-exile, former Central Executive members of TYC and leaders of Tibetan NGOs.
The meeting began with the proud rendition of the Tibetan national anthem and the Tibetan Youth Congress song. A minute of silence was then observed as a mark of respect for Tibetan martyrs.
In his inaugural address, TYC President Tsewang Rigzin expressed the organisation's profound gratitude to His Holiness the Dalai Lama for his tireless efforts in leading the Tibetan people.
Calling the Dalai Lama the "strength behind the Tibetan people's unity and the life vein of Tibet's courage," Rigzin clarified that TYC would never intentionally do anything directly, indirectly or otherwise to upset His Holiness.
"TYC as an organisation has never intentionally slandered or belittled His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the exile Tibetan administration," Rigzin said. "If unknowingly, TYC has caused even the slightest of offense to His Holiness, through this Meeting, we tender our apologies and ask for His forgiveness."
He also vouched the organisation's support for the Central Tibetan Administration and asserted that TYC continues to remain "an important platform" for Tibetan youths to realise their potential cohesively.
"Thus, TYC is blessed with the compassionate care of His Holiness the Dalai Lama," Rigzin added.
During the inaugural function, three regional chapters with exceptional contribution to TYC's work were felicitated with excellence award. The awards were given to RTYC Dharamshala, RTYC Poanta Sahib and RTYC Puruwala.
TYC's "Rangzen" (Freedom) award was given to late Jigme K Norbu, son of Taktser Rinpoche, the Dalai Lama's eldest brother. Jigme Norbu was on a 300-mile 'Walk for Tibet' in Florida when he was knocked down and killed by a passing car on February 14, 2011. Jigme Norbu has walked many thousands of miles across the world in honour of the struggle for independence of fellow Tibetans in Tibet and to raise awareness of the Chinese occupation of Tibet.
Over 130 delegates from more than 40 regional chapters attending the 15th Greneral Body Meeting of TYC in Dharamshala on May 27, 2013. (Phayul photo/Phuntsok Yangchen)
TYC's "Martyr's" award was dedicated to the unprecedented number of Tibetans who have set themselves on fire demanding freedom in Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, Ajay Mankotia noted that with dedication and devotion, Tibetans will achieve their final goal.
"It is a historical fact that Tibet was an independent nation; nobody in the world can deny this," Mankotia said. "You will achieve what you have set out to do for your nation. There is no denying that it takes long but your faith, perseverance, and hope will see you succeed."
The first day of the meeting was dedicated to discussing His Holiness the Dalai Lama' recent remarks concerning TYC and the demand for complete independence, following which a handful of regional chapters had made calls for a change in the position of TYC from independence to seeking genuine autonomy.
According to insiders, a resolution, reinstating TYC's goal for complete independence of Tibet was adopted on a majority vote.
In the next five days, the meeting will discuss issues related to the organisation's working objectives, and its future plans and programmes.
At the end of the meeting on June 1, the members will elect the organisation's new executive members.
Elected for a term of three years, the executive body, called the Central Executive Committee (CENTREX), supervises the entire functioning of TYC, provides guidance to the 'Regional Working Committees' and represents TYC in all national and international forums.
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While it's not yet something you can set your watch by, November has become Disney's month of choice to release their Pixar fantasies, visionary blends of cutting-edge digital animation and classic family values. ""Toy Story"" started this successful run in 1995, followed by its blockbuster sequel in 1999. We don't exactly expect these films, but they do tend to arrive at the ideal time, providing a pleasant respite from the frantic holiday schedule.
By now, audiences know what they're getting out of a Pixar production. The studio's original ""Toy Story"" deftly explored the insecurities of toy cowboy Woody when challenged by the bigger, better Buzz Lightyear, while the film's sequel went on to tailor an exciting adventure around Buzz and Woody's unique friendship. But in their latest, ""Monsters, Inc.,"" the Pixar team allows their imaginations to soar to infinity and beyond, creating new worlds populated with amazing and imaginative beings. That world is called Monstropolis, and it's only accessible through the closets of little children around the globe. That monsters lurk in kids' closets is common knowledge. What we weren't aware of was Monstropolis' reliance on the screams of these children as a power source, and that the hideous employees of Monsters, Incorporated, were responsible for soliciting these screams on a nightly basis. Unfortunately, desensitized kids don't scare as easily as they used to, leading to Monstropolis' current power drought. Two monsters in particular, though, are doing their part. The sarcastic and spherical green glob Mike Waznowski (voice of Billy Crystal), and his fuzzy bear of a friend, James ""Sulley"" Sullivan (voice of John Goodman), have earned a reputation as the factory's top scarers. The duo is well on their way to breaking the company's all-time ""scare"" record, in fact, until one fateful evening, when Sulley stumbles upon a devious scheme hatched by a rival monster, the chameleonesque Randall Boggs (voice of Steve Buscemi). Before he knows it, Sulley lets a little girl into the monsters' world, a fatal mistake that could dismantle Monsters, Inc. and plunge Monstropolis further into its crippling energy crisis.With each new feature, the Pixar animators vastly improve the look of their characters and the worlds they inhabit. ""Monsters, Inc."" boasts more exotic creatures than the cantina in ""Star Wars,"" and the animators' attention to detail, on Sulley in particular, truly amazes me. Close ups of Sulley's purple mane reveal a shag carpet-type rug of body hair that begs to be hugged. For some reason, though, these animators can devise a contact lens that Mike wears on his giant eye, but they can't make the film's little girl look more human. Perhaps these guys need to spend a little more time in the real world.""Monsters Inc."" proves the Pixar team can think outside of the box. For all of its creative concepts, though, the plot still relies too heavily on generic characterizations and Disney's time-tested formulas. Randall bears all the qualities of a sub-standard Disney villain, cut from the cloth of an Ursula, Jafar or the bounty hunter from ""Tarzan."" And while Mike was 75% eyeball, he never stopped being Billy Crystal, a fact both Tom Hanks and Tim Allen were able to disguise in the ""Toy Story"" films. Only Goodman's Sulley is given the chance to grow as a character, parlaying his paternal yearnings for the stowaway girl into an endearing storyline.With a trustworthy formula and pandering comic relief, ""Monsters, Inc."" is more a Disney flick than a Pixar production. Rank it alongside commendable family favorites like ""Tarzan,"" ""The Hunchback of Notre Dame"" or ""Aladdin."" But the Pixar moniker led me to believe we were in for something a little more special. Hoping for ""Toy Story,"" I was disappointed, but certainly not disappointed enough to overlook the film's obvious strengths and widespread audience appeal.Final Grade: B+By Sean O'ConnellNov. 2, 2001


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By Guido Ebert
Piaggio's New 150 Is Flying Out the Door
The scooter community has been abuzz about the all-new 2014 Piaggio Fly 150 3V. Offering Piaggio quality, new technology, numerous helpful features and – at $2,899 – ultra-competitive pricing, it's easy to understand why.
Piaggio says the new fuel-injected 150cc single-cylinder, three-valve, SOHC four-stroke LEADER engine produces more power, is more fuel-efficient and, thanks to service intervals of an incredible 6,000 miles (following an initial 625-mile service) has lower maintenance costs.
Output is a claimed 9kW @ 7,000 rpm and 13Nm @ 6,000 rpm. Real world riding delivers immediate acceleration and another burst at mid-range. Top speed is in the neighborhood of 60 mph, and Piaggio says the limp-wristed could achieve up to 130mpg.
Up top you'll find black Piaggio branded grips, dual daytime running lights on the beak, a center-placed main headlight, clear turn signals, and a multi-function dash with an analog speedometer that could have been designed with easier-to-see numbers.
The long, lightly scalloped seat has been lowered to 29.9 inches and together with the bike's svelte design should accommodate operators of numerous sizes. Flip-out pegs aid passenger comfort.
Down below, the 1.8-gallon fuel tank has been moved to the front of the lengthened floorboard and the battery to the left side of the glove box, which resulted in nearly double the available under-seat storage space as the old Fly 150.
The tube chassis is supported by a 32mm hydraulic fork in front and a single hydraulic shock in the rear, and the 12-inch wheels shod with 120/70 tires are slowed by a 220mm disc with dual-piston floating caliper in front and a 140mm drum in the rear. Sadly, unlike the Euro edition, the U.S. version did not get a rear disc.
Need to park? Utilize either the side-stand or the center-stand.
As said, there has been quite a buzz about this new Fly 150 3V. So much so, many Piaggio retailers around the nation were taking pre-orders well before the bike began appearing at dealerships in late May.
Interested? Stop by your local Piaggio dealer, take a look at the Fly 150 3V and decide whether you prefer the Pearl White or Graphic Black.


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Vission, Mission & Value
VISSION : To become one of the world's most favourable furniture manufacturer company for nations that provides international quality furniture to enhance homes and places for living, such as hotels, resorts and others.
MISSION – customers : to deliver the best and most suitable service for our customers by managing a clear communication process and proper business application systems
Productivity: to process the production system in reaching a sustainable and manageable operations in producing the furniture products and designs.
Quality : to manufacture the furniture products with a well-experienced team and workers in maintaining and focus on a standardized international quality, especially the ones with carvings and modifications.
VALUE : safety & well-being, teamwork, responsibility, commitment, trust


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You rely on your plumbing for daily tasks such as washing clothes or dishes, bathing, cooking, and cleaning. An issue that arises with one of your plumbing fixtures, pipes, or water-using appliances can put a damper on your day, as you are unable to take care of household chores. If you notice problems with your plumbing system – be it low water pressure, leaks, or a clogged drain – you can trust the Kennesaw plumbers at Dupree Plumbing to inspect and repair the issue.
Let our well-trained plumbers in Kennesaw help you with your plumbing needs. Call Dupree Plumbing at (770) 766-9478.
We Can Service Large and Small Plumbing Issues
Having plumbing fixtures and appliances properly installed, maintained, and repaired can help lower your water bill and prevent larger issues from developing in the future. A leaky pipe, for example, wastes water and can cause structural damage to your home. As the leak goes unfixed, water saturates the surrounding area, causing mold growth and weakening your walls or floors. Our Kennesaw plumbers are highly trained and have the necessary equipment to diagnose and repair large and small plumbing issues.
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Call us at (770) 766-9478 or contact us online to request a Kennesaw water heater replacement or repair service.


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In my life, for every push up
I counted, there always appeared
a more than equal,
and quite opposite, push down.
One that choked me face-down
into the dust to dust. Despite
this Sisyphian way-of-the-world,
I never envied those guys
who always managed to "fail up."
I hoped the physics, meta- or vanilla,
would catch up to them before they
crested their gift-wrapped Olympus.
I finally realized fighting
their anti-gravitational serendipity,
waiting for that margin call on
their karma banks, I'd end up waiting
until my next push up was face-up
and six feet under.
As far as I know, shoving two meters
of cemetery up up and away's
a feat never quite scientifically proven.
But to disprove the anecdotal
during these days of political science,
where never the twain shall meet,
would prove an exercise so futile
even Houdini'd throw up his
steel-cuffed hands and admit defeat.
Forget any recount.
A poor pass at Poem #25's prompt for a piece concerning exercise. I gave up on understanding or respecting politics (both Capital and lower case P) a long time ago. Working in journalism and government will do that to you. Working in a slaughterhouse has more truth, humanity and cleanliness. Toss religion into the volatile mix (as seems to be part of the recipe these days) and you have an inedible sausage force-fed and over-served you for breakfast, lunch and TV dinner. Relax, I just ground down my bully pulpit tree stump and will now return to my quiet window seat.


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Until A few years ago I thought of beetroot as a lovely addition to salads and on the side of a ploughman's lunch. My exposure, I'm sorry to say, was somewhat limited to the cooked and pickled variety. Then I became interested in them as a vegetable to grow them in my garden and a whole world was opened up to me with the knowledge of all the different types that are available. I also learnt about the significant health benefits of this vegetable and how to make delicious juices from it.
Vegetable juices are rich in vitamins and minerals. They are a great for juicing on a daily basis and as part of a cleanse as they contain less sugars. Beetroot is known for it's ability to promote heart health and blood flow, helping to lower blood pressure and forms a natural approach to reducing the risk of heart disease. Beetroot contains many vitamins and essential minerals – potassium, magnesium, iron, Vitamin A, B6, Vitamin C, folks acid, carbohydrates, protein, powerful antioxidants (from the Betacyanin which gives it it's colour) and soluble fibre.
The key element which supports heart function are the nitrates found in beetroot which open up the blood vessels and may help to lower blood pressure and stop platelets from being sticky. UK Research from a 2010 study suggested that it can help to prevent blockages which lead to stroke and heart attacks.
Beetroot has one of the richest sources of glutamine, an amino acid, which can help the health and maintenance of the intestinal tract. It has also been shown to have a positive effect during exercise increasing stamina enabling the muscles to work harder.
Beetroot belongs to the same family as chard and spinach, both the root and leaves can be eaten. The leaves when young and can be added to salads, mature leaves can be steamed like other greens. Eating them raw or preferably juicing provides a greater quantity of nitrates than cooking as the cooking process deteriorates the nutrients, however, they are still good for you.
According to love beetroot.co.uk a daily amount of 250ml juice or 1-2 can help to lower blood pressure. The juice can also help to detoxify the blood and flush toxins our of the body supporting your liver.
Beetroots come in many different varieties, in addition to the red ones we are perhaps most familiar with. They also come in golden, white and stripy varieties. I think there is a world of difference between shop bought ones and those you grown yourself. They are easy to grow if you have some space or I would recommend to buy them from a farmers' market so that they are fresh as possible and you'll also have the opportunity to try some of the local varieties.


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On Church
By Mary Sanford
Church. It's usually defined by a building and a. affiliation with Christianity. Perhaps it's none of these and yet all of these and more.
A while back someone at my school passed on. She was not religious nor did she attend any church. But she loved, wholeheartedly, unabashedly, and without fear. She loved her students. She loved the school. She loved without judgment. Her church, if she had to define it physically, was nature and the outdoors-wind blowing through tangled birch trees and slimy seaweed on the shore.
I belong to a physical church and I attend regularly. I don't preach, proselytize, or convert. It's forbidden in my religion, and even it wasn't, when people try that stuff on me, I shut them down. Game over. It took me a very long time before I found my chosen religion, and had somebody been pushy about joining their church, adopting their religion,I would've run in the opposite direction.
On days that I miss attending church, I do not worry about going to hell. Hell is here and now. It's how you live your life. I do not worry about being the hostess with the mostest at church or not. My principle concern is to love. I know people can be highly involved in the church organization, be mega volunteers, in or outside of the church, and not be loving. Not okay. Not church.
I found church on a train in Northwest Italy, struggling with luggage overload and having a darling retired Italian couple help me. I speak 25 words of Italian but these people loved. They gave me such peace and a great sense of protection.
Yesterday my brand new car got stuck on the ice between the bottom of my crazy steep driveway and the edge of the icy road, and it was sliding even with the emergency brake on. I screamed for help, shaking with fear, and this neighbor who I didn't know ran over from across the street and helped me stop my car. with a cement block. That's church.
I found church in Madrid on a Sunday morning at an ATM machine when an 11-year-old Roma boy tried to snatch my money. A group of Spaniards, grandmas included, offered to call the policia for me and then formed a football huddle so I could safely get out my money.
Another time I found church in Madrid at 1 AM at my hotel when a young Slovenian woman punched her boyfriend in the nose,the front staff person had no backup help, the police came, and the young woman feared she would be deported. I jumped in and with my limited Spanish, knowing I was in way the heck over my head, helped to get everyone calmed down. When he heard about it, my friend Jeff was aghast and wondered why I even bothered to get involved. Stay out of it, he argued. It's not your place. But how could I not? I was going to church, my church, and nothing could stop me.
Church is everywhere. You just have to find it.