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Topic: RPG:Champions of Geridarr
Welcome to Geridarr chosen ones. I shall say this once: This RPG is by MY INVITATION ONLY. I have already notified who has been chosen, but if you deem yourself worthy, email me at email@example.com.
Iran, 1939
Hamid did not understand. He didnt not know why, how in the world this was possible. The sun baked the desert around them. Even the scorpions and snakes took shelter today. The heat blinded you, weighed you down like a boulder upon your shoulders.....and yet.....this man kept his leather jacket on.
They had been trekking for several hours now. Hamid had drank nearly all his water now. Each of them had 4 canteens. Hamid was down to his last one. The American had only taken 5 to 6 sips from his first canteen. Hamid had lived in this region all his life, and yet this man had bested him in the desert. Truly an amazing feat. At this point Hamid could not see anything but the heat waves that radiated from the desert floor. In every direction it all looked the same to him.
The American raised his arm and pointed into the distance. Pff...a mirage. Hamid thought. he peered towards the direction he pointed and could just barely see it. The stone monolith that rose from the desert sand. It was like none Hamid had ever seen. It did not display the typical architecture of the usual Mesopotamian ruins of this area. The stone was a dark grey, nothing like the granite in nearby quaries. So the American was right. An unkown ruin of pre-Mesopotamian origin. It was truly a great archaeological find. Not that it mattered to Hamid. If it meant a bigger pay off then he would love it as well.
It took another hour to actually reach the monolith. The rode around the structure until they found the entrance.
"I said no camels." The American said as he eased himself off the camel.
"I'm sorry, but horses wouldn't last the journey. They would need more water than the both of us." Hamid said. Heh, dont know everything, do you? He thought.
Hamid got off his own camel and followed the American. The entrance was a large stone door on the side of the structure, which looked very much like a ziggurat. But it was made of a different material than the usual ziggurats. And the top was not made for an altar or for services like the Mesopotamian ziggurats. It was definitely different.
They walked through the hole in the door that had been blown open by grave robbers already. The American handed him a torch that he lit with a lighter. Hamid was on torch duty now...fantastic. They made their way through the barren grey stone hallways. At first, there was nothing. No carvings, heiroglyphs...nothing. Just the odd grey stone, possibly some type of granite not from around here. Which raises the question of how it got here.
They finally came upon a fork. One path led upwards, the other down. They went up first. Eventually the path upward opened up to the top of the odd, grey pyramid like structure. The came out into the sun again and looked at the floor. There was a large circle in the middle with an umbrella pattern that looked as if it would open up. To let something in or out was unknown. The American knelt down and felt the grooves.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." He said
"What?" Hamid asked, worried now. He had never seen anything like this in his carrer of taking tourists to ruins.
The American didnt answer. He just readjusted his fedora, stood up, and went down into the passage again. Hamid followed hurrily.
They went down once more and came upon the fork again. Hamid would have been happy to just go out the exit path, but the American went down this time. Hamid followed. they spent more time going down then when they went up. The path just continued to spiral down, another odd point. There were no spiral paths in most ancient ziggurats. Then suddenly, a dead end. The wall they had come across held the only ornate carving in the entire structure. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c … astika.jpg (The swastika in the center is complete.)
Hamid peered at it in wonder. The American turned to Hamid.
"Nazis....I hate these guys." He said and turned back to the carving. He reached into his satchel bag and withdrew something wrapped in a cloth. He unwrapped it and Hamid stared at THAT in wonder as well. It was a medallion made from some kind of metal that resembled platinum but looked like it could shatter a diamond. It was in the shape of a swastika within a circle. Yet it was not modern enough to have been made by Nazis. It seemed ancient. The American took the torch from Hamid and lit up the carving. He carefully placed the medallion into the carving and Hamid grew excited and nervous....yet nothing happened. Hamid was about to say something when suddenly a rumble sounded from above and the wall began to slide upward. The American was right again.
He walked under the rising secret door and Hamid followed, but stopped under the rising wall. He looked towards the American, then peered towards the other side of the wall where the medallion now lay embedded into the carving....could fetch a nice price. Hamid reached around as the door rose and grasped the medallion. He popped it out.
"NO!" The American yelled and Hamid turned to him, medallion in hand.
"Wha-" Hamid said before BAM squish.
Indiana Jones shook his head and walked up to the door that had now slammed down onto Hamid. Hamid's arm stuck out from the bottom, medallion in hand. Indy crouched down, torch in hand and looked at it. He went through hell to get it, he might as well get it back.
"Fiimaan illaah" Indy said and took the medallion from Hamid's dead hand.
He stood and turned to face the new chamber he had walked into. He had to act quick, the Nazis were aware that he had taken the medallion from them and they were on his tail. He looked at the palm sized medallion in his hand made from the strange metal. he reached into his bag and brough out a chain that he put the medallion on. He locked the chain and put the medallion back into his bag.
The chamber was very big, yet simple. Columns led from the entrance, where Indy stood, to the raised platform in the center of the chamber. A beam of light shown down upon the platform, it was noon and the sun was right above. The umbrella shape on the roof and opened up to allow the light in. Indy tossed the torch aside and walked up to the raised platform, his steps echoing. He rose the little flight of stairs and looked down at the floor, where another circle resided.
Within the circle was...a pool? It was a little pool about 3 feet in diameter of some starnge shiny blue liquid that moved despite no wind or surf. There was this light, aura sound that resonated from the pool. What the hell are the Nazis up to this time. He thought. He knew they were looking for this place, but he didnt know what was in it. Nor did the Nazis. All everyone knew was that it was tied to the ancient symbol of the swastika, and its true origin and meaning.
Indy kicked a pebble into the pool. The rock stayed on its surface for a moment, then it was sucked in. Indy knew exactly what this was at that point: a portal.
He stepped down from the platform and observed the rest of the chamber. Nothing interesting. His only exit closed....No way out. Indy was in trouble, he did NOT want to have to go through the portal. Too much of a gamble there. He then noticed something at the other end of the chamber, opposite the entrance. He took the torch from the floor and went up to it. Strange he hadn't noticed it when he first walked in...
They were pictographs. Excellent, Indy needed more info. It was one big illustration. At the bottom it showed a structure, just like the one Indy was in. A beam shot from the top of it, and in the beam was a humanoid figure, travelling through it. The beam lead to another circle which was surrounded by other figures. Some humanoid, others....not. They all faced what looked like a castle. Atop the castle was a great figure that was definitely greater in size to symbolize power. The figure had an orb in his left hand while his right hand pointed towards the masses.....
"What the hell is going on here." Indy thought and stepped away from the pictograph. That was all it showed. It was also very well done, and yet showed very little detail. Just like the rest of the structure he was in. It was all so simple, as if it was done hastily. Or if no one really cared about it. Well atleast the grey stone was very durable and had lasted this long.
Suddenly the pool fluctuated. An odd water like sound sloshed from the pool. Indy turned to it and then the umbrella opening began to slowly close. he was in trouble now. He was going to get trapped in here. He ran up to the pool which was now flowing visciously, yet not coming out of the circle. Indy thought quickly for a moment.
"Here goes nothing." He stepped onto the pool and it held his weight for a moment, then he was sucked in and shot upward.
Name: Henry 'Indiana' Jones Jr.
Age: 40
Realm: Earth from the Indiana Jones realm. One year after Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
Species: Human
Armament: Webley Green revolver
Everyone has to email me their sheets before they post their sheets so we can set them up. Make it in this format. You MUST include a picture of your character. The intro of your characters will be different from Indy's, same portal sequence however. But the portal will open up beneath you while your character is doing w/e you want him/her to be doing. Indy is a special case. That is all the info on the RPG at this time. Our characters know nothing of what is going on. More will be discovered as you play on...much, much more. Email me, people. Messenger is preffered. I have already told all if not most of you what this RPG is about, so prepare accordingly.
This RPG is about select indivisuals who are taken from their realms and brought to one realm in which a tournament is taking place. This tournament is not a one on one battle with characters, its like one big Zelda game where we are each a different Link. There is one Boss who is controlling everything and overseeing the tournament. More will be revealed about him later on. The winners of the tournament get to become a Champion of Geridarr, powerful individuals who get to govern a one of the many realms that the Boss controls. Those that refuse to take part in the tournament are stuck in the realm. Those that rebel are destroyed. You can be ANYONE you want. However, overly powered characters will be altered so there is fairness in the RPG.
I am a Role Playing Gamer, like my father before me.


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1990 Nissan Leopard 3.0 turbo petrol from Australia and New Zealand
Very cheap horse power
The leather seats are badly sun/heat damaged.
The electronic speedo sometimes faults and displays the speed incorrectly.
General Comments:
The Leopard is one fast car once the turbo winds up, a lot of fun, faster than most cars on the road.
Looks a lot like a 1990 Maxima, but in rear wheel drive, and most important has a turbo.
The engine is the quad-cam V6 called a vg30t, the same engine as is in the Nissan 300ZX. In the Leopard this engine produces approximately 185 kilowatts.
This car has to be one of the ultimate sleeper cars.
It comes with a lot of features including an electric drivers seat, cruise control, electric windows, power steering, central locking, electric mirrors, climate control.
This car was imported into America as the Infiniti M30.
Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes
Review Date: 10th May, 2002

subset: commoncrawl


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Blog Train: We Believe
Location: Rush Ranch – Eastern Oregon
Wx: Sunny!
I wanted to share with you a little bit of history on a piece of jewelry that I have included in this month's download. As you know I often include extractions of brooches or charms from my own collection, or of those in the public domain. This particular cross that I have included this month once belonged to Pope Paul VI.
In 1965, when Paul VI was invited to be the first Pontiff ever to address the United Nations, he gave this cross and a ring with the hopes that the proceeds from its sale at auction would contribute to the UN's efforts to end human suffering.
The auction took two years to prepare and was handled by Parke-Bernet, the nation's largest fine art auction house (until it was acquired by Sotheby's in the late 1960s). An 8-page brochure about this cross and ring was printed for this unusual sale which took place in November 1967. Chicago jeweler Harry Levinson bought both pieces of jewelry for $64K and the amount was divided between four UN agencies. After that, the two pieces of jewelry were bought and sold several times. At one point they were even owned by renowned daredevil Evel Knievel.
It is a mystery to me why it took two years to set up an auction, and then, why did a set appraised at a million dollars sell for only $64K? Normally an auction house of such stature would be able to set up an auction very quickly, including all of the advertising and publications required – and then, if bids did not equal the set minimums, it would not be sold. The buyer, Harry Levinson, had a reputation for acquiring unusual pieces – he once owned the Russian Imperial Nuptial Crown, and the 70 carat "Idol's Eye", which was originally set into the eye of an idol, before it was stolen.
The Idol's Eye was also rumored to be a ransom payment for a lovely princess. I've included a link to the Idol's Eye history if you are interested. I wish that I had known Harry. Apparently, he was an upstanding fella, and there is a school named for him in the Chicago area. Even in his 90's, he was showing up at work in his jewelry store 6 days a week. Unfortunately, he was a frequent target for burglary, and at the age of 94 was attacked in his home and died. (My goodness, how morose this post is becoming! I'm sorry – I thought that perhaps you would find it interesting. )
So on with the blog train. It is called the "We Believe" blog train, and yes, this is a blog train for designers that believe in Christianity. Each kit will have at least one piece that symbolizes our precious beliefs. The theme for this month is "He Leadeth Me". I hope that you will find pieces that will further your own collection of digital designs! The blog roll is below – please check out their links and pick up their designs too.
Download Elements
Download Papers 1
Download Papers 2
Download Papers 3
Download Pope Paul VI Cross
Moore Blessings Digital Designs
Bountiful Blessings,


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Burglary investigation leads to arrest for stolen jewelry
Deputies: More arrests expected
Investigators with the Sheriff's department made one arrest in connection with ten burglaries in rural Washington County.
From Nov. 2 through Jan. 29 the Washington County Sheriff's Office received numerous burglary reports from homes in the area. Residents reported that a suspect would take a pillowcase from the home and steal jewelry.
Detectives followed several leads and after a three month investigation, arrested Michael Selby, 23, of West Fork. He is charged with ten counts of residential burglary, all felonies.
Selby confessed to breaking in to ten homes in rural Washington County. Detectives recovered some of the stolen property and were able to find additional stolen items that were sold and pawned by Selby.
The investigation is continuing and more arrests are expected, said officials.


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Is Congress Opening the Door on Class Warfare?
The stage is set for the real fight over spending. It'll make the shutdown spat look tame.
Expect the budget battle to intensify now that Washington has gotten past last weekend's threat of a government shutdown.
As expected, the shutdown talk was mainly theatrics. The more lasting impact is that the GOP budget-cutting plan outlined by House Budget Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) has drawn stark battle lines for what will almost certainly spawn a bitter 2012 campaign based on class warfare.
As always, Democrats will defend traditional entitlement programs, such as Medicare and Social Security, which are designed primarily to help the poor and elderly. And Republicans will seek to reduce the size of government, cut spending on social programs and reduce taxes for corporations and for the rich.
This time, the fray will be more intense, because the staggering budget deficit has shifted public sentiment. Americans are more receptive than they've been in years to paring spending and reducing the deficit, though they haven't shown they're ready to support the kind of overhaul Ryan is talking about.
Both parties have laid down markers that will make it more difficult to come to an agreement.
Partly because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, neither side wants to slash defense spending markedly. Democrats don't want to cut Medicare and Social Security. And the government can't renege on paying interest on the national debt. That puts almost 80% of federal spending off limits -- too much to permit real change.
Using tax increases to help narrow the deficit also seems unlikely. Republicans want to cut the tax rate for corporations and high-income taxpayers. And Obama has shied away from raising rates on anyone earning up to $250,000 a year, well above traditional definitions of "middle class."
Both parties backed White House legislation to temporarily trim the payroll tax, and they'll be under heavy pressure to extend the cut when it expires. Since the payroll tax is a major source of funding for Social Security benefits, continuing the tax holiday would significantly worsen that program's financing problem.
Republicans and Democrats have each made a series of budgetary mistakes. To stem the recession and spur the economy, President Obama relied partly on spending for "shovel-ready" projects, along with financing for high-speed rail and wind turbines. None of those had much impact. Meanwhile, the cost of jobless benefits soared.
Both Obama and his predecessor, President George W. Bush, let government spending on health care rise sharply, worsening the future budget picture. Bush pushed through an expensive prescription drug plan, while Obama backed a sweeping health care overhaul measure.
Last December, two bipartisan panels came up with detailed plans for closing the budget gap, but both the White House and Congress ignored them. Obama proposed his own, admittedly inadequate plan. Ryan's proposal contains elements of both proposals, but also is flawed.
One big unknown: how voters will react.
Polls show Americans are uneasy about the budget situation and want to reduce the government's debt. But there's no indication the electorate is ready to accept Ryan's proposals on converting Medicare into a voucher program designed to help seniors buy private medical insurance.
"These proposals have huge consequences for the income distribution of the country," says Barry Bosworth, an economist at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank. The two sides "are into a debate where there are genuine consequences."
The resulting political vacuum all but invites partisans in both parties to seize on traditional class warfare rhetoric between now and the 2012 presidential election. Only this time, it won't be just rich vs. poor. It'll be seniors against younger voters, whites against minorities.
Odds are that not much will happen until after the election, and that the budget outlook will further deteriorate. Depending on the election outcome, one party may have the clout to get its way on a plan to reduce the deficit.
Eventually, of course, the situation will force lawmakers to act.
But the longer it's put off, the more painful it will be.


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This is how my guild managed this achievement without a Bloodlust/no shaman. Note: this is a ten-man strategy guide, though the layout can certainly be used with a heroic-size raid.
Our Makeup:
- Prot Pally
- Arms Warrior
- Feral Druid
- Blood DK dps
- Ret Pally
- Survival Hunter
- Destro Warlock
- Fire Mage
- Holy Priest
- Resto Druid
Rough outline of group positioning: tank at the base of the stairs, melee at the boss' back, ranged dps clustered farther behind, with healers shuffling themselves in between to stay in range of those running into the bomb zones.
In our normal kills, we liked tanking him at the top of the stairs towards the portal into the antechamber, as it made a longer path for the adds to be killed before they would reach the raid/boss. The downside to this strat is the LoS to healers around the stairs and the columns at the base of the stairs' railings--something we adapted to in time.
For the Heartbreaker Hardmode, killing XT-002's heart will stop the junk-pile adds from being spawned, which means that tanking him at the bottom of the stairs is preferable to reduce any chance of LoS issues. This is important, because in place of having the adds spawn, breaking XT-002's heart will result in several new "fun" abilities being used against the raid!
- Light bombs will now spawn a Life Spark, which must be avoided as it damages all players around it. These must be killed by 1-2 of your ranged dps (we assigned the hunter and warlock to these).
- Gravity Bombs will now spawn a Void Zone like those seen in the early trash of Drak'Tharon Keep (dark black holes on the ground.) They last for 3 minutes, so these just need to be avoided.
- XT-002's own damage is increased by 40%, and guess what: he's gonna be throwing tantrums with it!
Killing the Heart:
This should be done the first time the heart is dropped at 75% health, which is about 30-45 seconds into the fight. Waiting until the 2nd or 3rd drop (at 50% and 25% health respectively) to kill the heart may force you up against the enrage timer, so if you miss it on the 75% drop, just wipe and reset. If you have the dps to kill the heart without a bloodlust, though, you shouldn't have any problems with the enrage timer, and it would probably be okay to try again at the 50% mark!
DPS should go all-out, pop all cooldowns, to get this thing killed. As long as healers have topped everyone off/thrown enough HoTs to top everyone off, they should assist in DPS, too. If your raid is strong enough, you CAN kill the heart without having a bloodlust!
|Resto Druids: I popped a faerie fire on the heart as soon as it dropped to increase the raid's dps against it. Doing so cut that GCD out of the feral druid's own rotation, allowing him to power through without having to cast Faerie Fire himself!
If you have revitalize, keep a rejuv ticking on any kitties, rogues, and DKs (maybe warriors too, if they look low on rage) to assist with power regen. They will need all that they can to provide the dps needed for this achievement!
Add Cleanup:
Adds are ignored while the heart is dpsed down. Once the heart is destroyed, XT-002 resets to full health, so him picking up the repair bots is not an issue: let him suck them up while your raid takes care of the boombots and pummelers. We were lucky and didn't have a pummeler spawn on our actual kill, but when one did on prior attempts, the MT would pick it up and tank it as dps killed it. Once all of the adds are cleared, you can settle into the long-haul of killing the boss.
Light/Gravity Bombs:
These will still be cast, and as mentioned earlier, they now have additional abilities after they wear off of the afflicted player. It is important for your raid to stay clustered around the middle of the room, leaving the sides clear for those players with bombs on them (designated Bomb Zones in the diagram).
You can specify that gravity-bombed raiders go to one side and light-bombed to another, but we found it easiest to just let them go to whichever side was closest at the time. This split the number of void zones fairly evenly, keeping them from piling up on one side to make a giant shadowy mine field, and also prevented any confusion when one person got both bombs applied to them consecutively! For 25-man, I recommend being more strict about which side each bomb type will go, since there are more people getting bombed.
1 or 2 ranged dps (for 10-man) should be assigned to killing the life sparks that spawn after light bomb explodes off of a player. Those afflicted with the light bomb must run away from the life sparks quickly, just as those afflicted with the gravity bomb must quickly evacuate from the void zone.
In both bomb cases, players must be especially aware to remain within range of one or both healers. If the tank gets a bomb on them, melee should clear away from them and wait it out.
- Note: if your dps has trouble getting the life sparks down quickly, Beruthiel of Falling Leaves and Wings suggests having one of your more durable melee (feral druid, DK, etc) taunt/grip the life sparks to pull them away from the raid, to keep them from causing additional damage to the raid as a whole.
These are the hardest part of the Heartbreaker hardmode, as they did lots of damage in the non-hardmode and now do 40% more. He will tantrum roughly once per minute. All players should pop whatever shields/damage reductions/absorptions that they can to help mitigate the damage done by the tantrum; multiple AoE healers will be useful for this, and dps classes who can heal should assist as necessary, particularly if someone is currently afflicted by a bomb while the tantrum is going off.
|Druids: Barkskin should be up every time he tantrums. Use it!
Resto Druids: Save your cooldowns for tantrums. Conserve Nature's Swiftness for a true emergency, and make sure your hots don't drop off of the MT. Mana should not be a problem at all in this fight since it will be relatively short, but do keep an eye on your mana levels if they get low. Make sure you innervate ahead of a tantrum if it's needed, so that you don't waste a GCD on an innervate that could've gone to a heal. Use your Wild Growth wisely so that it will splash on as many people as you can!
~~Rinse-repeat through this damage while the remaining dps not assigned to sparks whittle down the boss, and you will have yourself a deconstructed Deconstructor, complete with a broken heart!~~


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Home » Bricks » Medieval Bricks » medieval bricks from athen 15
medieval bricks from athen 15
Texture Keywords
medieval bricks wall \ medieval wall textures. textures for 3d studio max, maya, blender, texturing, photoshop and game development. Old wall textures. 1233 textures in this category, download our hires textures from this page. This wall texture is taken in Athen (greece). Here is a pic of a very old medieval wall from my greek ruins texture library. Full size: 3008x2000 perfect for mapping your castle, church, or medieval building.


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Coal Creek - Dresser
The grand scale and rich traditional beauty of the "Coal Creek" bedroom collection creates an elegant bedroom that is sure to have you sleeping in sophisticated style. With ornate appliques and corbels accented by the flowing leaf and scroll detailing, this bedroom collection captures the elegant beauty of great traditional European designed furniture. The rich dark brown finish with replicated brushing and gold color accent is perfectly complemented by the antiqued gold color edging and the beautifully stitched faux leather upholstered headboard and footboard bringing together an overall grand atmosphere. Create the bedroom you deserve with the excellence of the "Coal Creek" bedroom collection.
Dark brown with replicated brushing and gold color accent. Deeply carved egg and dart mouldings. Shapely base cut-outs. Largely scaled detailed swinging bails. Ornate appliques and corbels with leaf and scroll details. Smooth gliding side roller glides. Mansion bed with upholstered faux leather panels and gold color jumbo stitch. Thick faux stone tops. Accenting antiqued gold color edges frame many of the parts on this collection.
Coal Creek - Dresser
|16.61 Inches
|37.91 Inches
|67.56 Inches


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Pinterest enthusiasts will probably recognize Erica Sage's beautiful, graphic, A Quilt For Harry. We love this modern take on Half Square Triangle blocks and it's our featured quilt today!
Erica blogs at Craftyblossom. Her post about making this quilt can be found here. We also asked her a couple of questions.
MQG: What do you think makes your quilt modern?
Erica: By drawing upon the trends in home decor and runway fashion, a bold and graphic approach, I created a quilt that conveys my point of view on modern aesthetics. While some modern quilts are constructed using hip designer fabrics, A Quilt for Harry gains its modernity through gradient color and unsystematic layout. I definitely think the colors of this quilt give it a modern edge; grey and yellow have been all the rage for the past few years!
MQG: What is your all-time favorite block pattern?
Erica: The simple four-patch is my favorite quilt block pattern to sew. The pattern is effortless and the results are iconic and sweet. I aim to avoid fussy patterns, making exception only for paper piecing. There are many patterns on my wish list; one in particular is Denyse Schmidt's Single Girl, the quilts I have seen online made from that pattern are scrumptious!


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Authors uncover the intersections of Eastern and Western spirituality
East & West
By Gus Gordon
Published by Orbis Books, $18
Exhaling, I step out the door into our backyard, trying to be mindful, which, of course, means I'm not yet effortless, and not where I want to be, but it's a starting point. Almost all the Eastern gurus with whom I'm familiar connect proper breathing with thought, or, rather, lack of it.
I inhale, consciously taking a slow, deep breath. As I do, I recall being impressed once with the thought that Jesus breathed this same planetary air. Centuries later, could we still somehow be sharing life-giving molecules?
It's late May. Our gardens are as lush and fresh as they will be. My eyes are drawn by swaths of green spotted with a rich assortment of pinks, whites, reds and violets, all blossoming flowers. A sense of peace and gratitude well up within as I sit down, the products of my wife's passion and labors before me.
It's early morning; dawn is more than an hour distant. The dull morning light adds a layer of tranquility. The birds are already chirping, fluttering about, dancing from bush to feeder. Before me is the white marble Buddha we brought back with us from a trip to Vietnam.
This Buddha is all about quiet composure, hands and legs crossed, eyelids closed. Day after day, regardless of what emotion or state of mind I bring to this place, to this statue, Buddha's composure never changes.
It does not take long to enter early meditation on a day like this. I think again of my breathing. It becomes my unspoken mantra on this morning. Meditation deepens, thoughts wander in and out. It seems there are infinite opportunities to return to prayerful/mind state, to return to God. Ours is a God of infinite patience. I hold the thought. Let it pass.
Catholicism is very much my home, so much so that I feel totally free to explore the Spirit anywhere and at any time and in any religious tradition. The statues in our backyard reflect our eclectic religious tastes. Buddha is not the only figure in our gardens. Two Virgin Mary statues anchor corner grottos. St. Francis, the bird on his shoulder long broken off after the statue tipped over some years back, stands at the base of a 60-foot oak tree. Across a patch of grass stands a statue of Quan Am (in Chinese, Quan Yin), a life-giving water vessel in her right hand. She is the most widely recognized Buddhist female deity/saint. And then there is the Tibetan fertility goddess. My wife found her at a garage sale one day and brought her home.
Legend has it that Quan Am was married to a rich man who had a mole on his face with a hair growing out from it. Thinking this to be ugly, one night, while he slept, Quan Am took scissors and was going to trim the hair. However, her husband suddenly awoke, and, seeing Quan Am standing above him with a scissors, thought that she was trying to murder him. Thereupon, her husband and his family put her out of the house. Alone and poor, Quan Am dressed as a man and went to the Buddhist pagoda where she worked and prayed for the rest of her days, setting such an example that she became a Buddhist saint.
I find that the more I meditate, ideally for more than 15 minutes at a time, the easier it becomes, or rather the more likely I can control what some Buddhists call "monkey mind." We know it well. It's that state of consciousness that keeps us awake at night. It's that weariness that comes from cluttered thoughts. It's that seeming inability to control or direct consciousness. It's that place most of us live in most of the time -- whether we know it or not. Escaping that state is what meditation is all about. So meditation, as I see it, is about escaping outwardness into inwardness into nothingness into everythingness. It can happen anywhere and at any time. Gardens are not necessary, though they are helpful as nature is one grand invitation to reflection and prayer. Consider these words:
When you become accustomed to solitude and the world of nature, when you begin to relish the silence of the woods, the birds, the animals, the starry sky, when you cherish the simple warmth of loving relationships, you experience a gradual restoration of fundamental humanity. As a result you become increasingly sensitive to what is fake, vapid and vacuous.
Living, as we often do, in fragmented excess, our search for silence is quite natural. The words above are not mine. They are taken from Gus Gordon's introduction in his new book, Solitude and Compassion: The Path to the Heart of the Gospel. Gordon, a priest in the St. Lucia diocese in the West Indies, has for the past 30 years been living in a hermitage in Tennessee.
Solitude and Compassion is one of a new generation of East-West books that freely and easily feels at home in both traditions. Indeed, Gordon wants us to understand that calls to solitude and to solidarity are not contradictory as much as they are complementary. He argues that each is an authentic approach to self-discovery and the Divine. This is a delightfully helpful book to read, full of lessons from Eastern and Western spiritual traditions, with challenges that take us forward fearlessly. Gordon suggests a spirituality of subtraction, emphasizing voluntary poverty, simplicity, and the feeling that enough is enough. He also emphasizes a spirituality of addition, which embraces more and more of every aspect of life. Shelves are filled with books on comparative religions. What we are finding now, a half century into serious East-West cross-spiritual fertilization, are books like this on comparative spirituality.
Many Christians I know who have explored Eastern spirituality find themselves attracted to Buddhism, even while remaining wholly Christian. This is, in part, possible because Buddhism is not a religious as much as it is a spirit path. Many Christians, coming into contact with Buddhism for the first time, find it a kind of newly discovered sibling. I find Buddhism, as a spiritual path, shares with Christianity a core sense of paradox. Both traditions teach us to lose ourselves in order to find ourselves; we are to empty ourselves in order to fill ourselves. I find it remarkable that just as many Westerners are looking East discovering Eastern mind-expanding spiritual traditions, Easterners are looking West, adding heart-filling practices to their own spiritual journeys. Christianity and Buddhism, brother and sister on spiritual journeys, can be seen as opposites, but perhaps more appropriately as two sides of one human experience. Gordon does not miss the point. He writes:
If, in confrontation with the absolute mystery, the Buddhist's approach is more intellective, seeking realization through insight/wisdom/gnosis, the Judeo-Christian approach is more affective, personal and communal, moving the will to compassion and the doing of justice.
If Buddhism talks about consciousness and the levels of consciousness, the Judeo-Christian tradition speaks of conscience and a change of heart.
Whereas for Buddhism wisdom is sought primarily through contemplative experience, for the Judeo-Christian tradition it emerges primarily through the experience of radical solidarity with our neighbor.
Gordon postulates that both paths encounter God. "Discovering God or recovering our enlightened state occurs both in solitude and solidarity. ... In trying to honor both these traditions, we could conclude that we discover God by both realizing the kingdom within and engaging in the kingdom without. Both the practice of meditation and that of embracing the suffering of others introduces us to the divine mystery." Solitude and Compassion is a meditation aimed at uniting the "going within" with the "going without" so that they reinforce one another.
By Sallie B. King
Published by University of Hawaii Press, $16
Socially Engaged Buddhism, authored by Sallie B. King, professor of philosophy and religion at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., is another manifestation of this cross-pollination. When people think of Buddhism, the struggle for social justice is not the first thought that springs to mind. But it is a notion that rests at the center of this book. King writes that the work of engagement, of justice-building, is a relatively new face of Buddhism, one that can be found "from the forests of Thailand to Zen centers in California, from the Sri Lankan countryside to the streets of New York, and almost everywhere in between."
This book is an introduction to a contemporary movement of Buddhists, East and West, who actively engage with the problems of the world on the basis of Buddhist ideas, values and spirituality. The author identifies the philosophical and ethical thinking behind the movement and examines how key principles such as karma, the Four Noble Truths, interdependence, nonharmfulness and nonjudgmentalism relate to social engagement. King points out that working to reduce suffering in humans, living things and the planet is integral to spiritual practice and leads to selflessness and compassion. Socially Engaged Buddhism is a sustained reflection on social action as a form of spirituality expressed in acts of compassion, grass-roots empowerment and nonviolence. This book is a Western book about Eastern traditions finding new lifelines of spirituality in the West.
By Russill Paul
Published by New World Library, $14.95
Jesus in the Lotus represents another attempt to explore Eastern and Western spiritual paths and the richness that comes out of exploring more than one tradition. Russill Paul is a musician who once trained simultaneously as a monk and Yogi under the direction of mystic Benedictine Fr. Bede Griffiths. His time with Griffiths was foundational and catapulted his spiritual journey. Paul asserts that the exploration and integration of the philosophy of yoga need not threaten or take away from essential Christian beliefs, but rather adds a dimension to them, deepening one's faith.
In Jesus in the Lotus, Paul tells the story of how, after a motorcycle accident and subsequent crisis of faith, his life and heart opened to the teachings of Griffiths. Paul presents what he calls a "pathless path" that blends the wisdom of Christianity and the spiritual teachings of yoga for a holistic daily spiritual practice. Drawing on Christian scripture and Hindu philosophy, he explores the underbellies of the Christian and Hindu religions. By demonstrating that these two separate religions can actually unite in one person's spiritual practice at the core of life -- as they did for him -- he paints a path of religious tolerance and, as he states, personal liberation. This is an adventurous work of a very personal nature. The narrative, written simply, introduces the reader to a number of eastern spiritual ideas. Finally, the book provides resources for further exploration.
Decades from now, historians will look back upon this period of history as one filled with great danger and great hope. Knowledge seems to have run ahead of human wisdom. We've split the atom and have built arsenals of nuclear weapons; our global environments are endangered. To make it through this treacherous moment we will need all the spiritual energies we can harness and so it is comforting and a sign of hope that Eastern and Western spiritual paths are finding each other, learning from one another, and spawning new life.
Thomas C. Fox is NCR editor. His e-mail address is firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Discrimination Experts Serving Saskatchewan
Change State | Show all Saskatchewan experts
Find a Discrimination Expert
Experts in the illegal act of distinguishing between people on the basis of race, religion, nationality, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Personnel actions analyzed can include hires, promotions, job assignments and firings. Discrimination experts serve as expert witnesses and forensic consultants in Saskatchewan legal matters, and provide expert reports and testimony for judges, attorneys, lawyers, law firms, insurance companies and government agencies in Federal and state court trials and arbitrations in Saskatchewan.
The listings below are of Discrimination experts serving Saskatchewan.
Featured ListingsUniversity Of Michigan / EMPA
Palmer Morrel-Samuels
Chelsea, MI
As described on ExpertWitnessPsychology.com, Dr. Palmer Morrel-Samuels received an
MA in research methodology from the
University of Chicago, as well as an M.
Phil. and a Ph.D. in experimental social
psychology from Columbia University. He also received a MSc in Law from Northwestern University.
He has more than 25 years experience
designing and analyzing workplace
assessments. He is currently a Lecturer
at University of Michigan where he
teaches graduate-level classes on survey
design, statistics, and research
methodology. He has been an expert
witness for the EEOC and has testified to
Expert ListingsHarold J. Bursztajn, MD
Medicine & Psychiatry Expert
Cambridge, MA
Forensic Neuropsychiatry; Malpractice: Medical & Psychiatric; Employment: Harassment, Discrimination, Workers Compensation, Disability; Trauma; Brain Injury; Chronic Pain; Pharmaceutical Product Liability; Addiction; Criminal Responsibility; Testamentary Capacity; Divorce & Custody; Professional Misconduct
Carolyn Princes
Indiana, PA
Experienced in unjust cause, wrongful termination, and reinstatement case and in settling a discrimination law suit. Will provide legal research and consultation on discrimination concerns, settling a case, understanding the process, timelines, fling discrimination claims, completing forms, when to file, gathering and providing supportive documents, the nature of testifying, negotiating and completing settlement agreements, administrative support/research, contract gathering//review, disability issues, and issues of multiculturalism, diversity, and inclusion.
David Mitchell MBA, MA.HR, CIC (Certified Insurance Counselor), SPHR, SHRM-SCP
Surprise, AZ
Standard of Care - Dave Mitchell has worked on over forty cases as a consultant and/or expert witness and holds all of the insurance licenses in AZ and several other states. He has two advanced degrees, is an adjunct professor (twelve years in Human Resources, and currently he is an adjunct professor in insurance). For a number of years David has taught continuing education in insurance. He has won several awards in the insurance industry. Mr. Mitchell holds two professional designations in HR and one in insurance. In addition, he is a reviewer of insurance licensure exams and he is published. His CV and a list of cases is available upon request,
Brian H. Kleiner, Ph.D.
Fullerton, CA
Dr. Kleiner is an Emeritus Professor of Human Resource Management from a prestigious California University. He has over 500 publications, and has received many honors for the quality of these publications. A former human resource manager at Ford Motor Company, Dr. Kleiner has provided consulting services to over 100 business and government clients and has trained thousands of employees. Additionally, he has given trial or arbitration testimony in over 70 cases for both plaintiffs and defense.
Thomas Roney, LLC
Thomas Roney, President
Dallas, TX
Thomas Roney, LLC experts provide expert economic damages reports and testimony. The firm's economic, forensic accounting and finance experts specialize in personal injury, employment and discrimination, business litigation/lost profits/valuations, franchise disputes and intellectual property matters. We have offices in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and Atlanta.
Analysis & Inference, Inc.
William B. Fairley, PhD
Springfield, PA
Founded in 1979, Analysis & Inference, Inc. provides statistical consulting services for law firms, corporations and government agencies. Dr. William Fairley has frequently been retained as an expert consultant and witness.


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Balifeel is a newly open restaurant at The Sphere in Bangsar South. Located at the vicinity of Kampung Kerinchi, The Sphere is a new commercial cum shopping mall that has recently opened with a few nice restaurants.
Offering authentic Balinese dishes with names such as Kenangan Balifeel, Jimbaran Seafood Platter and Be Pasih Mepanggan it is hard to resist the temptation of trying just about everything they have in the menu.
The restaurant is also nice decorated with Balinese theme. There is an outdoor section for those who rather enjoy their meal in the open air.
My girlfriend took the Nasi Goreng Kitamani (RM 8.90) which comes with a piece of fried chicken. Kitamani is a place in Bali famous for its volcanoes. After tasting this meal, I reckon the place must be also well known for its fried rice!
The dish was also prepared with some shredded fried eggs and crackers.
I ordered the Kenangan Balifeel (RM 12.00) which means Memories of Bali. This dish comes recommended in their menu. It a combination of grilled chicken wing, sate lili (skewered meat) and cumi cumi (squid).
The food presentation was very nice as it was served on a rattan plate. Here is a close up picture of the squid which was cooked with sambal.
My verdict? It is delicious! This is one of the best Balinese food I have tried so far.
Beside the food, I have to also mention that their dessert, Es Teller (RM 5.00) is worth ordering. It may look simple judging by the various mixed fruits they have in there but it has a nice milky and sweet taste to it.
If you are interested to try some great Balinese food, head down to Bangsar South, The Sphere.
Lot G-5, Ground Floor
The Sphere
No. 1, Avenue 1, Bangsar south
No. 8, Jalan Kerinchi
59200 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 03-2441 3188


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I am attempting to get all the letters A-Z to print on the screen with 10 letters per line. I created a method <private static char printChars(char ch1, char ch2, int numberPerLine> to do this and all the letters print out, only they are on the same line, and not 10 per line. Here is the code...I'm pretty sure that the problem is in the if/else statement.
public class Lab5_12A { public static void main(String[] args) { // Define variables and assign value char character1 = 'A'; char character2 = 'Z'; int number = 10; for (character1 = 'A'; character1 <= character2; character1++) { System.out.printf(printChars(character1, character2, number) + " "); } } private static char printChars(char ch1, char ch2, int numberPerLine) { char result; if (numberPerLine <= 10) result = ch1; else result = ch2; return result; } }
I am still really new to Java and have only been in class for about 4 weeks, so any help is appreciated!


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Practice your skills to win religious debates using information, persuasion, logic, and reason!
Members: 377
Latest Activity: Feb 6, 2019
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Oh I dunno, Roy. I think Jehovah would make an impressive Bond villain. Well, Austin Powers villain, really. "No Mr. Powers, I expect them to die!"
I have no problem with that at all.
Jason is correct a God that alternates between playing hide and seek and search and destroy is far from impressive.
Good points Jason. I hadn't thought in that direction. If anyone else posts a reply to me on that web site, I will use these additional arguments to repost.
I don't think anyone is even looking at the site though. It appears that I'm the only one that has ever posted on it.
To add to D.O.S's points, gravity works every single time. It is more than measurable, it is dependable. Unlike that capricious whack job Jehovah, who never bothers showing his face when you go looking, and when he does interact with the physical universe it's always thru voices in somebody's head, sometimes telling them how much he loves them, and often telling them to kill their own kids or those of others. Gravity can be cruel, but at least it's consistent.
D.O.S. Hope you don't mind, but I just posted your first reply to me on this web site. I think I can delete it if there is a problem.
Another thing you might point out since they are quoting scripture is that according to scripture God is an untrustworthy bastard. God admits to being deceptive. Check out Ezekiel 14:9 and Thesselonians II 2:11 among others. A supreme being who finds it necessary to lie? How pathetic.
Gravity can be measured. Various experiments have confirmed its existence. It can be observed, though indirectly. It is quantifiable in various ways. How do you quantify/measure God. What experiments have been or can be conducted to determine God's existence? None.
Can anyone help me with a good response to this gravity argument?
"""Why don't we trust God?" Hebrews 11:1 says, "Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen." Faith comes from hope being realized in substance according to the evidence. We don't see gravity but we experience gravity all the time. We know the truth about gravity and come to trust it even though we do not see it. It could be said that we have a relationship with gravity. Our lives are touched by gravity everyday."
I have a request. I have posted this in the following two groups: "Strong atheists" and "Winning Arguments."
Will someone please consider commenting on an opinion letter in my local newspaper?. I would do it, but I can't state a response as eloquently as some of you. I'll be brave enough to do it someday.
Hopefully it will generate a conversation and bring out some local atheists. I know it will stir up the religious folks, but I'm betting that their responses will get some local atheists to post. I need to meet some local people like me. It's a college town, so I know they're out there.
The Website allows for comments via Facebook and I don't expect anyone to register just to post.
© 2020 Atheist Nexus. All rights reserved. Admin: The Nexus Group. Powered by


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Foolish News Anchor Accidentally Eats Cat Vomit Live on TV [VIDEO]
This is why your mother always told you not to eat food off the floor.
As the poor guy's colleague says, that was way past the Three-Second Rule (which is actually the Five-Second Rule), though it's hard to say if there's really any appropriate or acceptable statute of limitations governing the consumption of regurgitated cat food.
Well, it's better than eating bird poop, right?


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by SILENT GYPSY
The Silent Gypsy jewelry collection is carefully constructed to accentuate one's lifestyle, lending itself to fulfill and complete a last minute style decision through simple inflections and logistic layers. Mixed metals, asymmetrical lines, and humble imperfections spark an industrial and rugged feel leaving space for subtle feminine accents. Silent Gypsy Jewelry has the ability to effortlessly enhance everything from a simple white T-shirt and jeans, to high-end fashion designs, bringing clothing to life with an edgy yet sophisticated pop. Founded in 2009 in New York City, Silent Gypsy is a reflection of the spiritual, grounded, and optimistic roots of a New England born designer. The materials are handpicked and collected worldwide then carefully assembled by hand. Each design encompasses the eclectic and addictive vision of the designer, giving every piece its own unique voice.
$188.00 $94.00
Copyright © 2020 TWILL NYC ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Created by Attob, Inc.


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Did Vladimir Restoin Roitfeld Really Attack Someone With a Bottle of Grey Goose?
Oil of Olay model Shawna Christensen paid a visit to the Manhattan district attorney's office yesterday, hoping to set the record straight about the monied brawl which broke out at Double Seven a couple weeks ago. If you need a refresher: models Natasha Poly, Anja Rubik*, Jessica Hart, and (we now learn) Shawna Christensen were […]Read more


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King's Casino
King's Casino Rozvadov, is well known for its range of games for players and for its famous customer focused service and hospitality.
King's Casino is Europe's biggest poker room and situated roughly two hours' drive from Prague and Munich. The venue offers everything a guest could want, including a full casino, two restaurants, three, four and five-star accommodation and great poker action 24/7.
By August 2017, people will discover an all new version of the King's Casino with over 1,800 square meters of Las Vegas-style casino space added. A new hotel with 218 additional rooms, a new restaurant and a fully-equipped wellness center with jacuzzis, saunas, massage rooms and a fitness center will make Europe's biggest poker room even bigger!
There are a variety of accommodation options for players close to the casino. For reservations or any other questions please contact King's directly via email@example.com or call +420 374 616 050.
King's Casino's Leon Tsoukernik said:
"2017 people will discover an all-new version of the King's Casino. Not only are we adding 1,800 square meters of Las Vegas-style casino space with 40 more poker tables, we are opening an amazing new hotel with 218 additional rooms. The first three floors of the new building will be a four-star hotel while the fourth floor will be a five-star one with 18 luxury suites to accommodate even the most demanding of guests. The last floor of the new complex will be home to a fully-equipped wellness center with Jacuzzis, saunas, massage rooms and a fitness center."


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City of Louisville, COHome Menu
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The City of Louisville adheres to all of the Open Government rules and the the City's Code of Ethics established in the Home Rule Charter and the State of Colorado.
- Louisville Home Rule Charter § 5-1
It is declared to be a matter of statewide concern and the policy of this state that the formation of public policy is public business and may not be conducted in secret.
- Colorado Open Meetings Law
Open Government - All of the City's open government rules are included in the annual Open Government and Ethics Pamphlet.
Code of Ethics - The Code of Ethics establishes rules and expectations for public officials. Detailed information about the Code of Ethics may be found here.
Public Information Request Procedures and Fees
Public Participation and Involvement Policy - Public participation is an essential element of the City's representative form of government. To promote effective public participation the City Council adopted the Public Involvement Policy.


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The mission of the American Board of Professional Psychology is to increase consumer protection through the examination and certification of psychologists who demonstrate competence in approved specialty areas in professional psychology.
ABPP serves the public need by providing oversight certifying psychologists competent to deliver high quality services in various specialty areas of psychology. Board certification (awarding of a Diploma in a specialty) assures the public that specialists designated by the ABPP have successfully completed the educational, training, and experience requirements of the specialty, including an examination designed to assess the competencies required to provide quality services in that specialty.
The American Board of Professional Psychology was incorporated in 1947 with the support of the American Psychological Association. The ABPP is a unitary governing body of separately incorporated specialty examining boards which assures the establishment, implementation, and maintenance of specialty standards and examinations by its member boards. Through it's Central Office, a wide range of administrative support services are provided to ABPP Boards, Board Certified Specialists, and the public.
Specialty is a defined area in the practice of psychology that connotes special competency acquired through an organized sequence of formal education, training, and experience. In order to qualify as a specialty affiliated with the ABPP, a specialty must be represented by an examining board which is stable, national in scope, and reflects the current development of the specialty. A specialty board is accepted for affiliation following an intensive self-study and a favorable review by the ABPP affirming that the standards for affiliation have been met. These standards include a thorough description of the area of practice and the pattern of competencies required therein as well as requirements for education, training, experience, research bases of the specialty, practice guidelines, and a demonstrated capacity to examine candidates for the specialty on a national level.
Subspecialty is an identifiable area of practice that requires special educational, training, and/or professional experiences. A subspecialty may involve specific (1) problems, (2) populations, and/or (3) methods. A subspecialty is a concentrated area of knowledge, skills, and attitudes that is a focus within at least one existing specialty area. ABPP has not yet approved any subspecialties for recognition. The process for establishing recognition of a subspecialty is described in the document The Subspecialty Application Process.
Specialist in a Subspecialty: The specialist in a subspecialty demonstrates competence through focused knowledge, skills, and attitudes in the subspecialty. To qualify as a subspecialist, the psychologist must be certified by a specialty board of the American Board of Professional Psychology and devote a significant portion of time to the subspecialty.
Special Interest Groups (SIGs): Special interest groups may be self-defined by board certified psychologists who share mutual interest in problems, populations, or methods within an existing specialty or across several existing specialties. Membership in a special interest group shall not imply special competency, merely interest. Any formal mechanisms for meeting or communication should be proposed to at least one specialty board, and receive the board's support. SIG's may be formed within an existing SB to discern the need for development of a subspecialty.


text: On the August 24, 2010 episode of The Colbert Report, during a segment about U.S./Iran relations, Stephen Colbert included Boba Fett in a diorama presentation. Jump to the 12:58 mark and you can watch the moment. Colbert notes, "oh, who's this to come help me? It's Boba Fett. Out of his original packaging. [Gun noises ensue.] Are you shaking yet, Iran?" The only question is, does Boba Fett survive the mushroom or the rotten egg..?


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Selecting conference interpreters
Your conference agenda is set. Your speakers have been chosen. Do you know where to find interpreters? How do you make sure your interpreters are of sufficient calibre? Can you judge their CV, measure their experience, assess their language skills, their professionalism, and their ethics?
- Published:
- Last updated:
An AIIC consultant interpreter can help you to get the best team of interpreters for your meeting, at your venue, that meet your requirements.
Selection criteria
Your consultant interpreter will look for the following when selecting interpreters:
- Training: Conference interpreters nowadays hold at least one university degree in addition to a diploma from a tertiary interpreting school. Interpreters are trained in both simultaneous interpretation (in booths) and in consecutive interpretation. There are only a handful of interpreting schools that provide really professional training, and they are a solid guarantee of quality.
- Language combination: The interpreters on your team must cover all the conference languages. Ideally, they should all understand all the languages spoken at your meeting and will work into their respective mother tongue ("A" language). Relay interpreting -- taking the output of another interpreter as the source – should be done only for languages rarely used at conferences. It results in a slight delay in the interpretation and carries the risk of multiplying possible misinterpretations.
- Experience: Your consultant interpreter will try to find interpreters who have experience of the subject of the meeting or with the organisation, especially for highly technical subjects or specialised organisations.
- Skill: Not all meetings are the same, nor do they demand the same aptitudes from interpreters. The interpreter who accompanies a Head of State needs to be particularly discreet, flexible and diplomatic. A medical conference, on the other hand, calls for interpreters capable of working at high speed with complicated terminology. While TV interviews or debates that are interpreted will demand from interpreters both speed and eloquence.
- Ethics: Membership of AIIC means abiding by a Code of Ethics that prescribes absolute professional secrecy. This means members will refrain from deriving any personal gain whatsoever from confidential information they may have acquired while interpreting. You will no doubt want to be sure that all your interpreters adhere to the same standard.
- Collegiality: AIIC interpreters are further bound by obligations of moral assistance and fraternity. Interpretation is team work: interpreters work in teams and must get along with each other and help each other. Let your consultant interpreter select interpreters suited to the job and who know each other, appreciate each other's qualities and help out.
- Place of meeting: In some cities where headquarters of international organisations are, such as Paris, Brussels or Geneva, there are many interpreters. In other places there are far fewer. This is the result both of history and of demand.
- To limit the cost of interpretation, a consultant interpreter will usually recruit first from closest to the venue, then from other cities nearby and finally from other countries.
Further reading


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2010 Ford Transit Connect
The 2010 Ford Transit Connect is a new small truck designed for small-business owners. It offers low operating costs with a fuel-efficient 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and is easy to maneuver and can be parked in tight quarters. Yet it delivers as much enclosed cargo space as what's found in a full-size Ford Expedition SUV.
Visitors to Japan sometimes marvel at the huge number of small, narrow, van-like commercial/passenger craft. Tall and thin to navigate crowded roads, they are designed for mileage and efficiency.
Although not so small as what we see in Japan, the Transit Connect is more akin to this kind of vehicle than anything so far available in North America. It's intended to be the ideal transportation tool for florists, caterers, decorators, phone jack installers, plumbers, and other small businesses.
The Transit Connect combines unibody construction with rear leaf springs. Think of it as a low-slung mini-truck with a highly organized, walk-in utility body.
Although evocative of the Japanese transportation model, the Transit Connect is actually produced in Europe, where it was developed specifically as a transportation solution for small-business owners. It has been on sale in 55 countries on three continents since 2003. More than 600,000 units have been sold worldwide.
The Transit Connect offers advantages over pickup trucks, SUVs or vans. It has twice the cargo capacity of a Chevy HHR and delivers the fuel economy of a Toyota Camry. It can carry a lot. With a leaf-spring rear suspension, the TC has a payload better than some full-size pickups: up to 1600 pounds. When configured as a van with second row seating, it can carry up to five people and still offer a capacious rear cargo area.
The cargo area is easily accessible through sliding side doors. The floor is low, to make it easier to load. When configured as a panel van, it's a popular choice as a mobile marketing tool, wrapped with logos and brand images.
Low operating cost and reasonable initial purchase price are part of the appeal. Transit Connect is powered by a fuel-efficient four-cylinder gasoline engine, and has a 7500-mile service interval. Ford plans to introduce a battery electric version of the Transit in 2010 with a range of 100 miles. The battery electric Transit would be for use on predictable, short-range routes. Charge time will be 6-8 hours, with a maximum speed 70 mph, using liquid-cooled Lithium-Ion batteries.
A wide variety of custom interiors is available through Ford dealers, making use of bulkheads, racks, bins, drawers and shelves to customize the cargo area to any specific purpose. This can be manna for carpentry or other small businesses.
Advanced telematic systems are available for fleet owners and full-time delivery operators. Ford Work Solutions is a suite of efficiency tools operated using an in-dash computer, which allows the driver to connect with his desktop computer, download documents, print estimates on site, and more.
Model Lineup
The Transit Connect can be configured as a panel van with or without windows, or as a wagon with either two- or three-passenger second-row seating options. It's available in two trim levels, XL and XLT. All come with the 2.0-liter engine and four-speed automatic transmission.
The Transit Connect XL Cargo Van ($20,780) and Wagon ($21,135) are equipped like basic work trucks, but come standard with cloth upholstery, air conditioning, an AM/FM radio, storage.
The XLT Cargo Van ($21,840) and XLT Wagon ($22,350) upgrade with power windows, mirrors and door locks, a CD player, cruise control, remote keyless entry, a map light, color-keyed bumpers and mirrors.
The Ford Works Solutions in-dash computer ($1,395) includes Garmin navigation, Magneti Marelli computer with Microsoft operating system, touch screen, wireless keyboard and mouse, radio and internet functionality.
Options include Reverse Sensing System ($280); Nokia Bluetooth system ($220); rear cargo doors with 255-degree opening function; engine block heater ($35); remote start ($345).
Ford Works Crew Chief Telematics ($550) includes Microlis onboard device that tracks vehicle location, speed, idle time with optional vehicle diagnostics and maintenance reports. Ford Works Tool Link ($1,220) features 50 radio frequency ID tags for tagging tools.
Safety features that come on all models include frontal and side-impact airbags and anti-lock brakes.
For those who require a delivery van that looks modern, smart and prosperous, the Ford Transit Connect fits right in. While its flat surfaces and low stance are designed primarily for efficiency, the little van presents a tidy visual image in keeping with a well-managed business. When painted or wrapped, it becomes a rolling business card.
Sliding side cargo doors, and rear doors that open 180 degrees (or 255 degrees with options) make it easy to get at cargo no matter where the TC is parked. The liftover height (the distance between the ground and the floor) is less than two feet, so it takes less effort to load and unload compared to a pickup truck.
Portions of the body are double-skinned for additional strength, so dents on the inside don't show on the outside, a good feature for hard-working trucks.
Buyers will have a choice of panel van with no windows, or an optional set of side and rear door windows. The panel van offers more security and it costs less. Windows are better when second-row seating is used. The Transit Connect id designed to hold up to the elements in big city with locking exterior hood, Lock-in-Latch shielded door locks, and a locking fuel door.
Interior Features
The Ford Transit Connect is about cargo, more than anything else. It's especially well designed for tall, bulky cargo that would be hard to get in or out of the average van or SUV. The Transit Connect carries the kind of big-box loads that might also fit in the bed of a pickup truck, but keeps them cool, dry and secure. And it's more convenient than a pickup with a cap.
The cargo area is 59.1 inches tall, floor to ceiling. There is more than six feet of cargo floor space, with 48 inches of flat space between the wheelwells. Even when configured to seat five with the rear bench, there is 78.1 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the second row.
Bulkheads, racks, bins and other storage equipment can be mixed, matched and configured to suit specific commercial applications and needs. There is an entire catalog of custom-designed, port-installed equipment that can be specified through Ford, so a fleet owner who wants practically any kind of cargo control equipment can have it built into the vehicle prior to delivery.
The Transit is better at carrying cargo than people, but it can be configured to transport a mix of both. A Wagon version is available with a folding second-row bench seat, in either two- or three-passenger configurations. The second-row seat splits 60/40, with the smaller seat being foldable to create more cargo space. The seat does not fold flat to the floor, but it does move well out of the way. When configured as a wagon, the second row of seats are not designed to be removable.
We spent a day driving and riding in the back seat of a five-passenger Wagon. We found the second-row seats have a huge amount of head room, but not a lot of legroom.
The front seating area is better appointed than we expected. The seats are soft and cushy; if not especially supportive, certainly not punishing in any way. The driver's seat adjusts six ways, manually; the passenger seat adjusts four ways. Center armrests are in the right place, and the seat backs adjust well enough to make a day of driving in city traffic tolerable. There is copious front legroom.
The steering wheel is a tad thicker and larger than you might expect for a small vehicle, but tilts and telescopes like that in a car. Air conditioning is via an in-dash system. We found it was powerful enough to cool the entire cabin, even on a 96-degree day in the city.
Forward visibility is very good, thanks to a huge front window, low nose and upright driving position. The sideview mirrors are large and adjust just like a car. Rearview mirror visibility will depend on the circumstances: better when the Transit is configured with side and rear door glass; practically eliminated when ordered as a panel van.
An optional Ford Work Solutions in-dash computer with Garmin navigation allows small-business owners to run enter enterprises from inside the Transit Connect. (It's Windows-based; a Mac interface is under development.) The in-dash computer can access the internet, but not run flash-driven programs, so it is not designed for browsing entertainment sites like YouTube. Instead, the Ford Work Solutions suite of applications permits business oriented communications, from remote access to an office work station to comprehensive fleet management. Used by a fleet manager, the Crew Chief system logs vehicle location, speed, idle time, fuel usage and 30 other diagnostic measures. An available Garmin navigation function enables optimized delivery efficiency. Hands-free Bluetooth functionality is an available option. There is also a system that keeps track of tools.
Driving Impressions
To test big-city maneuverability, we spent a day driving the Transit Connect in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills, along side streets made narrow by parked cars, through stop-and-go traffic, and across giant intersections with major boulevards.
The operating experience is more like driving a front-wheel-drive compact wagon than a commercial vehicle, but with a stiffer leaf spring rear suspension. Steering is based on a rack-and-pinion system; the turning circle is just 39 feet, curb-to-curb. We participated in a series of maneuvering exercises, with cones marking a tight, curved path, and can vouch for the fact that the Transit is a very maneuverable, carlike cargo van.
Driving dynamics are unremarkable. Throttle response is fine around town, noise levels acceptable, and steering and braking require no special effort.
Ride quality is acceptable. However, rear-seat passengers will find bumps are harsher than in a passenger car, as the back seats are directly over the truck-like leaf-spring suspension. This would be as expected in a vehicle that can carry 1600 pounds, a payload equivalent to some full-size pickup trucks. We suspect there would be less suspension jounce with some weighty cargo in the back, but that won't make it ride like a Cadillac.
The 15.4 gallon fuel tank provides a theoretical highway range of about 350 miles. We haven't done any long-distance test drives, so we're not sure how it would feel to drive all day on an interstate highway, but there is an overdrive gear in the transmission that should enable fairly quiet, easy cruising at legal speeds.
The Transit Connect is clearly designed more to enable business efficiency than for personal use. However, it can easily double as a work-and-home vehicle. It's appealing as an ultra-simple, bare-bones economy wagon. The Transit Connect could be practical for outdoor sports such as surfing or kayaking because it can provide storage for long, bulky gear, with no concern about wetsuits or damp cargo, and still seat five.
The Ford Transit Connect is unlike anything currently on the U.S. market, but could be the perfect solution for some business owners. It's designed for low cost and high efficiency, requiring no special driving skills to operate. It can be tailored to many very specific purposes, and it should be inexpensive to maintain. Anyone who needs to deliver or work on the move will like the Transit Connect a lot.
John Stewart filed this NewCarTestDrive.com report after his test drive of the TC in Los Angeles.
|Model Line Overview
|Model lineup:
|Ford Transit Connect Cargo Van XL panel van ($20,780); with glass doors ($21,035); Cargo Van XLT panel van ($21,840); with glass doors ($22,250); Wagon XL ($21,135); Wagon XLT ($22,350)
|2.0-liter Duratec DOHC I-4
|4-speed automatic w/overdrive
|Safety equipment (standard):
|seat belts on all seating positions; front and side air bags for driver and passenger; four-wheel ABS; tire pressure monitoring system
|Safety equipment (optional):
|Roll Stability Control ($545); daytime running lights ($45)
|Basic warranty:
|3 years/36,000 miles
|Assembled in:
|Kocaeli, Turkey
|Specifications As Tested
|Model tested (MSPR):
|Ford Transit Connect Wagon XLT ($22,350)
|Standard equipment:
|cloth upholstery; air conditioning; locking exterior hood; Lock-in-Latch shielded door locks; locking fuel door; AM/FM stereo receiver with two speakers; center console with two large cupholders and twin storage bins; overhead storage shelf with cargo net; power window and door locks; power side view mirrors; folding second row bench seat; key fob unlock feature; second row and rear cargo vinyl floor covering; 12V power point
|Options as tested (MSPR):
|Ford Works Solutions In-Dash Computer ($1395); Rear Cargo Doors, 255-degree opening ($190)
|Destination charge:
|Gas guzzler tax:
|Price as tested (MSPR):
|front-wheel drive
|2.0-liter I-4
|Horsepower (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|136 @ 6300
|Torque (lb.-ft @ rpm):
|128 @ 4750
|4-speed automatic
|EPA fuel economy, city/hwy:
|22/25 mpg
|114.6 in.
|180.7/70.1/79.3 in.
|Track, f/r:
|59.3/61.1 in.
|Turning circle:
|39.0 ft.
|Seating Capacity:
|Head/hip/leg room, f:
|51.1/50.8/40.4 in.
|Head/hip/leg room, m:
|Head/hip/leg room, r:
|50.5/59.8/38.5 in.
|Cargo volume:
|135.3 cu. ft.
|Towing capacity:
|Suspension, f:
|independent, MacPherson strut w/stabilizer bar
|Suspension, r:
|multi-leaf leafspring w/stabilizer bar
|Ground clearance:
|7.9 in.
|Curb weigth:
|3470 lbs.
|Brakes, f/r:
|disc/drum w ABS
|Fuel capacity:
|15.4 gal.
|Unless otherwise indicated, specifications refer to test vehicle. All prices are manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSPR) effective as of February 2, 2010.Prices do not include manufacturer's destination and delivery charges. N/A: Information not available or not applicable. Manufacturer Info Sources: 800-392-3673 - www.ford.com
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By Coach Mark Green
The Appling County Pirates Wrestling Team just completed a very successful season. It started off with the most challenging schedule to date with over 60 individual matches against some very tough competition. As soon as a very successful football season was finished, the wrestling Pirates got their full squad together and began to compete in a number of tournaments, placing in all of them. On December 10 they traveled to Morgan County for the first time and placed 4th against some of the more elite schools in the north. The following weekend they placed again in the Treutlen tournament and finished the tournament section of the schedule by winning the Brantley Bash, which included most of the teams from our region.
Pictured above is the Appling County Pirate wrestling team.
Catch a ride aboard the Pirate ship
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I grew up looking at the remnants of a tornado.
It was an area of acreages and farmland that today is inner city. On the land next to our acreage, the remains of a roof rotted slowly back to the ground. The tornado had stripped it off a house and dumped it there. A half mile or so past that, a tilted grain silo sat where the same tornado had deposited it. It was about a mile from its original moorings.
That particular tornado happened before I was born, before my parents were married. They were both involved in it. My Daddy told me how he watched it take the house where my aunt and uncle lived. He described how the tornado seemed to lift the house off the ground, and then it exploded. That storm jerked trees out of the ground and their roots pulled up with them in long tendrils that left trenches in the earth. It took up grass off the ground.
Daddy said that the canned goods lining the shelves in the neighbor's cellar where he took shelter vibrated as the storm passed over.
Thirty-five people died in that tornado. They were people my family knew. My mother went to school with a girl who lost her entire family and was terribly injured herself. This lone survivor of her whole clan wore a headscarf after that because she had been scalped by the winds.
Every time I read another comment about how Oklahoma doesn't have basements for people to shelter in from these storms, I remember the line of graves in the cemetery not far from where my grandparents and my father are buried. This family went to the basement of their house. They were killed — every single one of them — when the tornado dropped the house down into the basement on top them.
In storms like this, you have to be underground, and the top of your underground shelter cannot be the floor of the house above.
Daddy and my Uncle Jimmy dug us a storm cellar when I was a little girl. After what they'd seen, they were adamant about what it took to come through a bad tornado. It had a concrete, steel-reinforced top that you could park a train engine on without any problem.
When my parents went through the killer tornado that killed so many of their friends, there were no tornado warnings. My father watched this particular tornado form. There were two funnels at first, then they got together. The rest was rock and roll. The fact that he saw it happen gave him and his time to take shelter. He even had time to do a stupid young man's thing and try to drive his car to the shelter. Why he thought it would save that car to move it, no one, including him, ever knew. But it seemed like the thing to do at the time.
He and his brother left the storm cellar, with my grandmother yelling at them to come back and not be such idiots, ran back to their house, got into that car and raced, teen-aged style, for the shelter. All this while a killer tornado was roaring right at them.
I can only imagine what my grandmother must have felt, watching these two young bucks of hers as they risked their lives for no reason at all. The tornado didn't hit them. But they got enough of a by-blow that it lifted the front end of the car off the ground and shoved it into a ditch. They got out and made the rest of the trek on foot.
The only reason I managed to get born is because that day just wasn't my Daddy's day to die.
It was the day to die for thirty-five other people. As I said, there was no warning. The girl who lost her family and ended up wearing wigs and head scarves for life said that the first they knew of it was when they heard gravel from the road, hitting the side of their house. That was the tornado, throwing the gravel as it approached.
Later, when I was a little girl, we had sort of storm warnings. By that I mean the television would make a loud beeping sound and the weatherman would come on to tell us there was a "line of thunder storms" coming at us. He used what looked like a white magic marker on a black board to make little squiggly marks signifying the line of thunderstorms and then he'd draw arrows to show which way they were moving. Nobody, including him, knew if this particular line of thunderstorms would make hail, high winds, deadly tornadoes, or just pass on by without even dropping rain.
We would troop down into the cellar Daddy had built, us and all the neighbors. Before he built it, I remember going to other people's cellars in the neighborhood. Going to the cellar back then was something of a community event. We took lanterns and the kids took toys. The women and children sat around underground, passing the time and waiting for the storms to get there while the men stood aboveground, gazing thoughtfully at the skies.
You may not know this, but real men always stand guard, even if it's against a tornado.
After a while the storm would hit and we'd all sit there together, listening to hail as it pounded the cellar door. Many times, it go too loud to talk.
People always take other people in during storms. I remember once we were traveling across the Texas panhandle when the clouds got gnarly looking. We stopped at a farmhouse. There was no one in the house, so we went around back to the cellar and knocked on the cellar door. They opened it, saw us, and invited us in. We rode out the storm with these good people. After it was over, the men shook hands, the women said their glad-to-meet-yous and we we got back on the road for home.
Warning time is everything when it comes to tornadoes. Without warning, hundreds of people would have died last week. Without warning, many hundreds of people would have died in the May 3, 1999 tornado.
Those early tornado warning pioneers with their magic markers and vague information saved lives. Today's weather forecasters with their helicopters and doppler radar save many more lives.
That is not to say that we can't do more. We must do more.
I have been haunted all week by the fact that I am a state legislator and children died in a public school for lack of adequate shelter. I can not explain why we haven't built shelters in the schools. There is no reason.
The May 3 tornado hit a school and leveled it. We all shook our heads and said that it was lucky that the tornado hit after school hours. But I don't guess any of us thought what we should do to prevent a tragedy if one of these things came in a few hours earlier in the day.
I know I didn't.
I wasn't in the legislature at the time, and when you're not in the legislature you think differently. But I am now. I have been for years. Why didn't I at least try?
The reason, stupid as it sounds, is because I didn't think of it. I think about tornados in much the same way I think about my own impending death, which is to say, not much. They just are. Tornados kill. Everybody knows it. Even with today's technology, they are unpredictable in the extreme. Someone I know lost their house last week when the tornado they were watching move away from them suddenly turned and headed toward them. They had time to get out ahead of it, but it was close.
Tornadoes are unpredictable. Even the smallest ones will kill you with a direct hit. I saw a tornado once that looked like a water spout. It knocked over one great big sign in a grocery store parking lot about a block from my house. Not much damage. It didn't even tear up the sign. But if that sign had been a person, things might not have been so simple.
That was a teeny tornado. It was so small and short-lived that only those of us who were looking straight at it ever knew it existed.
There is no tornado that can't kill you. Some tornados take out a single house. A neighbor of my Daddy's best friend lost their house to a tornado. The house sat on a hill. Their daughter had been out riding her horse. She saw it coming and got off the horse, raced indoors and climbed up the chimney. When the tornado passed, the chimney was all that was left of her house. Until like most other tornados, this one didn't leave a pile of rubble. It cleared the house off that hill and left a chimney, standing tall and alone against the sky.
But the big bad ones that come down and stay down and cover territory are killers that can take out a whole community. They have the potential to kill everyone and everything that is above ground for miles, sometimes for hundreds of miles.
We didn't do what we should have done about building shelters in the schools. That's the plain truth of it.
I talked to the House Speaker about this late one night last week. He sort of sees the same thing. He's still got his Oklahoma blinders on, though. We don't ever think it's going to happen again. Until it does. Then we don't think it will happen again … again.
But this is Oklahoma. We get hit by tornados. These storms go in cycles. You can have years, decades, without a really bad one. Then, the killers start dropping out of those clouds like popcorn popping, one after the other, bang, bang, bang. We're some place in a cycle of bad tornados right now. We may be half way through it. We may even be at the end of it.
But one thing we can know for sure: It will happen again.
I have to live with the fact that those children who died in that school last week are dead at least partly because we — meaning me — didn't do what we should have done. There is no choice. I failed in my job so far as this is concerned, and the burden of that is something I have to live with.
But I will not live with failing to do what I should do from here on out. I know the people I work with. There are a lot of them who will have trouble with the state forcing local school districts to do anything, even something as ubiquitous and important as building tornado shelters. There are some of them who will decide this is a nanny state thing. So be it. I'm not responsible for them. They will have to stand before God and explain themselves one day just like I will.
I don't intend to explain that I didn't try to stop at least this part of the tragedy we are enduring from happening again. I don't care who gets the credit, or anything like that. All I care about is that I do my best to save lives.
All any of us ever has to do is our part, and that is my part.
Huffington Post has some interesting before and after photos of the May 20 tornado damage here.


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MPG Disclaimer: *Based on 2020 EPA mileage and driving range ratings. Use for comparison purposes only. Your MPGe/MPG and driving range will vary depending on driving conditions, how you drive and maintain your vehicle, battery age/condition, and other factors.
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So on to the previews for next week... Anyone think the "shooter" in the preview for next week is Morgan from Season 1? He's got to come back sometime??
Seemed like Rick got a glimpse into his future there. I felt like he was talking to himself as much as Morgan for awhile there.
Ultimately though, how productive was that trip? They got a few more guns, but wasted a lot of gas and ammo in the process, and still no food I would imagine. Oh, but they did pick up that sweet ass crib and the photo though, whew. The whole thing with the hitchhiker was brutal and completely awesome.
You can always nit pick episodes but consider this. That walker loaded bar is only at best two blocks from where Morgan lives. Given all of the walker traps he has build he would to have cleared all local building out for materials or had at least went into a eating establishment to search for food.
Who knows - maybe in the beginning he cleared the dive out of what little food was in there and then - along with Duane - lured a bunch of walkers inside to pen them up. Maybe that was how he rolled until he decided to "Clear" his world of walkers - dead or alive.
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Serves 4-6
375g/13oz dried pasta, such as conchiglie shells, fusilli or macaroni
300ml/ ½ pint single cream
125ml/4fl oz vegetable or chicken stock
1 tsp Dijon mustard
150g/5oz Gruyere cheese, grated
150g/oz Cheddar cheese, grated
50g/2oz Parmesan cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180oC/160oC fan/350oF/Gas mark 4. Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Drain. Meanwhile, place the cream and stock in another saucepan and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and add the mustard, the Gruyere and Cheddar cheeses and half of the Parmesan. Stir to melt all the cheese. Season with some pepper (it may not need any salt). Pour into the drained pasta and stir to mix.
Pour into a 25cm/10in square or similar rectangle ovenproof gratin dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan cheese. When you are ready to eat, place the dish in the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until brown on top and bubbling around the sides.
Recipe from Rachel's Food for Living


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Poverty Impacts Education in Columbia
COLUMBIA - Education is often seen as a way out of poverty, but getting that education can be a struggle for both kids and adults below the poverty line.
Adrian Clifton spends as much time as she can reading to her kids and encouraging them to take school seriously. As a former teacher and current PhD student studying education and literacy, she wants them to have every possible opportunity because she wants their childhood to look different than her own. Clifton grew up in poverty in Columbia.
"I made a lot of bad choices. I was in and out of juvenile detention," Clifton said.
By the end of her high school years she managed to turn things around and got into the University of Missouri, but her success didn't come easily.
"There's a lot of barriers. A lot of challenges. I mean it definitely feels at times that the world is absolutely against you," Clifton said.
Clifton feels she was lucky to have a mother and school counselor who showed her how to apply for scholarships and federal aid which made the cost of college less overwhelming, but recent test scores show the gaps go beyond income.
On the 2013 map tests minority and low income students in Columbia Public Schools scored 35.7%. That's compared to the district's 82.1% overall.
"We realize that discrepancy is there," said Columbia Public Schools AVID Program Director Shanna Dale, "economic disadvantage does not nessacarily equate to academic achievement."
The differance is test scores is one of the reasons why CPS will offer a new program in all middle and high schools this school year. The program is called Advancement Via Individual Determination or AVID, and it aims to help kids who are capable but need a little extra support.
"We want to change the culture of our students. We want them to believe that college is a viable option for them," said Dale.
Educators point out that while college readiness is helpful, problems with poverty affect children's education long before they're even thinking about higher education. Hunger, not having enough clothes, and other issues can make focusing in class difficult. Last year almost 40% of CPS students qualified for free and reduced lunch, a key indicator of poverty. Columbia schools team up with the food bank and other organizations to try and help, but they can't fix everything.
"One of the main things that I see here is transportation," said CPS Home-School Communicator Tara Collier. "Transportation is a big issue, getting to a lot of school functions."
Clifton knows from experience that kids who grow up in poverty face challenges in getting an education, but she also says fighting for that education is worth it.
"It's very, very, very, very overwhelming. It's overwhelming, but it's possible," she said.
Clifton's advice to students in poverty who want to go to college is to apply for scholarships. She found growing up below the poverty line was actually a benefit when filling out those applications, and she got almost all of her undergraduate studies paid for.


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