text:
A letter to the Watchtower
By "AA"
Editor's Note: This is a copy of "AA's" letter to the Watchtower. He wrote this when he had just started his intensive research into their beliefs and history. He never received a reply back from anyone at headquarters (he says it might have been because he didn't include "Attn: Writing Committee" when he addressed it). He was hoping for and expected some kind of answer back from them – in spite of its somewhat aggressive tone. He also admits that he was bit scared asking the questions in this letter, so he'd like to know what you think. Feel free to share your comments at the end of the article. His original version (with commentary) can be found by clicking on this link to Jehovahs-Witness.net.
Dear Brothers,
I am writing this letter concerning some questions that I have acquired over time; although most have arisen from my own study, many have come from witnessing to others and discussions with my non-Witness wife. I have found adequate answers on most through deeper study, but still have a few that I think you would be better suited to address. Throughout the following paragraphs I will try to convey my questions in the fullest and most accurate way possible. With that being said, please remember that while I have these concerns I do not intend to question the authority of the Organization in any way, it is only that I have not been able to reconcile everything I have studied and have concluded that I wont be able to on my own. As 1 Thessalonians 5:21 says, "Make sure of all things; hold fast to what is fine."
One major confusion for me has been dates. The more I study the more there seem to be, and although some are still held to be true, others have been entirely discarded or the significance has changed. The two most important dates in modern times seem to be 1914 and 1919, the former involving the invisible return of Christ, and the latter his selection of Jehovah's Witnesses as his chosen representatives. Concerning 1919, I have not been able to discern why it is this year is important prophetically. I do know the Organization recognizes that until this date the Bible Students were still a part of Christendom's false religion, as the May 1, 1989 Watchtower explains on pages 3 and 4. Interestingly it brings out "without any Biblical basis, they were observing birthdays and Christmas. The cross was still prominent in their thinking" as just a few reasons for not being acceptable to Christ. Paradoxically further research reveals that the cross appeared on the front cover of every issue of the Watch Tower up to October 15, 1931 and Christmas was still celebrated at Bethel until around 1925. If the Bible Students were not acceptable to Jesus before 1919 because of these practices, then how did they become accepted after while still involved in these apostate activities?
Taking for granted the importance of 1919 means Jehovah is in full control of the Organization, as the November 1, 1956 Watchtower clearly asserts on page 666:
"Who controls the organization, who directs it? Who is at the head? A man? A group of men? A clergy class? A pope? A hierarchy? A council? No, none of these. How is that possible? In any organization is it not necessary that there be a directing head or policy-making part that controls or guides the organization? Yes. Is the living God, Jehovah, the Director of the theocratic Christian organization? Yes!"
In addition, the Watchtower of September 1, 1979 on page 29 says, "For nearly 60 years now the Jeremiah class have faithfully spoken forth Jehovah's Word" regarding the Faithful and Discreet Slave. The earliest I have found the current understanding of 1914 to be accepted, however, is 1943. Until then the belief that was taught and preached throughout the world by Jehovah's Witnesses was "1874 C.E. as the date of return of the Lord Jesus Christ and the beginning of his invisible presence…This presence was to continue until the end of the Gentile Times in 1914, when the Gentile nations would be destroyed and the remnant of the '7 chaste virgins' class would be glorified with their bridegroom in heaven by death and resurrection to life in the spirit." (God's Kingdom Has Approached, 1973 p186-188 & 209-210) I am having trouble balancing the fact that Jehovah has been directing the organization since 1919 while these incredibly wrong views were still purveyed, despite the 1979 Watchtower quoted earlier, and as Matthew 12:37 clearly states: "For by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned."
After 1914 passed and Armageddon failed to occur, the Society moved the date to 1925. The widely circulated booklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die summed up the claim in these words:
"Based upon the argument heretofore set forth, then, that the old order of things, the old world, is ending, and is therefore passing away, and that the new order is coming in, and that 1925 shall mark the resurrection of the faithful worthies of old and the beginning of reconstruction, it is reasonable to conclude that millions of people now on the earth will be still on the earth in 1925. Then, based upon the promises set forth in the divine Word, we must reach the positive and indisputable conclusion that millions now living will never die." (pg 97)
Notably this booklet was published in 1920, the very next year after the Bible Students were found acceptable to Christ Jesus. Now, before I go further, I should mention I am familiar with the "old light, new light" explanation with the basic meaning of darkness gradually giving way to light, or clearer understanding. What I do not understand is how that would apply to being blatantly wrong about views held to be unquestionable truth and maintaining those views till proved wrong, then just replacing them with other equally wrong ones. In my research the closest I have found to a concession of error is the October 1, 1984 Watchtower's mentioning of what Rutherford said: "Regarding his misguided statements as to what we could expect in 1925, he once confessed to us at Bethel, 'I made an ass of myself.'" (pg 24) Does this mean that only Rutherford supplied the mistaken "light" of 1925? Regardless, it was presented to Jehovah's Witnesses as theocratically provided "light" by the Society.
"Jehovah has considerately raised up his 'prophet to the nations.' Jehovah has done this during this 'time of the end,' since World War I ended on November 11, 1918." (Watchtower, October 1, 1982, pg 26) The failed predictions of 1914 and 1925 notwithstanding, in the late '60s the Organization began pointing toward 1975 as the beginning of Armageddon. As the May 1, 1967 Watchtower points out on page 262: "The autumn of the year 1975 marks the end of 6,000 years of human experience" and the November 15, 1969 edition explains what that means for humans saying, "In order for the Lord Jesus Christ to be Lord even of the Sabbath day, his thousand-year reign would have to be the seventh in a series of thousand-year periods or millenniums…Would not, then, the end of six millenniums of mankind's laborious enslavement under Satan the Devil be the fitting time for Jehovah God to usher in a Sabbath millennium for all his human creatures? Yes, indeed! And his King Jesus Christ will be Lord of that Sabbath." (pg 622, 623) In response to this "new light," many adjusted their whole lives (from draining retirement funds, to quitting jobs, to mortgaging their houses, to putting off needed medical treatment and more, all to have a fuller share in the ministry during the "short time ahead") based on the belief that this system would end in 1975.
Luke 21:8 warns, "Look out that YOU are not misled; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, 'I am he,' and, 'The due time has approached.' Do not go after them." Nothing happened in 1975. Faithful Witnesses were left encouraged only with the understanding that "Shortly, within our twentieth century, the 'battle in the day of Jehovah' will begin against the modern antitype of Jerusalem, Christendom." (The Nations Shall Know That I Am Jehovah, pg 216) This, of course, was not true either. Would Jehovah really allow His Organization, under Jesus' control, to spread such false teachings? "Disappointments can weaken faith," the April 15, 1990 Watchtower observes on page 27, "Adult Christians too can be disappointed, and this has in some cases led to spiritual disaster. Some set their hope on a date when they were sure Armageddon would come. When nothing happened on that day, they felt let down." But all of the "disappointments" for 1914, 1925, and 1975 are the direct result of the Societies teachings! Would Jehovah really allow His Witnesses to lead others to "spiritual disaster"? Matthew 7:18-20 says, "A good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire. Really, then, by their fruits YOU will recognize those [men]." Is the Watchtower a rotten tree or a good tree? Are these false predictions not rotten fruit?
The last date I am curious about is not so much a failed prophecy as an abandoned significance, like 1874. The Proclaimers book, concerning the great crowd, mentions: "For years, even down till 1935, they were not understood to be the same as the sheep in Jesus' parable of the sheep and the goats. As already noted, it was thought that they were a secondary heavenly class-secondary because they had been negligent about obeying God." (pg 166) So 1935 marks the change to the current "light" involving the great crowd (the "old light" was spread by Witnesses for the first 16 years of Jesus directing the Society), but the February 15, 1995 Watchtower on page 19 adds a deeper meaning: "Logically, the calling of the little flock would draw to a close when the number was nearing completion, and the evidence is that the general gathering of these specially blessed ones ended in 1935." This view was held from 1935 until 2007 when the May 1st edition brought "new light" stating: "Thus it appears that we can not set a specific date for when the calling of Christians to the heavenly hope ends." I do not understand where Bible chronology pointed to 1935 in the first place though. Where did that date come from? Did it have no proof at all from the start? If so why did it take 72 years to abandon it? And would that not be the definition of dogmatic?
"People who were alive in 1914, and who are now well along in years, will not all pass off the scene before the thrilling events marking the vindication of Jehovah's sovereignty come to pass." (Survival Into A New Earth, pg 184) Another important topic that ceaselessly confuses me is the Society's definition of the prophetic "Generation." This was actually the matter that finally spurred me into action and ultimately to write this letter. From my research I have found that the understanding of who composes this generation has changed no less than 6 times. In fact, the above posted quote is from the '80s and the definition was changed in 1995, and again around 2008, and again this year, but until I read the Watchtower this year I still thought that the correct view was that expressed in the quote! I hadn't realized I had missed two developments in "new light" until I read the third.
With this newest and brightest "light" though I have two questions. The first is how exactly does two generations of people overlapping equal one? Am I, by that reasoning, part of my grandfather's generation? I really am having a hard time grasping how it makes sense. Furthermore, I can not even find that definition in any dictionary! My second question is how is it that the changing of the generation understanding so many times correlates with "old light" and "new light"? The definition has gone back and forth between involving the anointed and worldly ones, so would that be the "light getting brighter" or just the "light" blinking on and off? Was it under Jehovah's direction to hold these views as the "Truth" as they were when they first came about or was it solely man's doing? Does this happen frequently?
"In order that we should no longer be babes, tossed about as by waves and carried hither and thither by every wind of teaching by means of the trickery of men, by means of cunning in contriving error," says Ephesians chapter 4 verse 14, but the Watchtower declares: "Approved association with Jehovah's Witnesses requires accepting the entire range of the true teachings of the Bible, including those Scriptural beliefs that are unique to Jehovah's Witnesses." (April 1, 1986, pg 31) If one were as near perfect a Witness as one could be but did not accept one of the teachings of "old light" as true while it was being promoted as "new light" would they be disfellowshipped? When said teaching is eventually abandoned as false, would the disfellowshipped one be pardoned? From my research I know the answer to both questions is a definite no, but my concern is why not? They did not do anything wrong did they? The Bible commands, "That YOU may make sure of the more important things, so that YOU may be flawless and not be stumbling others up to the day of Christ." (Philippians 1:10) As admitted earlier, the Watchtower's disappointments have led to "spiritual disaster;" would this not be in direct conflict with Jehovah's command at Philippians?
There are other examples besides failed time prophecies and the changing generation teaching concerning flickering "light," but I will consider just one. Will the Sodomites be resurrected to judgment? From my research I have found this: Watchtower 6/1/52 pg 338 "NO;" Watchtower 3/1/65 pg 139 "YES;" Watchtower 6/1/88 pg 31 "NO;" Live Forever pg 179 "NO;" Insight, vol. 2, pg 985 "YES;" Revelation Grand Climax, pg 273 "NO." Interestingly, while it seems that the current understanding is that Sodom will not be resurrected, the Insight book still says it will. That is important because most people go there first when doing research. Even though the "light" has changed the answer to "no," are people still being mislead by "old light" when they study? The Revelation book and the Insight were both published in 1988, so could two Witnesses have opposing views that year and both be equally acceptable to the Organization, the "Truth"? "Brothers, do not become young children in powers of understanding, but be babes as to badness; yet become full-grown in powers of understanding," directs 1 Corinthians 14:20. Do all of these changes in "light" not unduly hinder Jehovah's servants?
Another practice that has changed that I am not in full understanding of is the way in which one is baptized. The July 1, 1955 Watchtower mentions on page 411: "A Christian, therefore, cannot be baptized in the name of the one actually doing the immersing or in the name of any man, nor in the name of any organization, but in the name of the Father, the Son and the holy spirit." The baptismal questions for candidates at that time were:
(1) Have you recognized yourself before Jehovah God as a sinner who needs salvation, and have you acknowledged to him that this salvation proceeds from him the Father through his Son Jesus Christ?
(2) On the basis of this faith in God and in his provision for salvation, have you dedicated yourself unreservedly to God to do his will henceforth as he reveals it to you through Jesus Christ and through the Bible under the enlightenment of the holy spirit?
Followed by the statement:
All of you who answered "Yes" to these questions should be baptized without hesitation or delay. You have sufficient knowledge and understanding of what you are doing and God holds you responsible to carry out his will by being baptized in water.
(Watchtower, July 1, 1956, pg 407)
However, after decades of baptizing in this way the method was changed. In the June 1, 1985 Watchtower on page 30 the questions were changed to:
(1) On the basis of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, have you repented of your sins and dedicated yourself to Jehovah to do his will?
(2) Do you understand that your dedication and baptism identify you as one of Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization?
The April 15, 1987 Watchtower states on page 12 the reason for the change: "The two questions addressed to baptismal candidates were simplified so that candidates could answer with full comprehension of what is involved in coming into intimate relationship with God and his earthly organization." I find it difficult to discern anything confusing in the original questions and as the '56 Watchtower clearly stated the candidate had "sufficient knowledge and understanding." However, what is more troublesome I think is the last question; as the '55 Watchtower said one should not be baptized "in the name of any organization" and the October 1, 1966 Watchtower specifically says on page 603: "We do not dedicate ourselves to a religion, nor to a man, nor to an organization. No, we dedicate ourselves to the Supreme Sovereign of the Universe, our Creator, Jehovah God himself." Are the baptismal questions currently in use in conflict with Jehovah's arrangement of baptism? Or, was the "old light" wrong? Were enough people still confused as to what baptism involved, even after studying with Jehovah's Witnesses and going through the questions with elders, that a change in wording was really necessary? Matthew 28:19 says, "Go therefore and make disciples of people of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy spirit." Is it acceptable to baptize as "Jehovah's Witnesses in association with God's spirit-directed organization" instead?
These questions that I can not answer have definitely left me confused and troubled. To compound matters, reconciling Deuteronomy 18:20-22 with the Organization's past actions has proved challenging. That text reads: "The prophet who presumes to speak in my name a word that I have not commanded him to speak or who speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet must die. And in case you should say in your heart: 'How shall we know the word that Jehovah has not spoken?' when the prophet speaks in the name of Jehovah and the word does not occur or come true, that is the word that Jehovah did not speak." The Insight book defines "prophet" as "One through whom divine will and purpose are made known…The Greek pro·phe′tes literally means 'a speaker out' [Gr., pro, 'before' or 'in front of,' and phe·mi′, 'say'] and thus describes a proclaimer, one who makes known messages attributed to a divine source. (Compare Tit 1:12.) Though this includes the thought of a predictor of the future, the fundamental meaning of the word is not that of prediction." As Jehovah's Kingdom Proclaimers are we not His modern day prophets? The Watchtower repeatedly refers to Jehovah's Witnesses as Jehovah's "Prophet to the Nations" and the January 15, 1959 Watchtower declares, "Whom has God actually used as his prophet?…Jehovah's witnesses are deeply grateful today that the plain facts show that God has been pleased to use them…Jehovah thrust out his hand of power and touched their lips and put his words in their mouths." (pg 40-41)
As Jehovah's Witnesses, God's "spirit-directed organization," and in light of Deuteronomy 18:20-22, what are the implications of the failed time prophecies of 1874, 1914, 1925, 1935, and 1975? All of these dates were erroneously "Witnessed" about at some point post 1919. Additionally, since 1919 the Society has, at one time or another, celebrated Christmas, held faith in the cross, and continually changed core beliefs. As Jehovah slowly reveals more "light" to the Organization. does he also confer false "light"? The Bible holds no record of any true prophets ever providing fallacious information. Since there have been inaccurate teachings published by the Society even until this newest definition of generations overlapping, is there possibly anything incorrect held as Biblical truth today? As Jehovah's Witnesses have we professed and are we professing anything "that is the word that Jehovah did not speak"? Would it really be right to disfellowship someone for rejecting false "light"?
I would very much appreciate any help you brothers can provide me regarding these concerns. As the January 15, 1983 Watchtower cautions on page 27, I am trying to "Fight against independent thinking," and observe Proverbs admonition to "Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding." (3:5) While I await your qualified, hopefully prompt response, I will "meekly go along with the Lord's theocratic organization and wait for further clarification." (February 1, 1952 Watchtower, pg 80)
Thank you again for taking the time to read this and all of your effort. I eagerly anticipate your reply, and I send you my Christian love.
Your Brother,
It's too bad that the Watchtower Society has so far ignored the above letter. I'm sure that all of us would love to read their "official answers" to this writer's questions. Baptized at 13, "AA" was a Jehovah's Witness for over fifteen years. He was disfellowshipped for a time, but was later reinstated. Eventually though, he made the choice to disassociate himself. He recently joined the popular online forum at Jehovahs-Witness.net, where he has already become an active participant and poster. I'm pleased that he allowed me to share his outstanding letter with our readers. – Editor
8 comments on "A letter to the Watchtower"
OMG! This letter and the other one to the GB are perfect! How did you come up with all those old magazines and stuff? I saw it this morning and read it and told my brother and sister gee you got to come read this its for real.
I have been jw for most of my life and I never saw any of this. They don't talk about that stuff at KH. No they just want us to go out knock on doors and turn in hours. How are we going to learn any of this if they don't tell us and they are'nt telling. They keep secrets that we don't know about. If we ask them they say "better not ask THOSE questions – you could get df or worse your family will hate you!
I love coming to this website and reading stuff. You dont' sound like your from the devil, and I don't think so, but now maybe my brother and sister will think you are telling the truth and we can all leave together. I hope so. I hate being a JW. I know that I might be get destroyed at Armegeddon, but right now I don't think so. What do you think. Please write more articles like these and keep telling us the truth for real.
Hm. Just found this site.
So, I don't really hold much ground on any of the arguments in this letter, the only one i find interesting is the Sodomite one.
Other than that, in my view of things I consider it progression.
As for the prophet argument there at the end, I read somewhere that The Society doesn't claim to be a prophet, and so therefore they are fallible.
Yup…that's all.
When Religious Organizations claim to know. Many follow along with their directions. However when asking for directions and following along, the road comes to a dead end. The directions given were in error, causing a waste of time and resources. Now if further directions are given leading to the same result. Any person would seek out reliable information and not presumptuous guidance.
God's Word is that reliable guide. It never fails. Staying within it's guidance we travel safely.It is not within man to rule man, it's like the blind leading the blind as Jesus said both will fall into the pit. Let God be found True and every man a liar. Organizations that step outside of God's Word, God's instructions will always meet with failure.
Hi Hewwo,
I agree with your reasoning about progression. However, I think some things really do need to be questioned. Especially if you cannot find them in the bible.
So I quote from the New World Translation "Matthew 28:19 reads: "Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations; baptise them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."
Nowhere does the bible say to baptise people in the name of an organisation. Or that you need to be baptized to identify you as one in association with God's spirit-directed organization. These are man made rules and not from Gods word. So I suppose the next thing you need to look at is…..why do they need to add these extra words in? What is the purpose? By declaring yourself to be part of the organization does this mean you MUST follow the rules or no longer be part of that organization?
What are your thoughts on that?
@Hewwo –
I am a disfellowshipped jw and am impressed by all the smear going on here and am avidly seeking the true God ordained people here on earth. While you are an expert at pointing out that jws couldn't be directed by God, could you please point me to who is so I can join up??
So, Ken, you're "disfellowshipped" but accuse us of smearing the Watchtower? As I've said elsewhere on this site (in response to your question), it is not our job to tell you who the correct religious group is. That is for you to research and decide for yourself. What we can tell you here is that taking the Bible's admonition, "by their fruits you shall know them," it is clear to us that the Watchtower and Jehovah's Witnesses are not "God's ordained people here on earth." We do not support any particular religion, belief, or creed – PERIOD! There are many other ex-JW websites that promote other Christian (mostly evangelical) religious beliefs. But we do not and never will.
I was an active witness for 33 years, anointed in 1993, disfellowshipped in 2005 for sharing scriptural understanding with others in the congregation beyond what the Society teaches and for supporting another anointed person who had also been disfellowshipped, because for many years we have been shown things by Jehovah that are in the Bible, and have sought to share them to build others up and encourage people to love Jehovah and see who he really is. We did not attack the Society…they attacked us. Enough said about that….because it is behind us and we have no thought of returning.
There is no religious organization that represents the true God of the Bible. Paul wrote that each one of us will render a personal account for what we have done (Romans, chapter 14), so it follows that it is up to each individual to read God's word, determine for themself a course in life, and take responsibility for their actions. It is called 'freedom' and Jehovah grants that to each one of us with the gift of life. It is for a person to emulate Jesus and his love for his Father and other people…not follow the dictates of another person, or their personal interpretation/viewpoint of Scripture.
Truth, then, is based on a person's knowledge of God and what he sets out in the Bible, and a person chooses to live his life as he sees fit according to personal understanding and conscience.
The Israelites had the Law, yet Paul wrote that there were people without law who determined from life's experience to live a certain way, and they were a 'law to themselves' (Romans 2:14-16) determining on their own to do certain things…some of the same the Law commanded.
Look, life is the most beautiful of gifts from Jehovah and he invites each one of us to search him out and see his heart and mind, fall in love with him.
Time spent in lamenting what the Society or anyone connected to it has done or is doing only causes pain and distracts a person from finding contentment in God's loving arms.
We wish you peace, would share what we have found and let you determine for yourself if it sets inside your heart and mind as something to hold on to or set aside.
We are not to be followed. Find your own road and walk it as we are…
Freedom………the only universal law is Love…that is who Jehovah is….the very Essence from which all life comes…and all that is beautiful, good and worthy of our love and appreciation.
@heartsong867..I love the way you worded this, after leaving the JW's, I sought to find God in several churches but was never content. I now realize that, as you wrote " the only universal law is love". There is no organized group or religion that has the truth. It is one's heart and mind opened to love. I have found so much peace and comfort in this realization.


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Posted 9:30 a.m. EDT: The movement began, appropriately enough, in Sydney in 2007 (see the video). My township is throwing an outdoor party in Edgemont Park at 8:00 this evening.
That's a ways off, so howabout a random sock photo to enliven things? This is Kaibashira by Chrissy Gardner, worked in Zarzuela's Fibers Shiny Sheep, colorway DC Sunrise.
Ironically, it's overcast this morning.
Posted 10:30 a.m. EDT: I'm surprised by the unreasoning vehemence and hyperbolic fear-mongering by some critics of Earth Hour. Of course needful things like navigation beacons and hospitals will continue to function. Of course I'm keeping my refrigerator on. That isn't hypocrisy, just common sense.
Posted 10:00 p.m. EDT: DH started to feel unwell, so we stayed home and I knit on the second Kaibashira by candlelight. Who knew my
Here's what they looked like, after a bit of knitting, by candlelight. The object in the upper right corner is the candlestick and chimney.
And here's what they looked like by flash. I'm surprised my little digicam has such a powerful flash.
So that was my Earth Hour 2009.
ETA: An estimated one billion people participated in Earth Hour 2009!


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Your first step to joining our program is to choose an Enrollment Option. This will help us guide you through the Admissions process more accurately.
Your chosen enrollment option can be changed later in the Admissions process by contacting us.
Please watch the short video below for a brief explanation of each option, then continue down the page to select your enrollment option.
Please note that International Members are only eligible for enrollment in the Music Outreach Training Certificate Program.


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Will our report monitoring tool hasn't been working with various browsers.
Will our cisco ACS need to be patched in order to get our monitor tool up and running.
1st step was to execute backup on the primary ACS
My repository was named TAC
acs backup TEXT01 repository TAC JUN062017BACKUP
2nd we copy the gpg patch ball into the host that has the repository TAC
scp ./5-8-0-32-7.tar.gpg firstname.lastname@example.com:
from witin the ciscoACS, we only need to execute the acs install patch against the repository and the name patch ball
CISCOACSSERVER01/adminacsuser# acs patch install 5-8-0-32-7.tar.gpg repository TAC
md5: ae3c92ed519471319132dfdbe9982d1a
sha256: 62bd5e42f22c9f7e4c65480ffef8b8b46ac073e50ce6e92ae6940665c8080174
% Please confirm above crypto hash matches what is posted on Cisco download site.
% Continue? Y/N [Y] ? Y
Installing ACS patch requires a restart of ACS services. Continue? (yes/no) yes
Calculating disk size for /opt/CSCOacs/patches
Total size of patch files are 1763 M.
Max Size defined for patch files are 2000 M.
Stopping ACS.
Stopping Management and View............................................................./opt/CSCOacs/bin/acs-for-cars-cli: line 58: kill: (7633) - No such process
Stopping Runtime........
Stopping Database.......
Stopping Ntpd...
Stopping log forwarding .....
Installing patch version '184.108.40.206.7'
Installing ADE-OS 2.0 patch. Please wait...
About to install files
Removing old war
Removing old war
Removing old war
Removing old war
Removing old war
Removing old war
Removing old war
Installing PBIS patch. Please wait...
Installing TCP kernel patch. Please wait...
nstalling new NSS. Please wait...
This patch includes security fixes which requires ACS server reboot. It is highly recommended to proceed with reboot
Do you want to reboot the server ? Y/N : y
You have choosen to reboot the server, Rebooting ...
The system is going down for reboot NOW!
Patch '5-8-0-32-7' version '184.108.40.206.7' successfully installed
Starting ACS ....
To verify that ACS processes are running, use the
'show application status acs' command.
Now sit back and wait for it to come back up ;)
login into the ciscoACS and goto > about and validate that the patch_level is correct
Finally ,
run thru the logs and account and ensure AAAclients are authenticating.
remember to repeat the above on the secondary if you have dual ciscoACS.


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The Singaporean Lady With The Lamp
It would not be possible to praises nurses too highly – Stephen Ambrose. We talk to a student who has answered the noble profession's call and her plans for the future.
By Farhan Shah
Much like Florence Nightingale, celebrated English nurse, 21-year-old Amy Kok wanted to make a difference in the lives of others and carve out a meaningful career. While Florence Nightingale was influenced by the call of God, Amy's head was turned when she went for a 1-week nursing placement in a hospital, during her time as an officer in the St. John's Brigade.
"During the placement, my perspectives on helping people changed dramatically. I felt inadequate because I was surrounded by sick people but I lacked the skills to look after them. It was that experience which aroused my interest in pursuing an enriching career in Nursing," Amy shares.
The Virtue of Determination
With her ambitions all mapped out, Amy went about the task of securing the Ministry of Health (MOH) Health Science Scholarship, which she had read about in the BrightSparks magazine. The odds were stacked against her; she was competing against other applicants who had better academic records than her and she hailed from one of the neighbourhood JCs, not the typical top JCs that you constantly hear about in the newspapers.
However, that didn't deter the plucky youngster. Like Calvin Coolidge, the 30th American president, who once said, "The slogan 'press on' has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race", Amy pressed on, impressing the panel of scholarship interviewers with her passion and determination.
Amy distinctly remembers the day when her email inbox beeped with the arrival of the good news. It took all of her strength not to scream and dance all over the place when she read it. "I frequently checked my email after the interview and when the day the email came bearing good tidings, I was over the moon!" Amy exclaims, her head rocking with laughter.
With the scholarship safely tucked into her metaphorical bag, Amy travelled the short distance to Monash University in Australia, where she is now majoring in Nursing.
Life-Changing Experiences
She is thankful to the scholarship for allowing her to experience life beyond the confines of our tiny island. "It has allowed me to gain many new perspectives which would not have been possible if I had chosen to clam up and keep to myself," Amy says.
She has also become more adaptable and resilient to obstacles and challenges, all valuable qualities that will serve her well in the future. She mentions one of her modules, 'Nursing, Society and Culture' as one of the most incredible influences in her life as it introduced her to the history of Nursing and how the image of Nursing has developed to what it is today thanks to the government, the media, and the nurses themselves.
In fact, this module has given her much food for thought about what she hopes to do when she graduates. Despite her youth, the scholar has many ideas fermenting in her mind which she hopes to implement in the future.
The Vibrancy of Youth
One of the things she wants to achieve is to radically change people's misconception about Nursing, which she feels strongly about evident in the way she animatedly talks about it.
"Many youths are not exposed to what nurses do. Many television shows also portray nurses in a negative light, making them look insignificant. However, there's so much more to nursing than what they see and a lot of the things nurses do are based on extensive research. It is vital to make others aware of what nurses do and how meaningful and rewarding nursing can be. Nursing is so much more than looking after sick people," Amy says.
One of the steps that Amy puts forth to sow the seeds for change is to begin at the grassroots level, specifically in primary school. "We always hear about school kids talking about wanting to be a teacher, policeman or a pilot but definitely not a nurse," she says, her eyes glinting with excitement.
"We can use the media as a platform," Amy continues, "tell people the real story of a day in the life of a nurse. At the secondary school and JC level, more aggressive road shows and career talks on nursing can be implemented. The whole idea is to let the potential candidate out there know there is an exciting career in nursing!"
Amy's experiences in Australia have also opened her eyes to the nursing practices in other countries. While she admits that Australia's healthcare costs are cheaper than in Singapore, she stresses that citizens in Singapore have much more convenient access to healthcare, with everything, from consultation to medicine available in one spot, unlike Australia.
However, one of the issues that she hopes to look at in future is to reduce healthcare costs among the people that need it the most, i.e.: the elderly folk. "There have been quite a number of newspaper articles and debate on how to lower the cost of healthcare. The government has been looking into means testing to tackle healthcare costs to make it more affordable for the lower income group," shares Amy.
I'm A Nurse
It's quite refreshing to meet a youth who doesn't have the 'me first' mentality, putting the needs of others before herself just like the fore-mother of Nursing, Florence Nightingale herself.
Amy sums up her experiences thus far. "The MOH Health Science Scholarship is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity to take on noble professions. When people ask what I do, instead of saying 'I'm just a nurse', I will proudly say with confidence that 'I'm a nurse," she concludes with a smile.


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For my card I used Papertrey Ink You've been Framed Hexagon die for the background and the Merry Kissmas mistletoe stamps and die.
I embossed the base layer with a snow stamp and added pearls for the berries.
LOVE how you have used traditional colours on this fab contemporary card Carol and the pearly embossing is a great touchxxReplyDelete
So very pretty!!ReplyDelete
A very pretty Christmas card, love the clean look of it and your design is beautiful.
Very pretty card Carol. Love the pearls on the mistletoe and the wonderful sentiment.ReplyDelete
This is beautiful Carol. I love how you've framed the focal images.ReplyDelete
Wow , love the pearls on the mistletoe! BEautiful card , love this Colors !
Thanks for joining us at Let sur Craft and Create .
Such a gorgeous card, thanks for sharing it with us over at Let's Craft and Create.ReplyDelete
You always make such gorgeous cards Carol and this one is a corker!! huggles Sue xxxReplyDelete
Stunning design with that hexagon die and mistletoe. Beautiful card .
hugs Shirley-anne
That is just so pretty!
Anyone receiving this card would be thrilled
Thank you for joining us at Lets Craft and Create
Mary DT
This is lovely!! Really like that hexagon frame. I eyed this at PTI but didn't order. Love the addition of the pearls on the mistletoe!!ReplyDelete
Clearn, crisp and sharp! Beautiful.
So glad you joined us at Die Cut Divas.
Beautiful card! I love the mistletoe stamp. Thank you so much for entering our challenge at Let's Craft and Create. Hope to see you again soon!!
Catherine DT
Such a pretty Christmas card. Thanks so much for joining us at Let's Craft & Create Challenge #100 Seasonal Flowers Karen DTReplyDelete
Hello, and thank you for taking time to visit my blog. I would really appreciate it if you could find time to leave a comment before you leave.
Carol x


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Friday, 28 September 2012
Ferdie and the Falling Leaves
4 comments:
- Jess said...
It's so lovely! The illustrations make me feel so warm and cosy, a perfect story book. :) I think the technique is drybrush on perhaps a textured paper?
BTW I hated uni too! ;)
Jess xx
- 28 September 2012 at 10:03
- Tammie Lee said...
thank you for sharing this book. the illustrations look charming and the story as well. i love when ice crystals grow on my forest trees....
- 29 September 2012 at 00:21
- The Dainty Dolls House said...
What a gorgeous sounding book, I love that :)) And the sparkle page is super. Thanks so much for visiting doll...I enjoy your blog :)) Hope you have a beautiful weekend xx
- 29 September 2012 at 09:13
- Sarah Mcdougal said...
I love your blog!! Your illustrations are so lovely. I am a new follower and was hoping that you would return the favor. Hop on over to: www.enjoyingtheepiphany.com, read me, follow me if you like what you read! That'd be SUPER! (Yes, I did just say super.)
- 29 September 2012 at 20:26


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Comments by DarkMarcsun
Page 1 of 6 | Next
Posted on May 14 at 12:09 p.m.
Given that Mr. Gelb admitted in court to patronizing College Cuties 75 times back in the late 90's, it's not surprising he doesn't have a lot of spare cash lying around. College-aged hookers...sorry..."masseueses" are expensive.
Posted on January 23 at 11:53 a.m.
City College really needs to have their enrollment frozen until they can develop a feasible long term housing solution for their students that doesn't involve foisting them off on the Isla Vista community. They are so far beyond the notion of a commuter college it's ridiculous. Students move here to go to SBCC because of the mandatory matriculation to UCSB yet SBCC does not provide any type of housing solution for the massive influx of out of towners, leaving residential neighborhoods outside of their jurisdiction to deal with the rampant behavioral issues that come with such migration.
Posted on December 24 at 11:20 a.m.
I just shake my head at anyone who thinks this was a Sony publicity plot to entice people to see their latest B-flick holiday offering. The damage that would be done to Sony's reputation should it ever be proven that they orchestrated this (which included threats of violence heralding to the 9/11 attacks) would pretty much bury them. All for what is going to be a drop in the bucket in terms of dollars spent to see The Interview. And given their inability to protect CEO emails, employee personal data and other intellectual property, I hardly think they could keep this kind of ploy a secret for very long.
Posted on August 23 at 3:19 p.m.
The Ranch owners are too busy harassing people making use of the open access to the Naples property that was recently granted by the property owning bank in Missouri.
Posted on August 23 at 2:56 p.m.
"White Christian extremists harass African-American professor, he sides with the White Christian extremists."
That is, quite possibly, the most factually twisted description of what actually happened on campus that day that I have ever read.
On Missing Man with Drug-Resistant TB Wanted by Health Officials, Police
Posted on July 4 at 4:33 p.m.
Maybe a smart thing to do would be to put one of their North Korea style surveillance towers smack dab in the middle of the site while they rebuild. Will be interesting to know if it's a student, a visiting UCSB conference/camp participant or a ticked off staff member tired of the Chancellor promising to include staff in the next UCSB owned housing complex, only to pull them out of the plan at the last minute.
Posted on June 10 at 1:16 p.m.
While they're at it they really need to offset the convergence of the onramp and merging lanes. Not sure how that ever passed a safety committee as I see near misses there at least once a week.
Posted on June 10 at 12:30 p.m.
I second emptynewsroom's sentiment. While I despise drunk drivers (having lost several friends to them) I don't condone excessive police force used to detain an inebriated suspect, especially when force seems to be present at the beginning of the encounter rather than something that comes about as a necessary part of an escalation of an encounter.
The DA should not have a say in any excessive force complaint because there is an obvious conflict of interest. DA's reputations are based largely on their rate of conviction which often rests heavily on the witness testimony of officers. Having to decide whether to try an officer whose testimony may be needed at a later date in order to convict a defendant is obviously problematic.
Leave it up to a citizens panel or grand jury and keep the DA out of the matter.
Posted on May 9 at 4:10 p.m.
I think the Indy needs to ask themselves that if this infraction were committed by someone with a different occupation, would they still have printed a nine paragraph statement of support for the offender which dwarfs the factual contents of the article itself? I'm also curious as to what his BAC was since that is reported in nearly every DUI arrest story I've ever read, barring this one.
On Motorcycle Accident Results in DUI Arrest; Boy Passenger Injured
Posted on May 4 at 5:24 p.m.
Intoxication + out of towners not familiar with the bluffs + dangerous cliffs make for a bad combination. I was a disgusted with some of the behavior exhibited during Del Topia as the next person but that doesn't mean that falling to your death is a reasonable punishment for underaged drinking. And you can bet your last dollar that if it were happening in an area frequented by drunk Old Spanish Days patrons that the city would move heaven and earth to fence the bluffs.
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Volunteer Program
Volunteers at Cornell Botanic Gardens enjoy being part of a dynamic, growing organization whose primary mission is to educate audiences about the interrelationships among plants, people and the environment. There are many ways to be involved as a volunteer, such as leading tours for adults and youth, working in the gardens and greenhouse, serving as a natural areas steward, or helping out with special events.
(Please note: most of our current volunteer opportunities take place during week day business hours.)
Current volunteers log in here.
Click here to complete our online volunteer application.
It's Rewarding!Working with plants and with others who share your interests can have many intrinsic benefits. As a volunteer, you are also entitled to benefits such as discounts on classes and workshops, free training, and regular educational opportunities.
It's Educational!Full training is provided free of charge to all volunteers, and the ongoing experience of working alongside our staff of trained professionals ensures a fertile learning environment. Special enrichment programs are also presented on selected topics, often featuring guest experts.
It's Fun!Laughter and enjoyment are an important part of our volunteer experience. Whether it be a training session ice-breaker, a dish-to-pass brunch, or just some good company, you'll find plenty to smile about at Cornell Botanic Gardens.
To find out more about our volunteer program, please call or e-mail Kevin Moss at (607) 254-7430, firstname.lastname@example.com


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University of Reading
What are the best things about studying at your university?
"The people, the support you get from lecturers, admin staff are welcoming and friendly. If you need help it's there, even through other students who may not do your degree."
"The wonderful campus, I enjoy living in such a green environment. The accommodation and my chosen course are perfect."
"Beautiful green campus, wide variety of support networks, some enthusiastic staff and good research opportunities."
"The course is really varied so you can choose what you study. Also, the labs and equipment that are available for use are amazing."
"Great campus, very green. Good public transport. Close to London. The moral support from my uni has been absolutely great and I've loved my course. The societies and social life are great too."
"The campus is nice, the lectures are of a high quality and there are opportunities to do many practical lab sessions."
"The range of module options and the tight-knit community feel. I also like that it's a campus uni."
"The campus life at Reading is truly special. There's such a vast selection of both international and home students that you meet many interesting people. The University of Reading doesn't throw its league table rankings around to make the university look good. For me, my history course is exactly what I wanted, I couldn't have asked for anything better. The university also places a major emphasis on the mental well-being of students. If someone is not feeling like they're in a good place right now, the uni does a lot to help students in this situation! I usually hear constant praise about the mental well-being officers and counsellors. Also, the library and its services are fantastic. From 6.00 pm onwards, there is a 'safety bus' every hour designed to drop students off home so they do not have to walk home alone in the dark."
"The law degree is one of the best in the UK, which is a motivator that I like. I also like uni life, where everyone has the same type of lifestyle. It makes me feel better knowing that I'm not alone in any troubles that I might face."
"Beautiful campus, enthusiastic and supportive staff. Great teaching."


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Newspaper offer
Pick up a newspaper
Buy a selected newspaper and we'll take the cost off the rest of your shopping when you spend £10 or more.
Choose from The Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday, The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph, The Guardian, The Observer, The Sun, The Sun on Sunday, The Times and The Sunday Times.
The newspaper offer is also available online when you shop online with us and spend £60 or more.


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Video games are designed to capture and engross players, and motivate them to play for as long as possible. And there are many people who are quite happy to oblige. They struggle and toil to defeat enemies, collaborate and organise themselves to solve problems. Many millions of hours of work are dumped into merely playing video games every day.
At the same time, many people have trouble with motivation, struggle with unemployment, can't get the training they require,etc., or there is simply very little work they can do locally.
To make a car analogy, it's as if the engine (effort from gamers) is revving at 6000 RPM, but no power is being transferred to the wheels (the industrial output of society). Video games can be the gearbox which manages and transfers that power.
In 2010, Jane McGonigal speculated about this in a TED talk:
Obsessive gamers' hours at the computer have now topped scientists' efforts to improve a model enzyme, in what researchers say is the first crowdsourced redesign of a protein.
The online game Foldit, developed by teams led by Zoran Popovic, director of the Center for Game Science, and biochemist David Baker, both at the University of Washington in Seattle, allows players to fiddle at folding proteins on their home computers in search of the best-scoring (lowest-energy) configurations.
The researchers have previously reported successes by Foldit players in folding proteins1, but the latest work moves into the realm of protein design, a more open-ended problem. By posing a series of puzzles to Foldit players and then testing variations on the players' best designs in the lab, researchers have created an enzyme with more than 18-fold higher activity than the original. The work is published today in Nature Biotechnology.
"I worked for two years to make these enzymes better and I couldn't do it," says Justin Siegel, a post-doctoral researcher working in biophysics in Baker's group. "Foldit players were able to make a large jump in structural space and I still don't fully understand how they did it."Read the rest of the article here:
We've finally dipped our toes in the water and immediately solved a real world-problem, far exceeding all expectations in the process. We should be working like mad to harness this potential. Government funding, private investment, whatever.
And, I propose that once gamers start solving real-world problems, they should get real-world rewards. Money. Employment in gaming.
I also think that the most effective way to do this, is to create games more like WoW and less like Foldit. Most of the time, anyway. I don't see why you can't hide real problem solving beneath a more attractive and viscerally rewarding front-end.


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Click here to play this game!
Get on your mobile
American Football Description
American Football new free online soccer games. If you are a big fun of free online football games especially American football then here on Brightestgames we gladly preset you this 3D football game called American Football. We playing the game first you must select you player and his outfit. Wen instruction begins focus on the games indication to be able to play this free football game more easy. Pass the ball to teammates and tray to score as may points to be the winners. You call the players to execute the best game plan and make it to the finals. Good Luck!
new racing games, shooting games, car games, bike games and sport games are added weekly!
Copyright 2017 Brightest Games
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Hi Everyone,
Please bear with us whilst we are currently updating this website.
However if you have any suggestions / comments or topics you would like created, please let us know.
Thank you for your patience.
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by 420UKChronic » Fri Aug 02, 2013 12:22 pm
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The group was founded in 2011 and has three units which work collaboratively to support the philanthropic work of B-Change Foundation.
The B-Change Group brings together a global team of technology, business, civil society, and human rights experts with intimate knowledge of developing and emerging countries.
Using web-based tools and approaches, we support social change in the most efficient, yet expansive ways possible.
The Foundation
A provider of care, support and advocacy services for young LGBT people across Asia with a hub in Manila.
A cloud-based software development company with a hub in Singapore.
A research bureau with a hub in New York City.


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Loan LengthThe chart below shows the percentage of loans defaulted as a function of principal paid back for 36 and 60 months loans. Similar to previous methodologies, the curve for 60 month loan is exaggerated, i.e. higher defaults at lower principal paid back because all of 60 month loans are less than 3 years old.
One interesting observation from this chart is that 2.7% of 36 month loans that default pay back less than 0.04% of principal, i.e. borrower only makes one or two payments on the loan. A few other interesting observations for 36 month defaulted loans are:
- About 44% of defaulted loans pay back less than 20% of principal.
- About 80% of defaulted loans pay back less than 50% of principal.
- About 95% of defaulted loans pay back less than 80% of principal.
Credit GradeThe chart below shows the percentage of loans defaulted as a function of principal paid back for various credit grades. There are no surprises here.
- The defaults with principal paid back for loans with credit grades E, F, and G behave very similar to each other. The similar trend is also seen for loans with credit grades B, C, and D. This may suggest that better returns to be have by investing in the loans with higher interest rate within each group.
- As expected the defaults of higher quality loans, i.e. credit grade A loans, tend to pay back larger portion of original principal. The open question is whether the lower interest payments for such loans cover the principal loss.


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Scots on the Rock
4 Scots have been keeping busy since arriving in Gibraltar at the beginning of April. They have been covering the duties of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment whilst the RG is in the UK.
Splitting their time between conducting guard duties, training and completing community projects, the Highlanders as they are also known, have certainly made the most of their short stay.
The soldiers have completed valuable professional training using the Upper Rock, the tunnels and Buffadero Training Centre. The landscape has proved ideal for them to get back to basics and practise their core infantry skills, ensuring they are ready for operations around the world.
Fresh from conducting a clearance exercise in the tunnels at Calpe Hole, Corporal Niall Watson said, 'The terrain offers all different types of training, testing a good mix of skills and drills.'
Agreeing, Sergeant Major Ian Cordiner said, 'It has been a great opportunity to train outside our Regiment. All the resources we require are right here, including manpower and equipment.'
Also undertaking security duties, reports from within 4 Scots are that those guarding the Convent have quietly enjoyed the attention they have received from passing tourists. Unsurprisingly, the soldiers in their kilts are an unfamiliar sight so far from Scotland.
Taking little time off during their stay, the soldiers have also completed community projects. Three days were spent refurbishing and painting the coastal artillery gun at Breakneck Battery and they have provided a number of days manual labour at the old Toc H site, now the premises of the Clubhouse Project, clearing and removing over 2 tonnes of debris.
4 Scots will leave Gibraltar soon and hand over to the RG which is due to return from exercise and ceremonial duties in the UK.
4 Scots will return to their base in Sennelager, Germany.
& Search


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Another reason I came here to India was at the invitation of a woman who owns a guesthouse in Pondicherry, in the south. It's called Gratitude and my role here is as Writer-in-Residence. When I first walked into the courtyard, all beautifully landscaped with tiles and places to sit under great big trees - mangos and whatnot - with birds flying about and tiny squirrels that look like chipmunks peeping through the branches, I had to have a small conversation with myself about deserving.
Even after all these years of healing I still sometimes hear that little voice mocking me, who do you think you are? You don't deserve this. You're not good enough. Et cetera and so on and so forth. To which I usually reply - inside my head - $%@# #%& followed by Of course I do.
REMEMBER: You deserve the best. We all do.


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Watch Dr. Sylvia on CBS 11 discuss how the big game may contribute to violence at home - click here.
Can The Super Bowl Lead To Domestic Violence? - By Chris Gearing
- Trackback Link
- http://gearingup.relevantmade.com/BlogRetrieve.aspx?BlogID=419&PostID=713642&A=Trackback
- Trackbacks
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The Benefits of Having A Spotter - By Chris Gearing
Watch Dr. Sylvia Gearing on YouTube.com explain why a cheerleader or a spotter can help you perform better at work and in life - click here.
If you've gone to your local gym recently, you've probably seen the droves of weight lifters with spotters to help manage the weight and to yell encouragement. According to a recent study, body builders may be on to something.
The study found that weight lifters who had encouraging partners were able to lift more weight and showed a marked gain in power and focus. The study went on to say that the findings could be applied to business projects, as well. A partner may help you remain motivated and focused on the task at hand. If you're pulling long hours on a big project, some helpful encouragement from a great coach or cheerleader may be the push you need to get through!
Men's Health, Apr 2012 digital edition
- Trackback Link
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Deion Sanders' Public Divorce - By Chris Gearing
Watch Dr Sylvia on CBS 11 discuss Deion Sanders' divorce and the media's role in public court battles - click here.
Why do celebrity divorces play out in the media?
Dual Relationship: Celebrities have a dual relationship with the media. They insist on having the media work on their own terms, and they also need the media to stay top of mind with the public. However, they are also subject to media scrutiny when things are difficult or ambiguous. That puts a lot of stress on top of an already terrible situation.
Publicity Makes Things Worse: As the conflict is played out in the media, the publicity can only make things worse. The spouses become highly polarized in the glare of public opinion. They hear exaggerated versions of their spouse's conversations and they can become even more enraged. Divorces that could have been handled effectively explode into battles that are waged in the public spotlight.
Why do divorces like this get so heated?
Fusion Delusion: Many powerful people tend to idealize and then fuse with their partner. The line between each individual partner ceases to exist in this kind of relationship. They only feel good when they are attached at the hip.
Idealization & Devaluation: Strong personalities love intensely and hate intensely. With some people, you will inevitably disappoint them and when you do, there is a sudden fall in affection. The idealized become the devalued. The partner becomes a walking injury to them.
Control At Any Cost: Control is how they lessen their injuries. Anger is a direct result of anxiety and a feeling of vulnerability. Control is the central issue in divorces that are highly conflicted. Each partner wants to win and that means that the other partner has to lose - it's a zero sum game. The partners struggle to remain in control by bullying and intimidating the other person. There is a rush in being the one who calls the shots and who humiliates the person they once pledged to love forever.
Is being married to a celebrity a harder road?
Unrealistic Expectations: Celebrities are usually driven by relentless ambition and vision. Expecting one another to be emotionally present all the time is unrealistic, especially with the demands of celebrity life. The challenge is to remain grounded, stable, and realistic in the marriage.
Strong Opinions and Big Personalities: Being a celebrity usually demands a big personality that often comes with strong opinions and a lack of compromise. People of influence are often stubborn and they want their way.
Failure to Listen: They fail to understand what the other person is saying to them. They talk but they do not listen. Therefore, if there is a disagreement, things can get heated quickly. Partners are bound to clash when inevitable disappointment occurs.
Many of us have very strong personalities in our lives. Any advice for coping with difficult people we love?
Here are a few tips:
1.) Remain aware of your own tendency to buy into the idealizations and devaluations of charismatic people. Guard your own self interest in a healthy way—owning what is true but keeping things in perspective. We are all imperfect and must be forgiven for our shortcomings.
2.) On the other hand, if you are chronically feeling unhappy, devalued and criticized, ask two sets of questions. Are you accurately understanding what they are saying? If you are, then ask if you are with someone you can never please.
3.) Strong personalities often insist on taking their unhappiness out on you, even when you have nothing to do with their unhappiness. You cannot reason with someone who will not listen to your point of view and strive to work it out with you.
4.) Stay away from people who overly idealize you. There is always a price to pay if you are on a pedestal. The higher you sit in their opinion, the farther you will fall when things don't go perfectly.
5.) Remind yourself that the unkindness is not personal in any way. The person striking out at you does not really understand the damage they are doing.
"Why Is It Always About You?" by Sandy Hotchkiss
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Drug Bust At Texas Christian University - By Chris Gearing
How big a problem are drugs on college campuses?
Drug addiction in general is increasing exponentially. Over a ten-year period, the number of Americans abusing prescription drugs increased seven times faster than the increase in the U.S. population.
Getting High on Campus: Forty nine percent (just under 4 million) of full time college students binge drink and/or abuse prescription and illegal drugs on campus.
Dependency: Just fewer than 2 million students meet the medical criteria for substance abuse and dependence—2.5 times the 8% of the general population.
Invisible Epidemic: We have been in denial about the severity of this problem. Alcoholism has received the most media attention in the past but those rates have not risen. However, prescription drug abuse has become the most underreported drug abuse problem in the nation. Unfortunately, it is now an epidemic.
Why is prescription drug abuse growing at such alarming rates?
Access to Drugs: We have more effective drugs that are more vigorously marketed to the public ($60 billion annually spent on marketing by pharmaceutical companies). Approximately three billion prescriptions are written annually, and we are all encouraged to take pills to make things better.
Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs: We have grown more casual in self-medicating. We also borrow prescriptions from friends and families. One study found that fifty-six percent of pain relief abusers acquired the medicine from a friend or relative for free (National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2007). An estimated 48 million people have used prescription drugs for non-medical reasons in their lifetimes (National Institute of Drug Abuse) – that's almost 20% of the U.S. population!
What are the signs that a college student may be abusing drugs?
Remember that addictions are progressive—what you see today started months ago. Here are a few signs to look for:
- A change in your child's friends
- Long unexplained periods away from home
- Lying and Stealing
- Deteriorating family relationships
- Changes in sleep patterns
- Obvious intoxication such as slurred speech
- Decreased school performance
- Relaxed and/or a euphoric state
What are the effects on a college student's future?
We know that young adults are extremely vulnerable to experiences—good and bad—during this pivotal time. The brain in early adulthood is still expanding and refining itself and is not fully mature until age 26. When you introduce drugs or alcohol into a developing brain, lifelong addictions can get a foothold. The dependence on the drug replaces the cultivation of sturdier, more resilient ways of approaching problems in life. Emotional intensity that compels them to escape into a "high" is the solution.
What would you recommend for parents who are concerned about their college age child?
Discuss the Problem: Challenges such as alcohol and drug abuse must be part of the family conversation. Kids who learn about substance abuse from their parents have much lower usage rates than those whose parents never offer to talk about it.
Parents are the Keys to Prevention: Live the lesson you are teaching your child. Do not drink and drive, smoke marijuana or misuse your own prescription drugs and then wonder why your child is confused. Practice what you preach without exception.
High Expectations: Today's parents are often afraid of expecting the best from their kids. They worry about overtaxing their child with expectations and demands. But on the basics of responsible living--like don't use drugs-- you have a responsibility to be clear, absolute and emphatic. Step up and make your son or daughter understand the rules.
The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University
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Josh Hamilton's Tragic Relapse - By Chris Gearing
News broke on Tuesday that the heroic Ranger's outfielder, Josh Hamilton, had a relapse in his long battle with alcoholism. Many Rangers fans are wondering why Josh can't kick the habit and what this means for his future.
So, why can't people just quit the addictive behavior?
All addictions are unintentional and they begin with the decision to use. No one starts drinking with the idea that they will ever become addicted. But addiction sneaks up on you and before you know it, you can be drawn into a world of confusion and torment. Voluntary users become compulsive users and then you bottom out as a true addict when drugs or alcohols define your life.
The real issue is that addiction is not a moral failing or a lapse in will. At the end of the day, addiction is a brain disease. New research shows that there are literal brain changes in the structure and function of key brain processes that are fundamental in handling emotions, exercising self-control, and reading situations correctly. Addicts are stripped of their accuracy in understanding the world.
How do addictions get started and become worse over time?
Internal Shift: The person begins to turn toward behavior that is relieving his stress. Getting high is fun and it changes his mood for the better in the beginning. He denies how dangerous his usage is as he begins to betray others and himself with repeated use.
Lifestyle Change: A behavioral dependency on the alcohol or drug now emerges. Life is now altered to accommodate the addiction even if he becomes reckless and self-destructive. He moves deeper into the self-sabotaging behavior as he builds his life around getting high.
His Life Destructs: The addiction has now taken over. The individual relies on getting high and ignores or rationalizes the destructive aspects of his behavior. At this point, nothing matters to the addict but the acquisition of the substance. The obsession with the addiction causes a trance state. People don't matter, commitments don't count, and honesty isn't even a part of the conversation.
Unstoppable: People become convinced that they cannot stop the drinking. Since there are significant changes in brain structure that are critical to judgment, decision making, learning, memory, and behavioral control, the slide into addiction is accelerated.
How do you know that someone is at rock bottom?
A chronically addicted person tends to psychologically regress suddenly and severely, with no warning. They go down like a stone. Once the addiction switch is flipped, it is incredibly difficult to reverse the emotions and behavior. Insight is gone, judgment is gone, and perspective is shot. If the addictive substance—whatever it is—is strong enough, all bets are off. He begins to destroy every area of his life—his job, his relationships and even his health. Addiction hijacks the mind and better judgment.
What do we tell our children about people like Josh Hamilton who struggle with addiction?
This is a prime opportunity to teach kids about addiction and the inevitable struggles of recovery. Remember these points:
Teachable Moment: Make stories about addiction struggles a part of the conversation. You want your child to be armed with knowledge of addiction so he is never start the cycle. Remember that the child who stays away from drugs, tobacco, and abusing alcohol until age 21 is virtually certain to steer clear of these substances forever. Teens who learn about the risks of drugs or alcohol from their parents are much less likely to try them.
Still A Good Person: Most kids already know what addiction is, since Americans consume two thirds of the worlds' illegal drugs. Celebrities who have struggled with addictions are always in the news so a lot of kids understand that you can be a talented, good person and still have an addiction.
Constant Battle: Break the addictive behavior down into understandable language. Explain that alcoholism is a disease and that it is a lifelong struggle to overcome it. Tell them that relapse is a part of recovery and that all that matters is how the alcoholic handles their next choice.
There's Always Hope: Teach them to believe in recovery, believe in the person's ability to fight against this illness, and to celebrate the gains that people show as they power on to a better tomorrow.
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Mavs Win! - By Chris Gearing
How Resilience Makes the Difference
The Maverick's historic win of the NBA championship reminds us that winning even against long odds is possible if you have the right formula for success.
So what does this championship win teach us about success?
The Mavericks victory shows us again that attitude is everything in achieving success. They remained optimistic when they failed and they showed unyielding persistence when things got tough. Coming together as a team with no grandstanding by individual players incentivized everyone. They won the championship because the group moved together to win.
Most people consider talent, luck, good looks and even hard work as key ingredients for success in life. They want a quick win without having to earn it over the long haul. But psychological science tells us that it takes at least 10 years of hard work or practice to become successful at any endeavor. Just look at Michael Jordan's championship record and see how long he had to wait!
The Maverick's victory shows us that using perseverance, even when things can be discouraging, makes all the difference in the world. They were not an overnight success but they were a resounding success because they fought through an intimidating series of games against a team that had some of the best players in the league. It would have been easy to give up and to compromise their game.
Even though we've heard all the stories and seen all the movies, so many of us give up when things get tough. Here's why:
How you handle failure has more to do with where you end up in life than how you handle success. It's easy to stand tall when things are going your way. However, the outcome of your life has more to do with the determination you exhibit during the hard times. Everybody falls short sooner or later and its up to us to pick ourselves up, to dust ourselves off and to get back on track. Otherwise the setback defines who you become and where you go from here. Everybody faces challenges but not everyone comes back from them. The Mavericks demonstrated that we should never stop believing in ourselves or in our goal even when we fail.
Here are a few keys to success that I recommend to my clients:
Passion and Belief: Two of the most important factors in succeeding are passion and a belief that you can create a great outcome. If you are enthusiastic, dedicated and absorbed by your mission or interest, you will go to any length to see it through. You will be single minded in pursuing all steps to achieve the goal. There is definitely something to be said about "blind faith."
Emotional Investment in Winning: Many people are convinced that they just need to focus on the steps alone to achieving but there is another factor that's even more important. You must envision the achievement with your emotions. By constantly rehearsing the emotions of success you will maximize the chance of succeeding.
Self-Control and Self-Discipline: Almost every achievement in the world requires hard work. The ability to work at something relentlessly means sacrifice and sustained effort. But to achieve, you have to delay gratification and you have to sacrificing short-term pleasure for that long-term goal. Self control creates success. The Mavericks are a prime example of this principle.
Optimism: The ability to remain upbeat in the face of setbacks, frustrations and outright failure is important in any endeavor that requires work. If you are negative, you'll get in your own way.
Patience and Staying the Course: The repetition of effort patiently delivered accumulates over time. Almost all scientific discoveries, works of art and literature and athletics are fueled by a basic sense of patience and staying the course.
Focused Specialization: Too many people apply their energies in a variety of endeavors without focusing on one specific goal. They neglect what they should accomplish because they are so talented at so many things. If you want to create a masterpiece, find the one thing you are good at and stay completely focused!
Know That Failure is Inevitable: Every successful person from Abraham Lincoln to Picasso has failed miserably at some point along the way. Learn to accept setbacks as a natural part of the climb upward in life.
Dallas parents have a prime opportunity to show their children that hard work in the face of intimidating odds can pay off.
The Mavericks were a model of self-discipline, teamwork and persistence in winning and kids need to learn the same things. Our children are surrounded by celebrity examples of quick wins and dumb luck.
Teachable Points for Kids:
Parents need to break down the steps to self discipline, teamwork and persistence so that their kids can apply them to their own lives.
Most of all, they need to teach their kids not to quit when its tough. It is tempting to abandon a marriage, a career or even a dream when things are discouraging.
Truly successful people never give up and are dedicated to the vision of winning in the end. They never allow the present set of circumstances to define how they feel about themselves or their efforts toward winning in the end.
And from all of us at Gearing Up - Congratulations Mavericks and Dirk! We can't wait for next season!
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text:
Honeymooning...for a long time ?
So I'm just wondering if anyone stayed in the honeymoon stage for a long time.
I was diagnosed February 2012, and was honeymooning still when I got my pump in April of this year. The doctors told me to expect a major change…but for my bolus I'm still staying at a 1:25 carb ratio constantly, and my basal is at .10 or .05 per hour making it only 3.25 units a day to keep my sugars in range. Does anyone have information on this ?
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Office Phone 1-721-54-55-800
[unitegallery dawn_beach_villa_dolfijn]Villa Dolijfn enjoys mesmerizing ocean and sunset views with magnificent indoor/outdoor living spaces perfect for creating memories with family and friends.
Interiors: Villa Dolfin has a Owner's suite that can be locked out from the main residence for total privacy. Owner's comes with its own gourmet kitchen and luxurious living room furnished with marble floors, walk in closets, a four poster king size bed, air conditioning, ceiling fan, master bathroom with Jacuzzi, separate marble shower and toilet facilities. Your total privacy is ensured at this luxury estate.
Bedroom #2 – Located in the main house has a King Bed, air conditioning, , en-suite bathroom with shower and porch.
Bedroom #3 – Located in the main house has two twin beds, air conditioning, en-suite bathroom with shower and porch.
Living Room: A spacious living room with top of the line décor done with beautiful imported teak and rattan furniture.
Gourmet Kitchen: A fully equipped kitchen with granite counter tops and stainless steel appliances to include stove, oven, fridge, ice machine, microwave, blender, toaster, dishwasher and coffee maker.
Pool and Deck: Pool, Infinity Edge private pool with an impressive 1,500 square foot pool deck and outdoor dining area overlooking the Atlantic Ocean & St. Barth.
Behold the panoramic views and vistas of this magnificent property!!


text: How do I get rid of the top half of the Reiza logo that's on the rear wing? I'm trying to paint skins for it and the lower half of the rear wing comes up but the top half still has the original Reiza logo. Is there some DRS file that needs to be added/changed? Any help would be seriously appreciated.


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DR. LARRY KAWA'S INTERVIEW WITH SEAN HANNITY ON 10/31/2016 DISCUSSING Obamacare
Thanks Dr. Kawa for all the work you have done. Thanks for being a great American. This Hillary Clinton is evil and a total wicked and corrupt human being. She has lied all of her life and now she is desperately trying to be our President, God help us all. I got a feeling that the FBI is going to find thousands of "classified" emails on that laptop they got from Anthony Weiner. Hillary might be indicted this coming Friday, just 3 days prior to Election Day.
Has anyone considered what happens to those folks who have pre-existing medical conditions who would loose coverage if the Affordable Care Act is repealed?
What happens to them? That is not a political party issue. That is a human issue.
I am continually searching online for articles that can assist me. Thank you!


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The peak season for moving is just around the corner, and this gives you the perfect time to market your Jacksonville moving company. Advertising a business can be tedious, but if you have enough ideas to get you started, you can come up with a successful campaign.
A lot of consumers nowadays are quite picky when it comes to choosing what moving companies in Nocatee, FL they should pick. With the emergence of scams and other bad companies, it's hard to make a name for your business. People might think you're another scam but an effective marketing strategy would quickly turn those speculations into a positive impression.
Today, we're going to share some few marketing tips that would give your moving company some excellent exposure.
Show you're an expert.
Consumers would feel more secured if they work with people who know what they are doing. You need to show your targets that you a comprehensive knowledge of the industry. One thing you can do is to provide some short useful videos about some moving hacks. People love to learn about tips that could make their lives easier. You can start with some basic videos about how to choose the right boxes then go more specific like teaching folks how to pack fragile items or move their plants.
Being knowledgeable makes you look more credible in the eyes of the consumer.
Avoid jargons and make it easy to understand.
Industry terms would be so easy to say once you're an expert. However, you need to think about your target who might catch all those words instantly. The best way to communicate with your customers is to always speak in layman's terms or words that they would understand. If you're trying to explain a topic thru some content or video, try to say it from a customer's view. Jargons can make you sound smart, but your target audience would be totally left out.
Determine your audience.
It's great if you can communicate with a broad range of customers but you need to decide who are you aiming. Do your potential clients hang out more frequently online? Or are they more active on more traditional means such as phone calls? Explore the various needs of your targets and find ways to satisfy their concerns. If they prefer to interact online, you can build a great website where they could easily reach you. Or you could try different social sites to be seen. Check out B&B Movers – Jacksonville moving company for their cool site.
Market on a budget.
Promoting a moving company can mean some expenses, but there are some useful ways that you can do with a tight budget. Skip the massive marketing campaigns and instead, focus on building your online presence thru content and social media. You can hire a person to manage your blogs and social accounts, or if you have a lot of time to spare, you can do it, too. Hiring the right person to build compelling content would be a great opportunity for your business to establish its brand.


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Merton Best Business Awards 2015 Launch
The Merton Best Business Awards are back for the sixth year in a row and Thursday evening saw the launch party take place at the Taste restaurant at South Thames College Merton Campus for the second time running. Once again the students served up delicious canapés and drinks, whilst music was provided by the college's talented jazz band.
Turnout was good with around 100 people in attendance; there for more information on entering the business awards and the networking opportunities that they bring. The WSM team were out in force, and as headline sponsors, Simon Marsh was able to say a few words on the excellent opportunities available to businesses in the Merton borough. He went on to say how delighted we were to be working alongside the fantastic Merton Chamber of Commerce and award winning Merton Council once again and how important it is to recognise the passion and entrepreneurship of the local business people.
The exciting news this year is that the new category, The Customer Service Award, will be voted for by the public. For more information on all the other categories, please visit the website www.mertonbestbusiness.co.uk.


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What are the challenges of smart beta and factor investing? Factor strategies will have a profound impact on the way portfolios are constructed, says James Price, Investment Consultant at Towers Watson. "This impact will be felt throughout the entire investment process."
Towers Watson advises institutional funds on a delegated basis. Price was one of the speakers at the Robeco Factor Investing Seminar in Rotterdam. We interviewed him after his presentation. "It may be difficult to observe correlated factor risks across the portfolio."
Our view is that smart beta and factor strategies help asset owners to improve exposures in their portfolios to meet their goals. Smart Beta is a very broad concept with a wide impact. Part of this is ensuring operational efficiencies are realized, that the investment beliefs and strategies are in sync and that portfolios are reviewed on the basis of asset and factor allocations. It is also important that non-financial risks and sustainability factors are taken into account.
Improved exposures to meet their goals
The skillset required from a consultant to help the asset owner is evolving, because the type and structure of advice is changing. But this will not affect the broader work consultants do for asset owners such as risk assessment, strategic asset allocation, investment manager selection and delegated investment services.
When used appropriately, the application of factor strategies is definitely a positive. Considering factor exposures is a useful lens through which to view investors' current portfolios and it helps to construct the portfolio they might wish to have.
Factor products within investor's portfolios allow an asset owner to have factor exposure in a cost-effective way. In the past, investors may have paid high active fees for a product where performance was largely the result of exposure to one or more factors, something they were not aware of. Retaining that same exposure while reducing costs will benefit investors.
Useful lens through which to view portfolios
People will start to think more explicitly about the smart betas or factor exposures embedded in a portfolio, either through deliberate allocation, or as a result of their alpha-seeking active managers. The increased focus from consultants and asset owners on understanding exposures is definitely positive.
It helps to break down some of the boundaries that might have existed historically between different asset classes and opens up new ways to think about constructing portfolios. One might have a risk-premium starting point and allocate to factors and then select assets to implement those factors. So assets will no longer be the starting point for some asset owners.
It creates more options in terms of portfolio construction. That may give rise to new types of products which focus on delivering premiums across asset classes.
It depends on the beliefs and objectives of the asset owner, and how their organization is structured.
For some it will open up a totally different way of constructing a portfolio. It might lead to a need for more complicated strategies and their organizations will evolve. In other words: add the organisational capabilities to match with the investment process.
But for others, the primary drivers of the investment strategy will remain asset allocation, possibly because of their level of understanding or due to constraints by external parties. That might be a regulator or a third party that is providing them with a mandate to invest in certain asset classes. Any pursuit of a factor strategy will be within those constraints.
There are different challenges. One of them is making sure that the organizational capabilities match what is required to execute the investment strategy. As markets evolve some historic experiences of how parts of the portfolio will behave are no longer as relevant and that might be challenging for some existing organizational structures to manage.
For example, it may be difficult to observe correlated factor risks across the portfolio, if an organization is set up to focus on risk within different asset classes. If the future, organizations should be set up to observe and manage these risks.
Another challenge is the implementation. It is important to ensure that the right product is available and that there are appropriate implementation routes. For example, if you are a very large asset owner, you have the capability to implement customized accounts that meet your requirements.
Correlated factor risks across the portfolio
And if you are a small asset owner, you may choose to use these ready-made products to reduce the operational complexity, or you might be forced to do so because you lack the size for customized structures. In which case, a limited availability of pooled funds might restrict the ability to choose particular factors. But while large investors might be able to choose a customized solution, they face capacity and liquidity restrictions that a smaller investor may not face. In turn, that affects the strategies a large asset owner is able to choose and implement.
These are very important. They are one of the building blocks that enable an organization to deliver a long-term strategy. It is very important to have your investment beliefs and investment strategy in tune with each other. Then you are in the best position to make good decisions in the future. Where poor decisions are made, value can be destroyed.
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