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Leadership Starts at the Top: Leadership-Based Engagement Drivers
How, exactly, does a strong leader engage employees? One way to answer that question is to mention three things a strong leader doesn't do: spread negativity, cynicism, and skepticism. Instead, strong leaders engage employees by offering the following:
- Trust: You don't get trust unless you give trust. Strong leaders trust their employees. When employees feel trusted by their leaders, they're more likely to trust their leaders and be engaged. If employees don't feel trusted, they won't trust in return — and engagement will take a dive.
- Authority: For employees, feeling confident that someone is in charge can lay the foundation for engagement. If employees are worried that no one's at the helm of the ship, engagement will suffer.
- Security: Especially when the economy is suffering, security is key to engagement. Strong leaders leave their employees feeling like things will turn out okay, and in doing so, they boost engagement.
- Direction: A key part of leading is knowing where you're going — you can't expect people to follow you if you lack direction. Engagement suffers when leaders lack direction.
- Vision: Employees will be more engaged when their leaders have and convey a clear vision — one that inspires them to follow.
- Structure: The organization's structure must be such that everybody knows the organization's boundaries. A lack of structure will quickly result in false assumptions, leading to disengagement.
- Clarity: Employees must understand what's expected of them.
- A role model: Employees need someone to look up to. Role models enable employees to pinpoint — and then emulate — behaviors that result in success.
- Reassurance: All employees seek reassurance. They want to feel as if someone is looking out for them. Failure to provide this can lead to a reduction in both confidence and engagement.
- Cohesion: Think of your team as a symphony. Although each person has her own part to play, everyone must be playing from the same musical score. This cohesion plays a big part in employee engagement.
- Inspiration: Giving people a sense of purpose inspires them, enabling them to feel good about what they're doing.
- Recognition: All employees want to feel that what they do matters. That's where recognition comes in.
It's not enough for line managers to work to engage employees. When it comes to engagement, leadership must come from the top.
Most CEOs are far more comfortable working their left (analytical, sequential, objective) brains than their right (random, creative, subjective) brains. As a result, many CEOs attempt to delegate the primary responsibility for engagement to HR or some "soft skill" function instead of championing the cause themselves.
Unless you want your employees' engagement levels to go the way of the dodo, you must do all you can to prevent top leaders from delegating engagement efforts. With all due respect to HR, if it owns engagement, engagement will likely be perceived by employees as just another "flavor of the month" program. Senior leaders must support engagement to prevent employees from assuming it's a touchy-feely, lip-service-only, employee-satisfaction initiative.
If the CEO lacks the time or talent to champion engagement, your firm must identify someone else at the senior level to take up the charge. This person must be senior enough to lend credibility to your engagement efforts, and preferably have the ear and support of the leader. Regardless of personal preferences, all senior leaders must speak the language of engagement and behave in demonstrably committed ways. Top leaders must believe in and be able to articulate engagement.
Holding leaders accountable for engagement levels in your firm is critical. Measurement is an important driver. Unless a CEO's board measures the CEO on engagement, the CEO may not have an impetus to lead any differently. Only when senior management is regularly measured and judged on engagement criteria (by reporting on engagement every quarter and communicating the CEO's performance metrics throughout the company) will they be motivated to measure up.
Although it's critical that senior leaders make the push for engagement, the things that drive engagement are largely the province of an organization's visionaries, role models, innovators, and counselors. These leaders may not be the most senior staff, hold the loftiest titles, or pull down the biggest salaries. But they make their mark on the company culture, inviting multiple perspectives and team decisions while retaining — and communicating — a strong sense of personal accountability.


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Sheriff: Inmate lied about plot to kill Albany judge
ALBANY - A prisoner looking to get a deal from prosecutors made up a story that he overheard other inmates at the Albany County jail plotting to kill state Supreme Court Justice Thomas Breslin, Sheriff Craig Apple said Friday.
Nicholas A. Dayter told investigators in January that he'd heard other prisoners talking about a plot against Breslin, an alleged plan that forced the sheriff's department to put security at the judge's home and prompted the Office of Court Administration to beef up the judge's protection at work.
Dayter's tip triggered a two-month investigation that fueled fear the judge's life was at risk. State court officials initially deemed it "a credible threat."
But Apple said doubts grew and Dayter eventually admitted he made up the story.
The sheriff said Dayter fabricated the story to help him negotiate a deal for the charges that originally landed him in jail. It was not immediately clear why he was originally taken into custody.
Dayter, 38, is charged with falsely reporting an incident, a misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in jail.
He faces arraignment Friday morning.

subset: commoncrawl


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MHG Wins Washington Post's Top Work Places Award
We are pleased to announce we won Washington Post's Top Workplaces. The full list of DC based workplaces that won can be seen here. Want to join our team? We have a page on this website, just for you: Join Our Team
Recent Posts


text: The topic of what to wear to work is one that plagues many women every day. And quite frankly it can get exhausting. If you are a mommy you're getting yourself and the kid(s) ready. If your a wife or girlfriend you're getting you, him and them ready (them definitely includes pets). Even as a stylist I tire of getting ready. Thinking about the shoes, the accessories, the hair…ugh! Being a girl takes work, lets face it. Luckily, and also as a stylist, I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make being a girl fun again. At least when it comes to getting dressed. And as spring SLOWLY approaches and the sun shines just a little bit brighter for a little while longer we're breaking out the COLOR!


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They fought and they won. Now, they are getting their apology.
APTN InFocus
On Friday, November 24th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will be apologising to former residential school students in Newfoundland and Labrador.
They were excluded from the 2008 apology.
What did it take? A class action lawsuit and a recommendation by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Residential school survivor Danny Pottle will join others to hear Canada finally acknowledge the harm that was done to them.
Pottle joined host Juanita Towtongie on APTN's In-Focus to share this thoughts.
And so did former residential school student, Theodore Fontaine.
Mr. Fontaine was included in the 2008 apology and he shared what hearing the federal government say sorry has done for him.
Legal counsel Steven Cooper also joined in on the show to talk about the litigation which awarded $50 million in compensation to the Labrador survivors.
As well, APTN Investigates reporter Cullen Crozier talks about his award-winning story, "Forgotten Survivors".
An episode that tells the stories of four former Labrador students.
You can tune into APTN this Friday at 9:30am eastern, when we go live to the apology, to hear Canada finally acknowledge the hurt it caused to the people of Newfoundland and Labrador.


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Most sports insoles are made from only foam – great if you have sore feet. But if you want to beat your competition up and down the field, there's no substitute for VKTRY. Ask Myles Jones why he loves his VK Insoles. Running faster, jumping higher, gaining separation makes VKs the best lacrosse insoles you can find. Don't trust us – or Myles. Try VKs for yourself.
- Carbon fiber footplates topped with the comfort of the world's best memory foam.
- Independent testing shows athletes are +9.3% more explosive in VK Insoles.
- VKs give you more bounce, helping you keep your legs fresh the whole match.
Experts in Sports Medicine agree that VK Insoles not only help performance, they also protect athletes against injuries like turf toe, plantar fasciitis, heel pain and lisfranc. The best way to treat an injury, is to prevent it. Stay in the game – with VKs.


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Victoria Beckham looked stunning as ever when attending last night's Global Gift Gala.
Wearing a floor-length, plunging gown from her own collection, Victoria was honoured with the Global Gift Philanthropeneur award for her charity work.
Talented, oh-so-chic and charitable too – she really IS a wonder women!
VB was joined on the red carpet by her pintsized pal Eva Longoria. The two ladies seemed to have co-ordianted outfits for the evening, with Eva also choosing a sleek black floor-length gown for the event.
Also in attendance at the star studded event was Nicole Sherzinger, whose fab curves shimmered in a gorgeous, metallic, knee-length dress.
We cant wait to try Nicole's sparkly dress and slicked-back hair combo for the upcoming festive party season!


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Looking online to get a quickquid loan today? We can help, even if you have bad credit. We loan up to £1,100 with our 100% online process. No fax, no guarantor, no paperwork. If approved, you can be funded in just 1 hour! Try our fresh alternative in payday lending – We are a direct moral lender.
QuickQuid Origins
QuickQuid was launched in 2007, the first branch in the UK of the American company, CashNetUSA. In 2009, Quick Quid, CashNetUSA, and the new DollarsDirect all became Enova Financial, which was renamed Enova International, Inc. in 2011.
As Enova operates in many different countries and states, they have had to adapt their financial model to many different sets of regulations. In the UK, when the new rules from the FCA came into effect in January 2015, Quick quid and other payday lenders were forced to revamp their business model or close down. QuickQuid adapted, and continuing offering payday loans to UK citizens today.
Where Does the Term Quid Come From?
The word quid is a slang term for the British sterling's pound. The Oxford English Dictionary found a record of this term being used as early as 1661 ("his Quids were vanisht", Peter Arentine). It used to be a nickname for older currencies – the sovereign and the guinea – but when those currencies were replaced, the quid transferred to the pound we have today.
So where does it come from? There are many different theories, but the one that most people agree on is that it originates from the Latin phrase quid pro quo – one thing for another. The monetary connotations of this phrase add credibility to the theory. You can read more about the etymology of quid here.
How Much Quick Quid Can I Apply For Online?
If you landed on this page it's likely that you were searching for a loan using brand terms like "QuickQuid", "quid", "Quick Quid" and even "Quickquid Loans". If you are looking to obtain a QuickQuid loan today, we want to offer you an alternative. With Cashfloat, you can apply for up to £1,100 and repay your loan in up to 4 instalments. We will never ask you for a guarantor or any other paperwork for that matter.
Please remember that searching for British slang terms like "quid" or specific brand names like quickquid.co.uk may limit that amount of alternative presented to you by the search engine. You need to ask yourself what you are really looking for. Do you try to find the best loan for you? Or you want to narrow your search for a specific brand and only? You have a choice; you can be picky to find the best deal for you.
Cashfloat versus QuickQuid?
QuickQuid charge an interest rate of 292% pa (fixed). Cashfloats interest rate is lower at 270.10% p.a. (fixed). With Cashfloat you can pay as early as you want and save money. Cashfloat provides a quick service with same day payout.
To make it easy for you to compare lenders, we have created a "Dare to Compare" chart. Don't take our word, ask any lender in the UK about the benefits you get for free with every Cashfloat loan.
If you find that Cashfloat is a good option for you, click on the apply now button to fill out the application form. We want to make it easy for you to compare, so we're listing the main features of a Cashfloat payday loan in this table.
All about Cashfloat Payday Loans
|What is your representative APR?
|How much do you charge for same day funding?
|Nothing at all
|How much can I borrow if I am a new customer?
|Up to £500
|How much can I borrow if I am a returning customer?
|Up to £1100
|Can I repay my loan early and save interest?
Like what you see? Apply now with a lender you trust!
Where Can I Find Fast Quid Payday Loans?
Money does tend to get a bit tight towards payday, and sometimes a significant unexpected expense leaves you scrambling for cash. If you apply for an online payday loan with Cashfloat, you can have the money in your bank account an hour after approval. Just what you need to get you through until payday. An instant payday loan sounds appealing, but take the time to check which loan is right for you.
Can I Get a Quick Cash Loan with Bad Credit?
You can get cash loans quickly online from a handful of online lenders that specialise in bad credit loans. With Cashfloat, you will never be judged solely by your credit score. We take a lot of factors into account when underwriting our loans which means that you can still get approved, even if you have really bad credit. As well as having high acceptance rates, we will never charge you a same day funding fee!
Is Getting Quick Quid Safe?
If you make sure only to use payday lenders that are authorised by the FCA, then you can assume your loan is safe. The terms of your loan should be exactly what they say on the website. But is that what you want? Make sure you check out some other lenders too, to compare prices. And, if you're looking at Quickquid for instance, be sure to check QuickQuid reviews. Reviews will tell you other people's experiences, and it will give you a big picture of what a Quickquid payday loan is all about.
Why Should I Compare Quickquid Loans Alternatives?
QuickQuid is just one lender offering payday loans UK. But are you sure that they offer the best payday loans for your circumstances? Every payday lender has their own set of pros and cons. Make sure to do proper market research before you take any online loan.
Loan comparison websites are a good place to start, but be aware that they are sometimes not totally objective. This means that you need to go the actual payday lender's website for full terms and conditions.
Make sure that you know what you are looking for in a payday loan. These are some of the things people look for in particular:
- Fast Cash – check each lender to see how long it takes to receive the money.
- A responsible moral lender – check they are FCA authorised
- Early repayment – some lenders let you pay early and you thereby save on interest.
- Good interest rates
It's well worth your time to compare the prices of loans with a few different companies – and you may find that Quick quid loans are not the cheapest option available to you. We advise you to shop around before choosing a pay day lender. When you get to a lender website, such as QuickQuid, use their calculator to work out how much the loan is going to cost you. We also have an affordability calculator which tells you the likelyhood of getting accepted for a loan.
Make sure you only consider FCA-authorised lenders, so you know you'll be in safe hands. Cashfloat is a fully authorised direct lender, and our motto is Treating Customers Fairly. Our genuinely friendly customer support team are there for you should you have any difficulty at any step of the loan process.
It's now up to you to decide what you want. We believe that Cashfloat offers an excellent alternative to QuickQuid payday loans. We are a premium direct lender offering quick loans between £200 and £1,100. As a technology-oriented lender, our process is quick and smooth which means you can get funded just 1 hour after applying if approved! Our loans have already helped tens of thousands of people across the UK, some of whom had bad credit! Apply now with Cashfloat for a whole new borrowing experience!


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Acoustic Rose is an acoustic duo made up of vocals/guitar and backing vocals who perform a mixture of pop and jazz in a laid back style.
Coming from very different musical backgrounds, the duo combines an acoustic folk singer songwriter who spent his early 20s as a solo recording artist and a dynamic pop/soul soprano who has spent the last few years making a name for herself as one of London's most sought after session singers.
Together with their soaring vocal harmonies and unmatched guitar skills they make a powerful combination, creating truly unique versions of some of your favorite classics, old and new.


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Mark Jenkins, of the Washington Post, recently published a review of Quietly Powerful, the group show I recently participated in. I am really happy for Sense Gallery and Jenny Wu for getting great recognition on their hard work!
I am also excited to get a little shout-out for my Air Plant Abstract pieces on display!
Check out the full article here!


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Indoor/Outdoor Beanbag - Camo
Regular price
Tigeroy - Indoor/Outdoor Beanbag - Camo
An indoor/outdoor beanbag so fabulous it doubles, triples and quadruples as a bed, lounge, chair and all round fun piece of furniture for every situation. Great by the pool, in the rumpus room, the living room, on the deck and in the garden. Our clever design with a metal eyelet means you can hang your bean bag up out of the way or even connect a few together to make a super comfy pod! This is the must-have for summer winter and all year around. So relaxing! Children, adults and pets all love our beautiful bean bags!
All Tigeroy beanbags have been approved by the ACCC and meet the current safety regulations as required.
- Size: 105cm x 140cm
- Takes 200L of beans
- Made from Durable & Waterproof PVC with sheen
- Strong double zip & velcro
- Removable inner lining
Care Instructions
- Easily wipes clean


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Meet the Yarn: Cricket
Jill Wolcott
80% Superwash Merino, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon
+/- 250 yd / 228 m
5 sts / in US #6
I love good food and I love luxury fiber yarn. The commonality of those two things is that whatever I am eating/using is what I favor right then. This has allowed me to enjoy all the wonderful Anzula Luxury Yarns I've written about. Another commonality? I think it is not a luxury if the result you get is pleasurable and gives a great result. My motto is always "buy the best you can afford" and then make things that are useful to you and fit your way of life. See justifications below.
Cricket is a soft, springy 3-ply DK weight yarn. Cricket is 250 yards of 80% super wash merino, 10% cashmere, 10% nylon. In Stockinette Cricket yields about 20 stitches and 28 rows to 4 inches. It has nice stitch definition and does a smooth and even Stockinette, but also makes a wonderfully textured seed stitch. In other words, it fits into the Anzula Luxury Fibers line up perfectly.
Let's talk price. I always compare the prices of yarns when I am looking at using them because I need to think about your spending habits. Cricket is about $35/skein. This seems high to many knitters, but I want you to think about price differently.
Recently a friend was admiring a pair of boots I had purchased. Although not inexpensive, I did get them 20% off. She still felt the price tag ($165 with tax) was high. I countered by telling her that I expected I would still be wearing them 12 to 15 years from now. My experience is I either wear things out because I over-use them, or I wear them for a very long time. For clothing/shoes I tend to look at days used, times worn, and pleasure in owning and wearing, rather than the price paid at the moment. If I own and use those boots for 10 years, my cost per year is $16.50! Of course I had to have the extra money to buy them now. If I wear the boots out sooner, it will likely be because I wore them so much, so the cost per wear will be low. I have clothes and shoes that I have literally spent less than $0.10 per wear! I admit I am a pretty thoughtful shopper.
Often luxury fibers added in small amounts do not make much difference in the final yarn. In Cricket you can really feel the softness of the fiber in every stitch you make. You will enjoy every moment you are knitting with it and want to knit more! For this review I made my usual exploration swatches, but I also made a messy-bun hat. It consumed about 28g of yarn (in full disclosure, I also used a bit left over from another project as well).
Here's why a luxury yarn makes sense. This messy bun hat is going to be worn by me when I am running. The fact that I am getting internally heated by running tends to make the extremely sensitive skin on my neck and ears even more sensitive. Having short hair, my ears can get pretty cold while running during the winter but I am often uncomfortable if the top of my head can't release heat, so this messy-bun hat will let me pull the soft fabric over my ears and leave my crown exposed for heat release. Cashmere and super wash wool add to the appropriateness of this yarn in a fairly rugged application: Cashmere likes to be washed! I'm looking forward to my winter running with soft, warm ear covering.
This brings me to my—and your—knitting. I have 25 grams of Cricket remaining or I've used 75 grams. I have spent five evenings using this yarn. That is usually about 1.5 to 2 hours of knitting per evening, or 8 to 10 knitting hours. I made my exploration swatches (2 evenings) and the messy-bun hat (3 evenings, including i-cord). At $35/skein, I've used about $26.25 of my Cricket over 10 hours. This means my knitting cost me $2.625 per hour. I always relate this to a coffee drink because people regularly buy those. Where I live, that is about the cost of a single espresso.
I recommend Cricket for more-than-pleasant knitting, but especially for the joy of wearing it. I am not alone. There are 1690 projects on Ravelry, a surprising number of the projects made are multiple-skein projects. There are 1592 stashes containing Cricket —and if you are looking to buy, some are available at good prices. In a time of gift-giving, this is the sort of gift that makes a real impact. To be truly frugal, you could get two gifts—and hours of your own entertainment—from the investment. Check the Pattern Ideas Look on my blog on December 6 for a recipe for making the messy-bun hat.
I always look up information on the fibers I am writing about and using. One of my favorite resources is the Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook by Deborah Robson and Carol Ekarius. I almost always learn something, and this was no exception. I did not know that Cashmere is not a goat breed, but refers to the under fiber found on all goats, except the Angora goat. Additionally the amount and quality of this down grown by a goat is related to temperature, which is why the best cashmere is found in cold, mountainous climates! I always check online as well, because I know so many of you do. I think the Wikipedia information is perhaps a little too general and if you are really interested in fibers you should check spinning or fiber-related books (always check your local library—they often have or have access to a wide collection of references).
Here is a link to some fun photos from the 2013 Vermont Goat Show.
Keep up on all things Jill Wolcott:
Contact: email@example.com
Blog: http://www.jillwolcottknits.com/category/blog/
Twitter: @jillwolcottknit
Instagram: @jillwolcottknits
Pinterest: Jill Wolcott Knits


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Dear Ridley,
I read something interesting on the Internet today. It was written by an adoptee, like you. This person is an adult now, and he's still working through what it means to be raised under the banner—the banner that is both a marker of tragedy and a sign of great provision—under the banner of adoption.
It was devastating.
Not because this man has negative feelings about his family. No. He had overwhelmingly positive things to say about the parents who raised him. What he wrote about his family of origin didn't make it difficult to read either. His feelings toward those parents are honest and logical and though I couldn't relate in experience, I could understand and empathize.
None of his feelings bothered me. It was the questions he carries like tender wounds that broke my heart.
I don't know if you'll have the same questions. Or any questions. Or, if most terrifying, you'll question everything. Our love for you, your worth, your identity.
Maybe your questions will have a toxic but understandable domino effect.
Who are my paternal grandparents?
How did they raise my biological dad?
Why did he abandon my birth mom?
Will I be just like him?
When did my mom find out she was pregnant?
Where was she and what made her think to take the test?
Did she love me as soon as she knew?
If she did, wasn't that love strong enough to conquer the system?
If she didn't …
I won't be able to give you all the answers you'll want. I wish I could fill in every blank space. I wish I could transform every question mark into a period or an exclamation point. Your mom felt sick so she took a test. She was so excited! But I can't.
I can't tell you where your birth mom was when she found out she was pregnant. But I can tell you where I was when I found out you were ours. I was adding sugar to my coffee at a hotel in Mission Viejo when I saw I'd missed a call. The number on my screen belonged to our social worker. I knew right then you were coming with a certainty I can't explain. Getting to call your dad at work and tell him we had a son was one of the best moments of my life.
I can't tell you what you what words were spoken to you in the first moments you drew breaths after your birth. I can tell you that when your dad and I drove you home for the very first time, you cried the whole way. Nearly an hour of screaming. It was a reasonable reaction to not having the bottle you craved and being stuck in a foreign car with two giddy fools who would later that evening Google "how to make a bottle, 6 month old." I can tell you what we said to you. We said to you over and over as you wailed, "Hello Ridley. That's your name. We love you. We promise to take care of you. We have waited so long to see your face."
I can tell you very little about your biological father. Having myself been raised with my own biological father in my life—in my home—a man I saw as an invincible hero, I can't grasp what having a mystery for a father is like. But I can tell you this: you adore your dad. The boy I met at 14, the rebel with the rock band patch on his Jansport and the black t-shirt, he grew up to become your invincible hero. You pretend to be your dad. I have pictures of you being dad, as you tell me, reading bible stories to your sister's creepy eyed baby doll. When you watch Daniel Tiger or Winnie the Pooh you ask "Who is the dad, where is the dad?" I point out Daniel's dad in the blue sweatshirt and I attempt to explain Pooh's parentage but you typically interrupt me to point to the family photos on our wall. "Rid-dee's dad," you say. You wear your dad's washed out shirts to bed, making you look like a swift footed ghost. "Special dad shirt," you call them. And as I tuck you in you ask, "Rid-dee and dad a go to the ocean?" "Soon," I promise, not the least bit offended you don't include me. The ocean has long been a love encouraged by your dad. You fall asleep with a smile, repeating the word soon.
I could tell you more. I could admit that we may never know if you have biological siblings, but then describe your love for your sister. They way you always look out for her when it comes time to divvying up treats: "Ice ceem for Rid-dee, ice ceem for Kajsa." We could talk about that or the way every night as she is carried off to bed you turn from your toys to shout I love you sister. There's your deep bond with your grandparents (once a pediatrician with a delightful Nigerian accent called you a grandma's boy and assured you it was a good thing as he was one too), your obsession with your Uncle Zach. Your two ongoing prayers are these: Thank you Fadder for pools and Unca Zach. What about your love of all things drums? At 3 years old you were the youngest member of the crowd when your dad took you too see your favorite band and the *managers* at the Troubador were so charmed by your presence you got taken inside early and brought to some of the best seats in the house. Is your affinity genetic? I don't know. But drumming is the great passion of your life, I can tell you that.
I could tell you all of these things, but I know they don't really matter. Pain can't always be eased by facts. If you grow up with nagging questions about your history, all my talk may just sound like the words of a sentimental mother, reminiscing about the moments that make up my own history as a parent. Maybe you'll think, I get it mom, you loved me, I had a happy childhood. But that doesn't change things.
Have I only succeeded in irritating you with my memory boxes, and keepsakes, and tales of Christmas past?
Then let me just tell you this one last thing. You are a child of God.
Hear me out. I am not looking at your pain and handing you a puppy. I am not pulling out a bag of sunshine and ready-made phrases, like some as seen on TV anecdote sure to make your troubles disappear.
Answers might stop the itch but they can't bind the wounds and I want to spare you the pain of chasing a cure where there isn't one. History, even a complete one, it won't heal you. That might sound convenient coming from a woman who knows her parents and brother and can easily trace her entire life. But believe me. Even for those of us who don't carry who, or when, or where, questions, I think all humans are plagued by questions like how and why.
I am looking at your need for a foundation and handing you a rock.
I am pointing you back to the song you sang for me yesterday.
You're a good, good, Father. It's who You are. It's who You are. It's who You are.
And I'm loved by You. It's who I am. It's who I am. It's who I am.
I will always tell you to start there, Ridley. You have a good Father. Loved is who you are. And when waves of question-fueled doubt begin to pummel this rock on which you stand, on which you build your identity, let them come, don't be afraid. That rock won't shift and you've always loved the ocean.
P.S. If you enjoyed this essay, don't miss our podcast episode, Growing A Family Through Foster Care.


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(Joyeux Noël) Merry Christmas From France
Happy Holidays everyone.
I can't send everyone I know a card so I thought I would pull together some photos and write a very quick post today wishing you all happy holidays and a Merry Christmas From France.
Here is it, from our family to yours a very cheesy family photo Christmas card.
CHEEEZE. Or as they say in France WISTITIiiiiiii
Our Christmas was not much different than normal with the exception that we were in France. We ate, drank, Santa came and we opened presents.
Little Train That picked Up Santa Claus
Santa Claus being taken to his sled
Roast Beef: Diner for Christmas day
Christmas Morning: Crepes and Nutella
Christmas Tree: Mostly found or homemade ornaments
Note from Santa Claus thanking us for leaving him a cake to eat
Catherine opening up a gift: French version of Operation
Wearing New clothes
Festivities around our town in France
Cotton Candy for 30 days straight
Even big kids love cotton candy
This is the Christmas market 1/2 block from where we live. CROWDED
There were over 100 chalets in the centre of town selling what seemed like everything under the son from cinnamon covered churros, cotton candy the size of a small sheep, silky scarves, unique gifts from Provence, chocolate, nougat and other various hand crated goodies. It was open for 30 days in our town of La Garde from November 30'th to December 30th. It is the biggest of it's kind for the Var Region.
Blake and I drinking Vin Chaud (hot wine) with five spices
I think this originated from Germany because it is also called Gluehwein. Wherever it is from, it is simply delectable. You can make this at home with fruits, cinnamon and sugar. Here is a recipe for Gluehwein. Serve if for the holidays. MIAM MIAM
Merry Christmas From France
Hope you had a great holiday..
Annie, Blake and family.
p.s.. I have severe bronchitis in this photo and feel like hell.


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CFTROU 0041: Creating A Healthy Church Culture
Key Points:
- Defining culture: vision, mission, core values, behaviors, standards, and measurable.
- Principles that are crucial for pastors to understand about church culture.
- Why it is critical for leaders to meditate culture over time.
- Understanding that culture is dynamic, not static.
- Discussing why good programs cannot make up for bad culture.
- Recognizing that church culture is driven from the pulpit.
- The importance of driving culture all the way through the organization.
- Understanding that you always get more of what you honor.
- Why you need to attach stories to principles to drive them home.
Good culture will beat bad programs every single time, and bad culture will destroy good programs every single time. Culture will eat programs for breakfast. Click To TweetCulture is always mediated through leadership over time. Click To TweetCulture is dynamic, it is not static. Some things are going to stay the same, but some things are going to change. Click To TweetYou can't program culture, and good programs will not make up for bad culture. Click To Tweet
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Join a network, or become one
Any person, organization or vendor can join or create their own private Privacy Networks, and pool, combine, re-use and reprocess their resources with others participants via the Privacy Network Exchange, a marketplace for digital resources with built-in trust and compliance. Individuals and organizations can create value sharing networks organized around specific use cases or services, such as clinical research recruitment, patient safety, or child safety.
Clinical Trial Recruitment Network
The Clinical Research Network extends low-friction access to an unprecedented range of data sources, clinicians, researchers and patients on a global scale. Clinical trial recruitment pilots that leverage the network to connect services for patient selection, candidate identity verification and authentication, e-consent, enrollment and retention, enabling direct to patient recruitment and unprecedented reach to under-represented populations.
Patient Safety Network
Organizations and companies can join the Patient Safety Network to demonstrate technical, operational, and regulatory advantages of using a network-based approach to support low-friction cross-organizational data sharing and population analytics, along with convenient on-demand access by a diverse nationwide user population, including clinical investigators, patients and their providers.
Personalized Health Network
Personalized Health Network empowers consumers and clinicians with convenient on-demand access to the data they are entitled to, and enables aggregation, linking and reconciling of healthcare data (clinical, claims, lab, genomic, imaging, etc.) with device, demographic and online behavior data into comprehensive longitudinal records. This will enable multiple health data driven use cases that are challenging and cost-prohibitive to fully implement: patient-centered personalized care management, precision medicine, personalized patient safety, value-based reimbursement, and pre-emptive fraud prevention.
Child Safety Network
The Child Safety Network pools data and resources to help verify children, enable parental control, and block predators and cybercriminals. By using the network, parents can directly and easily manage and personalize the online activities of their children, allowing them to specify policies controlling the content and sites their children can access, who they can interact with, what devices they can use, and when. Parents will also be able to approve what information people, organizations and vendors can access about their children and their online activities.
Share your data, get more data
WebShield is currently seeding the following networks with selected launch partners. To find out how you can participate and benefit with the network exchanges and participate in our pilots please contact us.


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Towards a history of geotourism: definitions, antecedents and the future
Published:January 01, 2008
Thomas A. Hose, 2008. "Towards a history of geotourism: definitions, antecedents and the future", The History of Geoconservation, C. V. Burek, C. D. Prosser
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Geotourism is a relatively new form of tourism with considerable growth potential. Initially researched and defined within the UK, it is a growing field of international academic study. The term passed into general usage in the early 1990s, although its antecedents date back to the seventeenth century. Its resource base includes geosites, museum, library and archive collections and artistic outputs. It has significant social history and industrial archaeology underpinnings. Relatively recently defined, and benefiting from a new appreciation of its historical roots and various outcomes, the concept is already undergoing redefinition and refinement. However, because of an inadequately developed historical perspective and theoretical framework, the rationale for its provision and the societal significance of its resource base is not always fully appreciated by existing and potential stakeholders. This account presents geotourism's historical and theoretical development, especially in Britain from which examples are drawn, and explores its likely future.
Figures & Tables
The History of Geoconservation
This book is the first to describe the history of geoconservation. It draws on experience from the UK, Europe and further afield, to explore topics including: what is geoconservation; where, when and how did it start; who was responsible; and how has it differed across the world? Geological and geomorphological features, processes, sites and specimens, provide a resource of immense scientific and educational importance. They also form the foundation for the varied and spectacular landscapes that help define national and local identity as well as many of the great tourism destinations. Mankind's activities, including contributing to enhanced climate change, pose many threats to this resource: the importance of safeguarding and managing it for future generations is now widely accepted as part of sustainable development. Geoconservation is an established and growing activity across the world, with more participants and a greater profile than ever before. This volume highlights a history of challenges, set-backs, successes and visionary individuals and provides a sound basis for taking geoconservation into the future.


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How To Effortlessly Build A Million Dollar Business by Jen DeVore Richter
Most business owners have two primary goals in mind when they start their own business.
They want to make more money and they want to build an asset that will enable them to sell their business when they retire and live an extraordinary lifestyle. Building a lucrative asset is dependent on the amount of revenue the business is producing at the time of its sale.
If a business produces $1 million dollars in revenue on an annual basis, that business can typically be sold for somewhere between $5 million to $15 million dollars, depending on the business and the industry. That's why all small business owners dream of the day when they're business finally hits that elusive $1 million dollar revenue mark.
Unfortunately, their lack of marketing skills and strategies prevents them from making the money they originally envisioned. Less than 3% of small business owners make more than $100,000 annually and less than one half of one percent ever reach $1 million dollars in total revenue.
If you factor in a thirty percent profit margin, even when you make one million in revenue… that only translates into an actual income of $300,000. And a big chunk of that goes to taxes.
That's not much more than the business owner was making when they worked a regular job and didn't have all the worries and headaches they have now. And remember… that's the top one half of one percent of ALL wage earners. Most small business owners make far less than that and have no clue how to make things better. But here's the really depressing part. Remember that asset they want to build.
Most small business revenue relies on the owner remaining a fixture in the business.
When the dentist retires, who continues to service their patients? No one… and the income dries up. The only thing the dentist can actually sell is their office and equipment, which typically are leased or have depreciated by 85% and therefore… virtually worthless.
They do have their patient database that a new dentist can purchase and market to, but most patients have a personal relationship established with their dentist. There is absolutely no guarantee that any of these patients will remain with the new dentist. Many of these current patients will seek personal referrals from their friends, family or neighbors and then move on to a new dentist.
This same situation applies to doctors, attorneys, financial planners, accountants, home builders, remodelers, massage therapists, business coaches, consultants and so on. If a business owner is working with a consultant and that consultant suddenly retires, that business owner will never have the same level of trust and respect with someone taking over that consulting practice.
Successful businesses establish a personal rapport and relationship with their customers and clients. When the business owner leaves the business, the asset they may have spent their entire life working to build is often worthless. So the business owner's initial goals of making more money and building an asset are literally doomed from the start.
But it doesn't have to be that way. We've discovered a solution that can restore both dreams of making more money and building a lucrative asset to every small business owner on the planet.
At the Women's Business Event on August 3, I will explain it to you in detail, and then provide you with the means to apply this solution to your own small business.
The end result is an immediate increase in your cash flow…a business that has the potential to generate annual revenue of $1 million dollars or more…and the creation of an instant asset that you can sell for millions of dollars more whenever you choose.
If you want to reach one million dollars in revenue doing what you're doing right now, you need to increase your annual work hours to 27,778 hours. Unfortunately for you, if you worked 24 hours every day 7 days every week non-stop over an entire year, that 27,778 hours you need to work equals three times more hours than are available in that entire one year period. So obviously, you're never going to build a million dollar business doing what you're doing right now. Think about the limitations small business owners place on themselves.
Even professionals such as chiropractors, attorneys, dentists, financial planners, CPA's, consultants and so on, charge on average anywhere from $75 per hour up to $200 per hour. Consider the top of this scale. $200 per hour times 2080 work hours per year equals just $416,000. You're still not even halfway to your goal of $1 million per year. And those who charge $200 per hour are in the top one-tenth of one percent of all earners, so we're talking the cream of the crop in this example.
Can you see why it's so difficult to build a million dollar business… much less a multimillion dollar business?
You MUST stop trading your time for dollars and learn how to create a process that you can leverage for the rest of your life. By creating a process, you can then license that process to others in your field WITHOUT spending any additional time, effort, energy or expense.
You MUST stop being a chiropractor and start becoming a marketer of chiropractic services. In other words, you must assume the role of the marketer for your practice and learn how to generate a massive number of leads and patients for your practice… and then turn those patients over to other chiropractors you hire and bring into your practice… and take a percentage of their revenue for you providing them with their patients.
THAT'S how you build a million dollar business.
As a small business owner, you must learn how to effectively market your business and expand your offerings to include higher priced products and services. Then once you find your success equation so to speak, you can turn right around and license that process to others in your field.
Can't wait to get started?
Save your seat for the Women's Business Event "How to Make and Keep More Money" on Friday, August 3, 2018 and I'll show you how. www.WomensBusinessEvent.com
About Jen DeVore Richter
Jen DeVore Richter is business growth strategist, national keynote speaker, and three time published author. In 2017, she was interviewed in the media 28 times for her progressive ideas. She is a Contributing Writer for Six-Figure Coach magazine. She recently published the inaugural issue of Boss Women Rock™ women's success magazine and is on mission to impact the lives of 100,000 women in business by sharing the strategies she used to go from working as a marketing executive for NASA to building a seven-figure earning business with NO investor funding.
Her company Boss Women Rock, LLC has clients across the globe focusing on marketing strategy and business growth for coaches, consultants, and service-based professionals.
Visit www.BossWomenRock.com and www.JenDeVore.com.
The magazine is available at www.BossWomenRockMagazine.com.


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How to Make 2018 the Year of Continuous Improvement
When it comes to building operations, few real estate companies can honestly state that there is a culture of continuous improvement. Even portfolios that are operated exceptionally well rarely can point to cultural reasons for the success. More likely, there are a few highly experienced building operators who intuitively know which adjustments to make and how to fix the myriad of problems that arise in buildings on a regular basis.
Unfortunately for all of us, these operations rockstars cannot be everywhere at once, and many are retiring soon. What are real estate owners and property management companies supposed to do when the current crop of highly skilled individuals are no longer around? The answer may be to develop a robust training program to transfer this knowledge from one generation to another. A better option may be to leverage technology to create processes that can plug in any reasonably knowledgeable individual to get the job done, and continuously improve over time.
Where to Start
When a property finishes construction, the building systems are commissioned to ensure that equipment is installed properly and tuned to the optimal settings. However, most teams do not have a system in place for dealing with equipment degradation and performance "drift" over time. Scheduled filter and belt replacements, oil changes, bearing inspections, and the like only scratch the surface of what should be done on a continuous basis to keep a building operating at optimum levels.
Continuous commissioning on the other hand, is an ongoing process to resolve operational problems, improve tenant comfort, and optimize utility consumption. In essence, continuous commissioning is the process of collecting data from the equipment critical to a properly functioning building every second of every day, instead of more ad hoc intervals. These data are used to generate an accurate baseline of normal operating performance and occupancy patterns. Any deviations from this norm can be immediately spotted by analytical software, and operators can be directed to the root cause of issues in real time.
(The individual elements of this process, including highly granular data collection, robust analysis using machine learning, and a focus on actionable insights have been covered in previous articles)
But how does this connect to a culture of continuous improvement?
With continuous commissioning, building operators do not need years of experience through trial and error to do their job effectively. Instead, an individual with some knowledge about building systems should be able to begin contributing immediately, and help improve how the building runs going forward.
Like anything in life, if most of someone's time is spent reacting to problems, they will be less able to think strategically or implement long-term solutions. This is the case in many portfolios, where just maintaining the status quo in building operations is a full-time job. Responding to tenant complaints, investigating the cause of issues, and troubleshooting solutions is slow and mentally costly. If you add the time it takes to complete preventative maintenance schedules, there is little left over for improvement initiatives.
Conversely, if technology can be leveraged to notify operators when equipment conditions require maintenance, and predict equipment failure before it occurs, time will be made available to commit to continuous improvement. In this fundamentally different culture, building operations executives and on-site teams can work in coordination to improve metrics on a variety of levels.
What to Improve
According to a recent survey by Building Engines, most building operators say that their number one priority is to ensure the health and comfort of tenants. Operations teams should be striving to develop and continuously improve upon metrics related to this goal. Obviously, not everything will be within the control of operators or the result of equipment issues, but there are meaningful and measurable improvements to be made in nearly every commercial real estate portfolio. Similar metrics have been used in the manufacturing industry for decades, yet the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of building operations in CRE portfolios largely remains a mystery.
Some possible metrics to measure include:
Number of tenant complaints received
Ratio of planned vs unplanned maintenance
Utility cost reductions relative to baseline
Number of "extreme" failure events with equipment
There are legitimate reasons that these metrics have not been developed in commercial real estate. The most obvious is that, up until recently, there was no conceivable way to get data around the performance of equipment or the utility costs associated with operations. In addition, there would be no reason to record, for example, the number of tenant complaints received if there was no reason to believe this number could be affected.
Technological developments now make this data available, automatically collected, and continuously analyzed to help improve performance without adding additional workflows or reporting requirements. Early adopters have immediately recognized the usefulness of being able to continuously commission their buildings, and are investing in these technologies to provide the foundation for a culture of continuous improvement, as well as a competitive differentiator.
How to Improve
Continuous fault detection software can discover issues in buildings before they are noticeable effects on tenant comfort. By addressing these problems proactively, metrics can be improved, and building operators of all levels can be confident in their ability to deliver a well-run, profitable asset. For example, one multifamily apartment building had an issue discovered in one of its elevators before there was an emergency shutdown. Without continuously commissioning the elevator, this issue would not have been discovered, and tenants would likely be trapped in the elevator when full failure occurred.
Other times, tenant discomfort is the direct result of the mistake of a building operator or outside vendor working in the building. Building systems get turned off to perform maintenance, and sometimes are not turned back on, or are set to the wrong schedule afterwards. Sometimes, an outside vendor working in an unfamiliar space may simply bump into a off switch and turn off a piece of equipment. Humans make mistakes, it's part of life. But a culture of continuous improvement would not accept that these mistakes go unnoticed long enough to affect tenant comfort. Continuous commissioning not only identifies failures, but also identifies when equipment is off when it should be on.
The opposite scenario is equally important. When equipment is left on when it could be off, it may not directly affect tenant comfort, but it is adding unnecessary wear and tear to equipment, and wastes utility costs. These are not fluffy, marginal costs either. Many commercial office properties leave lights on around the clock, either because there are no controls installed, controls are misprogrammed, or due to a simple oversight. In one building, changing lighting schedules to exactly match occupancy patterns reduced the costs associated with lighting by 57%, which improved the asset value of the property by over $500,000.
Continuous commissioning, and the culture of continuous improvement that it enables, is not a silver bullet solution to one specific problem, it is more like riding a bike. When you ride a bike, you are subconsciously making micro-adjustments to ensure that you stay upright and move at the desired speed. In the same way, operating a building without continuous commissioning is like riding a bike without balance, and making repairs after you fall over. The first step is to acquire constant feedback on whether you're balanced. Then you can push yourself to not only stay up, but improve how efficiently you ride the bike.
Enertiv's Asset Intelligence solution is a plug-and-play continuous commissioning software that can quickly start improving how your buildings are operated. Schedule a demo today to see how!


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Aside from sleeping and breathing, nothing comes quite as naturally to a child as engaging in play. The benefits of play range from strengthening problem-solving, cognitive skills, social development, and adaptability.
While the act of play has remained constant throughout the years, the way children engage with play continues to evolve as a result of the advances in technology that impact our day-to-day lives.
Let's take a look at a few emerging technologies and their potential applications to how children play and interact with the world around them.
Augmented Reality
With the 2016 release of Pokemon Go, the health benefits of augmented reality and geo-location services in apps became apparent. Studies based on user reports found that the game increased the number of people who walked over 10,000 steps a day from 15% to 28%. Another study showed that playing Pokemon Go raised physical activity by about 50 minutes per week and reduced sedentary behaviour by 30 minutes a day.
There are many practical, wellness-focused applications that AR games and products could bring to today's youth. Municipalities could utilize it to create digital playgrounds and deliver information about physical locations. For example, an AR application could be used to create a scavenger hunt that families can enjoy together on hiking trails - encouraging the whole family to get out and be active while participating in a fun and educational activity together.
Artificial Intelligence
AI has been integrated into all kinds of digital products to date. As more and more products join the Internet of Things (IoT), we will see more toys enter the IoT and incorporate deep machine learning to create more tailored play and learning experiences. Machine learning can be utilized to deliver personalized experiences from learning solutions based on a child's unique learning style to custom gaming experiences that modify the level of challenge and content based on the player's abilities.
Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality has the capability of bringing thousands of people together in one space without anyone having to leave their home. With virtual reality, both kids and adults could log into a virtual classroom to attend a seminar, lesson or workshop, all from the comfort of their homes and while still being able to interact with their classmates and teachers.


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Summer Fashion with Dorothy Perkins/
Dorothy Perkins just launched their SS17 "must haves" and I chose these 2 gorgeous pieces- a bright floral dress and a printed organza skirt. These pieces were perfect for shooting at Sunflower Farm in Pangasinan. I had been wanting to make the trip out to Pangasinan to visit this place so I took this opportunity to do so. It was a grueling 3 hour shoot under the scorching heat and I couldn't even look at the camera because of the sun's blinding rays! I love how these photos turned out though. If you ever plan to visit the Sunflower Farm, make sure you go really early on a weekday. People tend to flock here and everyone takes photos at every corner. Haha Just a gentle reminder not to step on or pick flowers. Oh, and don't forget to wear sunblock and bring a towel and an extra shirt. I was sweating like crazy the entire time we were there!
Photos by: Ged Robles


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Use the form on the right to contact us.
You can edit the text in this area, and change where the contact form on the right submits to, by entering edit mode using the modes on the bottom right.
5220 Dexter Ann Arbor Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI, 48103
United States
Dzanc Books is nonprofit press specializing in literary fiction and nonfiction. In addition to publishing activities, Dzanc Books also supports the Disquiet International Literary Program.
An exquisitely written novel about the delicate balance between loss and desire, abandonment and renewal, and the fragility of relationships.
From Publishers Weekly
Frucht ( Snap ; Iowa Short Fiction Award-winner Fruit of the Month ) creates a gently erotic view of the human and natural worlds in this elegant, surreal second novel. Frucht is by turns playful and pensive, fanciful and realistic.
Abby Frucht is the author of two short story collections, Fruit of the Month, for which she received the Iowa Short Fiction Prize in 1987, and The Bell at the End of a Rope (Narrative Library, 2012). She has also written six novels: Snap; Licorice; Are You Mine?; Life before Death; Polly's Ghost; and A Well-Made Bed (Red Hen Press, 2016), on which she collaborated with her friend and colleague Laurie Alberts. Abby has taught for more than twenty years at Vermont College of Fine Arts and has served as a judge for the Pen Faulkner award for Fiction. She lives in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.


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Many of the women of the Mir community live in the north-western state of Gujarat, a dry, barren province bordering Pakistan.
The impressive nose rings worn by Meghwal Marwada women are usually made of gold
Like many other nomads in India, they are now settled. This mainly Muslim group wear self-embroidered jewellery and intricate, hand-made clothing and line their eyes with charcoal.


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Be Authentic.
Authenticity is the cornerstone of leadership. When we are willing to lean into our genuine selves – the version of us without any marketing – we are able to be leaders who live from our core. True leadership cannot be a false act or copied; true leadership comes from the vulnerability of one drawing out vulnerability of another.
Work from the Inside Out.
Lasting solutions are created by addressing the root of an issue. In order to do this, we must work from the inside out – whether the problem is relational, tactical, or strategic. Understanding needs versus wants as well as establishing boundaries provides the clarity needed to prioritize work and grow expertise.
Cultivate Meaningful Connection.
Humans are meant to be connected. In a world where collaboration is key for business and in life, creating real relationships becomes of paramount importance. Community is critical when it comes to laying a strong emotional foundation upon which leadership – at work, at home, or anywhere else – is built.
Pursue Passion.
Passion is contagious. Whether on a team, within an organization, or in a family, passion spreads like wildfire from one person to another when it is real. It ignites shared excitement about a goal and ensures a mutual willingness to work towards it. When people find it, they live out of it – because they love what they do!


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Nathan has helped me on several occasions over the last eight years. He is an excellent physio, clearly expert in his field and often goes the little extra to ensure that he is able to help his patients. In addition, he gives sensible, practical advice and is unfailingly polite, courteous and friendly. I really couldn't recommend him highly enough
C Desai / April 2017


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A lifestyle change is no small thing. All of us develop habits based on the choices we make. But if the habits that make up your lifestyle no longer seem to be working for you, then it may be time to consider changing your lifestyle. For instance, if your lifestyle includes the habit of avoiding difficulties, our consumer culture can provide you with endless diversions such as TV, computers, internet, food, sex, drugs, alcohol, work or shopping. While avoiding your problems in this way may give you some temporary relief the longer term consequence will be increased stress and anxiety. You'll find yourself living from one crisis to the next, and this kind of lifestyle can easily lead to addiction, compulsive-obsessive patterns, depression or even illness. A Zen-inspired lifestyle is built on a foundation of mindfulness meditation. The cultivation of mindfulness in your daily life helps you learn how to discern what is important and what is not. Because of this quality of awareness, you are able to develop a lifestyle that is more proactive and less reactive. Because you spend more of your time focused on what is important you naturally become more effective and empowered in many areas of your daily life. Such a lifestyle is characterized by openness, empathy and clarity.
Without the discipline and practice of mindfulness awareness, it is very hard to live in this way because it requires real courage, fearlessness and emotional strength to remain open, compassionate and clear in the face of uncertainty and unpredictable circumstances. Mindfulness meditation is the foundation for this kind of lifestyle because it supports you in developing more constructive habits that can lead to long term happiness and satisfaction.
But to be honest, this is not easy to do. It requires hard work, discipline and commitment. You have to practice meditation regularly to live a Zen-inspired lifestyle. That's the bad news. The good news is that you can do this; anyone can do this because a Zen-inspired lifestyle can be practiced and lived by anyone regardless of religion, culture or beliefs.
Openness Openness begins with yourself. It begins by learning to be receptive. This is a proactive mindset that encourages you to take full responsibility for your life, acknowledging and learning from your mistakes. Res-sponsibility means the ability to respond. No matter how difficult the situation, your freedom exists in your capacity to choose how to respond to that situation. It you are proactive, you are in charge of the choices you make. But nature loves a vacuum, so if you aren't actively taking responsibility for the choices you make, chances are, someone else or some other circumstance is making them for you.
Not being open is to be closed. When you are closed you can always find an excuse for yourself, and blaming others for your problems is also very convenient. Closed people are more reactive and spend more of their time worrying about external events that are beyond their control. If you do this in your own life, it's easy to begin feeling like a victim. In many ways, your life is out of control, because energy you devote to all those things outside your control gives them power over the rest of your life. This is a bad habit because if you continue in this manner you'll begin to pay an enormous price in terms of your personal dignity, self worth, health and happiness.
Living an open, Zen-inspired life teaches you how to be brave and courageous about your own experiences, how to keep them company in a way that is loving and kind, and how to transform negative difficulties into rich opportunities for growth and learning.
Empathy Empathy is supported by being open hearted. Mindfulness meditation teaches you how to embrace the full range of your humanity without disowning your power or seeing yourself as a victim. Since you can experience kindness and empathy for your own difficult experiences, you begin to be able to do the same towards others. It takes emotional strength to put yourself in other peoples' shoes. To do this effectively, you really need to make a radical shift from seeking to be understood to first seeking to understand others. This is critical life skill because it helps you remain connected with people who are important to you. It helps you learn how to remain connected to people when strong disagreements arise. Empathy is so important to living a good life because it's the basis upon which all genuine trust is built and maintained in our interpersonal relationships.
A study at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research recently found that college students today are less empathetic than in the past. They found a whopping 40% reduction in levels of empathy from students in the 1980s to the 1990s. While the study did not claim to know why this was so, we might guess that learning to win at all costs promotes a style of living that doesn't value strong interpersonal relationships.
The benefit of living a Zen-inspired lifestyle is enriched relationships that result from the growing trust and confidence people place in you. You are able to grow your circle of friends and draw on their resources because your lifestyle is spent investing in their emotional well-being as well as your own.
Clarity Mindfulness meditation helps support increased clarity in your life and an increased ability to discern what is important and what is not. This kind of discernment is critical to living an empowered and effective life because it clarifies your own core values and principles. When you are clear about the importance of your core values and principles you do not compromise them for short term gains. You are able to keep your moral compass pointed towards true north. Meditation practice gives you the discipline that helps you begin to subordinate your impulses and feelings to your own values and principles.
This habit of clarity and discernment is the foundation for strong character development and is the basis upon which all true leadership potential arises. External events are often beyond your control and they are always changing, but principles such as personal integrity, keeping your word and honoring your commitment don't. They are the bedrock upon which a Zen-inspired life is based. They support you in developing your unique gifts and having greater impact in how you contribute them to the rest of the world.
As I said in the beginning, none of this is easy, because it's a lifestyle that involves discipline and awareness. But the rewards in self confidence, self worth and personal effectiveness make living a Zen-inspired lifestyle something that you should seriously consider. You don't need to wear black robes. You don't need to go live in a monastery. You can start where you are. Nothing is lacking. Nothing needs to be gained. And in the simplicity and grace of this moment all of your potential and authenticity reside.
Roshi Robert Althouse


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The Need for Bulk Envelopes in Business and Other Industries
Well over 90 metric tons of paper produced annually in America means that there is definitely something that we can do about it. Considering the many bulk envelopes and other mass paper options that we purchase as businesses, steps can be taken to move back from the increased production of paper documents that takes place here in America every year.
The Many Uses of Bulk Paper
We all know that offices are among the most common places to purchase paper products in bulk. There are already over four trillion paper documents in the United States annually, with that growing by over 20% annually. Something can easily be done to help reduce those numbers, often with companies like utility companies, banks, and other financial corporations offering some sort of benefit for choosing monthly electronic statements. With the reduction of printed monthly statements, there would also be the reduced need for bulk envelopes for all these companies. The ones that are not necessary as recy


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Good morning! I have two pieces of interesting and helpful items for today's post. At least I found them to be interesting and helpful.
The first one is a link to a great little video that shows you how to adjust your car mirrors in order to see into that blind spot that we encounter while sitting in the driver's seat. I was very impressed with this --- Here's the link so you can see for yourself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwzUE6PHk4U
Also, in case you were wondering about that little tab on the right side of my blog about the Animal Rescue Site ------ Please check them out and visit daily. For clicking a tab on their site you can give .6 bowls of food to animal shelters around the country. This food is donated by their sponsors in exchange for advertising. There is nothing to sign up for (unless you want to), nor do they email you, or contact you in any way (unless you want them to). I chose to contact THEM. Included on their homepage is also a small heartwarming rescue story. I assure you that you will never get any repercussions from clicking on their site. It's a fabulous way to help the helpless at absolutely no cost to you other than a few minutes of your time each day. I have it listed in my favorites (or bookmark) and I visit daily. I hope you will, too. Here's the link http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3
Ah, the day after Easter ------ and what to do with all those boiled eggs. Well, at least the ones that made it through the big hunt! Here's a recipe you might want to try:
Deviled Eggs
Prep Time: 5 minutes
•6 large eggs
•2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
•1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp horseradish (or more if you really like horseradish)
•1 tsp. pickle relish
•1/2 tsp. salt
•paprika for garnish
1.Sort through the hard boiled eggs that are left from the hunt and peel the ones that have promise, then slice in half.
2.Scrape yolks from eggs and place in a small bowl.
3.Add mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, relish, and salt.
4.Spoon mixture into a plastic bag. Cut off one of the bottom corners. Pipe filling into egg white halves.
5.Garnish with paprika.
Serve immediately or refrigerate.
ENJOY! I love deviled eggs for breakfast........................ no comment, I know!
I had some blog problems last week and am so happy it is now fixed! Computer problems can be so frustrating!!!! Have a wonderful week and thanks so much for stopping by.


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Dallas' police chief, U Renee Hall, revealed yesterday that her department was seeking to charge the officer with manslaughter. "In doing so, we hope to bring understanding to the family".
Jean, who grew up on the Caribbean Island of St Lucia and worked as a PricewaterhouseCoopers associate, was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
"How can you make a mistake like that, getting into someone else's apartment?" said 80-year-old Raquel, a resident who declined to give her last name. "God gave me an angel". The family, however, wants to see resolution.
Botham Shem Jean graduated from Harding University in Arkansas in 2016, and was an "easy going" guy and devout churchgoer, a relative told The Post.
Jean's mother, Allison, suggested in an interview on Friday that her son might still be alive if he was white.
The white police officer who shot and killed a Black man Thursday, after mistakenly entering his apartment, continued to walk free on Sunday, despite the Dallas police chief calling for a manslaughter warrant for her arrest. ("This is an global story as well because we're an worldwide city", he said.) He also reported speaking with Gov. Greg Abbott, who gave assurances that the Texas Rangers would deliver a transparent, independent investigation and "justice will be served in the long run". It still isn't clear what charges will be laid against the officer who has been placed on administrative leave, as the "Texas Rangers made the decision to postpone pursuing a warrant, until they could follow up on information that they received from the interview with the officer".
As a result of the information above, an arrest warrant is being obtained for the officer involved in this incident.
"If there is probable cause that a crime has been committed in this jurisdiction, it is incumbent upon law enforcement, and in particular the district attorney's office, to issue a warrant for the arrest of the officer involved", attorney Lee Merritt said following a vigil at Dallas West Church of Christ, NBC News reported. Merritt questioned whether Guyger was receiving preferential treatment.
"This family is frustrated".
Jeremy Corbyn warned Jews will 'leave country' over anti-Semitism row
A Labour activist who claimed criticism of antisemitism in the party was a "conspiracy" has been re-elected to its ruling body. Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he hoped the party's National Executive Committee would adopt all the examples.
Jean, 26, was a beloved person known for his church involvement, leadership on campus, smile, and friendly demeanor.
Sgt. Mike Mata, who heads Dallas' largest police union, the Dallas Police Association, called Saturday for an "open, transparent and full investigation of the event, the Dallas Morning News reported". In doing so, she sidelined the unit of experienced homicide investigators that handle shootings involving Dallas police officers.
"She took my life away, like my very own life", his mother says. "This is an unacceptable way for Dallas to represent itself to the world".
The police chief said it isn't clear what "the interaction was between her and the victim".
Authorities have said the officer is white, but have not released her name or other details about her. Botham loved mankind. Botham never saw color, race. "He wanted all of us to unite, to be together". Responding officers administered aid to the victim, a 26-year-old male, at the scene.
"This is a awful tragedy", Jean's employer said. But the young man didn't think that was enough. "Can't we all just get along?"
In the May 2017 incident, Guyger was trying to identify a woman in a vehicle when another passenger got out and took her taser, police said in the release.
We ask that you work alongside us as we move through this process. It's left those that loved him with many questions and few answers. "From everything we've heard, we're not sure exactly what happened".


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Such a beautiful day for a little violence, don't you think?
It's the best part of hockey!
Red Wings suck.
Haha Steve…good to hear from you! Even if we haven't heard much from Crosby lately…
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text: Lindsey is a visual storyteller who is passionate about creating emotion driven imagery. In 2001 she received an AA in photography and has been on a midwest tour ever since. Lindsey has worked as a photography intern for John Deere, freelanced in Minnesota and was an in house photographer for Kohls department stores in Wisconsin. Currently living in Kansas City, MO Lindsey is a staff photographer for Hallmark Greeting Cards. Her visual voice can be described as organic, perfectly imperfect and having a feminine feel. A midwest gal who finds beauty in the small stuff and will always wake up early for a coffee and good sunrise. She is a nature geek who is happiest exploring in the woods, observing all the beauty that can get overlooked. Lets create some pretty imagery together!


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The Healer
Book 1: The Phantom Limb
As a young apprentice, I lost my master, leaving my training incomplete. I was thrown into the galaxy with an immense power to do good … or evil.
The power of healing … the power of retribution.
Was I strong enough to find the right path? I thought so when I signed on to work with the terraformers … but they had something else in mind.
Book 2: The Tree of Pain
We are created through our actions upon the universe and our reactions to the universe. So we are told. So we are taught.
It is a lie.
We may hold the tiller of the ship of our destiny, but it's bound to a place beyond our reckoning, far from our intent or desire, following a course plotted by the winds of circumstance and the designs of others.
We have no control. That is the truth.
That is what I learned on the planet Hirasa Prime, caught in the midst of a looming civil war, facing the greatest challenges of my youth––questions of morality, loneliness, the trials of being different, and the joy and pain of love.


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Salinas finds — and provides — inspiration in her new role
Retired general is CEO of region's Girl Scouts
When U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Gen. Angela Salinas retired in 2013, she didn't think she would ever find anything that would give her as much passion as the Marine Corps.
But the first day she walked through the doors of the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas, she knew she'd found a new home. On the wall she saw a poster with words reminiscent of a Marine Corps motto: "Once a Girl Scout, always a Girl Scout."
Salinas recalled that the mission statement spoke to values she had followed for 39 years.
"This is where I want to be," she thought, "this is the right place for me."
On July 1, Salinas became the chief executive officer of the organization that comprises more than 18,500 Girls Scouts across 21 counties.
Salinas was a fourth-grader when she joined the Girl Scouts for a year after her family moved to California. She said she was proud to join a group of alumnae that includes female astronauts, Fortune 500 leaders and the last three secretaries of state.
"It's much like the military. You bring in society and then establish behavior that's acceptable and you build good citizens," she said. "Being a Girl Scout is kind of that same specialness. We expect a standard of behavior, it starts off with our Daisies, here's someone in kindergarten we're already teaching what is right and how you treat people and then every year we're adding in that standard — that expectation of character grows."
The adjective "first" precedes many of Salinas' accomplishments in the Marine Corps.
She is the first Latina to become a general officer; the first in her family to graduate from college and the first woman to command the Marine Corps Recruit Depot.
Salinas said she has several goals she'd like the council to achieve. She'd like Girl Scouts to be known not only for cookies, but also for projects that make better citizens. She wants to have residents in their coverage area embrace Girl Scouts as their own and make the world aware of the Gold Award, the highest honor a Girl Scout can earn.
"I need to make sure that San Antonio appreciates a Gold Award recipient and what she earned," Salinas said. "I want men and women to know when a Girl Scout achieves a Gold Award (she) had to impact the community to make a difference."
Salinas was born in the small town of Alice in South Texas, where her mother was a homemaker and her father was a mechanic. They raised a family where education was a luxury and dreams were plentiful. The youngest of five children, she grew up in the 1960s, when the evening news was filled with Vietnam protesters and images of war.
On April 30, 1974, Salinas was on her way to the post office to mail a letter when a Marine recruiter stopped her and asked, "Why aren't you a United States Marine?"
She tried to walk away, but his next words struck her hard.
"You're joining an institution that right now doesn't really want women," he said. "But I will tell you, you will earn everything that you'll get."
On May 4 that year, she raised her hand and enlisted in the Marine Corps. Three days later she was at Parris Island, South Carolina, in boot camp thinking, "What have I done?"
Salinas said at that time there were more than 180,000 Marines and fewer than 2,000 were women. After graduating from boot camp, she went back to school, made the dean's list and was an outstanding student in her class.
"It ignited in me this passion to want do something greater than myself," Salinas said, "and that was the foundation for the next 39 years of my life."
After being in the enlisted ranks for three years, she had a sergeant major who challenged her to apply for officer training school. He saw in her promise and pushed her to her physical peak for the changing times. His method: grueling exercises and 3-mile runs at 5:30 a.m.
In 1977, Salinas was commissioned as a second lieutenant.
Salinas' experience as a Marine veteran and her leadership qualities made her the top candidate for the Girl Scouts post, said Luis de la Garza, a member of the Girl Scouts of Southwest Texas board. De la Garza is a Vietnam veteran who flew 200 combat missions as a fighter pilot in the Marine Corps.
"We've been very pleased with the roles she's taken on and in the community among her peers," de la Garza said. "From the beginning, a leader must first learn to be a good follower. If you take care of your men and women, they will take care of you. These are things ingrained at a young age. That's Gen. Salinas."
For her part, Salinas hopes being a leader and role model gives one little girl the aspiration to do what Salinas has been able to accomplish with help from many over the years.
"Because then you've changed one life," Salinas said, "and if I can do that for one, then this has been incredibly worth it."


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The center of gravity in Europe's natural gas market is heading south as one of the continent's biggest pipeline operators builds a system that could make Italy an exporter of the fuel for the first time. Fortified with new supplies due from a $5.6 billion pipeline link to the Caspian Sea as well as tankers full of gas in its liquid form, Snam SpA and its Chief Executive Officer Marco Alvera are seeking to place Italy at the crossroads of Europe's gas trade.If successful, Alvera's efforts would accelerate the gas market's shift away from the U.K. and toward the Netherlands and southern Europe. The U.K. and the Netherlands are currently neck-and-neck in Europe's 720 billion-euro ($900 billion) a year gas market, according to Kingston Energy Consulting. Turnover has been slipping in the U.K. and growing elsewhere.Those will give Snam the ability to export gas to the broader European grid for the first time.


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San Diego Chapter members RSVP here.
The fabulous Donut Bar in Downtown San Diego is having a special Friday night opening where they celebrate the addition of craft beers to their menu.
Normally, they are open only in the morning until noon or selling out of their amazing donuts, whichever comes first. And this isn't a place where you can just stroll in and get your dozen. There's usually a line that goes to the end of the block by 6th & B. They're that good.
I'll be in line before then, around 4:30pm. I will also holding an AmBi sign so that you can locate me and other people who join us. Once we got some donuts and drinks, we'll go upstairs to where there are some seats and tables. I will also put the sign by where we are sitting and post updates on the Meetup comments on where we are. Seating is first come, first serve in their loft section.


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