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Parvati (Devanagri: पार्वती, IAST: Pārvatī) is known as the motherly form of Mother Goddess Gauri Jagadamba, Parvati is another form of Shakti, the wife of Shiva and the gentle aspect of Maha Devi or Durga, the Great Goddess. Parvati is considered to be a complete incarnation of Adi Parashakti or Goddess Durga, with all other Goddesses being her incarnations or manifestations. Parvati is nominally the second consort of Shiva, the Hindu God of destruction and rejuvenation. However, she is not different from Sati, being the reincarnation of Shiva's first wife. Parvati is the mother of the gods Ganesha and Kartikeya. Some communities also believe her to be the sister of Vishnu. She is also regarded as the daughter of King Himavan. Parvati, when depicted alongside Shiva, generally appears with two arms, but when alone, she is depicted having four, eight or ten arms, and is astride on a tiger or lion. Generally considered a benevolent Goddess, Parvati also has wrathful incarnations, such as Durga, Kali, Tara, Chandi, and the Dasha Mahavidyas (ten great wisdoms) Kali, Tara, Tripur Sundari (Shodashi), Bhuvaneshwari, Bhairavi, Chinnamasta, Dhumavati, Bagla Mukhi, Matangi and Kamala, as well as benevolent forms like Katyayani, Maha Gauri, Kamalatmika, Bhuvaneshwari and Lalita.
Parvata is one of the Sanskrit words for "mountain"; "Parvati" translates to "She of the mountains" and refers to Parvati being born the daughter of Himavan, lord of the mountains and the personification of the Himalayas. Other names which associate her with mountains are Shailaja (Daughter of the mountains), Adrija or Nagajaa or Shailaputri (Daughter of Mountains), 'Haimavathi' (Daughter of Himavan) and 'Girija' or 'Girirajaputri' (Daughter of king of the mountains).[1] Parvati's name is also sometimes considered a form of 'pavitra', meaning 'sinless' or 'holy' in Sanskrit. Her consort is Shiva and she is the sagun swaroop of the Supreme Being Adi Parashakti that is the material form of the supreme power.
She is also known by 108 names from the Durga Saptashati. These include Durga (invincible), Shakti (power), Ambika ('dear mother'), Gauri ('fair complexioned'),Bhairavi ('ferocious'), Kali ('dissolver of time'), Umā, Lalita, Mataji ('revered mother'), Sahana ('pure'),[2] Maheshwari ('great goddess'). Bhavani, Shivaradni ('Queen of Shiva'), and many hundreds of others. The Lalita sahasranama contains an authoritative listing of 1,000 names of Parvati.
Two of Parvati's most famous epithets are Uma and Aparna. The name Uma is used for Sati in earlier texts, but in the Ramayana, it is used as synonym for Parvati. In the Harivamsa, Parvati is referred to as Aparna ('One who took no sustenance') and then addressed as Uma, who was dissuaded by her mother from severe austerity by saying u mā ('oh, don't').[3]
The apparent contradiction that Parvati is addressed as the fair one, Gauri, as well as the dark one, Kali or Shyama is a philosophical matter. It suggests that the one calm and placid wife, Uma, in times of danger, can transfer back to her primal fierce and angry or ( sometimes ) Maternal nature as Kali, who stands uncloaked, with a foot on her husband's chest. The twin opposite colors, white and black represent the two opposing nature of the Goddess.
Parvati is also the goddess of love and devotion, or Kamakshi.
Sarvarupe Sarveshe Sarvashakti Samanvite Bhayebhyastrahi no devi durge devi namostute
It translates to:
We bow down to Devi Durga, who is source of all forms (sarvarupe), who is the goddess of all beings (sarveshe), in whom all power exists (Sarvashakti samanvite) and who destroys all fear (bhaye bhyastrai no devi). It is also believed that without her Shiva remains as Shava or Corpse, for she is the ultimate source of power for all beings, gods and Devas.
Parvati herself does not explicitly appear in Vedic literature, though the Kena Upanishad (3.12) contains a goddess called Uma-Haimavati.[4] She appears as the shakti, or essential power, of the Supreme Brahman. Her primary role is as a mediator who reveals the knowledge of Brahman to the Vedic trinity of Agni, Vayu, and Indra, who were boasting about their recent defeat of a group of demons.[5] But Kinsley notes: "it is little more than conjecture to identify her with the later goddess Satī-Pārvatī, although [..] later texts that extol Śiva and Pārvatī retell the episode in such a way to leave no doubt that it was Śiva's spouse.."[4] Both textual and archaeological evidence suggests Sati-Parvati appears in the epic period (400 BC–400 AD), as both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata present Parvati as Shiva's wife.[4] However, it is not until the plays of Kalidasa (5th-6th centuries) and the Puranas (4th through the 13th centuries) that the myths of Sati-Parvati and Shiva acquire more comprehensive details.[6] Kinsley adds that Parvati may have emerged from legends of non-aryan goddesses that lived in mountains.[1]
Prof. Weber suggests that like Shiva is combination of various Vedic gods Rudra and Agni, the Puranic Parvati is a combination of Uma, Haimavati, Ambika and earlier Parvati, identified as wives of Rudra; of others like Kali, who could be a wife of Agni and of Gauri and others inspired by Nirriti.[7] Tate suggests Parvati is a mixture of the Vedic goddess Aditi and Nirriti,and being a mountain goddess herself, was associated with other mountain goddesses like Durga and Kali in later traditions.[8]
The Puranas repeatedly tell the tale of Sati's marriage to Shiva against her father Daksha's wishes and her subsequent self-immolation at Daksha's sacrifice, leaving Shiva grief-stricken and having lost interest in worldly affairs. In the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, Sati appears before Shiva, in her divine form, and reassures him that she will return as the daughter of Himavan.[9] Sati is reborn as Parvati, the daughter of Himavat and Minavatiand is named Parvati, 'daughter of Himavant ' .[10] Sati, as well as Parvati, are considered manifestations of Mahadevi, the great Goddess.[10] In the Ramayana, the river goddess Ganga is depicted as the elder sister of Parvati. In the Harivamsa, Parvati has two younger sisters called Ekaparna and Ekapatala.[3]
According to Devi Bhagawata Purana and Shiva Purana mount Himalaya and his wife Mena perform extreme austerities to appease the goddess Adi Shakti. Pleased with their penance the Adi Shakti agrees to be born as their daughter. When born goddess Parvati has four arms and manifests a divine light which pervades the entire Himalaya region on the auspicious tritiya day. Mena implores to the child to withdraw its four armed form and make herself visible as a two armed normal child to which the goddess agrees and becomes a normal girl child.
Parvati is depicted as interested in Shiva's tales and appearance from her very birth and eventually remembering her previous life as Sati.[10] As Parvati grows into a young woman, she begins tapas (austerities) to please Shiva to grant her wish to reunite with him. She is portrayed as surpassing all other ascetics in austerity, undergoing severe mortifications and fasting. Finally, Shiva tests her devotion by appearing himself in disguise to criticize Shiva. Untouched by the act, Parvati retains her desire for Shiva, compelling him to marry her. After the marriage, Parvati moves to Mount Kailash, the residence of Shiva.[11]
Kalidasa's epic Kumarasambhavam ("Birth of Kumara") details with matchlessly lyrical beauty the story of the maiden Parvati: her devotions aimed at gaining the favor of Shiva, the subsequent annihilation of Kamadeva, the consequent fall of the universe into barren lifelessness, the subsequent marriage of Parvati and Shiva, the birth of Kumara, and the eventual resurrection of Kamadeva after Parvati intercedes for him to Shiva.
As per devi bhagwata Purana, Goddess Parvati is lineal progenitor of all other goddesses. She is one who is source of all forms of goddesses. She is worshiped as one with many forms and name. Her different mood brings different forms or incarnation.
Parvati's legends are intrinsically related to Shiva. In the goddess-oriented Shakta texts, that she is said to transcend even Shiva, and is identified as the Supreme Being.[1] Just as Shiva is at once the presiding deity of destruction and regeneration, the couple jointly symbolise at once both the power of renunciation and asceticism and the blessings of marital felicity.
Parvati thus symbolises many different virtues esteemed by Hindu tradition: fertility, marital felicity, devotion to the spouse, asceticism, and power. Parvati represents the householder ideal in the perennial tension in Hinduism in the household ideal and the ascetic ideal, represented by Shiva.[13] In classical Hindu mythology, the "raison d'être" of Parvati, and before that of Sati, is to lure Shiva into marriage and thus into a wider circle of worldly affairs.[14]
Parvati tames Shiva, the "great unpredictable madman" with her presence.[13] When Shiva does his violent, destructive Tandava dance, Parvati is described as calming him or complementing his violence by slow, creative steps of her own Lasya dance.[15] In many myths, Parvati is not as much his complement as his rival, tricking, seducing, or luring him away from his ascetic practices.[15]
Again, Parvati subdues Shiva's immense sexual vitality. In this context, Shiva Purana says: 'The linga of Shiva, cursed by the sages, fell on the earth and burnt everything before it like fire. Parvati took the form of a yoni and calmed it by holding the linga in her yoni'. The Padma Purana also tells the story of Parvati assuming the form of yoni to receive lingam of Shiva, who was cursed by sage Bhrigu to be the form of the lingam.[16]
Three images are central to the mythology, iconography and philosophy of Parvati:
These images that combine the two deities, Shiva and Parvati, yield a vision of reconciliation, interdependence and harmony between the way of the ascetic and that of a householder.[17]
The couple are often depicted in the Puranas as engaged in "dalliance" or seated on Mount Kailash or discussing abstract concepts in Hindu theology. Occasionally, they are depicted as quarrelling.[18] In stories of the birth of Kartikeya, the couple are described as love-making generating the seed of Shiva. Parvati's union with Shiva symbolises the union of a male and female in "ecstasy and sexual bliss".[19] In art, Parvati is depicted seated on Shiva's knee or standing beside him (together the couple is referred to as Uma-Maheshvara or Hara-Gauri) or as Annapurna (the goddess of grain) giving alms to Shiva.[20]
Shaiva approaches tend to look upon Parvati primarily as the Shiva's submissive and obedient wife and helpmate. However, Shaktas focus on Parvati's equality or even superiority to her consort. The story of the birth of the ten Mahavidyas (Wisdom Goddesses) of Shakta Tantrism. This event occurs while Shiva is living with Parvati in her father's house. Following an argument, he attempts to walk out on her. Her rage manifests in the form of ten terrifying goddesses who block Shiva's every exit.
As the scholar David Kinsley explains,
The fact that [Parvati] is able to physically restrain Shiva dramatically makes the point that she is superior in power. The theme of the superiority of the goddess over male deities is common in Shakta texts, [and] so the story is stressing a central Shakta theological principle. ... The fact that Shiva and Parvati are living in her father's house in itself makes this point, as it is traditional in many parts of India for the wife to leave her father's home upon marriage and become a part of her husband's lineage and live in his home among his relatives. That Shiva dwells in Parvati's house thus implies Her priority in their relationship. Her priority is also demonstrated in her ability, through the Mahavidyas, to thwart Shiva's will and assert her own.[21]
Aum Girijayai cha vidmahe Shivapriyayai cha dhimahi tanno durgah prachodayat
May the goddess Durga, who is the daughter of the mountains and the beloved of lord Shiva illumine me with spiritual wisdom
Sarvamangala mangalye shive sarvardha sadhike sharanye tryambake gouri narayani namostute
I bow down to and take the refuge of the three eyed Mother Gouri(Parvati) of fair countenance,who is the embodiment of supreme auspiciousness,the giver of all the benedictions,the beloved of Lord Shiva and the power of lord Narayana.
During the initial stages when Parvathi was performing intense puja to Shiva to obtain Shiva as her husband, Shiva kept testing her by destroying the Shiva lingam she constructed to perform puja. Vishnu then helped in constructing a Shiva lingam for Parvati which was not destroyed by Shiva because of the respect Shiva had towards Vishnu.Thus Vishnu helped Paravthi in continuing her puja for Shiva. This is when Parvathi tied a knot to Vishnu's hand and claimed him as her brother. This is the reason during the marriage of Shiva and Parvathi, Vishnu got involved in all the ceremonies that are supposed to be done by the bride's brother. This is how Parvati is related to Vishnu as a sister.
Though Ganesh considered to be son of Shiva and Parvati, the Matsya Puran, Shiva Puran and Skand Puran ascribe the birth of Ganesh to Parvati only, without any form of participation of Shiva in Ganesh's birth. Once while Parvati yearned to take a bath, there were no attendants around to guard her and stop anyone from accidentally entering the house. Hence she created an image of a boy out of turmeric paste which she prepared to cleanse her body, and infused life into it, and thus Ganesh was born. Parvati was overjoyed that her own son was born and she ordered Ganesh not to allow anyone to enter the house, and Ganesh obediently followed his mother's orders. After a while Shiva returned and tried to enter the house, Ganesh stopped him. Shiva asked the child very politely but failed, Lord Shiva assigned his men to straighten out the boy, Shiva's men was carrying weapons, the boy wasn't scared of Lord Shiva's men, he was a proficent warrior, he beat them with a stick, the Gods were watching from above the sky, so did Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu, they all went to Shiva, Shiva's men told Lord Shiva that the boy has hurt them. Shiva told Lord Vishnu and Brahma that a naughty boy has appeared in Kailash, Lord Brahma and Vishnu had an idea, they will disguise them as saints and will go set the boy straight, when the disguised saints came to Ganesh, he didn't know that Lord Brahma and Vishnu's identities were hidden, the saints tried to set boy straight and to apologize to Shiva but failed again, Indra came with his huge, heavenly army, Parvati came to know about the boy in trouble with the huge army, she was furious and created two Goddesses, Kali and Gauri, she ordered them to help Ganesh to kill the huge army of Indra, so when the army tried to attack Ganesh, Gauri and Kali attacked them first, Kali used her scimitar to behead the armies of Indra and Gauri used her trident to stab them. Meanwhile, Indra fled the battlefield and got the news about Kali and Gauri helping Ganesh, Shiva came to the battlefield where Ganesh was standing, Shiva asked him to move but no use, Ganesh waged a war, Shiva lost his temper and beheaded Ganesh with his trident. When Parvati came out and saw her son's lifeless body, she was very angry, she started to question all Gods, even Lord Shiva that why did he kill Ganesh, Lord Shiva tried to make Parvati understand but no use. She immediately revealed her true self as Adi Shakti, she threatened to destroy everyone and everything. She called upon the nine forms within her, the nine forms surrounded her, namely, Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kushmanda, Skandmata, Katyayani, Kaal Ratri, Maha Gauri and Siddhidatri. She ordered them to destroy the whole world and the Gods and the humans. She advised them that if her son does not get back to life, then everyone and everything will be destroyed completely and the Nava Durga vanished and left to go destroy different worlds, Siddhidatri chose the sky, Kushmanda chose outer space, Kaal Ratri chose earth, Chandraghanta chose the battlefield, Brahmacharini chose the heavens to destroy, Katyayani chose hell, Skand Mata chose to destroy houses of saints, Maha Gauri and Shailputri chose to destroy the Gods, humans and saints. Meanwhile, Adi Shakti then demanded Shiva restore Ganesh's life at once. The Gods prostrated at her feet and ordered Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, Indra, Demi Gods and Shiva's men all together to go bring to the north direction and see the first animal in sight that comes their way. Adi Shakti vanished, leaving the headless human body of Ganesh lying there. She went to destroy the 24 worlds with her nine manifestations, her nine powers were leaving the worlds that they were creating apocalypse. They all were surrounding Adi Shakti from all sides, helping her create more apocalypse. Meanwhile, Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva, Indra, Demi Gods and Shiva's men were all inspecting the destruction that Adi Shakti and her powerful Navdurga forms did, entirely all the creatures were destroyed, so were the humans. Entirely all of the Godly army back in Kailash were destroyed by Kali and Gauri, they disappeared very quickly when Lord Shiva, Vishnu, Brahma, Indra's Gods and Shiva's men were on their way back to Kailash. One creature was not destroyed. Lord Shiva was happy this one creature was not killed, Lord Vishnu cuts the elephant's head with his discus. Lord Brahma creates the same elephant head and attaches it to the elephant's body again. The elephant's head was attached to Ganesh's body, bringing him back to life. Adi Shakti and her furious nine forms were extremely busy destroying the whole world when they heard a tiny voice: 'Mother'? Adi Shakti knew it was her son Ganesh, she hurried back to Kailash, with her nine forms, Shiva showed the Goddess her son with an elephant's head, her nine Navdurga forms went back inside her body. Adi Shakti re-appeared as Parvati and saw Ganesh, she was extremely pleased that her son was alive again, Shiva declared that the child be made head of the ghost-followers (Ganas) of Shiva and worshipped by everyone before beginning any activity, and Gods accepted this condition. Ganesh is identified as a God named after his mother. He is called Umaputra, Parvatisuta, Gaurisuta meaning son of Parvati and Heramba, "mother's beloved son".
Naturally, Parvati's unique characteristics have become more and more obscured, as she absorbed more and more goddesses into her iconography. Therefore, her depictions have become rather generic today. When shown with Shiva, she carries a blue lotus in full bloom, shows the abhaya mudra (hand gesture of fearlessness) and usually has one of her children on her knee. The only hint of her former occult status is the somewhat languid appearance of her eyes, as one who has recently emerged from deep meditation. Other goddesses are usually shown with large staring eyes as this is considered a mark of beauty. The consorts of the other two Gods of the trinity, Saraswati and Lakshmi, may be depicted alone, but Parvati hasn't been depicted this way for many centuries.
The goddess is usually represented as a fair and beautiful.[23]
The colour of her vestments is milk-white, the colour of enlightenment and knowledge. Since white is a combination of all hues it shows that She has all the qualities or Gunas. Since white also depicts huelesness, it indicates that She is devoid of all Gunas. Hence, She is referred to as Trigunatmika (having the three gunas—Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas)—and at the same time being Nirguna (without any gunas). She has three eyes. Her accoutrements tend to be those of a Rishi (seer). She is also usually depicted with jatamukuta or a crown of matted hair, as Shiva is usually depicted. She is also shown as having a crescent moon bound in her locks, like Shiva.
Images of Parvati, wearing a sacred thread something not many women are associated with and as this marks the second-birth or dwija it is seems an advanced concept far beyond early pashupatas, and with her hair styled in a top knot like a Rishi (seer) survive into the Chola period (approximately ninth century A.D.). In fact, these two particularities were the only means of distinguishing her statuary from the images of the Goddess Shri of the time.
Her Mudras (symbolic hand gestures) are Kataka—fascination and enchantment, Hirana—the antelope, the powers of nature and the elusive, Tarjani—gesture of menace, and Chandrakal—the moon, a symbol of intelligence. Kataka must be affected by one of the foremost hands as it is a means of drawing the worshiper closer. Tarjani must be described with the left hand, which symbolises contempt, and usually in the back set of hands. If Parvati is depicted with two hands, then Tarjani and Chandrakal may be dropped but Hirana and Kataka are signature except in very modern representations, where Abhaya (fearlessness), and Varada, (beneficence), are used.
Parvati's Vahana (animal vehicle), is usually considered to be a Lion nowadays, in her form as Durga, but was probably originally one of the mountain lions native to the Himalayas. It was also, likely, a Lioness, as Parvati's cult is so exclusively feminine.[24] Although there is no documentation to support an affiliation between Goddess Parvati and this wondrous, mythic animal, it does seem an appropriate vehicle for an ascetic magical mountain goddess with an exclusively female clergy and following.[25] In certain aspects of Parvati, such as the Mahagouri form of the Navadurga group, her vahana is Shiva's vahana, Nandi, the sacred bull.
In several myths, the presence of a dark, violent side of this otherwise benign Parvati is suggested. When approached by the gods to defeat demons, Parvati morphs back to her true self, shakti, which is pure energy, untamed, unchecked and chaotic. Her wrath crystallizes into a dark, blood thirsty, tangled-hair Goddess with an open mouth and a drooping tongue. This goddess is usually identified as the terrible mahakali or Kali.[13] In Linga Purana, Parvati summons Kali on the request of Shiva, to destroy a female asura (demoness) Daruka. Even after destroying the demoness, Kali's wrath could not be controlled. She ran around the three worlds in her mad, blind fury and creation was endangered. To lower Kali's rage, Shiva appeared as a crying baby in the middle of a battlefield.[26] The cries of the baby raised the maternal instinct of Kali who started breast-feeding Shiva and resorted back to her benign form as Parvati.[27] Kali is associated and identified with Parvati as Shiva's consort.[28]
In Skanda Purana, Parvati is said to have assumed a form of a warrior-goddess and defeated a demon called Durg who assumes the form of a buffalo. Thereafter, she is by the name Durga.[29] In myths relating to her defeat of demons Sumbha and Nisumbha, Durga emerges from Parvati when Parvati sheds her outer sheath, which takes an identity of its own as a warrior goddess.[29]
Although Parvati is considered to be synonymous with Kali, Durga, Kamakshi, Meenakshi, Gauri and many others in modern day Hinduism, many of these "forms" or incarnations originated from different sects, or traditions, and the distinctions from Parvati are pertinent.[30]
The Shastras (sanctioned works of religious doctrine) attribute the golden colour of goddess Gauri's skin and ornaments to the story of Parvati casting off her unwanted dark complexion after Shiva teased her, but the cult of Gauri tells a different story. Gauri is in essence a fertility Goddess, and is venerated as a corn mother which would seem to suggest that she owes her colouring to the hues of ripening grain, for which she is propitiated.[31]
So whatever be said, Goddess Parvati has two main forms, what actually shaktas says out of which one is Lalita who is Supreme in Srikula family of shaktism and second one is Durga or kali who is supreme in kalikula family.
Demon Durgasur takes over the three worlds by absorbing the vedas which are the sources of power to the gods by the grace of Brahma. The Gods go to shiva for help who requests Parvati to kill Durgasur. The reason being, Parvati, the original representation of Adi shakti, the source of power to the vedas themselves, could palpably be the only recourse to destroy Durgasur even if he had the vedas protecting him. She creates a clone of herself in the form of a damsel messenger known as Kaal Ratri. Parvati orders Kaal Ratri to go to Durgasur to send a message to him asking him to surrender heaven back to the gods. Kaal Ratri tells Durgasur that Parvati had sent her as a messenger and gave him a chance to surrender.Durgasur,furious,orders his soldiers to take her to custody. Kaal Ratri assumes a gigantic size as her annihilative form and vanishes. Back at Kailasa Parvati imbues Kaal Ratri inside her body again and appears in the war field to fight Durgasur. Parvati gives her introduction to Durgasur that she is nature,the primodial power, not any God, man or a demon and after a long battle destroys him.
Since she destroyed the demon durgasur she was henceforth praised by the gods as Durga
The Gauri Festival is celebrated on the seventh, eighth, ninth of Bhadrapada Shukla paksha. She is worshipped as the goddess of harvest and protectress of women. Her festival, chiefly observed by women, is closely associated with the festival of her son Ganesha (Ganesh Chaturthi). The festival is popular in Maharashtra and Karnataka.[32]
In Rajasthan the worship of Gauri happens during the Gangaur festival. The festival starts on the first day of Chaitra the day after Holi and continues for 18 days. Images of Issar and Gauri are made from Clay for the festival.
Another very popular festival in regard to the Mother Parvati is Navratri, in which all her manfestations are worshiped for nine days. Actually the festival is associated with Her warrior appearance is Mother Durga, with her nine forms i.e. Shailputri, Brahmacharini, Chandraghanta, Kashmunda, Skandmata, Katyani, Kalratri, Mahagauri, Siddhidaatri.
Another festival Gauri tritiya is celebrated from Chaitra shukla third to Vaishakha shukla third. It is believed that Parvati spends a month at her parent's home now. This festival is popular in Maharashtra and Karnataka, less observed in North India and unknown in Bengal. The unwidowed women of the household erect a series of platforms in a pyramidal shape with the image of the goddess at the top and collection of ornaments, images of other Hindu deities, pictures, shells etc. below. Neighbours are invited and presented with turmeric, fruits, flowers etc. as gifts. At night, prayers are held by singing and dancing.Down south in Tamil Nadu and Andhra The Kethara Gauri Vritham festival is celebrated on the new moon day of Diwali and the unwidowed women of the family fast for the whole day and prepare sweets and worship the goddess for the well-being of the family[33]
Shiva udu raaj mukhi temple
The Mookambika Devi temple in Kollur, Karnataka is dedicated to an aspect of Parvati.
Shiva, Himalayas, Girish Kasaravalli, Hindu, Parvati


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subset: commoncrawl


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Hurricane Damage and the Catastrophic Effects
As global warming continues to inflict its adverse effects on the planet our species is beginning to see how it will affect our cities and the citizens who populate them. Specifically, hurricanes currently are inflicting the greatest amounts of immediate physical damage. While most people care very little about climate change, and some even consider climate change to be illegitimate, there is a grave threat to the safety of citizens all around the world. The shift in wind patterns has caused perfect breeding grounds for tropical storms of great magnitude. Ecological preservation is ultimately the key to combating these disasters from affecting future generations. Until reasonable efforts to combat climate change are enacted, the world can expect to continue seeing horrendous displays of the force of nature.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall along the Louisiana coast as the largest, most damaging hurricane to ever impact the United States. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey, which was even bigger than Katrina, has drastically affected residents in Houston, Corpus Christi, and other coastal cities in Texas. Hurricanes of this strength cause severe flooding that has the potential to kill thousands as seen in Katrina. This flooding poses great threats to property and the health of victims. In Katrina, there were over 1.7 million insurance claims made after the storm made landfall. Since then, over ten years ago, insurance agencies have allotted an approximated $41.1 billion in reparation checks. In current cases like Harvey, or others moving forward, victims should take the necessary precautions when making insurance claims and should pursue legal action if their insurance company acts in bad faith. Typically it would be best to utilize skilled professional assistance to facilitate the process.
Efforts to further combat climate change are society's best bet on decreasing the likelihood of other mass catastrophic events from happening. Human consumption of the earth's resources has had a tremendous negative effect on the biosphere. The earth is an entirely designed realm, and every toxic substance, fossil fuel, or other cause of pollution can severely damage the fragile conditions that keep the earth's atmosphere intact. The holes in our ozone are not recent discoveries. The information for humans to make an informed decision on environmental practices has been available since 1985 when the discovery of depletions in ozone levels covering the Antarctic. This was long before the extreme population growths for the planet, the rise of the transportation sector, and the mass overproduction of nonbiodegradable goods. It should not come as a surprise that we are experiencing the harsh repercussions of human actions against the planet's interest. Instead of accepting the cruel fate of humanity we should join together in a global effort for the survival of the human species.
In summary, hurricanes are powerful beasts with the capability of inflicting unimaginable terror on largely populated coastal cities. The wrath of previous storms has inflicted enormous damage on the main cities causing billions of dollars in reconstruction fees. To prevent further instances of mega catastrophic proportions, it is imperative that a global mission to combat climate change begin. Any person who is passionate about ending these disasters can start by informing themselves on the facts of climate change.


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…Says Fayose attitude driving investors away
The All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Ekiti State has expressed concern over the alleged refusal of Governor Ayo Fayose to sustain the state investment in Warm Springs Water Limited.
The party rued the imminent collapse of the company which was floated by the Adeniyi Adebayo administration in partnership with United African Company (UAC) Limited. The company produces the popular Gossy Water.
APC Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, in a statement on Thursday lamented that the policies of the Fayose administration has been driving investors away from the state.
Olatunbosun said the imminent collapse of the company was an evidence Fayose's neglect of government enterprises that have potentials to generate jobs for Ekiti people.
It was learnt that the board of Warm Spring Waters Limited had given liquidation notice to stakeholders, citing failure of the company to pay its debts and other challenges.
Olatunbosun cited the closure of GTB, Ecobank and Coca Cola over their alleged refusal to surrender their corporate social responsibility cash to Fayose as reasons why they were forced out of the state.
Olatunbosun said the latest on the list of the shut down businesses would be Gossy Water to be liquidated at the extra ordinary general meeting of the company on February 6th, 2018.
"One major reason for the winding up of the company is the unfavourable business environment such that there was no electricity supply to the company to run effectively for three years, including the non-patronage of the company's product by Fayose's administration because the company was the initiative of his predecessor.


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If you are interested in this course fill out the following form for further details:
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Other training courses in Coventry.
Become an expert flowcharter with the customisable tools of Microsoft Visio 2016. Easily create a professional-looking visual product by using its extensive gallery of shapes. By following the exercises in this course, you will create visually engaging diagrams, maps, and drawings using graphical elements to make information easier to comprehend.
In this course, you will:
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Microsoft Visio 2016 Training Course - Intermediate
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Boldness might be the most important consideration. Campbell's formulation that a hero journeys until he ends up transformed in a version of hell might seem quaint at first, but it is in fact essential to the structure of novels. If your protagonist remains within the bounds that order his everyday life, the reader will quickly become bored. His restlessness, his desire to break free, lies at the heart of story tension. The tenet that nine out of ten people remain in their parents' socioeconomic status tells you which one you should be writing about.
What are the bounds that hem in nine out of ten? That's one of the beauties of fiction writing: they are what you say they are. A young woman defying the norms of her small town may commit an act, like kissing a boy while dancing at prom, that in another context would seem like small potatoes. The rules you create, though the strictures enforced by other characters, draw the lines that a heroine should not cross.
The notion of a journey is also instructive. If your hero does not advance through a series of stages to whatever dragon awaits him in its cave, your story will have no momentum. Sneaking out to do drugs all night with friends is merely a stage of experimentation. Do it more than a few times, and the novel will reach a listless plateau. Whether that leads to drinking alone to excess or to leaving home for good doesn't matter as long as the progression leads to more consequential acts.
The climax in hell is the model that most authors follow. A trial must be undertaken in the climax sequence in order for the book to feel complete. The idea of inner transformation resulting from that event is not employed as often, and that often separates the novels you really remember from the ones that are only exciting at the time. The process of reading is a journey of its own, and the more the character changes in the end, the more we feel its impact.
Exercise: Reading old myths can be a tiresome experience, leaving you wondering what the point is. You might profit more from reading an interpretive guide like Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces. The process you are engaged in as a writer is age-old. You may find models that better allow you to tap into that elemental force.
"We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
—Joseph Campbell
Copyright @ 2018, John Paine


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Anton Bruckner, Symphony No. 6
Philharmonie Festiva
Conducted by Gerd Schaller
Profil Hänssler CD PH14021
This is the final recording in Schaller's complete cycle of Bruckner's major symphonies. All have been recorded at the Ebrach Abbey with the Philharmonie Festiva, a festival orchestra drawn from the Munich Bach soloists and the major Munich orchestras. I reviewed the Fourth here and the Fifth here.
Schaller's performance can seem a little understated, particularly at the first hearing of the opening movement. The program notes provide a clue, describing the Sixth as lighter than the other symphonies – in fact, as Bruckner's equivalent to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony. Many enthusiasts of the Sixth (me amongst them) will find this baffling. Bruckner, after all, termed this his "boldest" symphony. Think of the modal changes in the first movement; the rhythmic complexity; and the abrupt changes of mood and musical direction. These aspects are somewhat below the surface in Schaller's recording of the opening movement– although they do come out on a second hearing.
The Adagio is more engaged but still not fully plumbing the depths of the movement. The Scherzo is dynamic and the contrast with the Trio well done. The intensity quotient picks up in the Finale, but Schaller works hard to highlight the complexity of the orchestration and so there is some trade-off. The closing peroration is not as magnificent as in some recordings, but the plus side is Schaller's characteristic technical proficiency and command of the overall structure.
The live sound is good quality and the recording suffers less from the acoustics of Erbrach Abbey than, say, the Fifth. This disc is recommended


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Gem of an Ayrshire business starts to sparkle
IT was an article in a magazine that set Kerri Marshall (26) from Irvine on her current career path.
Picture shows: Kerri Marshall.
And since that fateful day three years ago, she has made not one, but two applications to the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust (PSYBT) for financial support to help turn her dreams into reality.
Kerri had always nurtured a passion for costume jewellery, handbags and fashion accessories. And then, while still working in admin at the Procurator Fiscal's office in Kilmarnock, she read an article about how to make jewellery for herself.
Before she knew it, she was taking a trip to Glasgow, to buy a jewellery-making kit.
She still makes jewellery, but never has enough time - now that she runs her own boutique called Glam Rocks in Kilmarnock's Queen Street plus an at-home sales service.
Kerri explains: "When I do get the time to make my own jewellery, I find that it usually sells within a day or two of going on sale. And I then promise to myself I should make more, but there's always so much else to do."
Her own jewellery bears the name of her shop, Glam Rocks, and occupies a small section of her Kilmarnock premises - which is otherwise devoted to the jewellery, handbags and fashion accessories of other designers.
While her first visit to the PSYBT was to help fund the opening of her shop, the second has been to assist in realising her expansion plans - not a second shop, however, but her 'party plan' service.
At least once a week, Kerri and four other party plan consultants are each
conducting a Glam Rocks party being hosted in people's houses. At these parties the girls sell jewellery and accessories from the boutique.
The consultants work on a commission basis, and the party hostesses receive free gifts, discounts and special promotions.
"It's a lot of fun," says Kerri, explaining why she should wish to attend a party after a full day working in the shop. "I had intended to take a step back from it, when I took on the other girls, but I enjoy it so much. I like meeting new people, I am a people person.
"My application to the PSYBT Growth Fund was to help produce promotional literature for the party plan service, and also to increase my stock levels to meet the expected additional demand.
"The party plan service has been really successful. I started the parties at the start of the year and, as far as the future of Glam Rocks is concerned, it's the party plan route I am looking to develop rather than opening up a second shop for the time being."
"In the next 12 months, I aim to increase the number of consultants that I employ from five to 20."
To find out more, telephone 01563 551 221 or visit www.glamrocks.co.uk
Monday, 27 August 2007
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In Trailbazing Transparency, the most recent report to come out of the Think, Act, Report Initiative, which summarises the latest thinking from business and government on the gender pay information that employers will have to publish and best practice for reporting, Deloitte sets out its support for the Prime Minister's proposals to require larger employers to publish their gender pay gap.
|David Sproul
Deloitte has published its 2015 data in its annual Impact Report. Deloitte's CEO, David Sproul, says:
"We must be open and transparent about the gender issues that face our business; reporting our gender pay gap was a way we could achieve this. Our gender pay gap results did not surprise us, instead serving to confirm what we knew – that the challenge for us as a business is increasing the number of women we have at senior levels. When we look across our organisation as a whole our gender pay gap stands at 17.8 per cent (around 1.3 per cent below the national figure); however, the pay gap between male and female employees at each grade is significantly lower, at 1.5 per cent on average."
Sproul goes on to outline some of the initiatives Deloitte has in hand to improve the position of women in the company.
On bonuses, Trailblazing Transparency says:
"Over £42 billion was paid out in bonuses in 2014-15, so they constitute a significant form of payment for UK employees. If we are serious about closing the gender pay gap, it is important that we consider bonus payments as well. According to the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) male managers are still more likely to get a bonus than female managers. These findings are especially concerning as women still only make up around 34 per cent of senior managers. We also know that the EHRC's 2009 inquiry into sex discrimination in the finance sector found that differences in bonuses awarded to men and women significantly contributed to the pay gap. Bonuses in the finance sector can form a substantial part of an employee's remuneration; the average bonus across all those in employment last year was approximately £1,500 per employee, compared to an average of £13,500 in the finance and insurance industry."
The report does not say what should be done about this.
The report contains some useful graphics and is packed with case studies from companies who are signed up to Think, Act, Report. PWC and Deloitte are to be congratulated on being the only contributors to have processes in place for reporting on their gender pay gaps.


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I wanted to write a brilliant post greeting the new year and bidding good riddance to the old, but instead I sat around. This is how much the new year has inspired me.
My acupuncturist suggested that I eliminate flour, sugar, and dairy from my diet. This is supposed to help my asthma, and, of course, my fertility (because if it wouldn't help my fertility, then really, what would be the point?). I'd been mulling over this suggestion for a couple of weeks, since I don't have a great track record of sticking with my weird diets.
When I was little, I had a ton of food allergies, and so my mom (Hi mom!) was really careful about everything I ate - at home or at other people's houses. There were lists of food I could and could not eat - long, detailed lists. And then I started to grow out of my allergies, or at least to be less affected by them, and so I got less careful about what I ate. And by college, I ate pretty much whatever I wanted - mostly okay food, with an average portion of total junk. One summer in college I went on an anti-Candida diet, where I didn't eat flour, sugar, or fermented things. It worked fine during the summer, but back at school? Not so much. The year before my wedding, after doing a lot of research on my recent PCOS diagnosis, I went on a modified low-carb/Atkins-variety diet. This was, of course, back in the days when everyone thought that low-carb was a terrible idea, and people on the PCOS mailing list would exchange their responses to the obnoxious comments people would make about their eating habits. I lost a ton of weight, though - not that it shows anymore.
Most recently I've tried reducing my carb intake, or at least cutting back on white flour and sugar - this is what I had planned for this next go-around. But instead, I'm eating this weird combination of macrobiotic and I-don't-know. I'm making it up as I go along.
What makes this all the more complicated is that J is not a particularly adventurous eater - and he's not a big fan of veggies, or tofu, or fish. He's more of a pasta and bread person - and that's a clear no-no for me. So I'm experimenting with these recipes that I'm not sure even sound appealing to me, but I don't want to complain because I want him to try some of this new food too. And, since it's not exactly macrobiotic or anything else (since I'm still eating chicken, fish, and meat), there's no clear guidebook. I just have to pull from a variety of sources and make it up.
Tonight I made a veggie-beef stew in the slow cooker. Haven't tasted it yet - we'll see how that goes. Maybe we can put it over one of my many new whole grain products - bulghur and quinoa and wheat berries, oh my!
Tuesday, January 04, 2005
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A.I. & Machine Learning Software and Algorithms
A.I. and M.L. as a Service
MaxDecisions, Inc. is expert in deploying A.I. and Machine Learning software and algorithms in Marketing, Risk and Operations can help you grow your lending portfolio. We have decades of online lending experience that can help you quickly launch portfolios with the latest technology.
A.I. Driven Credit Risk Management
We specialize in creating artificial intelligence and machine learning softrware in fraud and credit risk management for small business and online consumer lenders. We build sophisticated underwriting models that's customized for your portfolio. Leveraging MaxDecisions' experience is your competitive advantage.
Algorithm-Based Direct Mail Software
We help client to source the best quality traffic and the lowest cost per funded loan basis. Our proprietary A.I. lead generation algorithm and custom solutions lowers lender's default rate and decreases cost per funded loan. We work with all lead providers, credit bureaus and loan originations platform.
End-to-End Direct Mail Services
MaxDecisions, Inc. offers customers a turn-key solution from prospect selection to mail delivery. Our Direct Mail campaign management process is efficient and industry leading. We have developed FCRA and non-FCRA risk and response Direct Mail algorithms that work with all prime and sub prime bureaus.
A.I. & Machine Learning Loan Originations and Management Software
We have a the state of the art web-based loan originations system (LOS) and loan management system (LMS) that's integrated with all online fraud prevention, identity verification, credit bureaus and payment systems. We have engineers standing by that can help you with website development and loan processing.
Custom A.I. and Machine Learning Software
MaxDecisions, Inc. offers custom A.I. and Machine Learning software development for banks and FinTechs. Our engineers have decades of software, algorithm and banking experience that are ready to help.
We help our clients with their key strategic issues, leveraging our deep industry expertise and using analytical rigor to help them make informed decisions more quickly and solve their toughest and most critical business problems.
Founded in Texas in 2016, we've serviced over 100 clients in banking, insurance, financial services secrture. We advise and support global lending companies that are leaders in their industries.
We build A.I. and Machine Learning software to help our clients to optimize their marketing, risk, compliance and operations processes by creative unique and custom technology and algorithmic solutions that becomes our client's competitive advantage.
We specialize in online lending and financial services. Whether it is small business lending or consumer lending. Our unique solutions to generate organic traffic and custom underwriting solutions gives our clients an industry leading competitive advantage. We have experience in building A.I. algorithms for Point of Sale, Student and Home Improvement lenders world wide.
MaxDecisions, Inc. has staff members that can fulfill Chief Marketing, Risk, Operations and Compliance Officer roles to help our clients to manage their portfolio. Our Lending As A Service offering immediately brings industry expertise to accelerate the growth of your portfolio.
MaxDecisions Announces "FinTech Summer" Internship and Scholarship Program
MaxDecisions' Summer Intern Program aims to provide senior undergraduate or graduate students with the opportunity to gain valuable work experience in analytics, marketing and risk management for Fintech industry.
MaxDecisions, Inc. Launches Enterprise A.I. & Machine Learning Services – MaxDecisions A.I.
Growth through innovation/creativity. Rather than be constrained by ideas for new products, services and new markets coming from just a few people, a Thinking Corporation can tap into the employees.
MaxDecisons Inc. Welcomes Jimmy Yang
Plano, TX (April 4th, 2019) – For Immediate Release – MaxDecicisons Inc., a leader in direct mail marketing, analytics, and predictive modeling, today announces hiring of Jimmy Yang, Risk Data Analyst in our newly expanded Plano, Texas headquarters. Jimmy comes to us with a Master's degree from The University of Texas at Dallas in Information
MaxDecisions, Inc. Expands in Plano, Texas
Plano, TX (April 3rd, 2019) – For Immediate Release – MaxDecicisons Inc., is a leader in performance marketing, analytics, and predictive modeling, today announces its expansion of the company headquarter in Plano, Texas "We founded our company in Texas three years ago and the State and it's great talents have helped us grown our business
MaxDecisions, Inc. Promotes Nicole Houston to Chief Executive Officer
Plano, TX (Jan 21th, 2019) – For Immediate Release – MaxDecicisons Inc., is a leader in performance marketing, analytics and predictive modelling, today announces today that it has promoted Nicole Houston to Chief Executive Officer. Nicole Houston was instrumental in growing MaxDecisions, Inc.'s business and client base since 2016. She along with Founder Timothy Li and
MaxDecisions, Inc. Announces Marketing Partnership with New Challenger Bank
Plano, TX (Jan 14th, 2019) – For Immediate Release – MaxDecicisons Inc., is a leader in performance marketing, analytics and predictive modelling, today announces the establishment of providing offline marketing solutions to a new challenger bank. MaxDecisions, Inc. will be providing prospect list fulfillment to mailing logistics as the named partner for the new challenger bank.
MaxDecisions Receives Metro2 Certificate from CDIA (Consumer Data Industry Association)
axDecicisons Inc., is a leader in analytics and predictive modelling and performance marketing, today announced today that it has received Metro2 certification from CDIA (Consumer Data Industry Association). The combination of our analytics, portfolio management report and Metro2 Credit Reporting capabilities make it easier for lenders and financial institutions to report accurate representations of consumer payment behaviours to major credit bureaus.
MaxDecisions, Inc. Joins American Fair Credit Council (AFCC) to Advance Debt Settlement Industry
MaxDecicisons Inc., is a leader in analytics and predictive modelling and performance marketing, today announced its partnership with American Fait Credit Council to support, advance and expand the debt settlement industry. Under the industry Alliance program, MaxDecisions, Inc. is positioned to better support other members of AFCC to design high performance and compliant marketing strategies to ensure all Americans in need of debt relief to onto a healthier and manageable financial life.


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India Ratings expects the Indian education sector's market size to increase to Rs 602,410 crore ($109.84 billion) by FY15 due to the expected strong demand for quality education. Indian education sector's market size in FY12 is estimated to be Rs 341,180 crore.
The sector grew at a compounded annual growth rate of 16.5% during FY05-FY12. The higher education (HE) segment was at 34.04% ($17.02billion) of the total size in FY10 and grew by a CAGR of 18.13% during FY04-FY10.
India Ratings, a Fitch Group Company, said that it has a stable outlook on the Indian education sector which includes both school and higher education.
Despite a high demand for education within India, India Ratings has concerns of the sector. In 2012, the sector faced liquidity issues due to a fall in enrolment growth and delays in HE students' fee reimbursements by a few state governments.
"Some segments in the education sector face enrolment slowdown due to macro-economic factors, lack of industry appeal and employability issues. Management institutes with less or no industry association witness low enrolment and revenues leading to loan defaults or closures. India Ratings does not expect enrolments for these entities to rebound in the short term," said the report.
In the recent past several education institutes have discontinued programmes due to fewer demand. A case in point is Mumbai-based Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies (NMIMS) which has decided to discontinue the MBA programme in actuarial science.
This fall in enrolment growth and delays in HE students' fee reimbursements by a few state governments has created liquidity issues for many. "Fee ceilings in HE institutes (both for the government and management quota) and schools curb the financial prowess of the entities. Even though the fee reimbursements scheme (applicable only to HE) propelled enrolments and made education affordable to certain educationally disadvantaged sections of the society, delays in reimbursements by a few states tightened the liquidity for education institutes," said the report.
Irrespective of an institutes' size, loan repayments depend on its relationship with lenders. Due to tightly-regulated operations such as restrictions on student intake, fees and infrastructure, an institution's autonomy is restricted, leading to weak finances and credit indiscipline. In India Ratings' opinion, the upcoming regulatory changes could possibly provide autonomy and enhance the credit quality of the issuers.
The stipulation to keep education as a not-for-profit structure is seeing evolution of new structures. "Although the institutes were formed as 'not-for-profit', they plough back profits through associates. Associate companies provide facilities management and charges management fees, lease rentals and other fees. India Ratings views the structure evolvement as a positive," said the report.
Although, foreign investment is allowed under automatic route in education, there are regulatory issues. Nevertheless, twining programs with foreign institutions are recognised by the regulators.
The other key positive for the sector is the federal government's 12th Five Year Plan to propel the gross enrolment rate across levels, establish new entities, liberalising the sector (allow private universities and foreign players) and take other measures including access enhancement, might revive the demand for the sector. These measures, combined with adherence to contractual provisions, would result in a positive outlook.


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At dinner that night, my father asked us what we were going to do to give back to the world. He stated that today was filled with blessings. So, what was our plan to give back? I wasn't sure. I told him I was going to think about it. A few days passed and I thought about a way to give back. It was called, "Give an egg. Sell an egg." I heard of kids doing this so I thought I would give it a try. This is how it works…
West Island Blog
The following articles have been published in the West Island Blog at www.westislandblog.com
My column is titled: Keeping it Real
Who Makes Your Rules?
Simply Positive
Perhaps Carole King said it best in her song 'Beautiful'. Her words are the encouragement to start every morning with a smile on your face. I start my morning with thanks to G-d for giving me this day to live. I'm simply blessed with the opportunity to write this article. Nothing is taken for granted. Nothing!
Everything can change in a moment. Peace is a privilege.
The Superhero in You
When presented with a glass which is half filled with water, I'm asked, "Is this glass half full or half empty?" For me, it's neither. I see the glass entirely full to the top! The glass is filled with water and air, both which are required for life. If the water is clean to drink, and the air is clean to breathe, and the glass is clean to drink from, the glass is wonderfully full of hope!
O'l Fashion or a Classic?
My paper love affair came to an abrupt halt the other day. I was making an appointment in a Doctor's office. I pulled out my bright red agenda book (which also has gorgeous paper to write on), when a friend announced, "Sue! Are you still using an agenda book? Why don't you just put your appointments in your cell? Sue, you're ancient!"
See Beyond the Sight
At the end of one of my creative writing workshops, a student got up from her chair, stretched and said, "Ahhhhhh! That felt like I was meditating!" Her comment took me by surprise! Students say many things to me after a class or workshop. Mostly, they ask questions about the course materials and content. This was the first time a student compared a creative writing workshop to meditation.
A Bottle of Time
He continued to walk with his head slightly down. I watched him walk away. I couldn't take my eyes off of him. He walked up the hill onto the football field. At the top of the hill, he stopped, waved then walked behind some trees. At that moment, I lost sight of him. I covered my mouth and started to cry tears of joy, of gratitude, happiness and a drop of grief.
Back to Schooooolllllllaaa
And… Now, I have butterflies of excitement in my stomach. I love this time of year. So many things will happen in the next 50 days which gets me giddy.
Loving the Fog
My desk is full of papers. I have dozens of emails waiting for replies and regular mail to open. The magazine and newspaper pile has significantly grown. The "To Do" list is very long and also needs my attention. I've got a lot of stuff to do…
But…I don't care. I'm pleasantly in a fog. A glorious fog in fact!
Anti-Bucket List Gal
Astronaut Chris Hadfield said it best, "I'm an anti-bucket list guy. I don't like bucket lists. That means that for almost your entire life you're carrying around visual evidence of your own failure. Why do you do that to yourself?" Good question Chris!
It Could Always Be Worse
During a gorgeous hot summer night, I was out walking with a couple of girlfriends. While walking the girls started to vent! To vent means to get the steam out. To discuss everything that is causing psychological, emotional, or physical distress. In some cases, venting may cause your arms to swing, feet to stomp, voices to yell, and hair to be pulled. Actually, it may look like a visual display of madness.
I Found Myself
I wasn't a lost person, always looking for themselves. I knew who I was early on. I felt connected to my world and work quite quickly. However, now I would love to talk to my 20-year-old self and say, "Hey, it's ok to say NO – often. It's ok not to agree. It's ok that people won't like you for being you. It's ok to be independent. It's ok to live along your own path even if it's unpopular. It's ok to simply be you!"
The Profession Which Pays in LOVE
And… What profession am I talking about? How do you get paid in LOVE? Is actual LOVE the currency? Am I talking about matchmaking? Am I talking about a form of Professional Love? Also… What type of love am I referring to? The love people have for each other, or for animals, or for inanimate objects? Tell me! Which profession pays in love?
The Random Occurrence of Wonderful
The other morning I woke up to the sound of ticking on my bathroom window. Tick, tick, tick, tick … Stop … Again, tick, tick, tick, tick … Stop. Again and again, the same ticking sound and then it would stop. This pattern repeated for about five minutes. I rolled over in my bed and tried to go back to sleep. I assumed it was a squirrel running about.
Eat the chocolate
Now…is the time. Not tomorrow. Not the next day. Not when you are on vacation. Not when you have reached your perfect weight. Not only on your birthday. Not when you deserve it. Not when the stars, the moon and the planets are all perfectly aligned.
Today is the day to eat the chocolate.
I need to hold it, I need to touch it, I need to feel it
Oh, how I miss the simple pleasures of receiving mail. When mail passes through the mail slot of my front door, I usually get excited. The anticipation of, "What am I going to receive today", is fun. But… Lately, I'm disappointed. I've been receiving mostly advertisement flyers……. Where are the love letters?
Baby, I Launched It!
After months and months of planning, I have officially launched my 2018 Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Fundraising campaign! It's a really big deal for me. I have been involved with JDRF since its inception. Somewhere well over 35+ years ago, I participated in their first ever JDRF Bike-a-thon event. I haven't stopped raising funds for this cause as a cure has not been found. Until a cure for diabetes is found, I won't stop. I don't think I can stop unless we obtain our goal. It's got to come soon because I'm cranking up there in the age zone.
Life's Balance – Balance Life's
So, I asked some of my friends and family about their life's balance. Specifically I asked, Do you have a balance in your life? If you do or don't, briefly explain it to me. Every friend had a different perspective on their life's balance. Here are their responses…
Do You Remember Your Numbers?
How in the world am I supposed to remember my pin number? It's not like I have only one. I have many and on a given day I need to access quite a few numbers. My memory isn't as great as it used to be. Actually, it sucks! Can I blame this and everything else on menopause?
A Boat of Quotes
"Dear, don't bother holding your tongue. Just use a glue stick instead of your lipstick."
The thought of me taking a glue stick out of my purse instead of a lipstick would be hysterical. I might just use this as a prop one night when I'm out with my girlfriends.
Sometimes not speaking and listening more intently is the best and safest approach to being. You can never be misquoted from what you don't say!


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How to cope with bullying
Whether it's in the playground or the workplace, there will always be bullies in the world. But just like a thief has no right to take your stuff, a bully has no right to intimidate or hurt you. The fact that there will always be bullies does not mean that you should learn to put up with them, but rather that you should learn how to deal with them. So whether your bully is 6 or 60, we're going to look at several ways you can cope with bullying.
Sometimes, being told to be confident can seem like being told to be taller: it's not something you can control at will. But bullies are usually lazy, and always seek out the easiest targets. The sooner you show them that you are confident, the sooner they will move on. The important thing to remember is that, no matter what they're doing, you're right. Whether they're making comments about your appearance, your work, or your social life, they have no right to belittle you. Remember that what they really want is a reaction, so don't let them faze or upset you, and don't take their words to heart. To learn more about this, see our blog on techniques for assertiveness.
A bully may be looking for a reaction like making their victim upset, but there is nothing they love more than retaliation. If you lose your cool and start lashing back, you'll open the floodgates. Suddenly, it becomes harder to report, because it is less clear if there is bullying going on or a dispute between two people. Furthermore, it places pressure on you to out-bully your bully. Whether it's a physical fight or a war of the words, entering the fray will give them licence to keep throwing punches. Finally, retaliation will show the bully that they can get a rise out of you, and you will make yourself a more interesting target. It can be hard to avoid the temptation, but retaliation usually makes things worse.
How and how often you engage with a bully is something you have at least some control over. Obviously you'll want to minimise your exposure to them, but don't let them drive you out of the cafeteria at lunchtime. You should try to keep as much communication as you can in writing, so that there is a paper trail of their conduct towards you. After that, you should try and be in a group in places the bully might be, or bring a "witness" to any meetings you need to have.
It can be hard to maintain control of your emotions when you are in a vulnerable situation, but this is crucial to getting a bully to lose interest. Using factual, emotionless language is one of the best way to diffuse individual situations. Saying things like "I'm really busy, so do you actually need anything" means they have to say either yes or no, or you can leave the conversation quickly if they don't. Saying this avoids framing yourself as a victim or showing that they're getting to you, and eventually they will lose interest.
Of course, there comes a time when enough is enough and the person should be reported. Before doing this, you'll want to know what your rights are, what behaviour of theirs is actionable, and have examples of the behaviour in question. Some behaviour, like your boss giving all the excess work to you and then making you do it again, is less clear than others. Your boss may very well be picking on you, but since it is their job to make sure you do your job, this can be hard to prove unless they have made you go beyond the boundaries of your position. Remember that the person you're reporting it too will need to make an informed decision and cannot just assume you are telling the truth, so having written proof or other witnesses to support your claims will always make things much easier.
To learn more about bullying, take a look at our blogs on the impact of childhood bullying on mental health, and cyberbullying.


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Should Authors Design Their Own Books?
by Joel Friedlander
Sooner or later, as an author who wants to independently publish your own book, you'll come to the question we all face: should you design your own book?
But what's really behind this question is another question that will help us answer the first one: when exactly is it okay for an author to design his or her own book, and when might it be best to enlist the help of a professional?
Some authors want to hire the best designers they can afford and leave it to a professional to take care of all the details that go into creating a professional-looking book. They want a book that will gain the respect of book industry buyers and distributors and sell head-to-head against books from major publishers.
Others decide that if you're publishing independently, you can design your own book, too. They either use the tools they have - usually a word processor - or buy complex layout software that comes with its own learning curve.
As a self-published author myself, I find it exciting that so many people are able to publish their own books now. But as a professional book designer, I'm disappointed that many do-it-yourself authors make questionable choices when it comes to book design.
To help out, here are some times when it's perfectly reasonable for authors to design their own books, and times when you might want to find a pro to help out.
Four Reasons for Authors to Design Their Own Books
Budget - Many authors' budgets simply don't allow for professional design. And even as a designer, I would have to say that putting aside money to hire a book designer should not come first on your list of priorities. I think getting your book professionally edited is the most important use of outside experts, so I advise taking care of that first. If you have no money for a designer, you can try to do a barter for part or all of the cost, but many authors end up doing it themselves to save money. If this is you, consider trying CreateSpace's free Cover Creator tool.
Control - Some authors are very concerned with how their book looks and have spent a lot of time experimenting with fonts, layout, book sizes and other details of the book creation process. It can be uncomfortable for these authors to give up control of how their book will look, and so they keep hold of the production process to attempt to get exactly the effect they want.
Expertise - There are authors who have a background in graphic design, or who have someone with the required expertise available. For instance, a business owner might have a graphic artist on their payroll to help out with layout and formatting. And some people with an extensive background with graphics and familiarity with the tools of typography can transition to book design without too much of a learning curve.
DIY gene - There are authors who would never consider letting someone else work on their book. Some people just have do-it-yourself genetics. These may be the same people who fix their own roof, know how to repair the plumbing, and change their own spark plugs. They see the design of their book as a challenge to look forward to, and enjoy learning all the new things they need to know to do it right.
Factors to Consider When Deciding Whether to Design Your Own Books
Whichever one of these four groups you find yourself in, there are some books that lend themselves to amateur design more than others. If you're determined to do your own book design, consider these points and see where your project fits in.
Books with complex layouts - In the case of heavily-illustrated, extensively annotated or graphically complex books, the difficulty involved in creating these books yourself may be overwhelming, creating frustration where you should have enjoyment in the process. If your book has lots of figures, charts, diagrams, sidebars, or lots of typographic elements, don't even try to do this if the only tool you have available is a word processor.
You write novels - This is the easiest type of book to design if you want to do it yourself. Novels usually have chapter breaks and text breaks and not much else when it comes to formatting. If you get a good quality typeface and lay out your basic pages correctly, you should be well on your way to doing your own book.
No time to learn new things - Most self-publishers have a "day job" and publish in their spare time. In addition to everything else they take on, becoming their own book designer may demand just too much time, slowing the production of their book.
You need your book to look totally "pro" - Let's face it, the books we buy from traditional publishers usually look pretty good because they are the product of professionals at every step of the process. Unless you want to devote the time to acquire their expertise, the way to get a professional-looking book is to hire professionals.
Personal memoirs or private publications - Memoirs are most like novels in that they usually require very little formatting. For that reason, they are good candidates for authors to design. This is especially true if the memoir or other historical book is primarily intended for a small audience.
Art or photography books - Unless you have experience dealing with color correction and printing, it's usually best to involve a professional book designer somewhere along the line.
Whichever way you decide to produce your book, the best advice I can offer you is to spend a lot of time looking at book designs you admire, particularly those that have been professionally designed. You'll learn what they are supposed to look like and how they're put together. And if you get stuck, leave a question here in the comments to this article, and perhaps we'll cover the topic in a later article. Good luck!
Joel Friedlander is the proprietor of Marin Bookworks in San Rafael, California, a publishing services company where he's helped launch many self-published authors. He blogs about book design, writing and self-publishing at www.thebookdesigner.com. Joel is also the author of the newly-published A Self-Publisher's Companion: Expert Advice for Authors Who Want to Publish.
This article originally appeared on CreateSpace.com. For more helpful articles and blogs for authors, visit CreateSpace Resources. Reprinted with permission. © 2011 CreateSpace, a DBA of On-Demand Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.


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Utah State NFL prospect Kyler Fackrell had one scholarship offer
Utah State linebacker Kyler Fackrell will put the cap on a fantastic college football career Tuesday in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl at Albertsons Stadium.
Six years ago, he probably would have expected this to be the end of his career altogether.
But Fackrell's development with the Aggies has turned him into one of the top NFL prospects in the Mountain West. Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN ranks him as the No. 6 outside linebacker prospect in the 2016 class, and Fackrell is slated to play in the Senior Bowl.
"I don't think that I necessarily thought coming here that I was NFL bound," Fackrell said. "I did have kind of a fire to prove myself and to work hard and to really maximize my potential, whatever that meant."
Utah State was the only Football Bowl Subdivision school to offer him a scholarship out of Mesa, Ariz. Then-Utah State assistant Bill Busch knew one of Fackrell's high school coaches, which caused the Aggies to take a closer look at the versatile high school athlete. Fackrell's dad, Darrell, is a former Utah State defensive end, and his mom, Lori, is a former Aggies cheerleader.
Fackrell played quarterback, wide receiver, linebacker and safety in high school. He moved from quarterback when the team had a talented young player coming into that position and became the standout receiver.
Now 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds with terrific athleticism, Boise State's coaches compared Fackrell to their former first-round pick Shea McClellin, who is a starting linebacker for the Bears.
"I definitely have put on quite a bit of weight (since high school)," Fackrell said. "I don't know that anything else has changed. Maybe I've gained a little bit of confidence as I've gotten older, gotten kind of comfortable."
Fackrell was first-team All-WAC and a Freshman All-American in 2012 and second-team All-Mountain West in 2013.
He was named to the All-Mountain West first team this year after missing all but one game last season with a knee injury sustained in the season opener. He has accumulated 76 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, four sacks and a national-best five fumble recoveries in 2015.
In the Aggies' October upset of Boise State, Fackrell recorded 11 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries. In their November win against Nevada to clinch a bowl game, he recovered a fumble in the end zone for the go-ahead touchdown.
"The first thing about him is he's a tremendous young man who cares about football an awful lot," Utah State coach Matt Wells said. "He's a football junkie, watches a ton of tape, prepares very, very well. He's got a lot of God-given ability. You add all those things up and you have a player that's special. ... He'll play a lot on Sundays for the next several years."
Fackrell has helped carry on a recent tradition of linebacker excellence at Utah State. Former Aggie Bobby Wagner is an All-Pro with the Seattle Seahawks, Zach Vigil is a rookie contributor with the Miami Dolphins and junior Nick Vigil is the Mountain West's leading tackler.
Utah State has placed five linebackers on the All-Mountain West first team in the past three seasons, awards won by four different players.
"It's been awesome," Fackrell said. "Those guys have been great players and, more importantly, great teammates. It's been really just a great opportunity for me and a great honor to play with some of the guys I've played with."
Famous Idaho Potato Bowl
▪ Who: Utah State (6-6) vs. Akron (7-5)
▪ When: 1:30 p.m. Tuesday
▪ Where: Albertsons Stadium (36,387, FieldTurf)
▪ Series: First meeting
▪ Line: Utah State by 6 1/2
▪ Tickets: $20-$90, at ticketmaster.com; $24 for FitOne Family Field Day (pre-game NFL combine- type event at 10:30 a.m., lunch and game ticket)


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B.C. Ombudsperson's mobile complaints team coming to Greater Vancouver
|News Release
|News Release
Victoria – Have you been treated unfairly by the provincial government, local government, or another B.C. public body? The Office of the B.C. Ombudsperson may be able to help.
The office is currently scheduling in-person, confidential and free appointments with mobile complaints staff in Greater Vancouver the week of January 28th.
"Meeting with us face to face is a great way for you to raise your concerns about the fairness of government services you have received," said Ombudsperson Jay Chalke adding that his office received 8,400 complaints and enquiries last year, a ten-year high. "Sending our mobile team out into communities regularly is an important part of making sure we are hearing concerns first-hand that can lead to us resolving these issues."
The Office of the Ombudsperson is an independent office of the B.C. legislature that receives complaints and enquiries about the practices and services of public agencies within its jurisdiction, which includes provincial government ministries, local governments, health authorities and hospitals, schools and universities, as well as a number of additional government organizations such as ICBC, BC Hydro and the Workers Compensation Board.
The Ombudsperson's role is to determine whether public agencies are acting fairly and reasonably and whether their actions and decisions are consistent with legislation, policies and procedures. Last year, the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, the Ministry of Children and Family Development, ICBC, Vancouver Coastal Health, and the City of Vancouver were among the top 20 public bodies by complaint volume. Complaints about municipal governments across the province have increased by 70 percent in the last three years.
"You may feel like a decision impacting you has not been explained, or you have been denied a benefit you think you deserve, or it could be you can't access the services you need in a timely way, or you feel the rules in your situation are not being followed properly – these are all things we may be able to look into," Chalke said.
To book an in-person, free and confidential appointment with the Office of the Ombudsperson's mobile complaints team call 1.800.567.3247. For more information visit www.bcombudsperson.ca
Media Contact: Sara Darling I Communications Lead I B.C. Office of the Ombudsperson I 778 679.2588
|Tuesday, January 15, 2019


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9: Grab Bag
We always say every episode of "Music Raygun" features a particular music artist, concept or topic. Well, we lied to you about that. Because this time, our topic is... no topic. It's the first "grab bag" episode. We each chose a few of our favorite videos that, frankly, defy categorization. But they're too good to ignore just because we normally make a themed podcast. We'll watch a dance contest, a domestic dispute, and the most coked-out band in the world. Also, Paul convinces Kirk to like punk.


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Welcome to the ZenZoneForum.com.
Home of The Advantage Players
Welcome Intros, Announcements, Posting Guidelines and Site-related Issues
What the fuck is up ZenZone...
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Scientific advantage play at modern blackjack.
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October 6th, 2019, 11:47 PM
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Back to Playing Poker in a Bar
August 23rd, 2019, 07:14 PM
Exploration of higher mental processes for succeeding at gambling and life in general.
Strengthening Your Sixth Sense
September 8th, 2017, 12:24 PM
Systems that are either suspect or un-proven by modern statistical science. Keep an open mind, but it ain't easy.
Justin Flynn, BJ Innovator or...
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Anything and everything EXCEPT advantage gambling
Any subject other than advantage gambling related can go here ... if it is worthy.
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Business owner says thieves...
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The forces that shape, maintain and alter the state and form the basis of all political insight.
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WASHINGTON—Special counsel Robert Mueller's office accused former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort of trying to tamper with potential witnesses in the criminal lobbying case he faces in Washington.
In a court filing late Monday, Mr. Mueller's office sought to revoke Mr. Manafort's release before his trial, saying he had tried to communicate with two contacts who had worked with him on a project at issue in the case.
The specific allegations involve Mr. Manafort's work with "former senior European politicians" who allegedly worked with Mr. Manafort to secretly act as paid lobbyists for Ukraine.
"This is paul," Mr. Manafort texted an associate who worked with the European group, after the related charges were filed against him in February, Mr. Mueller's prosecutors wrote.
"We should talk. I have made clear that they worked in Europe," Mr. Manafort wrote again to the person several days later, Mr. Mueller's office said.
That contact violated the conditions the court laid out for Mr. Manafort's release from jail while his case remains pending, the special counsel prosecutors said as they asked for the judge to hold a hearing on the issue.
A spokesman for Mr. Manafort had no immediate comment.
Mr. Manafort has denied the criminal lobbying allegations and pleaded not guilty to indictments filed by Mr. Mueller's team in federal courts in Alexandria, Va., and Washington.
Write to Aruna Viswanatha at firstname.lastname@example.com


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Sansui HiFi Guide
Product Catalogue
For years professionals in Hi-Fi magazines as well as the true music lovers have always applauded the remarkable performances of all Sansui products.
The main reason for this success lies in the company's policy of concentrating its efforts strictly on the development of pure Hi-Fi equipment - only Hi-Fi, everything Hi-Fi !
More than once this resulted in dramatic breakthroughs and improvements with an impact not only on Sansui, but on the entire world of Hi-Fi technology.
Our exclusive DD/DC-circuitry has been widely accepted as a landmark in the search for the most natural sound reproduction. TIM distortion, first thoroughly studied and applied by Sansui will soon be recognized as the vital parameter in judging the quality of an hi-fi component.
All our components are designed with meticulous care to match the very high Sansui quality standards
AT-15L, AU-117 mkII, AU-217 mkII, AU-317 mkII, AU-417, AU-719, AU-919, AU-X1, AX-7, BA-F1, CA-F1, D-90, ES-207, ES-209, ES-P301, ES-P303, ES-P305, FR-D3, FR-D4, FR-Q5, G-301, G-401, G-4700, G-5500, G-5700, G-6700, G-7700, G-9700, J-11, J-33, MA-7, RA-900, SC-1300, SC-1330, SC-3300, SC-3330, SC-5300, SC-5330, SE-5, SE-7, SP-X6700, SP-X7700, SP-X8700, SP-X9700, SR-222 mkII, SR-B200S, TA-300, TA-300, TA-500, TA-500, TU-217, TU-317, TU-417, TU-719, TU-919, TU-X1, XR-Q9
Year: 1980
Sansui Catalogues
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Reviewed Nov 09th, 2017 by Eric35
Très Bon ampli, à surveiller le vernis et les vieux condos;
Au quotidien que du bonheur !!
re: HiFi Guide
Great catalogue


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Last year Tony and I took a pretty epic 3 week vacation to Italy and Croatia. It was our first time to Europe and our first vacation alone since Atlas was born. And just in case you're taking notes 3 weeks is a bit long in the eyes of an almost 3 year old. We've been back for about 8 months and I still can't seem to go pee without him checking in to make sure I'm not sneaking out a window.
As much as we knew it would be amazing we had decided not to work on this trip… not to take a camera… just me, Tony and 2 backpacks. Shortly after that discussion Alex and Wade, whom you may remember from this gorgeous family session, wrote us to say they'd be in Venice during our first couple days in Rome. Well that changed a few things! We were now definitely going to be working and definitely bringing a camera… which I stuffed in my already small backpack.
On the morning of our first full day in Rome we found our way to the train station and headed on a quick whirl wind 20 hour trip to Venice. By the way… high speed Italian trains are amazing!!! We arrived with plenty of time to wander around and scout some barren cobblestone alley ways… and almost die of heat exhaustion! It was Venice's hottest day on record and although we are from the desert it's different when you want to explore and have no where to hide out.
Once we met up with this awesome family and caught up a bit, we headed out to the streets and braved the heat. I'll be honest… they were miserable… we were miserable… but by looking at these images you would never know! They were such troopers and so much fun as always.
All I know is that we were told by so many people that had been in the past how horribly dirty Venice was and that we'd hate it but we just didn't find it to be so. Venice was amazing and clean and I would really love to go back and create some gorgeous Venice wedding photography! I know we only had the chance to scratch the surface and i'm seriously itching for more!


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Andy's Film Blog
A blog dealing with either the joy of cinema or the agony of cinema--nothing in between.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Get Him to the Greek
How do review a movie that disappoints until the final act, where it wraps up nicely? For the first 2/3rds of Get Him to the Greek, the Forgetting Sarah Marshall spin-off, I was preparing to tear into the film for trying to capitalize even further on a surprise successs and I was also ready to pounce on critics for overpraising a turkey. Then, as the film was winding up, there were some genuinely humorous and touching moments that would have justified the price of admission...at a dollar theater. Get Him to the Greek is about a record company worker (Jonah Hill) who has an idea to revive his struggling label: Have a massive concert in LA with the burnt out rock star Aldous Snow (Russell Brand). The higher ups approve and assign Hill the job of escorting Brand from LA to NY to Vegas to LA, which will obviously prove to be an arduous task. Although I liked both stars in the original, Hollywood has never heard of the phrase "too much of a good thing." Brand starring for the entire film as Snow proves to be a mistake and cannot match the laughs provided by the character in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The usually affable Hill does what he can with the material, but it is just not that good. A recent article said we are in a golden age of comedy and we just don't realize it yet, referring to the Apatow films. I personally feel that they have grown tiresome and await for comedies to take a new direction.
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Upcoming Teaching Passage
Acts 9:32-10:48
32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the Lord's peoplewho lived in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharonsaw him and turned to the Lord.
36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (in Greek her name is Dorcas); she was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!"
39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his kneesand prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up."She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.
Ch. 10
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision.He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!"
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked.
The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea."
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.
9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds.13 Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."
14 "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."
15 The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."
16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.
17 While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. 20 So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."
21 Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?"
22 The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." 23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believersfrom Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea.Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself."
27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?"
30 Cornelius answered: "Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothesstood before me 31 and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."
34 Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism 35 but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. 36 You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. 37 You know what has happened throughout the province of Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached— 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.
39 "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a cross, 40 but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen.41 He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen—by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47 "Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have."48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.


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Thursday, November 13, 2008
Fancy Flower
Hello everyone! Another quick post since I will have recess duty in a few minutes. Oh joy! So I am trying to stuff my lunch down my throat and type at the same time.
Today's card started with a layout that I got from my friend, Becky, at on of her card classes a few months ago. Well, it ended up looking nothing like her card which is fine because I really like this one. It's just funny how that happens sometimes. Anyway, it is a simple card. I purposefully stamped the stem off the cardstock so that I flower would look like more three dimensional. I hope that you are inspired as well! Thanks for stopping by!
Card Recipe: Stamps- Flower Fancy; Paper- Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss, Very Vanilla; Ink- Chocolate Chip, Tangerine Tango, Kiwi Kiss; Accessories- Kiwi Kiss satin ribbon, gold brad, blender pen, scallop edge border punch, dimensionals
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Are You Really Listening?
"We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak." – Epictetus Listening is the true key to all effective communication and one of our core leadership attributes. We define listening as focusing on the opinions, feelings, thoughts, ideas, and objections of others when expressed, not cutting […]
Oct 15th 2013
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