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SEIU Environmental Svcs Worker
Rochester, NY
Performs general heavy and light cleaning and housekeeping services in University buildings such as residence halls, hospital, administration/academic buildings, etc.
A variety of commercial-type and light-weight maintenance machines and equipment such as automatic scrubbing machines, strippers, waxers, buffers, polishers, wall washing equipment, rug shampoo machine, vacuum equipment; wet and dry mops, dusters, sponges, pails; small and large trash pick-up trucks and small flat-bed trucks; ladders and small tools such as hammer, screwdriver, pliers, etc.
May perform all or a combination of the following:
Operates a variety of light or heavy duty housekeeping and floor maintenance machines and equipment to strip, wax and buff floors. Wet mops, dry mops, sweeps and dusts floors.
Performs cleaning and disinfecting procedures by fogging rooms and washing floors, walls, furniture and fixtures with germicidal detergents.
Washes walls, ceilings and stairs; cleans overhead equipment such as vents and light fixtures; vacuums rugs, furniture, draperies, etc.; cleans, dusts and waxes furniture; makes empty beds; distributes linen.
Takes down, washes and rehangs venetian blinds and screens; takes down and rehangs draperies and curtains; washes windows inside and outside.
Empties wastebaskets into pickup containers; picks up trash from designated areas; loads in large dump truck and pushes to compactor area.
Washes large trash cans and wastebaskets inside and outside, and blackboards, door and the like. Cleans kitchens, dining areas, etc.
Performs a variety of custodial-type duties such as moving equipment/furniture up/down stairs, tightening doorknobs and latch plates, tightening and adjusting traverse rods and brackets, cleaning out elevator door tracks, changing light bulbs, shoveling snow, etc.
Maintains cleanliness of work storage closet and equipment used; performs other similar duties requiring comparable skill and responsibility as assigned.
Requires ability to understand and carry out oral instructions. Stands, walks, bends and reaches continuously. Handles heavy and medium-weight material, equipment and supplies. Is normally exposed to refuse, dirt, dust, detergents, body wastes and odors indoors and outdoors; occasionally exposed to the possibility of contacts with infection and infectious diseases.
The University of Rochester is committed to fostering, cultivating, and preserving a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion to advance the University's mission to Learn, Discover, Heal, Create – and Make the World Ever Better. In support of our values and those of our society, the University is committed to not discriminating on the basis of age, color, disability, ethnicity, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, military/veteran status, national origin, race, religion/creed, sex, sexual orientation, citizenship status, or any other status protected by law. This commitment extends to the administration of our policies, admissions, employment, access, and recruitment of candidates from underrepresented populations, veterans, and persons with disabilities consistent with these values and government contractor Affirmative Action obligations.
How To Apply
All applicants must apply online.
EOE Minorities/Females/Protected Veterans/Disabled
SEIU Disclaimer
SERVICE EMPLOYEES INTERNATIONAL UNION (SEIU): How to request consideration for Transfer/Promotion after contractual posting period: Employees represented by SEIU must electronically apply in HRMS each time they wish to be considered for a vacancy beyond the contractual posting period. On-time qualified bidders for SEIU positions must be considered prior to any other candidates.
Pay Range
Pay Range: $17.00 - $23.06 Hourly
The referenced pay range represents the first and last step pay rates for this job, as set forth in the applicable collective bargaining agreement. Individual pay will be set in accordance with terms of the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
Apply for Job
Sign In
New User
Location: Strong Memorial Hospital
Full/Part Time: Full-Time


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About Yellow Sapphire Gemstone
Yellow sapphire gemstone is a precious gemstone. Yellow sapphire is also known as Pukhraj gemstone in the Hindi language. This one-carat yellow sapphire gemstone is a high-quality gemstone. It is a natural, unheated, untreated, and certified gemstone. This is Ceylon(Sri Lanka) gemstone. A free certificate from a reputed lab will provide you with this gemstone.
Can I make custom jewelry?
Yes, We would like to make Custom Jewellery As per your Requirement. If you have any custom size, weight, measurement, materials, and other designs then Contact us right now we will make it for you.
Shipping and Delivery.
If you are from India then we will deliver our products in 5 to 10 Days. If you are from another country then we will deliver our products in 10 to 15 days.
Return Policy.
If you want to return any product then first read our return policy.

subset: commoncrawl


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A routine assignment to locate the president of Armacham Technology Corporation in connection with an unfolding hostage crisis turns into a desperate battle for survival after an explosion decimates the city and unleashes Alma Wade, the terrifying supernatural menace at the center of Armacham's highly classified Project Origin. As Alma's power swells out of control, special forces Sgt. Michael Becket and his squad must battle through an apocalyptic landscape of shattered buildings and buckled streets in search of clues for how to destroy her. The more Becket learns about Armacham's secret experiments and reckless agenda, the more he begins to suspect that he's somehow linked to the crisis and may be the only one capable of averting total disaster.
F.E.A.R. not! Our guide will help you hunt Alma.
It's not very often that a publisher decides to launch a playable demo of future downloadable content, but that's exactly what Warner Bros. Interactive has done with F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn.
The demo will allow players to experience a little bit of what awaits them in the upcoming DLC pack Reborn, which goes on general release for Xbox 360, PC and PlayStation 3 on September 3rd. Read More »
A press release sent out today by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment announced a set of four new single-player levels for the popular shooter F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin.
The levels are being dubbed F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn, and will be made available via DLC to Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC owners on September 3rd. Read More »
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin, developed by Monolith Productions and published by Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, ships to retail stores in North America today for Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment system and Games for Windows. F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin is the sequel to F.E.A.R., the critically acclaimed supernatural first-person shooter, and ushers in a new dimension of paranormal horror, cinematic combat and highly kinetic action. Read More »
We take an exclusive look at the upcoming game's first two levels, as well as its new multiplayer modes. Read More »
Warner's FPS sequel is gold; ships out February 10, 2009. Read More »
Also known as: FEAR 2, Project Origin [working title], Fear 2 Project Origin
Release Region: United States
Release Date: February 10, 2009
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Release Region: United Kingdom
Release Date: February 13, 2009
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Release Region: Australia
Release Date: February 13, 2009
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive
Expansion packs related to this game:
F.E.A.R. 2: Reborn (PS3)
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Or... at IGN
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Or... at GameSpy
F.E.A.R. 2: Project Or... at GameStats


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Hyderabad, Telangana : Hyderabad based Nalgonda School for the blind, run by DWAB —Development and Welfare of the Blind congratulates Mr. Gandra Mohan Rao on being conferred Senior Counsel Status. Mr. Gandra Mohan Rao is a donor to the Blind School, said Mr. P. Chokka Rao, General Secretary of DWAB.
Mr. Gandra Mohan Rao is one of the 27 advocates selected to confer senior counsel status by the honourable High Court of Telangana. The coveted tag is considered an important achievement in a legal career.
DWAB wished Mr. Rao, many more such successes in his glorious career.
The blind school recently completed 25 years and celebrated its Silver Jubilee.
The blind school is run on donations from the public.
24 batches of 10th class students passed out with 100% results. Well over 100 visually challenged from this school secured government jobs. About 600 students have gone for higher studies. Lot of its students have got jobs in very good organizations and settled.


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The ultimate Florida road trips
See more of the Sunshine State on a fly-drive adventure across Florida. Create a road trip to tick off theme parks in Orlando or explore the super cool city of Miami. Discover mesmerising beach scenes in Clearwater and the kooky tropical islands of the Keys. Plan your journey with our Florida guide.


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Bên cạnh Phân tích & Sửa đề"Traffic and accommodation problems are increasing and the government should encourage some businesses to move from cities to rural areas. Does the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?" (ngày21/11/2020), IELTS TUTOR cũng cung cấp luyện đề Climate change and the Inuit IELTS READING.
I. Kiến thức liên quan
II. Luyện đề Climate change and the Inuit IELTS READING
Questions 27-32
Reading Passage 3 has seven paragraphs, A-G. Choose the correct heading for paragraphs B-G from the list of headings below. Write the correct number, i-ix, in boxes 1-6 on your answer sheet.
List of Headings
i. The reaction of the limit community to climate change
ii. Understanding of climate change remains limited
iii. Alternative sources of essential supplies
iv. Respect for limit opinion grows
v. A healthier choice of food
vi. A difficult landscape
vii. Negative effects on well-being
viii. Alarm caused by unprecedented events in the Arctic
ix. The benefits of an easier existence
Example: Paragraph A. Answer: viii
27. Paragraph B
28. Paragraph C
29. Paragraph D
30. Paragraph E
31. Paragraph F
32. Paragraph G
Climate change and the Inuit
The threat posed by climate change in the Arctic and the problems faced by Canada's Inuit people
A. Unusual incidents are being reported across the Arctic. Inuit families going off on snowmobiles to prepare their summer hunting camps have found themselves cut off from home by a sea of mud, following early thaws. There are reports of igloos losing their insulating properties as the snow drips and refreezes, of lakes draining into the sea as permafrost melts, and sea ice breaking up earlier than usual, carrying seals beyond the reach of hunters. Climate change may still be a rather abstract idea to most of us, but in the Arctic, it is already having dramatic effects - if summertime ice continues to shrink at its present rate, the Arctic Ocean could soon become virtually ice-free in summer. The knock-on effects are likely to include more warming, cloudier skies, increased precipitation and higher sea levels. Scientists are increasingly keen to find out what's going on because they consider the Arctic the 'canary in the mine' for global warming - a warning of what's in store for the rest of the world.
B. For the Inuit the problem is urgent. They live in precarious balance with one of the toughest environments on earth. Climate change, whatever its causes, is a direct threat to their way of life. Nobody knows the Arctic as well as the locals, which is why they are not content simply to stand back and let outside experts tell them what's happening. In Canada, where the Inuit people are jealously guarding their hard-won autonomy in the country's newest territory, Nunavut, they believe their best hope of survival in this changing environment lies in combining their ancestral knowledge with the best of modern science. This is a challenge in itself.
C. The Canadian Arctic is a vast, treeless polar desert that's covered with snow for most of the year. Venture into this terrain and you get some idea of the hardships facing anyone who calls this home. Farming is out of the question and nature offers meagre pickings. Humans first settled in the Arctic a mere 4,500 years ago, surviving by exploiting sea mammals and fish. The environment tested them to the limits: sometimes the colonists were successful, sometimes they failed and vanished. But around a thousand years ago, one group emerged that was uniquely well adapted to cope with the Arctic environment. These Thule people moved in from Alaska, bringing kayaks, sleds, dogs, pottery and iron tools. They are the ancestors of today's Inuit people.
D. Life for the descendants of the Thule people is still harsh. Nunavut is 1.9 million square kilometres of rock and ice, and a handful of islands around the North Pole. It's currently home to 2,500 people, all but a handful of them indigenous Inuit. Over the past 40 years, most have abandoned their nomadic ways and settled in the territory's 28 isolated communities, but they still rely heavily on nature to provide food and clothing. Provisions available in local shops have to be flown into Nunavut on one of the most costly air networks in the world, or brought by supply ship during the few ice-free weeks of summer. It would cost a family around £7,000 a year to replace meat they obtained themselves through hunting with imported meat. Economic opportunities are scarce, and for many people state benefits are their only income.
E. While the Inuit may not actually starve if hunting and trapping are curtailed by climate change, there has certainly been an impact on people's health. Obesity, heart disease and diabetes are beginning to appear in a people for whom these have never before been problems. There has been a crisis of identity as the traditional skills of hunting, trapping and preparing skins have begun to disappear. In Nunavut's 'igloo and email' society, where adults who were born in igloos have children who may never have been out on the land, there's a high incidence of depression.
F. With so much at stake, the Inuit are determined to play a key role in teasing out the mysteries of climate change in the Arctic. Having survived there for centuries, they believe their wealth of traditional knowledge is vital to the task. And Western scientists are starting to draw on this wisdom, increasingly referred to as 'Inuit Qaujimajatugangit', or IQ. 'In the early days, scientists ignored us when they came up here to study anything. They just figured these people don't know very much so we won't ask them,' says John Amagoalik, an Inuit leader and politician. 'But in recent years IQ has had much more credibility and weight.' In fact it is now a requirement for anyone hoping to get permission to do research that they consult the communities, who are helping to set the research agenda to reflect their most important concerns. They can turn down applications from scientists they believe will work against their interests or research projects that will impinge too much on their daily lives and traditional activities.
G. Some scientists doubt the value of traditional knowledge because the occupation of the Arctic doesn't go back far enough. Others, however, point out that the first weather stations in the far north date back just 50 years. There are still huge gaps in our environmental knowledge, and despite the scientific onslaught, many predictions are no more than best guesses. IQ could help to bridge the gap and resolve the tremendous uncertainty about how much of what we're seeing is natural capriciousness and how much is the consequence of human activity.
Questions 33-40
Complete the summary of paragraphs C and D below. Choose NO MORE THAN TWO WORDS from paragraphs C and D for each answer. Write your answers in boxes 33-40 on your answer sheet.
If you visit the Canadian Arctic, you immediately appreciate the problems faced by people for whom this is home. It would clearly be impossible for the people to engage in 33 .................... as a means of supporting themselves. For thousands of years they have had to rely on catching 34 .................... and 35 .................... as a means of sustenance. The harsh surroundings saw many who tried to settle there pushed to their limits, although some were successful. The 36 .................... people were an example of the latter and for them the environment did not prove unmanageable. For the present inhabitants, life continues to be a struggle. The territory of Nunavut consists of little more than ice, rock and a few 37 .................... . In recent years, many of them have been obliged to give up their 38 .................... lifestyle, but they continue to depend mainly on 39 .................... their food and clothes. 40 .................... produce is particularly expensive.
Các khóa học IELTS online 1 kèm 1 - 100% cam kết đạt target 6.0 - 7.0 - 8.0 - Đảm bảo đầu ra - Thi không đạt, học lại FREE


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Accepted Payment Type: Cash and personal checks (in person), certified checks, bank transfers, electronic funds transfer (EFT), or third-party financing are all acceptable.
DISCLAIMER: The dealership and dealerscloud.com bear no responsibility for typographical errors or price and equipment misprints. Total prices for financed vehicles may vary. We offer financing for individuals with all credit types. Approval is possible for everyone. To obtain the Internet Price, customers must present a printed copy of this Ad before the sale.


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Saturday, March 27, 2010
9:00am Pacific/10:00am Mountain/
11:00am Central/12:00pm Eastern
Location: Elluminate
Recording (full): https://sas.elluminate.com/site/external/jwsdetect/playback.jnlp?psid=2010-03-27.0748.M.ACE02B5F35AA7E7975F015AAC6F794.vcr
Tiny url for full recording: http://tinyurl.com/cr20live-earthcast2010
Recording (chat): http://wiki.classroom20.com/CR20LIVE+MAR272010
Recording (video): http://blip.tv/file/3406079
Topic: Earthcast 2010
Special Guests: Matt Montagne and Earthcast Team
Follow-up Reading/Viewing Suggestions:
Gl.am Link for 3/27/2010: http://gl.am/UaLt4
http://earthcast.posterous.com/earthcast-2010-a-global-24-hour-webcastathon-0 (Blog post on Posterous to learn about Earthcast 2010 and ways to get involved)
http://www.flickr.com/groups/earthcast09 (Photos contributed for Earthcast09 by participants from around the world)
http://earthbridges.net/taxonomy/term/4 (Archived recordings from Earthcast 2009)
http://www.edtechtalk.com/earthcast08 (Information and schedule from Earthcast 2008)
http://webcastacademy.net/taxonomy/term/1228 (Archived audio recordings from Earthcast 2008)
http://voicethread.com/#q.b887765.i4731643 (Voicethread: Add your voice or student voices to the official VoiceThread for Earthcast 2010 created by Mary Ziller)
http://wallwisher.com/wall/earthcast10 (Add your teaching ideas and personal goals for making the world greener on the Earthcast Wallwisher)
http://earthcast.posterous.com/ (Follow blog posts and new resources shared on the Posterous Earthcast 2010 site)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfBSqUHvkgU (Participate in the Earthcast 2010 YouTube video response challenge from Matt Montagne and share one thing you will do to make the world greener)
http://www.facebook.com/earthcast (Become a fan of Earthcast 2010 on Facebook)
http://www.twitter.com/earthbridges (Follow Earthcast 2010 on Twitter for latest updates)
http://tinyurl.com/earthcast2010 (Preliminary Project Participation Google Form to sign up for areas you may be able to support the Earthcastathon prior to and during event)
http://earthbridges.wikispaces.com/Earthcast+2010 (Wiki to sign up to host a half hour/hour webcast during Earthcast 2010)
http://earthbridges.net/live (Home page to participate LIVE in the 24-hour Earthcastathon on April 22nd, 2010)http://puentesalmundo.net/ (Spanish broadcasting channel for Earthcast 2010-separate strand and excellent resources-hosted by Jose Rodriguez)
http://voicethread.com/share/1021819/ (Earthcast 2010 VoiceThread for Classroom 2.0 LIVE presentation)
http://tinyurl.com/delicious-earthcast09 (Delicious links for Earthcast 2009)
http://www.diigo.com/tag/earthcast09 (Diigo links for Earthcast 2009)
http://earthsaversclubforkids.com/Default.aspx (Earth Savers Club for Kids)
http://userpages.uni-koblenz.de/~dkauwaer/blogline/?p=995 (Blog post by Andreas Auwärter inviting German educators and stuents to participate in Earthcast 2010)
http://www.englishexperts.com.br/forum/live-event-tomorrow-topic-environment-and-earth-t9054.html (Mary Ziller blog post about Classroom 2.0 LIVE show and Earthcast 2010)
http://www.carbonrally.com/challenges/18-paper-waste (Carbon Rally website: Get the facts and accept the challenge to reduce paper waste-new challenges posted regularly for ways to reduce CO2 emissions)
http://www.zeroheroevents.com/ (ZeroHero: create sustainable activities for reducing waste, renewing energy and education-purchase Go Green song by The Wiley One)
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/1417789 (Earthcast 09: Little Harbor School, Portsmouth, NH, USA, 5th grade interviews Paul Panish. Host is Molly Green)
http://www.ustream.tv/user/earthbridges/videos (Archived videos from Earthcast 09)
http://middleschoolblog.blogspot.com/search/label/earthday2009 (Matt Montagne: Blog post announcing Earthcast 09 with video teaser and featured highlights)
http://www.planetfesto.org/ (PlanetFesto: Create an internet ribbon around the world by creating a panel to express your love for the planet and a pledge to change at least one small thing in your life to improve the environment)
http://www.meetthegreens.org/ (Meet the Greens: Site for kids about looking after the planet created by WGBH-green online games and student blog posts)
http://www.epa.gov/kids/ (Environmental Kids Club: Games, pictures and stories to help kids explore their environment and learn how to protect it)
http://www.earthdaybags.org/ (Earth Day Grocery Project: kids decorate grocery bags with environmental messages about reuse, recycling to be distributed on Earth Day to show kids care about our environment)
http://pbskids.org/eekoworld/index.html (PBS Eeko World-Environmental Education for Kids Online-Kids learn about conservation and the environment through interactive games and collaboration with other students)
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/04/02/the-best-earth-day-sites/ (Larry Ferlazzo: The Best Earth Day Sites)
http://www.teachersfirst.com/holiday/earthday.cfm (Teachers First: Earth Day Resources)
http://www.reacheverychild.com/feature/environment.html (Reach Every Child environmental resources: Compilation of the best resources to teach about the environment in an integrated manner)
Hashtag to post and follow comments about Earthcast 2010: #earthcast10
http://www.350.org/ (350 organization-mission is to inspire the world to rise to the challenge of the climate crisis and create a new sense of urgency-focus is on the number 350--as in parts per million, the level scientists have identified as the safe upper limit for CO2 in our atmosphere.
http://ryejrhigh.org/adams/earthday.html (Earthcast Echo site hosted by Sheila Adams and Rye NH Jr. High students-recordings available here)
http://timezoneexperiences.wikispaces.com/ (Time Zone Classroom Project hosted by Lisa Parisi-may be a big help if time zones confuse you)
http://groups.diigo.com/group/earthbridges (Ongoing Diigo group for sharing links and resources related to environment and taking care of the earth)
http://edtechtalk.com/node/3145 (Webcast from Earthcast 08 with Mark Ahlness talking about his Earth Groceries Bag Project.)
http://www.classroomblogging.com/earthcast-2010.html (Blog post by Lorna Costantini re Earthcast 2010)
http://www.shambles.net (Shamblesguru links for Earth Day-use internal search engine)
http://www.earthhour.org/ (Earth Hour site with feeds to follow many Earth Hour activities-March 27, 2010 8:30pm local time-turn off your lights for 1 hour)
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=t8YkIgQm3yvAklgEVEIWgSw (Take the "paperless classroom" pledge for Earth Day 2010-use no paper and accept no paper on april 22, 2010)
http://live.classroom20.com/archive-and-resources.html (Classroom 2.0 LIVE Archives and Resources for all recordings and links)
http://groups.diigo.com/group/classroom-20-live (Classroom 2.0 LIVE Diigo Group-please join and share your links with everyone)


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What is the Keller Williams School of Real Estate?
Keller Williams offers a digital, pre-licensing curriculum geared toward placing aspiring agents on a direct path to licensure and profitability. The Keller Williams School of Real Estate is 100% online and entirely free to students, making entry into real estate more accessible than ever before. This partnership also makes continuing education available to participating market centers.
Why should I attend?
- Get exposed to the greatest profession filled with limitless possibilities!
- Enroll in real estate school for FREE
- Increase your chances of passing the licensure exam
What is KW Prep?
KW Prep is a specially curated curriculum designed in collaboration with Keller Williams School of Real Estate Dean, Molly de Mattos, and will be distributed via KW University. The coursework is made up of learning modules that will supplement with any licensee, regardless of the jurisdiction where they are getting their schooling. Modules focus on balancing the practical elements taught in real estate school with real-world application.
What do I have to look forward to with KW Prep?
- Added support to help you pass the licensure exam
- Ensures you last longer in business once you enter real estate
- Gives you an introduction to the time-tested models and systems of Keller Williams that will help you go
Please fill out the form below if you have any questions!


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It was always going to be like this.
Build your skill set in the comfort of a rebuilding team with low expectations. Take the next step as an exciting bad team in a new environment with a surprisingly rabid crowd. Make the jump to the playoffs and put a shock on the champs, showing that you're coming. Learn what disappointment is in a Conference finals loss to a stellar team that would go on to win the NBA championship. Come back stronger. Smarter. Better. Win your division. Beat the team who beat you last season. Beat the team who beat you the year before. Beat the standard bearer in the West.
Advance to the NBA finals with a rousing 107-99 comeback victory.
Take your place.
This is Kevin Durant, and he was always destined for this.
From the moment he stepped onto the scene, from D.C. to Austin, Texas to Oklahoma City, this was coming. He even came with the big debate about him or another player who wound up star-crossed. This is how legends are built in the NBA, and now it's Durant's time for ascension.
There will be no questions about Kevin Durant going without a field goal in the fourth quarter of Game 6. Because Wednesday night was not about one game. It was about five years of building, five years of development, five years of smart drafting and player development by Thunder general manager Sam Presti, five years of a small city buying in, five years of Durant game-winners, big shots, and prolific performances.
There will be comparisons to Michael Jordan in 1991, to the greats in this game over time. There will be questions of whether he's ready to win the NBA finals, or whether this team can really get it done.
But do not be confused. What has happened in the middle of the okra fields in Oklahoma is not some smoke-and-mirrors job. It's not about a falsehood built on a dream. This is reality. It's been coming for years.
Durant's game is a force of its own now. It's not just the swift shooting, the range, the quick release. He has added so many weapons. He's able to make the smart play. He's able to slip the screen. He finishes with authority, he presses when he senses vulnerability and he hesitates when the defense adjusts. And he defends. Tenaciously, using those long arms and quick feet. He's no longer the skinny-waist kid throwing up threes. He's the skinny-waist man playing a complete game. This is the nexus of Kevin Durant and it's a sight to behold.
When the Thunder faced a double-digit deficit at halftime on Wednesday and it appeared the Spurs would push the series back to San Antonio and a miserable Game 7, Durant set the tone. Immediately in the third, he sparked the team. He finished with 14 points in the quarter, missing two shots and a field goal on 11 total attempts from the field and stripe.
Durant can do all those other things now, that's why he's a different player. But he's also the same. He's a scorer. That's his core. And these playoffs have been about huge shots from Durant, his range burying the opponent, his length rattling them. Durant is the best offensive weapon in the league, and that's why the Thunder are moving on.
Who's to say the Thunder won't get beaten in the finals, another step that Durant and company have to live through in his career? What if the Thunder's good fortune runs out? No one remembers teams that make the finals and lose. Durant could fall by the wayside, could become just another team that reached the gates but couldn't get through -- another almost st0ry.
But somehow, this feels different, this year or next, the year after or the year after. This is all part of the plan. This is the story of Kevin Durant.
And it was always going to be this way.


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But these days for a lot of Beamsville Ontario residents, finding the hard earned money to pay even the minimum amount due can be very hard, especially if you have a family to take care of. Other people who get themselves into charge card debts, carelessly sometimes, don't even seem to care. They seem to just shrug it off when the bill collectors come around to repossess their goods, they'll even declare bankruptcy if it suits them. This is a terrible road to go down and bankruptcy should be avoided at all costs
How can the honest person in Beamsville Ontario who is really struggling with credit card debt, debt which they couldn't avoid in order to take care of their family, get help?
Our debt management site works with some of the best Ontario debt management and nonprofit debt consolidating agencies that service all Canadians and can take a lot of the high interest credit card debt worry off your shoulders. They have lots of best experience of helping people just like you. They will deal direct with all your bill collectors, so that you don't have to. They will argue your cause, and can even get your debt liabilities amount reduced by having interest charges and penalties waived. Going to an Ontario licenced credit counselling expert is a smart move, and it will certainly give you back a great deal of your confidence and self respect. Don't hesitate to make this crucial move, contact us today by using our handy contact form above to find a best credit counselling agency and leave the rest to us.
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Contact us using the form above to set up your free consultation today!


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It seems you can't name anything in this country without tripping over someone who has something obliquely similar and whose lawyers threaten trouble (US Olympic Committee versus Olympic Cellars anyone?). I mean seriously folks, stop the madness! Such it is that Grand Rêve Vintners – one of the most exciting wineries to emerge from Washington recently – has changed its name to Force Majeure Vineyards.
Grand Rêve, French for 'Great Dream,' was founded by Paul McBride and Ryan Johnson. The winery pairs a group of Washington's top winemakers with fruit from one of the state's best vineyards – Ciel du Cheval. The first plantings at an estate vineyard, crawling up the sides of Red Mountain, came on-line last year (read a Focus Report on the winery here).
While the winery had trademarked the Grand Rêve name, issues with another wine producer from California emerged. Rather than spending potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend the moniker, Johnson and McBride decided to simply change the name and spend their money elsewhere (see below).
The new name, Force Majeure (mä-ZHûR), is a French term for 'act of God' or a 'superior force.' The term is frequently used in legal documents to free parties from legal obligations due to extreme circumstances. In terms of the winery, it is intended to both refer to the forces that formed Red Mountain and the winemaking team that the winery brings to bear.
The 2008 Collaboration III Red Wine, which will be released this fall (see review below), will be the last wine with the Grand Rêve name. The winery's vineyard has also been renamed. The winged phoenix logo, however, will remain.
While some might find a brand change at such an early stage of the business jarring, McBride and Johnson are more circumspect. Of their 'great dream' at Grand Rêve McBride says, "We feel in many ways our dream was realized." Similarly Johnson says of the name change, "It's kind of been a rebirth."
So where would McBride and Johnson rather put their money than into lawyers? No one will be surprised to learn that they preferred to put it into dirt. And not just any dirt. The duo purchased an additional plot of land adjacent to Force Majeure Vineyard on Red Mountain.
The L-shaped parcel of land runs along Antinori Road. About half of the 20-acres are plantable with plans to develop the site over several years. McBride and Johnson look to make the focus southern Rhone varietals, including Grenache, Mourvedre, Grenache Blanc, Picpoul, and Roussanne.
The site has been named Parabellum Vineyard in reference to a Latin phrase that translates, 'If you want peace, prepare for war.' While some might think this is a reference to the winery's plans to deter potential grape thieves, there is another explanation.
"You find a lot of shell casings around Red Mountain," Ryan Johnson explains. "I found one out there and on the back it said Parabellum. It seemed to fit." Part of the property may also be used for a winery and tasting room in the future.
Other changes are afoot as well with the fall releases containing a few wrinkles. Force Majeure makes its first foray into white wines with a Viognier crafted by Mark McNeilly.
While white wines have long been in the shadow of their red counterparts in Washington, McBride believes the future for white wines is bright here.
"I think we're starting to see how great Washington white wines can be," he says. Of the 2010 Viognier McBride says, "What I'm looking for with this wine is to capture that minerality and glycerin aspect of great Hermitage." This is also the first wine released from the winery that contains fruit from its estate vineyard, and there is no doubt that this will be a special site.
Force Majeure is also releasing a wine called Ptera, Greek for 'wings.' This blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah comes from winemaker Ross Mickel with the fruit from the 2006 vintage. The winery had originally planned to release a Cabernet-Syrah blend as the Collaboration Series II wine, but they were so impressed by the Syrah that they decided not to blend in the Cabernet. "We couldn't bring ourselves to mess it up!" McBride says.
In a sign of their good judgment, the Syrah went on to receive a 97 point score from Wine Advocate. The winery subsequently took the remaining Syrah, blended it, and held the wine until now to avoid confusion by releasing a one-off wine that ran contrary to the Collaboration Series wines. The result is a wine that is in full blossom, a beautiful marriage of these two grapes.
Perhaps the most intriguing of the new releases is the 2007 Reserve Syrah. The inspiration for this wine was Guigal's extended barrel-aged Syrahs. Here winemaker Ben Smith of Cadence Winery leaves the Bordeaux varietals behind to craft a Syrah aged in 100% new French oak for over three and a half years.
McBride explains that part of the goal of Force Majeure is to push boundaries and allow winemakers to experiment. Still, he wasn't sure what to expect from this wine. "We didn't know if we'd be sucking on a board or what," McBride says. Instead, the oak seems remarkably well integrated and the result yet another stunning release from this winery.
While numerous changes are in the air, the focus at Force Majeure remains the same – expressing their vineyard sites in such a way that elevates Red Mountain in particular and Washington wine more generally.
"Our philosophy gets back to the vineyard, capturing that place that was created millions of years ago," McBride says. "And," he says with a smile, "we're going to continue to make passionate vineyards that border on insanity."
Whatever the name, this winery will no doubt remain a force to be reckoned with.
Force Majeure Viognier Red Mountain 2010 $35
Rating: * (Excellent) Very pretty, appealing aromas of white peaches, peppery spice, mineral notes, and touches of tropical fruit. Crisp and etched with acidity with a textured feel and a hyper-extended finish. An emphatic statement of Washington Viognier. 100% Viognier. 67% Ciel du Cheval, 33% Force Majeure Vineyard. 75% aged in neutral French oak and 25% aged in stainless steel. 13.5% alcohol. 80 cases produced. Mark McNeilly winemaker.
Force Majeure Ptera Red Blend Ciel du Cheval Red Mountain 2006 $45
Rating: */** (Excellent/Exceptional) Beautiful aromas of dark, dark fruit, toasty spice, mineral, licorice, and touches of aged fruit. A grippy, textured wine with soft fruit flavors where the Cabernet and Syrah play off each other beautifully. Lingers on the finish. 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Syrah. Aged in French oak (40% new). 14.5% alcohol. Approximately 160 cases produced. Ross Mickel winemaker.
Grand Rêve Vintners Collaboration Series III Red Wine Ciel du Cheval Red Mountain 2008 $55
Rating: ** (Exceptional) Dark in color with purple at the rim. Locked up tightly at present with mineral notes, blackberry, and plum. Dense and concentrated with luscious fruit flavors, a weighted feel, and plump, ripe tannins. A lingering finish. Aged in French oak (34% new). 14.9% alcohol. 250 cases produced. Mark McNeilly winemaker.
Force Majeure Reserve Syrah Ciel du Cheval Red Mountain 2007 $65
Rating: ** (Exceptional) Light ruby colored. Bright raspberry aromas pair with crushed flowers and spice on an aromatically compelling wine. The palate is silky and weighted with intense, penetrating fruit flavors that persist for thirty-plus seconds on the finish. This is a wine you can just smell and be totally satisfied. Syrah co-fermented with 3% Viognier. Aged 39 months in 100% new French oak. 14.6% alcohol. 45 cases produced. Ben Smith winemaker.


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Travel and Cultural Intelligence
"Where are you from?" is often the hardest question for me to answer. Do I give the short answer, the long answer, or settle for "it's complicated" like a provocative Facebook relationship status? Yet that dilemma is a small price to pay for all I've gained through experiences living and traveling around the world.
A study from the journal of Social Psychological & Personality Science found that those who engage in multicultural and international environments are more likely to be offered jobs. At surface value, this comes as no surprise; in any arena these days—school, job, socially, or otherwise—it is beneficial to set yourself apart, and "multicultural experiences," are a great way to do so. But simply accumulating stamps in your passport is not enough. In an article on the study, David Livermore writes "If business travelers spend their time at international hotels and offices; and if study abroad students spend their free time on Skype and Facebook, travel may have little positive benefit for improving CQ (cultural intelligence) and career opportunities." Travel creates a possibility for transformation through exposure to new cultures and ways of life. But it is easy to pass up that opportunity and flock toward familiarity instead, to head to a Starbucks in a foreign country or find solace from strange surroundings amongst fellow visitors.
The Transformation: How You Engage
Transformative travel requires openness. As more and more and more people seek programmed multicultural experiences— study abroad, volunteering, or simply sightseeing—it is important to evaluate your own goals and the goals of the organization. Responsible international travel necessitates embracing the discomfort and challenges of unfamiliarity, and also willingness to let go of your own authority: to follow the leadership of the locals and see the positive aspects of a community rather than perceived negatives. To me, the most striking overseas experiences have involved connecting with people through common humanness despite apparent differences. These experiences, not traveling itself, are transformative.
I was drawn to work with Child Family Health International (CFHI) because their global health programs promote an immersive experience through community-based projects and perspectives. Interning here and learning about CFHI programs over the past month has made me reflect on my own international experiences. I was born in the U.S. but since age nine I have lived abroad in different countries with my family. Though I have spent much of my life overseas, some who go abroad for shorter periods of time have had more intensive and challenging cultural experiences than mine. It can be easy to entrench yourself in an expat community and become complacent about pushing beyond that.
The study suggests benefits of international travel for your career; I don't see my experiences overseas as having made me marketable, though I can't complain if that is a byproduct. Rather, I see travel as the defining aspect of my life that has provided more unique challenges and rewards than anything else. CFHI's motto encourages students to "Let the world change you," instead of trying to change the world. It has and will continue to change me throughout my life. And maybe even get me some jobs too.
Special thanks to our guest blogger and CFHI Summer Intern Karoline Walter for authoring this post.


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About TA Instruments
TA Instruments reputation for high technology products, quality manufacturing and unbeatable after sales support is why more customers recommend TA products to their colleagues around the world. Headquartered in New Castle, DE, TA Instruments prides ourselves in the technical competence and professionalism that our sales force offers. We are the only thermal analysis, rheology, microcalorimetry, and mechanical analysis supplier recognized worldwide for our prompt, courteous and knowledgeable service staff, the hallmark of our company.
Our technical support group is committed to handling all of your thermal analysis, rheology, and mechanical testing needs, and is available by phone, email and through the internet.


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bit of modelling that fails to take into account positive feedbacks
or the exponential function.
it HAS made the news on Radio NZ.
melt impact 'underestimated' - Global sea levels could rise
by more than double the current best estimate, according to a new
analysis of climate change in Antarctica.
Model Predicts West Antarctic Ice Sheet Could Melt Rapidly
March, 2016
half a century, climate scientists have seen the West Antarctic ice
sheet, a remnant of the last ice age, as a sword of Damocles hanging
over human civilization.
great ice sheet, larger than Mexico, is thought to be potentially
vulnerable to disintegration from a relatively small amount of global
warming, and capable of raising the sea level by 12 feet or more
should it break up. But researchers long assumed the worst effects
would take hundreds — if not thousands — of years to occur.
new research suggests the disaster scenario could play out much
high emissions of heat-trapping gases could launch a disintegration
of the ice sheet within decades, according to a study published
Wednesday, heaving enough water into the ocean to raise the sea level
as much as three feet by the end of this century.
ice melting in other regions, too, the total rise of the sea could
reach five or six feet by 2100, the researchers found. That is
roughly twice the increase reported as a plausible worst-case
scenario by a United Nations panel just three years ago, and so high
it would likely provoke a profound crisis within the lifetimes of
children being born today.
the Ice Sheet
vast West Antarctic ice sheet sits on bedrock that dips thousands of
feet below sea level. New computer simulations suggest that the
warming atmosphere and ocean could attack the ice sheet from above
and below, causing sea levels to rise much faster than previously
situation would grow far worse beyond 2100, the researchers found,
with the rise of the sea exceeding a pace of a foot per decade by the
middle of the 22nd century. Scientists had documented such rates of
increase in the geologic past, when far larger ice sheets were
collapsing, but most of them had long assumed it would be impossible
to reach rates so extreme with the smaller ice sheets of today.
are not saying this is definitely going to happen," said David
Pollard, a researcher at Pennsylvania State University and a
co-author of the new paper. "But I think we are pointing out that
there's a danger, and it should receive a lot more attention."
long-term effect would likely be to drown the world's coastlines,
including many of its great cities.
York City is nearly 400 years old; in the worst-case scenario
conjured by the research, its chances of surviving another 400 years
in anything like its present form would appear to be remote. Miami,
New Orleans, London, Venice, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Sydney,
Australia, are all just as vulnerable as New York, or more so.
principle, coastal defenses could be built to protect the densest
cities, but experts believe it will be impossible to do that along
all 95,000 miles of the American coastline, meaning that immense
areas will most likely have to be abandoned to the rising sea.
new research, published by the journal Nature, is based on
improvements in a computerized model of Antarctica and its complex
landscape of rocks and glaciers, meant to capture factors newly
recognized as imperiling the stability of the ice.
new version of the model allowed the scientists, for the first time,
to reproduce high sea levels of the past, such as a climatic period
about 125,000 years ago when the seas rose to levels 20 to 30 feet
higher than today.
gave them greater confidence in the model's ability to project the
future sea level, though they acknowledged that they do not yet have
an answer that could be called definitive.
could think of all sorts of ways that we might duck this one," said
Richard B. Alley, a leading expert on glacial ice at Pennsylvania
State University. "I'm hopeful that will happen. But given what
we know, I don't think we can tell people that we're confident of
Alley was not an author of the new paper, though it is based in part
on his ideas about the stability of glacial ice. Several other
scientists not involved in the paper described it as significant,
with some of them characterizing it as a milestone.
those same scientists emphasized that it was a single paper, and
unlikely to be the last word on the fate of West Antarctica. The
effort to include the newly recognized factors imperiling the ice is
still crude, with years of work likely needed to improve the models.
U. Clark of Oregon State University helped lead the last effort by a
United Nations panel to assess the risks of sea level rise; he was
not involved in the new paper. He emphasized that the research, like
much previous work, highlighted the urgency of bringing emissions of
carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases under control.
was his panel that had estimated an upper limit of three feet or so
on the likely sea level rise in the 21st century, while specifically
warning that a better understanding of the vulnerability of Antarctic
ice could change that estimate.
new research is the work of two scientists who have been at the
forefront of ice-sheet modeling for years. They are Robert M. DeConto
of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and Dr. Pollard, who is
a colleague of Dr. Alley's at Penn State.
a lengthy interview on Monday, Dr. DeConto recounted years of
frustration. The computer program he had built in a long-running
collaboration with Dr. Pollard showed increasing sophistication in
its ability to explain the behavior of ice sheets, but it had some
trouble analyzing the past.
global temperatures were raised to unrealistic levels, the model
would not melt enough ice to reproduce the high sea levels known to
have occurred in previous periods when either the atmosphere or the
ocean was warmer. The ability to reproduce past events is considered
a stringent test of the merits of any geological model.
knew something was missing," Dr. DeConto said.
new idea came from Dr. Alley. He urged his colleagues to consider
what would happen as a warming climate attacked huge shelves of
floating ice that help to protect and buttress the West Antarctic ice
nearby ice shelves have already started to disintegrate, most
spectacularly in 2002, when an ice shelf the size of Rhode Island,
the Larsen B shelf, broke apart in two weeks.
West Antarctic ice sheet sits in a sort of deep bowl that extends far
below sea level, and if it loses its protective fringes of floating
ice, the result is likely to be the formation of vast, sheer cliffs
of ice facing the sea. These will be so high they will become
unstable in places, Dr. Alley said in an interview, and the warming
atmosphere is likely to encourage melting on their surface in the
summer that would weaken them further.
result, Dr. Alley suspected, might be a rapid shrinkage as the
unstable cliffs collapsed into the water. Something like this seems
to be happening already at several glaciers, including at least two
in Greenland, but on a far smaller scale than may be possible in West
Dr. DeConto and Dr. Pollard, drawing on prior work by J. N. Bassis
and C. C. Walker, devised some equations to capture this "ice-cliff
instability," their model produced striking results.
obvious next step was to ask the model what might happen if human
society continues to warm the planet by pouring huge amounts of
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
answer the scientists got is described in their paper in the dry
language of science, but it could easily serve as the plot device of
a Hollywood disaster movie. They found that West Antarctica, which is
already showing disturbing signs of instability, would start to break
apart by the 2050s.
parts of the higher, colder ice sheet of East Antarctica would
eventually fall apart, too, and the result by the year 2500 would be
43 feet of sea level rise from Antarctica alone, with still more
water coming from elsewhere, the computer estimated. In some areas,
the shoreline would be likely to move inland by miles.
paper published Wednesday does contain some good news. A far more
stringent effort to limit emissions of greenhouse gases would stand a
fairly good chance of saving West Antarctica from collapse, the
scientists found. That aspect of their paper contrasts with other
recent studies postulating that a gradual disintegration of West
Antarctica may have already become unstoppable.
the recent climate deal negotiated in Paris would not reduce
emissions nearly enough to achieve that goal. That deal is to be
formally signed by world leaders in a ceremony in New York next
month, in a United Nations building that stands directly by the
rising water.


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Shooting underwater is one of the most difficult areas to master in photography. From the physics of refraction, which affects the field of view of any camera lens, to the light spectrum absorption by the density of seawater, which affects how colours come out.
Diver using the PowerShot G1 X Mark II with the WP-DC53 housing
The PowerShot G1 X Mark II, PowerShot G7 X Mark II, and PowerShot G7 X have the capability to take fully automatic pictures with "Underwater settings", such as underwater shooting mode which sets a white balance suitable for underwater, and underwater macro focus range, which assists with taking close-ups of sea life. In combination with the WP series housings, the cameras do a good job for holiday snaps.
Sea turtle shot with PowerShot G7 X Mark II/ Focal Length 8.8/ Shutter Priority (f8.0 1/80)/ WB: Manual
However, as you advance in your underwater photography, there are new things to consider. From equipment to new techniques and modes to use the camera, the list is quite long. In association with Canon, UW360 would like to present some tips to help you in improving your underwater photography.
- External strobes and expansion accessories
The Canon WP-DC55 (Housing for PowerShot G7X Mark II) with the SEA-GADGETS Lightweight Primary Arm Mounting system with Fibre-Optic cable set connected to a single INON Z240 Type 4 Strobe.
One of the first accessories to consider for the more advanced photographer is external strobes. The WP housings have flash diffusers, but are still limited to one position, which sometimes also create problems like backscatter in more turbid water. Due to the compact size, it is also limited in power and ways to light a subject. Fortunately the WP range housings with its respective PowerShot cameras allow for such expansion in equipment. External strobes have more power and can even work with the eTTL modes via fibre optic cables.
The Sea-Gadgets Lightweight primary arm mounting system attaches to the WP housing at the bottom and removes the need to the extra weights to keep the housing less buoyant. These sort of systems allow the attachment of accessories like strobes and lights. External strobes greatly expand the photographer's ability to light subjects and play with shadows. In that image, by putting the strobe to the right, the ledge shadow isolates the fish, while still giving an idea of its natural hiding area.
A strobe usually also has a light, which can act as a focus light to aid the Auto Focusing on the camera in dark spaces.
An external strobe would allow a photographer to play with shadows to highlight the subject, like this Longspine Squirrel Fish (Shot with Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II/ Focal Length 36.8mm/ Manual (f/6.3, 1/125)/ISO 125/WB: Manual)
As a start, using the Canon camera's own eTTL, with the strobe TTL enabled will be easiest. However, as you get more comfortable, just like advancing from automated modes to using fully manual (M) modes, you can use the strobe's own power settings to light the scene and set the camera's flash output to MINIMUM, as to conserve battery so you can enjoy multiple dives.
The arms allow the strobe to be placed away from the WP housing, preventing any accidental illumination of particles in front of the lens. As your skills grow, you can add two strobes to shoot wider angle subjects or to isolate your subject by using high speed settings (eg. High shutter speed and small aperture with base ISO settings).
2. Understanding Animal Behaviour
Animal behaviour is a great subject for photographers. A reef is filled with all sorts of behaviours that make for great subjects.
Mating Damselfish (Shot with PowerShot G7 X Mark II/Focal Length 36.8mm/ Shutter Priority (f/6.3 1/125)/ ISO 125/ WB: Manual)
The image above shows two Damselfish mating. These fish dart in and out quickly and erratically, so it's better to focus on where they are laying eggs and wait for the right opportunity to shoot rather than chase them around.
Batfish being cleaned by cleaner wrasse. (Shot with PowerShot G7 X Mark II/ Focal Length 36.8mm/ Manual (f6.3 1/125)/ ISO 125/ WB: Manual)
The batfish getting cleaned by cleaner wrasse is another interesting subject as the batfish will change colours to indicate to the wrasse it wants to be cleaned. This batfish was under a ledge, so it was relatively easy to isolate the subject in frame. However, being under a ledge means often there are suspended particles so the strobe was pointed to the side of the batfish to illuminate the fish, avoiding backscatter.
Sometimes the natural skittishness of the animal life can present opportunities for shots. For example, the Coral Trout likes to hide in the Staghorn coral and peer out at possible hunters. This presents a natural window frame look, especially with those wonderfully deep black eyes staring right into the camera lens.
Coral Trout (Shot with PowerShot G1 X Mark II/ Focal 36.8mm/ Shutter Priority (f5.6 1/100) ISO 100/ WB: Manual)
The important thing is to pay attention, understand and study animal behaviour for some really interesting shots.
3. Find new ways to shoot the same things
One of the most common shots are of fish portraits where the entire fish or subject is shown. While proper lighting can bring out the brilliant colours, it does have that sense of "been there, seen that." Looking for ways to shoot the same old subjects can breathe in a new breadth to your photography underwater.
Fish portrait of a Blue Ringed Angelfish (Shot with PowerShot G1 X Mark II/ Focal Length 36.8mm/ Shutter Priority (f5.6 1/125)/ ISO 100/ WB: Manual)
Instead of capturing this wonderfully coloured Blue Ringed Angelfish entirely, think of how the light plays on the subject to accentuate those brilliant blues.
Blue Ring Angelfish (Shot with PowerShot G1 X Mark II/ Focal Length 36.8mm/ Shutter Priority (f5.6 1/160)/ ISO 100/ WB: Manual)
By zooming in to get a face shot profile, we see the face is bluer and the blue strips jump out more. Using a higher shutter speed in Manual (M) mode, also isolates the background even more. A different look of the same subject.
The same with this Staghorn coral shot. By using the same terrestrial photography principles, think of using shallow depth of field and zoom to give the coral a different look. This shot also used a nifty built-in feature on the PowerShot G7X Mark II and PowerShot G1X Mark II, the ND filter, to maintain shallow depth of field and low ISO settings on the camera.
Staghorn coral (Shot with PowerShot G1 X Mark II/ Focal Length 36.8mm/ Shutter Priority (f1.8 1/125)/ ISO 100/ WB: Manual) ND Filter On
4. Shapes and textures
The underwater world may seem very monochromatic and alien to us "land dwellers", but it has some amazing things to see. From wonderfully coloured and patterned creatures to incredibly complex shapes of micro-organisms, it is full of life as we don't usually see in our own world.
The incredible spiraling Montipora coral (Shot with PowerShot G7 X Mark II/ Focal Length 8.8mm/ Shutter Priority (f6.3 1/125)/ ISO 125/ WB: Manual)
Sometimes it's good to think two dimensional instead of three. Coral shapes come in all sorts and in 3D it can be difficult to capture their complexity. The above image was taken from the top as a 2D image, just to appreciate the intricate spirals with the white rims of the Montipora coral. The fish in the top does spoil it somewhat but one hardly notices it with the spiral patterns so prominently featured and the drab colours make it duotone, further foregrounding the pattern.
So next time you are on a dive, look out for interesting shapes and patterns and try to find ways to photograph them!
5. Digital processing
If you want to get the best quality images, it is essential to shoot in RAW mode. RAW files are straight off the sensor and offer the best quality image from the camera. For instance, the PowerShot G7X Mark II and PowerShot G1X Mark II have 14bit RAW capture, which means a bit more color latitude and resolution than 12bit images.
RAW files also allow the user to set the white balance in post. JPEGs are 8bit and normally limited in how much latitude there is in an image in terms of shadows and highlights. RAW images allow the user to "salvage" an image that is slightly incorrectly exposed than using JPEG images, which usually have a "baked in" look.
RAW images aren't popular and that is because they need to be processed by software, such as the Canon Digital Photo Professional, which allows the user to do many things to improve the image, like applying curves and even bring back some colour in monochromatic shots. In advanced digital photography, not only are camera skills essential, but post processing is also vital in creating great imagery.
The unprocessed image of the spiraling Montipora coral
Comparing this image with the processed version, the processed version has more detail and color to suit the picture's idea.
Unprocessed coral head picture using (Shot with PowerShot G7 X Mark II/ Focal Length 8.8mm/ Shutter Speed (f/8.0 1/50)/ ISO 125/ WB: Manual) Underwater mode but in RAW.
Processed coral head
Looking at both images, you can see how much difference a little processing makes. It's not too difficult to learn the software, but there is a learning process. With a little effort, your photographs will look even better.
So there it is, UW360's five tips on how to advance your underwater photography with the Canon PowerShot G7 X Mark II and PowerShot G1 X Mark II. Both cameras are easy to use and have the ability to grow with the shooter's abilities to expand to new accessories like external strobes, etc. The good thing is when you are ready to even grow further, the Canon DSLR range of cameras, with fisheye, macro and other specialty lenses will be ready for you. That will be a whole new level of enjoyment! Happy shooting!


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Purpose of the covenant; the original promise; its repetition with
an oath of God; renewal and transfer of the covenant to Isaac;
to Jacob; to Judah; to David; its identity in every repetition;
the same in its purposes, and its promises, with the covenant in
Eden, and the covenant of redemption.
The promises of God in the covenant of Eden, sustained triumphantly, the piety of his saints, until the covenant in Christ was announced to Abraham. Up to this time all that had been certainly revealed as to the person of Christ, was that he was to be of the human race, eminently the seed of the woman; but of what particular family, or nation, had not as yet transpired. Where men were to look for him, whether in Egypt, in Babylon, in Assyria, or in some other land, no one was informed. The object of the covenant now to be considered, was not more to renew the former promises of a Saviour, than it was to make known his family and place. For this great honor Abraham, the friend of God, was selected; and Canaan, that land of vine clad hills, and blooming vallies, was designated as the scene of Messiahs glorious mission.
Abrahams place was "Ur of the Chaldees." There he received a divine command indicative of some future purpose of Jehovah, what he knew not. The God of glory appeared to him, and said, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and go into the land which I shall show thee. Promptly he obeyed, and went out, not knowing whither he went. Providence directed his steps to Haran, where he remained until he had performed the last sad rites of sepulture for his aged father. Then again, The Lord said to Abraham, Depart to a land that I will shew thee, And I will make thee a great nation. And I will bless thee, and make thy name great. And thou shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee. And in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.1 In this simple narrative we have the original promise made to Abraham, which Paul calls the covenant of God, in Christ, or the pledge that Messiah should come of his family. The promise was made when the patriarch was seventy-five years old, in the year of the world two thousand and eighty-two, and nineteen hundred and twenty-two years before the advent of Messiah. He received and embraced it with unwavering faith, and devoutly and promptly complied with the command with which it was associated. He departed as the Lord had spoken to him, with all his family and substance. And as Moses instructs us, They went from Haran, to go into the land of Canaan ; and into the land of Canaan they came. And Abram passed through the land, to the place of Sychem, to the plain of Moreh,2 a beautiful valley between the mountains Ebal and Gerizim, where he fixed his residence, and builded an altar unto the Lord," who there again appeared to him, and said, To thee will I give this land.3 Upon these events, and in explanation of the full import of the covenant, an inspired apostle says, Now to Abraham and his seed, were the promises made. He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one, and to thy seed; which is Christ. 4
But Abraham had subsequently, assurances on this subject, still more full, and emphatic. More than forty years he had resided, as a pilgrim and a stranger, in Canaan, when the covenant was renewed, "and ratified with an oath. Mean time his faith had been subjected to various trials of the severest character. He and his wife had now both reached a very great age; he about a hundred and his wife ninety years, and they were still without issue. In the ordinary course of things, as respects posterity they were both, as Paul justly remarks, as good as dead. The promised son came not! How could he believe that he would come, or that the promise would, or could, ever be fulfilled? We are assured however, that Abraham staggered not. His faith was unshaken. "With God nothing is impossible." Isaac at length was born! And under the circumstances, his birth was as truly miraculous, as was that of the Saviour himself. All his cherished hopes were realized, and this son so dear to his heart, was now verging towards manhood, when occurred another trial of his faith, infinitely more painful and appalling than the former. Take now thy son," said God to the aged patriarch, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering! But could this command be really from on high! Had he not in this case, every reason to distrust the evidence of even his own senses? Could infinite goodness require of a father, a deed so horrible? Thus Abraham might have reasoned. But no such inquiries were in his heart. It was enough that God had spoken. Of this he was assured. He therefore, hesitated not to obey, but hastened to the appointed mountain; builded there the prescribed altar; placed upon it the necessary wood; bound his son, laid him upon the pile, grasped the knife, and stretched forth his hand to strike the fatal blow; when his proceeding was arrested by a voice from above! Abraham, lay not thy hand upon the lad; neither do thou any thing to him; for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld from me thy son, thine only son.5 Another glorious victory was achieved. Faith had again triumphed. Paul illustrating this cardinal grace, thus refers to the incident before us:- "By faith Abraham when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promises, offered up his only begotten son, of whom it was said, In Isaac shall thy seed be called; accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure."6 When these and other scenes had passed, and which are recorded, that "we upon whom the ends of the earth have come," may imitate the unwavering confidence in the word of God, which characterized "the father of the faithful," then Jehovah said to Abraham:- " By myself have I sworn," "that blessing I will bless thee; and multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies. And in thy seed shall all the earth be blessed." 7 These trials of Abrahams faith, and repetitions in the strongest forms, to him of " the covenant of promise," were, like the sufferings of Job, not especially necessary on his account, but were for our advantage. Therefore said Paul, "When God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he sware by himself, saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee." "Men verily swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is to them, an end of all strife." So "God, willing more abundantly to show unto [us the true] heirs of promise, the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it with an oath, that by two immutable things [the promise in the original covenant, and the oath in its repetition] in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us; which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the vail, whither our forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus Christ. 8
"The covenant of promise to Abraham, of God in Christ," is now before you. It is said by the apostle, to have been "the preaching of the gospel to Abraham." "The scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed." 9 To Adam also, was this covenant as announced in Eden, no less "the preaching of the gospel," since it was "the glad tidings" of a Deliverer from sin, and of eternal life, and salvation. I will also remark in passing, that the blessings promised in all these covenantsthe covenants of redemption, of Eden, and of Abrahamwere in their spiritual import, never designed to be, nor are they truly, confined to any one family, or nation. The possible impression of their partial or Hebrew bearing, is carefully guarded against, in the very language of the covenants themselves, and earnestly denied by both prophets and apostles. They embraced specifically, "all the families of the earth," and revealed a Saviour, who is "a light to lighten the Gentiles," as well as "the glory of his people Israel 10 "Of a truth," "God is no respecter of persons; but in every nation,"and this has been ever so" he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 11
We now pass from the period of Abraham, and proceed to consider the frequent repetitions to his successors, at various times, during more than eight hundred years, of this same "covenant of promise confirmed before of God in Christ." 12
To Isaac, his son, and heir, this covenant, about a hundred and fifty years afterwards, was solemnly renewed, and transferred. In the narrative of this transaction by Moses, you are informed that a famine prevailed in Canaan, and that to find sustenance for himself, and his family, Isaac was obliged to leave for a time, the place of his residence. He went therefore "unto Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, unto Gerar. And the Lord appeared unto him and said, Go not down into Egypt;"whither it seems, he was disposed to direct his steps;" Dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of. Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee. For unto thee, and unto thy seed, will I give all these countries. And I will perform my oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father. And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven; and will give unto thy seed all these countries. And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." 13The identity of this covenant with that of Abraham, cannot be questioned, since in the covenant itself, this fact is expressly declared :" I will perform unto thee my oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father."
Forty-four years after this event, the same covenant was repeated, and transferred to Jacob, the son of Isaac, and grandson of Abraham. Jacob had now reached the age of manhood. Painful events had occurred in his fathers house. He was about to leave the scenes of his early days, and enter the great theatre of life, preparatory to which his father gave him his formal blessing. How full of tenderness and affection was that prayer! "God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; and give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land in which thou art a stranger, which God gave to Abraham. And Isaac sent away Jacob."14 And "Jacob went out from Beersheba and went towards Haran. And he lighted on a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set. And he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep. And he dreamed; and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold the angels of God ascending, and descending upon it! And behold the Lord stood above it, and said, I am the Lord God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac. The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed. And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth. And thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south. And in thee, and in thy seed, shall all the families of the earth be blessed.15 Such is the form and language, in which the covenant is transferred to Jacob. This also, contains within itself, as did that to Isaac, the declaration that it is identically the same covenant previously given to Abraham. Jacob is now assured that he is to be the Father of Messiah.
The scenes in the life of Jacob, were many and various, and not a few of them of the most touching character. When "his pilgrimage upon earth" was about to close, seventy one years after he had been honored with the covenant, he assembled in his chamber, in Goshen, his twelve sons, and in an address replete with affection, faith, piety and eloquence, constituted them into "the Twelve Tribes of Israel" Upon each of the tribes he pronounced an appropriate blessing, prophetic of its future circumstances, and character; he assigned them all their places in the promised land; but to Judah alone, and especially, he transmitted the covenant received from his fathers. "The promised land," Bishop Newton justly observes, "Jacob might divide among all his children. But the promise of being the progenitor of Messiah, must be confined to one only." That distinction, by divine direction, was conferred upon Judah. Thus he blessed that favored tribe:- "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a Lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall the gathering of the people be." 16 The sense of the covenant in the form which it here assumes, need not be mistaken, and yet it has been somewhat embarrassed, partly perhaps, because the authors of our common version of the scriptures seem not to have understood it; and partly because expositors generally, appear not to have comprehended its true relations. A few remarks in explanation from me, is therefore necessary. I may just observe that the word translated scepter 17 means literally a rod, and does not, as so many have imagined, refer here to the regal rule of Judah, but is used metaphorically, to represent the tribe. The substance of this part of the passage is therefore, an assurance that whatever may become of the other tribes, the rod, or tribe of Judah, shall endure in its distinct, and separate, and full existence, until the Messiah promisedthe Shilohspringing from that tribe, shall come and accomplish his mission upon earth. I may also remark that the term rendered Lawgiver18 here means simply, a teacher, or prophet, and nothing more. With these corrections, the whole text will read truly, and plainly thus:- From Judah his distinct existence as a tribe shall not depart, nor among his offspring shall a teacher be wanting, till Messiah come, and unto him shall all people be gathered. God here pledges that he will himself watch over and preserve this tribe, until "the desire of all nations shall appear." And how faithfully, in his good providence, this pledge was redeemed, is in the subsequent history of his people, familiar to all who study the sacred records. The other tribes, as is well known, fell into the grossest idolatry, from which no admonitions, or judgments, could recall them. They were at length abandoned to the fury of their enemies, by whom they were overcome, and carried into hopeless captivity. More than seven hundred years before Shiloh appeared, they were all irrecoverably lost, among the nations of the east. Judah by the evident intervention of almighty power, was indestructible, until the promise in this covenant, was gloriously accomplished.
Six hundred years had now passed away since the transfer of the covenant to Judah. Israel had taken possession of the promised land. Every foe was conquered, and all the tribes, united, prosperous and happy, lived securely under the government of the "man after Gods own heart." Under these circumstances God appeared to David, and "swore with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ."19 The form of inspired language, ever after this renewal of the covenants, connects Messiah with the throne of David; his throne being plainly a metaphor employed to express with emphasis, Christs spiritual reign. "Thy seed," said Jehovah to David, "will I establish forever, and [thus] build up thy throne to all generations.20 It was in allusion to these promises, that David himself said, in his last moments, "The God of Israel hath made with me, an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure."21 The exposition of this covenant is beautifully given by one of the prophets. Referring to the coming of Christ he says:- " In that day [the opening of the gospel] there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek; and his rest shall be glorious.22 Previous to this transaction, Messiah was known only as "The seed of the woman," who should redeem us by suffering; the substitute for man to divine justice; the Deliverer appointed by the Father; the seed of Abraham; the Shiloh, in whom it all the nations and families of the earth should be blessed. Thenceforward he is known as "the Prince;" the "Ruler of the people ;" "the David ;" the "King of Israel ;" and by one or another of these, or similar titles, he is constantly designated. This is the style of Jeremiah, for example, through whom God said to Israel :" If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season, then may also my covenant with David be broken, that he should not have a Son [the Christ] to sit upon his throne."23It is the style of Daniel, to whom it was said by the angel: "Understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore, and to build Jerusalem, unto Messiah the prince, shall be seven weeks, and three score and two weeks; [of years] "and after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off but not for himself." 24Take Micah as another example "Thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be Ruler in Israel! whose goings forth have been from old, from everlasting." 25
It is necessary to pause here, until I have justified the remark made a moment since, that "the throne of David" upon which Christ is to sit, is employed always, as a metaphor to represent his spiritual reign. A mistake on this point has led to a false philology in religion, by which a full impression of the sense of the covenant with David, has been turned aside, and painfully weakened. It has been supposed to be, not what it really is, the repetition and transfer to him of "the covenant of promise" to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Judah, but another and distinct covenant, which they have been pleased to call "The Covenant of Royalty!" And what do they mean by "the covenant of royalty?" If simply that David had the promise of God, that Messiah who will reign over spiritual Israel forever, should come of his family, and consummate the covenant, then they but perplex the subject by new, and unexplained terms, without any corresponding advantage. But if they mean, as I understand them, that this covenant guarantied to David the occupancy of his throne, by one of his own descendants, until the coming of Messiah, and that Christ at his second coming, or at some other period, would occupy it literally, their interpretation is contradicted by the facts in history, and by the explanations of both Christ himself, and of his apostles.
The facts in history contradict this interpretation. David transmitted the kingdom of Israel to Solomon, and Solomon to Rehoboam. This last king, by he haughtiness of his bearing, and the cruelty of his measures, forfeited the attachment of his people. Ten of the tribes revolted under Jeroboam, became completely dissevered from their brethren, and were never afterwards recovered to the government. Here the reign of the family of David over all Israel, actually, and forever ceased. Indeed, from beginning to end, it continued at most, but three generations, or about one century. Over Judah alone, his descendants continued to reign for several centuries more. At length however Nebuchadnezzar invaded and conquered the nation, destroyed Jerusalem, burned the temple, carried the people into captivity, and desolated the whole land. With this overthrow, which occurred five hundred and eighty nine years before the coming of Christ, ended finally, the reign even over Judah itself, of the family of David. His literal throne existed no more. It is true that after the Babylonish captivity, which continued seventy years, a remnant of the people returned, and Judah was ruled a hundred and twenty eight years, by Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah. The first of these was of the house of David, but both the others, were of the tribe of Levi. None of them however, were kings in any sense, but simply governors under foreign authority. During the two hundred and forty two years next succeeding, Judah was governed by her High Priests, all of whom were of the house of Aaron. Mean time the nation was tributary successively, to the Persians, the Greeks, the Egyptians, and the Syrians. From the close of this period until Judea became a Roman province under Herod, and Christ was born, the Jews were under the government of the Asmonean family, known as the Maccabees, all of whom belonged to the priestly tribe. History thus rebukes the interpretation in question. Does the covenant promise David, that his natural sons should reign upon his literal throne, until the coming of Messiah? If so, then it was not fulfilled. But "Gods word cannot be broken." It was fulfilled. Therefore the promise is to be understood not in a literal sense, but as a metaphor.
The other part of the interpretationthat Christ ever will occupy Davids literal thronewill be found upon examination, to fail in a manner equally signal. Recur if you please, to the exposition of this covenant by Peter, in a passage, a part of which is already before you. He said to the Jews, in his sermon at Pentecost, "The patriarch David," was "a prophet: and he knew "that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne."26 Did he mean however, his literal throne? that at his second coming at least Christ will reign in Jerusalem, or elsewhere, not only over gathered, and restored, Israel and Judah, but over all the nations of the earth? Then he directly contradicts the Saviour himself, since at that time, the kingdom of Christ, will certainly be "of this world." But repeatedly, as you well know, does the Saviour declare the contrary. He affirms and without conditions, or limitations, "My kingdom is not of this world."27 It is not of this world in its origin ; it is not of this world in its nature; it is not of this world in its ends. It indeed, extends to every creature, since "all authority is committed into his hands, both in heaven and on earth," but it is exclusively spiritual, and evangelical. He was "Davids son, and Davids Lord;" the spiritual David himself; the king who shall reign over spiritual Israel forever. It was therefore over no literal empire; no nations of men; that he was to reign. The covenant promised no such dominion. Twenty four hundred years has Davids literal throne been buried. It will never be resuscitated. The promise is figurative, and pledges a spiritual dominion, and a spiritual people. With these facts before us, how glorious is the inspired language on this subject of the inimitable Ethan! "Thou," O Lord, "didst speak in vision, to thy Holy One, and say, I have laid help upon one that is mighty." "I have found David my servant; with my holy oil have I anointed him; [made him Christ] with whom my hand shall be established; my arm also shall strengthen him." "And I will beat down his foes before his face; and afflict them that hate him; but my faithfulness, and my mercy shall be with him." "I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall cry to me, Thou art my father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. Also I will make him my first born, higher than the kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him forever more, and my covenant shall stand fast with him. His seed also, will I make to endure forever, and his throne" [his spiritual government] as the days of heaven. If his children forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if they break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then [will I not cast them off, as I did the literal sons of David, whom I rejected for their sins, but] I will visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquities with stripes. Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that hath gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn by my holiness, that I will not lie to David [the exalted Messiah.] His seed shall endure forever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established forever, as the moon; and as a faithful witness in heaven." 28 Daniel uses language in the same sense, when he says, "There was given unto" "the Son of Man; Messiah ;" "dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, and nations, and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." 29We have now seen what is usually called "the Abrahamic covenant," or more properly, "the covenant confirmed to Abraham, of God in Christ," and we have considered the repetition, and transmission of that covenant, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and to Judah, and to David. Its promises are, as is apparent, identical in their spiritual import, with those developed in the covenants by which it was preceded. Indeed it refers to those covenants in direct terms. Was it, as Paul declares, a "covenant confirmed to Abraham, of God in Christ ?" That which was simply confirmed, must have had a previous existence. And where shall we look for this covenant, at any previous time, but to Eden, in which two thousand years before, it was made known to our first parents? And in all its developments, whether in Eden, to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, to Judah, or to David, it rested firmly, upon the gracious engagement of Christ for us, in the glorious covenant of redemption, "before the foundation of the world."
The uncertainty which had until now, marked the nation of which Messiah should come, and the scene of his achievements, was here dissipated. The family of Abraham is designated, and of that family the tribe of Judah, and of the tribe of Judah the house of David. Each successive development narrows down the circle, and makes the investigation of Christs claims to the divine mission, when he shall come, more simple and certain. Yet many centuries are to pass before his advent. Other measures must therefore be adopted, such as that on his appearing, it shall be known beyond the possibility of a doubt, that he is the very Christ promised to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob, to Judah, and to David. Of these measures, what are to be the nature and character?
- Gen xii : 1, 3
- Gen xii : 1 3
- Ib. 4 6
- Heb xi : 12
- Gen xxii : 1, – 13
- Heb xi : 17, 18
- Gen xxii : 15, 16
- Heb vi 13 20
- Gal. iii : 16, 17
- Luke ii : 32
- Acts x : 34, 35
- Gal. iii : 17
- Gen. 26 : 1 5
- Gen xxviii : 3 5
- Gen xxvii : 11 14
- Gen xlix : 10
- shebet (Hebrew)
- chaqaq (Hebrew)
- Acts ii : 30
- Psalm lxxxix : 3, 4
- 2 Sam xxiii : 5
- Isa xi : 10
- Jere xxxiii : 20, 21
- Danl ix : 25, 26
- Mich v : 2
- Acts ii : 29, 30
- John xviii : 37
- Ps lxxxix : 19 37
- Danl vii : 14


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When it comes to owning your own business, finding resources that actually help you succeed without requiring a huge investment of time or money are rare.
This list is meant to inspire business owners to think outside of the box when it comes to what may not be traditional resources to most.
Help to a small business owner comes in many forms.
1) Ed Mckay's Book Store – Learning about your industry and where you can grow your business is crucial to making the changes you need to survive. Ed McKay's is one of my favorite places to invest in books for my business library. I can stay in my budget and come out with an amazing selection of books that keep me up to date, inspired and focused on success.
2) Habitat Restore – Whether you are building your home office or furnishing one off site, Piedmont Triad area Habitat Restore Store outlets are a great place to shop for chairs, desks and any thing else you may need to make your space work ready. Not only do you save money – you also support a great cause!
3) Public Library – The public library is an amazing community resource. You can take computer classes, access their premium business databases, receive planning consultations as well as receive direction in career development. It is as simple as contacting your local business librarian.
4) Board of Advisers – Having a trusted Board of Advisers that you can turn to as you make decisions for your small business will help you grow and learn faster that going it alone. It's recommended to include people that are outside your area of expertise so that you can learn from their unique perspective and see the bigger picture of where your business can grow. Inc.com has an amazing article on How to Assemble a Board of Advisers.
5) Attend Local Social Events – Professional Networking and Educational Groups that offer FREE memberships such as Linking Greensboro and Linking Winston Salem are great examples. They offer social events that share the best and brightest from in and around the Triad on a regular basis. Not only to you get to network with other area professionals and small business owners – for the price of lunch, you get to learn from Triad's brightest leaders who speak on a wide range of topics. They also offer networking online via Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin Groups – so even if you can't make their events, you can still connect and benefit both personally and professionally!
As a small business owner, what have been your top 5 resources to grow your company?
What resources have you discovered that are free or have little to no cost to you and your company?