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HOME REMODELING – Do-it-Yourself or Not?
Have you ever watched a home improvement show and decided "I can do it myself." The shows make it look so easy – and the whole house is renovated in just 30 minutes!
It's time for a reality check to see if you should really tackle a do-it-yourself (DIY) project. The National Association of the Remodeling Industry (NARI) created a simple yes-or-no quiz that you should take before you tackle a DIY project.
Take this quiz to find out!
Answer yes or no:
1. Do you enjoy physical work?
Most home remodeling projects are labor intensive. You may discover muscles that you didn't even know exist!
2. Are you persistent and patient?
This reminds me of the a homeowner who decided to tackle removing the old flooring in his home. To his dismay, there were multiple levels of old flooring that had to be removed, he needed to rent special equipment to remove the flooring, and it delayed the completion of his renovation/addition by more than a month.
3. Do you have reliable work habits—meaning that once the project is started, will it get finished?
How many times have you started a project and then life takes over? This happens to the best of us. How much time do you truly have to devote to a project?
4. Do you have all the tools needed and, more importantly, the skills required to do the job?
Not only do you need to have the tools and the skills, you also need to know the building codes. Additionally, if the project required a permit, and you do not get one, you can be fined, receive a stop work order, and worse yet – be told to remove all changes you made to your home.
5. What quality level do you need for this project? Are your skills at that level?
Even painting is not just about getting a paint brush, a can of paint, and painting the walls. You need the right type of brush, the right type of paint, and the knowledge of how to prepare the painting surfaces.
6. Do you have the time that will be required to complete the project?
Time… if only there was more of it. Just because the DIY shows make it look like a project takes no time at all doesn't mean that is true! Always double or triple the time estimated for a DIY project, unless you are highly skilled and familiar with that particular project.
7. Will it matter if the project remains unfinished for a period of time?
People with the best intentions sometimes don't realize how long a project may take. If you are only working weekends and nights to finish a project that may take 8 weeks, your project may take 20 weeks or more. How long do you want to live with your house in disarray?
8. Are you prepared to handle the kind of stress this project will create in your family relationships?
A renovation project becomes your life. How will you handle questions like:
"Why is it taking so long?"
"What did you do to the wall?"
"When will it be done?"
"How much money will that cost?"
9. Do you know all of the steps involved in the project?
Another true story – a homeowner hired Leading Edge Homes, Inc. to do an addition. As the project continued, the homeowner decided to add the new flooring to the rest of the house. Unbeknownst to us, the homeowner decided he wanted to save money and paint the rest of his home. He made that decision after the new flooring was installed.
The homeowner should have taken this quiz before starting some DIY projects. He is only painting on the weekends – all of the furniture is sitting in the middle of the room. He didn't think through the steps. He should have painted before having us install the new flooring! Now there are drips of paint on the new floor.
10. Is this a job you can do completely by yourself or will you need assistance?
If you do need assistance, what skill level is involved for your assistant? If you need a professional subcontractor, do you have access to a skilled labor pool?
11. Are you familiar with your local building codes and permit requirements?
(Some jurisdictions require that the work be completed by a licensed and bonded professional in order to meet code.) It's best to check these requirements before beginning work on the project.
Remember, if you fail to pull a permit you will end up paying more for your project than you imagine. Some municipalities charge you a penalty of triple the permit fee if you failed to pull a permit. Also, if you go to sell your home and work was done without a permit, you will have difficulty selling your home.
12. What will you do if the project goes awry?
Many contractors are wary about taking on a botched DIY job and you may be forced to remove all of your handy work. All of the money and time you spent may be thrown away.
13. Is it safe for you to do this project?
(If you are not familiar with roofing or do not have fall protection restraints, you may not want to venture into a roofing job. Similarly, if you know nothing about electricity—leave it to the professional. Some jobs can be fatal if not performed correctly. Your health and safety should be the primary concern. Never enter into a DIY project that would jeopardize either.)
14. Will you be able to obtain the materials you need? Who will be your source of supply? Will they deliver?
The quality of some of the items you purchase at a big box store is often times lower than the same items you can purchase from building suppliers.
15. Are you attempting to do-it-yourself for financial reasons?
If so, have you looked at all of your costs, including the cost of materials, your time, and the tools you need to purchase? If you are new to the DIY game, you may also want to look at the cost to correct any mistakes you may make—i.e., the damage factor. Will it still be a cost-saving venture?
If you have to take vacation time to do the project, what is the value of what is lost?
16. If you are trying DIY for the satisfaction of a job well done—can you ensure that the job will be "well done"?
If it doesn't come out right, how will you feel? Will you be able to afford to redo any unsatisfactory work?
Did you answer YES to some of the questions?
Be honest — How many did you really say yes to? If you answered yes to 8 or more of these questions, NARI says you may attempt a DIY project. But, before you run for the nearest hardware store, revisit those questions you marked "No," and carefully consider the potential problems you will face in those areas if you proceed with the project.
Hiring a professional, like Leading Edge Homes, might be your best choice. A remodeling project can be one of the most important investments that you can make in your home.
Work with an experienced roomologist (contractor experienced in room additions and home renovations) to plan and design your home improvement project. The planning phase is equally important to the completion phase. If you can imagine it, we can design it.
For all of your home remodeling , contact your local certified "roomologist", Leading Edge Homes. Inc. at 561-795-2551. Want to see some of our work? Visit our website or view our online book.
Todd Perry, a State of Florida Certified Building Contractor and president of Leading Edge Homes, Inc., provided this information.
If you have questions about a home improvement project, call Leading Edge Homes at 561-795-2551 or email Todd at: email@example.com and he'll be happy to share his knowledge with you.


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Thank you to SkillsMatter for hosting the Agile, Lean and Kanban eXchange conference. It was a great event.
And thank you to the ten or so people who participated. I got some great feedback and plan to make some tweaks to cyber-dojo, particularly giving the players the ability to control the rotation period in their dojo. It will be interesting to see what value future players will set the rotation period to when they have a free choice.
I also introduced a very simple mini kanban display for each laptop; three pieces of paper marked red (in red), green (in green), and refactor (in black). You then move your avatar badge (eg wolves) onto one of the pieces of paper to reflect your current intention.

subset: commoncrawl


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The Jewish right to Jerusalem is soon to be revoked, based on Jewish prophets Daniel and Zechariah.
Millions of Jews were wondering if 2017 would be a jubilee echo of the Balfour Declaration in 1917 and the Six Day War 50 years later in 1967. But 2017 is disappointing with daughter of a holocaust survivor deported because her father became a Christian (Newsweek 11-21-17).
Is Israel just for Jews? asks Dr. Richard Ruhling, an author with Jewish roots. He says the Tannach (Old Testament) quotes God as giving Abraham the land from the river of Egypt to the Euphrates for his "seed" or children, Genesis 15. Ruhling offers further information…
Christians should have a 5 to 1 advantage in claiming the Middle East as their land because they are descendants of the ten-tribe northern kingdom of Israel while only two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) represent Jews not so scattered. But Jeremiah 30,31 promises all a return!
The northern kingdom established a false center of worship in Dan because Jereboam did not want them to establish sympathies with Judah while attending holy days in Jerusalem after the split caused by the high taxes of Solomon's son.
God scattered Israel among the nations and many intermarried with Christians in Europe and fled papal oppression for freedom in the New World. They continue the idea of a false center of worship on Sunday, a day having only pagan roots from sun worship as opposed to the Sabbath defined in the 4th Commandment of Exodus 20.
But that commandment also shows God's regard for "the stranger within your gates," meaning that God wanted non-Jews to be blessed by a day off—"the Sabbath was made for man." The Jews made it a burden of legalistic compliance to earn a standing with God by an outward show of merit while inwardly they were full of malice seen by their crucifying their Messiah as foretold first by Abraham ("God will provide Himself a sacrifice"), Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53.
Yeshua said we would be judged and treated as we judge and treat others. To deport a daughter of the Holocaust shows nothing has changed in 2000 years, and if genetic Jews in Israel would read Zechariah 14, they might see their title to Jerusalem is about to be revoked.
The return of Jews was premature; Leviticus 26 mandates a 7-fold punishment for Israel's 390 years of apostasy cited in Ezekiel 4:5,6.
7 x 390 = 2730 years that began with the Assyrian captivity in 722 BCE. Subtracting 722 from 2730 years would be 2008, but with no year "0" it's 2009 and the UN gift of land for Israel should not have been taken as a sign to return. 1948 was premature.
The UN is a catholic (universal) organization that favors a melting pot of many peoples, like Babylon or Babel where languages were confused; the UN is not God's way of helping Israel.
God intended that land for Abraham's seed in Genesis 15. Paul said, "If you are Christ's, you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise [of land]." Galatians 3:29.
In the end-time, God is going to put Judah (Jews who accept the Messiah) together with Israel (10 tribes that were scattered among the nations and represent Christians who accept biblical laws). This is the imagery of dry bones and two sticks that come together in Ezek 37.
Those two groups will be fully compatible after a shaking– an earthquake that initiates end-times as seen in Joel 2:10,11; Zechariah 14:1,5.
This end-time gathering is also seen in Jeremiah 30:3, where God "will bring again the captivity of my people Israel and Judah…and cause them to return to the land that I gave to their fathers, and they shall possess it."
"I am with you to save you…though I make a full end of all other nations…in the latter days you shall consider it," Jeremiah 30:11,24. This is the context for the New Covenant Promise in Jeremiah 31.
When the New World Order is set up, aliyah, (returning) will be appropriate for Jews and Christians like 7th-day Adventists who honor the Sabbath of the Bible.
New World Order must allow for freedom of religion initially, but compelling force seen in Revelation 13:15-17. The coming trouble will be better in the land of the covenant where God will defend His covenant as He said in Exodus 34:10,11.
In the meantime, watch for Jerusalem to be compassed with armies—the warning given by Yeshua who was a Jew and loved His brethren—that's why He died, and the prophecies of Daniel 9 show it was right on time, totally missed by the Jewish leaders protecting status quo.
Dr. Richard Ruhling is a retired physician offering health insights at http://RichardRuhling.com and further information on Israel at http://IslamUSinProphecy.wordpress.com
Contact Detail:
Company Name: Total Health
Contact Person: Dr. Richard Ruhling
Email: email@example.com
Phone No: 9285837543
State: Arizona
Country: United States
Website Url: http://RichardRuhling.com
Source: www.PRExhibition.com


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Mastering the audit of an Information Security Management System (ISMS) based on ISO 27001
4 1/2 days
Summary | Go to Enrollment Form
This five-day intensive course enables participants to develop the necessary expertise to audit an Information Security Management System (ISMS) and to manage a team of auditors by applying widely recognized audit principles, procedures and techniques. During this training, the participant will acquire the necessary knowledge and skills to proficiently plan and perform internal and external audits in compliance with ISO 19011 the certification process according to ISO 17011.Based on practical exercises, the participant will develop the skills (mastering audit techniques) and competencies (managing audit teams and audit program, communicating with customers, conflict resolution, etc.) necessary to efficiently conduct an audit.
Who should attend?
- Internal auditors
- Auditors wanting to perform and lead Information Security Management System (ISMS) certification audits
- Project managers or consultants wanting to master the Information Security Management System audit process
- CxO and Senior Managers responsible for the IT governance of an enterprise and the management of its risks
- Members of an information security team
- Expert advisors in information technology
- Technical experts wanting to prepare for an Information security audit function
Learning objectives
- To acquire the expertise to perform an ISO/IEC 27001 internal audit following ISO 19011 guidelines
- To acquire the expertise to perform an ISO/IEC 27001 certification audit following ISO 19011 guidelines and the specifications of ISO 17021 and ISO 27006
- To acquire the necessary expertise to manage an ISMS audit team
- To understand the operation of an ISO/IEC 27001 conformant information security management system
- To understand the relationship between an Information Security Management System, including risk management, controls and compliance with the requirements of different stakeholders of the organization
- To improve the ability to analyze the internal and external environment of an organization, its risk assessment and audit decision-making
Course Agenda | Go to Enrollment Form
Day 1: Introduction to Information Security Management System (ISMS) concepts as required by ISO/IEC 27001
- Normative, regulatory and legal framework related to information security
- Fundamental principles of information security
- ISO/IEC 27001 certification process
- Information Security Management System (ISMS)
- Detailed presentation of the clauses 4 to 8 of ISO/IEC 27001
Day 2: Planning and Initiating an ISO/IEC 27001 audit
- Fundamental audit concepts and principles
- Audit approach based on evidence and on risk
- Preparation of an ISO/IEC 27001 certification audit
- ISMS documentation audit
- Conducting an opening meeting
Day 3: Conducting an ISO/IEC 27001 audit
- Communication during the audit
- Audit procedures: observation, document review, interview, sampling techniques, technical verification, corroboration and evaluation
- Audit test plans
- Formulation of audit findings
- Documenting nonconformities
Day 4: Concluding and ensuring the follow-up of an ISO/IEC 27001 audit
- Audit documentation
- Quality review
- Conducting a closing meeting and conclusion of an ISO/IEC 27001 audit
- Evaluation of corrective action plans
- ISO/IEC 27001 Surveillance audit
- Internal audit management program
Day 5: Certification Exam
PECB Certified ISO/IEC 27001 Foundation Certification or basic knowledge of ISO/IEC 27001 is recommended.
Educational approach
- This training is based on both theory and practice:
- Sessions of lectures illustrated with examples based on real cases
- Practical exercises based on a full case study including role playings and oral presentations
- Review exercises to assist the exam preparation
- Practice test similar to the certification exam
Examination and Certification
- The "PECB Certified ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor" exam fully meets the requirements of the PECB Examination and Certification Programme (ECP). The exam covers the following competence domains:
- Domain 1: Fundamental principles and concepts of information security
- Domain 2: Information Security Management System (ISMS)
- Domain 3: Fundamental audit concepts and principles
- Domain 4: Preparation of an ISO/IEC 27001 audit
- Domain 5: Conducting an 27001 audit
- Domain 6: Closing an ISO/IEC 27001 audit
- Domain 7: Managing an ISO/IEC 27001 audit program
- The "PECB Certified ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor" exam is available in different languages (the complete list of languages can be found in the examination application form)
- Duration: 3 hours
- For more information about the exam, refer to the section on PECB Certified ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor Exam
- After successfully completing the exam, participants can apply for the credentials of PECB Certified ISO/IEC 27001 Provisional Auditor, PECB Certified ISO/IEC 27001 Auditor or PECB Certified ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor depending on their level of experience. Those credentials are available for internal and external auditors
- A certificate will be issued to participants who successfully pass the exam and comply with all the other requirements related to the selected credential
- For more information about PECB Certified ISO/IEC 27001 certifications and the PECB certification process, refer to the section on ISO/IEC 27001 certifications
General Information
- Certification fees are included in the exam price
- A student manual containing over 450 pages of information and practical examples will be distributed to participants
- A participation certificate of 31 CPD (Continuing Professional Development) credits will be issued to participants
- In case of failure of the exam, participants are allowed to retake the exam for free under certain conditions


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Large chunk of border wall funding diverted from U.S. Territory of Guam
HONOLULU (AP) — President Donald Trump is raising a large chunk of the money for his border wall with Mexico by deferring several military construction projects slated for Guam, a strategic hub for U.S. forces in the Pacific.
This may disrupt plans to move Marines to Guam from Japan and to modernize munitions storage for the Air Force.
About 7% of the funds for the $3.6 billion wall are being diverted from eight projects in the U.S. territory, a key spot in the U.S. military's efforts to deter North Korea and counter China's growing military.
The administration has vowed it's only delaying the spending, not canceling it. But Democrats in Congress, outraged over Trump's use of an emergency order for the wall, have promised they won't approve money to revive the projects.
"The fact is, by literally taking that money after it had been put in place and using it for something else, you now put those projects in jeopardy," said Carl Baker, executive director of Pacific Forum, a Honolulu-based foreign policy think tank.
The Senate on Wednesday passed a measure blocking Trump from raiding the military construction budget for the wall. The Democratic-controlled House is likely to pass the bill, but Trump is expected to veto it as he did with an identical measure in March.
The tiny island of Guam holds a naval base with fast attack submarines and an Air Force base with bombers that rotate in from the mainland.
The U.S. currently plans to start moving 5,000 Marines there from Okinawa in southern Japan around 2025. This is part of a decades-long effort by Tokyo and Washington to relieve the congested Japanese island's burden of hosting half the U.S. forces stationed in Japan. The total cost of relocating the Marines is $8.7 billion, of which Japan is paying $3.1 billion.
The projects put on hold by the border wall are a small share of this total, yet critical to the relocation.
There's $56 million to build a well system that will supply most of the water to be used by a new Marine base. The area's existing water supply is inadequate to meet the needs of the transferred troops.
There's also a $50 million live-fire training range and a $52 million munitions storage facility. Documents about the projects the military provided to Congress say the Marines won't leave Okinawa until replacement facilities in Guam are ready. The documents say failure to complete these two projects could delay or prevent the Marines from moving.
Guam activists opposed to the live-fire range said the delay will give them time to study ancient settlements found in the area. They said it would be irresponsible to move forward on projects that would destroy cultural sites and cause irreversible environmental damage when there's so much uncertainty about the relocation.
"Our organization is conflicted about the means in which the pause was achieved because these are two instances of colonial injustice, one impacting the other," the group Prutehi Litekyan: Save Ritidian said in a statement.
The U.S. reassured Japan immediately after the announcement that it would stick to the existing timeline.
"We have received explanation from the U.S. side about the shifting of the budget that it will not affect the planned movement of Marines on Okinawa to Guam, and that the U.S. government commitment to the realignment plan is unchanged," then-Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters earlier this month.
Discussions to reduce the U.S. presence on Okinawa began in the mid-1990s after the rape of a 12-year-old Okinawan girl by three U.S. servicemen sparked mass demonstrations. The allies in 2006 said they would send Marines to Guam by 2014, a deadline that slipped as they revised plans.
Although Okinawa makes up less than 1 percent of Japan's land space, it hosts about half of the 54,000 American troops stationed in Japan and is home to 64 percent of the land used by the U.S. bases in the country under a bilateral security treaty.
Jeffrey Hornung, a researcher at the RAND Corporation, a public policy research institute, said even before the latest development, some Okinawa residents were frustrated with the lack of progress in moving the Marines.
"The fact is, the longer that the projects on Guam are delayed, that means the longer that there's not going to be any forward movement on some aspects of moving the Marines off Okinawa," Hornung said. "And this all comes from taking money to build a border wall."
Diverted spending also will affect the Air Force, including $45.1 million for two projects to update 70-year-old munitions storage.
The Air Force has been rotating bombers — the B-2 stealth bomber as well as the B-1 and B-52 — through Guam since in 2004 to compensate for U.S. forces sent from the Asia-Pacific region to fight in the Middle East. In 2017, the U.S. dispatched a B-1 bomber from Guam to the Korean peninsula as a show of force after North Korea accelerated its efforts to test intercontinental ballistic missiles and expand its nuclear weapons program.
Project documents say existing facilities won't adequately support the mission of the 36th Munitions Squadron on Guam. They say upgrades are needed to correct a faulty door design, address earth cover lost during typhoons and house new long-range air-to-ground precision missiles.
U.S. Rep. Ed Case, a Democrat from Hawaii who sits on the House appropriations subcommittee for military construction, said he's concerned the administration diverted so much from Guam, given the island is key to the nation's defense posture in the Pacific.
But he said rewarding these funds in another budget would set an "incredibly dangerous precedent."
"That is a very difficult situation because these are priority projects. However, if we simply said yes to this president on that basis, which he is very much hoping that we will do, then we have essentially said to him and any future president that Congress' role as the responsible branch of government for appropriations no longer counts," Case said.


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Location |
Los Angeles, CA 90095 |
Campus Information Center |
(310) 825-4321 |
Website |
http://www.ucla.edu |
Founded (and originally known as) the Southern Branch of the University of California in 1919, the University of California, Los Angeles, more commonly known as simply UCLA, has occupied a 419-acre campus in the Westwood section of Los Angeles since 1929. The campus, bounded by the tony Los Angeles neighborhoods of Brentwood, Westwood, Little Holmby Hills, and Bel Air, is renowned for its professional schools in film, medicine, and law; its undergraduate programs in many disciplines are highly rated as well.
Currently, UCLA has 11 colleges and divisions:
- Anderson School of Management
- Graduate School of Education and Information Studies
- The Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science
- School of the Arts and Architecture
- School of Dentistry
- School of Law
- School of Medicine
- School of Nursing
- School of Public Health
- School of Public Policy and Social Research
- School of Theater, Film and Television
Like other UC campuses, UCLA's 179 buildings are continually under construction/renovation. Some of its more noted buildings include the original four buildings (Royce, Kinsey, Haynes, and Powell), which often appear in films as a "unnamed" or fictional Ivy League-style campus. Other buildings include Pauley Pavilion, Kaufman Hall, and Ackerman Union.
In sports, UCLA is a Division I school, and carries on a rivalry with cross-town USC; its football team practices on campus, but plays their home games at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Their mascot is the grizzly bear, with costumed mascots known as Joe and Josie Bruin. This campus pride is reflected in "Bruin Walk" and the bronze Bruin Bear in Bruin Plaza, at the end of Bruin Walk.
UCLA currently has 24,811 undergraduates and 10,814 graduates (Fall 2005). As of June 2003, there are 331,226 UCLA alumni.


text:
Place of Origin: Hebei , China (Mainland)
Packing:25-30kgs/ bag with pallet,30-48 cartons with pallet,or according to the needs of clients
Type: Plain / Zinc / HDG hex nut
Supply Ability: 400 Ton/ Month
Model Number: M10
Usage : always used with bolt and washer
Sample Fee: Negotiate
Samples: Available for evaluation before place order.
Sample Time: About 20 Days
How To Order
1. We need to know the size, quantity and others.
2. Discuss all details with you and make the sample if needed.
3. Start the mass production after getting your payment(deposit).
4. Send goods to you.
5. Receive the goods in your side.
1.You are a manufacturing company or trading company?
---We specialized in manufacturing fasteners and we have 15 years of exporting experience. And our price is reasonable.
2.What quote do you offer?
---FOB , CIF and others ways according the your needs.
3.How pay?
---All of kinds Payment we all accept from you
4.How transport?
---Sea Freight, Air Freight and others Express Delivery ways for you.
5.Can I order a small list ?
---Of course,you can.
6.Can we print our own logo ?
---Yes, we can print logo for you.
7.What is the quality of your products guarantee?
---We have passed ISO9001:2008 Quality Management System Certification, CQM Quality Management System Certification and IQNet Quality Management System Certification, If the quality doesn't accord the standard, you can exchange the goods for free.
8.Do you have after-sales service?
---Certainly,you can contact us at any time.
Name | High quality grade8/12 hex nut |
Standard | AS,ANSI/ASME,BS,DIN,EN,GB,ISO,JIS,Non-standard |
Zn- Plated,Ni-plated,Tin-plated,and , Black ,Polish,Plain,Chrome plated,Hot Deep Galvanize etc. | |
Finishing | |
1. Carbon Steel: C1006, C1008, C1010, C1018, C1022, C10B21, C10B33, C1035, C1045, C435#, | |
40CrMo, 42CrMo | |
2. Stainless Steel: SUS201, SUS304, SUS316, SUS410, SUS430 | |
Material | 3. Brass: C36000 (C26800), C37700 (HPb59), C38500 (HPb58), C27200CuZn37), C28000 (CuZn40) |
Size | M5-M64, OEM |
Sample | Samples supplied is available |
Delivery Time | 2-10 working days as usual ,after the advanced payment are recieved |
Payment Terms | 30% T/T, 70% at the sight of the copy of the B/L, or 100% LC at sight |
Package | Bags or cartons ,or according to the requirement of customers |


text:
Justin Trudeau Face T-Shirt
- Description
- Sizing
We just couldn't pick which picture of Justin Trudeau we liked best, so we decided to use them all in our new t-shirt! Confused, angry, happy, or sad, we've got 'em all!
The shirt is made of high quality polyester which allows us to achieve photorealistic quality allover the shirt on the front and back. Made in the UK.


text:
From the book "Morning Talks", written by Sant Kirpal Singh
1967-10-27, Delhi, Sawan AshramTalk available as mp3 at audio.sant-kirpal-singh.org
Love can be developed in many ways, but the most effective way is through looking at the Master, into the eyes of the Master. Eyes are the windows of the soul. The Master is always within at the eye focus, so when you talk to Him, you should always be attentive there. He is also attentive when He talks and soul speaks to soul. The Master gives lessons through the eyes without talking. He is overflowing with the love and intoxication of God and the radiation comes through His eyes very strongly. Those who are embedded in His eyes by receptivity get a boost. There are other means too, but this is the most effective.
This is how we should attend Satsang, so as to derive full benefit from it. When you come to the place of Satsang, just forget your homes. When you come here and sit, forget everybody else. You will even forget your own body. Just be embedded into the eyes of the Master. You will forget your body because eyes are the windows of the soul and the soul radiates its impressions through the eyes. This is the most effective way of developing love. There are other means, such as having the society of those people who are overflowing with the love of their Guru. When two disciples of the Master sit together, their love for the Master will flare up.
When you happen to go to a Master, just embed your attention into His eyes. Because He is overflowing with the love and intoxication of God, that comes direct to you. With the overflowing love in Him, what words cannot convey, His eyes can convey. Those very impressions go into the heart and wherever you sit, you will enjoy that sweetness. This is how love develops. Who gives it? It is first He who loves us. It is first the mother who loves the child. The child's love is only reciprocal. The question then arises, how to maintain this love? We should not be businesslike. Sometimes we want this and that thing of the world. We should wholly have the love of the Master for the love of the Master. This is how that love can be maintained. What sort of love is required? We should have always a respectful love. Sometimes out of love we transcend our bounds. Sometimes we just try to vie with the Master. Well, the king is the king and the minister is the minister. The king may give the minister a good position and even make the minister sit by his side. Still the minister should think that he is a minister, not the king. Because of misunderstanding, we sometimes transcend the bounds of love. The king will not say anything but he will see that it is not respectful.
I was just relating a story of Humayun, who was a great king of India. He had one servant, Ayaz by name, whom he loved most of all. His ministers approached him and said, "It is a very strange thing, you love your servant so much that you do not love us. Why is this so?" The king replied, "Because my servant takes me as king." His ministers then said," Do we not take you as king?" "No, not the least," replied the king. One day, the king sent for a cup that was embedded with jewels from his treasure house. It was a very costly cup, the most costly of all his treasures. The king put it in front of him and asked each one of his ministers to break it. He ordered them to break it. Each minister said, "O king, this is a most valuable thing, one of the wonders of the world, it should not be broken." One by one, all of the ministers refused to break the cup. The king then called his servant and said to him, "Break it!" Without any hesitation, the servant took a stick in his hand and broke the cup. The king then said to his servant, "Don't you know that you have broken a very valuable treasure?" The servant replied, "O king, this cup has no value as compared to the cup of your order."
You follow me? Implicit obedience and love which is always respectful gives you more than any other discipline. You may have other enjoyments, other appreciations, but unless you remain a minister, you will lose out. He might give you the kingship, but even then you should remain a minister at heart. Once I wrote to my Master and craved Him for love (it is the Master who can give love; it is He who first loves us), but such a love which was respectful. He got that letter and put it on His breast and said, "I want love, but it should be a respectful love."
So these are the teachings which are given here. How love can be developed; how it can be maintained and further, who gives it. Also, what sort of love it should be. It should always be in a respectful mood. God is love. Love is innate in our soul and the way back to God is also through love. All performances, making obeisance and other things are the symbols of the respect that you have got at heart. The more you develop that way the better and, as I told you, the most effective way is through the eyes. One love pouring glance from the Master will go to the very depths of your heart and you will remember it all through your life; you cannot forget it.
These details are not given in the books. These are practical things which you learn from a practical man. If you get it, well, as I told you the other day, you will be detached from the world, you will have detachment at heart. When you are attached to One wholly and solely, that is true renunciation. That love which cannot be expressed by words is expressed through the eyes of the Giver to the eyes of the receiver and goes to the very depths of the heart. So this is what is meant by these little talks here. We must understand and see, find out where we stand.


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Rick's Cafe, in Negril, is one of the best places to watch the sun set in Jamaica. It's an event I always look forward to see and I've done so on many occasions. Each time, the colors with which the sun paints the clouds as it falls behind the horizon look different, deeper and more intense – purple, orange, blue.
This is my submission to this week's Budget Travelers Sandbox Travel Photo Thursday series. Be sure to check out other photo and story entries on their website!


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The View of Russia in the West
Paul Craig Roberts
The upcoming Trump/Putin summit is hampered by the crazed portrait of Russia painted by presstitutes. Jonathan Chait, Amy Knight, Max Bergmann, Yaroslav Trofimov, Roger Cohen, and the rest of the conscious or de facto CIA assets that comprise the Western presstitute media have turned Putin into a superhuman who controls election outcomes throughout the West, murders people without rhyme or reason, and has President Trump under his thumb doing Putin's bidding. Who could imagine a more extreme conspiracy theory?
Jonathan Chait in New York magazine writes that "the dark crevices of the Russia scandal run deep," so deep that "it would be dangerous not to consider the possibility that the summit is less a negotiation between two heads of state than a meeting between a Russian-intelligence asset and his handler." http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/07/trump-putin-russia-collusion.html
So here is Chait, who brands truth-tellers "conspiracy theorists" coming up with the greatest conspiracy theory of our time that President Trump has been a Kremlim asset since 1987. Chait provides a "crazy quilt of connections" to illustrate his absurd conspiracy theory that "it's not necessary to believe that Putin always knew he might install Trump in the Oval Office to find the following situation highly plausible: Sometime in 2015, the Russian president recognized that he had, in one of his unknown number of intelligence files, an inroad into American presidential politics."
Chait believes that Russia is also behind the UK's exit from the European Union. "Driving Britain out of the European Union advanced the decades-long Russian goal of splitting Western nations apart, and Russia found willing allies on the British far right."
Chait gets even more conspiratorial. He admits that Paul Manafort's indictments for alleged white collar crimes are not related to Trump's election, having occurred years previously in Ukraine. Nevertheless, Chait is certain that Manafort is shielding Trump even though according to Chait Manafort is facing many years in prison. Why would Manafort shield Trump? Chait's answer:
"One way to make sense of his behavior is the possibility that Manafort is keeping his mouth shut because he's afraid of being killed. That speculation might sound hyperbolic, but there is plenty of evidence to support it. In February, a video appeared on YouTube showing Manafort's patron Deripaska on his yacht with a Belarusian escort named Anastasia Vashukevich."
Chait's article is long and heavily weighted with innuendo. Chait, or whoever wrote the article, possibly the person who wrote the Steele Dossier, collects every disparaging fact and fantasy about Trump and assembles them in a way to paint a portrait of a person who must also, without much doubt, be a Russian agent. If the public can be convinced of this, the military/security complex can assassinate Trump and blame Putin for getting rid of an asset who was exposed by the Russiagate investigation, no longer useful, and perhaps prepared to spill the beans.
Another conspiracy theorist, Amy Knight, writes that "The real question is where does the Russian criminal state end and the criminal underworld begin, and how do they work together in what amounts to a new murder incorporated?" https://www.thedailybeast.com/novichok-victim-dies-did-the-kremlin-really-lose-control-of-its-deadliest-poisons?ref=wrap
Yaroslav Trofimov tells us in the Wall Street Journal (July 7) that "Putin maps out his own empire" to replace the lost Soviet one.
In the Washington Post Max Bergmann tells us that Trump is going to sell out NATO in Helsinki. This line leads to the supposition that Putin is using Trump to unleash the Russian military on Europe. Many conspiracy theorists have come together on the view that first the Baltic States will be invaded and then Putin will move on to Germany and the rest of Europe. The New York Times' Roger Cohen even pulls Marine Le Pen into the plot which widens to include ethnically cleansing the West of the refugees from Washington's wars.
This is the level of absurdity that the American media delivers to the public's understanding of foreign affairs.


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Condenser microphone components are parts used in the construction of a condenser microphone, which produces sound using a vibrating diaphragm and a stable metal plate known as a capacitor. Condenser microphones are either DC (direct current) biased, or can operate using radiofrequency. They are commonly used for studio recording rather than for live performances on stage.
Condenser microphones work using a kind of capacitor, which consists of a thin membrane (known as a diaphragm) next to a solid metal plate. As the sound waves hit the capacitor, the diaphragm vibrates and moves in relation to the solid plate, converting the waves into an electrical signal. This electrical signal is then broadcast.
Microphone condensers vary mainly in the quality of their output sound. The quality can be affected by the condenser's signal to noise ratio, its sensitivity, and its directivity, whether Omni-directional, uni-directional, or noise cancelling. They also come in a range of different sizes and may be through-hole, lead wire or surface mounted.


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April 13, 2024
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Sunday morning, a dozen people joined me for CPOP's regularly scheduled 10am nature hike. We enjoyed blue skies over trails that were still muddy from last week's deluge.
Luckily, Jimmy reads the Memphis Flyer more carefully than I do, and he warned me that last week's issue said our hike would start at 11:30. Shortly after the 10 o'clock hikers dispersed at the Lick Creek bridge, about fifteen Flyer readers showed up for their 11:30 hike.
I can walk in the woods all day without getting bored, so I was happy to do back-to-back hikes. Let's do it again sometime!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Good Day Sunshine
Posted by Naomi Van Tol at 1:50 PM 0 comments
Labels: Hike Recap
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Here comes the sun
Everyone is welcome to join us at 10:00am tomorrow, Sunday the 28th, for a nature hike in the Old Forest! We meet at the east end of Old Forest Lane, next to the Rainbow Lake parking area.
Posted by Naomi Van Tol at 3:30 PM 0 comments
Labels: Hike Info
Friday, December 26, 2008
There's Fungus Among Us
We took a Christmas afternoon hike and enjoyed the mild weather. I got a new camera from Santa, so I snapped a few pics of some really cool mushrooms.
These first two are almost flower like...
And these remind me of a snowflake and snow...
Oh, and this one looks a little like...BRAINS!
Cool huh? Anybody know what these are called?
Posted by Stacey Greenberg at 7:25 PM 0 comments
Labels: Old Forest Wonders
Thursday, December 18, 2008
For these paths
A Blessing for the Woods
By Michael S. Glaser
Before I leave, almost without noticing,
before I cross the road and head toward
what I have intentionally postponed—
Let me stop to say a blessing for these woods:
for crows barking and squirrels scampering,
for trees and fungus and multi-colored leaves,
for the way sunlight laces with shadows
through each branch and leaf of tree,
for these paths that take me in,
for these paths that lead me out.
Posted by Naomi Van Tol at 7:22 PM 0 comments
Labels: Poesy, Why We Fight
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Hortus siccus
Outside is cold and dreary today, but the sunshine is on its way back. Join us this Saturday, December 13, at 10:00am for our usual Second Saturday hike. As always, we meet at the Lick Creek bridge by the Rainbow Lake parking area, at the east end of Old Forest Lane.
You might think there isn't much to see in the Old Forest this time of year, but you'd be wrong. Our winter woods are chock full of huggable trees and gawkable natural wonders of all shapes and sizes.
In winter, nature is a cabinet of curiosities, full of dried specimens, in their natural order and position. The meadows and forests are a hortus siccus. The leaves and grasses stand perfectly pressed by the air without screw or gum, and the birds' nests are not hung on an artificial twig, but where they builded them.
- From "A Winter Walk" by ol' Hank Thoreau
See you in the woods!
Posted by Naomi Van Tol at 3:29 PM 0 comments
Labels: Hike Info, Old Forest Wonders
Friday, December 5, 2008
The faded earth, the heavy sky
Our winter woods are empty and quiet and dull compared to earlier seasons, but they are not silent. Nuthatches chatter, gray squirrels forage for acorns, a flock of migrating blackbirds rises in a noisy swirl.
We hear these things. We don't hear the lively chaos bustling beneath our feet. Tree roots unfurling, beetles eating fungi, earthworms converting leaf litter into thick rich soil.
Our human ears fail us, here.
Likewise, our eyes favor big things over little things. Our brains are hardwired to value rare things more than common things.
Our human senses and our human instincts tell us that majestic oaks are better than lichens. Elephants are better than lowly worms.
It's so easy to forget that without worms, there would be no elephants. Without lichens, there would be no oaks.
Oak, elephant, hickory, tiger, forest. We love the sound of these words.
Fungus, slime, mold, grub, soil? Not so much.
But without soil, there would be no forest. Without grub, there would be no tiger. Without microbe, there would be no human.
Take a walk in our winter woods and ponder on that.
Posted by Naomi Van Tol at 7:30 PM 2 comments
Labels: Old Forest Wonders, Why We Fight
Pawpaw Mystery
Who's chopping down our pawpaw trees?
Taking a few pawpaws to eat: Cool.
Taking enough to eat for a week: Eh, not so cool.
Cutting down baby pawpaw trees: Extremely uncool.
Posted by Stacey Greenberg at 9:54 AM 0 comments
Labels: understory
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Ok, let's play a game. Can you guess what made these scars? (Pictures by me, answers by Naomi)
A. These holes were made by woodpeckers hunting the beetles, ants, termites, and other insects that are munching away inside this dead elm.
B. The striped scars around this pawpaw were made by a twining vine that has died and fallen off the tree.
C. This old water oak is what we call a "snag" or "wildlife tree." It has been dead for a long time. Fungi and wood-boring insects have removed and softened the remaining bark. The two large holes were likely made by Pileated woodpeckers, and may be used as nesting cavities. The loose bark and cavities in the upper reaches of this tree will provide shelter and nesting sites for animals such as tree frogs, raccoons, gray squirrels, flying squirrels, several types of bats, opossums, house wrens, great horned owls, barred owls, screech owls, and a variety of woodpecker species.
D. The holes in this pawpaw sapling were made by a woodpecker called a yellow-bellied sapsucker (for real!) which, as its name suggests, feeds exclusively on tree sap. The sapsucker drills a line of holes, slurps up the sap that emerges, and repeats the process until its little yellow belly is full.
How'd you score?
4 right = You are a bonafide treehugger!
3 right = You are one step away from being a bonafide treehugger!
2 right = You should come on more CPOP hikes!
1 right = You should come on more CPOP hikes too!
0 right = Contact Naomi immediately for your punishment!
Posted by Stacey Greenberg at 7:50 AM 0 comments
Labels: Old Forest Wonders
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Spruce Up Your Immune System
Or in our case, OAK up your immune system...
From this month's Men's Health magazine:
You may finally have a legitimate reason to hug a tree: A hike in the woods can boost your immunity, say Japanese researchers. They found that men who walked through a forest for a total of six hours over 2 days experienced a 46 percent spike in their blood levels of natural killer cells, which are part of your body's SWAT team against invading viruses. Apparently, all trees release airborne chemicals called phytoncides that not only protect their foliage from microbes, but also help stimulate our own immune systems.
Presumably this works for the womenfolk too.
Posted by Stacey Greenberg at 9:20 AM 2 comments
Labels: Old Forest Wonders


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What is the Atlas of MS?
The Atlas of MS is the most comprehensive worldwide study of the epidemiology of MS and the global availability and accessibility of resources for people with MS.
Country of Interest:
Barriers to accessing DMTs | Barrier present in country of interest? | World Bank category Low income | WHO region African | Global results |
% of countries reporting each barrier | ||||
Lack of awareness of DMTs amongst healthcare professionals | data not known | 70% | 53% | 27% |
Healthcare professionals not readily available | data not known | 70% | 60% | 30% |
Equipment or tests to monitor treatments not available | data not known | 60% | 67% | 27% |
Too expensive for the government, healthcare/insurance provider | data not known | 70% | 73% | 49% |
People with MS do not take DMTs due to costs, side-effects or preference for other treatments or lifestyle measures | data not known | 40% | 27% | 39% |
DMTs only available in some areas of the country or certain hospitals | data not known | 30% | 47% | 27% |
DMTs frequently go out of stock or supply is irregular | data not known | 10% | 33% | 8% |
DMTs not supplied to the country | data not known | 60% | 53% | 18% |
Complete range of DMTs not available | data not known | 30% | 47% | 30% |
Bureaucracy, inefficiency or complexity in health system | data not known | 20% | 27% | 25% |
Other | data not known | 0% | 0% | 5% |
Not sure | data not known | 10% | 7% | 2% |
No major barriers | data not known | 0% | 0% | 26% |
Please note - full data set provides additional detail on the barriers relating to healthcare professionals, equipment/tests and people with MS
The Atlas of MS is the most comprehensive worldwide study of the epidemiology of MS and the global availability and accessibility of resources for people with MS.
The data shows that the number of people with MS across the globe has increased from 2.3 million in 2013 to 2.8 million in 2020 and 2.9 in 2023. It highlights the many barriers and inequalities that people with MS face in accessing diagnosis, treatment and care. Download the reports to see the full findings and recommendations or download the full dataset if you would like to conduct your own analysis comparing multiple countries.
The information in the Atlas of MS can be a powerful advocacy tool, shining a spotlight on MS and raising awareness of the lack of adequate resources available to diagnose, inform, treat, rehabilitate and support people with MS worldwide.
The Atlas of MS relies on data supplied by MS organisations from around the world. We are most grateful to the country coordinators and their colleagues for taking the time and effort to gather the information and data.
This 3rd edition of the Atlas of MS shines a spotlight on the barriers to accessing diagnosis and disease modifying therapies around the world. These issues are particularly evident in low and middle income countries but high income countries are not exempt. This report highlights the need for major policy changes to ensure early diagnosis and improved access to a range of treatments, to guarantee the best possible outcomes for people with MS. Information from the Atlas of MS should be used to guide policy-makers, health planners and specialists, in order to close the gaps in care, decrease inequities globally and provide a better future for people with MS and their families.
Professor Mai Sharawy
Professor of Neuro-Ophthalmology at Cairo University – Egypt.
Founder of MS Care and Chair of MSIF Board


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Shasta Machine Washable Vintage Bohemian Medallion Persian Blush Turquoise Flat-Weave Distressed Rug
Shasta Machine Washable Vintage Bohemian Medallion Persian...
$30.98Shasta Machine Washable Vintage Bohemian Medallion Persian Blush Turquoise Flat-Weave Distressed Rug
Free Shipping - Orders Ship Within 1 Day (Mon-Fri)
Out of Stock Waiting Arrival: Calculating...- Stain-resistant polyester chenille material.
- Flat pile with a soft texture.
- Machine Wash cold in front load or top load machine without agitator in middle. Air-dry flat.
- Intricate designs with highly detailed patterns and authentic colors.
- Recycled cotton backing.
- Shed free yarn.
- Safe for wood floors.
- Durable and easy to clean.
The Lotus Collection represents classic Oriental style in a modern setting. A sophisticated palette of traditional and contemporary colors blends with these distressed patterns to produce a lovingly well-worn look. Though their style is antique, these rugs are stain resistant and machine washable, making Lotus at home in any room of the house.
Rug arrives factory rolled and may have creases from packaging and storage. Normally flattens within 5-7 days. Expedite by rolling, pattern side up, and massaging creases to loosen them. Laying out in a sunny room helps futher loosen the backing.
These rugs are water-resistant, so for smaller spills simply wipe it up and clean with a cloth dampened with lukewarm water. Repeat with a solution of water and detergent if necessary. This gentler cleaning will help extend the life of your rug by reducing wear in the machine.
Rug Pad
Use of a rug pad is recommended to reduce slipping and extend the life of your rug. The pad's can keep your rugs in place and prevent them from bunching and sliding while children or pets are playing or during normal daily use.
Long-Term Care
Vacuum regularly with a non-beater bar vacuum to reduce wear from dust and debris. Spot clean minor messes. For larger spills, wipe up as much as you can, then simply fold up the rug and toss in the wash. Machine wash cold in front load or top load machine without agitator. Use mild detergent and cold water. Air dry flat.
Shipping & Contiguous US
All orders shipped out within 1-2 business days. Shipping to you is 100% free!
Alaska, Hawaii & Canada
We can't provide free shipping here just now! But how much will it cost? Well, since we're not sure where you are yet, we can't tell you on this page. Shipping cost is based on your postal code and calculated at the time of checkout. Shop now to get your quote.
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Just in case your order isn't perfect, we make returns easy. We accept returns on all items, for any reason, within 14 days of delivery. (We are not able to accept rug pad returns from AK or HI addresses) You are responsible for return shipping costs back to us. We offer significant discounts on return labels. The best part is we can have it picked up from your home or office for a small fee!
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Protects floors and extends the life of your rug
1/8" thick felt pad feels dense and plush
Easy to cut with household scissors to any size or shape
Made in the USA from environmentally friendly post-industrial recycled materials


text:
The Loyola Kids Book of Heroes
More saints' lives, organized according to the virtues they expressed through their lives.
I. Faith
More saints' lives, organized according to the virtues they expressed through their lives.
I. Faith
- Introduction: Jesus is Born
- John the Baptist: A Hero Prepares the Way
- Early Christian Martyrs: Heroes are Faithful Friends
- Medieval Mystery Plays: Heroes Make the Bible Come to Life
- St. Albert the Great: Heroes Study God's Creation
- Sister Blandina Segale: Heroes Work in Faith
- Introduction: Jesus Teaches
- Pentecost: Heroes on Fire with Hope
- Paul: A Hero Changes and Finds Hope
- St. Patrick and St. Columba: Heroes Bring Hope into Darkness
- St. Jane de Chantal: Heroes Hope through Loss
- St. Mary Faustina Kowalska: A Hero Finds Hope in Mercy
- Introduction: Jesus Works Miracles
- Peter and John: Heroes are Known by their Love
- St. Genevieve: A City is Saved by a Hero's Charity
- St. Meinrad and St. Edmund Campion: Heroes love their Enemies
- Venerable Pierre Toussaint: A Hero Lives a Life of Charity
- Rose Hawthorne Lathrop: A Hero Cares for Those Who Need it Most
- Blessed Teresa of Calcutta: A Hero Lives Charity with the Dying
- Introduction: Jesus Strikes a Balance
- Peter and Cornelius: Heroes Love Their Neighbors
- Charlemagne and Alcuin: Heroes Use their Talents for Good
- St. Francis: A Hero Appreciates Creation
- Venerable Matt Talbot: Heroes Can Let Go
- Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati: A Hero Enjoys the Gift of Life
- Introduction: Jesus Gives Us Leaders to Help us Make Good Choices
- Paul and Barnabas at Lystra: Heroes See the Good in All Things
- St. Jean de Brebeuf: A Hero Respects Others
- Catherine Doherty and Jean Vanier: Heroes Bring New Ideas
- Venerable Solanus Casey: A Hero Accepts His Life
- Blessed John XXIII: A Hero Finds a New Way


text:
New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author, Laurelin Paige, delivers a darker, edgier trilogy set in the Fixed Universe.
Meet the man who slayed the dragon.
Three years after her partner in crime fell in love and abandoned their scheming games, Celia Werner is summoned to the office of Edward Fasbender, the most wealthy media mogul on the European continent. She agrees to meet with him, assuming he wants to hire her to decorate his offices.
Instead, he has an intriguing proposition for her.
**Series can be read and enjoyed without reading any other books in the Fixed Universe.
Add SLAY #1 to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40611401-slay
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2N0KL6K
Amazon International: http://mybook.to/SlayBook1
iBooks: https://apple.co/2u4HpJ3
Google Play: https://laurl.in/slaybook1-gp
With over 1.5 million books sold world wide, Laurelin Paige is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestselling Author. She is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there's kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn't seem to complain, however. When she isn't reading or writing sexy stories, she's probably singing, watching Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She's also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn't do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio. She is represented by Rebecca Friedman.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaurelinPaige/
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2knJOrx
Twitter: @LaurelinPaige
Facebook Fan Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HudsonPierce/
Website: http://www.laurelinpaige.com
Never miss an update! Subscribe to Laurelin's mailing list:
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/LaurelinNews


text:
As a working mom, few things frustrate me more than feeling like every cent I earn goes straight toward paying someone else to raise my child.
And I'm not alone: A new study shows that even in this weak economy, child care costs are rising through the roof. According to Child Care Aware of America, in 36 states the average annual cost of having a kid in daycare now exceeds in-state college tuition.
RELATED: How Expensive Daycare May Save You Money in the Long Run
In all 50 states, having two kids in daycare exceeds rent. The worst offenders? New York, where parents cough up $14,009 per year for an infant (it's also where I live, so I feel this pinch personally), followed by Minnesota, Oregon, Colorado, Hawaii, Kansas, California, Illinois, Massachusetts, Indiana and Wisconsin.
Aside from moving to Europe (where governments actually pay parents to have kids), I figured there wasn't much I could do to lower my child care costs. But after doing a little research I was pleasantly surprised to find out I'm wrong. Here are a few tips on trimming this expense, many of which I've cashed in on myself.
1. Take a Tax Break
The IRS offers tax breaks to working parents in the form of a Child and Dependent Care Credit, which reduces your taxable income. Anywhere from 20-35% of your child care costs may qualify, with a cap of $3,000 per child and $6,000 for more than one child. Find out exactly how it works here in our Knowledge Center, and be sure to ask your accountant if you qualify.
2. Open a Flexible-Spending Account
According to a study by Hewitt Associates, 96% of employers offer a Dependent-Care Flexible-Spending Account. They work just like health FSAs—only instead of setting aside pretax dollars to pay for medical expenses, you set aside pretax dollars to pay for daycare, babysitters, and day camps. A maximum of $5,000 can be allocated for this purpose per year. Just keep in mind that this may impact the tax breaks you'd get with the Child and Dependent Care Credit (above). Your best bet is to plan your strategy with your accountant.
3. Get a Company Discount
Some larger corporations have negotiated discounts with nearby child care centers. Ask if your company has such an arrangement, or if they don't, ask human resources to explore this possibility. Since it doesn't cost them anything, they may be willing to look into it.
4. Explore Shared Child Care
Depending on your situation, a nanny share—in which two families pay in toward the cost of one nanny may be a good way to defray your costs, and the low caretaker-to-child ratio may lead to advantages for your child in the long run. When your kids get a little older, you could also look into a preschool co-op that you form with other parents, like this mom did.
5. Search for Nonprofits That Care for Kids
Your local YMCA, JCC, or church may offer child care services that cost far less than you'd pay at a private business. The reason for this is nonprofits don't need to rake in cash or answer to shareholders.
6. Bargain
On Sittercity.com, you can name your price for a sitter, so don't be afraid to lowball—you'd be surprised who may bite if it's convenient and works with their schedule. In fact, we spoke to the founder (and mom of twins!) here to find out more about how the site works.
Now see how to get your kids to eat healthy when they don't want to >


text:
Category: American Institute of Indian Studies, Madras
About AIIS American knowledge of India is shaped by the American Institute of Indian Studies , a consortium of universities and colleges in the United States at which scholars actively engage in teaching and research about India. Since 1961, the Institute has provided fellowship support for scholars and PhD candidates in America. It has offered on-site training in Indian languages through the superb facilities of its Language Centers. And it has extended knowledge of Indian culture through its two Research Centers. As a member of the Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC), AIIS's online photo archive is also linked as part of CAORC's Americal Overseas Digital Library (AODL). More than 5,500 scholars have received AIIS support.


text:
As you're probably aware, the list price you set for your property has an impact on how quickly it sells — and how much you earn on the sale. What you may not realize is just how significant an impact it has. Consider the following examples.
Example 1:
You price your property well above its current market value. As a result, many buyers don't bother to see it because it's outside of their price range. Those who do see it are confused by the high price tag, (and may even be suspicious.) They may wonder, "What's going on?" In this scenario, the home will likely languish on the market for weeks or even months. You might even have to lower the price dramatically to reignite interest.
Example 2:
You price your property just a couple of percentage points lower than what is necessary to gain the interest of qualified buyers. That might not seem like much of a problem. How much can a couple of percentage points matter? Those points matter a lot. On a $400,000 property, pricing your home just 2% lower than necessary could cost you $8,000 on the sale. That's a serious amount of money!
So, as you can see, pricing your home right is serious business. Fortunately, a good REALTOR® knows how to set the right price.
Looking for a good REALTOR®? Contact me today.
Copyright Morris Marketing Group Inc. 2016


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ReelStar organizes gala night to announce their upcoming app to interconnect community of creators whilst trading cryptos and NFTs!
Jan 30, 2023
Chandigarh [India], January 30 (ANI/PNN): ReelStar, a leading global community based social media platform is spearheading the sphere of entertainment fused with technology in the region organized an exclusive gala night aimed at creating awareness about their upcoming app platform which was created around the novel concept of interconnecting a community of creators, artists and engagers with equal access and opportunity for everyone by leveraging Web3 and future technologies to enhance creativity.
The gala event witnessed the virtual presence of prominent cricketer & Rajya Sabha member Harbhajan Singh Speaking on the App. The night also saw many celebrities walking the red carpet including singer Jasbir Jassi, Sukhwinder Singh, Preet Harpal, Diljott, Poonam Sood, Munish Sahni, Bunty Bains, Dinesh Aulack, Debi Maksoospuri, Resham Singh Anmol and Deepak Bali. The extravagant gala night was also rocked by an electrifying performance by popular and versatile singer Jasbir Jassi and Punjabi singer, lyricist, and composer Bunty Bains.
Speaking on the occasion Navdeep Sharma, Co-Founder, ReelStar, said, "ReelStar is the first decentralized smartphone-compatible, multi-blockchain and Web3 integrated "everything app" with the functionality of live streaming, video sharing, secure peer-to-peer chat, audio/ video calling, NFT minting, NFT marketplace and digital wallet. This app will help you convert your videos and photos into NFT with a single click, trade cryptos and NFT in the marketplace and earn ReelToken while watching ReelStar."
Elated to speak about the upcoming app, Nick Bahl, Co-Founder, ReelStar, said, "This app is unique, first-of-its-kind, authentic, and future proof which is an extension of ReelStar's firm belief in the global benefit of artistic expression through media.
ReelStar App will have its functionality mirrored on a Web platform in early 2023. The ecosystem's centerpiece is ReelStar's video-sharing and live-streaming platform and features a media player for viewing content, tools for media creation, video sharing, live streaming, NFT creation, sale, purchase, and trading and an electronic/digital wallet for transactions. In addition, the digital wallet includes payment gateways and a virtual debit card for simple, inexpensive fiat and cryptocurrency transactions.
This story is provided by PNN. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of this article. (ANI/PNN)


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This course will provide you with a basic introduction to Linux® skills using Red Hat® Enterprise Linux. It will show you how a Linux system is organized, and will demonstrate introductory system administration tasks, which you will be able to practice on your own.
You will be introduced to reasons why Linux and the open source development model are so important in today's computing environment. Linux systems are used everywhere—the internet, point-of-sale systems, and the world's stock markets. You'll find Linux running smart TVs, in-flight entertainment systems, and most of the top supercomputers in the world.
There are many reasons why it is valuable for you to learn Linux. If you are looking for new opportunities in IT, Linux skills are in high demand. For example, if you are developing applications, it's likely your application or its runtime is hosted on Linux. If you're working in the cloud, your cloud instances may be based on Linux, and your private or public cloud environment is also probably based on Linux. If you're working with mobile applications or the Internet of Things, it is also likely that the operating system of your device is based on Linux. And, if you use Windows, you'll need to interoperate with Linux.
After completing this course, you will have a solid introduction to working with Linux from the command line, using Red Hat Enterprise Linux as a model. In applying these skills, you will be able to perform fundamental operational tasks, whether your Linux machine is on your desk or on a remote system across the Internet.


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978 3 900734 33 6
CIE 77-1988 Electric Light Sources State of the Art - 1987 was published in 1988. The present report has been prepared by TC 7-07 and reflects the progress made in the period 1987-1991 in the field of light sources, radiation sources and their relevant electronic devices. Standardization is also included.
The report reviews also IEC Standards on lamps and lighting components. It contains 30 pages, with 3 figures and 1 table.
The following members of TC 7-07 took part in the preparation of this technical report:
- A. Aurora, Spain
- U. Amlong, Germany
- J. Gandolfo, Spain
- W. Gungle, USA
- T. Hanada, Japan
- A. Jack, The Netherlands (Secretary)
- J. Juntunen, Finland
- M. Jurán, Czechoslovakia
- M. Koedam, The Netherlands (Chair)
- Y. Matsushima, Japan
- N. Natchev, Bulgaria
- D. Platt, Great Britain
- S. Reschenov, USSR
- J. Rukaniva, Yugoslavia
- G. Sas, Hungary
- D. Seeger, Germany
- G. Vandermeersch, Belgium
- F. Whittaker, Great Britain


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$120m in JobKeeper clawed back by ATO, new compliance areas highlighted
About $120 million in JobKeeper payments have been recovered by the ATO due to businesses making deliberate or reckless mistakes, as fresh guidance on its JobKeeper extension compliance focus lands.
Fronting a Senate estimates hearing on Tuesday, ATO second commissioner Jeremy Hirschhorn said $200 million in payments had been stopped permanently, with another $100 million under review.
"We have also stopped future claims of another $350 million," Mr Hirschhorn said.
"This is where we've found someone was ineligible and chopped off their future claims."
Of the $69 billion that has since been paid out since JobKeeper began in late March, $120 million has now been clawed back.
Mr Hirschhorn told senators this was consistent with its approach in only pursuing overpayments that were not deemed to be honest mistakes made by businesses.
"We generally only claw back where there has been a deliberate or reckless mistake," Mr Hirschhorn said.
"Where there has been an honest mistake, particularly early on, and particularly where the employer has claimed in good faith, passed it on to the employee in good faith and has not financially benefited, we made the decision to let those go but just made sure they didn't get future claims."
Focus areas for JobKeeper 2.0
With the JobKeeper extension now in place, the ATO has announced it will focus its compliance approach on two new areas, namely the actual decline in turnover test and the incorrect claiming of the higher-tier rate.
For the actual decline in turnover test, the ATO will pay close attention to irregularities in an entity's current GST turnover in the September 2020 or December 2020 quarters, and any unusual amendments to their business activity statements which inflate their sales for the relevant comparison periods.
The ATO will particularly monitor businesses that omit sales from their reporting, or delay or alter the recognition of sales from normal practices.
If selected for a review, businesses will be asked to provide documentation including sales and trading records, sales contracts or customer correspondence, invoices issued and bank statements.
On the higher-tier payment rate front, the Tax Office may seek to understand how a business has assessed an individual has met the 80-hour threshold and ask for documentation as evidence.
Suitable documentation includes the declaration of the business participant; employment records, such as payroll data or time sheets and other attendance records; employment contracts; business diaries; appointment books and logbooks; records of store trading hours; hours billed; invoices issued; or records prepared for another business or statutory purposes.
These focus areas will be additional to its ongoing areas of concern since the JobKeeper payment began, including failing to meet the wage condition, claiming for more than one business participant by disguising them as employees, or claiming for individuals who are not eligible business participants.
View the ATO's latest guidance on its JobKeeper compliance focus areas here.
Jotham Lian
28 October 2020


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Be sure to link up your latest project at Transformed Tuesday! We can't wait to see what you've been up too.
OM Gosh I just found out my blog has been featured again! Linda over at Coastal Charm just featured my end table from this post on her Nifty Thrifty Tuesday's. Thanks so much Linda.


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The manual gearboxes that we supply are the LT 77, the R 380, the LT 85 ("Santana") and the MT82 6 speed TDCi gearbox. We do not supply the earlier Series landrover 4 speed gearboxes.
How we rebuild them:
When we rebuild a box, the unit is stripped down, washed in both Safety Kleen and hot wash tanks then the casings are shot blasted with glass bead, then painted. Once "Prepped" the stripped unit is sent to the build area in a plastic tub.
The boxes have a fixed set of new parts including bearings, baulk rings, gaskets and seals, approx 95% have a new mainshaft due to the spline wear they suffer from. Once the parts are picked the first step in the build process is to lay the parts out on the bench for inspection, the gears and shafts are closely inspected paying particular attention to the condition of the dog teeth and the wear pattern on the gear teeth. If they pass inspection they are used again, if not they go in the scrap, we cannot pretend we change every part or we would not be in this business very long but to give you an idea we change approx 40% of pinions, 50% of layshafts and about 60% of reverse and 5th gears.
Once rebuilt, they are then tested. Please see video below of the testing process, we dunk the gearbox in water to check for air bubbles as this could mean a leak.
Once built, the unit is stamped with a number and a spec sheet filled out giving us info on the unit specification, who built it, when it was built and exactly what parts were fitted.
How to order
Should you wish to place an order for a unit you will need to first identify the serial number of the unit you want to replace using the videos to show where to find this number in the relevant section, you can then either use our online order form, phone, fax or email us with your name, phone number, delivery address, what it is that you would like to order and payment details (please don't email credit card details, use our secure online order form). Once the order is received we will contact you to confirm your delivery date.
When we send a unit out, we charge a core deposit which is refunded upon receipt of the old unit assuming it is the same type as supplied and must be complete and not stripped with an intact casing, these core charges vary depending on the type supplied as detailed in the relevant section.
Identifying your Unit
There are three types of 5 speed mainbox, LT77, R380 and LT85 (Santana). The following questions will help identify which type of box you have.
1) Is reverse underneath 5th gear?
If yes, you have an R380. Please go to the R 380 section to see a video of where to find the serial number.
If no go to question 2.
2) Is reverse gear next to 1st gear?
If yes, you either have an LT77 or LT85. Question 3 will identify which one.
3) Is the maincasting black or aluminium?
If black you have an LT77, Please go to the LT 77 section to see a video of where to find the serial number.
If aluminium, you have a LT85, Santana box. Please go to the LT 85 section to see a video of where to find the serial number.


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For over 10 years we've been providing online trivia quizzes for everyone to play, and now our new site allows tablet and phone users to play as well. We have quizzes on all kinds of topics all categorized so they're easy to find. Want to play a quiz on the sitcom "Friends", then just visit our TV Trivia section above and follow the alphabetical links, or for an even easier way, just use our trivia search box on the right of every page.
Absurd Trivia is a community powered site, where all of our quizzes are written and rated by our members. Got an idea for a quiz, then submit it to us via the appropriate category and your friends can be playing it instantly.
It that's not enough to keep you going you can always check out our Latest Quizzes, for new content added in the last two weeks.
You can even create your own trivia quiz. We've made it as easy as possible, you just need to supply the questions. Click here to make a quiz
Finally, you could test your brain on some of our non-entertainment themed trivia, such as General Knowledge, World Geograpy and Math problems. Click here for our full list of categories.


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So the undiscoverable commander had reappeared upon the territory of the United States! He had never shown himself in Europe either on the roads or in the seas. He had not crossed the Atlantic, which apparently he could have traversed in three days. Did he then intend to make only America the scene of his exploits? Ought we to conclude from this that he was an American?
Let me insist upon this point. It seemed clear that the submarine might easily have crossed the vast sea which separates the New and the Old World. Not only would its amazing speed have made its voyage short, in comparison to that of the swiftest steamship, but also it would have escaped all the storms that make the voyage dangerous. Tempests did not exist for it. It had but to abandon the surface of the waves, and it could find absolute calm a few score feet beneath.
But the inventor had not crossed the Atlantic, and if he were to be captured now, it would probably be in Ohio, since Toledo is a city of that state.
This time the fact of the machine's appearance had been kept secret, between the police and the agent who had warned them, and whom I was hurrying to meet. No journal -- and many would have paid high for the chance -- was printing this news. We had decided that nothing should be revealed until our effort was at an end. No indiscretion would be committed by either my comrades or myself.
The man to whom I was sent with an order from Mr. Ward was named Arthur Wells. He awaited us at Toledo. The city of Toledo stands at the western end of Lake Erie. Our train sped during the night across West Virginia and Ohio. There was no delay; and before noon the next day the locomotive stopped in the Toledo depot.
John Hart, Nab Walker and I stepped out with traveling bags in our hands, and revolvers in our pockets. Perhaps we should need weapons for an attack, or even to defend ourselves. Scarcely had I stepped from the train when I picked out the man who awaited us. He was scanning the arriving passengers impatiently, evidently as eager and full of haste as I.
I approached him. "Mr. Wells?" said I.
"Mr. Strock?" asked he.
"I am at your command," said Mr. Wells.
"Are we to stop any time in Toledo?" I asked.
"No; with your permission, Mr. Strock. A carriage with two good horses is waiting outside the station; and we must leave at once to reach our destination as soon as possible."
"We will go at once," I answered, signing to my two men to follow us. "Is it far?"
"Twenty miles."
"And the place is called?"
"Black Rock Creek."
Having left our bags at a hotel, we started on our drive. Much to my surprise I found there were provisions sufficient for several days packed beneath the seat of the carriage. Mr. Wells told me that the region around Black Rock Creek was among the wildest in the state. There was nothing there to attract either farmers or fishermen. We would find not an inn for our meals nor a room in which to sleep. Fortunately, during the July heat there would be no hardship even if we had to lie one or two nights under the stars.
More probably, however, if we were successful, the matter would not occupy us many hours. Either the commander of the "Terror" would be surprised before he had a chance to escape, or he would take to flight and we must give up all hope of arresting him.
I found Arthur Wells to be a man of about forty, large and powerful. I knew him by reputation to be one of the best of our local police agents. Cool in danger and enterprising always, he had proven his daring on more than one occasion at the peril of his life. He had been in Toledo on a wholly different mission, when chance had thrown him on the track of the "Terror."
We drove rapidly along the shore of Lake Erie, toward the southwest. This inland sea of water is on the northern boundary of the United States, lying between Canada on one side and the States of Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York on the other. If I stop to mention the geographical position of this lake, its depth, its extent, and the waters nearest around, it is because the knowledge is necessary for the understanding of the events which were about to happen.
The surface of Lake Erie covers about ten thousand square miles. It is nearly six hundred feet above sea level. It is joined on the northwest, by means of the Detroit River, with the still greater lakes to the westward, and receives their waters. It has also rivers of its own though of less importance, such as the Rocky, the Cuyahoga, and the Black. The lake empties at its northeastern end into Lake Ontario by means of Niagara River and its celebrated falls.
The greatest known depth of Lake Erie is over one hundred and thirty feet. Hence it will be seen that the mass of its waters is considerable. In short, this is a region of most magnificent lakes. The land, though not situated far northward, is exposed to the full sweep of the Arctic cold. The region to the northward is low, and the winds of winter rush down with extreme violence. Hence Lake Erie is sometimes frozen over from shore to shore.
The principal cities on the borders of this great lake are Buffalo at the east, which belongs to New York State, and Toledo in Ohio, at the west, with Cleveland and Sandusky, both Ohio cities, at the south. Smaller towns and villages are numerous along the shore. The traffic is naturally large, its annual value being estimated at considerably over two million dollars.
Our carriage followed a rough and little used road along the borders of the lake; and as we toiled along, Arthur Wells told me, what he had learned.
Less than two days before, on the afternoon of July twenty-seventh Wells had been riding on horseback toward the town of Herly. Five miles outside the town, he was riding through a little wood, when he saw, far up across the lake, a submarine which rose suddenly above the waves. He stopped, tied his horse, and stole on foot to the edge of the lake. There, from behind a tree he had seen with his own eyes seen this submarine advance toward him, and stop at the mouth of Black Rock Creek. Was it the famous machine for which the whole world was seeking, which thus came directly to his feet?
When the submarine was close to the rocks, two men climbed out upon its deck and stepped ashore. Was one of them this Master of the World, who had not been seen since he was reported from Lake Superior? Was this the mysterious "Terror" which had thus risen from the depths of Lake Erie?
"I was alone," said Wells. "Alone on the edge of the Creek. If you and your assistants, Mr. Strock had been there, we four against two, we would have been able to reach these men and seize them before they could have regained their boat and fled."
"Probably," I answered. "But were there no others on the boat with them? Still, if we had seized the two, we could at least have learned who they were."
"And above all," added Wells, "if one of them turned out to be the captain of the 'Terror!'"
"I have only one fear, Wells; this submarine, whether it is the one we seek or another, may have left the creek since your departure."
"We shall know about that in a few hours, now. Pray Heaven they are still there! Then when night comes?"
"But," I asked, "did you remain watching in the wood until night?"
"No; I left after an hour's watching, and rode straight for the telegraph station at Toledo. I reached there late at night and sent immediate word to Washington."
"That was night before last. Did you return yesterday to Black Rock Creek?"
"The submarine was still there?"
"In the same spot."
"And the two men?"
"The same two men. I judge that some accident had happened, and they came to this lonely spot to repair it."
"Probably so," said I. "Some damage which made it impossible for them to regain their usual hiding-place. If only they are still here!"
"I have reason to believe they will be, for quite a lot of stuff was taken out of the boat, and laid about upon the shore; and as well as I could discern from a distance they seemed to be working on board."
"Only the two men?"
"Only the two."
"But," protested I, "can two be sufficient to handle an apparatus of such speed, and of such intricacy, as to be at once automobile, boat and submarine?"
"I think not, Mr. Strock; but I only saw the same two. Several times they came to the edge of the little wood where I was hidden, and gathered sticks for a fire which they made upon the beach. The region is so uninhabited and the creek so hidden from the lake that they ran little danger of discovery. They seemed to know this."
"You would recognize them both again?"
"Perfectly. One was of middle size, vigorous, and quick of movement, heavily bearded. The other was smaller, but stocky and strong. Yesterday, as before, I left the wood about five o'clock and hurried back to Toledo. There I found a telegram from Mr. Ward, notifying me of your coming; and I awaited you at the station."
Summed up, then, the news amounted to this: For forty hours past a submarine, presumably the one we sought, had been hidden in Black Rock Creek, engaged in repairs. Probably these were absolutely necessary, and we should find the boat still there. As to how the "Terror" came to be in Lake Erie, Arthur Wells and I discussed that, and agreed that it was a very probable place for her. The last time she had been seen was on Lake Superior. From there to Lake Erie the machine could have come by the roads of Michigan, but since no one had remarked its passage and as both the police and the people were specially aroused and active in that portion of the country, it seemed more probable, that the "Terror" had come by water. There was a clear route through the chain of the Great Lakes and their rivers, by which in her character of a submarine she could easily proceed undiscovered.
And now, if the "Terror" had already left the creek, or if she escaped when we attempted to seize her, in what direction would she turn? In any case, there was little chance o following her. There were two torpedo-destroyers at the port of Buffalo, at the other extremity of Lake Erie. By treaty between the United States and Canada, there are no vessels of war whatever on the Great Lakes. These might, however, have been little launches belonging to the customs service. Before I left Washington Mr. Ward had informed me of their presence; and a telegram to their commanders would, if there were need, start them in pursuit of the "Terror." But despite their splendid speed, how could they vie with her! And if she plunged beneath the waters, they would be helpless. Moreover Arthur Wells averred that in case of a battle, the advantage would not be with the destroyers, despite their large crews, and many guns. Hence, if we did not succeed this night, the campaign would end in failure.
Arthur Wells knew Black Rock Creek thoroughly, having hunted there more than once. It was bordered in most places with sharp rocks against which the waters of the lake beat heavily. Its channel was some thirty feet deep, so that the "Terror" could take shelter either upon the surface or under water. In two or three places the steep banks gave way to sand beaches which led to little gorges reaching up toward the woods, two or three hundred feet.
It was seven in the evening when our carriage reached these woods. There was still daylight enough for us to see easily, even in the shade of the trees. To have crossed openly to the edge of the creek would have exposed us to the view of the men of the "Terror," if she were still there, and thus give her warning to escape.
"Had we better stop here?" I asked Wells, as our rig drew up to the edge of the woods.
"No, Mr. Strock," said he. "We had better leave the carriage deeper in the woods, where there will be no chance whatever of our being seen."
"Can the carriage drive under these trees?"
"It can," declared Wells. "I have already explored these woods thoroughly. Five or six hundred feet from here, there is a little clearing, where we will be completely hidden, and where our horses may find pasture. Then, as soon as it is dark, we will go down to the beach, at the edge of the rocks which shut in the mouth of the creek. Thus if the 'Terror' is still there, we shall stand between her and escape."
Eager as we all were for action, it was evidently best to do as Wells suggested and wait for night. The intervening time could well be occupied as he said. Leading the horses by the bridle, while they dragged the empty carriage, we proceeded through the heavy woods. The tall pines, the stalwart oaks, the cypress scattered here and there, made the evening darker overhead. Beneath our feet spread a carpet of scattered herbs, pine needles and dead leaves. Such was the thickness of the upper foliage that the last rays of the setting sun could no longer penetrate here. We had to feel our way; and it was not without some knocks that the carriage reached the clearing ten minutes later.
This clearing, surrounded by great trees, formed a sort of oval, covered with rich grass. Here it was still daylight, and the darkness would scarcely deepen for over an hour. There was thus time to arrange an encampment and to rest awhile after our hard trip over the rough and rocky roads.
Of course, we were intensely eager to approach the Creek and see if the "Terror" was still there. But prudence restrained us. A little patience, and the night-would enable us to reach a commanding position unsuspected. Wells urged this strongly; and despite my eagerness, I felt that he was right.
The horses were unharnessed, and left to browse under the care of the coachman who had driven us. The provisions were unpacked, and John Hart and Nab Walker spread out a meal on the grass at the foot of a superb cypress which recalled to me the forest odors of Morganton and Pleasant Garden. We were hungry and thirsty; and food and drink were not lacking. Then our pipes were lighted to calm the anxious moments of waiting that remained.
Silence reigned within the wood. The last song of the birds had ceased. With the coming of night the breeze fell little by little, and the leaves scarcely quivered even at the tops of the highest branches. The sky darkened rapidly after sundown and twilight deepened into obscurity.
I looked at my watch, it was half-past eight. "It is time, Wells."
"When you will, Mr. Strock."
"Then let us start."
We cautioned the coachman not to let the horses stray beyond the clearing. Then we started. Wells went in advance, I followed him, and John Hart and Nab Walker came behind. In the darkness, we three would have been helpless without the guidance of Wells. Soon we reached the farther border of the woods; and before us stretched the banks of Black Rock Creek.
All was silent; all seemed deserted. We could advance without risk. If the "Terror" was there, she had cast anchor behind the rocks. But was she there? That was the momentous question! As we approached the denouement of this exciting affair, my heart was in my throat.
Wells motioned to us to advance. The sand of the shore crunched beneath our steps. The two hundred feet between us and the mouth of the Creek were crossed softly, and a few minutes sufficed to bring us to the rocks at the edge of the lake.
There was nothing! Nothing!
The spot where Wells had left the "Terror" twenty-four hours before was empty. The "Master of the World" was no longer at Black Rock Creek.
Return to the Master of the World Summary Return to the Jules Verne Library


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Four Berries Jam 0
Summer is my favorite time of the year for fruit. Plums, peaches, cherries, nectarines, and, my favorite, berries. All of them.
Berries are one fruit that are now available all year 'round. However, I tend to eat them only seasonally. The fruit sold in the winter not only has little taste but is generally shipped from South America; a very heavy carbon footprint.
Of course, one age-old way to hold on to that summer flavor is to make preserves. So, that's what I did.
Now, on to the recipe
A couple of notes:
1. You can use any combination of berries you like in this recipe. Just make sure you have 9 cups total. I used the four most commonly seen in the grocery, but if you find/have gooseberries, boysenberries, etc., you can use those as well.
2. Always buy extra. This is to take into account bad berries, trimming, and any that you eat along the way.
3. Check the date on the pectin. You want to be sure it's good. If it's out of date, buy new.
4. To get a full explanation of the hows and whys of canning, please read my post from August 10, 2012, "Classic Strawberry Jam".
9 cups total fresh berries, trimmed, picked through, and washed (For this recipe I used 3 c. strawberries, 2 c. blackberries, 2 c. blueberries, 2 c. raspberries)
6 tbsp. powdered pectin
1/4 c. lemon juice
6 c. sugar
1. Wash the jars, lids, and rims in hot soapy water. Place the jars in a large stockpot of boiling water to sterilize them. Leave them in the boiling water, topping it off as needed (you need at least 1″ water above the tops of the jars). Place the lids into a small saucepan. Bring the water just to a boil, then turn the heat down to low and let the water simmer. The rims don't need to be sterilized.
2. In a large saucepan, take the berries, 1/4 at a time and crush them with a potato masher. It's OK if there are some large pieces. You don't need to mash the berries smooth.
3. Add the lemon juice and the pectin. Stir until the pectin has dissolved.
4. Place the saucepan over medium heat and, stirring frequently, bring the mixture to a rolling boil. (You want it to come back to a boil immediately after stirring.)
5. Add the sugar and stir until it's dissolved.
Continue stirring frequently until the mixture again comes to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute.
6. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Carefully skim the foam from the top of the jam.
7. Take the jars from the boiling water and drain. Carefully ladle the jam into the jars, leaving 1/4″ of head space in the jar (use a jar gauge to make sure you're at the right level).
Clean the jar rims with a damp towel.
8. Place the lids and rims (tighten them only finger tight) on the jars and place them back into the hot water. Bring the water up to the boil and process the jars for 10 minutes.
9. The jars can take up to 24 hours to seal. However, it usually doesn't take that long. You'll know the jars are sealed when the lid becomes concave. You'll also hear something like a "ping" when the jar begins to seal. Once the jar is sealed, you can tighten the rim.
Ideally, let the jars sit for about 24 hours before moving them. But, as long as you let them sit until they are cool, you should be fine.
If the jar doesn't seal, put it in the fridge and eat the jam within 2 – 3 weeks. You can also remove the contents from the jar, wash it and the rim, discard the lid, re-sterilize everything, fill the jar again and process. It's up to you.
Be sure to label and date the jars.