text:
It is from Brighton, Massachusetts. It also comes with a tag with a hand written name (see scan) that reads:
The back of the ribbon has a paper tag with a Novelty Workers Union logo and the maker which reads:
The ribbon measures 5-1/2" long and is in very good condition with a 1/2" spot on the right side. Below here, for reference is part of a longer article written on the History of The Ancient Order of Hibernians:
...In 1854, construction of the Washington Monument was halted when nativists stole and destroyed a granite block donated to the project by Pope Pius IX since they would tolerate no Catholic stone in that icon to Americas first president. The following year, a nativist attack on an Irish neighborhood in Louisville, KY caused 22 deaths and considerable arson and looting. Although the secrecy surrounding the early operation of the AOH makes their origins and their reaction to such attacks difficult to define, it is not unlikely that those who had been members of secret societies in Ireland and England called on their collective experience, and banded together in this new land for the same or similar defensive purposes and dispensed home-grown justice. Soon, other societies like the Hibernian Friendship Society in Arlington Virginia, founded in 1831, joined the growing union of Irish societies that became known as the Ancient Order of Hibernians. As nativist bigotry spread across America, so too did the AOH. True to their purpose, they stood guard to defend Church property. After their formation, actual attacks were few and far between, but the long, cold, and lonely nights of vigil were many. At about this time, a society in Ireland adopted the name Ancient Order of Hibernians and the organization now had Irish links.
As the heroism of the Irish Brigade and other Irish units in the American Civil War had America cheering for the exploits of the sons of Erin in American uniform, the honesty, devotion, and natural charm of the Irish girls, who had found employment as domestic help, were winning admirers on the home front. The natural result of this new regard was a decrease in prejudice against the Irish, and the Know Nothing movement, recognized for the bigoted group it was, faded away. It would emerge again in organizations like the Ku Klux Klan, and other groups dedicated to ethnic hatred and anti-Catholic propaganda, but never again would America support a national army of zealots. The AOH, on the other hand, grew stronger. It followed Irish immigrants as they worked their way across the country.
The early AOH in America remained a defensive, yet secret, society, and while little is known of its specific activities, it is known that it assisted Irish immigrants in obtaining jobs and social services. Membership was well guarded and restricted to Irish born. Even minutes books used member numbers instead of names to protect identities. The first national conventions of the Order were held in New York, but as the Order grew. Other jurisdictions began seeking the honor, with Boston becoming the site of the first non-NY gathering. Other controversial issues of the early Order included opening membership to Irish Americans so that American born sons of immigrants could join and the right of the AOH in Ireland to speak for the Order when they were still dominated by the Crown. At the same time, the militant Fenian Brotherhood began to infiltrate the AOH and run their people for top AOH offices. In the midst of all these issues the AOH split!
In 1883, the Land League called for a Philadelphia convention of all the Irish organizations in America to support Charles Stewart Parnell's Irish Parliamentary Party in their fight for Home Rule. The Irish AOH endorsed Home Rule and Alexander Sullivan, a former member of AOH Div 8, Chicago, who had been suspended for non-payment of dues, aspired to Presidency of the new American branch of the Land League. Sullivan conspired with Henry Sheridan of Div 8, to have the Division financial secretary give him credentials as the Division representative to the convention instead of to an officer named O'Malley, who had been elected by the membership. Sullivan was nominated for President of the American Land League, and Andy Brown, County delegate from St Louis, seconded the nomination guaranteeing a subscription of $60,000 if Sullivan were elected. Sullivan was elected. When asked where the money would come from, Brown replied, ''from the AOH''. Sullivan went to AOH National Delegate (President) Jeremiah Crowley, asking that an assessment be levied on every member to honor the pledge he made at the Convention. The assessment was so ordered with no regard for the feelings of the members many of whom vehemently objected to the Irish AOH position.
Meanwhile, many of the rank and file of the American AOH refused to communicate further with Crowley, and appointed Francis Kiernan as National Delegate until the next National Convention in Cleveland on May 16, 1884. At that convention, Crowley appeared and, after a bitter credentials battle, was seated. At the end of a stormy convention, Henry Sheridan of Chicago, Sullivan's co-conspirator was elected National Delegate by a slim majority, and Crowley was made Chairman of National Directory. Three months later, a notice in the New York Times announced that another National Convention of the Order had been held on August 13 in New York City during which the members of the National Board, who were elected in Cleveland, were tried and expelled on charges of conspiring to introduce Irish National Politics into the American Order and merge it with the fragmented Fenian Brotherhood. John Nolan (formerly of the Irish AOH) was elected National Delegate.
On August 26, the 'expelled' Board sent a circular to all Divisions reporting, ''a conspiracy has been unearthed in New York which has been in secret operation for 18 months, headed by Hugh Murray of New York County and aided by one Mr Nolan, ex-member of the Irish AOH.'' They accused the 'conspirators' of holding a mock convention, electing officers, and seceding from the organization. They also revealed that they had come to New York to determine the state of affairs, and learned that before the Cleveland Convention had even met, the New Yorkers had raised $800 and sent Mr. Nolan to Ireland with a message to the Irish AOH that he would be elected National Delegate for America if the Irish AOH would support them as the legal AOH. The circular reported that the Irish order agreed, and, by that agreement, had conspired with the 'New York traitors' and thereby demonstrated that they were ''unfit to preside at the head of an organization of the magnitude of ours''. The Cleveland Board therefore announced that they had severed all links with the group that they had once ''looked to as a faithful friend and father'' adding, for good measure, that they were a drain on the Order in America, intellectually a disgrace, and had sacrificed the whole organization for a few New York favorites. It was signed by the Cleveland National Board including Henry Sheridan, National Delegate and Jeremiah Crowley, Chairman.
Law suits followed by both sides over Division and County property and the right to use the name 'Ancient Order of Hibernians'. There were now two organizations in America: one took the name of the AOH, Board of Erin, and the other the AOH in America. American branch also changed the title of National Delegate to National President. Some of the Board of Erin members in Ireland continued to send correspondence and merchandise to the Board of Erin in America, while others recognized only the AOH in America. In 1886, National President Nolan of the American Board of Erin traveled to the Board of Erin Convention in Ireland to stop them from communicating with the AOH in America. He charged that some of the Board of Erin members had continued their support for the American faction, and the animosity which had split the Order in America was thereby exported to Ireland and they too split with expulsions and law suits resulting.
Thus did politics, personal greed, and petty jealousy bring to a shameful and disgraceful state, one of the noblest of the ancient Orders of Ireland. It would be many years, filled with accusations, lies, and treachery before saner heads prevailed and the two factions in America were brought to true brotherhood. The sad part is that the bond between the American and Irish branches of this noble order were never officially reconciled. The intervening years have dimmed the recollection of the dispute, but the memory that one existed was never truly forgotten.
Years later, the apolitical and religious posture of the Irish organization dictated their decision to support Parnell's struggle for an independent Ireland through Parliamentary reform and they became champions of Home Rule in Ireland. The appearance in the early 1900's of a more militant faction never swayed the AOH Board of Erin from that commitment, and they were often criticized for not being outspoken disciples of the revolutionary action proposed by the heroes of Easter Week. They remained true to their principles, and gave neither support nor opposition to the militants during the 1916 insurrection, the War of Independence, and the Civil War that followed. This again strained relations with the American AOH who supported the militants although AOH divisions in Ireland who remained affiliated with the American Board did take part in the rising.
For years, the two Boards remained as distant cousins who never spoke. Few remembered, or even knew, the old animosities, and fewer still held grudges against the branch of the Order across blue highway home, yet the breach remained in spite of the fact that the AOH in America proudly pointed to their Irish heritage and the fact that the Irish organization had a litany of proud accomplishments and opposition to the Crown.
Then, in 1981, Jack Connolly, President of the AOH in America, stopped into an AOH hall in Ireland. His historic gesture, opened dialogue between the two branches of the Order, and resulted in the visit of a group of Belfast Hibernians to Boston and New York to march in their St Patrick's Day parades. Hospitality was provided to visiting Hibernian officials during the next few administrations, but little of significance occurred until 1992 when Board of Erin Secretary Frank Kieran visited America. Hibernian hospitality was extended by the American Board and, in conversations held during that visit, it was proposed that the two branches consider a joint project. At the 1994 American National Convention in Louisville Kentucky, it was announced that the joint project would be a memorial to the victims of the Great Hunger to be erected in Ireland in 1995.
On August 20 1995, the dream came true as the American and Irish National Boards gathered in Ennistymon, Co. Clare to dedicate that memorial. In unveiling the memorial, Dail Eireann's Minister of State, Donal Carey, noted that this was the first national monument in all of Ireland to the victims of the Great Hunger, and it took the AOH to do it. It was a proud moment for the AOH, and a visible indication of what unity can achieve. More significant, but less publicized was an event that took place days earlier on August 12, just after the American Board had arrived in Ireland. It was the first joint meeting in history between the AOH National Boards of America, Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales. That meeting opened a new chapter in Hibernian history, which was confirmed by the hospitality extended in Hibernian Halls in Counties Louth, Down, Antrim, and Derry where the American Board was hosted and celebrated. The American Order also marched in solidarity with Board of Erin AOH in Co Derry in commemoration of the Feast of the Assumption and later, Bloody Sunday. As a result of those historic gatherings and marches, the prejudice of the past has been buried, and the AOH now stands, not only as the oldest Catholic Lay organization in America, but as the largest Irish Catholic society in the world with Divisions across the United States, and close ties with the AOH in Ireland, England, Scotland, and Wales.
In America, the Division is the basic unit of the Order. Divisions are combined into County Boards, which are in turn governed by State Boards, and an overall National Board elected every two years. Annual dances, concerts, and parades sponsored at all levels of the Order raise millions for charity while providing a showcase for the positive contributions the Irish have made in every walk of American life. Divisions and Hibernian Halls across the country have traditionally provided a welcome for new immigrants. Here, the unique art, dance, music, and other interests of the Irish are fostered and preserved, making the AOH a home away from home for many. They are at the forefront of support for issues concerning the Irish such as Immigration Reform, MacBride Legislation, and the Right to Life. They serve their Church well, yet, they never forget their ancestral homeland, and can always be found lobbying, praying, and working for the total independence of a united 32 county Ireland as their constitution avows: ''by all means constitutional and lawful''.
The initials AOH may tell the story best. Those who say it means ''Add One Hour'' are describing the easygoing, no rush attitude of many of its members, while ''America's Only Hope'' has been used to define the loyalty of the Irish to the principles of their adopted land. In any case, its members are best described by the statement, ''To be Irish is a Blessing, To be a Hibernian is an Honor.''
Click on image to zoom.


text:
Look, it's my fault, I think.
I must have forgotten to mention the trees. Surely, if you'd known, they'd still be standing.
That little aspen grove in the corner of the yard? They were babies, not higher than my knee, when we moved in 16 years ago. Eight or 10 of them, connected in ways we may never understand. We watched them grow and struggle and grow and then finally thrive. They were a few feet taller than me when we packed the moving truck. They had survived a blizzard that dumped 9 feet of heavy snow on top of them, a storm of a century that broke the branches of our sturdiest pines. They survived several summers when no rain came until early September, when their stressed leaves turned not bright gold but a mustard brown, and fell to the ground in the slightest breeze. But they survived. Provided cool shade from a burning high-altitude sun, allowing ferns and mushrooms to grow in the patches of earth between them. Until now.
And that one thick lodgepole pine by the deck. For 16 years, that tree held the wooden birdfeeder my father built for me with his own hands, and that my husband hung snugly against the trunk, so tight no 120 mph wind in the dead of February winter could send it flying through the woods. I lost my dad two years ago, but I still had that weathered birdfeeder. That he made me. In that tree. Birds of all shapes and sizes ate from that feeder year-round. Chickadees, woodpeckers, pine grosbeaks, bluebirds, gray jays, nuthatches, dippers, pine siskins, crows and the incomparable stellar's jays, with their breathtakingly rich blue-sky wings and screechy call. Red-tailed hawks sat in that tree waiting for a rosy finch lunch, and once, a golden eagle rested there. Right there. My kid learned about birds from watching that tree. He knew the call of a chickadee before he knew any kind of rhyming song. I wrote and edited novels next to it, listening to the noisy chipper games of squirrels and chipmunks.
You see, these trees were quite possibly some of the most spiritual things I've ever accepted into my over-cynical mind. If there was a god of some kind, a power in the universe working beyond our control, I figured it must reside in the bark of those trees.
But now. Well.
So for future reference, here are a few other things to note.
The woodstove in the great room is your lifeline. Don't treat it like an appliance, something that can be replaced easily. It will heat the whole cabin on a 50-below zero night with 60 mph winds howling outside, when there is no way a propane furnace could keep up with that kind of cold. Not all woodstoves pack that kind of punch. But our little one can. And did for 16 years. If you treat it well, it will protect you from the kind of cold you can die from.
Also, there's a little piece of skinny, floor-to-ceiling wood that frames the closet in the extra bedroom. It has tiny marks and dates, indicating how our son grew, from when he could first stand with his head proudly flush against the wall, his chin a little raised. He'd let me mark his height there, in his room, and spin around to see just how much he'd grown since the last mark was made. We marked his last height the week before we moved. He's 10. And I know those are our marks, not yours. And yet, they belong to that cabin in a way you don't yet.
Let's also talk about the creek behind the house. A selling point for our cabin, no doubt. But there's a responsibility that comes with that. Stupid people sometimes come up to the mountains and dump their crap back there, near the creek. Don't ask me why. And the winds, so fierce in the winter, blow things all around on the mountain, too, and a lot if can end up in the creek. So, you'll have to stay on top of the trash in the spring and early summer. If you want the moose and bears to still visit for fresh drinking water, and the trout to still swim through it during snow melt-off. And that way, if you take care of it, you can sit by it in the summer evenings, listening to the still and then the rush and the flow, and know that it's not polluted with beer cans and Styrofoam and parts of an old mattress, but quite likely renewing a whole ecosystem downstream. And maybe a part of yourself, too.
There is so much more to say. The little blue spruce that is about 4 feet tall along the rock walkway? I planted that our first year in the cabin. We were broke, but it was on a clearance shelf at Home Depot for $3. I bought it and planted it and cared for it like a child during the years when I suffered miscarriages and the emotional and physical pain of infertility. I couldn't make a baby, but I could water that tree. After his adoption, my son and I hung Christmas lights on that tree many years. No tree was ever more wanted.
Oh, and the front of the house next to the large boulders? There's a perfectly sunny spot there in the winter where you'll want to stack your firewood. Trust me, we tried a lot of stacking locations over the years. But the important thing to remember is that you have to move that wood by middle of May, if there is any left over, because if the ground is allowed to feel the sun, it will eventually spring forth a mountain wildflower garden in late June. Purple fireweed will bloom, and wild roses, and yarrow and sunflowers, and pink clover, and even a few yellow wallflowers, and they'll change your life every time you see them in the morning light.
The back deck. Where to begin? My son gardened with me on that deck, rode his Big Wheel on that deck. Learned to shovel snow on that deck. Took naps on summer afternoons on that deck. Had picnics on that deck. Laid, wrapped in blankets, on chilly August nights watching meteors showers on that deck. My husband perfected his barbecue techniques on that deck, with his old-school charcoal grill. We've listened to music on that deck as a family, made s'mores together around the firepit, wrote songs together, sang Rocky Mountain High together at midnight on that deck, ate lazy summer meals on that deck with good friends and family. A family of raccoons lived under that deck one winter. This year, it was rabbits. Lots of rabbits that our golden retriever mixes would visit 10 times a day. We have had bears on that deck. Red and black foxes that look into the sliding glass door at dinnertime. We made our most important decisions on that deck.
I could go on, but why? Why. We chose to leave. Life moves on. Things change. The raw, unbridled, sometimes-harsh life at the top of a mountain was exactly what I needed when I moved to Colorado from Texas so many years ago. I wanted to be tested. I wanted to heal whatever was broken. I wanted that log cabin and piece of land at 10,500 feet above sea level, with its surrounding snow-capped peaks, to save me, and it did. Again and again and again. I didn't want to leave that cabin, or my mountain. But I had to, and now. It's not mine anymore.
You are the stewards.
Please handle with care.
If you want to read more of my writing, I send out the occasional newsletter. Sign up here:

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Yes, Jason Aldean Holds His Pregnant Wife's Hair Back
When Jason Aldean's wife, Brittany, is having a less-than-glamorous pregnancy moment, the "Drowns the Whiskey" singer says he's actually a pretty sensitive guy. But these moments are few and far between.
Aldean shares that Brittany is experiencing more morning sickness carrying their second baby than she did when she was pregnant with Memphis. So he's been called upon to hold her long hair back a couple of times, but "When she's feeling good, she goes and does her thing," he tells Taste of Country. "She doesn't sit back and let you wait on her hand and foot, so I haven't had to do much of that so far."
The country superstar chuckles when asked if he's naturally willing to cater to the needs and whims of a pregnant wife. "I would never say patience is my strong suit," he admits. "The one thing I got going for me is I'm pretty laid-back. So it takes a lot to get me rattled."
Aldean spoke to Taste of Country ahead of a headlining performance at WE Fest 2018 on Aug. 4.
"She's not too much of a diva when it comes to that kind of stuff, anyways," he insists.
Memphis was born in December 2017. Aside from revealing they used IVF once again, the couple hasn't shared when this baby is due or too many pregnancy details since making the announcement last month. Aldean has no preference on the boy or girl question, but definitely doesn't want both.
"We just want one — I hope there's just one in there," he says with a smile.
The couple announced they were pregnant with their first child in May 2017. A similar timeline would put baby No. 2's due date in early February.
See Pictures of Jason and Brittany Aldean's Fairytale Mansion:


text:
Now that DevOps initiatives are becoming the norm, you're under increasing pressure to deploy application changes in record time. But shorter timelines coupled with growing demands create serious risk.
You probably feel stuck with your native tools because they seem more affordable on the surface and budgets are tight. But what if a full-featured toolset could actually save you more time and money in the long run? In this tech brief, you'll see how Toad® for Oracle can dramatically accelerate release cycles while reducing costly errors and help pave the way for including database development tasks in your DevOps processes.
You'll learn how Toad delivers more savings over time than SQL Developer by improving:
• Code quality and function
• Application performance
• Code maintainability
• Team collaboration
• Productivity


text:
Water Without Borders? Canada, the United States & Shared Waters, edited by Emma S. Norman, Alice Cohen, and Karen Bakker, has just been published by the University of Toronto Press. I was honored to contribute a chapter to this excellent volume, "The Great Lakes: A Model of Transboundary Cooperation," co-authored by Dr. Jamie Linton, a Canadian geographer and historian. The companion website provides an excellent overview of the book:
Water Without Borders provides readers with a general overview of water along the 49th parallel, as well as insight into specific issues.
To that end, Part One provides an overview of issues impacting the health and sustainability of our shared waters. In this section, authors explore recent developments in transboundary water governance, including increased participation of First Nations and local actors in transboundary water governance, and the changing role of the International Joint Commission. The section also tackles the most controversial issues related to Canada-U.S. water — bulk water transfers — and provides a broad overview of key water management challenges currently facing Canada and the United States.
Part Two of the volume presents expert commentaries on key flashpoints along the border—transboundary waters which are sources of conflict. These flashpoints include: the negotiation of the Columbia River Treaty, water quality in the Flathead River Basin, flooding and water quality in the Devils Lake / Red River Basin, water allocation in the St. Mary and Milk Rivers, and invasive species and declining water quality in the Great Lakes Basin.
Each chapter in Part Two focuses on a single flashpoint, and has been jointly authored by experts from either side of the border. The Canadian and U.S. co-authors collaborated on the writing of each chapter, providing a nuanced perspective and a collaborative assessment of key issues and possible solutions for each flashpoint.
Particularly noteworthy is the fact that most chapters emphasize that solutions to transboundary water conflicts have taken the form of working around — rather than through — conventional institutions for transboundary water governance. The transboundary cooperation and collaboration that characterizes these chapters epitomizes, we feel, how shared governance can function effectively: through hard work, clear lines of communication, sustained contact, and mutual trust.
The book concludes by reflecting on the possibility of 'borderless' water in a world rife with both cultural and political borders.
Table of Contents:1. Introduction (Emma S. Norman, Alice Cohen, and Karen Bakker)
Part One: Issues, Approaches, and Challenges
2. Indigenous Peoples and Water: Governing Across Borders (Merrell-Ann S. Phare)
3. Rise of the Local? Delegation and Devolution in Transboundary Water Governance (Emma S. Norman and Karen Bakker)
4. The IJC and Transboundary Water Disputes: Past, Present, and Future (Murray Clamen)
5. Continental Bulk Water Transfers: Chimera or Real Possibility? (Frédéric Lasserre)
6. Key Issues in Canada-US Water Governance (Ralph Pentland)
Part Two: Flashpoints, Conflict, and Cooperation
7. The Columbia River Treaty (John Shurts and Richard Paisley)
8. Apportionment of the St. Mary and Milk River (Nigel Bankes and Elizabeth Bourget)
9. Devils Lake and Red River Basin (Norman Brandson and Robert Hearne)
10. Flathead Valley Flashpoint (Harvey Locke and Matthew McKinney)
11. The Great Lakes: A Model of Transboundary Cooperation (Jamie Linton and Noah Hall)
Looking Back, Looking Forward
12. Conclusion (Alice Cohen, Emma S. Norman, and Karen Bakke)
The book is complimented by valuable online resources, hosted by the University of British Columbia's Program on Water Governance. The contributing authors provided policy briefs on five of the most visible flashpoints along the shared waters between Canada and the United States (the Columbia River Treaty, the Flathead River Basin, the St. Mary and Milk River, Devils Lake and the Red River Basin, and the Great Lakes Basin). There is also a database of Canada-United States transboundary governance mechanisms across North America at federal, state-provincial and local levels.
The Water Without Borders? Project was supported with funding from the Walter & Duncan Gordon Foundation. Thanks to the Gordon Foundation, more than 250 key policy makers in Canada and the United States will be receiving complementary copies of the book. And whether you buy it from Amazon or your local bookstore, all proceeds from the book will go to the US and Canadian branches of the Waterkeeper Alliance.


text:
You can help support Canadians affected by dementia.
Volunteer at an IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer's
in your community.
We need enthusiastic volunteers. They're a big part of making our Walk a success so we can continue to fund vital programs and services across the country.
How to volunteer
It's easy. Register online or connect with the volunteer coordinator in your local Walk community for more information.
Ask your friends, family and co-workers to volunteer. It's a great way to have fun and socialize while supporting an important cause.


text:
University Optometry Eye Clinic in Palo Alto, California
Do contacts make your vision worse?
You have just visited our eye care clinic for an eye exam in Palo Alto, California and you received a new vision prescription. Now it is time to purchase new eyewear – should you buy eyeglasses or contact lenses? As long as your eyes are healthy, the choice is yours.
Many differences exist between glasses and contact lenses, and people wonder whether one type of eyewear is more effective and more suitable for their lifestyle. To help you make an educated decision, Dennis E. Ratinoff, OD, your optometrist for Palo Alto and the Palo Alto area, has put together this outline of what you need to know about glasses and contact lenses.
Many eye diseases can be quickly and easily diagnosed during a Comprehensive eye exam, Pediatric eye exam and Contact lens eye exam. If you were diagnosed with an eye disease, such as Cataracts, Glaucoma, Macular degeneration, Diabetic retinopathy, or Dry eye, you may be overwhelmed by the diagnosis and confused about what happens next. Will you need medications or surgery – now or in the future? Is LASIK eye and vision surgery an option for you ? Our Palo Alto eye doctor is always ready to answer your questions about eye disease and Contact lenses.
Contact lenses supplier in Palo Alto, California
Features Shared by Glasses & Contacts
First of all, let's look at the similarities between contacts and eyeglasses:
- Both can precisely treat nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism to give you sharp vision
- You need to clean them properly to ensure crystal-clear vision; with glasses, this means spraying and wiping the lenses, and with contacts, there are varying degrees of care (depending upon which type you select)
- Both glasses and contacts are affordable
All About Eyeglasses
Nowadays, glasses are made from plastic, making them much lighter than years ago. Also, plastic lenses can be coated with various treatments to protect your eyes, such as against dangerous UV light or to block blue light from digital devices. Polycarbonate or Trivex lenses are ideal for children and people who play sports because they do not shatter on impact. Another option for people with very strong prescriptions is high index lenses, which are a thinner and lighter form of vision correction.
There are two primary types of glasses: single vision and multifocal. Single vision eyeglasses correct problems with seeing close or seeing far, while multifocal glasses help with seeing both distance and near-vision issues.
Multifocals come in a few versions:
- Bifocal lenses are bisected into two zones. The upper half helps with seeing distance and the lower half of the lens helps with reading and other close tasks.
- Trifocals have three areas in the lenses. The top is for distance, the bottom is for up close, and the region between the two is for middle vision.
- Progressive lenses are essentially the same as bifocals and trifocals, yet with no dividing line in the lens. The visual transition between the different lens powers is gradual and smooth.
What's Good About Glasses, and What's Not
- Eyeglasses are easy to use. You just put them on your face and out you go. There are no specialized cleaning solutions and care is minimal. If you have a particular style or fashion statement you want to make with your glasses, a range of frame designs is available from our optometrist for Palo Alto. Also, if you work in a job that leaves your fingers dirty all the time, you don't need to touch your eyes when putting on glasses. So the risk of eye infection is very low.
- The main disadvantage of eyeglasses relates to how they look and feel. Many people simply don't like their appearance in glasses. Also, you also may find them uncomfortable on your nose or pressing above your ears. Another con of glasses is that the lenses can fog up, get splashed in rainy weather, and fall off (or slip down your sweaty nose) during sports. The plastic lenses can also scratch.
All About Contact Lenses
Contacts are thin discs made from either glass or plastic, depending upon whether you have soft or hard (GP) lenses. These discs rest directly on your eye to correct vision. Our Palo Alto contact lenses collection includes a full inventory of single vision, bifocal, and multifocal versions. Soft contact lenses, which are much more popular, come in several types:
- Daily wear lenses: worn during the day; removed and cleaned nightly
- Daily disposables (dailies): worn once and then thrown away
- Extended wear lenses: can be worn overnight; taken out at least once a week for disinfecting
What's Good About Contacts, and What's Not
- Contact lenses provide more natural vision than eyeglasses, as well as a more natural appearance that doesn't block your face. They give a wider field of view and a clear peripheral vision. Because contacts move with your eye, no frame ever gets in your way or disturbs your line of sight. Also, contacts never fog up or get splashed with water droplets when it rains. When playing sports, contact lenses can be ultra-convenient.
- Contacts require higher maintenance than glasses. You must clean and store them properly or you risk getting serious eye infections. If you have high astigmatism, contacts may not be able to provide sharp vision all the time – because you'll see blurry when they rotate. Toric contacts, which are specialized for astigmatism, have less of a tendency to move around, but they are more costly. You may also need a short adjustment period to adapt to wearing contacts, and more follow-up care from our optometrist for Palo Alto.
That's the basic rundown of contact lenses versus eyeglasses! Dennis E. Ratinoff, OD provides comprehensive eye exams for Palo Alto and the entire Palo Alto area, and he will issue your accurate, up-to-date prescription for eyewear. Our optical staff will then be pleased to assist you with your decision whether to choose glasses, contact lenses or both!
Book an appointment online here CLICK FOR AN APPOINTMENT


text:
The 401(k): an introduction
Debbie writes in:
I'm a 28 year old single mom. I just got a great job as an administrative assistant, one that I was extremely lucky to get. During orientation we were asked to sign up for the 401(k) plan. I don't know anything at all about 401(k) plans, but I have enjoyed your site for a long time and I love the way you make money issues seem easy. Could you explain what I need to know about 401(k) plans in the simplest terms possible?
I'll do my best.
What is a 401(k) plan? A 401(k) plan is just a very simple way for people to save for their retirement. Almost all of the time, a 401(k) plan is offered by a company to their employees, which is why you were encouraged to sign up for it during your employee orientation.
After you sign up, you'll agree to put aside some percentage of your paycheck for this plan. Think of it as being a special kind of savings account, and the money you set aside goes into that account.
So, let's say you're going to make $26,000 a year, and you get paid every two weeks. That means your grosspay – the amount you're going to make before taxes are taken out – would be $1,000 per paycheck.
The percentage that you agree to take out of your check comes out of that gross amount. So, if you're going to put 5% into your 401(k), $50 from each check will be put into your 401(k) account.
Then, your taxes will be figured based on $950 per paycheck, not $1,000 per paycheck. That means you'll actually be paying less income tax than you would if you were contributing nothing to your 401(k). You'll be contributing $50 per month, but your paycheck would actually go down by less than $50.
You do end up paying taxes on the money, but you don't do it until money comes out of the 401(k), usually at retirement age.
How much should you be contributing? I would suggest a minimum of 10%, regardless of age. If you're over 35, make it 15%. If you're over 50, make it 20%.
What about employer matching? Some employers offer matching contributions to their employee's 401(k) accounts. Essentially, these contributions act as free money in your 401(k).
Let's say your employer matches half of your contributions up to 10%. In the above example, you'd be contributing $50 per paycheck to your 401(k) and your employer will put in $25 on top of that. This makes your 401(k) contributions even more valuable.
What about all the investment options? When you put money into your 401(k) account, that money will need to be channeled into one of the investment options offered by your employer's 401(k) program. The options vary greatly from company to company, too, which can add to the challenge.
Let's make this clear right off the bat: don't worry about picking the "best" investment. Making contributions and putting them in any investment option is going to be better than not making any contributions at all.
If you're not sure which one to pick, there are a few simple guidelines I suggest.
First, choose a "target retirement" plan if they're available. You'll be able to choose among several target retirement plans. These plans are usually distinguished by different years – Target Retirement 2045 and so on – so choose the one that comes closest to the year that you'll turn 67.
If that's not available, subtract your age from 70, then double that number. So, in Debbie's case, she'd take 70 minus 28, which is 42, and then she'd double it, to get 84. Contribute that percentage to stocks. If there are different stock options available, ask the person in charge of your plan for the option with the most diversification. Then, contribute the rest to bonds – again, if there are different bond options, ask for the one with the most diversification. You'll want to readjust your plan every year or two, because the closer you get to retirement, the more you're going to want in bonds and the less you're going to want in stocks.
This should cover the basics. A 401(k) plan is simply a way to make sure you have money set aside for you in retirement. In some places, your employer will contribute extra. If you're not sure which investment option to take, choose a target retirement fund – and if that's not available, follow a really simple formula. Do those things and you'll be set up for retirement.


text:
An SME Strategy for a Sustainable and Digital Europe
Supporting capacity-building for SMEs and the development of a digital and green business environment.
This section presents an overview of European initiatives and programmes in digital skills and jobs. They aim to bridge the digital skills gap for all and make Europe fit for the digital age. Explore a variety of actions and programmes on European and international level that help people upskill, reskill, or take the next step in their careers.


text:
Finance | News
The University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando has gone public about its adoption of a budgeting application implemented at the beginning of 2010. The college is now running Adaptive Planning, a suite of features delivered in a software-as-a-service model.
The college, which opened in 2007, initially used a Microsoft Excel model in its finance department for the annual budgeting process. When Steve Omli, director of finance, joined in the summer of 2008, he wasn't particularly surprised by the use of the spreadsheet program. After all, he noted, "The university as a whole doesn't have a specific application for doing its budget."
But Omli also knew that Excel had its limitations. "When you're trying to do a budget, a lot of times you have several different users, you're creating several different versions, and if you're doing any kind of sophisticated calculations, as your budget grows and changes, you end up having a lot of problems: Who's working on what version? Who has access? Who has the latest version? What folder is it in? I've added this tab, so are all the formulas rolling up correctly?" he explained.
One of the first projects Omli undertook after joining the college was to develop a budget-to-actual comparison. "This was very difficult because the line items did not match the general ledger codes, requiring an enormous amount of manual effort," he said. As a result, he and the finance department began looking for an alternative.
The finance director had used several different products at other medical schools where he'd worked. So he knew that he wanted an application that offered control over budget versions, user access, and structure and that would also allow fairly sophisticated formulas to be part of the model. "I wanted to move the college's budget to something that would mirror the general ledger, but also allow us to have the kind of control where if somebody has a question regarding the budget, we all know where to go and we all know what to look at," he said. "A product that would allow us to create the kinds of reports that would be helpful."
As the evaluation evolved, Omli realized that a SaaS solution would be a practical approach. "It would have been very difficult for me to do any kind of quick implementation if I needed to engage significant resources from our IT department," he noted. The problem there, he added, was that because the college is so new, the IT group is still highly focused on the computing needs of the faculty and students. A new budgeting application is "something that had more of a peripheral priority."
The college chose Adaptive Planning in January 2010 and hired the company's implementation team to do the deployment. Twelve weeks later the system was running.
The new budgeting system includes multiple planning features: personnel, revenue, capital asset, allocation, and expense; as well as balance sheet and cash flow, planning, collaboration, and reporting and analysis.
Soon the college will be opening up a "clinical enterprise." So Omli's department will be purchasing a "second instance" option from Adaptive Planning, which offers the capability for the new initiative to budget independently and still roll up to the College of Medicine's budget.
The finance group will also add an optional transaction-level detail reporting in 2012.
Noting that "every year we learn to use the application better," Omli said the budgeting process now tends to be "more complete, more comprehensive. We're able to do budget to actual reporting very quickly and have some really nice reports come out of the application. People have better access to their own budget. At any time they can log in and see their part of the budget that they're dealing with. Those are some really major impacts."
About the Author
Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.


text:
This document is available in: English Deutsch Francais Nederlands Turkce |
by Klaus Müller <Socma(at)gmx.net> About the author: At present "Klaus Müller a.k.a. 'Socma' is still a student, he keeps busy with Linux programming and with security related topics. Translated to English by: Jürgen Pohl <sept.sapins(Q)verizon.net> Content: |
IDS - Intrusion Detection System, Part IIAbstract:
In Part I we focused
on typical attacks on Intrusion Detection Systems. Part II
introduces methods for their discovery and our responses - the
application of signatures and filters among them. Finally, we
are introducing Snort and LIDS.
Application | V Action | V --------------------- | Realtime decision | --------------------- / \ Deny Allow / \ Alert execute Action
Program | V System call | V System call Interception / \ Deny Allow | | do not call Kernel System call
00 00 00 00 E9 FE FE FF FF E8 E9 FF FF FF E8 4F ............... 0 FE FF FF 2F 62 69 6E 2F 73 68 00 2D 63 00 FF FF .../bin/sh.-c...
alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HTTP_SERVERS 80 \ (msg:"WEB-MISC/etc/passwd";flags: A+; content:"/etc/passwd"; \ nocase;classtype:attempted-recon; sid:1122; rev:1;)
Secured by Check Point' appliances are security solutions that integrate Check Point VPN-1/FireWall-1 technology onto our partners' hardware platforms.
------------ ------------ ------- | Intruder | ------------> | Innocent | ----------> | YOU | ------------ ------------ -------
" tcpkill - kill TCP connections on a LAN ....... tcpkill kills specified in-progress TCP connections (use- ful for libnids-based applications which require a full TCP 3-whs for TCB creation). "
# This is an example on how to detect # in N-code a land attack filter pptp ip () { if(ip.src == ip.dest) { record system.time, eth.src, ip.src, eth.dst, ip.dest to land_recdr; } }Since unknown variables have been used, here a short explanation :
Bit Value -------------------------------------- F-FIN 1 S-SYN 2 R-RST 4 P-PSH 8 A-ACK 16 U-URG 32 ---------------------------------------filter xmas ip() { if(tcp.hdr) { $dabyte = byte(ip.blob,13); if(!($dabyte ^ 63)) { record system.time, ip.src,tcp.sport,ip.dest, \ tcp.dport, "UAPRSF" to xmas_recorder; return; } } }
| Src Port | Dest Port | Seq Number | ACK Number | HDR Length | Flags |\ URG | ACK | PSH | RST | SYN | FIN | Win Size | Chksum | Urg Off | Opt |We realize why 13 bytes in byte() have been specified, because 13 bytes are sufficient to sustain the flags. Before we are able to understand on how byte works first some remarks to blob. If you refer to Chapter 3 of the Advanced User Guide blob is an "an arbitrarily sized sequence of bytes". One 'byte' returns one byte from the specified offset of a blob, the common syntax looks like this: byte (str blob_to_search, int offset). The first argument specifies the blob to be searched ( above: ip.blob), the second argument defines the offset (in 'blob_to_search') of the sought-after byte. With 'if(!($dabyte ^ 63))' it is being checked if all flags are set, this should result in 63 if the values of all flags are added (32+16+8+4+2+1), if someone likes to know: with ^ a bit by bit XOR is being executed.
CAN-Year - sequential candidate of the year
[Socma]$ ./snort -v
-d = will deliver the packet data -e = shows the Data Link Layer
#loggingdirectory must exist: [Socma]$ ./snort -dev -l ./loggingdirectoryWhen entering "-l" Snort sometimes fetches the address of the remote computer as the directory (to which is logs), sometimes it takes the local host address. In order to log to the home network we need to specify the home network in the command line:
[Socma]$ ./snort -dev -l ./loggingdirectory -h 192.168.1.0./24Another possibility is to log in TCP-DUMP format:
[Socma]$ ./snort -l ./loggingdirectory -bNow the entire packet will be logged, not only specific sections, this eliminates the need to specify additional options. It is possible to use programs like tcpdump to translate the files to ASCII text, but Snort can do that too:
[Socma]$ ./snort -dv -r packettocheck.logNetwork Intrusion Detection Mode: To switch to NIDS mode we may use a command like this:
[Socma]$ ./snort -dev -l ./log -h 192.168.1.0/24 -c snort.confIn this case is snort.conf the configuration file. It is used to let Snort know where to find its "rules" to determine if there is an attack or not, if the request should be permitted...The rules, as defined in snort.conf. will then be applied to the packet to analyze it. If no specific output directory was established the default /var/log/snort is being used. The output of snort depends on the alert modus - based on this the information is somewhat sooner or later available.
---------------------------------------------------------------- | Modus | How/what is displayed | ---------------------------------------------------------------- | -A fast | Time, Source and Destination IPs/ports, | | | the Alert Message | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | -A full | Default Setting | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | -A unsock | Sends the Warnings to a UNIX | | | socket | ----------------------------------------------------------------- | -A none | Stops the Alerts | -----------------------------------------------------------------
[Socma]$ ./snort -c snort.conf -b -M MYWINWORKSTATIONHere a example of the application of the alert modes:
[Socma]$ ./snort -b -A fast -c snort.confBesides the options described there are others like the following:
-D = starts Snort in daemon mode -u usersnort= starts Snort with UID 'usersnort' -g groupsnort = starts Snort with GID 'groupsnort' -d = also log the data of the applications layer r
var: <name> <wert> var MY_NET [192.168.1.0/24,10.1.1.0/24] alert tcp any any -> $MY_NET any (flags:S;msg: "SYN packet";)There are other ways to enter the variable name:
$variable = defines the Meta variable $(variable) = here the value of the variable 'variable' is entered $(variable:-default) = if 'variable' is defined, its value is entered here, is 'variable' not defined the value 'default' is entered. $(variable:?msg) = enters the value of the variable 'variable' or if not defined puts the message 'msg' out.
[Socma]$ shelltest=we [Socma]$ echo hello $shelltestlt hello [Socma]$ echo hello ${shelltest}lt hello worldThe application of $(variable) in Snort and ${variable} in shell is identical. There are other equivalents (or similar terms) in shell programming:
[Socma]$ shelltest = bash [Socma]$ echo ${shelltest:-nobash} bash [Socma]$ echo ${notdefined:-nobash} nobashThe application of the term '$(variable:-default)' differs only in the fact that the shell is using { and } instead of ( and ). The last term exist also in shell:
[Socma]$ shelltest = bash [Socma]$ echo ${shelltest:?"then csh"} bash [Socma]$ echo ${notdefinedvariable:?"not defined or nil"} not defined or nil
config <directive> [: <value> ]
config alertfile : mylogs
alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET 21 (msg:"FTP EXPLOIT overflow";\ flags: A+; content:"|5057 440A 2F69|";\ classtype:attempted-admin; sid:340;rev:1;)
Action source ip destination ip | | | alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET 21 | | | Protokoll From any port Port
alert tcp !$EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET 21
alert tcp ![ip address,ip address] any -> ....
log tcp any any -> ...
:portnumber -> all ports smaller equal portnumber portnumber: -> all ports higher equal portnumber fromportnumber:toportnumber -> all ports between fromportnumber and toportnumber (and those included)Of course it is possible to use the negations operator, with the consequence that all ports would be monitored except those entered, e.g. .
!:21 -> all ports which are not smaller equal 21Something that has not been explained but has been used all along is the direction operator "->".
"source" -> "destination"However, there is another variant <> :
"source" <> "destination"This means Snort will search the source as well as the destination for the address.
activate tcp !$HOME_NET any -> $HOME_NET 143 (flags : PA; \ content : "|E8C0FFFFFF|\bin|;activates : 1; msg : "IMAP buf!";) dynamic tcp !$HOME_NET any -> $HOME_NET 143 (activated_by : 1; \ count : 50;)
alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HOME_NET 21 (msg:"FTP EXPLOIT overflow"; flags: A+;\ content:"|5057 440A 2F69|";classtype:attempted-admin;\ sid:340; rev:1;)
(msg:"FTP EXPLOIT overflow";\ flags: A+; content:"|5057 440A 2F69|";\ classtype:attempted-admin; sid:340; rev:1;)
msg:"<text>";t "<text>" is the message which is written/displayed to alertfile
logto: "<filename>";In this case "<filename>" is the file to which the applicable files will be logged.
dsize: [>|<] <size>;The two optional operators > and < indicate that the packet size should be larger resp. smaller than the specified value flags:
F FIN S SYN R RST P PSH A ACK U URG 2 Bit 2 assigned 1 Bit 1 assigned 0 no TCP flags set
+ ALL flag = Hit at all specified flags (others as well). * ANY flag = Hit at all specified flags. ! NOT flag = if the specified flags are not set.
flags: <Flag valuet>;
content: [!] "<content>";
alert tcp any any -> 192.168.1.0/24 143 \ (content: "|90C8 C0FF FFFF|/bin/sh";\ msg: "IMAP buffer overflow";)
"kinderporno" "warez" .....
alert tcp any any -> 192.168.1.0/24 21 (content: "USER root";\ nocase; msg: "FTP root user access attempt";)
react : <basic argument [, additional modifier ]>;
alert tcp any any <> 192.168.1.0/24 80 (content-list: "adults"; \ msg: "This page is not for children !"; react: block, msg;)sid:
< 100 = reserved for future use 100-1 000 000 = rules which come with Snort > 1 000 000 = being used for local rules sid-msg.map contains a mapping of msg tags for sid's. It is being used foe post processing to assign a warning to an id. sid: <snort rules id>; alert tcp $EXTERNAL_NET any -> $HTTP_SERVERS 80 \ (msg: "WEB-IIS file permission canonicalization"; uricontent:\ "/scripts"..%c1%9c../"; flags: A+;nocase;sid: 983;rev:1;)classtype:
classtype: <class name>;
config classification: <class name>,<class description>,\ <standard priority>
Class type Description Priority --------------------------------------------------------------------- not-suspicious Any "unsuspicious" traffic 0 unknown Unknown traffic 1 bad-unknown Potential "bad" traffic 2 attempted-recon Attempted Information Leak 3 successful-recon-limited Information Leak 4 successful-recon-largescale Large Scale Information Leak 5 attempted-dos Attempted DoS-attack 6 successful-dos Successful DoS-attack 7 attempted-user Attempted to get user privileges 8 unsuccessful-user Unsuccessful attempt to get user privileges successful-user Successful attempt to get user privileges attempted-admin Attempt to get admin privileges 10 successful-admin Successful attempt to get admin privileges
alert tcp any any -> any 80 (msg: "WEB-MISC phf Versuch";\ flags: A+;content: "/cgi-bin/bash";priority:10;)
Webpages maintained by the LinuxFocus Editor team
© Klaus Müller, FDL LinuxFocus.org |
Translation information:
2003-07-02, generated by lfparser version 2.40


text:
The THEO blanket is a quietly intricate, three-color weave integrating repeats of two shades of finer yarn with a broader, fluffier yarn for a cozily dimensional, knitted look and feel, in mid-to-heavyweight cotton.
MATERIAL: 100% Cotton
DESIGNED in New York.
MADE in Portugal.
RETURN Period: 30 days (see our policy)
About the Color and Design:
MULTI is off-white, brown and grey.
BLUE is off-white, blue and grey.
We make every effort to ship your order quickly as possible. Please allow 3-5 business days to process your order.
We offer the following shipping options:
Contiguous United States
PURCHASES OVER 125 USD = FREE shipping via UPS Ground shipping
PURCHASES UNDER 125 USD = UPS Ground Shipping
EXPEDITED = UPS 2-Day Shipping
Non-Contiguous United States
UPS Ground Shipping
USPS Priority Mail International
USPS Priority Mail Express International
DHL Express
Non-Contiguous States, International Orders, and Expedited Shipping
The final shipping cost for orders shipping to non-contiguous states and internationally, and shipping expedited will depend on the weight of the items you purchase, destination, and the shipping method you select at checkout.
FURNITURE pieces are made to order so please allow 6-8 weeks. The final shipping cost will depend on the weight and dimensions of the furniture you purchase, destination, and the shipping method you select at checkout. Please contact us for an estimate before purchasing.
We do our best to package furniture so that it arrives safely to you. However, we strongly recommend inspecting furniture for shipping damage at the time of delivery. Immediately report any damage at the time of receipt to both the delivery person and AREA.
RETURN an item within 30 days for a full refund minus shipping costs, to and from. To avoid a $10 handling fee, please return the item new, unwashed, and in its original packaging with tags intact. Refunds will be issued after we receive and assess the merchandise.
Please email us and we will process your return. You can also reply to any email you received regarding your purchase.
We do not accept returns on sale items, gift cards, furniture, used, washed or damaged items, or unsealed candle vessels.


text:
Weekly Market Commentary – 11/5/2021
-Darren Leavitt, CFA
Wow-what a week on Wall Street! US equity indices hit another set of all-time closing highs. Market sentiment was bolstered on several different fronts. 3rd quarter corporate earnings continued to impress, especially in the travel and leisure sector (Uber, Airbnb, Expedia, Bookiing.com), which fostered the "reopening" trade. News that Pfizer's antiviral pill reduced Covid hospitalizations and mortality by 95% was extremely encouraging. In Washington, there was talk that the much-anticipated infrastructure bill had a real chance to pass in the house, and it did late Friday night and is now off to President Biden's desk. Global Central banks sent an accommodative tone to the street and tempered inflation expectations, which helped to send yields lower for the week. Economic data for the week was highlighted by a robust Employment Situation report and expansionary manufacturing and services reports.
The S&P 500 gained 2% for the week while the Dow tacked on 1.4%, the NASDAQ increased by 3.1%, and the Russell 2000 crushed it with a 6.1% advance. US Treasury yields fell on reassurances from Fed Chairman Powell that the Fed is in no hurry to raise rates and his expectation that inflationary forces will subside by the 2nd and 3rd quarter of 2022. The 2-year note yield fell ten basis points to 0.39%, while the 10-year bond yield sank eleven basis points to close at 1.45%. Oil prices fell $2.27 or 2.7% to $81.25 a barrel. A build in crude inventories sent crude below $80 early in the week, but OPEC's announcement that they would maintain its current production levels through December prompted a rebound in prices. Gold prices increased by $33 or 1.8%, closing at $1816.9 an Oz. Copper prices were little changed on the week at $4.342 an Lb.
The economic data calendar was stacked and headlined by the October Employment Situation Report. Non-Farm Payrolls came in better than expected at 531k, and the prior month's reading was revised higher. Private Payrolls were also better than expected, coming in at 604k. The Unemployment rate fell to 4.6%, which was in line with the consensus estimate but lower than the prior reading of 4.8%. Average hourly earnings increased 0.4% and were in line with expectations and down from September's increase of 0.6%. On a year-over-year basis, wages are up 4.9%. Initial Jobless Claims fell to another post-pandemic low at 269k, while Continuing Claims fell to 2.105M. ISM Manufacturing for October came in at 60.08, which was down from the prior reading of 61.1, while ISM Services came in at 66.7, which was better than the September reading of 61.9.
Investment advisory services offered through Foundations Investment Advisors, LLC ("FIA"), an SEC registered investment adviser. FIA's Darren Leavitt authors this commentary which may include information and statistical data obtained from and/or prepared by third party sources that FIA deems reliable but in no way does FIA guarantee the accuracy or completeness. All such third party information and statistical data contained herein is subject to change without notice. Nothing herein constitutes legal, tax or investment advice or any recommendation that any security, portfolio of securities, or investment strategy is suitable for any specific person. Personal investment advice can only be rendered after the engagement of FIA for services, execution of required documentation, including receipt of required disclosures. All investments involvement risk and past performance is no guarantee of future results. For registration information on FIA, please go to https://adviserinfo.sec.gov/ and search by our firm name or by our CRD #175083. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where FIA and its representatives are properly licensed or exempted.


text:
The sun sets above the hills. The siren cries out and on the busy highways that wend among the hills, the traffic stops, the people stop, and a moment of silence comes to a noisy country.
Flags fly at half mast, the torch of remembrance is lit, memorial candles are held in shaking hands and the country's own version of the Flanders Field poppy, the Red Everlasting daisy, dubbed Blood of the Maccabees, adorns lapels. And so begins the Yom Hazikaron, Heroes Remembrance Day, the day of remembrance for fallen soldiers and victims of terror-- Israel's Memorial Day.
What is a memorial day in a country that has always known war and where remembrance means adding the toll of one year's dead and wounded to the scales of history. A country where war never ends, where the sirens may pause but never stop, where each generation grows up knowing that they will have to fight or flee. To stand watch or run away. It is not so much the past that is remembered on this day, but the present and the future. The stillness, a breath in the warm air, before setting out to climb the slopes of tomorrow.
Who can count the dust of Jacob. And yet each memorial day we count the dust. The dust that is a fraction of those who have fallen defending the land for thousands of years. Flesh wears out, blood falls to the earth where the red daisies grow, and bone turns to dust. The dust blows across the graves of soldiers and prophets, the tombs of priests hidden behind brush, the caverns where forefathers rest in sacred silence, laid to rest by their sons, who were laid to rest by their own sons, generations burying the past, standing guard over it, being driven away and returning each time.
On Memorial Day, the hands of memory are dipped in the dust raising it to the blue sky. A prayer, a whisper, a dream of peace. And the wind blows the candles out. War follows. And once again blood flows into the dust. A young lieutenant shading his eyes against the sun. An old man resting with his family on the beach. Children climbing into bed in a village on a hilltop. And more bodies are laid to rest in the dust. Until dust they become.
In this land, the Maker of Stars and Dust vowed to Abraham that his children would be as many as the dust of the earth and the stars of heaven. In their darkest days, they would be as the dust. But there is mercy in the numberless count of the dust. Mercy in not being able to make a full count of the fallen and remaining ignorant of that full measure of woe. Modern technologies permit us terrible estimates. Databanks store the names of millions; digital cemeteries of ghosts. But there is no counting the dust. And when we walk the length and breadth of the land, as the Maker told Abraham to do, it the dust that supports our feet, we walk in the dust of our ancestors.
Some new countries are built to escape from the past, but there is no escaping it in these ancient hills. IDF soldiers patrol over ground once contested by empires, tread over spearheads and the wheels of chariots buried deep in the earth. The Assyrians and the Babylonians came through here in all their glory. Greek and Roman soldiers and mercenaries pitted themselves against the handful of Judeans who came out of the Babylonian exile. The Ottoman and the Arab raged here, and Crusader battering rams and British Enfield rifles still echo in the quiet hills.
Here in the silence of remembrance the present is always the past and the sky hangs like a thin veil fluttering against the future. The believers cast their prayers out of their mouths against the veil. The soldiers cast their lives and their hearts. And still the future flutters above, like the sky near enough to touch, but out of reach. Beneath it, the sky-blue flag, the stripe of the believer's shawls adorned with the interlocked star of the House of David.
Can these bones live, the Lord asks Ezekiel. And generations, after each slaughter, they come again, the descendants of the dead to reclaim the hills of their ancestors. Rising like the red flowers out of the soil. Like the bones out of the earth. They come up as slaves out of Egypt and out of the captivity of empires, their tongues as numberless as the earth. Here they come again to set up kingdoms and nations. And there in shadows on the dust, a handful of men fight off a legion; swords, spears and rifles in hand they face down impossible odds. They fight and die, but they go on.
The calendar itself is a memorial. Israel's Memorial Day, Independence Day and Lag BaOmer; the commemoration of the original Yom Yerushalayim, the brief liberation of Jerusalem from the Romans, still covertly remembered in bonfires and bows shot into the air, all in a season that begins with Passover, the exodus that set over a million people off on a forty-year journey to return to the homeland of their forefathers.
The battles today are new, but they are also very old. The weapons are new, but the struggle is the same. Who will remain and who will be swept away. Some 3,000 years ago, Judge Jephthah and the King of Ammon were exchanging messages not too different from those being passed around as diplomatic communiques today. The King of Ammon demanding land for peace and the Judge laying out the Israeli case for the land in a message that the enemy would hardly trouble to read before going to war.
Take a stray path in these hills and you may find a grinning terrorist with a knife, or the young David pitting his slingshot against a lion or bear. This way the Maccabees rush ahead against the armies of a slave empire and this way a helicopter passes low overhead on the way to Gaza. Like Dali's melting clocks, time is a fluid thing here. And what you remember; you shall find.
The soldier is not so sacred as he once was. The journalist and the judge have taken his place. The actors sneer from their theaters. The politicians gobble their free food and babble of peace. Musicians sing shrilly of flowers in gun barrels and doves everywhere. But the soldier still stands where he must. The borders have shrunk. The old victories have been exchanged for diplomatic defeats. From the old strongholds come missiles and rockets. And children hide in bomb shelters waiting for the worst to pass. This is the doing of the journalist and the judge, the politician and the actor, the lions of literature who send autographed copies of their books to imprisoned terrorists and the grandchildren of great men who hire themselves on in service to the enemy.
The man who serves is still sacred, but the temple of duty is desecrated more and more each year. Leftist academics dismiss the heroes of the past as myths or murderers. Their wives dress in black and harass soldiers at checkpoints, their children wrap their faces in Keffiyas and throw stones at them. Draft dodging, once a black mark of shame, has become a mark of pride among the left. Some boast about how easy it is, others enlist only to then refuse to serve. They call themselves Refusniks , accepting the Soviet view of Israel as an illegitimate warmongering state, but laying claim to the name of the Zionists who fought to escape the Soviet Union.
Some are only afraid, but some are filled with hate. They have looked into a twisted mirror and drunk of the poisoned wine. They have found their Inner Cain and go now to slay their brothers with words.
How shall I curse whom G-d has not cursed, asks Balaam. But the King of Moab is determined to have his curses anyway. And today it is to the UN that they come for curses. The Arab lands boil with blood, but resolution after resolution follows damning Israel. China squats on the mountains of Tibet, Russian government thugs throw dissidents out of windows and Saudi firefighters push girls back into a burning building. And still the resolutions come like curses.
In a land built on memory, it is possible not to remember, but it is impossible to entirely forget. A war of memories comes. A war for the dust. Is this a day of remembrance or a day of shame. Were those men who fought and died for Judea and Samaria, for the Golan and Jerusalem, for every square inch of land when the armies of Arab dictators came to push them into the sea, heroes or villains. Were Nasser, Hussein, Saddam, Arafat, Gaddafi, Assad and the House of Saud the real heroes all along. The tiny minority of 360 million pitted against the overwhelming majority of 6 million.
Yet though men may forget, the dust remembers. And the men return to it. For some four thousand years they have done it. And they shall do it again. For He who has made men of the dust and made worlds of the dust of stars does not forget. As the stars turn in whirling galaxies and the dust flies across the land, so the people return to the land. And though they forget, they remember again. For the dust is the memory of ages and the children shall always return to the dust of their ancestors.
In the cities, towns and villages-- the dead are remembered. Those who died with weapons in their hands and those who just died. Men, women and children. Drops of blood cast to the dust, reborn as flowers on lapels. Reborn as memory.
All go to one place, said King Solomon, all that lives is of the dust, and all returns to the dust. There is nothing better than that a man should rejoice in his works. And so memorial day precedes the day of independence. That we rejoice in that which those who sleep in the dust have died to protect. The skyscrapers and the orchards, the sheep ranches and the highways, the schools and the synagogues. For they who drained the swamps and built the roads, who held guard over the air and built the cities, may not have lived to see their works. But we rejoice in their works for them. And a new generation rises to watch over their dust and tend the works that they have built. Until the day when He that counts the dust of Jacob shall count them all, and the land shall stir, and in the words of Daniel, they that sleep in dust shall arise, and then rejoice with us.


text:
Compass Wet Location 4.8 Volt Architectural Exit Signs
How do you define "value"? For many, it equates to cost effective, quality products that perform reliably. For others, value means conserving capital, lowering transaction costs and minimizing returns. For everyone, quality is synonymous with having their expectations fully met or exceeded.
The Compass Series satisfies all these criteria.
The Compass line currently includes:
- Life Safety Products: emergency lighting units, exit signs, remote lighting heads
Life Safety Products are listed to UL Standard 924, Emergency Lighting and Power Equipment.
Compass products are in stock, and usually ship within 24 hours of order entry.
All Compass products are backed by the sales and service support that has made Hubbell Lighting, Inc. a leading manufacturer and supplier of task and convenience lighting products for residential, commercial and light industrial applications.


text:
"Sanjaya said, 'Beholding the mighty Karna take up his station from desire of battle, the Kauravas, filled with delight, uttered loud shouts from every side. With the beat of cymbals and the sound of drums, with the whizz of diverse kinds of arrows and the roars of combatants endued with great activity, all thy troops proceeded to battle, making death only the point at which to stop. When Karna set out and the warriors of the Kuru army were filled with joy, the Earth, O king, trembled and made a loud noise. The seven great planets including the Sun seemed to proceed against one another (for combat). Meteoric showers became noticeable and all the quarters seemed ablaze. Thunders fell from a cloudless sky, and fierce winds began to blow. Animals and birds in larger numbers kept thy army to their right, foreboding great calamities. After Karna had set out, his steeds tumbled down on the Earth. A frightful shower of bones fell from the sky. The weapons (of the Kuru warriors) seemed to be ablaze; their standards trembled; and their animals, O monarch, shed copious tears. These and many other terrible and awful portents appeared for the destruction of the Kurus. Stupefied by destiny, none of them regarded those portents at all. Beholding the Suta's son setting out, all the rulers of men (in the Kaurava army) cried victory to him. The Kauravas regarded the Pandavas to have been already vanquished. That slayer of hostile heroes, that foremost of car-warriors, viz., Vaikartana, as he stayed on his car recollecting the death of Bhishma and Drona, blazed up with splendour like the Sun or fire. Reflecting on the mighty feats of Partha, and burning with self-conceit and pride, and blazing with wrath and breathing long and hard, he addressed Shalya and said these words: "When stationed on my car and armed with my bow, I would not take fright at Indra himself armed with the thunder and excited with wrath. Beholding those great heroes headed by Bhishma lying on the field of battle, do not feel any anxiety. Seeing even the faultless Bhishma and Drona, equal unto Indra and Vishnu, those crushers of foremost of cars and steeds and elephants, those heroes that were unslayable, slain by the foe, I do not still experience any fear in this battle. Acquainted with mighty weapons, and himself the foremost of brahmanas, why, indeed, did not the preceptor slay in battle all foes, seeing them destroy the mightiest of our kings with their drivers and elephants and cars? Remembering that Drona in great battle, I tell you truly, listen to me, ye Kurus, there is none amongst you, save myself, that is competent to bear the advancing Arjuna, that warrior who resembles Death himself in his fiercest form. In Drona were the skills attendant on practice, and might, and bravery, and the highest of weapons and policy. When even that high-souled one had to succumb to Death, I regard all the others (of our army), strengthless and on the point of death. In this world I do not find anything, even on reflection, to be stable, in consequence of the inevitable connection of acts. When the preceptor himself is dead, who then will indulge in the certain belief that he will live till even today's sun-rise? When the preceptor was thus slain by the enemy in battle, without doubt weapons, ordinary and celestial, and might and prowess, and achievements and wise policy, are not able to compass the happiness of man. In energy Drona was equal to fire or the Sun, in prowess he resembled Vishnu or Purandara; in policy he was equal to Brihaspati or Usana; irresistible as he was, weapons could not yet protect him. When (our) women and children are weeping and uttering loud wails, when the valour of the Dhartarashtras has been defeated, I know it, O Shalya, that it is I who am to fight. Proceed therefore, against the army of our enemies. Who else, save myself, will be able to bear those troops amongst whom are stationed the royal son of Pandu firm in truth, and Bhimasena and Arjuna, and Satyaki, and the twins? Therefore, O ruler of the Madras, proceed quickly, in this battle, towards the Pancalas, the Pandavas, and the Srinjayas. Encountering them in battle, either I will slay them, or myself to Yama's presence by the path taken by Drona. Do not think, O Shalya, that I will not go into the very midst of those heroes. These intestine dissensions cannot be tolerated by me. (Without seeking to tolerate them) I will even follow in the wake of Drona. Wise or ignorant, when his period is run out, everybody is equally regarded by the Destroyer; no one can escape, O learned one, for this, I will proceed against the Parthas. I am unable to transgress my destiny. The son of Vichitravirya's son is, O king, always engaged in doing me good. For the accomplishment of his purpose, I will cast away my life-breaths that are so dear, and this body that is so difficult of being cast away. This foremost of cars covered with tigerskins, with axle producing no sound equipped with a golden seat endued with trivenu made of silver, and unto which are yoked these foremost of steeds, Rama gave unto me. Behold, also, O Shalya, these beautiful bows, these standards, these maces, these shafts of fierce forms, this blazing sword, this mighty weapon, this white conch of fierce and loud blare. Riding upon this car decked with banners, its wheels producing a rattle deep as that of the thunder, having white steeds yoked unto it, and adorned with excellent quivers, I will, putting forth my might, slay in battle that bull among car-warriors, Arjuna. If Death himself, that universal consumer, were to protect with vigilance the son of Pandu in battle, I would still encounter him in fight and either slay him or myself go to Yama's presence following Bhishma. If Yama, Varuna, Kuvera, and Vasava, with all their followers coming hither, unitedly protect the son of Pandu in this great battle, what need of many words, I will still vanquish him with them.'"
"Sanjaya continued, 'Hearing these words of the bragging Karna who was exceedingly delighted with the prospect of battle, the valiant king of the Madras, deriding him, laughed aloud, and gave him the following reply for checking him.
"'Shalya said, "Forbear, forbear, O Karna, from such bragging. Thou art in transports of delight and sayest what thou shouldst never say. Where is Dhananjaya, that foremost of men, and where again, art thou, O lowest of men? Who else, save Arjuna, could take away the younger sister of (Keshava) that foremost of all persons, having forcibly agitated the home of the Yadus that was protected by the younger brother of Indra and that resembled heaven itself that is guarded by the chief of celestials? What man save Arjuna who is endued with prowess that is equal to the prowess of the chief of the celestials, could on the occasion of the dispute caused by the slaughter of an animal, summon Bhava the Lord of Lords, the Creator of the worlds, to battle? For the sake of honouring Agni, Jaya had vanquished asuras and gods and great snakes and men and birds and pishacas and yakshas and rakshasas with his shafts and gave unto that god the food he had desired. Dost thou remember, O Karna, the occasion when, slaughtering those foes in large numbers with his excellent shafts endued with the effulgence of the Sun, Phalguna liberated Dhritarashtra's son himself among the Kurus? Dost thou remember the occasion when, thyself having been the first to fly away, the quarrelsome sons of Dhritarashtra were liberated by the Pandavas after the latter had defeated those rangers of the skies (the gandharvas headed by Citraratha)? On the occasion also of the seizure of (Virata's) kine, the Kauravas, swelling with numbers in respect of both men and animals, and having the preceptor and the preceptor's son and Bhishma amongst them, were vanquished by that foremost of men. Why, O son of Suta, didst thou not vanquish Arjuna then? For thy destruction another excellent battle has now presented itself. If thou dost not fly away from fear of thy enemy, know O Suta's son, that as soon as thou goest to battle thou wilt be slain.'"
"Sanjaya continued, 'When the ruler of the Madras was most heartily engaged in addressing these harsh speeches to Karna and uttering these praises of the latter's foe, that scorcher of foes, viz., the commander of the Kuru army, excited with rage, said these words unto the Madra king.
"'Karna said, "Let it be so, let it be so. Why, however, dost thou indulge in Arjuna's praises? A battle is about to ensue between myself and him. If he vanquishes me in fight, then will these thy praises be regarded as well-uttered.'"
"Sanjaya continued, 'The ruler of the Madras said, "Let it be so," and gave no reply. When Karna, from desire of fight, addressed Shalya, saying, "Proceed," then that great carwarrior, having white steeds yoked unto his vehicle and owning Shalya as his charioteer, proceeded against his foes, slaying large numbers in battle along his way, like the Sun destroying the darkness. Indeed, on that car covered with tiger-skins and having white steeds yoked unto it, Karna proceeded with a cheerful heart, and beholding the army of the Pandavas, speedily enquired after Dhananjaya.'"


text:
Previously the Zend Framework blog posted a tutorial showed you how to authenticate a user with middleware in a Zend Expressive application. In this latest post in the series they move on to the next step: authorization.
In a previous post, we demonstrated how to authenticate a middleware application in PHP. In this post we will continue the discussion, showing how to manage authorizations.We will start from an authenticated user and demonstrate how to allow or disable actions for specific users. We will collect users by groups and we will use a Role-Based Access Control (RBAC) system to manage the authorizations.
To implement RBAC, we will consume zendframework/zend-permissions-rbac.
They start by pulling in the Zend Expressive tooling support and creating the Permission
module. The tutorial then gets into the basics of using a role-based access control system and the roles they're going to define: admin, editor and contributor (as well as what each can do). The roles are then defined in a configuration file and briefly explained. Next is the creation of the middleware to authorize the user and its action in the application, performing a check against the roles of the user on the requirements of the action. There's also an example of setting up role inheritance and how to configure the resulting route to fire off the authorization handling.


text:
The funeral Mass is a final opportunity to commend the deceased to God's mercy, and that's why it must be done with reverence.
It is one of the most important events a Catholic community celebrates in a person's life, but one so often misunderstood and increasingly ignored.
The funeral liturgy in a church setting is a final opportunity to commend the deceased to God's mercy, and to reflect on how the person's life mirrored the love and teachings of Jesus Christ, who promises that one day, the Christian will rise again and live with him in the New Jerusalem. Forever.
"In order to pray for the repose of the person's soul, and to pray for the family, the best way to do so is the Mass, because it's in the Mass that we read from the Gospels, that we encounter the Lord Jesus and his mercy," said Father Roger Landry, a priest of the Diocese of Fall River, Mass.
"The Mass is the source of hope for those who have seen a loved one die, in that the family can see that their loved one might not die, but live forever. It's one of the greatest means by which the Christian community comes together to support a grieving family," Father Landry told Our Sunday Visitor.
From the very beginnings of Christianity, borrowing from ancient Jewish burial practices, the dead were shown respect, and their bodies anointed and buried — as was Jesus' body after the crucifixion — with great care in anticipation of the final resurrection. The white pall placed over the casket serves as a reminder of the deceased person's baptism, as do the white vestments of the priests.
Writing in the third century, St. Jerome spoke of the "ancient Christian tradition" of the faithful singing hymns and psalms while the body of St. Paul the Hermit was carried to his grave. St. Augustine made references to the Eucharist being offered at the last solemn rites of his mother, St. Monica, in 387. St. Gregory of Nyssa also gave a detailed description of the funeral liturgy, complete with Eucharistic offering, of his sister, St. Macrina the Younger, in 379. "If we look at the history of how Christians treated the body; the whole custom of funerals goes back to the beginnings of Christianity. It incorporates Jewish burial practice. The expectations of a bodily resurrection led the Christians to treat the body with reverence," said Father Richard Hilgartner, executive director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. "In the early centuries of Christianity, there was a clear sense that pagan mourning practices were really considered not appropriate for the Christian, because grief and sorrow were not an end to themselves, but were to be considered transitory or temporary. The preaching at death had to deal with the promise of the resurrection," Father Hilgartner said.
The ancient traditions are seen today in the Catholic Church's liturgy, where from the beginning of the funeral Mass the casket — or, increasingly, cremains — is covered with a white linen, known as the pall, which evokes the white baptismal gown. The casket is also blessed with holy water, another reminder of the person's baptism, the day they were first given the promise of eternal life. "The connection between baptism and the funeral Mass is very strong," Father Landry said. "Right off the bat in the funeral Mass you see how the symbolism is rooted in the Eucharist, which is a source of life, a source of strength and nourishment, but also an offering of thanksgiving," Father Hilgartner said. "While it may not have the same joy and jubilation, even at the funeral Mass, when the community of God gathers together in sorrow, part of the consolation is in the gathering to offer praise to God and an offer of thanksgiving, being focused not just on the deceased but on Jesus."
It is also worth noting that the priest celebrating the Mass approaches the casket wearing white vestments. "In the past, the priest wore black, symbolizing the sorrow of death. Now we use white vestments to remind ourselves of the promise the Christian received at baptism that they would rise again with the Lord," said Msgr. Robert T. Ritchie, the rector of St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City. The priest also blesses the covered casket with incense, a liturgical gesture that reminds or teaches the faithful that their prayers are rising to heaven, so that the deceased's soul may also ascend to be with God. "The incense adds greater solemnity to a funeral. It shows that we are a sacramental people and helps us to remember God's blessing. We're able to unite our prayers with the prayers of Christ at the heavenly altar," Father Landry said. After being blessed, the casket is brought to the front of the sanctuary and positioned in front of the paschal candle, which is another reminder of the light of Christ dispelling the darkness of death and promising eternal life. In some churches, a crucifix, Bible or the Gospels are placed on the casket.
Meanwhile, even before the coffin is brought into the church, the music already begins. Songs that correspond to consolation and the liturgy's focus on the Eucharist and eternal life are most appropriate, though most parishes give the family an opportunity to select hymns and sacred music that move them. Some examples of often-used songs include "Be Not Afraid," "I am the Bread of Life" and "I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say."
"Many like to have the 'Ave Maria' sung where we're asking Mary to pray for our loved one at the moment of death, and for us now," Father Landry said.
"What's appropriate is what flows from the liturgy. To just pick a song because it was somebody's favorite song misses the point," Father Hilgartner added.
Though there is a central selection of about 35 suggested readings, Scripture passages can come from virtually the entire Bible. "Here in New Bedford, when fishermen die, it is not uncommon at all to have the Gospel reading of Jesus walking on the water to Peter, with the connection to the stormy waters of life on earth and how we're called by the Lord to seek permission to come to him across stormy seas to the other shore," Father Landry said.
Family members, or those designated to take care of the funeral arrangements, are encouraged to meet with the priest and parish staff ahead of time to select the music and the readings they feel best correspond to the deceased's life.
"If there is a reading that touches their heart and reminds them of the person, then it is a perfect reading for them," Msgr. Ritchie said.
"I've discovered in the last 12 years that very often the family wants to be involved in choosing the Sacred Scriptures. As a pastor, I'm very happy to give the family a reason to go through God's Word that he has given us," Father Landry said. "It's a very moving time when I walk the families through the readings. Oftentimes they cry when they're reading the Scriptures because suddenly the meaning of the words hits them. It really does open them up to exactly what Jesus is telling them through his holy word in that moment."
A sensitive topic that inevitably arises in Catholic funerals is that of the eulogy.
A eulogy — understood as a speech extolling the person's virtues, life and oftentimes elevating the deceased to virtual sainthood by declaring them to be in heaven — is not allowed in Catholic funerals because it does not comport with the liturgy's focus on Jesus' saving actions and praying for the repose of the soul.
"The present tension at a funeral is the desire to be hopeful and offer consolation while at the same time not presuming anything about the deceased," Father Hilgartner said.
Some pastors will allow for brief "words of remembrance" immediately after holy Communion, but many say the appropriate time and setting for reminiscing and sharing on the person's life is at the wake, not the Mass.
"A eulogy is not liturgical. The Mass should be a concentration on what God is saying about the person and the family, and offering his mercy. It's not a time for the family to interject something before the final commendation, which I don't think is appropriate," said Deacon Henry Libersat of St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Altamonte Springs, Fla.
Deacon Libersat told OSV that he frequently ministers at wakes, for which the Church provides a liturgical prayer service. He said the wake is the right time and place for relatives and friends to speak and share stories of the deceased. "The wake gives the people an opportunity to reflect more socially. At one of the last wakes I went to, someone got up and had the people laughing in stitches," he said. "There was healing there. It is very pastoral as far as I'm concerned to encourage that kind of thing." However, the general culture's increasing secularization is challenging the Church in how to convey the theological background and sacramentality of a funeral Mass to mourners who are more likely than ever to be estranged from the Catholic faith or atheistic in their daily lives.
"There is a wide variety of families today who are having funeral Masses. Often, they're very faithful families where the person who died lived a life of faith and passed it to people who received it in good soil. Those, in many cases, are one of the most beautiful Masses you'll have at a church," Father Landry said. "In other cases, you may have children or grandchildren who are distant from the Church, and other times they can come into church with a consumerist mindset that whatever they would like to have should be the funeral.
"It's also very hard when you see people who don't know how to respond to the prayers, such as the Our Father. There's a certain sadness there, but also I recognize that there is some faith that brought them there, so I try to celebrate the funeral in such a way that hopefully they're touched and may begin to ask questions and hopefully be brought back to the faith." "I would hope the priests would be strengthened in their faith as they preach the resurrection," said Father Hilgartner, who believes the priest-celebrant of a funeral Mass needs to be "a little detached" from the moment.
"I think the role of priest as celebrant isn't necessarily about emotional contact. He's not there to be mourner, but to offer consolation and support for the mourners. In order to maintain their function, there has to be a sense of how to maintain composure."
Because Catholics are increasingly losing their sense of the sacramental, and the importance of even having a funeral Mass, more pastors today urge faithful Catholics to tell their loved ones, even stipulating it in their wills, to bury them with full Catholic rites.
"If young people making arrangements for their parents or grandparents, if they are being true to what their loved ones would have wanted, it's almost a certainty that they would have wanted a funeral Mass for themselves," Msgr. Ritchie said.
"It's what we do as Catholics."
Our cemetery is located on the parish grounds. We can accommodate either land lots (single or double deep) or niches for urns in our columbariums. Please contact the church office for availability and pricing.


text:
Pre-Purchase Report | Building Engineers Report
We offer a full range of house and building certification services in Ireland including…
A Mortgage Valuation Report:
A building engineer will visit the property and carry out a inspection to ensure that the property is in a reasonable condition, and worth the purchasing price. This is the usually the cheapest type of survey, and it will not highlight any defects which aren't immediately obvious.
Property Survey:
This is a second tier survey which is more in-depth than a Mortgage Valuation Report. When an engineering consultant is engaged to carry out a Property survey, they will make an overall assessment of the condition of the property.
They will also report any problems which may require urgent attention or repairs.
After completion you will receive a comprehensive report which includes an approximate calculation of the rebuilding costs of the property. This report highlight's immediate problems which have been found which would affect the value of the property in the future.
Structural Survey:
A structural survey is a comprehensive building surveys. Nationwide structural engineers will carry out a detailed structural survey of the property. With the structural inspection, they will look at all aspects of the building structure from the materials used, the condition of the roof, the state of the foundations and the integrity of the walls.
A structural survey, nationwide structural engineers will actively search for potential problems and building defects. Once the survey has been completed, you'll receive a structural report which will identify any problems found.
A structural survey should be done if you think.
The building needs structural work and is in run-down state or uninhabited
The property is thatched or timber framed or unusual construction
Building is more than three stories in height
The dwelling is over 50 years old
You will be carrying out alterations, converting, adding or extension to the property
We provide the following services.
Snag Lists
A snag list is a list of construction and finishing details that require finishing in order for works to be accepted as complete. Prior to accepting any building as finished or complete, it is recommended that the works are snagged.
We undertake detailed snag lists as requested. All unfinished works on a room by room basis. The list also includes external works that may be required.


text:
The products and services mentioned below were selected independent of sales and advertising. However, Simplemost may receive a small commission from the purchase of any products or services through an affiliate link to the retailer's website.
Whether you're lucky enough to go to the beach all year round or just now and then, you can't help but notice how sand clings to you like an unwelcome souvenir of your beach time relaxation.
I live in a coastal town in Hawaii, and my family frequents the island's beaches often. Just look at the sandy mats in my car or the granules scattered across my floors as proof. Even after spending most of my life here, the best sand removal solution I've found is either rinsing off at a beach shower or briskly rubbing down my legs and feet with my hands or a towel before getting in the car.
So I was excited to learn about a mitt that claims to get rid of pesky sand easily, and I tried it out on a recent weekend we spent at a beach cottage.
The Water Sports Sand-Off Mitt is a terrycloth glove filled with an unscented, talcum-free powder. You stick your hand in the back mesh pocket and wipe away sand with the help of the powder, which gradually comes out of the terrycloth side.
I tried the glove on my sandy legs and feet, and those of my two kids. The result? It worked really well at wiping off both dry and wet sand.
The mitt did leave behind a powder residue (see below at right) that brushed off easily.
I wouldn't have thought about using powder to remove sand, but apparently it helps remove the moisture from the sand so it can be brushed off more easily.
The Sand-Off Mitt isn't currently available on Amazon, but you can buy similar mitts. I found my Sand-Off Mitt on a third-party site.
Some Amazon reviewers noted that while they liked the product, they wished it was refillable so that once the powder inside was gone, you could put more in.
If you don't want to deal with a mitt that's not refillable, Amazon sells a well-rated Powder Pouch that you can wash and refill once you've used up all the powder inside. Talcum powder, baby powder and cornstarch are all options to absorb moisture.
An entirely powder-free idea that I've seen being used at the beach is a bristle brush. Beach Sandy sells a two-sided bristle brush for sand removal that Amazon reviewers love. There's also a Surf Brush that users love for its soft bristles.
You could use any bristle brush, really, but some may be harsher on the skin than others.
Have you tried any of these methods to get sand off your skin after a day at the beach?