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- Clean your product: your deuter product must be completely emptied and cleaned when taken to your deuter retailer for reasons of hygiene and out of consideration for our employees. Only then can we carry out a repair and guarantee a short processing time. Please note our care instructions.
- Include the purchase receipt if you still have it: with the help of your purchase receipt from an authorised deuter retailer, we can check whether your product falls under the free warranty (2 years from the date of purchase).
- Mark the defect well: defective areas must be precisely explained in a letter or clearly marked, since we are not always able to detect a defect. Your retailer can also help you here.
- Take your product to the retailer: your retailer will send your product to deuter. They will also be able to inform you about any costs incurred. Unfortunately, we cannot carry out remote diagnoses and can only make detailed statements on costs and repair options when the item is available for us to inspect. We do our best to repair any defects, regardless of the age of the product.
- Wait for a cost estimate: as soon as your product has been received by us, we will check the defect. We will let you know via your retailer whether we can repair your product and which costs may be incurred. We only process the defect after receiving your approval.
- Repair is carried out: we repair your deuter product. Within the first two years, the repair or exchange is naturally carried out free of charge, if the warranty claim is justified. Otherwise, or after the expiry of the voluntary guarantee, we carry out the repair under a low-cost sharing arrangement. As soon as your item has been received by us, the processing period generally amounts to ten working days.
- Collect your product from the retailer: we will send your repaired item back to the retailer. They will inform you as soon as you can collect your deuter product.
Our tailors Özlem and Eugen will do their best to repair your favourite piece. If we can no longer repair your product, then the cost of processing may be incurred (processing fees and postage), even though your item is returned to the retailer without repair. We ask for your understanding. However, the retailer can help you estimate whether your product is still repairable.
Please contact your authorised deuter online retailer directly. As with the stationary retailer, they must then send the claim to deuter.
From the date of purchase of a product, the authorised retailerfrom whom the product was purchased has a 2-year statutory warranty obligation with regard to deficiencies. This includes material defects and production errors. Within a warranty claim, the defective item is repaired, replaced, or credited free of charge. Defects that are caused by normal wear and tear of the product, improper use, personal negligence and external influences by humans, animals or force majeure are not included in the warranty claim. This warranty applies on an EU-wide level, including Switzerland, and is binding for all consumer goods. If the retailer fails to fulfil their warranty obligation, your product still falls under the warranty.
The so-called guarantee is an individual and voluntary promise of the manufacturer. We guarantee that defective deuter products are to be repaired for as long as possible. The warranty excludes defects that are caused by normal wear and tear of the product, improper use, personal negligence, and external influences by humans, animals or force majeure. After the two-year warranty expires, the deuter promise still applies: We do our best to repair your deuter product through our repair service.
A backpack consists of up to 220 different parts produced from different materials and can only be separated with great effort or not at all. Unfortunately, technology does not yet make it possible to recycle a backpack.
We deal intensively with recycling or the so-called "end-of-life" of our products. We do this here on-site, but also together with other companies in the sector within the framework of the Sustainability Working Group of the European Outdoor Group (EOG). Ecologically and economically, it would not make sense if every company were to establish its own return system.
If you want to act sustainably, you should use your backpack for as long as possible – either yourself or by passing it on to someone else. All our backpacks can be repaired through our own repair service in Gersthofen. And friends, acquaintances, second-hand shops or used clothing collections of charity organisations are delighted to receive still functional products.
If the backpack is no longer functional or irreparable, it should be disposed of at a certain size via the recyclables collections or bulky waste - smaller defective backpacks can be disposed of in the residual waste garbage can. Please note that metal or plastic parts have often been processed in the backpack. These should be removed and disposed of separately.
The fabric from which deuter products are manufactured is impregnated outside with a water-repellent layer. On the inside, the fabric is equipped with a polyurethane (PU) coating, so that especially very fine nylon or polyester fabric (which we, for instance, use for rain covers) is initially waterproof according to German industrial standards (water column <1400 mm).
In contrast, more coarsely meshed backpack fabric, usually used for highly durable products, only reach water columns under 1,000 m. When new, rain runs off the water-repellent outer surface of the fabric. As the backpacks are used, however, both the water-repellent finish on the outside and the PU coating on the inside lose their effectiveness, so that they are no longer deemed "waterproof" according to DIN standards.
Also, during long periods of rain, moisture can penetrate into the backpack through the seams and zips. We therefore recommend protecting backpacks by using a rain cover in wet weather or rain. Items that must remain dry should be stored in waterproof pack sacks.
A down sleeping bag must be breathable and, therefore, air-permeable to provide the appropriate comfort. This occasionally leads to finer fragments of down leaking out through the fabric. However, this "down loss" does not mean that the sleeping bag is defective. If you notice that down is leaking out from the inside of the sleeping bag, then it is best to pull it back into the filling from the opposite side. Through subsequent use, the resulting gap in the sleeping bag tissue should close by itself.
It is not recommended to pull out the down, because there is a risk that more fragments of down will come out too. This is a result of the structure of the down in the sleeping bag; the individual fragments of down are interlinked. In addition, the gap in the fabric might be expanded further by pulling out the down.
Therefore, do not worry if isolated fragments of down leak out overnight. This is natural and does not reduce the insulation performance of the sleeping bag.
deuter also relies on quality for zippers. We only use zips from the market leader YKK for our sleeping bags and backpacks. These are characterised by their high stability and durability.
We try to repair defective zips, regardless of how long you have had the backpack. As with all complaints / repairs, this must also be handled by a specialist dealer who can send us the backpack for repair. If a new zipper is sewn in, repair costs may be incurred here depending on the work involved. Please understand that we can only make more precise statements about effort and costs once we have received the backpack.
ONLINE orders, payment & delivery on deuter.com
Items cannot be cancelled as we want to guarantee the fastest possible delivery so that no one has to wait. The same applies to changes in orders. However, a return is possible at any time if you do not like the products, if they do not fit or if you would like another product.
You will receive an e-mail from us when the return has been received, checked and accepted. We will then transfer the amount back to the original payment method.
So as not to keep you waiting long, we usually process the orders immediately. If you order until 12 o'clock (Mo-Fr), the goods are usually shipped the same day. So you can expect a maximum delivery time of 3 working days. Currently we ship all over Europe with DPD or DHL, you can choose which one you prefer when ordering.
You will receive a shipping confirmation and a tracking number of the logistics partner when the shipment has left our logistics. With the tracking number you can then track the current status of your delivery.
Please note that due to COVID-19 there may be delays in the delivery of orders at the moment.
In this case you can give up a normal return. We ask you to make a note on the return note and fill the formular in completely. It is important that the return note is inside the package or stuck on the package so that we can accept the return. Then you can order your desired product again.
Please note that the delivered products can be returned within 30 days. The shipping costs are paid by us within Germany. In other EU countries, we would like to ask you to prepay the return and send it to us. We cannot accept carriage forward shipments.
In this case we ask you to simply return the product and reorder your desired product. We will refund the amount to your original payment method after receipt and verification of the shipment.
deuter works with only two production partners. All our backpacks and accessories come from Vietnam, where our partner Duke has been manufacturing them exclusively since 1994. Our sleeping bags have been manufactured in China since 2003. Since 2015, the synthetic sleeping bags have been manufactured at a branch of the sleeping bag supplier in Myanmar.
In Germany, elaborate and technically high-quality sewing products can no longer be manufactured in line with market prices. In addition, it is hardly possible to find enough qualified personnel for this type of sewing work – each backpack is sewed together by hand from up to 220 parts. Today, almost no one is trained to work as a "bag maker" or "heavy duty fabric sewer" anymore.
The materials for high-quality backpacks, especially typical robust backpack tissue, are no longer available in Germany and Europe. The raw material suppliers usually follow the producer. This is exactly what happened towards Asia many years ago. If you wanted to manufacture the products in Germany, then you would have to import all raw material from Asia.
deuter is a European market leader, while Germany is still the strongest selling market. Ecologically and economically, it makes little sense to transport defective products over long distances. In addition, claims and repairs should take place as soon as possible so that you can quickly enjoy your products again. Our extremely low complaints rate allows the repair service to operate directly in Gersthofen.
The product development and design are carried out at the deuter company headquarters in Gersthofen in close consultation with athletes, mountain guides, customers and the retail trade. All deuter products are hand-stitched in Asia. We work with only two production partners who have been manufacturing our products for many years.
FWF stands for Fair Wear Foundation. The FWF is an independent verification initiative that works with companies and factories. The goal is to improve working conditions in the textile and clothing industry, especially in low-income countries. Since August 2011, deuter has been a member of the FWF and has therefore committed itself to following strict FWF working guidelines.
This includes the following points:
- No forced labour
- No discrimination at the workplace
- No child labour
- Freedom of association and the right to collective negotiations
- Living wages
- No overtime hours
- Safe and healthy working environment
- A legally binding employment relationship
We rely on many years of trust-based partnership with our suppliers. This gives us considerable influence over production and production conditions. Every 4–6 weeks, employees of our headquarters in Gersthofen visit the production sites in Vietnam. For one thing, this serves as internal quality assurance, but the working conditions on-site are also checked. We became a member of the Fair Wear Foundation in August 2011. As part of this membership, we regularly have our production sites reviewed by independent experts.
As part of our membership of the Fair Wear Foundation (FWF),we have committed to the FWF work guidelines. This also applies to our production partners. The employment guidelines include the prohibition of child labour. Employees may not be hired until they have exceeded school-age, and in no case if they are not yet 15 years old (in China even 16 years old). Adolescents between 15 and 18 years of age may not carry out work that can endanger their health and safety. For example, they may not carry out night work or any overtime work hours. As part of the FWF audit, compliance with these specifications is checked by independent auditors.
The Fair Wear Foundation (FWF) and Fair Trade pursue very similar goals, namely the improvement of working and living conditions in the supply chains worldwide. However, the focus and the approach differ from one another. As a result, Fair Trade begins at the lowest end of the supply chain: the small farmers in developing countries that cultivate agricultural products, such as cotton, coffee, or cocoa. The FWF, on the other hand, works with companies who manufacture sewing products in factories (or have them manufactured).
In addition, the Fair Trade seal is a product certificate that ensures that a specific product was manufactured in accordance with the Fair Trade guidelines. The focus of the FWF lies in the company and the systems developed by them to ensure good working conditions in the factories in which products are manufactured for them. As an independent non-profit organisation, FWF checks whether its members are actually implementing the specifications in their supply chain and thus making an active contribution to better working conditions in the textile industry.
As part of the bluesign® membership that deuter started in 2008, we actively work on ensuring that our products and the entire product cycle, from planning on the computer to delivering to retail, are even more resource-conserving and environmentally friendly. As the first backpack manufacturer in Asia, our exclusive production partner Duke became our exclusive bluesign® system partner in the summer of 2010 and has also committed itself to strict standards. In addition, Duke is certified according to ISO 14001 and ISO 9001. Our sleeping bag manufacturer has also committed to the bluesign® standard. The bluesign® screening took place in April 2012.
A long product life cycle is the simplest and most effective contribution to resource conservation and, thus, environmental compatibility. Even decade-old products, if technically still possible, are repaired in our repair service in Gersthofen and made functional again.
Finally, the finished goods are brought from Asia to Hamburg by sea and from there to the Gersthofen warehouse by rail. The dispatch to the specialist retailer is handled by DPD in a climate-neutral approach.
deuter is the first German sports item manufacturer to join the "European Outdoor Conservation Association" (EOCA). EOCA dates back to an initiative of the European Outdoor Group (EOG) and is financed through membership contributions and donations. The association promotes various environmental projects with a six-digit contribution every year.
Together with the DAV Summit Club, we have initiated the campaign "Drecksack – tut Gutes – Großes beginnt im Kleinen" [Dirt bag – do good – great things start small"]. The "dirt bag" holds everything which cannot be disposed of sustainably outdoors and is available in retail stores or at young colors for EUR 3.00. For each "Drecksack" sold, EUR 1.00 goes to the mountain forest offensive. We, the trading partners and the DAV Summit Club, do not earn a penny from this initiative.
The prerequisite for a high-quality backpack is the use of the best materials. For a "deuter" to be able to endure absolutely anything, it is not enough just to use fabric that is well above usual quality norms. It also involves combining suitable materials effectively and creatively in order to design the backpack for a specific intended purpose.
The two most important materials are the synthetic fibres polyamide (nylon) and polyester.
The term PFC is learned and has been mostly used to refer to the broad class of chemicals used in most Durable Water Repellency (DWR) finishes. However, PFCs are merely a subset of the PFAS chemical compounds, of which there are currently about 12,000 known species. For this reason, governments and industry are increasingly moving from talking about PFC-free to PFAS-free.
Nevertheless, the labeling of products is often unclear to the layperson and difficult to understand. If products are declared as PFAS-free, this means that they are "clean." If products are stated to be PFC-free, PFOA-free, PFOS-free, long-chain-free, C8-free, fluorinated chemical-free, or a short-chain PWR is used, other types of PFAS compounds may still be used as substitutes that raise similar health concerns.
bluesign® is the most stringent standard for environmental protection, occupational safety and consumer protection. At all stages of the production chain from raw material to finished product, the aim is to optimise the material use, energy and water consumption, handling of chemicals, noise, waste, waste water, and occupational safety.
The system behind the product sign guarantees a maximum degree of safety for the consumer and ensures that the products are manufactured with a responsible approach to resources and the lowest possible impact on humans and the environment.
Every textile product is the result of a comprehensive manufacturing process. This process requires raw materials and many other components, such as dyes and chemical agents. Tested and sustainably produced components are designated bluesign® APPROVED. This creates a seamless chain of sustainable materials and work steps from the raw material to the finished product.
A bluesign® PRODUCT is exclusively offered by brands that have committed themselves to the bluesign® system. Such a sustainable product consists of at least 90% bluesign® APPROVED textiles and 30% bluesign® APPROVED accessories. The goal is to achieve 100% components confirmed by bluesign®. The overall product guarantees a maximum degree of safety for the consumer.
The adult sleeping bagsAstro and Astro Pro as well as the kids backpacks Kikki and the UP daypacks meet the criteria of the "bluesign® product" labelling. In addition to 95% of the textiles, 30% of our accessories such as buckles or belt straps also meet the environmental standard. It is worth mentioning that for Dreamland, the filling also corresponds to the bluesign® standard, and the down filling for the Astro and Astro Pro is 100% certified according to the RDS.
You can get replacement parts on request from your local deuter retailer or directly here on deuter.com
The deuter child carriers are suitable for children from about the six-month stage – but can vary greatly.
The maximum load (child plus carrier) is 24 kg. Up to this weight, the product has been checked by TÜV and complies with the European standard. The child seat is designed for 22 kg (weight of the child alone).
Since children grow at different rates, there is no indication of a maximum height. However, the loading weight of max. 24 kg should not be exceeded.
Airline baggage regulations vary greatly.
We therefore recommend contacting your airline directly to ask about specific baggage regulations.
On the product details pages of our website, you will find the maximum dimensions of our completely filled items as a guide value.
We have collected together all the details about wash and care instructions for backpacks, sleeping bags and Streamers.
We do not offer individual parts of the mouthpiece as independent spare parts.
However, it is possible to purchase the entire mouthpiece at a deuter retailer near you or, if not available, to reorder it online.
Repair kits for backpacks are not available, but we promise you a repair.
Daypacks can be purchased as a spare part on request through the deuter retailer. If the retailer does not have the Daypack in stock, they can reorder it for you. You can find your nearest deuter retailer here.
Apart from the Waldfuchs 14, our children's backpacks do not come with a rain cover.
For "Kids", "Waldfuchs" and "Schmusebär", we do not have a suitable rain cover in our range.
For the Junior, the Rain Cover Mini would be suitable.
On the product details pages of our website, you will find the maximum dimensions (volume + dimensions with height, width, depth in cm) of our completely filled articles, as well as the dimensions (also volume + dimensions) of the rain covers.
Please compare these volume indications. This is an easy way to find the appropriate rain protection for your backpack.
Generally, the rain cover can be slightly larger than the backpack. The elastic used to attach the cover onto the backpack allows a certain tolerance.
In any case, you should be able to cover the backpack both when it is empty or completely full.
There is naturally plenty of leeway here. In order to ensure that the rain cover fits perfectly on your backpack, we recommend testing the cover directly when purchasing at your retailer.
In case of detailed questions, however, our customer service department is always happy to help!
sl label
Along with the new logo, deuter will also revise the labeling of SL products from March 2021. Here, the flower will make way for a label that provides information on the SL-specific fit.
The new label visualizes the fit designed specifically for women and small persons: a shorter back, narrower shoulder straps and tapered hip fins.
Do you have another question?
Contact our customer service department, we will be happy to help you!


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subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome and Highlights for the Semester
January 24, 2005
To the Columbia Community:
Along with the snowfall, I am pleased to welcome everyone back for the spring semester. As usual, there are many things to take note of, and for now I would just like to highlight a few matters of importance and some of the notable events of the semester.
Let me begin by extending again our deepest sympathies to those in our community, as well as those around the world, who have lost friends and loved ones as a result of the Indian Ocean tsunami. We are also grateful to the many students, faculty, and staff from across the institution who have contributed their talents, time, and energy to the relief efforts both at home and in the severely affected areas. They have demonstrated how, especially but not only in times of crisis, universities such as Columbia can make critically important contributions to the world's most acute needs.
Columbia is, appropriately and commendably, an academic center for research and teaching on the great, and sometimes controversial, issues of the era in which we live. Columbia's distinctive intellectual traditions, combined with our presence in New York City, add to the natural interests of our faculty and students to develop a consciousness of the wider world. As this occurs, it is of the highest importance that we conduct our inquiries according to the highest intellectual standards.
As many of you have undoubtedly read in general news publications, the University is in the midst of a controversy regarding academic freedom in relation to the teaching and discussion of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Academic freedom is, of course, a bedrock value for Columbia. The principle encompasses the freedom of faculty to teach and the freedom of students to learn. This is not a value to be compromised. We must uphold the rights of our faculty and students to express themselves freely without fear of censorship or reprisal. We will not tolerate intimidation or allow free inquiry to be stifled or chilled. Only by fostering the free and open exchange of ideas in the distinctive academic atmosphere of open inquiry, where mutual respect and civility must reign, can we then fulfill our responsibility to bring greater understanding to issues that divide others in the public sphere.
In keeping with our greatest traditions of peer review and self-governance, we have convened an ad hoc faculty committee, made up of distinguished professors and advised by one of the nation's leading First Amendment experts, to hear and report on these matters. I strongly encourage any students or faculty with relevant concerns or information to speak with the committee so that we can identify the facts and begin to act upon them sensitively and thoughtfully.
Let me now turn to some of the events and individuals on the campus, beginning with those that reflect Columbia's engagement with global issues.
Last week, Columbia hosted the presidents of more than 40 leading universities in the United States and around the world, who, together with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and other U.N. members, met to explore critical concerns related to global migration and academic freedom. Also this month, the Second Annual Forum on International Conflict Resolution, hosted by Senator George Mitchell, Senior Fellow at the Center for International Conflict Resolution, will bring together Israeli and Palestinian leaders and other experts to provide historical perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and to discuss ways in which U.S. foreign policy can help resolve the Middle East conflict.
In the spring, Columbia's Center for Comparative Literature and Society will host a global conference on International Civil Society, World Governance, and the State. This event will bring together both advocates and critics of international civil society and world governance from various disciplines and will feature a dialogue between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and celebrated author Toni Morrison on the evening of March 30. A two-day conference in Columbia's Italian Academy for Advanced Study will follow.
The Law School continues to build on its (and the University's) stellar program in human rights with the creation of two new postgraduate fellowships. The David W. Leebron Human Rights Fellowship, named in honor of the former Law School dean and champion of education in human rights law, will enable a Columbia Law graduate to spend one year working with a human rights organization in the United States or abroad. The Henkin-Stoffel Human Rights Fellowship, funded by Dr. Marco Stoffel's Third Millennium Foundation in honor of Professor Louis Henkin, is a two-year fellowship consisting of two one-year placements, one in the developing world and the other in the country in which the fellow plans to reside. The Law School's Center for Public Interest Law will administer both fellowships in consultation with Ellen Chapnick, Dean for Social Justice Initiatives.
Columbia continues to make important contributions to global health. Dr. Al Neugut, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, and Dr. Dawn Hershman, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology, recently received a $10 million grant from the Department of Defense to create a Breast Cancer Center of Excellence. This research center will bring together Medicine, Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and other departments, the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, as well as investigators from institutions around the city and the country, to assess why breast cancer remains under-treated among certain populations and to understand better the disparities in survival rates.
Closer to home, I would like to note with pride some of our efforts to develop innovative community employment programs. We have opened the doors of the new Columbia University Employment Information Center at 3180 Broadway as part of our ongoing commitment to avail our neighbors of employment opportunities within the University and to help them access University employment resources. The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS), adding to the success of the Gateway Lab Program that enables first-year students to apply their learning to community projects, officially launched the Gateway Workforce Development Program this semester in partnership with Human Resources and Community Impact. Under the leadership of Jack McGourty, Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies at SEAS, this free 12-week program will provide 20 community members with training in technical and professional skills, place them in community-based projects with local nonprofit groups, and help them achieve their individual career aspirations. With the exception of Jack, all the instructors in the program are SEAS and College undergraduates.
In February, the Business School will host the annual Columbia Women in Business Conference, which brings together business school students, alumnae, and leading executives to celebrate the accomplishments of women in business and to explore the ongoing challenges women face in the workplace. This year's conference will focus on how women can leverage their skills to succeed both professionally and personally in an increasingly global and diverse corporate landscape. Also worthy of note here is the recent special recognition of two faculty: Armand G. Erpf Professor of Business Linda Green, who received the INFORMS Fellow Award for a career of outstanding accomplishments in operations research, and Assistant Professor Pierre Azoulay, who received the prestigious Sloan Industries Studies Fellowship for the exceptional talent and promise he has demonstrated in the early stages of his career.
On the eve of her retirement, Florence Grant also deserves our recognition and gratitude. Florence, affectionately known as "Flo in Low," has served the University with enthusiasm and distinction in numerous capacities for nearly 44 years, most recently as a member of the Public Safety Department and as Notary Public since 1978. Flo will remain at the University working on a volunteer basis as the Public Affairs Liaison in the Visitors Center.
Thanks and congratulations go to Roger Lehecka (CC'67) on his retirement from Columbia after more than 30 years of service. Roger joined the College dean's office in 1975 and was dean of students from 1979 until 1998, when he became director of alumni programs and special advisor to the dean. In the summer of 2002, Roger became the full-time executive director of the highly successful Columbia 250 celebration. A unanimous favorite of students, faculty, administrators, and staff, Roger has made lasting contributions to Columbia. Roger helped increase the College's graduation rate, created the National Opportunity Program, managed the smooth transition of the College into a coeducational institution, and helped conceive and lead the Double Discovery Center.
We welcome Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman to the Columbia community as the new chairman of psychiatry at the University College of Physicians and Surgeons, director of the New York State Psychiatric Institute (NYSPI), and director of the joint CUMC and NYSPI Lieber Center for Schizophrenia Research. Dr. Lieberman also will be the psychiatrist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/CUMC. Formerly a professor of psychiatry, pharmacology, and radiology and director of the Mental Health and Neuroscience Clinical Research Center at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Lieberman has authored more than 300 scientific papers on the neurobiology, pharmacology, and treatment of schizophrenia and related disorders.
I also would like to acknowledge the success of the Columbia Lions basketball teams. After a record-setting 3-0 start -- its best in 25 years -- the men's team already has matched their win total from last season with a record of 10-5. The women's team is also off to a strong start with an impressive 9-6 record and is 2-0 in Ivy League competition.
Finally, I would like to take a moment to reflect on the passing of Dean Jim Milligan, a dear colleague, counselor, and friend to many. Jim presided over the Law School admissions office for nearly a quarter of a century. He was an integral part of Columbia and will be missed greatly.
As we embark upon the spring semester and the New Year, I wish our University and each of you good health and continued success.
Lee C. Bollinger


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(This series of posts reviews in detail Francis Collins's book The Language of God: A Scientist Presents Evidence for Belief, originally published in 2006. The page numbers cited are from the large print edition published in 2007.)
Collins also takes the familiar tack of using negative arguments for god as a wedge to get his foot in the logical door and, after doing so, to make sweeping claims. This chain of 'reasoning' will be familiar to anyone who has ever discussed the existence of god with a believer and it goes like this:
- Start by identifying some features of the universe for which we do not currently have a good scientific explanation.
- Assert that we cannot prove that god was not the cause of those specific events.
- Assert that therefore it is possible that god could have been the cause.
- Assert that therefore it is possible to believe that god can exist.
- Assert that since god can exist and I feel that god exists, therefore god does exist.
- Assert that since god exists, he can do anything at all, so any and all miracles are possible.
- Grant miracle status only to those that I personally or my particular religious sect approve of.
- Hence only my particular religious belief in god is correct and everyone else's is wrong.
This is basically how all religions justify their claims that they are the one true religion. Here are some examples from Collins's book of the first three steps of this reasoning at work. (The next four steps were also taken by him elsewhere, as I showed in previous posts. Collins is an inclusive evangelical and tries to avoid the right religion/wrong religion debate and thus does not explicitly make the last claim, although his belief in Jesus Christ as the son of god is an indirect statement of it.)
[Dawkins] argues that evolution fully accounts for biological complexity and the origins of humankind, so there is no more need for God. While this argument rightly relieves God of the responsibility for multiple acts of creation of each species on the planet, it certainly does not disprove the idea that God worked out His creative plan by means of evolution. (p. 220)
. . .
The major and inescapable flaw of Dawkins's claim that science demands atheism is that it goes beyond the evidence. If God is outside of nature, then science can neither prove nor disprove His existence. (p. 222)
This fails the logic test. As mathematician John Allen Paulos argues in his book Irreligion: A mathematician explains why the arguments for god just don't add up (2008), basic logic requires that existence claims and universal claims be treated differently.
Existence claims can be proved but not disproved. "No matter how absurd the existence claim (there exists a dog who speaks English out of its rear end), we cannot look everywhere and check everything in order to assert with absolute confidence that there's no entity having the property." (Paulos, p. 42) But all the person making the existence claim needs to do to prove it is to produce just one specimen. So the burden of proof is on the person making the existence claim, and in the absence of such proof, it is perfectly logical to deny the validity of the claim.
On the other hand, universal claims can be disproved but not proved. For example, the claim that all swans are white can be disproved by producing just one black swan. But no one can prove the universal claim since we can never say we have checked each and every swan. So the burden of proof is on the person denying the universal claim and in the absence of such proof, it is perfectly logical to assume the validity of the universal claim.
This is how science works. Claims that Higgs bosons with certain properties exist (as is claimed by the currently dominant theory in particle physics) is an existence claim and until evidence is produced for it, it is perfectly reasonable to assume that there is no such thing. That is why over 2,000 physicists from 32 countries are involved in the building of a huge and expensive accelerator in Europe known as the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) that is designed to produce at least one such Higgs particle, even though theorists feel confident that it exists.
On other hand, the claim that "all electrons have the same rest mass" is a universal claim based on observations of a limited set of electrons and it is logical to accept it as valid until someone produces a counter-example.
The claim that god exists is clearly an existence claim, and so the burden of proof is on the believer to produce god. If believers fail to produce god or to provide indirect but credible evidence of his existence, the rational thing is to assume non-existence.
When it comes to religion Collins, like many others, abandons the reasoning powers he has demonstrated in his scientific work when he says "Atheism itself must therefore be considered a form of blind faith, in that it adopts a belief system that cannot be defended on the basis of pure reason." (p. 222)
Collins's claim is simply wrong. Atheism is the logical and rational consequence of the failure of believers to produce evidence in favor of their existence claim for god.
POST SCRIPT: Why you shouldn't throw paperclips
We have all had experience with the co-worker or acquaintance who thinks he/she is being funny by repeating something over and over when it is just infuriatingly annoying. Well, sometimes it is just too much to take.


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We've all seen good and bad examples of cable management.
- What are objective, measurable requirements that can be used in a policy to maintain cabling order in the rack/server room/data center?
I'm not looking for "Don't do spaghetti wiring!" but practical, objectively measurable policy that can be readily explained, followed, and inspected for whether it passes or fails the requirements in the policy.
Please avoid, "Don't do x, y, or z" - instead re-form the requirement as a "Do A, B, and C" where following the second requirement will eliminate the problems explained in the first requirement.


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Archive for August 2012
Voting is important!
It is very rarely that I will post anything political in this blog as the focus is on my college work. However, I do believe responsible firearms owners should vote to protect our Second Amendment rights. For this reason, I have added the button on the right. Clicking on it will take you to the NSSF website and allow you register to vote, find polling places in your area and find general voting information.
Remington 700 VLS: Accurizing (part 2)
Let's wrap up this project. In the earlier post for this project I discussed all the preparation needed for bedding the rifle. The last step before I started mixing the bedding compound, was to apply some sort of release agent on the metalwork. If this is not done, the action will be permanently glued to the stock which is not a good idea. There is various ways to do this. Two commonly used methods is to cover everything you do not want to stick together with Johnson paste wax or Kiwi neutral shoe polish. I used a commercial mold release agent known as Frekote, manufactured by Henkels. As this is in an aerosol can, it is quick and easy to apply.
The next step was to apply the bedding material. Once this is mixed, you have about an hour of working time. One of the challenges in our NRA gunsmithing school programs is the fact that firearms can not be left at the school overnight. During our normal semester classes this occurs and we would enter firearms into a bound book as required by law. As we could not do that, this process had to be done early enough in the day to allow for the compound to dry in time. There is many products that can be used for bedding and for this project, I used Devcon Plastic Steel. One of my classmates shared his with me (thank you Will) which meant we had enough compound for two stocks and did not need to measure the components for just one bedding job. I filled the stock with bedding compound and removed all the air bubbles from the recesses of the stock. I also applied bedding compound to the pillars and made sure I had full coverage of those. The barreled action is then inserted into the stock. Hydraulic pressure on the compound allows it to push out where it is not needed and fill up any gaps and voids. The action is then clamped to the stock and left to set for about an hour or so.
Once the compound starts to set and reaches a consistency of putty, I started trimming of any excess from around the action. Not only is it easier to do at this time, it also prevents the compound from hardening over certain areas and capturing the action.
The bedding compound is then left to set for a few hours. This period will depend on the type of compound used. While waiting for the compound to dry, the class went to lunch and after coming back we had some class room sessions where various other aspects of accurizing were discussed. Before leaving for the day, the action was removed from the stock (to make sure it does actually come out before the compound totally sets) given a light cleanup and then clamped back into the stock.
The next morning, I removed the action from the stock and completed cleaning up the action. I then returned the stock to the mill and removed all the bedding material that would interfere with the working parts of the rifle.
Once all of this was completed, I reassembled the rifle and made sure it functioned correctly.
There was not time to shoot the rifle after completion, but I did have time a few weeks later. I did have to sight the rifle in and I was using surplus ammunition so I can not say for sure how much better the rifle is. However, with me shooting (and I freely admit to not being the best shot in the world) the rifle on a bench and only using a bipod the rifle shot noticeably better groups than before. I am planning to do a range day using some match ammunition soon and will report the results when I do that.
Remington 700 VLS: Accurizing
In the only full week between the spring and summer semesters, I signed up for a NRA short-term gunsmithing course for Custom Accurizing on the Remington 700. The instructor was Thomas Marshal, who spent many years working with the Army Marksmanship Unit on theses rifles. I am splitting the work from this week into two sections and will cover all the preparation work in this post. While we received general instruction on these rifles and the things that can be done to them to improve the accuracy, the main focus of the course was to do a bedding job on a rifle. A good bedding will ensure there is full contact between the stock and the action and will prevent the action from moving around when the rifle is fired. I used a Remington 700 VLS with a 26″ heavy barrel from my collection that had no modifications. As always, I started by removing the action from the stock, removing the bolt and trigger system. As I did not intend to do any work on the action or barrel, there was no need to separate the barrel from the action.
Another option when bedding a rifle is to use pillar beds. These non compressible pieces are bedded into the stock. There are a variety of commercial pillar bedding components available on the market, but they can easily be made on a lathe. I made sure they were the correct length and then flattened the sides to prevent them from turning if they should happen to release from the bedding agent.
The next step was to tackle the factory stock and prepare it for the bedding compound. Most of this was done on a mill and involved removing small amounts of material from the stock. This is then filled in by the bedding compound. The square cuts from the endmill also give the bedding compound more surface area to adhere to. The area around the recoil lug is also enlarged. You can also see where I enlarged the original screw holes to fit the pillars.
I then applied tape to the stock to protect it from the bedding compound. The compound sticks to everything and is really hard when it sets so this is important. I also used spacers in the barrel channel to ensure the action goes squarely into the stock.
Once I completed this, I started filling up all the large holes in the stock where components of the rifle would normally be. Yes, I used sponge to do that.
The action also needs some preparation. I mounted the pillars to the action and taped the front of the recoil lug. The rear of the recoil lug sits against the bedding material. In some of the following pictures, you will also see where the first part of the barrel is taped.
Here is the stock ready for bedding. I do still need a small dam in the barrel channel to prevent compound going down the channel. You can also see the dam I made on the stock where the bolt handle goes. This is to prevent compound spilling down the side of the stock.
The action is now also ready for bedding. The parts of the action where we do not want any compound to go is filled in. This can be done with a few things, such as plumbers putty, silly putty or (in my case) Play Doh.
In my next post, I will go through the process of applying the bedding compound and cleaning up.
Beretta/Benelli Armorer Course
After my second semester wrapped up, I took an armorer course for the Beretta 92 series pistols, the 8000, PX4 series pistols and the Benelli M1/M2 shotgun. The course spanned three days. We covered the function of these firearms and learned how to disassemble and re-assemble them. Not much else to tell except that I am now officially a Beretta/Benelli armorer.


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T-REX Grilles 51131 Black Mild Steel Small Mesh Grille Fits 2016-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
T-REX Grilles 51131 Black Mild Steel Small Mesh Grille Fits 2016-2018 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
T-REX Grilles 51131 Black Mild Steel Small Mesh Grille
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text: Barrel: machined from bar stock with 7 lands and grooves having a 16:1 right hand twist. Receiver: 7075T6 aircraft grade heat treated aluminum alloy, machined from bar stock. Grip/Frame: Made from Zytel polymer, with ergonomic finger grooves and an integral "RE-COIL CUSHION" on the backstrap. Recoil Spring System: all steel, fully encapsulated for ease of disassembly and reassembly. Slide Lock/Release: steel with a Zytel over molded polymer extension for ease of operation. 3 dot sight system: steel rear sight, adjustable for windage only with locking screw. Hammer firing system: double action only, internal hammer with inertial firing pin to prevent accidental discharge if dropped. Double action trigger: specifically designed for shooter comfort and accuracy by designing the system to have a smooth effortless, consistent 9 pound trigger pull. Magazine: included with (2) double stack, 10 round capacity magazines with finger extension base installed and 2 flat magazine bases included. Trigger Guard Lock: custom designed to properly fit and be child resistant. Includes 2 keys. Dimensions/Weight Barrel Length: 3.1″ Height: 4″ Length: 5.7″ Width: 1″ Weight: 15oz


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Various groups have considered themselves chosen by God for some purpose such as to act as God's agent on earth. This status may be viewed as a self-imposed higher standard to fulfill God's expectation.
Specifically, in the Hebrew Bible, called the Old Testament by Christians, and the Tanach by Jews, the phrase Chosen People refers to the ancient Hebrews/Israelites. As mentioned in the book of Exodus, the Hebrew people are God's chosen people and from them shall come the Messiah, or redeemer of the human race. The Israelites also possess the "Word of God" and/or "Law of God" in the form of the Torah as communicated by God to Moses. Jews and, by extension, Christians consider themselves to be the "chosen people." Adherents to Islam make, by the same extension as Christians, the same claim of chosenness by accepting what they see as the validity of the Law of God as told by Moses; as do other religions that are built on those same laws.
In some cases, the sense of chosenness can lead to the ethnocentric viewpoint that one's religion is superior since it, alone, follows the true path to salvation. The sense of being a chosen people occurs in both religious and nonreligious contexts.
The Jewish idea of being chosen is first found in the Torah (five books of Moses) and is elaborated on in later books of the Hebrew Bible. According to the Old Testament, God chose the descendants of Abraham through the line of Isaac and Jacob—the ancestors of today's Jews—as the people through whom he would reveal himself to the world. God therefore freed them from slavery in Egypt and led them into the Promised Land. Deuteronomy 7:6 states: "You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession."
This status carries both responsibilities and blessings as described in the biblical covenants with God. In ancient times, the concept involved a tribal or ethnic element, as the Israelites were strictly forbidden to intermarry with other races and were even commanded to drive out the Canaanite tribes from the land they were chosen to inherit. However, in later Judaism, the idea of being chosen is not connected with ethnicity, as members of any race could become Jews for at least two thousand years or more.
According to the Torah, Israel's character as the chosen people is sometimes described as absolute, but at other times it is described as conditional. For example, 1 Chronicles 16:14-16 says: "His judgments are in all the earth. He remembers his covenant forever, the word he commanded, for a thousand generations, the covenant he made with Abraham, the oath he swore to Isaac." However, in the Book of Hosea, God commands: "Declare them no longer My nation because they are not Mine and I am not theirs" (1:9). Yet, the divorcement between God and His people is not permanent, for Hosea 2:16 states: "In that day," declares the Lord, "you will call me 'my husband'; you will no longer call me 'my master.'"
Other Torah verses about chosenness include:
- "For all the earth is mine: and you shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation" (Exodus 19:5,6).
- "The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all people; but because the Lord loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn unto your ancestors" (Deuteronomy 7:7,8).
- "You only have I singled out of all the families of the earth: therefore will I visit upon you all your iniquities" (Amos 3:2).
Rabbinic views of chosenness
The idea of chosenness has traditionally been interpreted by Jews in two ways: that God chose the Israelites, and that the Israelites chose God. Although collectively this choice was made freely, religious Jews believe that it created an individual obligation for the descendants of the Israelites. Another opinion is that the choice was free in a limited context; that is, although the Jews chose to follow precepts ordained by God, the "Jewish soul" was already chosen even prior to creation.
Crucial to the Jewish notion of chosenness is that it creates obligations exclusive to Jews, while non-Jews receive from God more limited covenants and other responsibilities. Generally, it does not entail exclusive rewards for Jews, except that it will be through them that the Messianic kingdom is established. Classical rabbinic literature in the Mishnah Avot 3:14 has this teaching:
Rabbi Akiva used to say, "Beloved is man, for he was created in God's image; and the fact that God made it known that man was created in His image is indicative of an even greater love..." The Mishnah goes on to say, "Beloved are the people Israel, for they are called children of God... Beloved are the people Israel, for a precious article [the Torah] was given to them."
Jewish texts usually link being Chosen with a mission or purpose, such as proclaiming God's message among all the nations, even though Jews cannot become "unchosen" if they shirk their mission. This implies a special duty, which evolves from the belief that Jews have been pledged by the covenant which God concluded with the biblical patriarch Abraham, and again with the entire Jewish nation at Mount Sinai. In this view, Jews are charged with living a holy life as God's priest-people.
In the Jewish prayerbook (the Siddur), chosenness is referred to in a number of ways. For example, the blessing for reading the Torah reads "Praised are you, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has chosen us out of all the nations and bestowed upon us his Torah." In the Kiddush, a prayer of sanctification in which the Sabbath is inaugurated over a cup of wine, the text reads "For you have chosen us and sanctified us out of all the nations, and have given us the Sabbath as an inheritance in love and favor..." In the Kiddush recited on festivals it says, "Blessed are You ... who have chosen us from among all nations, raised us above all tongues, and made us holy through his commandments."
The Aleinu prayer also refers to the concept of Jews as a chosen people:
It is our duty to praise the Master of all, to exalt the Creator of the Universe, who has not made us like the nations of the world and has not placed us like the families of the earth; who has not designed our destiny to be like theirs, nor our lot like that of all their multitude. We bend the knee and bow and acknowledge before the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be he, that it is he who stretched forth the heavens and founded the earth. His seat of glory is in the heavens above; his abode of majesty is in the lofty heights.
Some Christians believe that they have come to share with Jews the status of Chosen People, while others believe that the Jews no longer hold that status as a result of rejecting Jesus. Supersessionism (or replacement theology) is the belief that Christian believers have replaced physical Israelites as God's Chosen People. In this view, Israel's chosenness found its ultimate fulfillment through the message of Jesus; Jews who remain non-Christian are no longer considered to be chosen, since they reject Jesus as the Messiah and son of God. Christians who ascribe to supersessionism rely on Biblical references such as Galatians 3:28-29 to support their position that followers of Jesus, not Jews, are the chosen of God and heirs to God's promises to Abraham today: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Also, some Christian denominations have considered themselves to be the "true" Christians, at some time or another, rejecting other believers as not belonging to God's chosen ones, also called the Elect.
The Book of Revelation refers to 144,000 who will be chosen from the tribes of Israel as the Elect. They are mentioned three times:
- Revelation 7:3-8—"Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until after we have sealed the servants of God on their foreheads. And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel."
- Revelation 14:1—"Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads."
- Revelation 14:3-5—"And they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. For it is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God and the Lamb, and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless."
These numbers are variously interpreted in traditional Christianity. Some, taking the numbers in Revelation to be symbolic, believe it represents all of God's people throughout history in the heavenly Church. Others insist the number 144,000 is literal. Some believe that they are literal descendants of Jacob who will have a distinct role at the time of the end of the world, while others believe they are a special group of Christians symbolically referred to as Jews. Some Calvinists believe the number, though not necessarily literal, refers to a finite number of Christians who have been predestined to salvation. Still others take the Book of Revelation to refer to the times in which it was written, and not to any current or future era.
Followers of Islam believe that Muslims, sincere Jews, and true Christians are all Chosen People. They cite Qur'anic verses such as:
"Say, 'People of the Book! come to a proposition which is the same for us and you—that we should worship none but God and not associate any partners with Him and not take one another as lords besides God.' If they turn away, say, 'Bear witness that we are Muslims.'"(Qur'an 3:64)
"...There is a community among the People of the Book who are upright. They recite God's Signs throughout the night, and they prostrate. They have iman (faith) in God and the Last Day, and enjoin the right and forbid the wrong, and compete in doing good. They are among the salihun [chosen]. You will not be denied the reward for any good thing you do. God knows those who have taqwa [abstained]." (Qur'an 3:113-115)
"Verily! Those who believe and those who are Jews and Christians, and Sabians [adherents of the Sabian religion], whoever believes in Allâh and the Last Day and does righteous good deeds shall have their reward with their Lord, on them shall be no fear, nor they grieve." (Qur'an 2:62)
Muslims who believe Islam is in an adversarial relationship with Christianity and Judaism, cite other verses such as:
"O you who believe! Do not take the Jews and the Christians for friends; they are friends of each other; and whoever amongst you takes them for a friend, then surely he is one of them; surely God does not guide the unjust people." (Qur'an 5.51)
"You People of the Book! Why do you clothe Truth with falsehood and conceal the Truth while you have knowledge?" (Qur'an 3.71)
Some parts of the Qur'an attribute differences between Muslims and non-Muslims to tahri fi-manawi, a "corruption of the meaning" of the words. In this view, the Hebrew Bible and Christian New Testament are true, but the Jews and Christians misunderstood the meaning of their own Scriptures, and thus need the Qur'an to clearly understand the will of God. Other parts of the Qur'an teach that Jews and Christians deliberately altered their scriptures, and thus changed the sacred words of God in order to deceive their co-religionists. This belief was developed further in medieval Islamic polemics, and is a mainstream belief in much of Islam today.
Ethnocentrism and exclusivism
Views of being a Chosen People are sometimes connected with racial superiority and ethnocentrism. However, Christians and Jews alike argue that the chosen status by definition is a humbling one, as it carries responsibility and sacrifice, rather than simple privilege.
Throughout their history and into the present, monotheistic religions have displayed two attitudes toward other religions. One attitude censures other religions, especially those falling into the vague and negative category of paganism. This attitude—sometimes called religious exclusivism—may find pagan religions categorically inferior because of their associations with polytheism, their use of icons, their reverence for nature and, in many cases, for sexuality and feminine symbolism as well. In some cases, not only pagan religions but other monotheistic faiths, or even sub-sects within one of the monotheistic religions, are censured and evaluated as idolatrous and inadequate. Claims for a unique and universal truth, frequent among monotheists, can become quite specific and overwhelmingly exclusive.
Monotheistic religions have also put forth other evaluations of "foreign" religions, whether monotheistic or non-monotheistic. Judaism has long interpreted the covenant made with Noah after the flood as a universal covenant with all humanity, whether Jewish or non-Jewish, demanding only basic morality rather than complex legal codes of behavior or intellectual assent to abstract doctrines. Thus, Orthodox Jews have held to their own ways as mandatory for Jews, while declaring that "the righteous of all nations have a share in the world to come."
One finds tendencies in that direction in Christianity and Islam as well. Islam, especially at the height of its power, gave preferential treatment to other "people of the Book," as compared to pagans. More recently, some Jewish and Christian theologians have talked of "multiple covenants" or "anonymous Christians," in an attempt to defuse the claim that the deity of monotheistic religion relates itself favorably only with adherents of one's own version of monotheism or religion. These ideas are attempts to discover ways of understanding that the one universal deity could have been discovered or could have revealed itself more than once. The documents on religious pluralism from the Second Vatican Council also make such an attempt. They include both special statements on Judaism and Islam, monotheistic neighbors, and a general statement on other religions, urging less divisive attitudes and encouraging Christians to recognize truth whenever found in other religions.
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Klein, William W. The New Chosen People. Wipf & Stock Publishers, 2001. ISBN 978-1579105730
- Kluger, Rivkah Scharf. Pysche in Scripture: The Idea of the Chosen People and Other Essays. Inner City Books, 1995. ISBN 978-0919123717
- Longley, Clifford. Chosen People: The Big Idea That Shapes England and America. Hodder Headline; New Ed edition, 2003. ISBN 978-0340786574
- Smith, Anthony D. Chosen Peoples: Sacred Sources and National Identity. Oxford University Press, 2003. ISBN 978-0192100177
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The Centre for Reality Therapy
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Dr William Glasser
Dr William Glasser was the developer of reality therapy and choice theory. He was also notable for applying his theories to broader social issues, such as education, management, and marriage, to name a few.
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Wattayah Motors hands over reins to Premium Motors as Audi
and Volkswagen official dealer
Oman - 30th November, 2020
- Effective 1st December 2020, Premium Motors will become the new dealer for Audi and Volkswagen in the Sultanate
- Move marks end of successful partnership with Wattayah Motors as Audi and Volkswagen usher in a new era
- New showroom and service centre to be based at Alfardan Heights in Ghala Heights
Since 1988, Audi Volkswagen Middle East FZE and Wattayah Motors had established a strong partnership, enabling the group to build a compelling brand presence in the south-eastern coast of the Arabian Gulf. Through market leading service standards, Wattayah Motors represented the core values of the Audi and Volkswagen brands which saw the partnership recognise a long period of success in the Sultanate.
As the new official dealer in Oman, Premium Motors have developed a bespoke, state-of-the-art facility that has been designed according to global standards and corporate identity. Spread across three floors at Alfardan Heights in Ghala Heights, Premium Motors' showrooms and service centre cover 10,000 square-meters in total, which will accommodate sales, service, parts and body shop functions.
Premium Motors is a subsidiary of Alfardan Group, which is renowned for delivering distinguished brands and exceptional customer experience across a wide range of industries. Alfardan Group has achieved remarkable success and set high benchmarks in the automotive sector in the region as they are founded around traditional family values and categorical pledge to integrity, premium service and social responsibility.
Commenting on the new partnership, Jan Bures, Group Managing Director of Audi Volkswagen Middle East said: "We are incredibly grateful to Wattayah Motors for establishing the Audi and Volkswagen brands with outstanding service and representation over the last three generations in Oman, alongside those individuals we had the pleasure in building relations with over the years. We are delighted to sustain our presence with Alfardan Group who have a pronounced presence in the local and regional automotive industry. This is a new era for Audi and Volkswagen brands in the Middle East, and we are confident that our new partner will help us in consolidating our popularity in Oman even further.
He continued, "The Premium Motors ultramodern showroom and service facilities, plus their highly trained staff will benefit our brands and we foresee an exciting future with remarkable new models expected to arrive in the coming years."
Hani Muhammad Al Zubair, Chairman, Wattayah Motors commented: "It has been a privilege to represent and nurture the Audi Volkswagen brands for the last three decades and we would like to thank our loyal customers who have supported us during our long association with these two brands. May I also take this opportunity to thank the entire Wattayah Motors team for their own dedication and wish them all the best for the future in their new positions with Premium Motors. Within this context, may we also convey our best wishes to Premium Motors and we are confident that they will take Audi and Volkswagen to greater heights".
Omar Hussain Alfardan, President & CEO, Alfardan Group said: "Alfardan Group has set itself apart in the market by aligning with iconic brands in the automotive industry. We consider the opportunity to represent Audi and Volkswagen in Oman to be a privilege. Our state-of-the-art automotive centre and skilled personnel have ensured our unwavering commitment to quality and superior customer experience. Similarly, we guarantee in keeping up with our legacy and commitment to excellence and quality. We have been working closely with Audi Volkswagen Middle East in setting up a futuristic showroom to provide a unique experience to all our customers. We will continue to provide exceptional and unparalleled services to our valued clients. We would also like to acknowledge and appreciate the collaborative spirit of the transition process and thank Wattayah Motors for their work in partnership with us to preserve brand equity, maintain customer interests and foster seamless changeover for all stakeholders."
Mr. Alfardan added: "Oman has been placed among the fastest growing economies in the Arab region as it has taken concrete steps towards achieving sustainable development. It is no surprise that Oman is seen as an ideal long-term investment destination. Alfardan Group has solid trust in the Omani economy and investment environment. To reinforce its own competitiveness, the Omani government has been investing on upskilling its youth and we are delighted that we will work closely with the competent Omani workforce."
Customers can look forward to Premium Motors opening on December 1st, 2020 where they will experience the new showrooms and service facilities for both Audi and Volkswagen.


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2030 Clergy Network of the United Church of Christ
This is a link to information about the2030 Clergy Network of the UCC, specially designed for UCC clergy in their 20s and 30s.
Andover Newton Theological School, Newton Centre, MA
Andover Newton's approach to ministerial learning and preparation represents the most current and innovative thinking about adult professional education and the needs of today's faith communities. The school provides a vast array of educational opportunities for students who are returning to school after leaving previous careers or students coming directly from college.
Ask the Question
Ask the Question is the UCC website for those considering the possibility that they may be called to ministry.
Association of UCC Intentional Interim Ministers
We are Ordained Ministers in the United Church of Christ who have received specialized training to assist congregations during the "in between times" of called pastors. Depending on our level of experience and training we carry the designation of Intentional Interim Minister (IIM) or Professional Transition Specialist (PTS).
Bangor Theological Seminary, Bangor, ME
Founded in 1814, Bangor Theological Seminary is an ecumenical seminary in the Congregational tradition of the United Church of Christ. It is the only accredited graduate school of religion in Northern New England.
Chicago Theological Seminary
Chicago Theological Seminary, a seminary of the United Church of Christ, serves Christ and the churches and the wider faith community by preparing women and men in the understandings and skills needed for religious leadership and ministry to individuals, churches, and society.
Chicago Theological Seminary's Master of Arts in Religious Leadership
Students in the Master of Arts in Religious Leadership program choose one of three concentrations: Interfaith Engagement, Social Transformation, or Word and Worship. Students also complete a unit of supervised Theological Field Education, at a site consistent with their vocational interests and concentration. The Master of Arts in Religious Leadership program culminates in a capstone project, which integrates a student's field education experience and theological studies.
Eden Theological Seminary
Eden Theological Seminary is a graduate school preparing women and men for ordained Christian ministry. One of the six seminaries of the United Church of Christ, Eden is a community that seeks God's justice and peace in the world. Eden is welcoming, inclusive and ecumenically diverse.
Elmhurst College
We are committed to cultural diversity, mutual respect among all persons, compassion for others, honest and open communication, and fairness and integrity in all that we do.
Fund for Theological Education
FTE offers support to help gifted young people explore and respond to God's calling in their lives. Our mission is to advance excellence as we encourage caring, capable and courageous young adults from diverse backgrounds on their journey to become pastor
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston, IL
Garrett-Evangelical is a graduate school of theology related to The United Methodist Church. It is located a few miles north of Chicago on the Evanston campus of Northwestern University.
Interim Ministry Network
IMN has a skilled and proven faculty with years of ecumenical education experience. It offers regularly scheduled training programs, an annual conference, an advanced skills designation program (PTS and Church Consultants) and membership in a professional
Lombard Mennonite Peace Center
The Lombard Mennonite Peace Center (LMPC) ministry receives its impetus from II Corinthians 5:18 – "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation." Thus, LMPC seeks to ground its peacemaking in a biblical understanding of salvation and Christian discipleship.
McCormick Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL
We are a seminary of the Presbyterian Church (USA) and are grounded in the theological thought and church life of the Reformed tradition.
Meadville-Lombard Theological School, Chicago, IL
At Meadville Lombard Theological School we educate students in the Unitarian Universalist tradition to embody liberal religious ministry in Unitarian Universalist congregations and wherever else they are called to serve.
North Park Theological Seminary, Chicago, IL
For more than 100 years, North Park Theological Seminary has played a crucial role in instructing students in the tradition of the Evangelical Covenant Church. Founded by Swedish Lutheran pietists, and shaped by many movements within evangelicalism, North
Pacific School of Religion, Berkeley, CA
Pacific School of Religion is committed to serving God by equipping historic and emerging faith communities for ministries of compassion and justice in a changing world.
Stillspeaking Daily Devotional
This is a link to the UCC's Stillspeaking Devotional page. You may sign up to receive the devotional in your email inbox, or look down below to see all the recent devotionals.
The Center for Parish Development
The Center for Parish Development is an ecumenical, missional, research, consulting, and teaching agency founded by a consortium of mission agencies, theological seminaries, and regional church bodies.
The Christian Century
For decades, the Christian Century has informed and shaped progressive, mainline Christianity. Committed to "thinking critically and living faithfully," the magazine explores through argument and reflection what it means to believe and live out the Christ
The OMNI Institue for Contextual Leadership (formally known as Seminary Consortium for Urban Pastoral Education (SCUPE))
The OMNIA Institute for Contextual Leadership is a global leadership training and consulting program serving religious and civic leaders who are committed to solving society's most intractable problems, such as racism, extremism, and economic justice.
The School for Ministry: A New Program for Laity
Initiated in 2019, the School for Ministry is a new venture for CCIW (Disciples of Christ) and the Illinois Conference of the UCC. Built on a foundation of God's life-changing love, the School serves as a continuing education training ground for Commissioned Ministers (DoC) and Lay Ministers (UCC).
UCC Scholarships and Grants
Visit this site for information about scholarship funds available to those attending seminary.
Upper Room Daily Devotional
This is a link to the Upper Room Daily Devotional page. You may subscribe to receive their Daily Devotional in your email inbox on this page, as well.


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Height: 25 feet
Spread: 20 feet
Hardiness Zone: 3a
One of the finest small specimen trees available, with frothy upright panicles of creamy white flowers in early summer; interesting steel-gray bark and a neat, upright habit, a perfect choice for smaller home landscapes; full sun and well-drained soil
Ornamental Features
Japanese Tree Lilac features showy plumes of fragrant creamy white flowers rising above the foliage from late spring to early summer. It has dark green deciduous foliage. The pointy leaves do not develop any appreciable fall color. The smooth dark red bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.
Landscape Attributes
Japanese Tree Lilac is a multi-stemmed deciduous tree with an upright spreading habit of growth. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned after flowering to avoid removing any of the current season's flowers. It is a good choice for attracting butterflies to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Japanese Tree Lilac is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Shade
Planting & Growing
Japanese Tree Lilac will grow to be about 25 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 5 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 40 years or more.
This tree should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This species is not originally from North America.


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The Internet is full of strange and bewildering neologisms, which anyone but a text-addled teen would struggle to understand. So the fine, taxpayer-funded people of the FBI — apparently not content to trawl Urban Dictionary, like the rest of us — compiled a glossary of Internet slang.
An 83-page glossary. Containing nearly 3,000 terms.
The glossary was recently made public through a Freedom of Information request by the group MuckRock, which posted the PDF, called "Twitter shorthand," online. Despite its name, this isn't just Twitter slang: As the FBI's Intelligence Research Support Unit explains in the introduction, it's a primer on shorthand used across the Internet, including in "instant messages, Facebook and Myspace." As if that Myspace reference wasn't proof enough that the FBI's a tad out of touch, the IRSU then promises the list will prove useful both professionally and "for keeping up with your children and/or grandchildren." (U.S. tax dollars at work!)
All of these minor gaffes could be forgiven, however, if the glossary itself was actually good. Obviously, FBI operatives and researchers need to understand Internet slang — the Internet is, increasingly, where crime goes down these days. But then we get things like ALOTBSOL ("always look on the bright side of life") and AMOG ("alpha male of group")… within the first 10 entries.
ALOTBSOL has, for the record, been tweeted fewer than 500 times in the entire eight-year history of Twitter. AMOG has been tweeted far more often, but usually in Spanish… as a misspelling, it would appear, of "amor" and "amigo."
Among the other head-scratching terms the FBI considers can't-miss Internet slang:
AYFKMWTS ("are you f__ kidding me with this s_?") — 990 tweets
BFFLTDDUP ("best friends for life until death do us part) — 414 tweets
BOGSAT ("bunch of guys sitting around talking") — 144 tweets
BTDTGTTSAWIO ("been there, done that, got the T-shirt and wore it out") — 47 tweets
BTWITIAILWY ("by the way, I think I am in love with you") — 535 tweets
DILLIGAD ("does it look like I give a damn?") — 289 tweets
DITYID ("did I tell you I'm depressed?") — 69 tweets
E2EG ("ear-to-ear grin") — 125 tweets
GIWIST ("gee, I wish I said that") — 56 tweets
HCDAJFU ("he could do a job for us") — 25 tweets
IAWTCSM ("I agree with this comment so much") — 20 tweets
IITYWIMWYBMAD ("if I tell you what it means will you buy me a drink?") — 250 tweets
LLTA ("lots and lots of thunderous applause") — 855 tweets
NIFOC ("naked in front of computer") — 1,065 tweets, most of them referring to acronym guides like this one.
PMYMHMMFSWGAD ("pardon me, you must have mistaken me for someone who gives a damn") — 128 tweets
SOMSW ("someone over my shoulder watching) — 170 tweets
WAPCE ("women are pure concentrated evil") — 233 tweets, few relating to women
YKWRGMG ("you know what really grinds my gears?") — 1,204 tweets
In all fairness to the FBI, they do get some things right: "crunk" is helpfully defined as "crazy and drunk," FF is "a recommendation to follow someone referenced in the tweet," and a whole range of online patois is translated to its proper English equivalent: hafta is "have to," ima is "I'm going to," kewt is "cute."
One would hope the people tasked with investigating federal crimes could decipher that kind of thing through context clues… but the Internet is a vast, dizzying place! And both the law and law enforcement, as many, many recent cases have attested, lag painfully behind technology and technology culture — to the detriment of people in those spaces who need help.
So while I might wanna (want to) LMSO (laugh my socks off) over this glossary, it's actually kind of serious, when you TOTT (think on these things).
© 2014, The Washington Post


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- Description
Term and condition
• Please contact to the merchant before 2 days for redeem your product
• No returns and refunds allowed
• Present printed voucher upon arrival
Redemption Location
Name: terre d'Oc teahouse (The Macau Roosevelt)
Address: The Macau Roosevelt Av. Dos Jogos Da Asia Oriental, Macau, 1F Shop 01P
Opening time: 10:00am – 00:00am
Tel: +853 2882 0589
Merchant is solely responsible to purchasers for the care and quality of the advertised Goods and services. - Reviews


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SIG Combibloc launches ultra-slim carton to meet increasing small-format demand
The combiblocXSlim cartons, which are designed for milk and dairy products and non-carbonated soft drinks, have a base area of just 47 x 32.5mm – giving the carton pack an exceptionally slim look.
They come in a total of seven different volumes – 80ml, 90ml, 100ml, 110ml, 125ml, 150ml and 180ml - and can all be filled on the same SIG Combibloc filling machine.
According to the Germany-based firm, its carton packs in volumes of 80ml and 90ml - which has been adopted by FrieslandCampina Thailand - are a "world first."
Clear demand
A spokesperson for SIG Combibloc told DairyReporter.com that demand for small size carton packs with volumes of 100ml and less is growing – particularly in regions such as Asia and the Middle East.
This, and demand for greater convenience, has led to positive growth in the market for these small-format carton packs.
"The clear demand of consumers for greater convenience favours the positive growth in the market for small-format carton packs out of which used can comfortably take a sip even where they are on the move," said the spokesperson.
"Having a range of small carton sizes makes it possible for food manufacturers to offer added-value products in quantities that are tailored precisely to the needs of their consumers."
"With products in small-size carton packs like our new carton pack combiblocXSlim, food manufacturers are able to match their products to consumers' spending power in the respective markets, and respond very flexibly to market requirements."
Identify market trends
The Germany-based firm's spokesperson added that the development is in line with its ethos of identifying market trends early.
"As a globally expanding company, we work to identify such market trends at an early stage and offer corresponding packaging solutions for the food and beverage industry," the spokesperson added.
FrieslandCampina Thailand was one of the first manufacturers to offer its products in the combiblocXSlim cartons. The Dutch dairy giant's 'Omega' brand premium dairy products have been on sale in Thailand in the 90ml combiblocXSlim cartons since August 2012.


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Tutoring 101: How to make tutoring more efficient?
This guide will help you make tutoring more efficient.
Here are a few points addressed in the Tutoring 101 guide:
- How to prepare for the first meeting with your tutor.
- What is the role of the parent with respect to tutoring?
- Frequency, duration, and number of hours of tutoring: is there a magical formula?
- 5 qualities of a good tutor
- Interview with Marichelle, tutor at School Success
Homework Help - Tutoring
Your child needs support at school?
This is the solution for you.
Homework help and tutoring: our specialty!
Why choose School Success?
Personalized pairing
Our experienced advisors take the time to match a tutor to your child's personality and the difficulties they are experiencing. A tutor at School Success is specialized in the subject that they teach. They are familiar with the structure of the current teaching program; its techniques and objectives.
Individual support
Through individual support, the tutor ensures that they are taking a unique approach tailored to your child in order to address concepts seen in class, consolidate what they've learned, prevent them from falling behind or help them catch up, suggest efficient work methods and learning strategies and, if needed, provide further advancement. Hiring a third party (not the parent, or the older sibling, or the teacher) to help with homework offers many advantages. Students are often more concentrated and are more comfortable about asking questions. The tutor can take the time to explain, step-by-step, the concepts that are causing problems, in a personalized way.
Efficient follow-up
The tutor writes-up a brief account of each session, as well as a more detailed report after every 10 hours of tutoring. This allows you to follow the evolution of your child's work. The tutor also collaborates with teachers in order to ensure a more complete support system.
Your child needs help?
Get started quickly and easily
- Call us, we will look into what you need.
- We will match you to one of our tutors who could tutor online.
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Our services
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Entrance exam preparation
To prepare you child as much as possible for their high school entrance exam in order to get the best result.
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Testimonials from School Success clients
Students who've received help
Certified tutors
of our students improve their grades
of our clients would recommend us to a friend
Do you have any questions?
Our advisors are here to help!
Dial nous-joindre_tel-montreal
Speak to a specialist


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Flamingos Entry Pass
Flamingos Paper Ad
Other Advertising Banners
Auto Advertising Banners
Car Advertising Banners
DC7 specializes in making your Company look its best. With many years of experience designing high quality professional graphics and advertising material, DC7 has the requisite expertise to produce the right Ad Design and Content for Newspapers, Magazines, etc.
Becoming a leader is a lot of hard work and does not come cheap. Now more than ever advertising and marketing dollars spent need to be effective in creating new streams of revenue for your company. Allow us to give you the competitive edge necessary to become a leader in your marketplace. Follow us, we want to work with you, expand on your ideas, and create the program best suited to your needs and budget. Our company can generate all types of artwork. As a full service India, based graphic design, print ad, and web site design company, DC7 has the ability to handle any project from start to finish.
We are not only productive but also effective!


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Tiny milkweed plants |
Cherry tomato sprouts |
Strawberry plants ready to be potted |
Now that Easter is past, I hope the spring weather has arrived for everyone, and that the warmer days will inspire gardeners to get outdoors and spend time in the garden. We're lucky in Southern California as the weather is usually mild, and even though we have a lack of water, it's easy to have a garden year-round. Much to my surprise, I've been able to grow many herbs outdoors, including oregano, sage, mint, rosemary, and basil, which have been thriving in my garden. Even my lavender plant looks healthy! Currently, I'm thrilled that my cherry tomato seeds have sprouted, as well as the milkweed seeds I planted. There's something especially wonderful about growing plants from seeds. I'll leave the cherry tomatoes in pots, but hope to be able to transplant at least some of the milkweed to the milkweed section of my garden, when the plant are larger and stronger. Some of my mature milkweed plants have disappeared, mysteriously, but at least I have two healthy looking plants left, to attract the monarchs. I suspect one of the outdoor feral cats removed the milkweed plants, although I'm not certain. (This sounds like it could be a storyline in a cat cozy mystery: The Case of the Missing Milkweed: A Meow Mystery.) I'll plant the strawberry plants in the planter after I drill some drainage holes in the bottom of it. I haven't had much luck growing strawberries in the past, but I can't resist trying again (hope springs eternal). If you enjoy gardening, what do you like to plant in the springtime?
Traveler is the randomly chosen winner of The Idea of Him by Holly Peterson. Congratulations! I hope you'll enjoy the author's new novel.
If you didn't win this book, please take a look at the other book giveaways listed on the right side of my blog. I update this list frequently as a courtesy to my readers.


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James Wellbeloved Adult Dog Turkey & Rice 2kg
A complete dry food for adult dogs with the bonus that it is hypo-allergenic. Contains protein source turkey and selected carbohydrate sources of rice and oats. Made from natural ingredients with added vitamins and minerals, plus Omega-3 fatty acids.
Age: Adult Breed: All Food Type: Dry RRP: £8.99 Brand: James Wellbeloved
Flavour: Turkey
Main Ingredients: Rice 26%, Turkey Meal 26%, Oats 19%, Whole Linseed 3%, Turkey Gravy 2%, Turkey Fat
Omega-3: 1%, Omega-6: n/a%, Taurine: n/a mg/kg, Vitamin A: 15000 IU/kg, Vitamin E: 150 mg/kg
Nutritional Information (%) [?NutritionProtein: The best protein sources are good quality meat and fish.
Fat: Fats are essential, but too much can cause weight gain.
Fibre: Fibre is the part of plants that can't be digested, and provides some useful digestive functions.
Ash: The ash content of a food refers to the mineral content of a food, and is not something added as a filler as some believe.] (What's in Pet Food?)