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Updated on Dec. 12 at 2:35 p.m. ET
A sprawling congressional report accuses several little-known financial technology companies, or fintechs, of reaping "billions in fees from taxpayers while becoming easy targets for those who sought to defraud the PPP," or Paycheck Protection Program.
PPP provided more than 11 million potentially forgivable low-interest loans to small businesses to help them keep employees on the payroll as COVID-19 shutdowns decimated profits. Congress hastily rolled out the program in spring 2020, eventually racking up a price tag of nearly $800 billion.
Fintechs, a nebulous term broadly defined as businesses that use technology to improve or automate financial services, told Congress they could issue PPP loans to struggling small businesses faster than traditional banks — and they did. Fintechs also reached more independent contractors, as well as businesses run by women and people of color, than long-established banks did. They were lauded for those efforts.
But that speed and reach came at an expense, says Samuel Kruger, an assistant professor of finance at the University of Texas at Austin.
"While they were doing that, did they also open up the system to potential fraud and abuse?" he asks. "If you look at the data, the answer seems to be yes."
Kruger and his colleagues reported in a study they published last year that 1.4 million PPP loans show signs of fraud. That amounts to $64 billion in potentially wasted taxpayer money. This week's congressional report appears to confirm those allegations of widespread fraud.
During an 18-month-long investigation preceding Thursday's report, the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis reviewed about 83,000 pages of internal emails, messages and other documents from more than a dozen fintechs and interviewed former employees, executives and lending partners.
Congressional investigators filled 130 pages of the report with their findings, including:
Fintechs invested little in fraud prevention
In the spring of 2020, a fintech called Kabbage furloughed half of its workers who were dedicated to assessing risk and reviewing accounts, yet Kabbage funded billions of dollars in PPP loans by relying on temporary contractors, the report says.
The fintech Womply had fraud prevention systems described in the report as "put together with duct tape and gum." Meanwhile, Womply's CEO had been convicted of insider trading yet was leading the company's fraud prevention efforts.
The fintech Blueacorn spent just a few million dollars on fraud prevention even as it raked in more than $1 billion in PPP processing fees. Blueacorn employees claim they received no training on the loan underwriting process or how to spot fake driver's licenses and tax documents, according to the report.
Blueacorn's loan reviewers were told "the faster the better" by managers who recommended spending no more than 30 seconds on each application. Internal documents encouraged Blueacorn workers to only flag applications with "extremely obvious fraud" because the Small Business Administration, or SBA, "would handle any fraud we didn't stop."
On the contrary, as NPR previously reported, the SBA was hardly an effective backstop for fraud. It had limited ability to police the program and did vanishingly few fraud checks during the loan application or forgiveness process. It also made loans increasingly easy to forgive even as evidence of widespread fraud became clear.
"Monster loans will get everyone paid"
As Congress hurriedly unveiled PPP in April 2020, it offered to pay a percentage of each loan to banks and lenders. These processing fees were meant to incentivize their participation, and page after page of internal communications included in the report shows the incentive worked.
"The more you submit, the more we get paid," Blueacorn managers allegedly told employees.
The report also claims that Blueacorn offered preferential treatment and less scrutiny to large-dollar loans they dubbed "VIPPP."
"Closing these monster loans will get everyone paid," wrote Blueacorn co-founder Stephanie Hockridge in internal company messages included in the report, adding that loan reviewers should "delete" certain smaller loans.
"Who f***ing cares?" she allegedly wrote. "We're not the first bank to decline borrowers who deserve to be funded."
Not only did several fintechs earn billions of dollars in processing fees, but PPP loans were 100% guaranteed by the government.
"The risk here is not ours — it is SBA's risk," a manager at Kabbage told his fraud specialists, according to the report. Investigators say this comment refers to SBA's promise that it wouldn't pursue penalties against lenders whose borrowers had attested that their loan documents were accurate.
Kruger, the University of Texas researcher, told NPR that the prospect of lucrative processing fees became a substantial inducement "to try and generate as many loans as possible."
Few backstops existed for fintechs with little lending experience
Fintechs often sent approved loan applications to other banks and lenders to issue the loans, and the report claims these partners also did little to check for fraud.
"Multiple lenders described their oversight as being limited to 'spot checks' conducted at random on a small percentage of fintech-referred application files," the report states.
One such lender is Prestamos, which grew to be PPP's third-largest lender, with nearly a half-million loans rapidly issued after it contracted Blueacorn to screen applications in 2021.
Prestamos said that its random spot checks of Blueacorn-referred loans didn't involve "digging into every file" and were "not formally logged or documented."
Nearly every lender the subcommittee investigated admitted delegating fraud prevention and eligibility verification to fintechs. These lenders reported "windfall profits" for participating in PPP despite "this lack of oversight," according to the report.
Fintechs place the blame for rampant fraud on the government
As PPP wore on, fintechs tried to deflect responsibility onto the Trump administration for the significant amount of fraud occurring, the report says.
"It's the SBA's s***** rules that created fraud," wrote Kabbage's head of policy in an internal email quoted in the report. In a separate internal email, Celtic Bank's CEO wrote that "the industry should push hard to make sure the SBA accepts the fraud risk."
NPR reached out to five companies named prominently in the report. Two of them — Blueacorn and Womply, which investigators found were involved in about a third of all PPP loans funded in 2021 — did not respond. The other three — Bluevine, Celtic Bank and Kabbage — told NPR they cooperated with the committee's investigation and are proud of the work they did during an unprecedented situation.
"Celtic made extensive and effective efforts to combat fraud, while at the same time adhering to Congress' and SBA's direction to get money out to companies quickly, in a time of national emergency," wrote Celtic Bank's general counsel, Leslie Rinaldi.
The report says that Celtic Bank pushed fintech partner Bluevine to improve fraud controls, likely reducing fraud, a fact Bluevine highlighted to NPR.
"As the subcommittee noted, all fintech companies are not the same, and Bluevine 'adapted to the ongoing threats better' than some of the other fintech companies examined in the inquiry," Bluevine spokesperson Sarah Jewett wrote.
Kabbage's spokesperson, Alison Miller, said her company adhered to PPP's rules in good faith and remains committed to borrowers.
"Unfortunately, the report does the American people a disservice by parsing bits of information out of context to reach a predetermined conclusion," Miller wrote.
Kabbage, as well as an affiliated company called K Servicing, recently declared bankruptcy and is facing a class-action lawsuit that alleges it failed to process forgiveness applications in a timely manner.
Government officials from the Trump and Biden administrations are well aware of PPP's shortcomings. Michael Faulkender, an assistant Treasury secretary under Trump, unapologetically told NPR that speed took precedence over safeguarding against fraud when the government designed PPP.
"What would bread lines during a pandemic have looked like? Do we want to know? I didn't. And so we were going to get that program up and running," Faulkender said.
The report makes several recommendations for the future, including that the SBA should review the way it oversees lenders, issue fraud-screening guidelines, and reconsider working with fintechs.
It also recommends that, in any future government aid programs, the SBA aggressively review loans on a wide scale before forgiving them. That didn't happen with PPP; most loans could be forgiven with a simple one-page form and, as NPR previously reported, the SBA has manually reviewed only about 2% of PPP loans for fraud or eligibility. Yet 93% of all loans have been forgiven as of the SBA's latest updated data, issued on Oct. 24.
To catch scammers, the Department of Justice has named a chief prosecutor for pandemic fraud and President Biden has given prosecutors up to 10 years to bring charges in PPP fraud cases, although the SBA's inspector general has expressed doubt about how many fraudulent loans will ever be recovered.
Update: On Dec. 7, the SBA announced that it has suspended Blueacorn and Womply "from working with the SBA in any capacity." The agency also said it "will be investigating appropriate action against their management, owners, and successor companies." The latter is an apparent reference to Womply having recently created a new company called Solo. In addition, the SBA said it has "launched a full investigation" of several other fintechs: Benworth, Capital Plus, Celtic Bank, Customers Bank, Cross River Bank, Fountainhead, Harvest and Prestamos.
Meg Anderson edited this story for radio and digital.
Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

subset: commoncrawl


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Aquatic Environmental Systems was founded in 1983 to be a resource for swimming pool and water treatment professionals in the Southwest. From a desk and a telephone in a walk-in closet, we have grown into over 6,000 square feet of space, eleven employees and five service vehicles in Arizona and New Mexico. This has enabled us to better serve a diverse group of professionals in the water treatment and recreational water community in Arizona, New Mexico, El Paso and West Texas.
Employing the latest in proven technology, we are able to offer solutions for virtually all of the aquatic recreation and water treatment needs of our partners.
With the over 90 years of combined experience of our staff, you can be confident that we will provide solutions that are in your best interests.


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we accept Imuran
Imuran is immunosuppressant. It is used to treat symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, to prevent your body from rejecting a transplanted kidney or other transplanted organs.
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- Active Ingredient: azathioprine
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Imuran (Azathioprine)
General information
Imuran belongs to a class of drugs known as immunosuppressants. This medication is used with other medications to prevent rejection of a kidney transplant. It works by weakening your body's defense system (immune system) to help your body accept the new kidney as if it were your own. Imuran is also used to treat patients with severe rheumatoid arthritis who have not responded to other medications. Rheumatoid arthritis is thought to be caused by the immune system attacking the joints. Early treatment of rheumatoid arthritis with more aggressive therapy such as azathioprine helps to reduce further joint damage and to preserve joint function. This medication may also be used to prevent rejection of other transplanted organs, to treat certain types of bowel conditions (Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis) that is not responsive to usual treatment, and to treat other immune system problems (autoimmune diseases).
Take Imuran exactly as prescribed by your doctor. The recommended starting dose of Imuran for preventing kidney transplant rejection is 3 mg to 5 mg per kg once daily, starting the day of (or sometimes a few days before) the transplant. Your doctor may decrease your dose to 1 mg to 3 mg per kg once daily if you are doing well. The recommended starting dosage for rheumatoid arthritis treatment is 1 mg per kg per day, usually between 50 mg to 100 mg per day. It can be taken once daily or split up into two doses per day. The medication should be taken at the same time each day. You can take it with or without food. If the medication bothers your stomach, try taking it with food.
Before taking Imuran you should talk with your doctor if you have kidney disease, liver disease, blood disorders, decreased bone marrow function, cancer (such as lymphoma), any type of viral, bacterial, or fungal infection, certain enzyme disorder. Do not have immunizations or vaccinations without the consent of your doctor. Avoid contact with people who have illnesses that may spread to others.
Do not use Imuran if you are allergic to azathioprine or any ingredients of the medication, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Possible side effect
Get emergency medical help if you have pale skin, bleeding, unusual weakness, severe nausea, fever, chills, stomach pain, sore throat, jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes), vomiting, body aches, muscle pain, flu symptoms, diarrhea, fast heart rate, loss of appetite, dark urine, hair loss, skin rash, difficulty breathing, hives, swelling of your face, lips, tongue. If you notice other effects not listed above, contact your doctor.
Drug interactions
Tell your doctor about all other medications you use, especially: aminosalicylates (olsalazine, balsalazide, sulfasalazine), allopurinol, ACE inhibitors (captopril, ramipril, lisinopril, enalapril), sulfamethoxazole, infliximab, blood thinners (warfarin, enoxaparin). Interaction between two medications does not always mean that you must stop taking one of them. Tell your doctor about all prescription, over-the-counter, and herbal medications you are taking.
Missed dose
Take the missed dose as soon as possible. Skip the missed dose if it is time for your next scheduled dose. Don't take extra medicine to make up the missed dose.
If you think you have overdosed the medicine seek emergency medical help at once. The overdose symptoms are bone marrow depression, bleeding, infections, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, loss of life.
Store the medicine at room temperature between 59-77 degrees F (15-25 degrees C) away from light and moisture. Do not store the drugs in the bathroom. Keep all drugs away from reach of children and pets.
The information presented at the site has a general character. Note please this information cannot be used for self-treatment and self diagnosis. You should consult with your doctor or health care adviser regarding any specific instructions of your condition. The information is reliable, but we concede it could contain mistakes. We are not responsible for any direct, indirect, special or other damage caused by use of this information on the site and also for consequences of self-treatment.


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So I've been reading through these cookbooks and I'm amazed at what they ate. There are some interesting things on the menu, and I'm not just talking about ol' Vlad:
Medieval banquets included now-uncommon meats like porpoise, seal, whale, peacock and swan.
I know what your thinking, finally a cookbook to tell me what to do with all these exotic dead animals I previously had no had recipes for!
Too many swan guts laying around needed a use? Why not try some delicious Chawdwyn?
Take Gysers, lyuers, and hertes of Swannes, or of wilde gese; And if þe guttes be fatte, slytte hem, and cast hem there-to, And boile hem in faire water; And then take hem vppe, And hew hem smale, and caste into þe same brotℏ ayene, but streyne hit þorgℏ a streynour firste; And caste thereto pouder of peper and of caneƚƚ, and salt, and vinegre, And lete boile; And þen take þe blode of þe swan, and fressℏ brotℏ, and brede, and drawe hem þorgℏ a streynour and cast thereto, And lete al boyle togidre; And þen take pouder of Gynger, whan hit is al-moost ynougℏ, And caste there-to, And serue it forthe.Swan bits with blood and ginger.
Om nom, right?
Now I'm thinking, about about the menu at Medieval times? What gives there? Where is the Chawdwyn?
Of course, I'm referring to the is a chain of dinner theaters in the U.S. which offer dinner featuring staged medieval-style games, 'sword-fighting', and jousting followed by a 'tournament'.
To my European and UK readers who were not aware of this silly concept, we Americans are strange... but you probably already know that.
For the poor souls who have not had the pleasure of dining at Medieval Times I have their menu here, reprinted from their website:
Medieval Times' noble guests feast on garlic bread, tomato bisque soup, roasted chicken, spare rib, herb-basted potatoes, pastry of the Castle, coffee and two rounds of select beverages. A full-service bar is also available for adult guests. Vegetarian meals are available upon request.
The vegetarian meal includes tomato bisque soup, garlic bread, large Portobello mushroom cap stuffed with whole grain, rice and bean blend, large skewer of roasted vegetables, hummus with pita chips, pastry of the castle and two rounds of select beverages. (Please advise your server of special meal requests once you are seated at your table.)
Then you wash it all down with a big mug of Pepsi. Rock on.
Never mind the fact that potatoes and tomatoes are native to the Americas and did not make an appearance in any European cuisine until it was brought back by the Spanish in the early 16th century. Oops?
Don't get me started on the absurdity of the garlic bread. Though it was likely cultivated before the 16th century it was still a rare ingredient in any medieval English cuisine. Coffee is equally silly.
So what do you do when you crave some real medieval fare?
Skip Medieval times and start cooking from this online cookbook. Don't worry, not every recipe requires you to swipe animals from your local park/zoo/aquarium/pet store. Several recipes use more accessible ingredients.
Take this stew for example:
vj. Beef y-Stywyd.—Take fayre beef of þe rybbys of þe fore quarterys, an smyte in fayre pecys, an wasche þe beef in-to a fayre potte; þan take þe water þat þe beef was soþin yn, an strayne it þorw a straynowr, an sethe þe same water and beef in a potte, an let hem boyle to-gederys; þan take canel, clowes, maces, graynys of parise, quibibes, and oynons y-mynced, perceli, an sawge, an caste þer-to, an let hem boyle to-gederys; an þan take a lof of brede, an stepe it with brothe an venegre, an þan draw it þorw a straynoure, and let it be stylle; an whan it is nere y-now, caste þe lycour þer-to, but nowt to moche, an þan let boyle onys, an cast safroun þer-to a quantyte; þan take salt an venegre, and cast þer-to, an loke þat it be poynaunt y-now, & serue forth.
Ability to read Middle English not so great? Don't worry, I've roughly translated it for you.
Medieval Beef Stew:
Take fair beef of the forequarters, and cut into fair sized pieces, and wash(?) the beef into a good pot. Than take the water that the beef was soaking in and strain it through a strainer(remove the scum?) and set the same water and beef in a pot and let them boil together. Than take cinnamon, cloves, mace, grains of paradise, cubebs (substitute allspice/black pepper?), and minced onions. parsley and sage, an cast into the pot, let them boil together.
Take a loaf of bread and soak it with broth and vinegar, and than draw the bread through a strainer and set aside. When the stew is nearly done, cast the bread mixture into the stew but not the bread too much (not the mulch?) and let it boil, and add the saffron and the salt. "Look (to see) that it be thickened enough and serve it forth. (With a mug of Pepsi)
Oh, and if someone makes this stew and sends me photos, I will love you forever.


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How to Read the 15 Prophetic Books in the Bible
The books of the Old Testament prophets are packed with dense poetry and wild...
1The word of the Lord came to me: 2Mortal, make known to Jerusalem her abominations, 3and say, Thus says the Lord God to Jerusalem: Your origin and your birth were in the land of the Canaanites; your father was an Amorite, and your mother a Hittite. 4As for your birth, on the day you were born your navel cord was not cut, nor were you washed with water to cleanse you, nor rubbed with salt, nor wrapped in cloths. 5No eye pitied you, to do any of these things for you out of compassion for you; but you were thrown out in the open field, for you were abhorred on the day you were born.
6I passed by you, and saw you flailing about in your blood. As you lay in your blood, I said to you, "Live! 7and grow up like a plant of the field." You grew up and became tall and arrived at full womanhood; your breasts were formed, and your hair had grown; yet you were naked and bare.
8I passed by you again and looked on you; you were at the age for love. I spread the edge of my cloak over you, and covered your nakedness: I pledged myself to you and entered into a covenant with you, says the Lord God, and you became mine. 9Then I bathed you with water and washed off the blood from you, and anointed you with oil. 10I clothed you with embroidered cloth and with sandals of fine leather; I bound you in fine linen and covered you with rich fabric. 11I adorned you with ornaments: I put bracelets on your arms, a chain on your neck, 12a ring on your nose, earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown upon your head. 13You were adorned with gold and silver, while your clothing was of fine linen, rich fabric, and embroidered cloth. You had choice flour and honey and oil for food. You grew exceedingly beautiful, fit to be a queen. 14Your fame spread among the nations on account of your beauty, for it was perfect because of my splendor that I had bestowed on you, says the Lord God.
15But you trusted in your beauty, and played the whore because of your fame, and lavished your whorings on any passer-by. 16You took some of your garments, and made for yourself colorful shrines, and on them played the whore; nothing like this has ever been or ever shall be. 17You also took your beautiful jewels of my gold and my silver that I had given you, and made for yourself male images, and with them played the whore; 18and you took your embroidered garments to cover them, and set my oil and my incense before them. 19Also my bread that I gave you—I fed you with choice flour and oil and honey—you set it before them as a pleasing odor; and so it was, says the Lord God. 20You took your sons and your daughters, whom you had borne to me, and these you sacrificed to them to be devoured. As if your whorings were not enough! 21You slaughtered my children and delivered them up as an offering to them. 22And in all your abominations and your whorings you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked and bare, flailing about in your blood.
23After all your wickedness (woe, woe to you! says the Lord God), 24you built yourself a platform and made yourself a lofty place in every square; 25at the head of every street you built your lofty place and prostituted your beauty, offering yourself to every passer-by, and multiplying your whoring. 26You played the whore with the Egyptians, your lustful neighbors, multiplying your whoring, to provoke me to anger. 27Therefore I stretched out my hand against you, reduced your rations, and gave you up to the will of your enemies, the daughters of the Philistines, who were ashamed of your lewd behavior. 28You played the whore with the Assyrians, because you were insatiable; you played the whore with them, and still you were not satisfied. 29You multiplied your whoring with Chaldea, the land of merchants; and even with this you were not satisfied.
30How sick is your heart, says the Lord God, that you did all these things, the deeds of a brazen whore; 31building your platform at the head of every street, and making your lofty place in every square! Yet you were not like a whore, because you scorned payment. 32Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! 33Gifts are given to all whores; but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from all around for your whorings. 34So you were different from other women in your whorings: no one solicited you to play the whore; and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you; you were different.
35Therefore, O whore, hear the word of the Lord: 36Thus says the Lord God, Because your lust was poured out and your nakedness uncovered in your whoring with your lovers, and because of all your abominable idols, and because of the blood of your children that you gave to them, 37therefore, I will gather all your lovers, with whom you took pleasure, all those you loved and all those you hated; I will gather them against you from all around, and will uncover your nakedness to them, so that they may see all your nakedness. 38I will judge you as women who commit adultery and shed blood are judged, and bring blood upon you in wrath and jealousy. 39I will deliver you into their hands, and they shall throw down your platform and break down your lofty places; they shall strip you of your clothes and take your beautiful objects and leave you naked and bare. 40They shall bring up a mob against you, and they shall stone you and cut you to pieces with their swords. 41They shall burn your houses and execute judgments on you in the sight of many women; I will stop you from playing the whore, and you shall also make no more payments. 42So I will satisfy my fury on you, and my jealousy shall turn away from you; I will be calm, and will be angry no longer. 43Because you have not remembered the days of your youth, but have enraged me with all these things; therefore, I have returned your deeds upon your head, says the Lord God.
Have you not committed lewdness beyond all your abominations? 44See, everyone who uses proverbs will use this proverb about you, "Like mother, like daughter." 45You are the daughter of your mother, who loathed her husband and her children; and you are the sister of your sisters, who loathed their husbands and their children. Your mother was a Hittite and your father an Amorite. 46Your elder sister is Samaria, who lived with her daughters to the north of you; and your younger sister, who lived to the south of you, is Sodom with her daughters. 47You not only followed their ways, and acted according to their abominations; within a very little time you were more corrupt than they in all your ways. 48As I live, says the Lord God, your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done. 49This was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy. 50They were haughty, and did abominable things before me; therefore I removed them when I saw it. 51Samaria has not committed half your sins; you have committed more abominations than they, and have made your sisters appear righteous by all the abominations that you have committed. 52Bear your disgrace, you also, for you have brought about for your sisters a more favorable judgment; because of your sins in which you acted more abominably than they, they are more in the right than you. So be ashamed, you also, and bear your disgrace, for you have made your sisters appear righteous.
53I will restore their fortunes, the fortunes of Sodom and her daughters and the fortunes of Samaria and her daughters, and I will restore your own fortunes along with theirs, 54in order that you may bear your disgrace and be ashamed of all that you have done, becoming a consolation to them. 55As for your sisters, Sodom and her daughters shall return to their former state, Samaria and her daughters shall return to their former state, and you and your daughters shall return to your former state. 56Was not your sister Sodom a byword in your mouth in the day of your pride, 57before your wickedness was uncovered? Now you are a mockery to the daughters of Aram and all her neighbors, and to the daughters of the Philistines, those all around who despise you. 58You must bear the penalty of your lewdness and your abominations, says the Lord.
59Yes, thus says the Lord God: I will deal with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath, breaking the covenant; 60yet I will remember my covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish with you an everlasting covenant. 61Then you will remember your ways, and be ashamed when I take your sisters, both your elder and your younger, and give them to you as daughters, but not on account of my covenant with you. 62I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall know that I am the Lord, 63in order that you may remember and be confounded, and never open your mouth again because of your shame, when I forgive you all that you have done, says the Lord God.
New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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Comments: In 2001 the Mythopoeic Awards came full circle after a fashion as Guy Gavriel Kay's two-part series The Sarantine Mosaic was nominated for the Best Adult Fiction Award. This nomination more or less symbolically takes the award back to its roots in a manner of speaking, as Kay's career in writing was started when he helped Christopher Tolkien edit The Silmarillion many years before. A large proportion of fantasy writers draw their inspiration from Tolkien, but the connection is rarely as clearly drawn as the one between Tolkien and Kay.
Best Adult Fantasy Literature
The Innamorati by Midori Snyder
Other Nominees:
Forests of the Heart Charles de Lint
RavenShadow by Win Blevins
The Sarantine Mosaic (Sailing to Sarantium and Lord of Emperors) by Guy Gavriel Kay
Best Children's Fantasy Literature
Aria of the Sea by Dia Calhoun
Other Nominees:
Beast by Donna Jo Napoli
Boots and the Seven Leaguers by Jane YolenGrowing Wings by Laurel Winter
Night Flying by Rita Murphy
Scholarship Award in Inklings Studies
J.R.R. Tolkien: Author of the Century by Tom Shippey
Other Nominees:
C.S. Lewis: Writer, Dreamer & Mentor by Lionel Adey
The Crisis and the Quest: a Kierkegaardian Reading of Charles Williams by Stephen N. Dunning
J.R.R. Tolkien and His Literary Resonances edited by George Makana Clark and Daniel Timmons
Tolkien's Legendarium: Essays on The History of Middle-Earth edited by Verlyn Flieger and Carl F. Hostetter
Myth and Fantasy Studies
King Arthur in America by Alan Lupack and Barbara Tepa Lupack
Other Nominees:
The Fantasy Literature of England by C.N. Manlove
The Oxford Companion to Fairy Tales edited by Jack ZipesThe Quest for the Grail: Arthurian Legend in British Art 1840-1920 by Christine Poulson
Go to previous year's nominees: 2000
Go to subsequent year's nominees: 2002
Book Award Reviews Home


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Welcome to another great week of green giveaways!! I really enjoy sharing these GREEN Giveaways with you weekly (and entering them myself )! If you are hosting any green giveaways you can link up those giveaways, but you can also enter to win some great green things!
Please link up your green, eco-friendly giveaways and be sure to leave the end date for entrants! This linky will be open until next Monday night so feel free to stop by and add any giveaways you post throughout the week!
These are our only requirements for adding a giveaway:
- It must be family friendly.
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open to US only, US/CAN or WW (worldwide). - Please link up only the direct link to your giveaway only. Links that direct people to your Facebook and/or Twitter pages will be deleted. Please do not spam readers by linking up bad links or links that are not giveaways. Those will also be deleted.
It is not required, but to help spread the word about the giveaway linky I would love it if you could Tweet the following:
#Green #Giveaways Galore! Link up your #ecofriendly #organic giveaways & enter! @ecobabymamadram http://bit.ly/ImLagP
You can add as many giveaways as you'd like provided they meet the above guidelines! If you are entering the giveaways, stop back by and let me know what you win and where you won it!


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Drop by and visit our Open House at 168 2729 158TH ST in Surrey.
Open House on Saturday, January 18, 2014 2:00 pm - 4:00 pm
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Micro04 – Create a Compelling Discussion Forum
This MicroCourse will cover Student led discussions, self and peer assessment, grading and assessing student activity
Facilitator: Ken Harmel, Learning Designer
These series of MicroCourses will introduce the essential Blackboard tools, but the primary objective of these MicroCourses is the pedagogy behind the tools and how they can be used to:
- Achieve learning objectives
- Promote student engagement
- Collaborate among peers and instructors
- Creative easy-to-navigate course design
- Assess student learning
- Offer support to students
- Create an online learning community
Delivery Each MicroCourse will be delivered in a one-hour scheduled synchronous session and an additional Blackboard course and asynchronous activity/ reading/ resource/ that would take about one hour. Sessions will be recorded for reference in the asynchronous courses.
All Sessions will be open to UFV employees. Each MicroCourse aims to require 1, 1.5, or 2 hours to complete, in-line with Lynda.com (LinkedIn) and Mentor Commons online courses. A synchronous component may be necessary in the Synchronous MicroSource.
Feedback will be on a facilitator and peer feedback basis. Participants must create an activity, ILO, or assessment to complete the MicroCourse and receive a credential.
Each MicroCourse will reside in its own Blackboard course shell. Faculty will be required to self enroll for each course.
Self Enroll Registration for each MicroCourse in the series: Self-enroll instructions and How to Video
Information: Teaching Remotely
If you are having any problems self-enrolling for any of these MicroCourses please email: email@example.com or call 604-504-7441 ext 4546
These MicroCourses are ongoing, with synchronous dates and times scheduled weekly – events.ufv.ca/tlc/
Event Location
Map UnavailableMicroCourse 04 – Teaching Fundamentals – Discussion Forum – CANCELLED
Date(s): Wednesday, August 11Time: 9:00 am - 10:00 am


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Are you confident in your beliefs?
You can enjoy a robust faith - one you can share with skeptical friends - by learning the "Twenty Arrows of Truth," including evidence from science, logic, history, archaeology, the Bible, and more. Experience a confident faith - today!
In Confident Faith, Mark Mittelberg assures Christians that we can be confident in our beliefs. There's no reason to be timid about what we believe, because our beliefs can stand up to the test. Truth isn't dependent on how a person feels or one's own point of view, as so many assert. On the contrary, we can determine truth through our five senses, and that truth reliably points to a deeper and unseen reality.
Mark walks readers through twenty arrows that point towards Christian beliefs: from the intricate design of the universe to archaeological proofs, from the consistent testimony of changed lives to the reliability of the ancient documents of the Bible. After studying these arrows, you'll put this book down with a renewed confidence in what you believe and why it matters for eternity.


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Baseball - Opening Day Cards #6 from chris andrew on Vimeo.
Chris apologizes that this was so late. He has been going through a lot personally, and you have paid the price, which isn't right. He's sorry.
This time we are back in action opening packs of Upper Deck 2010 baseball cards, and again, we are giving them all away for free. Nothing better than FREE BASEBALL CARDS*.
Straight outta Take Me Out to the Ballgame, we dabble in some Cracker Jack in this episode. A delicious caramel corn treat with a prize to open at the end. Mmmm.
*This is a limited time offer. Llimit 2 cards per person, while supplies last


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Monday, September 14, 2009
Wasatch Race Report - The Full Version
I woke at 4:30 (ah, the beauty of camping at the race start and sleeping until the last possible moment) and the parking lot was full of racers getting last minute things in order. I shovelled in a banana, a berry smoothie, a couple gels, and some coffee; Checked all my gear for the 4th or 5th time, put on some sunblock, and I was ready to roll. One minute before the start I made my way to the front of the pack and made a little pre race, pre dawn small talk with Karl Meltzer. We wished each other luck and stared blankly down the dark trail ahead as the time counted down from 10 seconds. And then we were off.
I fell in behind Karl and had no plans of running in the lead before day break. I opted for a small, watch battery powered headlamp for this section of the race. Partly because it was so small and lightweight, but even more so that I wouldn't push out ahead at too fast of a pace. I pretty much couldn't run faster than 10 minute per mile pace without outrunning the beam of my light... perfect tool to help hold back for the first couple hours. And so we climbed up and up into the mountains. For most of the first two hours we were a group of 6. Joining Karl and I were Hal Koerner, Josh Brimhall, Jared Campbell, and John Anderson. I felt relaxed and strong but I could tell that most of the others did too. No one seemed to be working too hard all the way to Francis Peak aid station at mile 18. Josh lead the way into the aid station, but I was only a few seconds back and Karl and Hal could be seen up the road just a minute or two back. This is the first race I've ever done with a fully organized and committed crew. My roommate Dan had flown down from Alaska earlier in the week and I think he was almost as excited for this race as I was. He had me in and out of Francis Peak without hardly stopping and I was into the lead for what would turn out to be the rest of the race!
I was feeling strong and relaxed but I knew that I had no interest in trying to run away from the field this early on so I tried to slow down and let the chase pack reel me in. At one point 3 or 4 miles past Francis Peak I saw Josh and Karl behind me and I slowed even further, expecting that they would catch me within a few minutes and I would be able to relax and let one of them set the pace until I really wanted to begin racing at Lamb's Canyon (mile 53). For some reason though they never caught me. I was in and out of Bountiful B aid station without stopping at all and on the long straight away beyond that I couldn't see anyone behind me. I was pretty confused. I thought I was slowing down waiting for them but they just never came to me. In hindsight I realize I must have been moving a lot faster than I thought at the time, but in the moment it really just kind of confused me. Finally when I went through Swallow Rocks aid station (mile 34) I decided it was no longer worth trying to run with the chase pack. I didn't want to think about the prospect of being chased for 80+ miles but in the back of my mind I kind of knew that I had gone past the point of no return and that if I let anyone catch me that it would now be a mental defeat and that I might not be able to stay with them.
I cruised in and out of Big Mountain (mile 38) feeling strong and confident, but the day was getting hot. about 5 miles past Big Mountain my stomach really started to bother me. It had also bothered me between Francis Peak and Bountiful B but a little Coke at Bountiful B settled it back down for about 20 miles. Now though it was really unsettled and wasn't allowing me to take in any food. Even drinking water seemed like too much for awhile. I had to drink though as the temperatures around Alexander Springs aid station (mile 47) must have been pushing 90 degrees. at about mile 50 I was in serious trouble and I could sense Karl and the others breathing down my neck. I was reduced to walking, even the flat terrain, and stopping about every 10 minutes to slouch over with my hands on my knees. I repeated this pattern for almost an hour and finally made my way down to Lamb's Canyon (mile 53). At this point I thought for sure my race was over. I never thought about stopping at Lamb's but I felt like a dead man walking and that it was only a matter of when, not if I would have to stop. I hadn't eaten anything in over an hour, it was stupid hot, and my mind had gone south. The people at the aid station helped perk me back up a bit though. Mostly Dan, but also others who were there supporting other racers. One thing I really liked about this race was how supportive everyone was through the whole day. Not just my crew and the race volunteers, but also the crew of the racers chasing me down.
Dan ran with me for a couple miles up the road out of Lamb's Canyon and this really helped bring me back to reality and put things into perspective. Not only did I still have about a 10 minute lead on Karl, but I was also several minutes ahead of Kyle Skaggs course record pace. I started the climb over to Mill Creek Canyon and finally realized that it was silly to be thinking about anything other than doing what I need to do to get my stomach back on track and then go back on the attack. A little while before Mill Creek aid station my stomach finally came around and I was able to start catching back up on calorie consumption. I like to eat 100 calories every 20 minutes when I'm racing. Usually I can just stick to that rate of consumption and everything goes smooth. On this day though my stomach was pretty much on the edge of failure for about 2/3 of the race. Numerous times I needed to go 60+ minutes without eating anything and then try frantically to catch back up when my stomach felt better.
Leaving Mill Creek I knew Karl was only 10 minutes or so behind me, but I also started to get my confidence back for the first time in over 15 miles. I still had almost 40 miles to go but I could start to smell the finish. I was through Mill Creek about an hour faster than my time last year and I knew that if I could keep my stomach on track that I could potentially end up with a shockingly fast time. I tried as best I could to keep these thoughts out of my mind, but it was hard to do so because my legs, as they had most of the day, felt great. Things really began to click when I was climbing from Desolation Lake up to Scott's Pass (about mile 70). My stomach was letting me eat as much as I wanted to, the heat was finally breaking, and I was really having a lot of fun. But all the while I knew Karl was still lurking close behind. I confirmed this from the top of the Wasatch Crest when I could look back down and see him roll into Desolation aid station where I had just been about 15 minutes earlier.
The run down the paved road to Brighton was about exactly what you might expect of a downhill section of pavement 72 miles into a race: horrible. But it went by fast and then here I was at Brighton, 70 minutes faster than I was last year, and 25 minutes faster than Kyle Skaggs was in 2007 when he set the course record of 19:35.
The Wasatch 100 is basically two separate runs. A 75 mile warm up to Brighton and then a 25 mile race from Brighton to the finish. The route has so many tough climbs, rutted; dusty; sandy; rocky trail, and shockingly steep drops in the last 25 miles that it almost feels like you're not running in the some mountain range anymore. Add to this the accumulated fatigue of having already run for 75 miles and it's really an intimidating way to finish a race. Yet somehow Brighton to the finish is by far my favorite part of this course. It's beautiful in it's brutality and somehow really comforting even though it's forcing so much physical discomfort onto your body. And with these thoughts running through my mind I nervously joked with Karl's crew that she should be sure to let him know that I was just getting warmed up. In reality I was scared to death. I had been running alone for 10 hours, sensing Karl hunting me down the entire time, and if I were going to win this thing I was going to have to hold him off for 5 more hours. Leaving Brighton 25 minutes ahead of course record pace with Karl Meltzer chasing me close behind was in some ways just where I wanted to be, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't really stressful.
Dan decided to try to run with me from Brighton to the finish. I was pretty stoked about this. It allowed me to chat with him and try to forget about just how much pressure I was feeling to keep my shit together for 25 more miles. We took the climb up to Sunset Pass pretty easy and after that I was ready to really start pushing things. We were in and out of Ant Knolls (mile 79) without even stopping and then onto Pole Line Pass in what felt like just a few minutes later. It was now dark and I was now fixated on the finish. I started to realize that I could finish before midnight (sub 19 hours) and that if Karl was going to catch me he was going to have to virtually kill himself to do so. And then climbing up to the ridge between Pole Line Pass and Rock Springs I looked back down below and saw his headlamp following me up the trail. I knew that he was a good 20 minutes behind me right there but to be able to see him for the first time in several hours scared the shit out of me. And so I lowered my head and pushed even harder. By this point Dan was no longer able to keep up with me and I got into a nice meditative rhythm for several miles. Between Rock Springs and Pot Bottom though the trail is really tough. They call this a 6 miles stretch of trail but I think it's closer to 8 or 9. And in this particular case it felt more like 12. It just went on and on for what felt like hours.
I finally rolled into Pot Bottom (mile 93) at 17:20. Last year I ran from Pot Bottom to the finish in 1:10. This was the first point where it really sunk in just how fast I was going to finish this thing. I began to think about how I could walk the entire way to the finish and still shatter the course record. And how I could probably crawl to the finish and still beat my time from last year. And then I would remember Karl back there, chasing me down, only about 20 minutes behind. I never thought I could run this race anywhere near as fast as I did, but I certainly didn't think that if running that fast I would be looking over my shoulder the entire day. The fact that I hadn't run away with this race by this point is a testament to just how incredible of a day Karl had as well. It's pretty amazing that he just keeps getting faster and faster with each race he does. 10 more years and he might own every 100 mile record on the planet :)
Anyway, I decided to take the climb out of Pot Bottom really easy and then just pound the last 5 miles of downhill as hard as I could. I got to the top of the climb and I was ready to go. I was striding down the rocky trail with everything I had. My quads were in some pretty serious pain but I ignored it and simply sped up some more. When I hit the smooth single track with about 2 miles to go I was running so fast that my momentum was throwing me off the sides of curves. I didn't care. I just wanted to run fast. I had the race locked up, the course record shattered, and could have eased into the finish. But instead I sped up even more. And it felt better and better the faster I went.
When I crossed the finish I was relieved to be done, relieved that I no longer had to worry about Karl hunting me down, relieved that I could sit down and relax, but mostly relieved that my mind could stop thinking about racing. Usually in 100 mile races my mind has all kinds of time to wander off on tangents and process all kinds of things that I otherwise might not ever find the time to think about. In this race though I felt like I was on the edge of physical (mostly stomach) and mental (stress about being chased so closely for 80 miles) collapse so often that I really needed to keep my mind focused on the race at hand or else I would wander off and never come back.
When it was all said and done I had finished in 18:30:55... more than 90 minutes faster than last year and more than 60 minutes faster than the previous course record. I still haven't been able to process just what this fast of a race really means to me. I knew that if things went well I could go faster than I did last year, but never once did I think I could go anywhere near as fast as I did. I'm still trying to figure out why/how it happened and maybe I'll share that some other time if I come up with any ideas.
22 comments:
Congratulations on a tremendous victory! Great report as well. Still undefeated in 100mi races huh? Seriously, you just added your name in the mix for Ultrarunner of the year along with Karl & Hal. Will be interesting to see how that vote shakes out. Enjoy some rest!
CJ - September 14, 2009 at 9:46 AM
- Justin Angle said...
Spectacular race, Geoff. Huge congrats. Great report. Enjoy the recovery.
justin - September 14, 2009 at 10:20 AM
- Neal Gorman said...
Good to meet you (briefly) at the Cheetah line up. Great race re-cap. Your fitness almost matches your humility. Freakin' amazing run! You and Karl. See you at SFNF50?
Neal - September 14, 2009 at 10:28 AM
- Derrick said...
Congratulations Geoff! Fantastic race. You were in a hell of a zone!
Great report. Found it interesting that you had to deviate a little from your normal nutrition plan, but that it works so well for you. - September 14, 2009 at 10:29 AM
- Sara Montgomery said...
Just amazing! It must have been insane to be in full-on race mode that long! Congrats and enjoy your recovery.
- September 14, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Inspiring!!!!!! BobM
- September 14, 2009 at 11:45 AM
- Hone said...
Loved the report.
You broke the HURT course record and now Wasatch in the same year. You have to be the best technical 100 mile runner in the nation right now.
I am excited for you because you are cool as hell and easy to root for.
GO ALASKA!! - September 14, 2009 at 11:46 AM
- Olga said...
That's a very neat report, very feel-full, just awesome. Oh, yeah, I forgot, the race was like that too:) Congratulations!
- September 14, 2009 at 12:12 PM
- AJW said...
Great report! Makes me wonder, if you hadn't had the stomach issues going into Lamb's how fast you could have run.
Think the Bear CR will be yours as well? - September 14, 2009 at 12:53 PM
Unbelievable. You write a great story. Very honest, heartfelt, humble and matter-of-fact, yet so inspiring. Thank you for sharing your story with the rest of us.
- September 14, 2009 at 1:26 PM
- Phil said...
...smokin' congratulations. also a delayed congrats on killing the course record for Crow Pass this summer too.
- September 14, 2009 at 2:18 PM
- Boo Radley said...
Geoff, Amazing story. Thank you for breaking down all the details. Ultrarunner of the Year is looking very good, as well as performance of the year with that one! Please report soon if you are doing Bear or North Face SF or whatever in the rest of 2009!!! "Keep the hammer down" you are on a roll!
- September 14, 2009 at 5:00 PM
Really inspiring race Geoff! Thanks for taking the time to share the details.
- September 15, 2009 at 2:26 PM
- rustyboy said...
Whoa, whatta race, and really a good, introspective look into what competing in a 100 miler is like: The mental stress, the physical fatigue, and the will to push through those elements.
Congratulations! - September 15, 2009 at 5:00 PM
- Alaskan Dave Down Under said...
Wow. Just, wow.
- September 16, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Wow is right! Great job Geoff and great race report!!! I can't imagine running at that pace for over 19 hours..truly awesome.
Its a pleasure to watch you develop your potential as an athlete to such heights! Take care and good luck on your next one.
StevefromNewMexico - September 16, 2009 at 7:05 PM
- Scott Dunlap said...
Incredible, Geoff! Congrats. Thanks for sharing the inside scoop.
SD - September 20, 2009 at 6:06 AM
- Dave Mackey said...
Nice run Geoff. You help me vicariously understand what 100's are really about.
- September 20, 2009 at 2:25 PM
- Dave Mackey said...
Nice run Geoff. You help me vicariously understand what 100's are really about.
- September 20, 2009 at 2:25 PM
- Lisa Smith-Batchen said...
simply amazing!
Lisa - September 22, 2009 at 8:59 AM
- Marco Denson said...
great report and race. I felt the stress of the chase when I was reading your report. I'm a mid to back of the pack runner and I could never imagine how it feels to be in that position. Now I know. Question, you said you like to eat about 100 calories/hr (when running) what do you eat?
Marco - October 4, 2009 at 10:37 AM
Wow Geoff another 100, another victory and another course record! Keep it up! It is great to follow you and read your RR's! Congratulations!
- October 1, 2010 at 8:50 PM


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- Official EFT Tutorial
- Before You Begin
- PART I For Everyone: The EFT Tapping Basics
- Using EFT Tapping For Yourself
- Using EFT Tapping Professionally
- What is EFT? - Theory, Science and Uses
- How to do the EFT Tapping Basics - The Basic Recipe
- The EFT Constricted Breathing Technique
- Are You Satisfied With 20% of EFT's Tapping Possibilities?
- Strategies for Getting Started: Pain, Personal Peace, Physical Disease and More
- The Pros and Perils of EFT Tapping Scripts
- What can I expect from EFT Tapping?
- PART II For Everyone: Getting to the Roots of Your EFT Issues
- Intro to Part II
- Finding Aspects within the EFT Tapping Process
- Intro to Being Specific With EFT Tapping
- Testing Your EFT Tapping Work - The Triad
- Uncovering Specific Events - An Essential Concept Within the EFT Tapping Process
- The EFT Tell the Story Technique - The Workhorse Tapping Method
- What Should I Say During the EFT Tapping Process?
- The EFT Generalization Effect - A Big Step Toward Tapping Efficiency
- The EFT Personal Peace Procedure
- When to Use Global Approaches in the EFT Tapping Process
- The EFT Tapping Success Strategy
- PART III - Advanced: Additional Tapping Tools & Refinements
- Intro to Part III
- The EFT Movie Technique - A Useful Tapping Tool
- The EFT Tearless Trauma Technique
- Chasing the Pain - Deeper EFT Relief
- Cognitive Shifts - Belief Changes Within EFT
- Common EFT Challenges
- Emphasizing the Words - More Tapping Power When Needed
- Advanced Testing Techniques
- Testing The Tabletop
- Before You Move On To Deeper EFT Tapping Work...
- PART IV - Advanced: Tapping Deeper Into Emotional Issues
- PART V - Advanced: Polishing the Process & Expanding the Language
- EFT Bonus Articles
Table of Contents Help
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Official EFT Tutorial
PART III - Advanced: Additional Tapping Tools & Refinements
New Insights, Behaviors & Beliefs Are Routine With EFT
A major sign of improvement within traditional therapy is the cognitive shift. When a client has a new insight, exhibits new behavior, or demonstrates a new belief about their issue, then something significant has shifted in their perception and this is seen as evidence that emotional healing or growth has occurred.
In traditional therapy, these cognitive shifts often come after months or years of verbalizing and processing, but with EFT they can show up in every session. In fact, with EFT they occur behind the scenes almost every time you give relief to a Specific Event. That is why the event is no longer bothersome. The client now has a different perception about it as previous aspects such as fear, guilt or anger shift in peaceful directions.
These behind the scenes cognitive shifts become routine within EFT sessions and often remain undiscussed. However, using the Tell the Story Technique, you will soon discover that once a significant amount of intensity has been released, your client may say something that completely contradicts her original perception of the event.
For example, someone who was absolutely irate with their boss at the beginning of a session might suddenly say "well, I can understand why he did that." Or someone who was humiliated in front of their friends at a party might say "you know, that must have been pretty funny." These are signs that the energy system has been realigned and your client has found some degree of peace with that event.
The video below gives you an in-depth discussion of this vital topic with a live audience. This is followed by an actual session with Pamela and concludes with a narrative by me emphasizing the cognitive shift that occurred. Note that she starts by saying that God doesn't think she is worthy but later (after tapping) says that that belief "doesn't make any sense."
These moments will often happen as your client recounts the story for the second or third time while you are looking for those last signs of intensity. At that point, the most appropriate thing to do is ask for a 0-10 intensity rating for that aspect, or for that crescendo, or for the whole event. It will often be zero and you can proceed with testing methods for confirmation.
You will also encounter other signs that your work has been successful, the most common being yawns, sighs, or genuine laughter. These can happen at any time in the session and are usually signs that the energy has shifted in some way. My favorite of these is the sigh and this brief video with give you three examples from live sessions.
If you are in the middle of a tapping round or EFT session and your client either yawns or lets out a big sigh, complete the round and ask for a 0-10 level. You might also ask your client if they felt any significant differences in how they feel about the event. These responses do not always indicate a cognitive shift, but you can certainly confirm that with testing.
You may also hear your client say that they feel extremely relaxed, almost as though they want to go to sleep. That is common too, especially after a long session or continued work. We get so used to carrying around these disruptions that once we start releasing them, it can take the body some time to catch up.
Cognitive shifts are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and provide exciting evidence that we are indeed getting results. The best part is that you don't need any more than the EFT basics to produce them. Look for them in your sessions, and as always, test to confirm.
In this article you learned about Cognitive Shifts as a sign that EFT is delivering results.
- A Cognitive Shift is known by traditional therapists as a new insight or a change in behaviors or beliefs. It is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
- We see these shifts most often when all the Aspects have been cleared from a Specific Event. The client will simply blurt out a healthy new perspective that completely contradicts their original perspective.
- Sometimes these shifts will happen without any evidence from the client. Asking more questions or using good Testing Methods will often bring the cognitive shifts out into the open.
- Sighing, yawning, or genuine laughter are also signs that disruptions are being released and perspectives may be shifting. Ask questions or apply Testing Methods to confirm.
© Gary and Tina Craig
All Rights Reserved
Please note: This Tutorial, while useful, was replaced in 2014 by my newest advancement, Optimal EFT. More efficient. More powerful. Full explanation given in my free, easy-to-read e-book, The Unseen Therapist.


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It was found that dirt particles were working through the uncovered stainless braid and getting down to the Teflon inner tube. Then as the hoses moved it acted like sand paper and wore away the inner tube causing failure.What is a Whip Insert? The Whip Insert is placed on the end of the Braided Stainless Brake Hose before we place the fitting on for crimping. The Insert is made with a special aluminum that is a buffer between the stainless hose and steel fitting. This is required to prevent premature hose wear if there is any side movement (Whip) as the hose is used, being a softer material it buffers some of the motion. If you have steel on steel the hose would wear out prematurely.
There is actually a D. T "Whip Test" that our process and hoses had to pass before we were allowed to make Street Legal Braided Stainless Hoses. Do you test your hoses?
All hoses are pressure tested to 3000 psi, twice the maximum operating pressure of any normal vehicle. Do you make Custom hoses. Yes, we can make almost any brake hose configuration you need to make your Custom or Rod look great. No need in having a brake hose that is to long or to short, or a bunch of hodgepodge adapters to make it fit. Normally how long does a brake hose last?The average life expectancy of a brake hose is about six years once it is put into service. This is based on a daily driven vehicle. So the less you drive a vehicle the longer the brake hoses will last.
Do you make Stainless Steel Braided Hoses? Yes, We can make almost any brake hose in either Rubber or Braided Stainless Steel. Brake Hoses Unlimited - Dodge Challenger - 1970 - Front Disc Your Source for Brake & Clutch Hoses Vintage - Classic - Custom1920's - 1930's - 1940's - 1950's - 1960's - 1970'sIf you don't find what you are looking for just ask.
BRAIDED STAINLESS BRAKE HOSE SET 2 Front Hoses and 1 Rear Hose Dodge Challenger - 1970 - Front Disc These are BRAND N. Copper Crush Washers & U-clips if needed.
PTFE, Braided Stainless, PVC, Plated Steel. Fittings & Brackets Trilavent Plated.
All DOT 3, 4, 5 Fluids.


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Molluscum Contagiosum
Most often seen in children, molluscum contagiosum is a common viral infection. This virus affects the outer layer of skin and does not usually move through the body. The firm, skin-colored bumps that develop from molluscum contagiosum usually disappear within a year on their own but doctors often recommend treatment to keep the virus from spreading. Molluscum contagiosum can appear in adults and, if it involves the genitals in the adult cases, it is considered a sexually transmitted disease. People with weakened immune systems are more susceptible to the virus as well.
Identifying Molluscum Contagiosum
Generally, molluscum contagiosum produces little white, pink or flesh-colored bumps that have a dimple or pit in the center. In most people, the growths range in size from about two to five millimeters in diameter. Molluscum contagiosum often appears on the face, neck, abdomen, arms, legs, or genitalia.
The molluscum contagiosum virus, a member of the poxvirus family, enters your skin through hair follicles, pores, or abrasions on the skin's surface. Highly contagious, the virus spreads by person-to-person contact, sexual contact with an infected partner, or through contact with contaminated objects like toys, door knobs, or faucets. Scratching, rubbing and shaving the papules can spread the virus to other areas of skin.
Your doctor will need to destroy the infection-causing cores inside the papules. Once this core is destroyed, the infection will heal. Several methods can be utilized to eliminate these cores:
- Chemical agents to remove the infected skin
- Cryotherapy to freeze the areas and kill the infection
- Curette, scalpel, or other cutting device to surgically remove them
- Lasers to destroy the infected cells
You can help stop molluscum contagiosum from spreading to other people by:
- Covering the papules
- Leaving the papules alone
- Refraining from borrowing or loaning out personal items
- Thoroughly and frequently washing your hands with soap and water


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OpenShot 2.1 Released!
Written by Releases.
on inI am proud to announce the release of OpenShot 2.1, which contains a huge number of new features, bug fixes, and improvements! Enjoy the release video, which by the way, was created with OpenShot 2.1 (of course)!
Animation Demo
OpenShot supports many important animation features, such as support for transparent image sequences, powerful keyframe support, and multiple layers. When combined properly, you can create some very stunning animations! In July, I attended Texas Linux Fest in Austin, TX with my 16 year old daughter, Madeline, who happens to be a very talented artist. She created an animation (using OpenShot) LIVE during the expo, while attendees watched and threw out suggestions and ideas. Take a look at her final animation (which we also debuted during my presentation towards the end of the show)!
You can check out more of her work @ DeviantArt.
Features & Improvements
Many stability and performance related improvements have been made, including multiple memory leak fixes, but we also found time to add some really fun and highly requested features, such as...
Audio Waveform Support
OpenShot now supports the ability to display audio waveforms on clips, swap audio channels, as well as separating audio into another clip (or multiple clips - one per channel). This opens up lots of interesting flows, such as adjusting the volume of individual audio channels, removing certain channels, or easily fixing audio drift.
Improved Property Editing
Editing advanced properties has never been easier! Simply drag your mouse on the sliders to change the value and automatically set a keyframe. The sliders keep your adjustments within a reasonable range. Right click on any value to change the interpolation mode or remove keyframes. As you move the playhead over the clip, the sliders will also move, revealing the animation values at that particular time. Green indicates a keyframe. Blue indicates a calculated frame. The icon indicates the interpolation mode.
New Selection Dropdown
A new selection dropdown has been added above the property editor. It displays the name of the current selected item (clip / transitions / effect), and allows the user to quickly switch the property editor to another item. It also displays the thumbnail of each item, as well as any nested effects. This is especially useful when there are multiple overlapping items, and it's difficult to select the correct one by pointing and clicking the mouse.
User-Configurable Keyboard Mappings
Users now have the ability to see all keyboard shortcuts used by OpenShot, and even customize them. This also fixes some issues with Ubuntu and a long-standing bug preventing certain shortcuts from working with their unified menu bar. In addition, we've added new shortcuts for some common things like, Select All/None, Copy/Paste, etc...
Windows 64-bit Support
We have invested a ton of time on the Windows version of OpenShot, especially the dependencies (Qt, FFmpeg, Python 3), and I'm happy to report it works great now. We also changed the installer, and upgraded everything to 64-bit (which means no more 32-bit support for the moment).
Timeline Improvements
When initially dragging a file or transition onto the timeline, the user will now get full snapping support. This was actually pretty difficult, since adding a new item to the timeline is a much different flow than simply moving an item already on the timeline. We also added the ability to lock a track, preventing any dragging or resizing. Playback of the timeline now stops at the final clip on the timeline... instead of just playing black frames. New context menus have been added for alignment, slicing, and more. And finally, added a new track menu button, and updated some styles on the timeline.
New Tutorial System
When a user first launches OpenShot, a new tutorial system pops up some friendly messages instructing them how everything works. It can be dismissed with a single click (to prevent power-users from getting annoyed), but my hope is that is makes OpenShot much more welcoming for new users, and especially users with limited knowledge of video editing.
Slice All @ Playhead
I've extended the slice feature to work across all tracks, by right clicking on the playhead icon. You can use this to quickly slice all clips and transitions at the exact same spot, and keep the left side, right side, or both sides. And by using the new Keyboard shortcuts, this can also be done without using a mouse.
Huge Performance Gains with Effects
While we still have a few bottle necks on performance we plan on addressing soon, we targeted the very slowest parts of libopenshot and made some dramatic improvements in speed, especially on the following filters: brightness & saturation. These filters can be animated over time, creating some really cool effects.
Misc Improvements
- Custom Profile Support
- Improved 1.x Project Support
- Improved Translations (fixed many spots that were not being correctly translated)
- Improved Debug Support (in the Preferences you can enable debug mode, which dramatically slows down everything, but creates some great debug log files in the /.openshot_qt/ folder)
Bug Fixes
- Fixed a regression on the Split Video screen
- Fixed Animated Title screen regression
- Long timelines now supported (up to 48 hours). This was actually a pretty nasty bug, which was causing issues on any project with more than 1 hour of video.
- Memory Leaks - The largest leaks have now been plugged
- And lots of minor bug fixes
Want to Help?
There are many ways to help out with OpenShot, and we would be humbled by any amount of contribution: testing, translations, programming, documentation, marketing, or donations. In particular, we could use some help on GitHub, working through user-submitted issues (https://github.com/OpenShot/openshot-qt/issues), closing the ones which are now resolved, and helping improve the issues that are not yet resolved (adding log files, reproducing the crash, investigating a fix, etc…).
What's Next
I still have a few loose ends to wrap up with the Kickstarter project, mainly some new titles and Blender animations promised to certain backers. I'll be working on those features, and lots of other cool things, and hope to have a quick follow-up release with improved translations, more bug fixes, and more performance improvements. Thanks again for all the support! I really love working on OpenShot and trying to build something that is quite unique and helpful to lots of different people around the world!


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Integrate Zoho Books with Standard Chartered Bank
Zoho Books has partnered with Standard Chartered Bank to bring accounting and banking to the same platform. This integration lets you automate and simplify complex banking activities such as international vendor payments and bank reconciliation. So, you no longer have to log into your Straight2Bank (The online banking portal of Standard Chartered Bank) to initiate payments.
Note: Currently, the integration is available only for Zoho Books India edition.
- Initiate payments to your vendors directly from Zoho Books.
- Fetch bank feeds securely with direct feeds from the bank.
- Reconcile bank statements easily with the best and exact matches of transactions.
- Initiate payments in bulk and reduce time spent on bill payments.
- Make cross border payments securely in other currencies.
- Manage large number of transactions with virtual account numbers.
Prerequisite: Ensure you have added other users to your organization to initiate payments and perform tasks. Learn more.
Set Up the Integration
Connecting your Zoho Books organization with Standard Chartered Bank is simple and straightforward.
Integrate Standard Chartered Bank with Zoho Books
- New User to Standard Chartered Bank: Create an Account
- Existing User of Standard Chartered Bank: Initiate Integration
New User to Standard Chartered Bank: Create an Account
If you are a new user to Standard Chartered Bank, you can request a new current account from Zoho Books.
Note: The annual turnover of the organization should be greater than 2.5 crores to request for a new current account in Standard Chartered Bank from Zoho Books.
To request a new account:
- Go to Settings on the topright corner of the page.
- Select Payment Gateways under Online Payments.
- Click Set up Now next to Standard Chartered.
- Click the Request for a New Account link in the pop-up that appears.
- Enter your Organisation Details and Contact Details in the page that follows.
- Verify and agree to the Terms and Conditions and click Save.
The bank executives will get in touch with you and help you open a new current account. After that, you can initiate the integration between Zoho Books and your Standard Chartered Bank current account.
When you set up the integration with Standard Chartered Bank, the Contact Details and Organization Details mentioned above will be shared with Standard Chartered Bank.
Existing User of Standard Chartered Bank: Initiate Integration
You can initiate integration between Zoho Books and Standard Chartered Bank easily. Here's how:
- Go to Settings on the topright corner of the page.
- Select Payment Gateways under Online Payments.
- Click Set up Now next to Standard Chartered and a pop-up will appear.
- Enter your Organisation Details and Contact Details on the page that follows.
- Agree to the Terms and Conditions as well as allowing Standard Chartered Bank employees to contact you by checking the boxes.
- Click Save
Once done, the bank executives will get in touch with you to provide a one-time token for authentication to complete the integration.
Authenticate Integration
Once you have initiated your integration, the status of your integration will be Pending until you enter the one-time token provided by the bank executives. Once you receive the one-time token:
- Click the Enter the token provided by RM option in the Integrations page.
- Enter your Straight2Bank Group ID.
- Select your Integration Administrator. An Integration Administrator is an admin of the organization who will have complete control over the integration.
- Enter the One-time Token.
- Click Save.
After validation from the bank officials, the integration status will become Active and your Integration Administrator will be able to configure your integration settings.
Configure Standard Chartered Bank Integration
After integrating your bank account, you can configure your settings based on your organisation's preferences. To do so:
- Click the Edit Settings option in the integrations page.
- Fill the details in the pop-up that appears.
Field | Description |
Integration Administrator | Select an admin of the organization to regulate all the actions in the integration. |
Straight2Bank Group ID | Enter the Group ID with which you have registered your integration. |
Allowed Payment Accounts | Select the Standard Chartered Bank account(s) from which payments can be initiated. |
Payment Initiators | Select the users who can initiate a payment using Standard Chartered Bank from Zoho Books. |
Bank Statement Accounts | Select the Standard Chartered Bank accounts for which you want to receive the bank statements to reconcile transactions. |
- Click Save.
All the users of your organization will be able to view the configured settings but only the Integration Administrator will be able to edit the settings.
Make Payments to Vendors
1. Add Vendor's Bank Account Details
Once you have completed setting up your integration, you can add your vendor's bank account details to start making payments. To do so:
- Go to Purchases > Vendorsand select the particular vendor.
- Click the More dropdown and select Add Bank Account.
- Enter the vendor's bank account details in the pop-up that appears and click Save.
2. Initiate Payments from Zoho Books
Once you have added your vendor's bank account details, you can make a vendor payment. In Zoho Books, you can:
To Make Domestic Payments:
- Log into your Zoho Books organization.
- Go to the Purchases module in the left sidebar
- Select the bill for which you need to make the payment.
- Click the Pay via Standard Chartered button in the bill options and a pop-up appears.
- Enter the details in the pop-up that appears.
Fields | Description |
Balance Due | The total sum of the money due for payment for a particular bill. |
Amount | Enter the Amount you would like to pay. You can choose to make complete or a partial payment towards the bill. |
From Account | Select the From Account from the list of Standard Chartered bank accounts from which you can initiate a payment. |
To Account | Select the account to which you would like to make the payment. |
Transaction Type | Select the Transaction Type from the available fund transfer options. The modes of fund transfer available are IMPS/RTGS/NEFT and Book Transfer. |
- Click Proceed and the payment will be initiated from Zoho Books.
To Make International Payments:
- Go to the Purchases module in the left sidebar.
- Select the bill for which you need to make the payment.
- Click the Pay via Standard Chartered button in the bill options and a pop-up appears.
- Enter the details such as Balance Due, Amount, From Account and To Account.
- Select Telegraphic Transfer (TT) as the Transaction Type (Zoho Books automatically recognizes a foreign currency payment and picks TT for you).
- Select the Purpose of the Payment from the dropdown.
- Verify the Exchange Rates. Click Change to make adjustments to currency rates.
- Click Proceed and the payment will be initiated from Zoho Books.
To Make Bulk Payments:
- Go to the Purchases module in the left sidebar and select Bills.
- Click the All Bills dropdown and select the Unpaid Bills filter.
- Select multiple bills for which you want to make payment and click the Pay via Standard Chartered button.
- Select the From Account from which you want to initiate payment for all the bills.
- Verify the Transaction Details that gets populated and select the To Account, Payment Date and Transaction Type. The amount to be paid to each vendor gets populated adjacently as Vendor Total.
- After validating the details, click Initiate Payment. Once you have initiated a payment, the status of the bill in the Payments Made tab will be In Progress.
Pro Tip: You can select a different transaction type for each vendor.
3. Approve in Straight2Bank
Once you initiate a payment in Zoho Books, the next step is to approve it in the bank's portal to process it. To approve a payment:
- Log into your Straight2Bank portal using your Group ID and User ID.
- Enter the digital one-time token generated using your Vasco (provided by the bank) and click Proceed.
- Go to the Transaction Statistics section in the screen that appears.
- Click the batch number in the Batches column and you will be able to see the transactions that have been initiated by you in batches.
- Select a transaction to view the batch details and click Authorize Batch.
- Click Save to authorize your transactions. In the following screen, you will be able to view the Challenge and Response field.
- Enter the values available in the Challenge field in your Vasco and another one-time token appears. Enter it in the Response field.
- Click Submit.
- Once done, click the Send to Bank option to process your transaction.
Once your transaction has been processed, the status of your transaction in your Payments Made tab will change to Processed.
Fetching Direct Feeds and Reconciling Bank Statements
The Standard Chartered Bank integration has also brought in direct bank feeds that imports transactions automatically from your bank account into Zoho Books. You can also reconcile transactions easily. To reconcile:
- Log into your Zoho Books organization.
- Navigate to the Banking module and select your Standard Chartered bank account.
- Bank feeds will be refreshed automatically.
- Click the Uncategorized Transactions tab in your bank statement and you will be able to view the list of transactions.
- Select a transaction and Zoho Books will prompt the Best Match for you automatically.
- Click the Match button to match a transaction.
Virtual Accounts
Zoho Books lets you assign a virtual account number to each customer for easier payment identification and reconciliation. So, when you receive multiple payments from customers, you can easily track which customer has paid you and match them easily in Zoho Books. All you have to do is request a virtual account number from the Standard Chartered Bank and set it up in Zoho Books. To do so:
- Enable Virtual Account Number in your Standard Chartered Bank.
- Log into your Zoho Books organization.
- Click the icon in the top right corner and select Templates.
- Go to the Invoices tab and click Edit on your default template.
- Go to the Footer section and click Add Your Bank Details.
- Enter your Bank Name, Account Number, and IFSC Code.
- Add the Account Number and enter the four-digit virtual account number prefix given to you by Standard Chartered Bank.
- Click Insert Placeholder and select Virtual Account Number Suffix.
- Click Save.
A unique auto-generated number will appear on the invoice you send to each customer. And when your customer makes an online payment, the bank feed will contain this unique account number. So, when you reconcile the transaction, Zoho Books will find the Best matches for you automatically.
Delete the Integration
You can delete the integration if you don't want to make payments to vendors using Standard Chartered bank. Here's how:
- Go to Settings on the topright corner of the page.
- Select Payment Gateways under Online Payments.
- Click Delete next to Standard Chartered.
- Enter a reason for deleting the integration and click Delete to confirm.


text: Canadian Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (CAPL) is the national body representing psychiatrists in Canada with an interest in the field of forensic psychiatry. Its members and affiliates are psychiatrists and professionals in related disciplines who practice in the area of forensic psychiatry including faculty at various academic institutions, fellows and residents. CAPL supports its membership in the application of the scientific and clinical expertise to legal issues in legal contexts embracing civil, criminal, correctional or legislative matters. Its members also have specialized expertise in the assessment and treatment of special populations, including young offenders, sexual offenders and violent offenders. CAPL promotes the advancement of the clinical practice, education and research as they relate to forensic psychiatry. As a member, you can be a voice for the promotion of forensic mental health and the safety of the society.


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Knitterly has been a brick and mortar yarn shop in Petaluma, CA for 10 years. We have been trying to launch an e-commerce shop for the past four years on, believe it or not, 2 other e-commerce platforms and 1 other POS systems. It wasn't until shopify, and the functionality of sharing inventory between the shops, that we could successfully do it.
How did you earn your first sales? Which channels are now generating the most traffic and sales for you?
Our first sales came through reaching out to our current customers via our blog, facebook, and newsletter. For the next 3 months, we focussed on SEO and getting our ducks in a row for each page. Recently we have been running google ads and just this week running google merchant account shopping ads, which are proving to be a giant success.
Tell us about the back-end of your business. What tools and apps do you use to run your store? How do you handle shipping and fulfillment?
We use the powertools app for a side menu filtering system that allows our customers to easily sift through quite a complicated and vast inventory. We get a lot of compliments on how easy it is to navigate our site. We also use an invoice printing app to print out pretty invoices and we have our web sales email our printer, which alerts us when a new order is in.
What are your top recommendations for new ecommerce entrepreneurs?
Do not underestimate how long and how important the inventory task is. Make sure you understand how SEO relates to page content when you are entering your inventory. Save money for advertising and learn all of the google analytics, merchant accounts, adwords, etc. that you can. It's complicated but very effective.